Autumn is for the arts, and there's absolutely no shortage of ways to get your culture fix in the Bay Area. We've plucked 69 creative events from a seemingly endless roster of options; we hope you enjoy the show.
FILM
Dracula (1931), starring Bela Lugosi and with music by Philip Glass, will be screened on Halloween at the fantastical Paramount Theater.
Dracula, The Paramount Theater
The legendary composer Philip Glass and the Bay Area–based Kronos Quartet will perform live on Halloween at the Paramount Theater during a screening of Dracula, the 1931 classic horror movie directed by Tod Browning starring the quintessential Prince of Darkness, Bela Lugosi. The orchestra, conducted by Michael Reisman, will see Philip Glass at the keyboard, David Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hunk Dutt on the viola, and Sunny Yang the cello. // Oct. 31st, 2017, at 8pm; The Paramount Theater; 2025 Broadway Street (Oakland); paramounttheatre.com
Homage to Lina Wertmuller, Castro Theatre
Love and Anarchy, Seven Beauties, and The Seduction of Mimi, all by Italian director Lina Wertmuller, will be screening on a day-long cinematic marathon at the Castro Theatre to celebrate this provocative and influential artist's career. The event will also premier to the Bay Area Behind the White Glasses, a documentary directed by Valerio Ruiz, who will be at the event to introduce his work. For those who love the signature style of this talented female director, don't miss The White Glass Party in the theater's mezzanine at 8:30pm. // Sep. 23, 2017; The Castro Theater, 429 Castro Street, (Castro); castrotheatre.com
Marlon Brando and James Baldwin docs, BAM/PFA
BAMPFA introduces two film programs that celebrate the careers and the commitment to cinema of two fearless and prominent American artists. Marlon Brando will be honored with a selected number of movies that will show the development of the success of this charming and talented American actor, including A Streetcar Named Desire and A Countess from Hong Kong. A series honoring James Baldwin will explore the contributions of the black director in cinema and include works directed by black filmmakers that investigate the topic of race and the relationship between different ethnicity. Among the movies there will be also I Am Not Your Negro, based on Baldwin's unfinished memoir, and a documentary about the director' life and his journey to San Francisco in 1963. // Marlon Brando: The Fugitive Kind (Sep. 1- Oct. 28, 2017); Reflection and Resistance: James Baldwin and Cinema (Sep. 14–Nov. 16, 2017); BAMPFA; 2155 Center Street, (Berkeley); bampfa.org
San Francisco Transgender Film Festival @ Roxie Theater
The San Francisco Transgender Film Festival is America's first and longest-running event to spotlight transgender narratives in cinema. The 2017 schedule is soon to be announced; last year's ticket included access to Jaq Nguyen Victor's Drugs for Unicorns and Ricky Lee's Parts and the Whole. // Nov. 10-12 at Roxie Theater 117 16th St. (Mission); ticket information at sftff.org.
Another Hole in the Head Film Festival @ New People Theatre
If edge-of-your-seat thrills are your thing, mark your calendar for this annual horror and sci-fi film festival that celebrates all things fake blood and CGI. Expect a mix of dark humor and gore to be on show come late October—last year's roster included the dark comedy The Master Cleanse. // Oct, 27 through Nov. 9 at New People; 1746 Post St. (Japantown); tickets will be available in at sfindie.com.
Young Frankenstein @ Davies Symphony Hall
In time for Halloween, Davies Symphony Hall presents a screening of Mel Brooks' spooky-kooky staple, Young Frankenstein, accompanied by the sultry stylings of piano duo Anderson & Roe. // 7pm, Oct. 29th, Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. (Hayes Valley); tickets ($20-$69) are available at sf symphony.org.
