"Meet Me in St. Louis" is a classic MGM romantic musical comedy that focuses on four sisters (one of whom is the nonpareil Judy Garland) on the cusp of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The film spotlights the sisters' education in the ways of the world, which includes, but isn't limited to, learning about life and love, courtesy of the prototypical boy next door. In the end, love -- accompanied by song, dance and period costumes, all in glorious Technicolor -- conquers all.

Fred Frith

Multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser Fred Frith has been making noise of one kind or another for more than 50 years, starting with the rock collective Henry Cow, which he co-founded with Tim Hodgkinson in 1968. 

Fred is best known as a pioneering electric guitarist and improviser, song-writer, and composer for film, dance and theater. Through bands like Art Bears, Massacre, Skeleton Crew, the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet, Cosa Brava, and the FF Trio he has stayed close to his roots in rock and folk music while branching out in many other directions. 

His compositions have been performed by ensembles ranging from Eclipse Quartet and the Bang on a Can All Stars to Concerto Köln and Galax Quartet, from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra to the ROVA and Arte Sax Quartets, from Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Ground Zero to the Glasgow Improvisers’ Orchestra. 

Film music credits include the acclaimed documentaries Rivers and Tides, Leaning into the Wind, and Tracing Light, directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer; The Tango Lesson, Yes and The Party by Sally Potter; Middle of the Moment by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel; as well as Penzel’s Zen for Nothing, Peter Mettler’s Gods, Gambling and LSD, and the award-winning (and Oscar-nominated) Last Day of Freedom, by Nomi Talisman and Dee Hibbert-Jones. 

Composing for dance throughout his long career, Fred has worked with Rosalind Newman and Bebe Miller in New York, François Verret and Catherine Diverrès in France, and Amanda Miller and the Pretty Ugly Dance Company over the course of many years in Germany, as well as composing for two documentary films on the work of Anna Halprin. 

Theater credits include François Chat’s Setaccio and François-Michel Pesenti’s Théâtre du Point Aveugle in Marseille, where he spent six months in 1990 working with “jeunes rockers en chômage des quartiers défavorisés” on the opera Helter Skelter. 

Fred has performed works by and sometimes alongside composers John Luther Adams, Gavin Bryars, Sylvie Courvoisier, Alvin Curran, George Lewis, Annea Lockwood, René Lussier, Jose Maceda, Meredith Monk, Pauline Oliveros, Terry Riley, and Christian Wolff; improvised with Lotte Anker, Derek Bailey, Han Bennink, Peter Brötzmann, Lol Coxhill, Janet Feder, gabby fluke-mogul, Tim Hodgkinson, Joëlle Léandre, Phil Minton, Ikue Mori, Butch Morris, Bob Ostertag, Evan Parker, Zeena Parkins, Paula Sanchez, Susana Santos Silva and Camel Zekri, to name a few; collaborated with classical virtuosi Evelyn Glennie, Katia Labèque, Viktoria Mullova, and Werner Bärtschi; and—as session musician—recorded on albums by, for example, Brian Eno, The Residents, Robert Wyatt, The Swans, Violent Femmes, Material, Negativland, John Zorn, Matthew and the Unfortunates, and Half Japanese. 

He is currently performing solo and with Normal (home-made instrument duo with Sudhu Tewari) and Frelonia (with Lotte Anker and Núria Andorrà), as well as in countless combinations of his favorite co-conspirators. 

The recipient of Italy’s Demetrio Stratos Prize for his life’s work in experimental music and an honorary doctorate from the University of Huddersfield in his home county of Yorkshire, Fred taught for twenty years at the legendary epicenter of American experimental music, Mills College in Oakland, California; as well as co-directing (with Alfred Zimmerlin) the improvisation master’s program at the Musik Akademie in Basel, Switzerland. He is the subject of Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel’s much loved Step Across the Border, cited by Cahiers du Cinéma as one of the 20th century’s hundred most influential films. 

Website

Coffin Prick

Los Angeles based multi-instrumentalist Coffin Prick (alias Ryan Weinstein) has recorded two records in the past few years for both the esteemed Sophomore Lounge (2023’s Laughing LP) and Temporal Drift labels. His latest, “Loose Enchantment” (Temporal Drift, 2025) is said to “Crackle with invention” in The Wire magazine. He says: “That sounds great”. The themes frequented in Coffin Prick’s music are heard to be odes to self-delusion, the mysteries of creation, cleanliness, and the secrets in other people’s lives. 

