The post The 10 Most Timeless Children’s Films appeared first on Consequence.

This list was originally published in 2019. It has been republished on April 7th, 2023, in celebration of The Sandlot’s 30th anniversary.

Timelessness is a simple enough concept — until you try to apply it.

Age must factor in, and indeed several of the children’s films featured here have popularly endured across several decades and multiple generations. (To account for longevity, we decided that a movie had to be at least 20 years old — approximately a generation — to be considered for this list. Sorry, Nemo.)

Does a film need to have become part of our pop-culture lexicon to be dubbed timeless? In other words, should the bulk of the people you encounter each day have seen or know something about the movies on this list? Only a couple handfuls of films across all genres meet that standard, and a few of the kids’ flicks that definitely do are here.

Now, this is where things get as hairy as an Oompa-Loompa nibbling hair toffee. Can a film be timeless for some but not for others? I suspect if I was born a few years later, I’d be more gung ho about a couple of our animated inclusions championed by my younger colleagues. By the same token, if they were my age, maybe they would’ve seconded my votes for a Don Bluth feature like An American Tail or The Land Before Time. So much depends on a few years’ difference, or what our parents happened to push into the VCR — maybe a movie they once cherished as a child or, just as likely, what they found in a VHS or DVD bargain bin. It seems my parents found a ton of Bluth bargains.

land before time

Maybe even more interesting than what is or isn’t on this list today will be what falls off a few years down the line and what films do the usurping. Is timelessness really forever? Will all these films endure as they have until now, or will the Nemos, Frozens, Inside Outs, and Paddingtons rightfully wiggle in as time passes and our children become adults and then parents with their own kids to entertain? Will constant bombardments lobbed by television programmers thrust other forgotten films back into the public consciousness as they once did Willy Wonka and, more recently, A Christmas Story?

While many of the films on this list have and will continue to inspire remakes, reboots, sequels, and offshoots, they are all series originals. Given trends like the current Disney live-action reboot craze, might remakes and sequels of some of these very films one day replace their progenitors on lists like these? Only time will tell.

So, where does that leave this possibly quite ephemeral list of the most timeless children’s films? Well, we could do far worse than begin with a famous comment from W.H. Auden: “There are no good books which are only for children.” This applies to film as well, I believe, and acts as the guiding force behind our choices. The following are films that children take with them into adulthood and return to when they need an escape from it. These are films that today’s iChild should still be able to unplug for and watch with an older sibling, a parent, or a grandparent, each experiencing some sense of wonder.

If a children’s film can tick that box in a powerful way, it’s worth hanging on to, timeless or no.

— Matt Melis

wonka

10. The NeverEnding Story (1984)

Not Quite Timeless (Runtime): 1 hr. 42 min.

Once Upon a Time: A bullied bookworm still grieving the loss of his mother borrows a magical book from a bookshop and soon finds that he’s not just really into the story — he’s really in the story. Support your local independent bookstores, people.

Fantasians (Cast): Barret Oliver, Thomas Hill, Deep Roy, Noah Hathaway, Alan Oppenheimer, and Tami Stronach

Moment of Pure Imagination: Just like with movies, if we’re reading a story and find ourselves getting too caught up in it, we can always put down the book and say, “It’s only a story.” The fact that Bastian can’t do that is partly what makes The NeverEnding Story so magical. As enthralling as Atreyu’s quest to cure the Childlike Empress may be, it’s just as magical to slowly discover that Bastian plays the most crucial role in this adventure. It’s a fantasy equal parts wondrous and unsettling. After watching this move as a child, it was a good number of weeks before I could pick up a book again without wondering if I’d find my name printed on its pages.

Somewhere Over the Reading Rainbow: Some authors churn out novels that already read like movie scripts. Others are much tougher to adapt and get very frustrated when they barely recognize their creations up on the silver screen. German author Michael Ende fits that latter category and actually sued when he saw what was being done to his novel. Ende’s major gripes came over plot deviations and the fact that the film only tells the first half of Bastian’s story. The second half of Ende’s novel would loosely inform the godawful, Jonathan Brandis-starring 1990 sequel, but that’s, as they say, another story.

You’re Scaring Me, Smalls!: This is a dark, dark film full of adventure and triumph but also misery and grief. As a child, so much of this movie comes across as absolutely terrifying. It’s a completely subjective pick-’em situation when it comes down to selecting the scariest moment. For me, I always struggled near the film’s end when the Empress calls out to Bastian as the Ivory Tower crumbles around her. It felt like she was calling me. And I”ll be damned if I was going to answer back.

Give It to Me Now! (Veruca Salt Moment): A wise luckdragon once said, “Having a luckdragon with you is the only way to go on a quest.” Sold. I don’t have many quests lined up these days, but I wouldn’t mind roaring through downtown Chicago and finding some bullies who need a dumpster visit.

Why It’s Timeless: The best children’s books and films speak up to children, not down to them. Really, at the heart of this film is a young boy grieving the loss of a mother without a supportive father or any friends to help ease his pain. “The Nothing,” rightly or wrongly, can be read as the grief and depression that threaten to consume young Bastian. Far from a critical darling when it originally ran in theaters, the decades since have been far kinder to The NeverEnding Story. It’s an adventure-quest equal parts wondrous, dark, and fun that blurs the lines between reality and imagination. If you want a “safe” movie, this story is not for you. Now, could you get ’round and scratch behind my right ear? Ah, that’s the spot.

luckdragon

— M.M.

09. The Sandlot (1993)

Not Quite Timeless: 1 hr. 41 min.

Once Upon a Time: An L-7 weenie, his mother, and his stepdad move to a new town where he befriends the local star athlete who helps him out of a pickle involving a Babe Ruth-autographed baseball, a very tall fence, and a giant, man-eating mongrel. It’s a summer of foul balls, friends, fangs, and maybe even legends.

Starting Lineup: Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, James Earl Jones, Karen Allen, Denis Leary, Patrick Renna, Chauncey Leopardi, and Art LaFleur

Moment of Pure Imagination: The moment of pure nostalgia comes on the 4th of July when the boys play their annual night game under the fireworks amid neighborhood cookouts and block parties. The explosions illuminate the sky, Ray Charles belts out “America the Beautiful,” and the boys, or at least Benny, live out their fantasies of being big leaguers under bright ballpark lights.

However, the scene that really sparks the imagination is when Benny pickles The Beast. We finally see Mr. Mertle’s killer guard dog, Hercules, and the secret chess match the boys have been waging for days spills over into the rest of town. While the locals just see a dog chasing a boy in a Dodgers hat, the sandlot gang are witnessing not a hero, but a legend being born. And remember the difference: “Heroes get remembered. Legends never die.” Follow your heart, Benny, man!

You’re Scaring Me, Smalls!: Sandlot isn’t a particularly scary movie, but between Squints’ tree house story (“FO-EV-ER”), all the terrible snarling and growling, and the overblown screams and facial expressions from the boys anytime they see The Beast, you do start to wonder just what type of monster Old Man Mertle might have chained up on the other side of that fence.

Give It to Me Now!: As a young athlete, I wanted Benny’s P.F. Flyers, guaranteed to make a kid run faster and jump higher. Maybe that tree house pre-vacuum explosion. Now, though, a consensual kiss from Wendy Peffercorn would be my top pick. All these years later, she still knows exactly what she’s doing. Just ask Squints. He married her and had nine kids! Actually, scratch that. I’d rather play catch in a backyard with Denis Leary and call him Dad, I mean, Bill. Can somebody make this happen?

Why It’s Timeless: Most of the stories on this list take place in a fantasy world. The Sandlot is probably the only film here that actually approximates what growing up was like for some of us. It was a time when life was simple enough: baseball, buddies, and, forgive me, babes, or, more accurately, girls as seen through the eyes of curious chickenshits. These few formative summers existed for so many of us, and as we see the sandlot gang slowly move away one by one, until it’s just Smalls and Hercules left, we can’t help but think of the Squintses, Hams, and Jets from our own childhoods. The ending of Sandlot tugs at us in the same way the closing lines of Stand by Me do:

stand-by-me-friends-computer-screen1

— M.M.

08. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Not Quite Timeless: 1 hr. 16 min.

Once Upon a Time: “‘Twas a long time ago, longer now than it seems in a place perhaps you’ve seen in your dreams. For the story you’re about to be told began with the holiday worlds of auld. Now you’ve probably wondered where holidays come from. If you haven’t, I’d say it’s time you begun. For holidays are the result of much fuss and hard work for the worlds that create them for us. Well, you see now, quite simply that’s all that they do — making one unique holiday, especially for you. But once, a calamity ever so great occurred, when two holidays met by mistake.”

Pumpkins, Monsters, and Santa: Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, and Ken Page

Moment of Pure Imagination: What makes The Nightmare Before Christmas click in the eyes of so many youths is how the story involves the two greatest holidays: Halloween and Christmas. The cold, spooktacular open stirs up all the right feelings for anyone born under a pumpkin, but there’s little arguing over Jack Skellington’s initial discovery of Christmas Town. The candied lights, the powdery snow, and the wistful wonder on Skellington’s face are further embellished by Danny Elfman’s ridiculously catchy anthem, “What’s This?”. As our bony hero hops from one Christmas trope to another, it’s damn near impossible not to sing along with him as he screams, “This looks like fun, this looks like fun!” Truth be told, it is fun.

Somewhere Over the Reading Rainbow: There’s a reason the film reads Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, even though the veteran auteur didn’t direct the film or write the screenplay. Way back in 1982, a good 11 years before the film would scare and charm children all over the world, Burton penned the holiday mashup as a poem.

At the time, he was working as an animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation, and when the ol’ Mouse House caught a look, they realized they had a hit on their hands. Naturally, it took over a decade to come to fruition, and by then, they issued the film through their Touchstone banner. Reason being, the suits thought Skellington’s conquests “too dark, and scary for kids.” Still, the poem’s a choice bedtime story.

You’re Scaring Me, Smalls!: Honestly, as someone who grew up worshipping Halloween and horror films, I’ve never found Nightmare to be that scary. In hindsight, though, there is something pretty disturbing about Sally’s jerkstore “father” Doctor Finklestein.

Voiced by the great and late William Hickey, aka Uncle Lewis in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, the brainy, freewheelin’ mad scientist has this weird stranglehold over his creation and the way he barks demands and keeps Sally locked up is all sorts of messed up. At one point, she has to jump out of the tower like some suicidal rag doll just to sneak away from his grasp. Sorry, Oogie, but when it comes to Psychoville, Finklestein’s the mayor.

Sing It Again, Jack: What typically tends to happen with most musicals is that the best song is usually paired with the most stirring moment. It’s the nature of the beast, so naturally “What’s This?” is arguably the strongest composition of the bunch. Who doesn’t immediately jump around whenever anymore mutters the titular phrase? What’s more, most people totally get it, too, which only proves how ubiquitous the song has become over the years.

Having said that, if there’s a runner-up, well, then let’s start celebrating All Hallow’s Eve early with “This Is Halloween,” the introductory jam that follows Elfman’s delicate opening notes and Santa’s foreboding prologue. Given the myriad voices and characters, the whole thing sounds like a children’s pop-up book, as everyone gets a piece of the pumpkin pie. FYI: The late Glenn Shadix is the true MVP on this one.

Give It to Me Now!: This one’s easy: Zero. Who wouldn’t want to walk around with a ghost pup? You wouldn’t have to feed it, it’s already dead, and there’s zero shedding. He even has a cute, lil’ jack-o’-lantern nose!

zero

Why It’s Timeless: The Nightmare Before Christmas is eye candy, sure, but it’s brilliant, tasty, and sugary eye candy. As a child, it’s a compendium of everything you love: tricks, treats, gifts, and sweets. Youngsters will feverishly look forward to Halloween and Christmas forever and ever, and Burton’s twisted parable will be right there, haunting the two holidays with much delight, especially since the idea of an Alternative Christmas Movie has essentially evolved into the Classic Christmas Movie.

There’s also something to be said of its ambiguous time frame, and that’s partly why it continues to resonate with multiple generations. As for all the adults out there, it would take a real cynical son of a gun to scoff at Henry Selick’s slick stop-motion direction or Elfman’s rousing earworms. How anyone could watch “Jack’s Lament” and not shake their heads in wonder is a total mystery. Nevertheless, see you in October…

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— Michael Roffman

07. Home Alone (1990)

Not Quite Timeless: 1 hr. 43 min.

Once Upon a Time: A precocious eight-year-old thinks he’d be better off sans parents and gets his wish when his family accidentally goes to Paris without him for the holidays. When he discovers that a pair of burglars are targeting his home, he turns pipsqueak Rambo and makes them wish they’d robbed that guy with the tommy gun instead. Poor filthy animals.

Head Count: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Catherine O’Hara, Roberts Blossom, John Candy, and Big Pete!

Moment of Pure Imagination: Okay, okay. I saw this film six times when it first came out because who doesn’t love seeing a little smart-ass light up baddies with paint cans and hearing Tommy Devito, I mean Harry Lime, eh, I really mean Joe Pesci, mumble “Ruffa-fedga-fudga” again and again. But most healthy, normal children don’t really fantasize about Joe Pesci or having to protect their house from burglars.

The real kid-tested, mother-abhorred appeal of Home Alone — and, yes, we learn it’s a fleeting fantasy with diminishing returns — comes when Kevin realizes he has the run of the house. That means jumping on beds, eating junk, watching trash, and, yes, tobogganing down the stairs and out the front door. My house was soooo set up to try that sledding stunt as well. Unfortunately, I had good parents.

Somewhere Over the Reading Rainbow: Sir John Hughes (yeah, I knighted him) wrote Home Alone as a movie script, but they novelized everything back then — episodes of Family Matters and Full House and, yes, popular kids movies like Home Alone. All I remember of Home Alone the novel was Buzz’s tarantula was named Axl. Hey, GNR were huge back then. No fat joke coming.

You’re Scaring Me, Smalls!: Old Man Marley is a bit creepy. Mac was the star, so you knew the Wet Bandits weren’t really going to get him. Could you imagine Pesci actually plugging him and then driving him out to a hole in the middle of the desert? But, damn, that kid-eating furnace in the basement. Now, that’s the fuel of childhood nightmares. That and Buzz’s girlfriend. Woof! Made me put off puberty for about a decade.

furnace

Give It to Me Now!: A bootleg copy of Angels with Filthy Souls would sit nicely under my Christmas tree this or any year. But, believe it or not, as a kid, I really envied Kevin’s “lovely cheese pizza just for [him].” As an adult, it’s usually depressing to hunker down alone with a pie. As a child with a sizable family, it’s so rare to have anything that you don’t have to share with several other people. Bon appetit, Kevin.

Why It’s Timeless: It’s an alternative Christmas movie in which an eight-year-old in a large family (basically, the lowest-ranking McCallister) finally gets the chance to run the show. That’s every kid’s dream, really — to act as the grown-up without having to act, well, grown up. But as young Kevin finds out, the world doesn’t work that way. Growing up means responsibilities more so than just getting your way, and being alone, Christmas or not, is no way to go through life. Just ask the guy with the shovel across the street.

By the time he makes his final stand to defend his castle, Kevin already realizes he’d much rather have his family at his side, even Buzz. The fact that he has to learn the exact same lessons in New York a year later hardly seems to matter. By the way, this last paragraph reads better if you make your internal voice sound like Daniel Stern narrating The Wonder Years. Try it.

kevin

–M.M.

06. The Lion King (1994)

Not Quite Timeless: 1 hr. 28 min.

Once Upon a Time: Welcome to the sunny Pride Lands of Africa, where a young prince’s future is jeopardized after his scheming uncle slays his father. Of course, he doesn’t know that; in fact, he thinks it’s all his fault. As he flees the kingdom and into exile, evil prevails and eventually it’s all up to our aging prince to return and reclaim his furry domain. Okay, so it’s Hamlet with lions.

We Bought a Zoo! Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Rowan Atkinson, Robert Guillaume, Madge Sinclair, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings

Moment of Pure Imagination: Disney went all out for The Lion King. One can imagine Jeffrey Katzenberg, who deftly managed the animation department at the time, walking straight into the offices with the determination of a State-bound Coach Taylor and writing “Epic” on the whiteboard. Needless to say, the team delivered, and the film became a box-office stud, conquering that year’s receipts and becoming the second-highest-grossing film of all time.

That prestige was already anointed, however, with the film’s glorious cold open, when King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi parade through the African terrain and up to the edge of Pride Rock. The way the title slams down after Elton John and Tim Rice’s “The Circle of Life” comes to a crashing end is the stuff of legend. It’s the Everest of the Disney Renaissance.

