Don't boycott the Castro

I had a long conversation with Johnny Ray Huston for his article on the Castro, and we covered a lot of territory ["Coming Soon?," 11/17/04]. But only the beginning of my very important comment about "the big picture" was quoted. I continued to explain that while I am very concerned about the future of the Castro in every aspect, I hoped that people wouldn't boycott the various film festivals and charity events that were already scheduled by the theater's longtime programmer Anita Monga. Those organizations have paid very large sums of money to rent the Castro and shouldn't be penalized because their events are already committed and promoted. Audiences need to make up their own minds about how they respond to the future of the Castro based on what they see and experience in the coming months.

Those who decide to schedule future shows at the Castro will hopefully not make compromises away from the high standards they and their audiences have come to expect from the Castro in presentation, promotion, and surrounding programming. I admit having some doubts because most specialized distributors I deal with have not yet heard from the new programmer. There are many "film buyers," but San Francisco is a very special place, and its independent theaters (Roxie, Red Vic, Four Star, Balboa, and Castro) must have a local programmer who understands the market, media coverage, grassroots marketing, and the many details that go into hopefully making a success out of these movies.

Gary Meyer
Balboa Theatre
San Francisco

Turn off the DVD

I have had a long association with the Castro Theatre, as the theater manager during the Mel Novikoff era and the freelance stage manager for Marc Huestis, "The Sing-a-Long Sound of Music," and most recently the Classic Children's Film Festival. I have worked with all of the people involved in the present turmoil and respect each of their individual contributions to the theater.

In the coverage I have seen of the Castro's problems I have not read of anyone placing responsibility on the true culprit, the audience. The Nasser family has spent a lot of money making improvements at the theater, not all of them cosmetic. The sound system upgrade was necessary to ensure that the Castro could continue to show premiere revivals (studios did not want to spend zillions of dollars rerecording soundtracks to have them played back through antiquated speakers). It is natural for the Nassers to want to see a return on their investment.

Christian Bruno sent out an e-mail asking people to send letters of support. Perhaps he would have done better had he urged people to show their support of Anita Monga's programming by buying tickets and putting butts in the (new) seats. If we as a paying audience don't support the country's premier art house, we have no right to complain about its demise. I fear a boycott of the theater; I'd hate to hold the city's film community responsible for turning the Castro Theatre into a gym or a parking lot. I urge people to let the Nassers know what kind of films they want to see and then follow through by turning off the DVD and going out to the movies.

Allen Sawyer
San Francisco

Monga's record

I read of the dismissal of Anita Monga at the Castro Theatre in your recent issue and have to add that over the 16 years that I worked with her, she kept her finger on the very pulse of the industry. She consistently programmed some of the most important titles with us, such as the reissue of Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt, the film we produced, The Living End, as well as programming cultural events year-round.

People around the globe have been sending queries about Monga's fate, and they are shocked when I tell them of her firing. I have to say, I am skeptical that anyone could replace Monga; she is as important a curator to the arts as we have. The industry certainly looks with scrutiny at how an icon like the Castro Theatre will be handled without her tender loving care.

Marcus Hu Strand Releasing
Culver City

Programming is an art form

The Castro Theatre is a beautiful building, and it is protected. The heart of this theater and the basis of its world-renowned status is due to its programming heritage initiated by Mel Novikoff and taken to the next level for the past 16 years by Anita Monga.

Film programming is an art form and a business. Creating and maintaining relationships with the standard Hollywood film community is hard enough, but when you add into the mix film festivals (genre, local, and worldwide), distribution companies of all sizes, filmmakers, and arts organizations – it is not a task for mere mortals. Because of Monga's remarkable dedication, she was also able to secure archival prints and exhibit many classic films. This is not the same experience one gets from Netflix and is what maintained the Castro Theatre's ability to attract an audience for classic films that are otherwise available for home viewing.

Amy McCubbin
Los Angeles