Bandcamp | IG

Mark Robinson

Mark Robinson is an American musician, producer, and designer best known for founding the Teenbeat label and indie rock band Unrest, both while at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. After Unrest, he went on to form Air Miami, Flin Flon, Grenadine, and the a cappella Cotton Candy. His recent project with Trevor Kampmann changes their moniker with each album and have been known as Uncomfortable Police, Party Milk and Fang Wizard. His track “Catalog & Classify” from his solo album Tiger Banana became a recurring feature on the radio program and podcast This American Life.

Website | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O'Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.

CinemaSF is proud to announce that our Saturday & Sunday morning POPCORN PALACE movie screenings at the 4 STAR will be presented FREE OF CHARGE in 2025!

Thanks to an incredibly generous grant we will be showing you fantastic family-friendly movies every weekend at 10:00 AM! Perfect for everything from birthday get-togethers to casual stop-ins, so bring the whole family over to the 4 STAR THEATER for community movies together.

Reservations will be first-come-first-serve when the box office opens thirty minutes before the screening on the day of the show. We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

"Meet Me in St. Louis" is a classic MGM romantic musical comedy that focuses on four sisters (one of whom is the nonpareil Judy Garland) on the cusp of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The film spotlights the sisters' education in the ways of the world, which includes, but isn't limited to, learning about life and love, courtesy of the prototypical boy next door. In the end, love -- accompanied by song, dance and period costumes, all in glorious Technicolor -- conquers all.

A spoiled schoolgirl runs away from home, gets pregnant while hitch-hiking, and ends up as a fashion model for a pair of beauticians who like to photograph women committing crimes.

Throwin’ Bo’s presents:

Magic Fig

(Valerian Tea Album Release Show)

Magic Fig is a San Francisco-based psych-pop group featuring members of The Umbrellas, Healing Potpourri, Almond Joy, and Whitney's Playland. The project was born out of guitarist Muzzy Moskowitz, keyboardist Jon Chaney, and bassist Matthew Ferrara’s shared love of fuzz organ, Bach, and Pink Floyd. The band later expanded to include drummer Taylor Giffin and vocalist Inna Showalter. Magic Fig’s self-titled debut album, produced by Joel Robinow of Once and Future Band, was released on Silver Current Records on May 17, 2024. It takes the listener on an odyssey through secret worlds and strange but oddly familiar terrains, candidly exploring themes spanning the cosmic and the mundane.

Bandcamp | IG

abracadabra

(Dub Duo Set)

If you find the time, please come and stay a while in abracadabra’s beautiful neighbourhood; a magically wonky wonderland where strangers leave as friends to a block party soundtrack as eclectic as it is infectious. The California duo’s album shapes & colors is a dazzling collage of psych-fuelled synthscapes and contemporary Baroque-pop of anti-capitalist movements and escapism, precisely pieced around their own working lives in a blue-collar town.

In the heart of Oakland’s industrial Jingletown above a former auto-repair shop in what was once a mechanics’ break room where poker rounds ensued, Hannah Skelton (Vocals, Synthesizers) and Chris Niles, (Bass, Synthesizers) constructed the angular 80s-tinged anthems (think John Hughes montages to Talking Heads) of their new album, to positively offset the pandemic’s amplification of dysfunctional society.

Diving into decades of electronica and crunchy sound effects, field recordings and animal sounds, blended with an infectious Latin influence, "shapes & colors" is bolstered by live percussionists. It shimmies with the charismatic energy of ESG, Tom Tom Club, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and the dub hits of King Tubby, the melodic sensibilities of Prince, Stereolab, and idiosyncratic Deerhoof offering an ornate alternative to traditional guitar pop chord progressions as they layer wrecking ball-sized danceable motifs to rumble the dust off the cars on the street from the nearby concrete factory.

Bandcamp | IG

Mayya

Mayya is inspired by anyone who is unapologetically themselves and aspires to create a positive environment through her melodic, energetic music. She has shared bills with Deerhoof, Mike Watt, Luna, Kid Congo Powers, John Doe, Tim Presley, Death Valley Girls, The Avengers, Downtown Boys, Jeffrey Lewis, and more.

Bandcamp | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O'Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.