You’re Scaring Me, Smalls!: How about that Nazi imagery during “Be Prepared”? Jeremy Irons added a certain wit to his poisonous Scar, and his theme rules, but when those rabid doggies of his start marching together, it’s spooky stuff. It’s also a brazen move from Disney, considering they’ve long been accused of being anti-Semitic. H

ey, even Academy Award-winning juggernaut Meryl Streep argues as much: “Disney, who brought joy, arguably, to billions of people, was perhaps, or had some … racist proclivities. He formed and supported an anti-Semitic industry lobby. And he was certainly, on the evidence of his company’s policies, a gender bigot.” It’s cool, though, at least the Mickeyland helped our boys in blue with some propaganda. But, yeah, Scar’s troops … sheesh.

Sing It Again, Timon and Pumbaa: When a song turns into a phrase, a colloquialism, or a mantra, you know it’s gold, Jerry. That’s why, yes, over two decades later, we still have to sit through the insufferable musings of “Hakuna Matata”. It’s not the best song — once again, that honor goes to the sweeping majesty above — but it’s by far the one that’s resonated most over the years.

Blame it on all the soccer pops who tell their wimpy youths to chin up, stand tall, hakuna matata (read: Swahili for “no worries”). Still, there’s no denying the universal charm of Nathan Lane, and he adds a sense of levity to the track that goes above and beyond John’s maudlin overtones that flood the piss-poor-yet-Oscar-winning ballad, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”.

Give It to Me Now!: Speaking of which, Lane’s stand-up meerkat, Timon, was cute, funny, and savvy enough to leave every child across the world wondering, Whoa, can I have a Timon? Fortunately for future youths, the little buggers have since become domesticated pets, but according to The Guardian, they’re “savage little home wreckers” and “not as cute as they look.” Whatever, dude, they’re still probably better than a talking hornbill. You suck, Zazu.

Timon’s_jaw_drop

Why It’s Timeless: The Lion King was really the last animated film to resonate with a wide audience. A year later, Pixar would change the game with Toy Story, and, well, that was that. And while the Disney Renaissance would continue into 1999, coming to a proper close with the over-budgeted Tarzan, not one film could even sprint to keep up with Simba’s Hamlet. There are a lot of complicated reasons for this, but it all boils down to the simple fact that The Lion King was a worldwide cultural phenomenon — and it still is.

Thanks to Julie Taymor’s stage adaptation, which is currently the third longest-running show and highest-grossing Broadway production in history, the African epic’s themes of family, honor, and pride continue to influence the lives of millions of people, and it will always come back to this film. Just take comfort knowing someone somewhere will likely still be muttering “hakuna matata” long after you’ve left your death bed.

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— M.R.

05. Mary Poppins (1964)

Not Quite Timeless: 2 hr. 19 min.

Once Upon a Time: A magical nanny with a set of four-octave soprano pipes floats into the dysfunctional home of London’s Banks family, turning the household upside down over the course of several fantastical adventures that mend both kites and familial bonds.

The Birds, The Stars, and the Chimney Sweeps: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotrice, and Matthew Garber

Moment of Pure Imagination: From the moment she floats across our screens and into the Banks’ lives, it’s clear that Mary Poppins is not a typical nanny. Under her supervision, the most humdrum outings turn into magical adventures (e.g. jumping into chalk drawings and taking tea on ceilings). And what better signal for audiences to expect the unexpected than seeing Mary Poppins slide up a banister? Nowadays, many of our grandparents have stair lifts, but as children, this stunt left our mouths agape like codfishes. It was also a great way for kids at home to crack their skulls wide open.

Somewhere Over the Reading Rainbow: Author P.L. Travers spent more than two decades declining overtures from Walt Disney to purchase the film rights to her beloved Mary Poppins series. Travers so disliked Disney’s final product that she reportedly wept and grew visibly upset during the film’s premiere. It comes as no surprise then that she denied Disney permission to create a sequel despite the film’s overwhelming critical and commercial success.

In fact, when she did grant permission for a Mary Poppins stage musical to be produced, she stipulated that only British writers could work on the project and absolutely nobody from the original Disney production could take part. She’s likely spinning in her grave over the upcoming Mary Poppins sequel while somewhere Walt Disney’s cryogenically frozen face is sporting a big smile.

Sing It Again, Julie: While longtime Disney collaborators Richard and Robert Sherman won an Oscar for “Chim Chim Cher-ee” (a cheerful ditty romanticizing the incredibly deadly chimney sweep occupation) and “Supercalifragilisticexpialodocious” has become part of our musical and linguistic lexicon, nothing quite tops the loveliness of Andrews singing “Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)”. The song, one of Walt Disney’s personal favorites, speaks to the small kindnesses absent from the Banks home and so often neglected in our own frantic lives.

You’re Scaring Me, Smalls!: The chase scene through the back alleys of London following the run on the bank may be a tad bit creepy, but a million reruns of Diagnosis Murder have yet to silence the terrifying ringing in my ears of Dick Van Dyke’s not-of-this-or-any-London-ever cockney accent. Sorry, Bert.

Give It to Me Now!: Bert’s one-man band getup would play well on the Chicago subway circuit, and I’d make a jolly holiday of rush hour if I had one of those magical carousel horses, but I really wanted to live in Admiral Boom’s ship-shape(d) home as a kid. Nothing like firing off a cannon in a built-up metropolitan area every hour on the hour. Posts, everyone!

Why It’s Timeless: While it’s true that today’s latchkey generation know little about nannies and couldn’t be much further removed from iLess Edwardian culture, as long as imagination prevails, today’s children, like Jane and Michael, will also cherish those moments when the fantastical slips through the cracks of the mundane.

The dilemma facing the Banks household hasn’t grown any less relevant either. Even in the most loving families, what modern child doesn’t at times still feel neglected or wish he or she could spend more time with a seemingly always-busy parent? These concerns, of course, retain a lighthearted levity due to delightful casting, iconic melodies, and groundbreaking sequences that still hold their charm and magic half a century later. It all speaks to why Disney has chosen to do a sequel rather than a remake: Mary Poppins remains practically perfect in every way. Spit spot!

Mary Poppins. Practically perfect in every way

— M.M.

04. Toy Story (1995)

Not Quite Timeless: 1 hr. 21 min.

Once Upon a Time: There’s trouble in the bedroom when a young boy receives the hottest new action figure on the market for his birthday, tipping off a series of existential crises for two anthropomorphic toys. One’s a cowboy, the other’s a spaceman, or so they think.

Guys and Dolls: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Laurie Metcalf, Annie Potts, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Jim Varney

Moment of Pure Imagination: By now, we’re used to seeing Woody and the gang pull off all sorts of stunts, but when you’re first introduced to Andy’s toys, it’s a magical moment. They’re just like us, you realize instantaneously, and that palpable personification is more or less the conceit of every Pixar film and how the studio would go on to change the way we look at bugs, fish, and cars.

But really, that entire opening is a masterclass in writing and directing, an imaginative portrait that sweeps us into a world where toys can come to life and co-exist like they’re in a small Utopian town. How the film hops right into the action also speaks volumes about Pixar’s unrivaled ability to be so damn magnetic.

There’s Life in the Toy Chest: The roots of Toy Story begin all the way back in 1988, when director John Lasseter pitched the concept of a short film called Tin Toy to Pixar owner Steve Jobs. The story would follow a one-man-band toy named Tinny as it desperately tried to escape from a messy, nasty baby. It’s hard to believe now, but Pixar was also trying to escape — from debt. Regardless, the late Apple mastermind kept the film alive, and once again, his eternal wisdom paid off triumphantly. By 1989, turning heads over at Disney. The rest, as they say, is movie magic.

You’re Scaring Me, Smalls!: Sid’s a total asshole, but if you go back and watch the film with a pair of adult eyes, you’ll discover he actually has a pretty sad, pathetic, and lonely life. Screenwriters Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow did a hell of a job piecing together a surprisingly nuanced bully, and you don’t really discover how tragic of a character he is until you visit his mess of a home.

Of course, there’s the twisted, gnarled toys that come out of the gloomy woodwork, but what really stings is when Woody wanders around the desolate hallways. The scene was already tense, but things turn downright eerie from a few understated visuals, such as a glowing television flickering in a dark room nearby or the realization that Sid’s sister is doomed to eventually follow her brother’s steps.

Sing It Again, Randy: Randy Newman really shot himself in the foot with “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”. The guy’s written dozens of bona fide hits, but everyone and their mother will always remember him for this saddle song. It’s a shame, too, because it’s not even the best song on the soundtrack. “Strange Things” is arguably the strongest of the bunch, and also the most poignant.

As Woody copes with his world changing all around him — Andy’s preference for space lasers over cowboy boots — Newman ably scores the mixed emotions of the scene. After all, Andy’s happy, but for the first time in his plastic life, Woody can’t share the joy. That sobering moment not only makes for great emotional storytelling, but also serves as a strong lesson for anyone watching: “Roll with the punches, kid.”

Give It to Me Now!: It’s a film about toys. Of course we wanted one of everything. That’s where Burger King came in. Look, I’m not one to endorse fast food, but this Milwaukee Chubs was all about $1.00 burgers and free swag as a kid. As such, I collected every one of these suckers, even convinced my little brother to join in so we could have extra army men. They were pretty, pretty … pretty impressive for fast-food fare, too. Woody was plush like a real doll, Buzz’s wings ejected, and R.C. even raced around the bedroom. Come Christmas time, we were sending the troops up the trees for recon. #nostalgia

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Why It’s Timeless: Toy Story has a lot of hallmarks working in its favor. There’s the whole charm about being the first feature-length computer-animated film, which means future film historians will always look back on it, especially given today’s era of filmmaking, where such films rule the roost. Then there’s the obvious notion that it’s one of the more lucrative franchises in Disney history, both commercially and critically, with a fourth installment coming down the pipeline. (Seriously, they’re like the Star Wars to Pixar’s Lucasfilm.)

But above all else, it’s a well-written, super-smart comedy that never resorts to dated references, opting instead for an enviable blend of situational humor, witty dialogue, and irresistible chemistry. Granted, toy stores are nonexistent these days, but the odds of these plastic pals popping up in the donate bin anytime soon are slim to none.

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— M.R.

03. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Not Quite Timeless: 1 hr. 55 min.

Once Upon a Time: An ugly-but-actually-kind-of-cute alien gets stranded in suburbia when his parents have to make a quick escape in their spaceship. The lovable extraterrestrial then meets and befriends a 10-year-old boy, who hides him from government agents and helps him return home.

Earthlings: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, and Drew Barrymore

Moment of Pure Imagination: The most Spielbergian moment from the film? How about the one that eventually became the freaking logo of Amblin Entertainment (it was also made into a ride at Universal Studios, RIP). Elliott’s bicycle ride into the sky is a Spielbergian dream come to life onscreen — the massive moonlit backdrop, the sweeping John Williams score, the metaphorical triumph of children over adults who just don’t understand. Movie magic doesn’t get more magical than this.

You’re Scaring Me, Smalls!: Here we have an alien movie where we never fear the alien; we only fear for him. From moment one, we know the ones to be scared of are homegrown, and Spielberg goes to great lengths to make this clear. Notice that until we finally see Keys’ face, no adults, other than Elliott’s mother, are framed normally.

They all appear obscured, in shadows, or shot from the waist down. Even when we discover that Keys isn’t a bad guy, it’s already been made clear that it’s going to take children, Elliott in particular, to get E.T. home. It’s fitting in a film largely about empathy that we don’t feel scared for ourselves (as is usually the case with movies) but for another, even one from a planet far, far away.

Give It to Me Now!: If there was an Academy Award for Best Product Placement, Reese’s Pieces would have shut it down with this knockout performance. As the popular legend goes, M&M’s were supposed to be E.T.’s favorite candy in the film, but Mars thought the little alien was so hideous that they pulled their product from consideration. And that’s not even the worst decision ever involving M&M’s: I just ate three bags in a row, and I think I’m going to be sick.

Why It’s Timeless: It takes a special kind of talent to humanize a dehydrated potato, but it takes something else entirely to craft a film that so deftly combines elements of sci-fi, comedy, adventure, and drama. More than three decades after its release, E.T. continues to stand as Spielberg’s greatest triumph, spawning not only an official fan club but an entire generation of filmmakers led by Spielberg protégé J.J. Abrams.

This seems fitting, because the story itself revolves around a child coming of age and learning that the world is much, much bigger than his own backyard. For filmmakers and fans alike, E.T. offers an invitation to a universe where imagination reigns and possibility knows no limits. In an era when Hollywood can’t seem to stop churning out sequels and reboots, that invitation seems more appealing — more pressing, really — than ever.

et

— Collin Brennan

02. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Not Quite Timeless: 1 hr. 40 min.

Once Upon a Time: A poor, goodhearted, mop-topped boy who lives with his mother and four bedridden grandparents finds one of five golden tickets that lets him and four brats who need a good kick in the pants visit a wondrous chocolate factory owned by the world’s most famous and eccentric confectioner. Our diet starts tomorrow.

Chocolate Makers, Golden Ticket Holders, and Grandpas: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Julie Dawn Cole, Denise Nickerson, Paris Themmen, and Michael Bollner

Moment of Pure Imagination: If the opening candy store free-for-all (did any kid actually pay?) tickled your tummy’s imagination, then let’s cut out the middleman retailer and go straight to the sweet, sweet source. Willy Wonka’s chocolate room, “where everything is eatable, I mean edible,” represents the ultimate fantasy of every child who has ever lived or ever will live.

Even the parents are reduced to childlike wonder and sweet tooths when they gaze out at chocolate waterfalls, cream-filled mushrooms, and gummi bear trees. It’s so spectacular, so imaginative that I think someone should sing a song right about now… No, not you, Grandpa Joe. You had your big number already.

Sing It Again, Gene: Somehow, composers Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley stumbled upon a melody as delectable and awe-inspiring as the actual chocolate room Gene Wilder sings it in. The song and delicious landscape go together as perfectly as snozzberries and lickable wallpaper. It’s since been covered by everyone from Primus to Josh Groban and has become an anthem for thinking outside the boxes that life tries to keep us tucked neatly away in.

Somewhere Over the Reading Rainbow: Treasured children’s author Roald Dahl flat-out disowned the film. Dahl, who produced an early version of the script that was largely rewritten, resented certain casting choices, changes to the plot, and a shift in focus from Charlie to Willy Wonka. It’s safe to say that had Dahl found a golden ticket to visit this particular chocolate factory, he likely would’ve crumpled it up and fed it to a vermicious knid.

You’re Scaring Me, Smalls!: The omnipresent Slugworth was terrifying as a child. The voyage upon the Wonkatania through the psychedelic, gross-out tunnel from hell also scared me. As an adult, though, I’m far more troubled about the logistics and hygiene of four old people living in a bed together for several decades. Put me on that damn boat with a slew of Slugworths before you ask me to set foot near that diseased box spring.

Give It to Me Now!: Your inner Veruca can really creep up on you in a place like this. Geese that lay golden eggs, chocolate waterfalls, little orange men who deliver rhyming moral lessons. If I have to pick just one souvenir, I’d install the Wonkavator in my apartment building. My neighbors could ride, too, but only I’d get to push the buttons.

wonkavator-o

Why It’s Timeless: While the movie does sugarcoat Dahl’s story quite a bit, we still have a timeless cabbage soup-to-chocolate bars tale here. A goodhearted boy who has always gone without while less-deserving children (like that August kid) have gorged themselves on easy street their entire lives finally gets his golden ticket and a taste of the sweet life.

Also, children and grown-ups alike can appreciate — or at least take amusement in — the sweet, often dark justice doled out in Willy Wonka’s factory. Unlike the real world, here is a place where the good get punished and the rotten get rewarded … wait, strike that, reverse it. Chocolate-covered wonder, delectable songs, and a bit of sugarcoated justice make Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory as timeless as an everlasting gobstopper.

wonka gif

— M.M.

01. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Not Quite Timeless: 1 hr. 42 min.

Once Upon a Time: A runaway Kansan girl and her pint-size pooch get swept away by a tornado and deposited in a strange, faraway land called Oz. With the help of a straw man, an ax-wielding tin can, a fraidy-cat, and some geezer behind a curtain, she sets out to best a vengeful witch and return home to her family. Relax, Oz is but a dream.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Margaret Hamilton, and Terry as Toto.

Moment of Pure Imagination: For all the enchantment to be found through Dorothy’s journey, unforgettable friends, and the film’s iconic songs, MGM’s early use of the Technicolor three-strip process might be what made us most believe we had actually landed in Oz. Garland’s sepia-toned double, Bobbie Koshay, opens the farmhouse door, our portal, and out steps Dorothy in her famous blue-and-white gingham dress into a vibrant world of color that made it clear none of us were in Kansas anymore. We were down the rabbit hole, through the looking glass, and skipping along the Yellow Brick Road, and never has that bridge between real and fantasy worlds been more pronounced or magical onscreen.

Somewhere Over the Reading Rainbow: Author L. Frank Baum published his novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900 and subsequently completed 13 sequels to Dorothy’s fantastical adventure. A successful stage musical came about in 1902, but it wasn’t until MGM’s 1939 adaptation that Baum’s work was done justice onscreen.

