Castro Theatre

Went to the Castro theatre a few nights ago with Breb and her brother Ryan to see "Cool Hand Luke." Breanne had seen it recently for the first time and loved it. Ryan hadn't heard of it. We took the bus down to the Castro district and got off at the corner by the theatre. It was the Gay/Lesbian district so there were rainbow flags everywhere. We stopped in a tiny bakery and bought some rainbow M&M cookies. Three for 7.50 because the M&M's weighed so much. The walls of the bakery were covered with pictures of naked people.

We bought are tickets and went inside to sit down. It was an attractive ancient looking theatre with a high arched ceiling and fancy box seats. On the small stage in front of the screen was an organ player with his back to the old chairs half filled with an audience. He played a three tiered organ, a small light illuminating his fast moving hands, while his feet rolled across the bass pedals. It made an incredible sound- like a giant band.

As he was finishing the final tune, the stage started dropping slowly until his head was as low as the front seats and his organ light went off. People clapped and he bowed and left through an invisible door.

The movie began. When Paul Newman's face filled up the screen every applauded. It was sad- he just died a few weeks ago. He starred in some of my favorite films.

It was easily the coolest movie theatre I've ever been in. It's one of the oldest in the country and last of it's kind. They show mostly older movies and appropriately are showing the world premier of "Milk," the Harvey Milk story. http://www.castrotheatre.com/