CinemaSF is proud to announce that our Saturday & Sunday morning POPCORN PALACE movie screenings at the 4 STAR will be presented FREE OF CHARGE in 2025!

Thanks to an incredibly generous grant we will be showing you fantastic family-friendly movies every weekend at 10:00 AM! Perfect for everything from birthday get-togethers to casual stop-ins, so bring the whole family over to the 4 STAR THEATER for community movies together.

Reservations will be first-come-first-serve when the box office opens thirty minutes before the screening on the day of the show. We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

A spoiled schoolgirl runs away from home, gets pregnant while hitch-hiking, and ends up as a fashion model for a pair of beauticians who like to photograph women committing crimes.

"Meet Me in St. Louis" is a classic MGM romantic musical comedy that focuses on four sisters (one of whom is the nonpareil Judy Garland) on the cusp of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The film spotlights the sisters' education in the ways of the world, which includes, but isn't limited to, learning about life and love, courtesy of the prototypical boy next door. In the end, love -- accompanied by song, dance and period costumes, all in glorious Technicolor -- conquers all.

Mae Powell

(Music Video Premiere)

Mae Powell is a Bay Area based singer songwriter with a rainbow tinged timeless sound. She recently released 'Rope You In', the first song off of her forthcoming sophomore album on Karma Chief records. You can find Mae singing jazz, spinning vinyl, or playing her original music with her 5 piece band made up of her very best friends.

Bandcamp | IG

Medscool

(Music Video Premiere)

Medscool is a project created by Secret Secret drummer Maria Donjacour. Based in San Francisco.

Maria 🎤 Sammie 🥁 Marika 🎸Alex & Jas 🎸 Ellie 🎹

Bandcamp | IG

For Your Pain

(Special Alternate Arrangement | Music Video Premiere)

Lead vocalist and guitar player Maria Weiss of the San Francisco lesbian rock band For Your Pleasure says she hopes listeners will feel empowered to take action for whatever causes they are interested in. Weiss has been playing guitar her whole life and joined her high school band. Her father also played drums in different bands and would send Weiss to a family dance camp every winter for years.

“I think that when I write songs, I don’t have a plan, or I’m not like, ‘I want to write a song about this,’ but somehow the lyrics just form what I’ve been thinking about, kind of like a diary or journal,” said Weiss.

She wrote music for years but was too shy to share it with others until she began playing at open mic events and meeting people. She formed the band in 2019, which includes her sister, Catherine, who plays drums and vocals. The band is in the process of recording their first album.

“This is the first time I’ve ever recorded in like a legitimate way,” said Weiss. “So we’re gonna release some singles, and we picked [“Teardown”] because it feels relevant to the political and cultural climate of our world.”

Regarding the song “Teardown,” Weiss said, “I wrote it in 2020 [during] peak COVID and [the] Black Lives Matter [movement] and just kind of really a lot of people grappling with the realities of our world, and so it’s really about like tearing down systems of oppression and hate and all that kind of stuff.” —Chloe Morizono, Spencer Whitney at KQED

Bandcamp | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 7:30 PM

Throwin’ Bo’s presents:

Modern Nature

When Modern Nature toured their last album, 2023’s No Fixed Point In Space, it became apparent to Jack Cooper – the band’s main creative force – that they were already pulling away from the free, open-ended approach they had spent five years working towards; almost as if the music had become so abstract and elasticated, it now had to snap back towards something more structured. As they found themselves naturally locking into more fixed grooves, he realised a new direction had been set. Their new album – The Heat Warps – is the triumphant manifestation of where that new direction took them.

In the aftermath, Cooper’s songwriting, which had become increasingly impressionistic, found a new focus and the idea of making an album that followed a similar path to the last two increasingly seemed somewhat obtuse. The purpose was to forge a radical change. The core trio of him, Jim Wallis (drums) and Jeff Tobias (bass guitar) were augmented by a new guitarist – Tara Cunningham.

Modern Nature’s recent records have reflected an insular life. Cooper had moved out to the countryside in 2021 and had, in his words, been “hibernating” while he started a family. He felt this new band was a symbol for his reawakening and the perfect vessel for him to continue to explore themes that he’s sung about with Modern Nature – collectivism, our relationship with the natural world, the weight of consciousness – but with more directness and purpose. The key was the new dual guitar sound.

