What is the Perfect Movie

Will This Have to Do?

Well the rain is here, but compared to back East with all that snow I feel lucky. Tonight feels like a movie night and I have been thinking what would be the perfect movie for this evening. So tonight, I will fire up the fireplace with a Duraflame and poor myself a tall Scotch and settle in for what the film industry has to offer. Something about Scotch on a cold, winter day that makes the evening perfect, but back to the task at hand, what will go into the DVD player tonight?

Tough call! You could go with a classic or something new. Then there is genre comedy, drama or thriller. What will it be? So I logged into Netflixs to get a few ideas even though I would have to stop by the video store to pick it up for tonight. The first criteria is: I must not have seen the movie. So in the Top 100 it was a bust I had either seen it or just wasn’t interesting enough for this evening. Going with the general population is never a good call, especially if you want something of substance. Let’s just say the general public forked over a $100 Million for “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.”

So click, over to the critics choice. “The Namesake” looks interesting. Not sure how Kal Penn from “Harold and Kumar: Go to White Castle” will do in a dramatic role, but will put it on the short list. Also “Brothers” caught my attention. Still not sure if I found the right movie.

I decided to look at Best Picture Academy Award winning films to see if they lend any inspiration. I started in the 50’s with a greater hope that I could actually find the film tonight. I was surprised that I had seen most of the movies and with great pride I can say that the few I did not see (The English Patient, Titanic and The Lord of the Rings) I was glad not too. I will not break my vow to never, ever see Titanic.

Out of desperation it is now to Google. The search “Best Movies Ever” produced a list of 1,000 movies from the NY Times. This will take some time . . . okay my ADD kicked in, the list is too long and my attention too short. IMDb has a shorter 250 list. Man! I have seen a lot of movies, almost all 250, probably 200 of them. Still at a lost.

Well at this point the fireplace, the Scotch (an even taller glass than planned) and maybe my Animal House or Fast Times DVD will have to do. I will take any recommendations from you on the best movie for a rainy evening to save this evening.

Stay Dry.

Cocktails and Movie

Forget the popcorn, give me a Patrone Margarita before the show. This exactly what you can get at the new Sundance Cinemas Kabuki. Yes, same Sundance of the Film Festival and Robert Redford fame. When I read the San Francisco Chronicle article announcing the opening I new that this was a must for this weekend, so I venture out for their Grand Public Opening Friday Night.

For San Francisco’s Fillmore District this is a perfect new addition to the neighborhood. The former AMC Theater is in the heart of a neighborhood that is one of San Francisco’s greatest neighborhoods and has entertaiment venues such as Bill Graham’s Rock Palace “The Fillmore,” John Lee Hooker’s “Boom, Boom Room” and the new Yoshi’s at the Fillmore Heritage Center, but over the years this theater had become aged and an afterthought for film goers with the opening of AMC 1000 Van Ness and Metreon. Sundance did a excellentjob renovating and creating an upscale Cinema that no longer has to take a back seat.

My experience started with online ticket purchasing for this adult oriented theater, Adult as in age not content, and I am so glad that I bought ahead of time. In my opinion, this is the best feature of the Kabuki, the ability to reserve seating in the over-21 balcony section. I strongly suggest using this feature we walked straight through the full lobby of people waiting to purchase tickets and straight to our theater. With San Francisco traffic, which I experienced in full force Friday, you can breath easier knowing that your seat is saved and waiting for you. My wife and I saw Juno, very funny and a great measure of the type of films that the Kabuki will book.

The Kabuki has three dining areas with full bars. A downside is you cannot move from one dining section to another with alcohol, so in the adult only balcony the bar is slammed before the movie starts. The service was a bit slow, staff getting to know the bar and one cash register, but being a veteran of sporting events and concerts I just bought two drinks so I would not have to get up during the movie.

I dined after the movie. Take my advice please; plan to eat after the show. The Kabuki shows no ads and only two to three previews, the show start almost at the publish time. The menu and wine selection has a wide variety to select from for almost any taste. My food was good, the attempt is a fine dining experience, but what it is well presented pub fare.

I would definitely go back, Theater 1 w/balcony is very comfortable, and a great place to watch a movie. The design is really to make you feel a different movie experience.

For another place to get a drink, food and a movie try a trip across the bridge in Oakland. I am a big fan of Oakland’s Parkway Speakeasy. The owners treat like hanging out in you best friend’s basement. This is a totally different experience than the Kabuki, but this is the first time I was able to have a top shelf cocktail at a movie theater. Alameda plans on having an adult only section in it’s newly renovated theater that is to open this Spring.

Parking: Try Japan Town Garage ($2.75 for three hours with theater validation)

Sundance Kabuki
Address
1881 Post Street at Fillmore
San Francisco, CA 94115

Phone
415.929.4650
http://www.sundancecinemas.com/kabuki.html

SFGate Article (Thanks for the Photo)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/12/DDIETS6M3.DTL&hw=kabuki+cinema&sn=001&sc=1000

Parkway Speakeasy
http://www.picturepubpizza.com/