As is the case with many adaptations, significant differences exist between the novel and the film. Three of the most notable are that Baum’s Oz is a real place, not a dreamland; Baum never mentions that the Witch’s skin is green; and the magical footwear in the novel are a pair of charmed silver shoes, not ruby slippers. The last two discrepancies no doubt can be attributed to MGM shelling out major green for jaw-dropping Technicolor.

You’re Scaring Me, Smalls!: Has any movie character induced more nightmares or caused more children to pull the blankets over their eyes than the Wicked Witch of the West? (All achieved, by the way, in a paltry 12 minutes of total screen time.) Even when actress Margaret Hamilton appeared as a sweet, old lady on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood years later, I remember thinking, “Don’t truss it, Mr. Rogers!”

Of course, I grew up to learn that Hamilton was actually a very kind person, had been a kindergarten teacher, and had endured far more pain during filming than her character ever inflicted on Dorothy — suffering severe burns from a botched fiery exit while wearing potentially toxic green makeup. Still, whenever I hear her infamous threat, “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too,” I’m instantly transformed back into that cowardly, little boy turning to his old English sheepdog as if to say, “You’re on your own, Toto.”

Sing It Again, Judy: Dorothy’s serenade to Toto about finding a land where “troubles melt like lemon drops” will likely never be topped by another movie song. A young farm girl magically summons a deep contralto voice as she yearns for a place where she can forget all her cares. It’s a simple idea, but one that’s absolutely timeless.

Anyone who has ever longed for a happier, kinder, more understanding place can relate to Dorothy’s desire to travel beyond the rainbow. It makes it all the more remarkable then that the song was originally cut from the film because studio executives thought it slowed the story down too much and felt that a young starlet shouldn’t be singing in a locale as unseemly as a barnyard. Luckily, the Wizard allocated some extra brains for those suits just in time to make movie history.

Give It to Me Now!: I already have a brain, heart, and a wee bit o’ courage (and plenty of nerve). Lots of fellas actually have ruby slippers and gingham Dorothy dresses, but they pull that look off far better than I could. My studio apartment doesn’t really allow me to stable the Horse of a Different Color, but I was always intrigued by Glinda’s bubble. Yeah, I think I’m confident enough in my masculinity to travel around Chicago by pink bubble. Stop giggling, Munchkins and Cubs fans!

Glinda

Why It’s Timeless: Part of why we have never forgotten about Oz is that the Yellow Brick Road has led right into our homes for so many years. From the late ’50s until the early ’90s, annual television screenings of the film became family traditions, and when VCRs hit the home market, The Wizard of Oz was one of the earliest movies made available on videocassette. But the film’s power runs much deeper than tradition and, though dated and hammy, taps into something as relevant to today’s children as the Depression-era audiences who first saw it in theaters.

Like Dorothy, we go into Oz yearning for something better, and most of us return understanding that we already had what we really needed all along, whether it be brains, a heart, courage, or a loving home. Nearly 80 years after that twister first scooped Dorothy and Toto up and dropped them into a magical land, there’s still no place quite like Oz. Oh, what a world, what a world.

ruby slippers

— M.M.

The 10 Most Timeless Children’s Films
Consequence Staff

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LOS ANGELES — Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie, the rough-hewn, mumbling-and-grumbling best friend, corner-man and brother-in-law to Sylvester Stallone in the “Rocky” franchise, has died.

Young died Oct. 8 in Los Angeles, his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, told the New York Times on Wednesday. No cause was given. He was 83.

FILE – Burt Young, a cast member of the film “Rocky Balboa,” gestures at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles, Dec. 13, 2006. 

Young had roles in acclaimed films and television shows including “Chinatown,” “Once Upon a Time in America” and “The Sopranos.”

But he was always best known for playing Paulie Pennino in six “Rocky” movies. The short, paunchy, balding Young was the sort of actor who always seemed to play middle-aged no matter his age.

When Paulie first appears in 1976’s “Rocky,” he’s an angry, foul-mouthed meat packer who is abusive to his sister Adrian (Talia Shire), with whom he shares a small apartment in Philadelphia. He berates the shy, meek Adrian for refusing at first to go on a Thanksgiving-night date with his buddy and co-worker Rocky Balboa, and destroys a turkey she has in the oven.

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The film became a phenomenon, topping the box office for the year and making a star of lead actor and writer Stallone, who paid tribute to Young on Instagram on Wednesday night.

Along with a photo of the two of them on the set of the first film, Stallone wrote “you were an incredible man and artist, I and the World will miss you very much.”

“Rocky” was nominated for 10 Oscars, including best supporting actor for Young. It won three, including best picture. Young and co-star Burgess Meredith, who was also nominated, lost to Jason Robards in “All the President’s Men.”

As the movies went on, Young’s Paulie softened, as the sequels themselves did, and he became their comic relief. In 1985’s “Rocky IV” he reprograms a robot Rocky gives him into a sexy-voiced servant who dotes on him.

Paulie was also an eternal pessimist who was constantly convinced that Rocky was going to get clobbered by his increasingly daunting opponents. His surprise at Rocky’s resilience brought big laughs.

“It was a great ride, and it brought me to the audience in a great way,” Young said in a 2020 interview with Celebrity Parents magazine. “I made him a rough guy with a sensitivity. He’s really a marshmallow even though he yells a lot.”

FILE – Sylvester Stallone, left, mugs with “Rocky” co-star Burt Young before a screening of the 1976 film to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Nov. 15, 1996, in Beverly Hills, Calif. 

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Young served in the Marine Corps, fought as a professional boxer and worked as a carpet layer before taking up acting, studying with legendary teacher Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.

On stage, in films and on television, he typically played small-time tough guys or down-on-their luck working class men.

In a short-but-memorable scene in 1974’s “Chinatown,” he plays a fisherman who throws a fit when Jack Nicholson’s private detective Jake Gittes shows him pictures proving his wife is cheating on him.

Young also appeared in director Sergio Leone’s 1984 gangster epic “Once Upon a Time in America” with Robert De Niro, the 1986 comedy “Back to School” with Rodney Dangerfield, and the 1989 gritty drama “Last Exit to Brooklyn” with Jennifer Jason Leigh.

In a striking appearance in season three of “The Sopranos” in 2001, he plays Bobby Baccalieri, Sr., an elderly mafioso with lung cancer who pulls off one last hit before a coughing fit leads to him dying in a car accident.

He guest-starred on many other TV series including “M*A*S*H,” “Miami Vice” and “The Equalizer.”

Later in life he focused on roles in the theater and on painting, a lifelong pursuit that led to gallery shows and sales.

His wife of 13 years, Gloria, died in 1974.

Along with his daughter, Young is survived by one grandchild and a brother, Robert.

Photos: Notable Deaths in 2023

Jimmy Buffett

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who popularized beach bum soft rock with the escapist Caribbean-flavored song “Margaritaville” and turned that celebration of loafing into a billion-dollar empire of restaurants, resorts and frozen concoctions, died Sept. 1, 2023. He was 76. “Margaritaville,” released on Feb. 14, 1977, quickly took on a life of its own, becoming a state of mind for those ”wastin’ away,” an excuse for a life of low-key fun and escapism for those “growing older, but not up.” The song is the unhurried portrait of a loafer on his front porch, watching tourists sunbathe while a pot of shrimp is beginning to boil. The singer has a new tattoo, a likely hangover and regrets over a lost love. Somewhere, irritatingly, there is a misplaced salt shaker.

AP file, 2010

Tina Turner

Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ’70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” died May 24, 2023, at 83. Few stars traveled so far — she was born Anna Mae Bullock in a segregated Tennessee hospital and spent her latter years on a 260,000 square foot estate on Lake Zurich — and overcame so much. Her trademarks included a growling contralto that might smolder or explode, her bold smile and strong cheekbones, her palette of wigs and the muscular, quick-stepping legs she did not shy from showing off. She sold more than 150 million records worldwide, won 12 Grammys, was voted along with Ike into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 (and on her own in 2021 ) and was honored at the Kennedy Center in 2005. Her life became the basis for a film, a Broadway musical and an HBO documentary in 2021 that she called her public farewell.

AP file, 2009

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” graced a decadeslong career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died July 21, 2023. He was 96, just two weeks short of his birthday. The last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century, Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create “a hit catalog rather than hit records.” He released more than 70 albums, bringing him 19 competitive Grammys — all but two after he reached his 60s — and enjoyed deep and lasting affection from fans and fellow artists.

AP file, 2006

Bob Barker

Bob Barker, the enduring, dapper game show host who became a household name over a half century of hosting “Truth or Consequences” and “The Price Is Right,” died Aug. 26, 2023. He was 99. Barker retired in June 2007, thanking his studio audience “for inviting me into your home for more than 50 years.” He started that marathon run in 1956 on “Truth or Consequences,” where he remained for 18 years. He began hosting a revived version of “The Price Is Right” on CBS in 1972. It would become TV’s longest-running game show. He was also an animal rights activist.

AP file, 2007

Raquel Welch

Raquel Welch, whose emergence from the sea in a skimpy, furry bikini in the film “One Million Years B.C.” would propel her to international sex symbol status throughout the 1960s and ’70s, died Feb. 15, 2023. She was 82. Welch’s breakthrough came in 1966’s campy prehistoric flick “One Million Years B.C.,” despite having a grand total of three lines. Clad in a brown doeskin bikini, she successfully evaded pterodactyls but not the notice of the public.

AP file, 1982

Lisa Marie Presley

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley and a singer-songwriter dedicated to her father’s legacy, died Jan. 12, 2023. She was 54. Presley shared her father’s brooding charisma — the hooded eyes, the insolent smile, the low, sultry voice — and followed him professionally, releasing her own rock albums in the 2000s.

AP file, 2012

Jim Brown

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, the unstoppable running back who retired at the peak of his brilliant career to become an actor as well as a prominent civil rights advocate during the 1960s, died May 18, 2023. He was 87. One of the greatest players in football history and one of the game’s first superstars, Brown was chosen the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1965 and shattered the league’s record books in a short career spanning 1957-65. Brown led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL title in 1964 before retiring in his prime after the ’65 season to become an actor. He appeared in more than 30 films, including “Any Given Sunday” and “The Dirty Dozen.” When he finished playing, Brown became a prominent leader in the Black power movement during the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.

AP file, 1965

Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte, the civil rights and entertainment giant who began as a groundbreaking actor and singer and became an activist, humanitarian and conscience of the world, died April 25, 2023. He was 96. With his glowing, handsome face and silky-husky voice, Belafonte was one of the first Black performers to gain a wide following on film and to sell a million records as a singer; many still know him for his signature hit “Banana Boat Song (Day-O),” and its call of “Day-O! Daaaaay-O.” But he forged a greater legacy once he scaled back his performing career in the 1960s and lived out his hero Paul Robeson’s decree that artists are “gatekeepers of truth.”

AP file, 2011

Sinéad O’Connor

Sinéad O’Connor, the gifted Irish singer-songwriter who became a superstar in her mid-20s and was known as much for her private struggles and provocative actions as for her fierce and expressive music, died July 26, 2023, at age 56. Recognizable by her shaved head and with a multi-octave mezzo soprano of extraordinary emotional range, O’Connor began her career singing on the streets of Dublin and soon rose to international fame. She was a star from her 1987 debut album, “The Lion and the Cobra,” and became a sensation in 1990 with her cover of Prince’s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a seething, shattering performance that topped charts from Europe to Australia and was heightened by a promotional video featuring the gray-eyed O’Connor in intense close-up.

AP file, 2014

David Crosby

David Crosby, the brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and an ongoing troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash & (sometimes) Young, died Jan. 18, 2023, at age 81. While he only wrote a handful of widely known songs, the witty and ever opinionated Crosby was on the front lines of the cultural revolution of the ’60s and ’70s — whether triumphing with Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young on stage at Woodstock, testifying on behalf of a hirsute generation in his anthem “Almost Cut My Hair” or mourning the assassination of Robert Kennedy in “Long Time Gone.”

AP file, 2017

Paul Reubens

Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian whose character Pee-wee Herman became a cultural phenomenon through films and TV shows, died July 30, 2023, at age 70. Reubens died after a six-year struggle with cancer that he did not make public, his publicist said in a statement.

AP file, 2009

Lance Reddick

Lance Reddick, a character actor who specialized in intense, icy and possibly sinister authority figures on TV and film, including “The Wire,” “Fringe” and the “John Wick” franchise, died March 17, 2023. He was 60. Reddick was often put in a suit or a crisp uniform during his career, playing tall, taciturn and elegant men of distinction. He was best known for his role as straight-laced Lt. Cedric Daniels on the hit HBO series “The Wire,” where his character was agonizingly trapped in the messy politics of the Baltimore police department.

AP file, 2013

Richard Belzer

Richard Belzer, the longtime stand-up comedian who became one of TV’s most indelible detectives as John Munch in “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Order: SVU,” died Feb. 19, 2023. He was 78. For more than two decades and across 10 series — even including appearances on “30 Rock” and “Arrested Development” — Belzer played the wise-cracking, acerbic homicide detective prone to conspiracy theories. Belzer first played Munch on a 1993 episode of “Homicide” and last played him in 2016 on “Law & Order: SVU.”

AP file, 2013

Mark Margolis

Mark Margolis, who had a breakout role as a mobster in “Scarface” but became best known decades later for his indelible, fearsome portrayal of a vindictive former drug kingpin in TV’s “Breaking Bad,” died Aug. 3, 2023. He was 83. Margolis was nominated for an Emmy in 2012 for outstanding guest actor in “Breaking Bad” as Hector “Tio” Salamanca, the murderous elderly don who was unable to speak following a stroke. But this actor did not need dialogue; he communicated via facial expressions and the sometimes menacing use of a barhop bell taped to his wheelchair.

AP file, 2014

Angus Cloud

Angus Cloud, the actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria,” died July 31, 2023. He was 25. Cloud hadn’t acted before he was cast in “Euphoria.” He was walking down the street in New York when casting scout Eléonore Hendricks noticed him. Cloud was resistant at first, suspecting a scam. Then casting director Jennifer Venditti met with him and series creator Sam Levinson eventually made him a co-star in the series alongside Zendaya for its first two seasons.

AP file, 2019

Clarence Avant

Clarence Avant, the judicious manager, entrepreneur, facilitator and adviser who helped launch or guide the careers of Quincy Jones, Bill Withers and many others and came to be known as the “Black Godfather” of music and beyond, died Aug. 13, 2023. He was 92.

AP file, 2019

Cindy Williams

Cindy Williams, who was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 1980s for her role as Shirley opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne on the beloved sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” died Jan. 25, 2023. She was 75. Williams played the straitlaced Shirley Feeney to Marshall’s more libertine Laverne DeFazio on the show about a pair of blue-collar roommates who toiled on the assembly line of a Milwaukee brewery in the 1950s and 1960s.

AP file, 2012

Alan Arkin

Alan Arkin, the wry character actor who demonstrated his versatility in everything from farcical comedy to chilling drama as he received four Academy Award nominations and won an Oscar in 2007 for “Little Miss Sunshine,” has died. He was 89. A member of Chicago’s famed Second City comedy troupe, Arkin was an immediate success in movies with the Cold War spoof “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” and peaked late in life with his win as best supporting actor for the surprise 2006 hit “Little Miss Sunshine.”

AP file, 2011

Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot, the folk singer-songwriter known for “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown” and for songs that told tales of Canadian identity, died May 1, 2023. He was 84. One of the most renowned voices to emerge from Toronto’s Yorkville folk club scene in the 1960s, Lightfoot recorded 20 studio albums and penned hundreds of songs, including “Carefree Highway,” “Early Morning Rain” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

AP file, 2012

Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck, a guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player, died Jan. 10, 2023. He was 78. Beck was among the rock-guitarist pantheon from the late ’60s that included Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Beck won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — once with the Yardbirds in 1992 and again as a solo artist in 2009.

AP file, 2010

Bobby Caldwell

Bobby Caldwell, a soulful R&B singer and songwriter who had a major hit in 1978 with “What You Won’t Do for Love” and a voice and musical style adored by generations of his fellow artists, died March 14, 2023. He was 71. The smooth soul jam “What You Won’t Do for Love” went to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on what was then called the Hot Selling Soul Singles chart. It became a long-term standard and career-defining hit for Caldwell, who also wrote the song.

AP file, 2013

Gary Rossington

Gary Rossington, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s last surviving original member who also helped to found the group, died March 5, 2023, at age 71. According to Rolling Stone, it was during a fateful Little League game, Ronnie Van Zant hit a line drive into the shoulder blades of opposing player Bob Burns and met his future bandmates. Rossington, Burns, Van Zant, and guitarist Allen Collins gathered that afternoon at Burns’ Jacksonville home to jam the Rolling Stone’s “Time Is on My Side.”

AP file, 2017

Wayne Shorter

Wayne Shorter, an influential jazz innovator whose lyrical, complex jazz compositions and pioneering saxophone playing sounded through more than half a century of American music, died March 2, 2023. He was 89.

