Petrelis Files

Hope for Cinema: Roxie's Sold-Out French Noir Series

This may sound strange to folks who aren't cineastes, but I'm glad there wasn't a ticket I could purchase for Friday night's Henri-Georges Clouzot's flicks at the Roxie as the theatre began a French noir festival.

Actually, I couldn't buy a ticket for any of the screenings on Saturday either because the Roxie was sold-out. I'd like to believe other cineastes understand why I'm fine about not being able to see the majority of these film noir classics from the country that gave us the term.



Check out my video from November 14 and see the beautiful long line of luck ticket-holders, as dozens of disappointed folks are turned away from the box office or looking for their friends who have tickets.

Knowing that so many film fans were showing up for this series pleases me no end because it shows more hope for cinema and the communal viewing of movies on a big screen.

I've played it very safe for tonight's last two films in the series and bought an advance ticket, and have printed it out. Who knew the Roxie finally joined an online ticket service?



Just a reminder that the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley earlier this year saw a similar crowd when their Satyajit Ray retrospective opened and was sold-out on the first night. My video show the line of folks hoping there are cancellations for reserved seats and a young movie buff loudly announcing he wants a ticket.

Cinema is alive and well in the Bay Area!