Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Metropolis @ the Castro


From the outside it has the look of a Mexican cathedral.  Step inside and take your seat and you are in a sumptuous palace surrounded by murals and lavish Spanish-Italian-Oriental inspired details, all beneath a stunning Art Deco chandelier.  The Castro, built in 1922, is one of the best places in the city to see a film.  Before the show the mighty Wurlitzer organ rises from centre stage for some pre-film musical entertainment.  I was there just a few days before Halloween, hence the jack-o-lantern on the curtain.


I saw the Giorgio Moroder version of Fritz Lang's 1927 silent classic Metropolis.  It was released in 1984 and features colour-tinting and a thumping '80s soundtrack.  Here is a scene:




The Castro screens foreign films, classics, forgotten gems, musical sing alongs, documentaries, independents... always something interesting.  I really hope this place can keep the doors open for many more years to come.