AP file, 2013

Jerry Springer

Jerry Springer, the onetime mayor and news anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional families willing to bare all on weekday afternoons including brawls, obscenities and blurred images of nudity, died April 27, 2023, at age 79. At its peak, “The Jerry Springer Show” was a ratings powerhouse and a U.S. cultural pariah, synonymous with lurid drama. Known for chair-throwing and bleep-filled arguments, the daytime talk show was a favorite American guilty pleasure over its 27-year run, at one point topping Oprah Winfrey’s show.

AP file, 2010

Jacklyn Zeman

Jacklyn Zeman, who became one of the most recognizable actors on daytime television during 45 years of playing nurse Bobbie Spencer on ABC’s “General Hospital,” died May 10, 2023. She was 70. Zeman joined “General Hospital” in 1977 as Barbara Jean, who went by Bobbie, and was the feisty younger sister of Anthony Geary’s Luke Spencer.

AP file, 2016

John Beasley

John Beasley, the veteran character actor who played a kindly school bus driver on the TV drama “Everwood” and appeared in dozens of films dating back to the 1980s, died May 30, 2023. He was 79. Beasley played an assistant coach in the 1993 football film “Rudy” and a retired preacher in 1997’s “The Apostle,” co-starring and directed by Robert Duvall.

AP file, 2017

Michael Lerner

Michael Lerner, the Brooklyn-born character actor who played a myriad of imposing figures in his 60 years in the business, including monologuing movie mogul Jack Lipnick in “Barton Fink,” the crooked club owner Bugsy Calhoun in “Harlem Nights” and an angry publishing executive in “Elf” died April 8, 2023. He was 81.

AP file, 2012

Tom Sizemore

Tom Sizemore, the “Saving Private Ryan” actor whose bright 1990s star burned out under the weight of his own domestic violence and drug convictions, died March3, 2023, at age 61. Sizemore became a star with acclaimed appearances in “Natural Born Killers” and the cult-classic crime thriller “Heat.”

AP file, 2013

Charles Kimbrough

Charles Kimbrough, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor who played a straight-laced news anchor opposite Candice Bergen on “Murphy Brown,” died Jan. 11, 2023. He was 86. Kimbrough played newsman Jim Dial across the 10 seasons of CBS hit sitcom “Murphy Brown” between 1988 and 1998, earning an Emmy nomination in 1990 for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series. He reprised the role for three episodes in the 2018 reboot.

AP file, 2008

Julian Sands

Actor Julian Sands, who starred in several Oscar-nominated films in the late 1980s and ’90s including “A Room With a View” and “Leaving Las Vegas,” was found dead on a Southern California mountain in June 2023, five months after he disappeared while hiking. He was 65. Sands, who was born, raised and began acting in England, worked constantly in film and television, amassing more than 150 credits in a 40-year career. During a 10-year span from 1985 to 1995, he played major roles in a series of acclaimed films.

AP file, 2019

Cynthia Weil

Cynthia Weil, a Grammy-winning lyricist of notable range and endurance who enjoyed a decades-long partnership with husband Barry Mann and helped write “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “On Broadway,” “Walking in the Rain” and dozens of other hits, died June 1, 2023, at age 82.

AP file, 2010

Sheldon Harnick

Tony- and Grammy Award-winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick, who with composer Jerry Bock made up the premier musical-theater songwriting duos of the 1950s and 1960s with shows such as “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Fiorello!” and “The Apple Tree,” died June 23, 2023. He was 99.

AP file, 2016

Barrett Strong

Barrett Strong, one of Motown’s founding artists and most gifted songwriters who sang lead on the company’s breakthrough single “Money (That’s What I Want)” and later collaborated with Norman Whitfield on such classics as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “War” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” died Jan. 29, 2023. He was 81. 

AP file, 2004

Willis Reed

Willis Reed, who dramatically emerged from the locker room minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to spark the New York Knicks to their first championship and create one of sports’ most enduring examples of playing through pain, died March 21, 2023. He was 80.

AP file, 1970

Tim McCarver

Tim McCarver, the All-Star catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster who during 60 years in baseball won two World Series titles with the St. Louis Cardinals and had a long run as one of the country’s most recognized, incisive and talkative television commentators, died Feb. 16, 2023. He was 81.

AP file, 2003

Billy Packer

Billy Packer (left), an Emmy award-winning college basketball broadcaster who covered 34 Final Fours for NBC and CBS, died Jan. 26, 2023. He was 82. Packer’s broadcasting career coincided with the growth of college basketball. He worked as analyst or color commentator on every Final Four from 1975 to 2008. He received a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio and Sports Analyst in 1993. 

AP file, 2006

The Iron Sheik

The Iron Sheik, a former pro wrestler who relished playing a burly, bombastic villain in 1980s battles with some of the sport’s biggest stars and later became a popular Twitter personality, died June 7, 2023. He was 81. During his pro wrestling career, he donned curled boots and used the “Camel Clutch” as his finishing move during individual and tag team clashes in which he played the role of an anti-American heel for the WWF, which later became the WWE.

AP file, 2009

Treat Williams

Actor Treat Williams, whose nearly 50-year career included starring roles in the TV series “Everwood” and the movie “Hair,” died June 12, 2023, after a motorcycle crash in Vermont. He was 71. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role as hippie leader George Berger in the 1979 movie version of the hit musical “Hair.”

AP file, 2018

Bill Richardson

Bill Richardson, a two-term Democratic governor of New Mexico and an American ambassador to the United Nations who dedicated his post-political career to working to secure the release of Americans detained by foreign adversaries, died Sept. 2, 2023. He was 75.

AP file, 2021

Daniel Ellsberg

Daniel Ellsberg, the history-making whistleblower who by leaking the Pentagon Papers revealed longtime government doubts and deceit about the Vietnam War and inspired acts of retaliation by President Richard Nixon that helped lead to his resignation, died June 16, 2023. He was 92.

AP file, 1973

Pat Robertson

Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, died June 8, 2023. He was 93.

AP file, 2015

Robert Blake

Robert Blake, the Emmy award-winning performer who went from acclaim for his acting to notoriety when he was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, died March 9, 2023, at age 89. Blake, star of the 1970s TV show, “Baretta,” never recovered from the long ordeal which began with the shooting death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, outside a Studio City restaurant on May 4, 2001. The story of their strange marriage, the child it produced and its violent end was a Hollywood tragedy played out in court. Blake portrayed real-life murderer Perry Smith in the movie of Truman Capote’s true crime best seller “In Cold Blood.”

AP file, 1977

Ted Kaczynski

Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, the Harvard-educated mathematician who retreated to a dingy shack in the Montana wilderness and ran a 17-year bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others, died June 10, 2023. He was 81. Branded the “Unabomber” by the FBI, Kaczynski died by suicide at the federal prison medical center in Butner, North Carolina.

AP file, 1996

Lloyd Morrisett

Lloyd Morrisett, the co-creator of the beloved children’s education TV series “Sesame Street,” which uses empathy and fuzzy monsters like Abby Cadabby, Elmo and Cookie Monster to charm and teach generations around the world, died Jan. 15, 2023. He was 93. 

AP file, 2019

Chaim Topol

Chaim Topol, a leading Israeli actor who charmed generations of theatergoers and movie-watchers with his portrayal of Tevye, the long-suffering and charismatic milkman in “Fiddler on the Roof,” died March 8, 2023, at age 87. A recipient of two Golden Globe awards and nominee for both an Academy Award and a Tony Award, Topol long has ranked among Israel’s most decorated actors.

AP file, 2015

Len Goodman

Len Goodman, a long-serving judge on “Dancing with the Stars” and “Strictly Come Dancing” who helped revive interest in ballroom dancing on both sides of the Atlantic, died April 22, 2023. He was 78.

AP file, 2007

Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and dozens of other hits, died Feb. 8, 2023. The Grammy, Oscar and Tony-winning composer was 94. Over the past 70 years, only Lennon-McCartney, Carole King and a handful of others rivaled his genius for instantly catchy songs that remained performed, played and hummed long after they were written. He had a run of top 10 hits from the 1950s into the 21st century, and his music was heard everywhere from movie soundtracks and radios to home stereo systems and iPods, whether “Alfie” and “I Say a Little Prayer” or “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” and “This Guy’s in Love with You.”

AP file, 1979

Stella Stevens

Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis’s affection in “The Nutty Professor,” died Feb. 17, 2023. She was 84. She was a prolific actor in television and film up through the 1990s, officially retiring in 2010.

AP file, 1968

Barry Humphries

Tony Award-winning comedian Barry Humphries, internationally renowned for his garish stage persona Dame Edna Everage, a condescending and imperfectly-veiled snob whose evolving character has delighted audiences over seven decades, died April 22, 2023. He was 89.

AP file, 2013

Annie Wersching

Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series “24″ and providing the voice for Tess in the video game “The Last of Us,” died Jan. 29, 2023. She was 45. Her first credit was in “Star Trek: Enterprise,” and she would go on to have recurring roles in the seventh and eighth seasons of “24,” “Bosch,” “The Vampire Diaries,” Marvel’s “Runaways,” “The Rookie” and, most recently, the second season of “Star Trek: Picard” as the Borg Queen. 

AP file, 2010

Dave Hollis

Dave Hollis, who left his post as a Disney executive to help his wife run a successful lifestyle empire, died Feb. 12, 2023. He was 47. Hollis worked for Disney for 17 years and had been head of distribution for the company for seven years when he left in 2018 to join his wife’s venture. The parents of four moved from Los Angeles to the Austin area, collaborated on livestreams, podcasts and organized life-affirming conferences. In their podcast, “Rise Together,” they focused on marriage.

AP file, 2015

Christine King Farris

Christine King Farris, the last living sibling of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., died June 29, 2023. She was 95. For decades after her brother’s assassination in 1968, Farris worked along with his widow, Coretta Scott King, to preserve and promote his legacy. But unlike her high-profile sister-in-law, Farris’ activism — and grief — was often behind the scenes.

AP file, 2015

David Jude Jolicoeur

David Jude Jolicoeur, known widely as Trugoy the Dove and one of the founding members of the Long Island hip-hop trio De La Soul, died Feb. 12, 2023. He was 54. De La Soul’s debut studio album “3 Feet High and Rising,” produced by Prince Paul, was released in 1989 by Tommy Boy Records and praised for being a more light-hearted and positive counterpart to more charged rap offerings. De La Soul signaled the beginning of alternative hip-hop. 

AP file, 2015

Robbie Knievel

Robbie Knievel, an American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father — including at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1989 and a Grand Canyon chasm a decade later — died Jan. 13, 2023. He was 60.

AP file, 2000

Gina Lollobrigida

Italian film legend Gina Lollobrigida, who achieved international stardom during the 1950s and was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world” after the title of one of her movies, died Jan. 16, 2023. She was 95. Besides “The World’s Most Beautiful Woman” in 1955, career highlights included Golden Globe-winner “Come September,” with Rock Hudson; “Trapeze;” “Beat the Devil,” a 1953 John Huston film starring Humphrey Bogart and Jennifer Jones; and “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell.”

AP file, 1950s

Lynette Hardaway (“Diamond”)

Lynette Hardaway, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump and one half of the conservative political commentary duo Diamond and Silk, died Jan. 9, 2023. She was 51. Hardaway (pictured at left), known by the moniker “Diamond,” carved out a unique role as a Black woman who loudly backed Trump and right-wing policies.

AP file, 2018

Adam Rich

Adam Rich, the child actor with a pageboy mop-top who charmed TV audiences as “America’s little brother” on “Eight is Enough,” died Jan. 7, 2023. He was 54. Rich had a limited acting career after starring at age 8 as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest of eight children, on the ABC hit dramedy that ran from from 1977 to 1981.

AP file, 2002

Bobby Hull

Hall of Fame forward Bobby Hull, who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final, has died. Hull was 84. The two-time MVP was one of the most prolific scorers in NHL history, leading the league in goals seven times. Nicknamed “The Golden Jet” for his speed and blond hair, he posted 13 consecutive seasons with 30 goals or more from 1959-72.

AP file, 2019

Charles White

Charles White, the Southern California tailback who won the Heisman Trophy in 1979, died Jan. 11, 2023. He was 64. A two-time All-American and Los Angeles native, White won a national title in 1978 before claiming the Heisman in the following season, when he captained the Trojans and led the nation in yards rushing.

AP file, 1979

Robbie Robertson

Robbie Robertson, The Band’s lead guitarist and songwriter who in such classics as “The Weight” and “Up on Cripple Creek” mined American music and folklore and helped reshape contemporary rock, died Aug. 9, 2023, at 80. The Canadian-born Robertson was a high school dropout and one-man melting pot — part-Jewish, part-Mohawk and Cayuga — who fell in love with the seemingly limitless sounds and byways of his adopted country and wrote out of a sense of amazement and discovery at a time when the Vietnam War had alienated millions of young Americans.

AP file, 2015

Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher

Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic proposals during the 2008 presidential campaign, and who later forayed into politics himself, died Aug. 27, 2023. He was 49.

AP file, 2008

Mohamed Al Fayed

Mohamed Al Fayed, the flamboyant Egypt-born businessman whose son was killed in a car crash with Princess Diana, died Aug. 30, 2023. He was 94. Al Fayed, the longtime owner of Harrods department store and the Fulham Football Club, was devastated by the death of son Dodi Fayed in the car crash in Paris with Diana 26 years ago. He spent years mourning the loss and fighting the British establishment he blamed for their deaths.

AP file, 2016

Jerry Richardson

Jerry Richardson, the Carolina Panthers founder and for years one of the NFL’s most influential owners until a scandal forced him to sell the team, died March 1, 2023. He was 86.

AP file, 2013

Sister André

Lucile Randon, a French nun known as Sister André and believed to be the world’s oldest person, died Jan. 17, 2023, at age 118. She was born in the town of Ales, southern France, on Feb. 11, 1904. She was also one of the world’s oldest survivors of COVID-19.

AP file, 2022

Tatjana Patitz

Tatjana Patitz, one of an elite group of famed supermodels who graced magazine covers in the 1980s and ’90s and appeared in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video, died at age 56.

AP file, 2006

Russell Banks

Russell Banks, an award-winning fiction writer who rooted such novels as “Affliction” and “The Sweet Hereafter” in the wintry, rural communities of his native Northeast and imagined the dreams and downfalls of everyone from modern blue-collar workers to the radical abolitionist John Brown in “Cloudsplitter,” died Jan. 7, 2023. He was 82.

AP file, 2004

Cardinal George Pell

Cardinal George Pell, a onetime financial adviser to Pope Francis who spent 404 days in solitary confinement in his native Australia on child sex abuse charges before his convictions were overturned, died Jan. 10, 2023. He was 81.

AP file, 2018

Ken Block

Ken Block, a motorsports icon known for his stunt driving and for co-founding the action sports apparel brand DC Shoes, died Jan. 2, 2023, in a snowmobiling accident near his home in Utah. Block rose to fame as a rally car driver and in 2005 was awarded Rally America’s Rookie of the Year honors.

AP file, 2013

Walter Cunningham

Walter Cunningham, the last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA’s Apollo program, died Jan. 3, 2023. He was 90. Cunningham was one of three astronauts aboard the 1968 Apollo 7 mission, an 11-day spaceflight that beamed live television broadcasts as they orbited Earth, paving the way for the moon landing less than a year later.

AP file, 2014

Anton Walkes

Professional soccer player Anton Walkes died Jan. 18, 2023, from injuries he sustained in a boat crash off the coast of Miami. He was 25. Walkes began his career with English Premier League club Tottenham and also played for Portsmouth before signing with Atlanta United in MLS. He joined Charlotte for the club’s debut MLS season in 2022.

AP file, 2017

Pat Schroeder

Former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, a pioneer for women’s and family rights in Congress, died March 13, 2023. She was 82. Schroeder took on the powerful elite with her rapier wit and antics for 24 years, shaking up stodgy government institutions by forcing them to acknowledge that women had a role in government. She was elected to Congress in Colorado in 1972 and won easy reelection 11 times from her safe district in Denver.

AP file, 1999

Seymour Stein

Seymour Stein, the brash, prescient and highly successful founder of Sire Records who helped launched the careers of Madonna, Talking Heads and many others, died April 2, 2023, at age 80. Stein helped found the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and was himself inducted into the Rock Hall in 2005.

AP file, 2005

Klaus Teuber

Klaus Teuber, creator of the hugely popular Catan board game in which players compete to build settlements on a fictional island, died April 1, 2023. He was 70. The board game, originally called The Settlers of Catan when introduced in 1995 and based on a set of hexagonal tiles, has sold tens of millions of copies and is available in more than 40 languages.

AP file, 1995

Ginnie Newhart

Ginnie Newhart, who was married to comedy legend Bob Newhart for six decades and inspired the classic ending of his “Newhart” series, died April 23, 2023. She was 82.