“I’ve always been drawn to bands where two guitarists work as a unit to move around and colour the rhythm section,” explains Cooper. “I’d been listening to the demos Television did with Brian Eno in the day and then that night I played with Tara for the first time at an improvised music show. We have a very similar approach to the guitar and that extends to the way we sing, so it gives the music an interesting balance.

“What we do is mirrored; a symmetry on either side of what Jim and Jeff are doing in the rhythm section. We’ve played with lots of amazing musicians who continue to orbit around what we do, but Tara joining the band felt like finding the other side to the square. Previous records have been performed by upwards of fifteen people but it was apparent the four of us could achieve something more powerful and more direct.”

In the time Modern Nature has been a band, the world has undoubtedly changed. The words Cooper had been writing previously were somewhat ambiguous but it had started to feel like he was sitting on the fence and that was something he needed to address.

“Every day we’re confronted with a confusing and scary world,” he says. “Making music and creating things can sometimes feel flippant or unnecessary, but my own world view was defined and influenced by art and artists who weren’t afraid to highlight and offer solutions: Public Enemy, The Smiths, and a wider American counterculture.”

“The community we’ve built our life around – artists, musicians and the people who gravitate to these things as way of communicating – are struggling to reconcile how they fit into an increasingly cruel world. This album, the themes and the lyrics are directed towards them because I think there are still reasons to be optimistic. There are amazing things happening all around us and it’s up to communities like ours to double down on the things we believe in. It feels as if being part of a group like Modern Nature and making an album that’s open, optimistic and ambitious is in itself part of the solution.”

As the new band started to play together more, the energy, excitement and telepathy between them gained momentum and it became clear they needed to make a record that captured that. They locked into a process where they booked a couple of shows, directly followed by four days in the studio. They’d spend two weeks living in each other’s pockets – a very condensed rush of creativity.

For all that the new album wrestles with the grimmer realities of 2025, The Heat Warps is ultimately not a record entirely consumed by anxieties. Its frequently beautiful sounds offer consolation and a wide-eyed optimism amid all the upheaval. Nowhere is that more apparent than on the transcendent album closer, Totality. As Cooper explains: “It was fascinating spending time in America as the country geared up for the 2024 solar eclipse. Everywhere I went, people were talking about the eclipse and for a few days it really seemed to capture the public’s imagination.

“The day of the eclipse I was driving through New Mexico and we stopped by the side of the road with hundreds of other people gazing up to the heavens. It felt exciting to be part of something that clearly resonated with people on such a profound level. It’s a fitting album closer and somewhere in there is a philosophy; a romantic nihilism.”

And at its heart, right there is the core of Modern Nature’s appeal. Never more so than on this new record.

Website | IG

Brigid Dawson & The Mothers Network

Tip-top of our osmosis list is the first quiver of tunes from Brigid Dawson and her newly minted Mothers Network: wise warnings dyed in dark hues, knotted and hard-won torch songs from the edge of a turbulent sea, bittersweet balladry spun in defense against evils familiar and unknown.

Bandcamp

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O'Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.

A spoiled schoolgirl runs away from home, gets pregnant while hitch-hiking, and ends up as a fashion model for a pair of beauticians who like to photograph women committing crimes.

In the folksy town of Deerfield, Wash., FBI Agent Desmond (Chris Isaak) inexplicably disappears while hunting for the man who murdered a teen girl. The killer is never apprehended, and, after experiencing dark visions and supernatural encounters, Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) chillingly predicts that the culprit will claim another life. Meanwhile, in the similarly cozy town of Twin Peaks, hedonistic beauty Lara Palmer (Sheryl Lee) hangs with lowlifes and seems destined for a grisly fate.

Nothing screams holiday cheer like a haunting Lynch double feature and we’re here to deliver with HOW THE LYNCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! Eraserhead also plays at 7:30 PM.

Henry (John Nance) resides alone in a bleak apartment surrounded by industrial gloom. When he discovers that an earlier fling with Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) left her pregnant, he marries the expectant mother and has her move in with him. Things take a decidedly strange turn when the couple's baby turns out to be a bizarre lizard-like creature that won't stop wailing. Other characters, including a disfigured lady who lives inside a radiator, inhabit the building and add to Henry's troubles.

Nothing screams holiday cheer like a haunting Lynch double feature and we’re here to deliver with HOW THE LYNCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me also plays at 4:30 PM.

