may 1, 2000. 1939 – 1946: I went to the "Col" every Saturday — was there with my father & brother to hear about Pearl Harbor. A special treat was to occasionally go to the Alexandria on a Sunday. The Orpheum & the Fox were big time. I went occasionally as a high school student, and also to drive-ins.

The 60’s and 70’s: My film haunts were the Avenue, the Castro, SFMOMA, Pacific Film Archives, the Palace (the same as the Pagoda — midnight shows with the Cockettes, Lady Divine, & Mink Stole), the Powell Theatre, the Nickolodeon (1972 — a hippie-artist happening Tuesdays, after midnight @ the O’Farrell), tiny in-home theatres in SF & Oakland, the Hula Palace (mid 70’s).

I hate the new theatres!

Multiplex movie theaters stink! More malling of America, dehumanizing of communities. I remember great foreign films at the Surf, other films @ the Metro, Cinema 21. I miss sitting in the front row seats of the loge. People were courteous because they all lived in your community & everyone knew someone. San Francisco was a community then. Multiplexes bring in a crowd that has no connection to the neighborhood. One can always hear the movie next door. People are rude, eat, chomp loudly, belch, use cell phones, wear hats, crack gum & get nasty if someone says anything.

AMC is filthy. Went to the one on Van Ness recently and gum was all over the seat; popcorn, cake on the floor. The workers could care less.

The whole city is one big frat party! Starf__ks and multiplexes make the city worse.