Hell on Frisco Bay (2005-2008 archive)

Good news regarding Opera Jawa for those who only got to see it at the SF International Film Festival screening at the Kabuki this past Monday. Apparently the screening was plagued with projection problems (rumor has it that somehow the film leader itself was causing the projector to shut down after each reel, which when compounded with the interlocked projection system in Houses 5 & 6, created a very chaotic situation, with the film stopping, sound cutting, etc.)

But the festival is doing the right thing and adding another screening at the Kabuki on May 10th, the final day of the festival, at 2:30 PM. Actually I don't know for sure that the added screening has anything to do with Monday's afflicted screening, but in any case it's a good decision. If you have the slightest interest in dance, gamelan, the Ramayana, Indonesia, or even just the kind of creativity in set and costume design that transcends the criteria seemingly used to hand out Oscars, you really must make Opera Jawa a priority. I caught it at the Castro on Sunday, but I may just decide to see it again next Thursday, since it's a time slot during which nothing else is particularly attracting me. I mean, I must admit I have a tinge of morbid curiosity to know if Eagle Vs. Shark is really the Kiwi Napoleon Dynamite knock-off it appears to be from its poster, trailer, etc. But I'd rather use the time to rewatch a beguiling film that may not be screened again in Frisco anytime soon.