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I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 2nd, 2014, 9:10 am
by ChiO
At approximately this time two weeks from today, I shall be landing in San Francisco on my annual mission to the Mission to sit in the dark with strangers (and few are stranger than Dewey and mookryan and other assorted denizens of the Roxie at this time of year). No red carpet...but the sidewalk is often wet. No club room...but plenty of bars.

This year's lineup:

Friday, May 16
STRANGER ON THE 3rd FLOOR (1940) 64 mins. 6:30 and 9:50
with THE UNSUSPECTED (1947) 103 mins. 8:00 only!

Saturday, May 17
Afternoon Program: LOVE IS A RACKET (1932) 72 mins. 2:00
with LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT (1933) 69 mins. 3:30

Evening Program: NORA PRENTISS (1947) 111 mins. 5:15 and 9:45
with THE UNFAITHFUL (1947) 109 mins. 7:30 only!

Sunday, May 18
Afternoon Program: ANGELS IN DISGUISE (1948) 63 mins. 2:00
with FALL GUY (1947) 64 mins. 3:15 and WHEN STRANGERS MARRY (1944) 66 mins. 4:30

Evening Program: THE LOCKET (1946) 86 mins. 8:00 only!
with THE WINDOW (1949) 73 mins. 6:30 and 9:45

Monday, May 19
20,000 YEARS IN SING SING (1932) 78 mins. 8:00 only!
with TWO SECONDS (1932) 68 mins. 6:30 and 9:40

Tuesday, May 20
TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY (1951) 90 mins. 8:00 only!
with A WOMAN’S SECRET (1949) 85 mins. 6:15 and 9:45

Wednesday, May 21
SPLIT SECOND (1953) 85 mins. 8:00 only!
with EXPERIMENT ALCATRAZ (1950) 57 mins. 6:40 and 9:45

Thursday, May 22
HIGHWAY 301 (1950) 83 mins. 8:00 only!
with DEATH IN SMALL DOSES (1957) 79 mins. 6:15 and 9:45

Friday, May 23
THE RISE AND FALL OF LEGS DIAMOND (1960) 101 mins. 8:15 only!
with AL CAPONE (1959) 104 mins. 6:00 and 10:15

Saturday, May 24
Afternoon Program: MIRACLES FOR SALE (1939) 71 mins. 1:30
with GRAND CENTRAL MURDER (1942) 73 mins. 2:50 and BUNCO SQUAD (1950) 67 mins. 4:20

Evening Program: WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS (1956) 100 mins. 7:45 only!
with BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT (1956) 80 mins. 6:00 and 9:50

Sunday, May 25
Afternoon Program: TWO ON A GUILLOTINE (1965) 107 mins. 3:00
with THE HYPNOTIC EYE (1960) 79 mins. 1:30

Evening Program: THE COUCH (1962) 100 mins. 5:30 and 10:00
with BRAINSTORM (1965) 114 mins. 7:45 only!

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 2nd, 2014, 9:31 am
by knitwit45
Ah, if only..... :(

Have a great time, take notes if possible, and report back!!!!

And give da boss a punch in the arm from his Moe... :lol:

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 2nd, 2014, 10:32 am
by Lzcutter
ChiO,

Hope that you and Mrs. ChiO have a wonderful time! My best to you both and to "da boss". Enjoy the films, enjoy the ice cream and have a drink on me!

Marco should join you if he isn't gallivanting around the world!

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 2nd, 2014, 11:28 am
by ChiO
Hope that you and Mrs. ChiO have a wonderful time!
I'm certain she will...she'll be in Chicago.

She only came out once, and just for a weekend. As we arose on Saturday morning, she asked, "What's on tap today?" I responded, "Well, there's a double feature this afternoon and a double feature tonight." "But I didn't come here just to watch movies." "But I did."

Yup - married for 30 years. That's how it's done.

Hope Marco does wander in. I still owe him some ice cream.

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 2nd, 2014, 11:32 am
by knitwit45
You didn't finish that story...did you watch movies or do something else that day????? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 2nd, 2014, 2:02 pm
by ChiO
Still married. Isn't that finish enough?

As I recall, we skipped the afternoon double feature, met Mr. & Mrs. Dewey for a pre-show drink, and then caught the first of the evening's offerings before going out for dinner.

Or, as I put it at the time: You know, I traveled across the country just to see the unheralded film noir that I love so much. But there's something I love even more and that's you, my Honey Bunny. If you want to do something other than spending the day watching the movies that mean so much to me, then I am happy...nay, elated...to do that because being with you means more to me than life itself.

At least that's how it will appear in my memoir of our marriage, tentatively entitled Yes, Dear.

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 2nd, 2014, 9:42 pm
by knitwit45
8) :shock: 8) :shock:
"And that, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is why we are here today".