This winter, the 4-Star offers up a block of holiday specials to match the festive season! You’re in for a delightful run of heart-warming favorites that’ll be fun for the whole family.

CinemaSF is proud to announce that our Saturday & Sunday morning POPCORN PALACE movie screenings at the 4 STAR will be presented FREE OF CHARGE in 2025!

Thanks to an incredibly generous grant we will be showing you fantastic family-friendly movies every weekend at 10:00 AM! Perfect for everything from birthday get-togethers to casual stop-ins, so bring the whole family over to the 4 STAR THEATER for community movies together.

Reservations will be first-come-first-serve when the box office opens thirty minutes before the screening on the day of the show. We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

The Muppets perform the classic Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). Other Muppets -- Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle -- weave in and out of the story, while Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases -- past, present and future. They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.

Make it a festive double feature with our Holiday Cartoon Block (including A Charlie Brown Christmas) at 10:00 AM (FREE) or a 25th Anniversary Screening of How The Grinch Stole Christmas at 2:45 PM!

25th ANNIVERSARY SCREENINGS:

In this live-action adaptation of the beloved children's tale by Dr. Seuss, the reclusive green Grinch (Jim Carrey) decides to ruin Christmas for the cheery citizens of Whoville. Reluctantly joined by his hapless dog, Max, the Grinch comes down from his mountaintop home and sneaks into town to swipe everything holiday-related from the Whos. However, the bitter grump finds a hitch in his plans when he encounters the endearing Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen).

Make it a festive double feature with The Muppet Christmas Carol at 12:30 PM!

Henry (John Nance) resides alone in a bleak apartment surrounded by industrial gloom. When he discovers that an earlier fling with Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) left her pregnant, he marries the expectant mother and has her move in with him. Things take a decidedly strange turn when the couple's baby turns out to be a bizarre lizard-like creature that won't stop wailing. Other characters, including a disfigured lady who lives inside a radiator, inhabit the building and add to Henry's troubles.

Nothing screams holiday cheer like a haunting Lynch double feature and we’re here to deliver with HOW THE LYNCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me also plays at 7:30 PM.

In the folksy town of Deerfield, Wash., FBI Agent Desmond (Chris Isaak) inexplicably disappears while hunting for the man who murdered a teen girl. The killer is never apprehended, and, after experiencing dark visions and supernatural encounters, Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) chillingly predicts that the culprit will claim another life. Meanwhile, in the similarly cozy town of Twin Peaks, hedonistic beauty Lara Palmer (Sheryl Lee) hangs with lowlifes and seems destined for a grisly fate.

Nothing screams holiday cheer like a haunting Lynch double feature and we’re here to deliver with HOW THE LYNCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! Eraserhead also plays at 5:15 PM.

This winter, the 4-Star offers up a block of holiday specials to match the festive season! You’re in for a delightful run of heart-warming favorites that’ll be fun for the whole family.

CinemaSF is proud to announce that our Saturday & Sunday morning POPCORN PALACE movie screenings at the 4 STAR will be presented FREE OF CHARGE in 2025!

Thanks to an incredibly generous grant we will be showing you fantastic family-friendly movies every weekend at 10:00 AM! Perfect for everything from birthday get-togethers to casual stop-ins, so bring the whole family over to the 4 STAR THEATER for community movies together.

Reservations will be first-come-first-serve when the box office opens thirty minutes before the screening on the day of the show. Ticket links are below for later screenings of the film that day. We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

25th ANNIVERSARY SCREENINGS:

In this live-action adaptation of the beloved children's tale by Dr. Seuss, the reclusive green Grinch (Jim Carrey) decides to ruin Christmas for the cheery citizens of Whoville. Reluctantly joined by his hapless dog, Max, the Grinch comes down from his mountaintop home and sneaks into town to swipe everything holiday-related from the Whos. However, the bitter grump finds a hitch in his plans when he encounters the endearing Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen).

Make it a festive double feature with our Holiday Cartoon Block (including A Charlie Brown Christmas) at 10:00 AM (FREE) & 2:45 PM!

The Muppets perform the classic Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). Other Muppets -- Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle -- weave in and out of the story, while Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases -- past, present and future. They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.

Make it a festive double feature with our Holiday Cartoon Block (including A Charlie Brown Christmas) at 2:45 PM!