AP file, 1985

Vida Blue

Vida Blue, a hard-throwing left-hander who became one of baseball’s biggest draws in the early 1970s and helped lead the brash A’s to three straight World Series titles before his career was derailed by drug problems, died May 6, 2023. He was 73.

AP file, 1976

Martin Amis

British novelist Martin Amis, who brought a rock ‘n’ roll sensibility to his stories and lifestyle, died May 20, 2023. He was 73. Amis was a leading voice among a generation of writers that included his good friend, the late Christopher Hitchens, Ian McEwan and Salman Rushdie. Among his best-known works were “Money,” a satire about consumerism in London, “The Information” and “London Fields,” along with his 2000 memoir, “Experience.”

AP file, 2012

Doyle Brunson

Doyle Brunson, one of the most influential poker players of all time and a two-time world champion, died May 14, 2023. He was 89. Brunson, called the Godfather of Poker and also known as “Texas Dolly,” won 10 World Series of Poker tournaments — second only to Phil Hellmuth’s 16. He also captured world championships in 1976 and 1977 and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988.

AP file, 2011

Hodding Carter III

Hodding Carter III, a Mississippi journalist and civil rights activist who as U.S. State Department spokesman informed Americans about the Iran hostage crisis and later won awards for his televised documentaries, died May 11, 2023. He was 88.

AP file, 2003

Ray Stevenson

Ray Stevenson, who played the villainous British governor in “RRR,” an Asgardian warrior in the “Thor” films, and a member of the 13th Legion in HBO’s “Rome,” died May 21, 2023. He was 58. He made his film debut in Paul Greengrass’s 1998 film “The Theory of Flight.” In 2004, he appeared in Antoine Fuqua’s “King Arthur” as a knight of the round table and several years later played the lead in the pre-Disney Marvel adaptation “Punisher: War Zone.” Though “Punisher” was not the best-reviewed film, he’d get another taste of Marvel in the first three “Thor” films, in which he played Volstagg. Other prominent film roles included the “Divergent” trilogy, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” and “The Transporter: Refueled.”

AP file, 2017

Astrud Gilberto

Astrud Gilberto, the Brazilian singer, songwriter and entertainer whose off-hand, English-language cameo on “The Girl from Ipanema” made her a worldwide voice of bossa nova, died June 5, 2023, at age 83.

AP file, 1981

Tori Bowie

U.S. Olympic champion sprinter Tori Bowie died May 2, 2023, from complications of childbirth, according to an autopsy report. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bowie won silver in the 100 and bronze in the 200. She then ran the anchor leg on a 4×100 team with Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix and English Gardner to take gold.

AP file, 2017

Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi, the boastful billionaire media mogul who was Italy’s longest-serving premier despite scandals over his sex-fueled parties and allegations of corruption, died June 12, 2023. He was 86. A onetime cruise ship crooner, Berlusconi used his television networks and immense wealth to launch his long political career, inspiring both loyalty and loathing.

AP file, 2021

John Goodenough

John Goodenough, who shared the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work developing the lithium-ion battery that transformed technology with rechargeable power for devices ranging from cellphones, computers, and pacemakers to electric cars, died June 25, 2023, at age 100.

AP file, 2019

Coco Lee

Coco Lee, a Hong Kong-born singer and songwriter who had a highly successful career in Asia, has died by suicide July 5, 2023. She was 48. She was the first Chinese singer to break into the American market, and her English song “Do You Want My Love” charted at #4 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Breakouts chart in December 1999.

If you or someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide, call 1-800-273-TALK, text 741741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

AP file, 2005

Jane Birkin

Actor and singer Jane Birkin, who made France her home and charmed the country with her English grace, natural style and social activism, died July 16, 2023, at age 76. The London-born star and fashion icon was known for her musical and romantic relationship with French singer Serge Gainsbourg. Their songs notably included the steamy “Je t’aime moi non plus” (“I Love You, Me Neither”). Birkin’s ethereal, British-accented singing voice interlaced with his gruff baritone in the 1969 duet that helped make her famous and was forbidden in Italy after being denounced in the Vatican newspaper.

AP file, 2021

Steve Harwell

Steve Harwell, the longtime frontman of the Grammy-nominated pop rock band Smash Mouth died Sept. 4, 2023. He was 56. Smash Mouth was known for hits including “All Star” and “Then The Morning Comes.”

AP file, 2008

Michael McGrath

Michael McGrath, a Broadway character actor who shined in zany, feel-good musicals and won a Tony Award for “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” died Sept. 14, 2023. He was 65. McGrath was in over a dozen Broadway shows including “Plaza Suite,” “She Loves Me,” “Tootsie” and “Spamalot” as well as on television as the sidekick to Martin Short on “The Martin Short Show.”

AP file, 2012

Fernando Botero

Renowned Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, whose depictions of people and objects in plump, exaggerated forms became emblems of Colombian art around the world, died Sept. 15, 2023. He was 91.

AP file, 2013

David McCallum

Actor David McCallum, who became a teen heartthrob in the hit series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” in the 1960s and was the eccentric medical examiner in the popular “NCIS” 40 years later, died Sept. 25, 2023. He was 90. McCallum’s work with “U.N.C.L.E.” brought him two Emmy nominations, and he got a third as an educator struggling with alcoholism in a 1969 Hallmark Hall of Fame drama called “Teacher, Teacher.” McCallum returned to television in 2003 in another series with an agency known by its initials — CBS’ “NCIS.”

AP file, 1975

Brooks Robinson

Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose deft glovework and folksy manner made him one of the most beloved and accomplished athletes in Baltimore history, died Sept. 26, 2023. He was 86. Coming of age before the free agent era, Robinson spent his entire 23-year career with the Orioles. He almost single-handedly helped Baltimore defeat Cincinnati in the 1970 World Series and homered in Game 1 of the Orioles’ 1966 sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers for their first crown. Robinson participated in 18 All-Star Games, won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and earned the 1964 AL Most Valuable Player award after batting .318 with 28 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBIs.

AP file, 2007

Michael Gambon

Veteran actor Michael Gambon, who was known to many for his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films, died Sept. 28, 2023. He was 82. No matter what role he took on in a career that lasted more than five decades, Gambon was always instantly recognizable by the deep and drawling tones of his voice. He was cast as the much-loved Dumbledore after the death of his predecessor, Richard Harris, in 2002.

AP file, 2011

Dianne Feinstein

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a centrist Democrat and champion of liberal causes who was elected to the Senate in 1992 and broke gender barriers throughout her long career in local and national politics, died Sept. 29, 2023. She was 90. Feinstein, the oldest sitting U.S. senator, was a passionate advocate for liberal priorities important to her state — including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control — but was also known as a pragmatic lawmaker who reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground.

AP file, 2011

Dick Butkus

Dick Butkus, a middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears whose speed and ferocity set the standards for the position in the modern era, died Oct. 5, 2023. He was 80. Butkus was a first-team All-Pro five times and made the Pro Bowl in eight of his nine seasons before a knee injury forced him to retire at 31. He was the quintessential Monster of the Midway and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. Trading on his image as the toughest guy in the room, Butkus enjoyed a long second career as a sports broadcaster, an actor in movies and TV series, and a sought-after pitchman for products ranging from antifreeze to beer.

AP file, 2019

Michael Chiarello

Michael Chiarello, a chef known for his Italian-inspired Californian restaurants who won an Emmy Award for best host for “Easy Entertaining With Michael Chiarello” and appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and “Top Chef Masters,” died Oct. 6, 2023. He was 61.

AP file, 2013

Louise Glück

Nobel laureate Louise Glück, a poet of unblinking candor and perception who wove classical allusions, philosophical reveries, bittersweet memories and humorous asides into indelible portraits of a fallen and heartrending world, died Oct. 13, 2023, at age 80.

AP file, 2016

Suzanne Somers

Suzanne Somers, the effervescent blonde actor known for playing Chrissy Snow on the television show “Three’s Company” and who became an entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author, died Oct. 15, 2023. She was 76. Somers appeared in many television shows in the 1970s, including “The Rockford Files,” “Magnum Force” and “The Six Million Dollar Man,” but her most famous part came with “Three’s Company,” which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984 — though her participation ended in 1981.

AP file, 2007

Piper Laurie

Piper Laurie, the strong-willed, Oscar-nominated actor who performed in acclaimed roles despite at one point abandoning acting altogether in search of a “more meaningful” life, died Oct. 14, 2023. She was 91. Laurie arrived in Hollywood in 1949 as Rosetta Jacobs and was quickly given a string of starring roles with Ronald Reagan, Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis, among others. She went on to receive Academy Award nominations for three distinct films: The 1961 poolroom drama “The Hustler”; the film version of Stephen King’s horror classic “Carrie,” in 1976; and the romantic drama “Children of a Lesser God,” in 1986. She also appeared in several acclaimed roles on television and the stage, including in David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” in the 1990s as the villainous Catherine Martell.

AP file, 2009

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The post Burt Younger, actor who performed Paulie in ‘Rocky’ movies, dies appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Wednesday released a campaign video that took him to the streets of San Francisco to use the city’s homelessness problem to smear California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).

The one-minute spot shows DeSantis in San Francisco after a visit during which the Republican presidential candidate said he saw people using heroin, smoking “crack cocaine” and “defeating on the streets.”

“The city isn’t alive anymore,” says DeSantis. “It’s really collapsed because of left-wing politics, and those politics have caused people to flee that area. They don’t go after criminals like most parts of the country and the destruction is really sad to see.”

“It just shows you that guidelines matter. leadership is important. You’re doing something wrong here,” he adds.

DeSantis also took action against Newsom, saying the troubles in San Francisco are one reason so many people are moving from California to Florida.

DeSantis and Newsom have been at odds for a year, with the California governor running ads in Florida last year denouncing the Republican for his policies, which he says target LGBTQ rights, voting rights and abortion, among other things.

“Republican leaders — they ban books, make voting harder, restrict free speech in classrooms, and even criminalize women and doctors. I urge you all to join the fight or join us in California where we still believe in freedom,” Newsom said in the ad, which aired on Fox News.

For his part, the Florida governor has shown that he sees Newsom and California as worthy opponents for boosting his own national image. With the new video on Newsom’s terrain, which was created during a DeSantis fundraising trip to California, he followed up again.

Proposed rule requires railroads to notify first responders within 10 miles of derailments. Abortion rights group presents first recommendations for 2024

DeSantis made donation stops in Sacramento and the Bay Area on Monday. The governor was scheduled to attend fundraisers in San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

Newsom said last week he would be debating DeSantis, and DeSantis responded back, telling Newsom to “stop babbling around” about running for president in 2024.

California is the most populous state in the country and also has the estimated largest homeless population in the country.

Copyright 2023 Nextstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The post DeSantis movies advert in ‘collapsed’ San Francisco amid Newsom assault appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Geoffrey Gallegos conducts the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra in Orinda on May 21st

On May 21st, conductor and music director Geoffrey Gallegos and the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra will repeat a rousing concert after being postponed to the end of February due to a certain known virus. The orchestra does not want to withhold this enchanting and enriching musical experience from the concertgoers and offers an encore that is worth the twelve-week wait.

The first discovery on the program is a spirited piece entitled ‘Jubilee Overture’ by accomplished Antioch-based composer Anthony Doherty. Doherty’s many compositions have been performed around the world, including two notable commissions from Bay Area orchestras.

Also on the program is Max Bruch’s opulently romantic and carefree Concerto for clarinet, viola and orchestra. This rarely performed composition will be a rediscovery for some listeners and a revival for others.

The concert concludes with Howard Hanson’s lyrical and uplifting Symphony No. 2, also called “Romantic”. Since its premiere in 1930, this work has been performed many times in traditional orchestral settings and then rediscovered, revived and reconfigured as part of the soundtracks for the films Alien, ET the Extra-Terrestrial and Boss Baby.

Sunday, May 21, 4:00 p.m., St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 66 St. Stephen’s Drive, Orinda

Tickets: ContraCostaChamberOrchestra.org or at the door (adults, $20; seniors, $15; students, $7)

Source: CC Chamber Orchestra

About the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra

The Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra consists of volunteer musicians ranging in age from teenagers to octogenarians. Among them are a scientist, lawyer, X-ray technician, engineer, plumber, accountant, physicist and a graphic designer, as well as sales representatives, students, housewives, teachers and artists.

The Orchestra’s mission is to provide multi-generational amateur musicians with opportunities for lifelong learning, collaboration and fun, while providing high quality, affordable entertainment and enrichment to their communities.

The orchestra was formed in the late 1970s and has established a strong presence in the county. The group performs both well-known and unusual musical works, often with a professional soloist. In addition to performances at the historic El Campanil Theater in Antioch, the orchestra performs at the magnificently converted St Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Orinda and at special events for residents in Rossmoor. The group also performs annually at a sing-along to Handel’s Messiah at various locations around the county.

The organization is a 501(3)c non-profit organization and relies entirely financially on ticket sales, grants and contributions from players and viewers. To donate, go to www.ContraCostaChamberOrchestra.org/support.

About Geoffrey Gallegos

A native of San Francisco, Geoffrey Gallegos is a sixth-generation Californian. He has been a fixture in the San Francisco Bay Area music community for over 30 years. From 1985 to 1990, Maestro Gallegos was Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Chamber Players Orchestra. In 1991 he was appointed Principal Conductor of the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra, a position he held until 1993. From 2000 to 2006 he resumed his collaboration with the SFCO as Principal Guest Conductor. In 2003 he was hired as Assistant Conductor of the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra (N.CA), a position he held until 2008. Also in 2003, Maestro Gallegos made his debut at the Golden Gate Opera in San Francisco, conducting I Pagliacci and was subsequently invited to become Music Director and Principal Conductor. During this tenure he conducted most of the GGO productions including Gianni Schicchi, The Telephone, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Suor Angelica, Hansel and Gretel and the world premiere production of Lincoln & Booth. In 2004, after an extensive search, Maestro Gallegos was invited to become music director and conductor of the Kensington (CA) Symphony Orchestra, only the third in the orchestra’s 44-year history, a position he currently holds. In 2015, after a year-long search, Maestro Gallegos was hired to become the music director and conductor of West County Winds, a symphonic wind and percussion ensemble based at Contra Costa Community College and serving West Contra Costa County. He has been invited to guest conduct the opening of the 49th season of the Diablo Symphony Orchestra (CA) and has also guest conducted numerous ensembles throughout the Bay Area, the United States and Europe.

Maestro Gallegos is heavily involved in music education. In 2001, he was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Golden Gate Philharmonic, a San Francisco metropolitan youth orchestra that offers an integrated program of orchestral and chamber music performances and music theory. More recently he has assumed the new titles of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor and Acting Executive Director of the GGP. He also participated in the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts (SOTA) Artist-in-Residence program from 2001-2010, where he served as guest conductor of the orchestra and wind ensembles and taught music theory and sight singing. In the 2000-01 academic year, Maestro Gallegos was appointed Conductor of the San Francisco State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble. In the summer of 2002 he was invited to the Cazadero Music Camp as guest conductor of the orchestra and engaged again for the 2004 summer session. From 2007 to 2010, Maestro Gallegos served as Instrumental Music Coordinator and Liaison at Nueva School, Hillsborough, where his responsibilities included directing the renowned Menuhin/Dowling Instrumental Music Program and organizing and directing the Menuhin/Dowling Young Musician Competition. Maestro Gallegos has been a judge at numerous youth competitions, master classes and workshops throughout the Bay Area and has been invited to serve as a jury member for the annual 2014 Parade of Orchestras Festival in Honolulu.

Maestro Gallegos studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Preparatory School and San Francisco State University and received his Bachelor of Music degree with honors in instrumental pedagogy and conducting. Advanced studies in orchestral and operatic conducting continued at the University of Iowa School of Music, where he received a Master of Arts degree with honors and served as conductor of the University Chamber Orchestra. He has received four scholarships to the prestigious Conductors Institutes at West Virginia University and the University of South Carolina, selected from a large international pool of applicants. In 1991, Maestro Gallegos was nominated for the Annual Conductor’s Guild Thelma A. Robinson Award. He has served on the board of directors of the Community Music Center in San Francisco since 2005, where he began taking trumpet lessons at the age of nine. He currently resides in San Francisco with his wife Julie.

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PARK CITY, Utah — It’s safe to say Sundance Film Festival is for movie lovers. If you’re a movie-liker and Sundance simultaneously interests and overwhelms you, look no further for films people are talking about. For many film enthusiasts, the Sundance Film Festival is the chance to be introduced to new artists, directors, actors, and world views. Others want to know which stars are in which films and which films to expect on the small screen in the near future, as Apple TV, Netflix, and other streaming platforms often pick up films throughout the festival.

If you’re looking for a rundown, here’s a look into this year’s films with actors recognizable by name or face from that one thing you watched a while back.

