Beast Blog

The Beast is for (Film) Lovers

A browse through the latest East Bay Express offers numerous reasons for East Bay cineastes to rejoice.

The death of the UC Theater and the hibernation of the Fine Arts Cinema has saddened local filmgoers. Good news comes in the form of an ex-Roxie Cinema programmer taking up residence at the Grand Lake, converting one of the screens into a repertory screen, starting this week with The Adventures of Robin Hood, and following soon with a Bay Area noir fest.

The PFA will be spending the next month showcasing the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder. I've only seen The Marriage of Maria Braun, which was excellent, and eagerly seek to see more.

And on September 2, the PFA is showing L'age D'or with Un chien andalou, must-see surrealist flicks from Bunuel.

And naturally, there are the continued delights of the Parkway (which continues to feature more and more locally-made independent film), the Paramount, and the Landmark Shattuck's rep screen.

Oh, and, of course Reel Video and Movie Image.

Best Video Rental Options?

Movie Image at 2318 Shattuck has got a good selection of films, especially non-U.S. films, and the lectures offered by the staff about being 'more responsible' when paying (rapacious) late fees are amusing, but I'm wondering if anyone has any other recommendations on the best place to rent flicks -- Reel? Netflix? Greencine?