THE WIZARD OF THE EMERALD CITY (1994)

(plus a supercut of THE WONDERFUL LAND OF OZ)

This December, step into a magical land populated by witches, sentient big cats, strapping metallic woodsmen, and derpy scarecrows… Yes, it’s Oz! But no, we’re not watching “Wicked: For Good” (or for evil for that matter). We are, however, capitalizing on the pop culture sensation to show some of our favorite freaky forays to the Emerald City! So whether you're wiggin’ out for Wicked or would stab your ears out with the heel of a ruby slipper if you hear Defying Gravity one more time, this night is for you!

The Movie Madhouse main feature this month is the 1994 Russian television film “The Wizard of the Emerald City”! Rather than using the original book as inspiration, this film is an adaptation of a 1939 Russian retelling of The Wizard of Oz story and the differences are WILD! But it does an amazing job capturing the dark, bleak, surreal, and slightly silly world of post-Soviet Russia. Haven’t heard of this flick before? Well guess what? We’re featuring the first-ever English-language translation of the film, being headed up by our very own Kafka X! 

And we wanted to throw in one extra treat for all you Oz oddballs so we’ll also be watching a supercut of the 1969 movie “The Wonderful Land of Oz”! This film, in its entirety, is painfully slow, which is wild given the fact that it centers on radical feminist insurrectionists and forced sex changes in the land of Oz, but don’t worry! We’ll show you all of that meat without any of the fat! So click your heels together three times and click that ticket link for one short day in the Emerald City with Movie Madhouse!

MEDIA MELTDOWN MOVIE MADHOUSE

Gender jesters Piranha Psychotronica and Kafka X bring you a new experience in cinematic depravity… Media Meltdown Movie Madhouse! Prepare yourself to enter into a world of face-flaying forgotten and forsaken films… Made-for-TV, Direct-to-Video, VCR games, underground cinema, and more wiley weirdness than your minds can handle! In a world dominated by AI, CGI, mega streaming platforms, and cinematic universes, Media Meltdown celebrates the amateur, the low-budget, the handmade, the experimental, and the weird! Commit yourself every 3rd Sunday to … MEDIA MELTDOWN MOVIE MADHOUSE!

This winter, the 4-Star offers up a block of holiday specials to match the festive season! You’re in for a delightful run of heart-warming favorites that’ll be fun for the whole family.

Make it a festive double feature with The Muppet Christmas Carol at 7:30 PM!

The Muppets perform the classic Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). Other Muppets -- Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle -- weave in and out of the story, while Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases -- past, present and future. They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.

Make it a festive double feature with our Holiday Cartoon Block (including A Charlie Brown Christmas) at 5:00 PM!

The Muppets perform the classic Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). Other Muppets -- Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle -- weave in and out of the story, while Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases -- past, present and future. They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.

Make it a festive double feature with Die Hard at 7:30 PM!

New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a holiday party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for. But the festivities are interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Very soon McClane realizes that there's no one to save the hostages -- but him.

Make it a festive double feature with The Muppet Christmas Carol at 5:00 PM!

New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a holiday party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for. But the festivities are interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Very soon McClane realizes that there's no one to save the hostages -- but him.

New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a holiday party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for. But the festivities are interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Very soon McClane realizes that there's no one to save the hostages -- but him.

Soon after the death of his father, a distraught young man (Gael García Bernal) begins a job as a graphic designer, but has little chance to create. His intense dreams begin to overtake his waking life and he becomes increasingly caught up in flights of fancy. His hyperactive imagination then begins to interfere with his courtship of a pretty neighbor (Charlotte Gainsbourg).

Make it a Michel Gondry double feature with our screening of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at 7:30 PM!

Soon after the death of his father, a distraught young man (Gael García Bernal) begins a job as a graphic designer, but has little chance to create. His intense dreams begin to overtake his waking life and he becomes increasingly caught up in flights of fancy. His hyperactive imagination then begins to interfere with his courtship of a pretty neighbor (Charlotte Gainsbourg).

Make it a Michel Gondry double feature with our screening of The Science of Sleep at 5:00 PM!

An arrogant young prince and his castle's servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village girl Belle enters the Beast's castle after he imprisons her father Maurice. With the help of his enchanted servants, including the matronly Mrs. Potts, Belle begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation.

CinemaSF is proud to announce that our Saturday & Sunday morning POPCORN PALACE movie screenings at the 4 STAR will be presented FREE OF CHARGE in 2025!