A Little Prayer (Premieres)

Tammy (Jane Levy; Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Don’t Breath) and husband David (Will Pullen; Greyhound, The Unforgivable) lead a quiet life in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, sharing a home with David’s parents, Bill (David Strathairn; Good Night, and Good Luck, Where the Crawdads Sing) and Venida (Celia Weston; Dead Man Walking, The Talented Mr. Ripley). David and Bill work together and have always been closely involved in each other’s lives. When Bill begins to suspect that David is straying in his marriage, he is drawn into a relationship minefield, caught between wanting to protect his amicable daughter-in-law and trying to understand his impulsive son. As Bill confronts the limits of patriarchal influence, he is also forced to reckon with disheartening behavioral patterns that may be transcending generations. Recognizable stars Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) and Dascha Polanco (Orange Is the New Black, The Heights) are also featured in the film.

A still from All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt by Raven Jackson, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute, photo by Jaclyn Martinez.

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (U.S. Dramatic Competition)

Tender caresses and enveloping embraces are portals into the life of Mack, a Black woman in Mississippi. Winding through the anticipation, love, and heartbreak she experiences from childhood to adulthood, the expressionist journey is an ode to connection — with loved ones and with place. This film stars Chris Chalk (Perry Mason, Shining Girls), Moses Ingram (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Sheila Atim (The Woman King), and Zainab Jah (Farewell Amor, Only Murders in the Building).

The Amazing Maurice (Kids)

Maurice (Hugh Laurie; House) is a sassy, street-smart cat with a sneaky disposition. Together with his band of rats and pied-piper friend Keith (Himesh Patel; Tenet, Yesterday), he travels across the countryside, swindling villagers with a staged rat plague. All seems well when the gang sets its sights on a scenic market town, though they quickly realize that something more nefarious is afoot. The town is already plagued by food-snatching rats, a pair of criminals, and a mysterious boss at the heart of the trouble. Others in this truly star-studded cast are David Tennant, Emilia Clarke, David Thewlis, Gemma Arterton, Peter Serafinowicz, and Hugh Bonneville.

Bad Behaviour (World Cinema Dramatic Competition)

Lucy (Jennifer Conelly; A Beautiful Mind, Requiem For A Dream) seeks enlightenment. The former child actress makes a pilgrimage to join her guru, Elon Bello (Ben Whishaw; Skyfall, Paddington, No Time to Die), for a silent retreat at a beautiful mountain resort with a Tesla-crammed parking lot. Before she shuts off her phone to the world, Lucy reaches out to her daughter, Dylan (Alice Englert; Ginger & Rosa, Beautiful Creatures) — a stunt person training for a dangerous fight scene — to interrupt her concentration and announce that she will be unavailable and out of range, and that she is very worried about her, and that she might extend her stay. It is codependent, bad behavior. When a young model/DJ/influencer at the retreat is paired up with Lucy to do a mother/daughter role-playing exercise, hellfire stokes Lucy’s bad behavior to an astonishing low.

Blueback (Kids)

While researching Australia’s deteriorating coral reefs, marine biologist Abby (Mia Wasikowska; Alice in Wonderland,) receives word of her elderly mother Dora’s (Radha Mitchell; Man on Fire) stroke. As she rushes to her seaside hometown to care for Dora, Abby recalls her childhood years spent living in concert with the ocean, and her mother’s efforts to protect the bay from greedy developers and invasive fishermen alike, often to the detriment of their own relationship. Among the coral gardens, Abby also befriends a rare fish, the blue groper — affectionately named Blueback — a tether to her environmentalism, and the key to reminding Abby and Dora of their love for each another and the vulnerable waters they call home. Also starring, Eric Bana (Troy, Lone Survior, The Time Traveler’s Wife).

Cat Person (Premieres)

Margot (Emilia Jones; CODA), a college student working concessions at an art house theater, meets frequent filmgoer — and rather older local — Robert (Nicholas Braun; Succession), on the job. Flirtation across the counter evolves into continuous texting. As the two inch toward romance, shifts between them, awkward moments, red flags, and discomforts pile up. Margot feels both attached and reticent, as her gnawing hesitations blossom into vivid daydreams where Robert realizes his most threatening potential. As her distrust and uncertainty mount, an evening, their relationship, and possibly their lives unravel. Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet, Fearless), Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), Hope Davis (American Splendor, About Schmidt), and Fred Melamed (A Serious Man, Barry) appear in this film.

A still from Eileen by William Oldroyd, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Eileen (Premieres)

Based on the book of the same name by literary powerhouse Ottessa Moshfegh, Eileen follows a peculiar young woman whose dreary life stretches on toward unending misery. In frigid 1960s Boston, Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie; Jojo Rabbit, Last Night in Soho) shuffles between her father’s dingy, emotionally haunted home and the prison where she works alongside colleagues who have ostracized her. When an intoxicating woman (Anne Hathaway; The Devil Wears Prada, Rachel Getting Married) joins the prison staff, Eileen is taken. Just when the possibility of a salvational friendship (or maybe more) takes hold and forms a singular glimmer in Eileen’s darkness, her newfound confidant entangles her in a shocking crime that alters all.

Fair Play (U.S. Dramatic Competition)

Hot off the heels of their new engagement, thriving New York couple Emily (Phoebe Dynevor; Bridgerton) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich; Solo, Hail, Caesar!) can’t get enough of each other. When a coveted promotion at a cutthroat financial firm arises, supportive exchanges between the lovers begin to sour into something more sinister. As the power dynamics irrevocably shift in their relationship, Luke and Emily must face the true price of success and the unnerving limits of ambition.

Fairyland (Premieres)

Following the sudden and tragic death of her mother, young Alysia (Emilia Jones) is uprooted by her father Steve (Scoot McNairy; Argo, 12 Years A Slave) in hopes of restarting his life. They move to 1970s San Francisco where Steve develops his poetic and personal writing and begins to openly date men. Steve’s bohemian lifestyle clashes with the expectations of parenthood from both the outside world and Alysia herself, who occasionally wishes for less of the independence her father gives her. As Alysia grows into a young woman on the cusp of adulthood, their bonds and duty to each other are tested in painful and sudden ways. Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own), Bella Murphy (Coming 2 America), Cody Fern (American Horror Story, Father Stu), and Adam Lambert (American Idol) appear in the film.

A still from Flora and Son by John Carney, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Flora and Son (Premieres)

Flora (Eve Hewson, Bad Sisters, Bridge of Spies), a young mother living in Dublin, lost touch with aspiration long ago. She juggles a sustenance-necessitated child care job and a fraught co-parenting arrangement with her unkind ex as she tries to raise her son, Max. Flora and Max’s brash rapport is both hilarious and revealing of their struggle to understand each other — she searches for autonomy and self-love masquerading as selfishness, while his longing for independence and self-expression manifests as delinquency. When the two connect over a twice-discarded used guitar, the uniting power of music brings them closer than what simple proximity can provide. Flora’s online guitar teacher is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, 500 Days of Summer, 10 Things I Hate About You).

Infinity Pool (Midnight program)

James (Alexander Skarsgård; True Blood, Big Little Lies) and Em Foster (Cleopatra Coleman; Dopesick, In the Shadow of the Moon) take off to an all-inclusive beach getaway in the fictional state of Li Tolqa to help jump-start his writer’s block. Their lazy days are spent relegated to their pricey resort, isolated from the surrounding land. Gabby (Mia Goth; Pearl, Emma) introduces herself and her partner, Al, as she’s a fan of James’ last novel, and they would like to spend some time together with the Fosters. The couples plan a secret daytrip outside the compound that ends in a fatal accident with James to blame. For a hefty price, there are loopholes to aid foreign travelers convicted of crimes there, which is how James is first introduced to a perverse subculture of hedonistic tourism.

L’Immensità (Spotlight)

In the early 1970s, Rome is a city in transition. As an emerging middle class supplants an antiquated family dynamic, Clara (Penélope Cruz; Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Vanilla Sky) and her husband, Felice (Vincenzo Amato; Unbroken), move into a new apartment with three children. Stuck in a languid marriage to an unfaithful and abusive husband, Clara focuses her attention on the kids, connecting with them by channeling her own inner child. She relates to 13-year-old Adriana the most, and the two run through the streets yelling at the top of their lungs to escape the adversities of life. Adriana has begun to identify as a boy, Andrew, and proclaims to his mother that he comes from another galaxy — something that Clara definitely relates to.

A still from Landscape with Invisible Hand featuring Asante Blackk and Kylie Rogers. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Landscape With Invisible Hand (Premieres)

Adam is a teenage artist coming of age in the aftermath of an alien takeover. The Vuvv, a species of hyper-intelligent extraterrestrials, brought wondrous technology to Earth, but only the wealthiest can afford it. The rest of humanity, their livelihoods now obsolete, have to scrape together money in the tourism industry. In the case of Adam and his budding love interest Chloe, that means live streaming their courtship for the amusement of the coffee-table sized Vuvv, who find human love exotic and interesting. When Adam and Chloe’s scheme goes sideways, Adam and his mother have to find their way out of an increasingly nightmarish alien bureaucracy. Principle cast includes Tiffany Haddish (Night School, Like A Boss), Kylie Rogers (Yellowstone), Michael Gandolfini, Asante Blackk (This Is Us), and William Jackson Harper (Midsommar, The Good Place).

Little Richard: I Am Everything (U.S. Documentary Competition)

Like a quasar burning past the gaslight, director Lisa Cortés’ eye-opening documentary explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music. Little Richard: I Am Everything shines a clarifying light on the Black, queer origins of rock ’n’ roll, and establishes the genre’s big bang: Richard Wayne Penniman.

The Pod Generation (Premieres)

A New York couple, Rachel (Emilia Clarke; Game of Thrones) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor; 12 Years A Slave) live in a not-so-distant future where technology provides ever-more convenient living. A rising tech company executive, Rachel lands a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples a convenient (and shareable) maternity by way of detachable artificial wombs, or pods. But Alvy, a botanist with an affection for nature, prefers a natural pregnancy. And yet, as Rachel’s AI therapist puts it, why is that “natural”? So begins the tech-paved path to parenthood.

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (U.S. Documentary Competition)

Brooke Shields, ’80s icon and household name, was a child model before she came to prominence in Louis Malle’s controversial film Pretty Baby at age 12. With a series of provocative Calvin Klein jeans ads and leading roles in 1980s teensploitation hits The Blue Lagoon and Endless Love, Shields’ early career was defined by a sexuality that she could neither claim nor comprehend.

A still from Radical starring Eugenio Derbez. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Radical (Premieres)

Who will the sixth grade students at Jose Urbina Lopez Elementary in Matamoros become? They are among the worst performing students in Mexico, the world they know is one of violence and hardship, and their classrooms are dominated by an atmosphere of overbearing discipline, not possibility. It might seem like a dead end… but it is also the perfect place for new teacher Sergio Juarez to try something different. There’s just one problem: Sergio (Eugenio Derbez; CODA, Instructions Not Included) has no idea what he’s doing.

Run Rabbit Run (Midnight)

Fertility doctor Sarah (Sarah Snook; Succession) begins her beloved daughter Mia’s seventh birthday expecting nothing amiss. But as an ominous wind swirls in, Sarah’s carefully controlled world begins to alter. Mia begins behaving oddly and a rabbit appears outside their front door — a mysterious birthday gift that delights Mia but seems to deeply disconcert Sarah. As days pass, Mia becomes increasingly not herself, demanding to see Sarah’s long-estranged, hospitalized mother (the grandmother she’s never met before) and fraying Sarah’s nerves as the child’s bizarre tantrums begin to point her toward Sarah’s own dark history. As a ghost from her past re-enters Sarah’s life, she struggles to cling to her distant young daughter.

Scrapper (World Cinema Dramatic Competition)

Following her mother’s death, a resourceful 12-year-old girl, Georgie (Lola Campbell), continues to live alone in their London-outskirts flat. She makes money stealing bikes with her friend, Ali (Alin Uzun), and keeps the social workers off her back by pretending to live with an uncle. It works like a charm until Jason (Harris Dickinson; Where the Crawdads Sing; See How They Run) shows up. Apparently, he’s her father — so long estranged that she doesn’t recognize him. Sizing him up as a rubbish dad (absent, messy, can’t cook), Georgie wonders why he’s suddenly taking an interest; especially when she’s doing just fine on her own, thank you very much.

Sometimes I Think About Dying (U.S. Dramatic Competition)

Lost on the dreary Oregon coast, Fran (Daisy Ridley; Star Wars) wastes her daylight hours in the solitude of a cubicle, listening to the constant hum of officemates, occasionally daydreaming to pass the time. She is ghosting through life unable to pop her bubble of isolation. And then Robert (Dave Merheje; Ramy)starts up at the company. He is new to town and the dynamics of the office. He is a naturally friendly person who keeps trying to chat with Fran. Though it goes against every fiber of her being, she may have to give this guy a chance.

The Starling Girl (U.S. Dramatic Competition)

Seventeen-year-old Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen; Little Women, Sharp Objects) struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy — the church dance group — is tempered by worry that her love of dance is actually sinful, and she’s caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and an instinctive resistance to her mom’s insistence that the time has come to begin courting. She finds respite from her confusion in the encouragement of her youth pastor Owen (Lewis Pullman; Top Gun: Maverick), who is likewise drawn to the blossoming Jem’s attention.

A still from Stephen Curry: Underrated, part of the Special Screenings program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Stephen Curry: Underrated (Special Screenings)

Award-winning filmmaker Peter Nicks returns to Sundance (Homeroom) with his documentary Stephen Curry: Underrated, an intimate look at NBA superstar Stephen Curry’s improbable coming of age at tiny Davidson College, where, under the wing of coach Bob McKillop, the team made a thrilling run in the 2008 NCAA tournament. With access to Curry throughout the 2021 season, the film also weaves the Golden State Warriors’ attempt to win another NBA championship following one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Premieres)

At age 16, an undersized army brat landed a part as a 12-year-old on a Canadian television show. Confident he could make it in the U.S., he moved into a tiny apartment in the slums of Beverly Hills. Three years later, he was struggling to scrape by and ready to retreat. But then came his breakout roles — Alex P. Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties and Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy — and a superstar was born. Michael J. Fox (Danny Irizarry) dominated the industry for most of the 1980s and ’90s, but a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease at age 29 threatened to derail his career.

A still from Theater Camp with Molly Gordon and Ben Platt. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Theater Camp (U.S. Dramatic Competition)

As summer rolls around again, kids are gathering from all over to attend AdirondACTS, a scrappy theater camp in upstate New York that’s a haven for budding performers. After its indomitable founder Joan (Amy Sedaris; Strangers with Candy, Bojack Horseman, Elf) falls into a coma, her clueless “crypto-bro” son Troy (Jimmy Tatro; American Vandal, 22 Jump Street) is tasked with keeping the thespian paradise running. With financial ruin looming, Troy must join forces with Amos (Ben Platt; Pitch Perfect, Dear Evan Hansen), Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon; Booksmart), and their band of eccentric teachers to come up with a solution before the curtain rises on opening night.

You Hurt My Feelings (Premieres)

New York novelist Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus; Veep, Seinfeld, Enough Said) has been working for years on the follow-up to her somewhat successful memoir, sharing countless drafts with her approving, supportive husband Don (Tobias Menzes; The Crown, Casino Royale). Beth’s world quickly unravels when she overhears Don admit to her brother-in-law, Mark (Arian Moyed; Succession, Inventing Anna), that actually, he doesn’t like the new book. She vents to her sister Sara that decades of a loving, committed marriage pale in comparison to this immense betrayal. Meanwhile, therapist Don faces his own professional problems as he finds himself unable to care about or even recall his unhappy patients’ issues anymore… and they’ve begun to notice.

Young.Wild.Free (Next)

Being a teenager is rough, and Brandon (Algee Smith; Detroit, Judas and the Black Messiah) is no different. Between struggling in school, caring for his two younger siblings, and having just been let go from his job, Brandon often uses his art as an escape from the confines of his subdued day-to-day life. Enter Cassidy (Sierra Capri; On My Block), a bedazzled bad girl dripping in confidence, freedom, and danger. Lured in by her whimsy, Brandon teams up with Cassidy, seamlessly slipping into the role of Clyde to her Bonnie as they make their way down an increasingly perilous path. Also starring Sanaa Lathan (Love & Basketball) and comedian Mike Epps (Next Friday, Friday After Next).

Honorable mentions with buzz: Cassandro (Gael García Bernal; Old, Mozart in the Jungle), Fancy Dance, Drift (Cynthia Eviro; Harriet), Rotting in the Sun (Jordan Firstman; Big Mouth, The Other Two), Rye Lane (David Jonsson; Industry), Shortcomings directed by Randall Park (Always Be My Maybe, WandaVision).

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• The air conditioning technician shot the clip in Golden Valley, Minnesota
• The TikTok video went viral with over 5.5 million views and nearly 600,000 likes

This is the moment an HVAC technician filmed one of his customers as she “called 911” to claim he was threatening her and that she was “trembling” with fear.

Alonzo Harmon’s short clip of the Golden Valley, Minnesota incident went viral on TikTok with the caption, “Here’s an example of what life as a black man is like in America.”