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 3rd, 2014, 10:03 am
by CineMaven
[u][color=#FF0000]ChiO[/color][/u] wrote:At approximately this time two weeks from today, I shall be landing in San Francisco on my annual mission to the Mission to sit in the dark with strangers (and few are stranger than Dewey and mookryan and other assorted denizens of the Roxie at this time of year). No red carpet...but the sidewalk is often wet. No club room...but plenty of bars.
DANG!!!! :( :( :( Look at that line up. < Sniff! > < Sniff! > especially:

This year's lineup:

Saturday, May 17
Afternoon Program: LOVE IS A RACKET (1932) 72 mins. 2:00
with LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT (1933) 69 mins. 3:30

Evening Program: NORA PRENTISS (1947) 111 mins. 5:15 and 9:45
with THE UNFAITHFUL (1947) 109 mins. 7:30 only!

Sunday, May 25
Afternoon Program: TWO ON A GUILLOTINE (1965) 107 mins. 3:00
with THE HYPNOTIC EYE (1960) 79 mins. 1:30

Evening Program: THE COUCH (1962) 100 mins. 5:30 and 10:00
with BRAINSTORM (1965) 114 mins. 7:45 only!
Enjoy, ChiO. Enjoy for all of us. << Sniff! >>

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 5th, 2014, 11:23 pm
by Dewey1960
Hey, thanks for posting this, ChiO! In the midst of all the craziness surrounding this particular series, I neglected to do so myself!
There's so much here that I'm really stoked about bringing to a theatrical audience. When was the last time a 1949 Bowery Boys
movie played anywhere? And that goes for most of the B product in this year's line-up. Many of these titles are ones I've wanted
to play for years but studio prints simply didn't exist in many instances. Now that digital technology has encroached its way into
the world of hardcore classic cinema, options for programmers are now overflowing. Hopefully exhibitors everywhere will embrace
the opportunities that lie ahead not only for theater programmers, but for the audiences they serve.

Looking forward to seeing ChiO out here again; this marks the sixth consecutive I WAKE UP DREAMING series he's traveled from
the Windy City to the Foggy City for. Amazing! The staunchness of his support for these enterprises is matched only by the intensity
of his passion for all things noir. Knitty, the spirit of Moe hovers over things, as you surely know. Theresa, we go through this every
spring. Girl, when will you ever learn?

Anyway, I know ChiO will be posting his customary enlightening commentary throughout -- that in itself is pretty damn exciting!

So long for now!

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 9th, 2014, 9:55 am
by ChiO
Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle is as excited here as I am.

One week to go and counting down!

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 10th, 2014, 5:29 pm
by CineMaven
:oops: :oops: Ack! Dewey. I know. :oops: :oops:

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 14th, 2014, 9:33 am
by Dewey1960
Dennis Harvey has written a pretty terrific overview of this year's fest which appears
in this morning's San Francisco Bay Guardian. Three days and counting...

http://www.sfbg.com/2014/05/13/stony-lonesome

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 14th, 2014, 5:40 pm
by ChiO
Great write-up! I do hope, however, that Mr. Harvey attends the last Friday night so we can discuss THE HYPNOTIC EYE. To tell you the truth (and I always do), seeing that movie on a screen larger than my TV's is one of my most anticipated moments. I may be diving under the seats during the opening sequence!

See you around noon (PST) on Friday. The packing has started! Gotta look good on the Opening Night red carpet. Ahhh...my first Opening Night at the Roxie.

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 16th, 2014, 11:07 am
by moira finnie
Since the SF Chronicle is making it harder to look at articles without becoming a paying subscriber, here's the rest of Mick LaSalle's enthusiastic article mentioned by ChiO above, courtesy of a Google News link: http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/At ... 464177.php.

Sure wish I could be there, Elliot!!:
On Friday night, the Roxie Theater is beginning a 10-day series, the latest installment in its annual "I Wake Up Dreaming" program, which brings together classic movies exploring the underside of American life. But this year's major innovation is contained in the subtitle: "Dark Treasures From the Warner Archive."

The Warner Archive is a collection of films owned by Warner Brothers and available on home video on a made-to-order basis. Over the years, the archive has expanded to include many hundreds of titles, culled from Warner's huge library.

More than Warners
Keep in mind, Warner doesn't just own Warner Brothers movies. The company also owns all the RKOs, all the classic MGMs, plus Monogram. We're practically talking about half of the entire history of the studio era, and every week about a dozen more titles come available.

Anyway, there was a time when home video looked as though it would destroy repertory film - to a large extent it did - but the Roxie and the Warner Archive are getting away from that idea. They are betting that a symbiosis is now possible, that digital can be the friend of repertory - and that repertory can be the best possible showcase for the archive's films. And so they've teamed up.