Thanks to an incredibly generous grant we will be showing you fantastic family-friendly movies every weekend at 10:00 AM! Perfect for everything from birthday get-togethers to casual stop-ins, so bring the whole family over to the 4 STAR THEATER for community movies together.

Reservations will be first-come-first-serve when the box office opens thirty minutes before the screening on the day of the show. Ticket links are below for later screenings of the film that day. We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

Soon after the death of his father, a distraught young man (Gael García Bernal) begins a job as a graphic designer, but has little chance to create. His intense dreams begin to overtake his waking life and he becomes increasingly caught up in flights of fancy. His hyperactive imagination then begins to interfere with his courtship of a pretty neighbor (Charlotte Gainsbourg).

The beautiful Vicky (Shu Qi) drifts through her empty life in the sprawling metropolis of Taipei, Taiwan, maintaining a pointless relationship with her loser DJ boyfriend, Hao-Hao (Tuan Chun-hao), and an unsatisfying career as a nightclub hostess. As her romance becomes increasingly strained, she decides to take up with Jack (Jack Kao), a caring but criminally connected businessman. But this new relationship can't change Vicky's aimless nature, and her future remains as doubtful as ever.

Make it a sleek Taipei double feature with our screening of Rebels of the Neon God at 7:30 PM!

Within the urban gloom of Taipei, four youths face alienation, loneliness, and moments of existential crisis amidst a series of minor crimes.

Make it a sleek Taipei double feature with our screening of Millennium Mambo at 5:00 PM!

An arrogant young prince and his castle's servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village girl Belle enters the Beast's castle after he imprisons her father Maurice. With the help of his enchanted servants, including the matronly Mrs. Potts, Belle begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation.

CinemaSF is proud to announce that our Saturday & Sunday morning POPCORN PALACE movie screenings at the 4 STAR will be presented FREE OF CHARGE in 2025!

Thanks to an incredibly generous grant we will be showing you fantastic family-friendly movies every weekend at 10:00 AM! Perfect for everything from birthday get-togethers to casual stop-ins, so bring the whole family over to the 4 STAR THEATER for community movies together.

Reservations will be first-come-first-serve when the box office opens thirty minutes before the screening on the day of the show. Ticket links are below for later screenings of the film that day. We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

Soon after the death of his father, a distraught young man (Gael García Bernal) begins a job as a graphic designer, but has little chance to create. His intense dreams begin to overtake his waking life and he becomes increasingly caught up in flights of fancy. His hyperactive imagination then begins to interfere with his courtship of a pretty neighbor (Charlotte Gainsbourg).

Film By Friends presents:

Festive Friends

Get festive this Dec 28th with four short films, 2 NEW episodes of The Delivery Series, and a live band performance all at the 4 Star Theater!

We at Film By Friends are building a community dedicated to supporting Bay Area creatives and purveyors of the arts to foster authentic connection and people-first productions in San Francisco. Come by and make a friend!

IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | FILMS at 7:30 PM | LIVE MUSIC to follow the FILMS

Within the urban gloom of Taipei, four youths face alienation, loneliness, and moments of existential crisis amidst a series of minor crimes.

Make it a sleek Taipei double feature with our screening of Millennium Mambo at 5:30 PM!

The beautiful Vicky (Shu Qi) drifts through her empty life in the sprawling metropolis of Taipei, Taiwan, maintaining a pointless relationship with her loser DJ boyfriend, Hao-Hao (Tuan Chun-hao), and an unsatisfying career as a nightclub hostess. As her romance becomes increasingly strained, she decides to take up with Jack (Jack Kao), a caring but criminally connected businessman. But this new relationship can't change Vicky's aimless nature, and her future remains as doubtful as ever.

Make it a sleek Taipei double feature with our screening of Rebels of the Neon God at 3:00 PM!

The battles that shaped Los Angeles are revealed in this raucous tale of a 20th Century fight palace and the remarkable woman who ran it.

The Olympic Auditorium was a hub of outrageous entertainment for generations, where heroes and villains often came from the neighborhoods of the city, making their mark in the ring, track or stage. Told through the distinctive voices of wrestlers, boxers, punks and skaters, 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story remembers a lost, and more interesting L.A.