The air conditioning worker filmed himself with the woman as she yelled “I’m so scared” in what appeared to be a call to police.

When the sobbing woman tries to claim that she is scared and intimidated by Harmon and in dire need of help, he asks calmly, “What threat did I make to you, ma’am?”

The video was filmed in November last year but was uploaded by Harmon this week, where it subsequently went viral with 5.5 million views and nearly 600,000 likes.

Harmon filmed the woman who appeared to be calling 911. “What threat did I make to you?” he asks

“She’s on the phone to 911 right now,” Harmon says calmly to the camera.

The woman is heard saying during the call, “He said I was being rude and he’s scaring me right now.”

But the stunned technician seems confused about her reaction: “She said I just threatened her. what threat?

“What threat did I make to you?” he asks.

The panicked woman does not answer the question.

In the next clip, the woman looks even more desperate when she asks the police to come faster.

She can be heard making crying noises over the phone as Harmon, standing several feet away in front of the garage, looks on helplessly.

“I’m scared right now. I’m shaking,” she says 911. “Please. Please. I’m so scared right now.’

Harmon suggests that the woman’s tears aren’t real.

“What on earth is that, boy? I won’t lie – I’ve never had to deal with such a bulls**t in my life. Never in my life.’

A concerned commenter responded to the viral video: “Are you alright? update please!!’

Another wrote: “It’s a shame you were treated like that man no reason for it. I hope You are fine.’

A third wrote: “Man this is not a joke this is scary how people can just do this and get the law involved. Please update us.’

Harmon hints that the woman’s tears aren’t realThe panicked woman doesn’t respond to Harmon’s questionHarmon filmed the interaction for TikTokThe TikTok video subsequently went viral

A police report detailed that two officers from the Golden Valley Police Department responded to the woman’s call but took no further action.

“Officials spoke to the gentleman who recorded the video and he left without any further investigation into the called incident. That’s all the information we have,” a spokesman for the police department said.

Harmon told Storyful that the woman in the clip started asking him “off-topic questions” about his job after he finished working on the air conditioner.

He said the woman tried to grab his phone as he left the property before then calling police.

“I told her if she calls the police I’ll wait for her at my van, then I started recording her when she called her,” Harmon told Storyful.

“The police finally came for a few minutes. They spoke to both of us and simply asked me to leave to de-escalate the situation.

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100 years ago next month, San Francisco’s Nasser family opened the Castro Theatre: an event that came to define an era and a neighborhood. A century on, it is the longest continually family-owned movie palace in the US To mark the occasion, the Nasser Family in partnership with Another Planet Entertainment is scheduling a week of film screenings featuring iconic movies from each decade of the Castro’s history, June 3–12, some family and children’s programming, and a “Happy Birthday” special event on June 22—the actual date of the Castro’s opening day in 1922—with movies filmed in San Francisco. Concurrent with the centennial celebrations, the LGBTQ Frameline Film Festival will return after a two-year hiatus.

“It continues to be my family’s honor and privilege to own the Castro Theatre,” said Steve Nasser, of Bay Properties, Inc. “After two years of COVID-forced closures, it is such a joy and a pleasure to reopen and to work with the very best, and most sensitive local producers around, Another Planet Entertainment.” Steve and Elaine Nasser Padian are the third generation of this family to lead the company, founded by their grandfather Abraham and his sons having designed and constructed the Castro Theater in 1922.

“The Castro is much more than a theatre,” said Mary Conde, Senior Vice President for Another Planet who oversees the overall Castro Theater Project. “An LGBTQ touchstone, a film-lovers icon, a community landmark and an architectural gem, the Castro is unique. Another Planet is honored to restore, renovate, and revitalize the Castro as a home to everything we’ve come to love about the Castro, and expand its audience.”

Tickets for the special week of screenings are $16 weekdays and $18 weekend with the morning youth programming at $10/adult $6/youth up to age 12 and may be purchased online at https://tinyurl.com/3denv6uv

While there are no vaccine or masking requirements for entry, all attendees are encouraged to have been fully vaccinated and boosted. Masking and adherence to social distancing and proper hygiene protocols are strongly encouraged.

Another Planet Entertainment is partnering with Bay Properties, Inc., owners of the Castro Theater, on an evolution and preservation of San Francisco’s world-renowned entertainment and LGBTQ community landmark. With a long-standing history of working to preserve and improve historic buildings such as the Fox Theater in Oakland, the Greek Theater in Berkeley, and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Another Planet seeks to enhance the Castro Theater by implementing significant improvements to the sound, lighting, production, HVAC, ADA access, and the theatre’s trademark marquee, among other facets of the building.

The Nasser brothers got their start with a nickelodeon in 1908 in the Castro neighborhood. The Castro was designed by then-unknown architect Timothy Pflueger, who later designed the Paramount Theatre, the Pacific Cost Stock Exchange, the Pacific Telephone Building, and the Top of the Mark on Nob Hill. Pflueger chose an exterior design reminiscent of a Mexican cathedral. The large windows, the shape of the roof line of the front wall of the building, and the plaster wall decorations all combine to convey a look of grandeur in keeping with the large scale of many theaters built in the 1920s. Sound was installed in 1928. The marquee and the vertical neon sign are additions from the late 1930s, but the glazed tile street foyer, ornate tent-like box office, and the wooden doors are all from the early 1922.

The Castro’s interior is very diverse. One can sense Spanish, Asian, and Italian influences. The auditorium seats over 1400 in a fantasy setting that is both lavish and intimate. Both side walls of the auditorium are covered with classic motif murals that were created in a wet plaster process called scrafitto. This type of wall decoration is rare. On either side of the stage and screen (the small original screen has long ago been replaced with a large screen) are large organ grills. The Art Deco chandelier dates from 1937 when a small electrical fire destroyed the original parchment fixture. It is one of the few remaining movie palaces from the 1920s that has been in continuous operation under the same family ownership.

Below is the schedule of Castro Theater 100th Special Film Screenings

Friday, June 3: Decade of the 1920s

• Oh Doctor (2:45 pm) Reginald Denny & Mary Astor

• The Mark of Zoro (4:30 pm) Douglas Fairbanks, Noah Beery, Marguerite De La Motte, Robert McKim

• Across to Singapore (6 pm) Joan Crawford, Ramon Navarro, Ernst Torrence

• The Lodger (7:45 pm) Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney, June Tripp, Malcolm Keen, Ivor Novello

• Sunrise (9:45 pm) Janet Gaynor, George O’Brian, Margaret Livingston, Harold Schuster, Bodil Rosing

Saturday, June 4: Decade of the 1930s

• Bright Eyes (10:30 am) Shirley Temple

• Pardon Us (1 pm) Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy

• Thin Man (2:45 pm) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O’Sullivan, Nat Pendleton

• The Adventures of Robinhood (4:45 pm) Errol Flynn; Olivia de Havilland; Basil Rathbone; Claude Rains; Una O’Connor

• The Women (7pm) Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, Joan Fontaine, Paulette Goddard

• Night at the Opera (9:30 pm) Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle

Sunday, June 5: Decade of the 1940s & Special Family Feature

• Lion King (10:30 am) The Disney children’s classic, not 1940s

• Philadelphia Story (2:30 pm) Cary Grant; Catherine Hepburn; James Stewart; Ruth Husey

• The Lady from Shanghai (5 pm) Orson Wells, Rita Hayworth, Everette Sloan, Glen Anders, Erskine Sanford

• Mildred Pierce (7pm) Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Eve Arden, Zachary Scott, Ann Blyth

• Casablanca (9:30 pm) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Peter Lorrie, Paul Henreid, Madeleine LeBeau

Monday, June 6: Decade of the 1950s

• From Here to Eternity (4 pm) Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra

• Some Like it Hot (6:30 pm) Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon

• All About Eve (9:15 pm) Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Marilyn Monroe, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Thelma Ritter, Hugh Marlow

Tuesday, June 7: Decade of the 1960s

• Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid (2 pm) Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katherine Ross

• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (4:30 pm) John Wayne, James Stewart, Lee Marvin, Andy Devine, Vera Miles

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (7 pm) Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, Mickey Rooney

• The Magnificent 7 (9:30 pm) Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson

Wednesday, June 8: Decade of the 1970s

• Star Wars: A New Hope (4 pm) Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness

• Chinatown (6:30 pm) Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Diane Ladd

• The Godfather (9:20 pm) Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton

Thursday, June 9: Decade of the 1980s

• Raiders of the Lost Ark (4 pm) Harrison Ford; Karen Allen; Paul Freeman; Ronald Lacey; John Rhys Davies; Denholm Elliot

• Amadeus (6:30 pm) F. Murray Abraham, Tom Huice, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Ry Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Kay

• Blade Runner (9:20 pm) Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos

Friday, June 10: Decade of the 1990s

• Casino (1pm) Robert De Niro; Sharon Stone; Joe Pesci; Don Rickles; Kevin Pollak; James Woods

• Rush Hour (4:30 pm) Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Julia Hsu, Elizabeth Pena, Ken Leung, Clifton Powell

• American Beauty (6:45 pm) Kevin Spacey; Annette Benning; Thora Birch; Mena Suvari; Wes Bentley; Allison Janney; Peter Gallagher; Chris Cooper

• The Bird Cage (9:30 pm) Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest

Saturday, June 11: Decade of the 2000s

• Ironman (1 pm) Robert Downey Jr. Terrence Howard; Jeff Bridges; Shaun Toub; Gwyneth Paltrow

• The Royal Tenenbaums (4 pm) Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Luke Wilson, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelica Huston

• No Country for Old Men (7pm) Tommy Lee Jones; Javier Bardem; Josh Brolin

Sunday, June 12: Decade of 2010s

• Black Panther (1 pm) Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman

• A Star is Born (3:50 pm) Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Anthony Ramos

• Bohemian Rhapsody (6:30 pm) Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers

• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (9:15 pm) Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley

Wednesday June 22: Actual Opening Date in 1922, Movies Filmed in San Francisco

• San Francisco (10:30 am) Clark Gable, Janette McDonald, Spencer Tracy
• Mrs. Doubtfire (1 pm) Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein
• Dirty Harry (3:30pm), Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino
• Sudden Fear (6pm) Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Graham
• Bullitt (8:15 pm) Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn

Castro Theatre

Published on May 19, 2022

The post Castro Theatre to Mark a hundredth Birthday with Week of Basic Movies June 3–12 Curated by Decade – San Francisco Bay Occasions appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

By Joanie Juster

Harvey Milk Day: Sunday, May 22

Harvey Milk’s birthday falls on a weekend this year, and Castro Street will be filled with events to celebrate what would have been his 92nd birthday.

The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, the Castro Community Benefit District, and the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza have planned a day of events honoring his legacy. With the LGBTQ+ community under increasingly frequent and vicious homophobic and transphobic attacks from state and local legislatures around the country, Harvey’s birthday is a perfect time to celebrate his work and learn more about his activism.

The program on May 22 begins at noon at Harvey Milk Plaza with tributes from some of Harvey’s friends and colleagues, and queer community and elected officials. The community block party then kicks into high gear with beats provided by BAAAHS.

Meanwhile, the Castro Theater will be showing not one, but two important films that day!

Harvey’s messages of hope, advocacy, equality, and activism are on full display in the groundbreaking, Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk. Directed by Robert Epstein and produced by Richard Schmiechen, the restored 35mm film was one of the first feature documentaries to address gay life. Its power has not diminished since its premiere—at the Castro Theater—in 1984. An inspiring, heart-wrenching, eye-opening film, it features a remarkable trove of original documentary materials and archival footage that not only bring Harvey Milk’s life and work to life, but also provide a window into a very particular time and place in our history: the Castro in the 1970s. Bring tissues; I cry every time I watch this film.

The second film showing at the Castro Theater on May 22 is the premiere of The Ruth Brinker Story, a short documentary on the life of Project Open Hand founder and legendary AIDS activist Ruth Brinker.

As the AIDS epidemic raged through San Francisco in the early 1980s, Brinker, a retired food-service worker, began cooking meals in her kitchen to deliver to friends and neighbors who were too ill to take care of themselves. Her goal: not only to provide food, but also to end the isolation that HIV/AIDS patients experienced. “Providing meals with love” became her mission and her by word. The work grew beyond Brinker’s kitchen, becoming Project Open Hand, the largest provider of nutrition to the HIV/AIDS community. Ruth Brinker’s legacy carries on today as Project Open Hand has once again joined the frontlines in facing the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The May 22nd screenings of both films are free, ending with a Red Carpet Premiere Event at 6 pm that will including a panel discussion featuring filmmaker Apo W. Bazidi.

To register for your free tickets and to learn more about the VIP After Party: https://tinyurl.com/573xw63c

Karine Jean-Pierre Steps Up to the Podium

We’ve said it many times: Representation matters. And nothing says “representation” like stepping up to one of the most visible and influential podiums in the world.

On May 13, Karine Jean-Pierre became the new White House Press Secretary, making her the first Black woman, and the first openly LGBTQ+ person, to hold that office. A long-time advisor to President Biden, she has an impressive resume of experience in communication and political roles in both the Biden and Obama administrations handling political campaigns, advocacy and policy work, and teaching. She has big shoes to fill in following Jen Psaki as Press Secretary, but after serving under Psaki as Principal Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President, Jean-Pierre is clearly up to the task, and understands the importance of her new role.

In an article in The New York Times, she was quoted as saying: “I understand how important it is for so many people out there, so many different communities. That I stand on their shoulders, and I have been throughout my career.”

The Power of Names

When the AIDS Memorial Quilt was first created in 1987, a moving ritual was created to accompany the first display of the quilt in Washington, DC: throughout the display, the names from the quilt were read aloud, providing an audio component that augmented the visual power of the quilt.

The reading of names has been an integral part of Quilt displays ever since. I have had the privilege of coordinating the reading of names at displays in San Francisco and Washington, DC, since 1989, and will be doing it once again for the 35th anniversary display of the quilt in Golden Gate Park on June 11 and 12.

We are inviting the public to help us read the over 10,000 names that will be read that weekend. Each reader will be provided a list of about 30 names from the quilt to read, to which you are invited to add the names of any friends or loved ones you have lost to AIDS. Reading names only takes a minute or two, but it can be a powerful and cathartic experience. To sign up to read names: https://tinyurl.com/QP35Readers

Swing Your Partner at Stompede

COVID forced many of our favorite events to either go on hiatus or go virtual. But the good news is that one of San Francisco’s most joyful events is coming back this month.

Polish your boots and practice your steps, because Sundance Stompede returns on Memorial Day weekend. San Francisco’s annual country-western dance weekend for the LGBTQ+ community and its friends has become the largest event of its kind anywhere in the world. Presented by the Sundance Association, an all-volunteer nonprofit that promotes country western dancing, Stompede features four nights of dance parties, three days of inspiring dance workshops teaching two-step, swing, line dances, and more, for all levels, plus dance performance exhibitions and social events.

Stompede is only one of the Sundance Association’s events. Founded 25 years ago, the Association presents dance classes and dance events throughout the year. Ingu Yun, founder of the Sundance Association, told me that during COVID, when they couldn’t hold indoor dancing in their usual location in San Francisco, they found ways to bring people together safely by taking their dance classes outdoors to public locations where people could practice social distancing while dancing: Union Square, Golden Gate Park, Stern Grove, and even the Cruise Terminal Plaza at Pier 27.

I’ve been volunteering at Stompede for many years. It is one of my favorite events: a festive celebration of dancing, but also of camaraderie, inclusion, and community. come on down and join in the fun; Tickets for one or all events here: https://www.stompede.com/events.html

Save the Date: People’s March Returns for Pride Sunday

When the COVID lockdown in 2020 forced the cancellation of the usual massive Pride events, activists Alex U. Inn and Juanita MORE! saw an opportunity to bring Pride back to its activist roots. They invited the community to take part in a “People’s March & Rally,” a reminder that the original Pride march was a protest.

Centering the focus of the event on people of color, and the queer and trans communities, their aim was to bring together people of all races, backgrounds, and sexual and gender identities in solidarity for racial justice, to call for an end to police violence , and to demand health care and unemployment relief for community members impacted by the virus. The community turned out enthusiastically to support the event in 2020, and again in 2021. The People’s March & Rally will return this year on Sunday, June 26, starting from Polk and Washington Streets. We will be bringing you more details as they are released.

Elections have consequences

If anyone still doubts that elections have consequences, here are two words: Supreme Court.

There are others who can and will write more eloquently on this subject, but right now all I can say is vote! Vote as if your life and your rights depended on it, because it’s crystal clear now that they do. Get involved in campaigns. Donate to organizations that help voters get to the polls. speak out Hit the streets in protest. Make your voice heard, because this is not a drill: Every one of us has to do our part.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine…

While San Francisco revels in the return of spring weather and beloved events, don’t forget that folks in Ukraine still need our support. Donate here to help LGBTQ+ Ukrainians, thanks to Rainbow World Fund: https://tinyurl.com/RWFUkr

Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

Published on May 19, 2022

The post Historical past, Movies, Social gathering & Extra for Harvey Milk Day 2022 – San Francisco Bay Occasions appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Many make the mistake of reserving this film for Christmas and New Year but we think it’s a timeless classic, perfect for all occasions. Watch as George Bailey learns how different his town would’ve been if he wasn’t there – it’s a story to warm the coldest of hearts and encourages us all to appreciate life that bit more.