Roxie programmer Elliot Lavine was turned loose in the Archive's vaults to put together an eerie and psychologically cohesive program - 30 films in just 10 days - a real immersion in mid-century darkness. And Warner agreed to provide all the digital material. "I Wake Up Dreaming 2014" is the first Roxie made up entirely of digital prints, and if the thought of that makes you feel a little uneasy, let me be the first to tell you: Digital looks great. It looks amazing - and you're hearing this from someone who's been going to repertory houses since I was 20 years old.

To say that Warner's digital material looks exactly like film doesn't quite do it justice. Rather, it looks exactly like film when film happens to be a pristine 35-MM print. But if you've seen repertory festivals, you know that just as often movies are shown in murky 16-MM prints from collectors, or 35-MM prints that have scratches and missing sprocket holes. For some titles, that used to be the best you could hope for. After all, how could you expect a studio to spend a thousand dollars for a new print of an obscure B-movie, when the chances of its ever making back its cost in rentals is slim to none?

'Potential' films
The thing is, there are a lot of films that exist - but only in a potential state. The materials exist, a negative exists, the films aren't lost, but there's no actual "film" in a vault somewhere, because there's no demand for it. A programmer can ask for a title, but one exhibitor on a Saturday afternoon in Boston or San Francisco doesn't exactly constitute a "demand." So programmers are left either to cross that film off their list or ask private collectors.

Yet - here's the thing - many of those same movies that don't exist on film, exist in a digital state because they're shown on television, especially now with Turner Classic Movies. This means there's a lot more available digitally, which means that a theater that shows digital has access to more titles, which makes for better programs. And this year's program is a deluge of good, weird and interesting films, ranging from the early 1930s through the mid-'60s. Viewers can dip it into it, choosing programs at random. Or they can go for the full immersion and see what all that darkness can do to the mind in 10 days. Though some of the films are bona fide B-movies, most of them are just A-movies that have either been forgotten or are open secrets among fans in the know. Like the characters in them, these movies deserved better. They're like unheard cries in the night. But maybe now they're about to get a break.

There are too many films to write about here, but a handful deserve special mention. The show begins on Friday, as it should, with what is widely regarded as the first ever film noir, "Stranger on the Third Floor" from 1940. It's paired with "The Unsuspected," a full blown noir from 1947 about a radio host who might be a homicidal maniac.

The pre-Code double feature on Saturday afternoon is not to be missed. "Love is a Racket" (1932) is a refreshingly urbane movie about a newspaper columnist (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) on the shady side of the law. And if you've never seen Barbara Stanwyck in her pre-censorship days, you really need to treat yourself to "Ladies They Talk About" (1933), in which she's a bank-robbing mastermind in love with a crusading do-gooder. Typical of the era, the movie is on her side, no reformation required.

That night, another great lady, Ann Sheridan, gets a double feature: "Nora Prentiss" (1947), set in San Francisco, about a saloon singer who drives a doctor to extremes, and "The Unfaithful" (1947), about a woman trying to keep a secret that won't stay buried.

"The Locket" (1946), which plays Sunday, May 18, is interesting in that it stars Laraine Day as a rather scary sociopath, and yet the movie remains sympathetic to the sociopath. It's also innovative in its use of flashbacks and flashbacks within flashbacks, to strong effect.

Most people don't like to go to the movies on Monday, but you might want to make an exception for "Two Seconds" (1932), an amazing film that attempts to depict the flashback taking place in the mind of a murderer, as he's being executed. Nobody knows about this movie, but it features Edward G. Robinson in one of the great performances of the 1930s. Pay special attention to the scene, late in the film, in which a demented-but-logical Robinson explains himself to the judge. It's shot as one unbroken take of Robinson, talking for 2 minutes, 41 seconds, and it's nothing short of remarkable.

'Brainstorm'
There is lots more worthy of praise - for example, you can never go wrong with Gloria Grahame ("A Woman's Secret" on May 20). But one movie deserves special mention, and that's the closing night film, "Brainstorm" (1965), directed by William Conrad. Arguably the last film noir of the noir period, it stars Jeffrey Hunter as a guy who's nuts and pretending ... to be nuts. Very twisted and beautifully shot, the film looks like a high contrast, glossy black and white photo, in motion. {sbox}

I Wake Up Dreaming 2014: The film noir series runs Friday through May 25. The Roxie, 3117 16th St., S.F. (415) 863-1087. http://www.roxie.com/i-wake-up-dreaming.

Re: I WAKE UP DREAMING 2014

Posted: May 16th, 2014, 12:29 pm
by Lzcutter
Hey guys,

Don't forget that this weekend is the dreaded "Bay to Breakers" celebration which usually means traffic problems on Saturday night and Sunday morning into early afternoon all around the city.