NOIR CITY XMAS: San Francisco

Ring in the holidays with a Cruel Yule courtesy of the Film Noir Foundation! Wednesday, December 19, 7:30 p.m., at San Francisco's Castro Theatre for Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter (1955). The holiday season is the perfect time to share this timeless noir fairytale about the eternal human struggle—between avarice and atonement, sinners and saviors, good and evil. Robert Mitchum gives a legendary performance as a vile and conniving ex-con masquerading as a man of the cloth. He's not about to let two innocent children come between him and a long-hidden bounty. Shelley Winters may be a gullible mark for this faux preacher, but spinster Rachel Cooper (a memorable portrayal by Lillian Gish) knows the devil when she sees it. Actor Charles Laughton created a stunning work of magical realism, the only picture he'd ever direct. Why not quit while you're ahead? This is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece not to be missed.

In addition to bearing gifts of compelling cinematic artistry at NOIR CITY Xmas, host Eddie Muller will reveal the program for the upcoming NOIR CITY 17 festival January 25–February 3, 2019 at the Castro Theatre. Plus, for your holiday shopping pleasure, there will be NOIR CITY 17 Passports (all-access passes) for sale, along with select FNF merchandise, on the Castro mezzanine.

Holiday Giving at NOIR CITY Xmas

Here's your chance to prove it's not such a bitter little world after all! At this year's NOIR CITY Xmas, there will be collection bins available for both the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program and the SF-Marin Food Bank. The San Francisco Firefighters are looking for toys and books for kids, infants through 12 years old. Items must be not be gift wrapped. The SF-Marin Food Bank needs the following: peanut butter, low-sugar cereal, whole-grain rice, pasta, oats, low-sodium soups and stews, tuna and other canned meats, and canned fruits and vegetables. Please no glass, opened items, perishables, or items past their "use before" date.