18) Four Weddings and a Funeral, 1994

Richard Curtis perfectly straddles the reality of humor and tragedy in life, depicting a group of friends who appear to be unlucky in love until their luck changes. Rowan Atkinson’s part as Father Gerald alone will have you chuckling along with the cast. Genius.

19) Little Miss Sunshine, 2006

A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant to take a cross-country trip in their VW bus. Starring Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Toni Collette and Steve Carell, this film is about dreams and illusions and the beauty of a dysfunctional family. Pure joy. Abigail Breslin literally brings sun in to the rainiest cold days in this heart walking family drama.

20) Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, 2001

One line of that iconic music and you’ll be in your pajamas, sat down on the sofa gorging on a Terry’s Chocolate orange and wondering what life would’ve been like if you’d attended Hogwarts.

Take a journey with Harry, Ron and Hermione and relive your childhood once more. And no, we don’t care if you prefer the books. It’s essential viewing for improved happiness.

21) Matilda, 1996

Danny DeVito, Roald Dahl, Mara Wilson – can you really get a better combination? This fantasy comedy is sure to cheer you up, with genius girl Matilda beating the odds (her horrid parents and Miss Trunchball) to find happiness with Miss Honey. The chocolate cake scene alone will make you feel inspired. Everyone together now: ‘Bruce, Bruce, Bruce…’

22) One Fine Day, 1996

After viewing this film you’ll immediately be in search of a partner willing to pick you up and carry you through a puddle so not to damage your heels. It’s inevitable.

Single Melanie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and (Jack) George Clooney are forced to take care of their children on the most important days of their careers and juggle looking after each other’s sprogs amid deadlines and pressures from their bosses. Proof that work is not your top priority.

23) Mary Poppins, 1964

A spoonful of sugar really does help the hangover, a temperature or the grumps go down, and is perfect if you’re feeling a bit under the weather. Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke are an essential pairing for a mood lifter.

24) Mary Poppins Returns, 2018

Decades after her first visit to the Banks family, Mary Poppins (this time played by Emily Blunt), returns to help young Michael’s (Ben Whishaw) children through a pretty scary point in their lives. With tunes and acting courtesy of Lin-Manuel Miranda (who plays chimney-sweeper Jack) and appearances from Julie Walters, you know this is a good’un.

25) Forrest Gump, 1994

Overly sentimental? Perhaps. Heart-warming to the level it will make you want to hug a puppy? Definitely. This award-winning film sees the astonishing life of Forrest Gump, a man who lives a charmed life of success and love. A stunning film about overcoming adversity and the cards you were dealt with. ‘Stupid is as stupid does,’ says Forrest. Don’t be stupid, watch the film.

26) Legally Blonde, 2001

‘Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill their husbands,’ says Elle Woods. Well, happy people also watch Legally Blonde, the story of an innocent Beverly Hills sorority girl who defies judgment and heartbreak to become Harvard’s top lawyer. She’s a one girl revolution, after all.

27) Pride, 2014

Based on a true story, this LGBT-related comedy-drama depicts a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised funds to help those affected by the British miners’ strike in 1984. Tackling subjects of prejudice, homophobia and community spirit, this is essential viewing to restore your faith in humanity.

28) Bridget Jones’ Diary, 2001

This wanton sex goddess is a woman’s life-long friend and confident who makes sense of life, love and London with a group of mismatched friends in the Big Smoke. Big knickers aside, this film will have you cheering for the underdog and debating who is hotter, Daniele Cleaver or Mark Darcy.

29) Sister Act (1 and 2), 1992 and 1993

Guaranteed to put a smile on your face is Whoopi Goldberg, we believe. And if that won’t do it, then surely the angelic tones of Lauryn Hill’s voice will. So both the original and sequel of the Sister Act franchise makes this list. Deloris (Goldberg) ends up in witness protection and is reluctantly placed as a nun in a convent in a deprived area of ​​San Francisco. But Deloris, with her singing credentials, soon invigorates the convent’s choir and in the second film takes this same energy to a struggling school. The final performance of the school kids is a rendition of ‘Joyful, Joyful’ – need we explain again why this film makes the list?

30) Sing Street, 2016

The film that will make you wish you’d formed a music band as a teenager, Sing Street is about a boy called Conor growing up in Dublin during the 1980s and starts a band to distract himself from his troubled schooling and strained family life, in order to get the girl. The fashion and music references to Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet are enough to get you dancing. Available now on Netflix.

31) Rush Hour, 1998

ARNAL + GETTY IMAGES

Mismatched cops are on a mission to rescue the Chinese consul’s kidnapped daughter. The perfect police pairing. There’s no better classic comedy duo than Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Broke up with the boyfriend? Bad grade at school? Crippling anxiety? Disconnect yourself from the world and switch this on.

32) The Blues Brothers, 1980

In the mood for a pick me up? Look no further than The Blues Brothers.

Aretha Franklin, Carrie Fisher, Twiggy, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi star in this hilarious musical crime comedy. Jake and his brother Elwood are on a ‘mission from God’ to reunite their old band to play at a fundraiser to save their childhood orphanage.

33) Despicable Me, 2010

Nothing defines happiness like a minion – fact. With the help of Gru, the world’s most evil/adorable super villain/father and a group of yellow, denim dungaree-clad friends, you’ll find it hard not to smile at this heartwarming animated comedy.

34) Julie and Julia, 2009

The post 48 Joyful Movies That Will Carry Your Temper, From Legally Blonde To La La Land appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

You’ll catch glimpses of it in an abundance of memorable San Francisco-set films. 

A Victorian perched on the corner of a quiet intersection in a psychological thriller. At the top of a steep hill overlooking the city skyline in a frenzied car chase scene. Inside a cozy café fit for a romantic comedy. 

While Potrero Hill might be a bit of an unlikely choice as far as location scouting goes, it’s easy to understand why the neighborhood has become a star in its own right — and a popular choice for Hollywood filmmakers over the years, regardless of whether the movie is actually set in Potrero Hill or not. 

“Productions can capture a residential area with a magnificent skyline in the background, combined with our very steep hills, all in one shot,” said Susannah Robbins, executive director of the San Francisco Film Commission. “It’s a visual feast to directors to be able to combine those three elements through a camera lens.” 

Peter Linenthal, director of the Potrero Hill Archives Project, couldn’t deny the neighborhood’s allure either. “Filmmakers like Potrero Hill’s SF views and relatively uncrowded streets,” he said. 

At the same time, Linenthal noted the striking abnormalities of life in San Francisco captured on film. His organization is headquartered at 298 Missouri St., where 1987’s “Burglar” starring Whoopi Goldberg was filmed, followed by 2001’s “Sweet November” with Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron and 2018’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”

“What strikes me is the unreality of SF real estate in movies: Charlize’s character would not have been able to afford such a large SF apartment. Ditto with Paul Rudd as a single dad in Ant-Man,” he said. 

It’s true that North Beach has its own claim to San Francisco movie fame, but this month, we decided to feature eight of Potrero Hill’s most memorable scenes captured on the big screen. See where Roger Moore’s James Bond knocked over a gas station sign during an iconic firetruck chase and Keanu Reeves fell for Charlize Theron. 

1. ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ (2021) 

Exterior shots of the Tenderloin and Grace Cathedral were captured in this sequel to Marvel’s blockbuster franchise that was filmed in February 2020, but one popular Potrero Hill spot also stood in for police station scenes: Anchor Brewing Company on 1705 Mariposa St.

A spokesperson for the brewery said the surrounding Mariposa and De Haro streets were shut down to accommodate for stunt work, including a scene with stunt doubles simulating Venom as he bursts through a wall on the third floor to escape prison. He then lands on an SFPD cruiser, resulting in a small explosion. 

“We had a good crowd of our neighbors on site for filming, and there was lots of excitement and curiosity in the air,” the spokesperson told SFGATE, adding that the “Venom” cast and crew utilized Anchor’s Public Taps for pre-production staging, talent trailers and craft services. “Many of the crew also enjoyed a pint or two of their favorite Anchor brews upon wrapping.” 

It wasn’t the first time a production crew had taken over the brewery: Arnold Schwarzenegger was in an episode of “The Streets of San Francisco” that was filmed there and aired in 1977.

“It was very cool to see some ‘movie magic’ firsthand,” the spokesperson said.  

Starring Tom Hardy as the titular villain/protagonist, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” follows his everyday persona, a San Francisco journalist named Eddie Brock, who is writing a profile on serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson). Brock frequently visits Kasady in San Quentin State Prison for interviews as his death penalty sentence looms, and during their last conversation, Kasady bites Brock, causing Kasady to transform into another supervillain, Carnage.

Director Andy Serkis, left, and Tom Hardy on the set of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.”

Jay Maidment

2. ‘Vegas in Space’ (1991)

“Barbarella” meets “Mystery Science Theater 3000” in this campy cult classic with an all-drag cast. Director and member of the legendary San Francisco drag troupe Sluts-A-Go-Go Phillip R. Ford was still a film student at San Francisco State University when he co-wrote the screenplay with drag icons Miss X, Doris Fish and Tippi, who would also star in the film as a band of intergalactic soldiers who undergo a drag transformation to infiltrate a planet of all women and secure the rare gems hidden there to save the universe. Shortly prior to the world premiere of “Vegas in Space,” Fish and Tippi would die of illnesses related to AIDS, but the film has gone on to be remembered as a landmark in queer cinema, with reunions and drag tribute performances hosted by Peaches Christ, filmmaker and “Dragula” writer Michael Varrati and Frameline Film Festival at the Clay and Victoria theaters. 

Laden with kitschy stop-motion sequences and wry humor, “Vegas in Space” was largely shot inside Fish’s Victorian apartment at 422 Oak St. in 1983. However, the climactic final scene in the lair of the villainous Queen Veneer was shot at The Farm, a commune and performance space under Highway 101 at Potrero Avenue and Cesar Chavez Boulevard that ended with an eviction in 1987. Large sheets of iridescent plastic cellophane draped around the venue “create[d] the illusion of an ice palace of sorts,” Ford wrote in a blog dedicated to the making of the film, which is truly B-horror at its best. 

“This was shot in black and white and is my favorite sequence in the finished film,” wrote Ford. 

3. ‘Bullitt’ (1968)

Starring Steve McQueen, this neo-action thriller based on the 1963 novel “Mute Witness” follows SFPD detective Lt. Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) as his team keeps close tabs on Chicago mobster Johnny Ross. The production crew spent three months filming throughout the streets of San Francisco, but it’s the infamous car chase scene that makes this movie memorable. 

That said, most locals will find the path of the Mustang and Charger rather disorienting as they jump from Bernal Heights to Potrero Hill, racing along 20th and Kansas to 20th and Rhode Island before suddenly materializing in Russian Hill and later North Beach. In any case, the resulting sequence proved entrancing for viewers, and editor Frank P. Keller would win an Academy Award for his efforts.

4. ‘Pacific Heights’ (1990)

This movie was featured on Bravo’s “100 Scariest Movie Moments” and today reads as a bit of a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the power dynamic between landlord and tenant. But don’t let the title fool you: The home’s exterior was actually shot in Potrero Hill, and it’s still perched on the corner of 19th and Texas Street.   

“Filming it in Pacific Heights would have been a nightmare because of all the crazy things we did in that movie,” former location manager Laurie Noll, who also worked on “The Princess Diaries,” told SFGATE. (I won’t spoil too much, but live cockroaches are involved.)

Described as the “first eviction thriller” by New York Times film critic Janet Maslin upon its release, this psychological horror film stars Melanie Griffith and Matthew Modine as a privileged young couple who decide to purchase their dream Victorian abode and move in together. It’s a bit of a fixer-upper, but they decide to renovate it anyway and become landlords, renting out the units in order to afford the place. Michael Keaton plays the nightmarish but cunning tenant who moves in, changes the locks and refuses to pay his deposit or his rent — but his behavior becomes increasingly creepy from there. 

5. ‘Dirty Harry’ (1971)

“We Potrero Hill boys, we got to stick together,” a doctor says to the titular rogue police officer played by Clint Eastwood in the first film of this San Francisco-set action franchise. A prescient signal of the conservative turn of the Ronald Reagan era, it’s a right-wing fantasy of a film laden with gratuitous bloodletting that hasn’t aged well, but undoubtedly paved the way for a slew of crime dramas that would follow in its footsteps in addition to spawning four of its own sequels. 

Several scenes, including the aforementioned exchange between Harry and the doctor, were filmed at San Francisco General Hospital on 1001 Potrero Ave., while a car chase sequence similar to “Bullitt’s” zips along Mississippi toward 20th Street (the Potrero Hill gas storage tank is visible on the horizon, though the structure has since been demolished). The final film in the series, “The Dead Pool,” also features this remote control car pursuit.

6. ‘A View to a Kill’ (1985)

Move over, “No Time to Die.” This campy James Bond classic starring Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts and Grace Jones not only boasts an iconic fight scene on top of the Golden Gate Bridge, but perhaps one of the best title sequences of any Bond film, with a quintessentially ’80s theme from Duran Duran thrown in for good measure (it would go on to claim the No. 1 slot on the Billboard Hot 100).  

In the film, Bond (Moore) tracks down Max Zorin (Walken) and May Day (Jones), who are responsible for crafting microchips that release adrenaline in racehorses, though Bond fears the technology could be used for something far more sinister. Knowing their leading competitor in the microchip industry is Silicon Valley, the villainous duo plots to destroy the area by inducing an explosion beneath the lakes in the Hayward and San Andreas faults.

An iconic sequence follows Bond and state geologist Stacey Sutton (Roberts), whose family oil business Zorin attempts to buy out for the sake of his sinister scheme. When Bond and Sutton sneak into San Francisco City Hall to secretly review his plans, the police get involved, and the pair evades them by jumping onto a fire truck and careening through downtown San Francisco, knocking over the Chevron sign where the McDonald’s on 16th and Potrero stands today. 

7. ‘Sweet November’ (2001)

Long before Keanu Reeves flung himself off Embarcadero skyscrapers in the soon-to-be-released “The Matrix Resurrections” or dated Ali Wong in “Always Be My Maybe” he appeared alongside a fresh-faced Charlize Theron in a 2001 remake of the 1968 romantic comedy “Sweet November.”

We see Potrero Hill front and center in several scenes: the exterior of Sara’s apartment is at 298 Missouri St. (where the Potrero Hill Archives Project is today) on the corner of 18th, and the couple is seen wandering into the now-shuttered Daily Scoop ice cream parlor nearby, which was made to look like a produce stand and convenience store. They also dine nearby at Farley’s, where you can still stop in for a cup of coffee. 

Linenthal said he decorated a model boat and a skateboard for the film, and remembers that Keanu Reeves bought some reading material at Christopher’s Books during production. He also recalled a particularly funny anecdote: 

“​​A friend came over and wondered who the woman sitting on my front stairs was,” he said. “It was Charlize Theron.” 

Directed by Pat O’Connor, the tear-jerker of a film follows the unlikely romance between robotic ad executive Nelson Moss (Reeves) and free-spirited dog groomer Sara Deever (Theron) who cross paths while taking a test at the DMV. Afterward, she suggests a dubious proposition: that he come live with her for the month of November in order to shed his workaholic ways and ultimately learn how to appreciate the simple pleasures of life. The pair fall for one another, but little does Nelson know, Sara is hiding a secret that will change everything.

8. ‘The Joy Luck Club’ (1993)

In this film based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Oakland-based author Amy Tan, the shared home of couple Lena St. Clair (Lauren Tom) and Harold (Michael Paul Chan) — still at 610 Rhode Island St. — is cold, industrial and gray, and seems to mimic their detached relationship. 

This coming-of-age drama traces different generations of Asian American women, weaving together multiple story lines from the past to present day that examine their complicated relationships and cultural differences. Once married to an abusive husband in China, Ying-Ying (France Nuyen) only wants the best for her daughter, Lena, who is unhappily married herself to her boss from her architecture firm, Harold. He cares more about tallying Lena’s expenses than being a good husband to her, which frustrates Ying-Ying.

“One million dollars, and the walls are still crooked,” she laments to her daughter of the modern interior. Later, as Ying-Ying stands in the guest bedroom alone while Lena and Harold argue, she thinks to herself, “All around this house I see the signs. My daughter looks, but she does not see. This is a house that will break into pieces.”

However dismal, the architecture of the three-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom home was inspired by the Kronos House, where cellist Joan Jeanrenaud once lived.  

The post San Francisco’s Potrero Hill is unlikely star of SF movies appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.