Q&A to follow the film including East Bay Ray

Eleni Drake

British/Greek singer, songwriter and producer Eleni Drake’s hauntingly beautiful sound is at once refreshing and timeless, uplifting and introspective, inspired by a deep love of music that spans from Mazzy Star and Adrienne Lenker to Mac Miller and Cleo Sol. With over 40 million streams to date and still only just getting going, 2025 promises to be Eleni’s biggest year yet with her most personal and profound music on the way.

Eleni’s celebrated 2024 EP, 'Above Deep Water'; her first release on new label MNRK, having self-released her previous projects, picking up a devoted following in the process. She’s earned fans along the way at tastemakers including The Line Of Best Fit, Consequence, The Independent, The Arts Desk, CLASH, La Blogotheque and Wonderland, and last year took her intimate live set to The Great Escape and SXSW festivals.

“Opaque R&B elements intermingle with touches of jazz, with Drake utilising warming, analogue tones throughout. A soft, supple piece of songwriting... “ - CLASH MAGAZINE

“The British singer-songwriter has successfully captured the beachy, cosmic energy the record’s name seems to indicate” - CONSEQUENCE

“A compulsive set of songs laced in spacey twang... there’s a touch of David Lynch about its zonk-blues melancholia” - THE ARTS DESK

Bandcamp | IG

Support TBA

Eleni Drake had to re-schedule her Fall 2025 tour due to visa issues. If you had tickets for her November 14th show, they will be valid for this re-scheduled date.

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Throwin’ Bo’s presents:

Marissa Nadler

For over two decades, Marissa Nadler has carved out a singular place in the musical landscape, where ethereal folk, shadowy Americana, ambient soundscapes, shoegaze and experimental textures converge. Anchored by her unmistakable mezzo-soprano and intricate fingerstyle guitar, Nadler’s music conjures vivid emotional worlds—intimate, otherworldly, and timeless. A prolific songwriter, Nadler has built a discography defined by spectral beauty and haunting lyricism. Her songs, dreamlike and lush, are rich with painterly imagery and emotional nuance. As The New Yorker writes, “To luxuriate in the spectral croon of Marissa Nadler is to step into a noirish world of mystery and glamour,” while AllMusic praises her “epic, aching songs, which refuse to keep tragedy at arm's length.”

Shortly after earning her bachelors and masters degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design, Nadler released her breakthrough debut Ballads of Living and Dying (2004), a collection that announced her as a major voice in the underground. A skilled visual artist as well, Nadler’s background in painting and drawing deeply informs the cinematic scope of her songwriting.

Following her early releases, she partnered with Sacred Bones and Bella Union for July (2014), marking a new chapter in both creative clarity and critical acclaim. Albums like Strangers (2016), For My Crimes (2018), and The Path of the Clouds (2021) further expanded her sonic palette while preserving the deep emotional resonance at the core of her work. As Brooklyn Vegan notes, “Just about everything she puts out is truly mesmerizing.”

Her tenth full-length album, New Radiations, arrives August 15th. Expansive, melodic, and emotionally vivid, it captures Nadler at her most personal and visionary—an artist continually evolving, yet unmistakeable.

Website | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Tickets go on-sale Thursday, August 14th at 7:00 AM.

Field Medic

For ten years, singer-songwriter Kevin Patrick Sullivan has been releasing music as Field Medic that meshes the magical and the ordinary. His dreamy lo-fi bedroom folk discography is vast, with 5 full length albums, multiple EPs and singles, and has no plans on stopping. Newly sober, Sullivan plans on continuing to build his world through his poetic lyricism and imagery through his experiences that has amassed him a fanbase that can relate to the feelings his music evokes.

Field Medic’s latest record, dope girl chronicles, is something of a spiritual sequel to his 2015 debut full length, but it also marks a sonic shift, deconstructing his as we know it in order to start an exciting new chapter.

Bandcamp | IG

beaming

Are we having fun yet? After years building their respective legacies in the independent music scene, Derek Ted and Braden Lawrence let this question guide the creation of their latest project: beaming, a playful indie pop venture built around an ethos of curiosity, collaboration, and levity.

The duo’s self-titled EP introduces the project with four infectious songs at the intersection of pop, rock, and folk. This comes as no surprise given the band’s pedigree: Braden spent over a decade playing in Philadelphia-based indie darling The Districts, while Derek is a solo artist and prolific producer who has lent his talents to rising stars like Odie Leigh, Runnner, and Field Medic.

Bandcamp | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM