The Grand Lake Theatre, My Hometown Movie Palace, Is Turning 100
Music and All That Jazz at This Year’s Noir City Film Festival
It’s a Bay Area Film Night, For Real For Real
The 27 Best ‘Freaky Tales’ Easter Eggs and Cameos for Oakland Locals
The Real-Life Tales Behind ‘Freaky Tales’
Former 49er Vernon Davis and Oakland Artists Star In ‘The Masquerade’
An All-Star Movie Night at the Grand Lake Theatre
Dames Run the Show at This Year’s ‘Noir City’ in Oakland
AfroComicCon Celebrates Afrofuturist Filmmaking in Oakland
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"content": "\u003cp>Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/grand-lake-theatre\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a>, the movie palace just northeast of Lake Merritt, celebrates its 100th birthday this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As far as I can remember, the theater has been a château for characters and a setting for stories. I’m not talking about characters and stories in the films, but the place itself. It’s a palace for the people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First opening its doors on March 6, 1926, the Grand Lake started out presenting vaudeville shows and silent black-and-white films, but soon gained color and sound. Now, years later, it thrives in a world of 3D movies and high-tech projectors. But the theater, which \u003cem>Variety\u003c/em> recently named \u003ca href=\"https://variety.com/lists/best-movie-theaters/\">one of the coolest theaters in the world\u003c/a>, isn’t just about movies. Not hardly. It’s about the people who gather there to share laughs, shed tears, spill snacks and have life-changing experiences inside its art deco-style walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At any birthday party marking a milestone age, someone gets up to give a speech. I have a deep history with the Grand Lake, and now, as it turns 100, allow me to raise my bag of popcorn and give you mine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987319\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pendarvis Harshaw introduces a Q&A session after the Bay Area premiere of the movie ’Sinners’ at the Grand Lake Theatre in 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Last spring, I hosted a discussion at the Grand Lake after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13974810/ryan-coogler-sinners-grand-lake-theatre-interview\">the local premiere of \u003cem>Sinners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. On stage, actor Delroy Lindo discussed his time as a student at San Francisco’s ACT, where he studied alongside Denzel Washington. Musician Raphael Saadiq shed light on Oakland’s influence on his music, ultimately leading him to compose the Grammy Award-winning centerpiece of the film. Director Ryan Coogler reflected on the discipline and structure he learned by playing Pee Wee football in the East Bay, and the foundation it laid for the Oscar-nominated moviemaker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I introduced myself to the packed audience, I admitted that as a kid, I once ran out of that very theater, scared of the dinosaurs in the 1993 film \u003cem>Jurassic Park\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My history doesn’t go as far back as its current owner, Allen Michaan, who \u003ca href=\"https://historictheatrephotos.com/Resources/Theatre-Photos/Grand-Lake-Oakland/Documents/19801012-Oakland-Tribune-Sun-Grand-Lake-Oakland.pdf\">acquired the lease in 1980\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13839890/when-is-a-movie-theater-more-than-just-a-movie-theater\">bought the building outright in 2018\u003c/a>. The first movie I saw there was 1991’s \u003cem>The Rocketeer\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My aunt Denise took me to the Grand Lake to see \u003cem>Toy Story\u003c/em> in 1995, and my sister Erikka took me to see 1998’s \u003cem>Rush Hour\u003c/em>. In 2014, I recall watching \u003cem>Selma\u003c/em> with my mother – one of the few times I’ve seen her cry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987316\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13987316 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163.jpg\" alt=\"A black and white photo of a woman and a man posing while wearing dress attire.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the decadent lobby of the Grand Lake Theatre, Sister Beatrice X Johnson and Cephus ‘Uncle Bobby’ X Johnson (Oscar Grant’s uncle) pose for a photo at the opening of ‘Fruitvale Station’ in 2013. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Speaking of tears, there’s been plenty of them shed in that theater. In 2013, at the premiere of Ryan Coogler’s \u003cem>Fruitvale Station\u003c/em>, I sat a few rows behind Oscar Grant III’s family. The weeping was audible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ll embarrassingly admit that I also cried while watching the 1996 film \u003cem>Fly Away Home\u003c/em> — the scene where the goose got caught in the propeller hit me in the heart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another embarrassing moment came when a friend and I got kicked out of 1995’s \u003cem>The Brady Bunch Movie\u003c/em>. As bored knuckleheads, we learned the hard way that movie theaters aren’t the place to play hide-and-seek. And while we’re at it, I’ll add that the theater also hosted one of my worst date nights. I should’ve known going to see the 2001 film \u003cem>Shallow Hal\u003c/em> wasn’t a wise move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13839890']In contrast, as a graduate student at UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism in 2013, I wrote about Jordan Thierry’s documentary, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandnorth.net/2013/01/31/the-black-fatherhood-project-premieres-in-oakland/\">The Black Fatherhood Project\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>I attended the screening on a first date with a beautiful woman. Thirteen years later, we’re raising an amazing child together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My thesis film from that UC Berkeley graduate program, a documentary titled \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDp38sltic8\">\u003cem>TDK: The Dream Kontinues\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, was shown at the \u003ca href=\"https://sfbayview.com/2015/03/filmmaker-pendarvis-harshaw-talks-about-graf-legend-mike-dream-in-dream-kontinues-doc/\">2015 Oakland International Film Festival\u003c/a>. If ever there was a “I made it” moment, watching my own work up on the Grand Lake Theatre’s screen was one of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the cast and crew of ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ hold a Q&A on stage at the Grand Lake Theatre in 2019. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2019, I hosted a discussion with the cast from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858829/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-hits-home-in-oakland\">\u003cem>The Last Black Man in San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, and in 2021 I talked with filmmaker Pete Nicks after a screening of his documentary \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13901157/a-grand-lake-homecoming-for-pete-nicks-homeroom\">Homeroom\u003c/a>\u003c/em> — both significant contributions to local film.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve also seen the Grand Lake’s neighborhood change. Across the intersection, the building once known as Lakeview Elementary School was eventually converted to Oakland Unified School District’s Student Assignment Center. The greasy-yet-delicious Kwik Way fast-food joint down the block turned into to a vegan restaurant before it shuttered a few years ago. The park across the street got remodeled, and the farmer’s market there on Saturdays is now a community staple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even the streets themselves have been drastically altered. When the theater broke ground, the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_System\">Key System’s trollies\u003c/a> ran up and down the surrounding avenues. Meanwhile, last year, the intersection out front hosted\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reels/DLMQ71FuVEP/\"> a sideshow\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987315\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128.jpg\" alt='A man in a white cap and T-shirt holds up a medallion in the image of Oscar Grant, beneath a theater marquee reading \"Private Screening - Fruitvale Station\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nigel ‘Tito’ Bryson, a friend of the late Oscar Grant III, stands in front of the Grand Lake Theatre for a screening of Ryan Coogler’s ‘Fruitvale Station’ in 2013. The theater, which Coogler has called his favorite movie theater in the world, turns 100 this week. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The building has seen renovations and expansions; it started as a single theater, and expanded to four screens. The refurbished sign atop the building is part of the Lake Merritt skyline, and \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2020/10/07/20-years-of-politics-on-the-grand-lake-theatre-marquee-photographed/\">the marquee\u003c/a> is essentially a community member itself, voicing the \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/people/grand-lake/\">political messages of theater owner Allen Michaan\u003c/a> and echoing sentiments shared by many in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there have been other theaters with deep community impact and memories, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/movie-theaters-we-have-lost\">many of them are now defunct\u003c/a>: \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5377\">the Century 8\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1062\">the Coliseum Drive-in\u003c/a> and the old \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8015\">United Artists Emery Bay theater\u003c/a>, to name just a few.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13974810']And while some classic East Bay movie houses are still in operation, like the Jack London Cinema and Landmark Piedmont Theatre, there’s something undeniably unique about the Grand Lake Theatre, with its \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissancerialto.com/wurlitzer.php\">Mighty Wurlitzer Organ\u003c/a>, reasonably priced snacks and location smack dab in the middle of the Town. Parking isn’t the easiest, and the chairs can get uncomfortable if you’re watching a long film like \u003cem>Titanic\u003c/em>. But it’s my home theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve not only created history there, I’ve repeated history, too: I took my daughter to the Grand Lake to see \u003cem>Toy Story 4\u003c/em> (2019), passing along the Pixar baton from my childhood. Sure enough, when those creepy dolls showed up on the screen, she too ran out of the theater like I did when I saw the T-Rex in \u003cem>Jurassic Park.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13987323 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961.jpg\" alt=\"A small child standing by a window. \" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">My daughter Zuri, enjoying the view from one of the Grand Lake Theatre’s windows, overlooking Lake Park Avenue. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition to seeing \u003cem>Sinners \u003c/em>with the makers of the film last year, I also attended a screening of \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35154724/\">\u003cem>\u003cspan class=\"hero__primary-text\" data-testid=\"hero__primary-text\">Undefeated: The Wrongful Conviction of Pierre Rushing\u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (2025), as well as the first \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977398/bay-area-film-night-grand-lake-theater-jamal-trulove-maya-cameron-gordon\">Bay Area Film Night\u003c/a>, an evening dedicated to work by local filmmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those three experiences exemplify what Grand Lake Theatre is all about. A blockbuster, star-studded event with Draymond Green and Steph Curry in the audience. A documentary advocating for a person wrongfully put behind bars. And a set of films comedically telling stories of love and romance from the perspective of up-and-coming filmmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the subject matter in the three films differed drastically, the driving force behind every ticket sold was the same: the audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Grand Lake Theatre is a century-old building made for showing films, it’s the people who make the stories there.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Grand Lake Theatre (3200 Grand Ave., Oakland) hosts free screenings of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ and ‘Fantasia’ all day on Wednesday, March 4, to celebrate its 100th birthday. First come, first served. \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissancerialto.com/GLT100.php\">More details on screenings and tours of the theater here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/grand-lake-theatre\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a>, the movie palace just northeast of Lake Merritt, celebrates its 100th birthday this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As far as I can remember, the theater has been a château for characters and a setting for stories. I’m not talking about characters and stories in the films, but the place itself. It’s a palace for the people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First opening its doors on March 6, 1926, the Grand Lake started out presenting vaudeville shows and silent black-and-white films, but soon gained color and sound. Now, years later, it thrives in a world of 3D movies and high-tech projectors. But the theater, which \u003cem>Variety\u003c/em> recently named \u003ca href=\"https://variety.com/lists/best-movie-theaters/\">one of the coolest theaters in the world\u003c/a>, isn’t just about movies. Not hardly. It’s about the people who gather there to share laughs, shed tears, spill snacks and have life-changing experiences inside its art deco-style walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At any birthday party marking a milestone age, someone gets up to give a speech. I have a deep history with the Grand Lake, and now, as it turns 100, allow me to raise my bag of popcorn and give you mine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987319\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_0054-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pendarvis Harshaw introduces a Q&A session after the Bay Area premiere of the movie ’Sinners’ at the Grand Lake Theatre in 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Last spring, I hosted a discussion at the Grand Lake after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13974810/ryan-coogler-sinners-grand-lake-theatre-interview\">the local premiere of \u003cem>Sinners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. On stage, actor Delroy Lindo discussed his time as a student at San Francisco’s ACT, where he studied alongside Denzel Washington. Musician Raphael Saadiq shed light on Oakland’s influence on his music, ultimately leading him to compose the Grammy Award-winning centerpiece of the film. Director Ryan Coogler reflected on the discipline and structure he learned by playing Pee Wee football in the East Bay, and the foundation it laid for the Oscar-nominated moviemaker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I introduced myself to the packed audience, I admitted that as a kid, I once ran out of that very theater, scared of the dinosaurs in the 1993 film \u003cem>Jurassic Park\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My history doesn’t go as far back as its current owner, Allen Michaan, who \u003ca href=\"https://historictheatrephotos.com/Resources/Theatre-Photos/Grand-Lake-Oakland/Documents/19801012-Oakland-Tribune-Sun-Grand-Lake-Oakland.pdf\">acquired the lease in 1980\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13839890/when-is-a-movie-theater-more-than-just-a-movie-theater\">bought the building outright in 2018\u003c/a>. The first movie I saw there was 1991’s \u003cem>The Rocketeer\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My aunt Denise took me to the Grand Lake to see \u003cem>Toy Story\u003c/em> in 1995, and my sister Erikka took me to see 1998’s \u003cem>Rush Hour\u003c/em>. In 2014, I recall watching \u003cem>Selma\u003c/em> with my mother – one of the few times I’ve seen her cry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987316\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13987316 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163.jpg\" alt=\"A black and white photo of a woman and a man posing while wearing dress attire.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09163-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the decadent lobby of the Grand Lake Theatre, Sister Beatrice X Johnson and Cephus ‘Uncle Bobby’ X Johnson (Oscar Grant’s uncle) pose for a photo at the opening of ‘Fruitvale Station’ in 2013. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Speaking of tears, there’s been plenty of them shed in that theater. In 2013, at the premiere of Ryan Coogler’s \u003cem>Fruitvale Station\u003c/em>, I sat a few rows behind Oscar Grant III’s family. The weeping was audible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ll embarrassingly admit that I also cried while watching the 1996 film \u003cem>Fly Away Home\u003c/em> — the scene where the goose got caught in the propeller hit me in the heart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another embarrassing moment came when a friend and I got kicked out of 1995’s \u003cem>The Brady Bunch Movie\u003c/em>. As bored knuckleheads, we learned the hard way that movie theaters aren’t the place to play hide-and-seek. And while we’re at it, I’ll add that the theater also hosted one of my worst date nights. I should’ve known going to see the 2001 film \u003cem>Shallow Hal\u003c/em> wasn’t a wise move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In contrast, as a graduate student at UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism in 2013, I wrote about Jordan Thierry’s documentary, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandnorth.net/2013/01/31/the-black-fatherhood-project-premieres-in-oakland/\">The Black Fatherhood Project\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>I attended the screening on a first date with a beautiful woman. Thirteen years later, we’re raising an amazing child together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My thesis film from that UC Berkeley graduate program, a documentary titled \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDp38sltic8\">\u003cem>TDK: The Dream Kontinues\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, was shown at the \u003ca href=\"https://sfbayview.com/2015/03/filmmaker-pendarvis-harshaw-talks-about-graf-legend-mike-dream-in-dream-kontinues-doc/\">2015 Oakland International Film Festival\u003c/a>. If ever there was a “I made it” moment, watching my own work up on the Grand Lake Theatre’s screen was one of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_5298-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the cast and crew of ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ hold a Q&A on stage at the Grand Lake Theatre in 2019. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2019, I hosted a discussion with the cast from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858829/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-hits-home-in-oakland\">\u003cem>The Last Black Man in San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, and in 2021 I talked with filmmaker Pete Nicks after a screening of his documentary \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13901157/a-grand-lake-homecoming-for-pete-nicks-homeroom\">Homeroom\u003c/a>\u003c/em> — both significant contributions to local film.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve also seen the Grand Lake’s neighborhood change. Across the intersection, the building once known as Lakeview Elementary School was eventually converted to Oakland Unified School District’s Student Assignment Center. The greasy-yet-delicious Kwik Way fast-food joint down the block turned into to a vegan restaurant before it shuttered a few years ago. The park across the street got remodeled, and the farmer’s market there on Saturdays is now a community staple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even the streets themselves have been drastically altered. When the theater broke ground, the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_System\">Key System’s trollies\u003c/a> ran up and down the surrounding avenues. Meanwhile, last year, the intersection out front hosted\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reels/DLMQ71FuVEP/\"> a sideshow\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987315\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13987315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128.jpg\" alt='A man in a white cap and T-shirt holds up a medallion in the image of Oscar Grant, beneath a theater marquee reading \"Private Screening - Fruitvale Station\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/DSC09128-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nigel ‘Tito’ Bryson, a friend of the late Oscar Grant III, stands in front of the Grand Lake Theatre for a screening of Ryan Coogler’s ‘Fruitvale Station’ in 2013. The theater, which Coogler has called his favorite movie theater in the world, turns 100 this week. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The building has seen renovations and expansions; it started as a single theater, and expanded to four screens. The refurbished sign atop the building is part of the Lake Merritt skyline, and \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2020/10/07/20-years-of-politics-on-the-grand-lake-theatre-marquee-photographed/\">the marquee\u003c/a> is essentially a community member itself, voicing the \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/people/grand-lake/\">political messages of theater owner Allen Michaan\u003c/a> and echoing sentiments shared by many in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there have been other theaters with deep community impact and memories, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/movie-theaters-we-have-lost\">many of them are now defunct\u003c/a>: \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5377\">the Century 8\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1062\">the Coliseum Drive-in\u003c/a> and the old \u003ca href=\"https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8015\">United Artists Emery Bay theater\u003c/a>, to name just a few.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>And while some classic East Bay movie houses are still in operation, like the Jack London Cinema and Landmark Piedmont Theatre, there’s something undeniably unique about the Grand Lake Theatre, with its \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissancerialto.com/wurlitzer.php\">Mighty Wurlitzer Organ\u003c/a>, reasonably priced snacks and location smack dab in the middle of the Town. Parking isn’t the easiest, and the chairs can get uncomfortable if you’re watching a long film like \u003cem>Titanic\u003c/em>. But it’s my home theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve not only created history there, I’ve repeated history, too: I took my daughter to the Grand Lake to see \u003cem>Toy Story 4\u003c/em> (2019), passing along the Pixar baton from my childhood. Sure enough, when those creepy dolls showed up on the screen, she too ran out of the theater like I did when I saw the T-Rex in \u003cem>Jurassic Park.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13987323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13987323 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961.jpg\" alt=\"A small child standing by a window. \" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_2961-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">My daughter Zuri, enjoying the view from one of the Grand Lake Theatre’s windows, overlooking Lake Park Avenue. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition to seeing \u003cem>Sinners \u003c/em>with the makers of the film last year, I also attended a screening of \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35154724/\">\u003cem>\u003cspan class=\"hero__primary-text\" data-testid=\"hero__primary-text\">Undefeated: The Wrongful Conviction of Pierre Rushing\u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (2025), as well as the first \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977398/bay-area-film-night-grand-lake-theater-jamal-trulove-maya-cameron-gordon\">Bay Area Film Night\u003c/a>, an evening dedicated to work by local filmmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those three experiences exemplify what Grand Lake Theatre is all about. A blockbuster, star-studded event with Draymond Green and Steph Curry in the audience. A documentary advocating for a person wrongfully put behind bars. And a set of films comedically telling stories of love and romance from the perspective of up-and-coming filmmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the subject matter in the three films differed drastically, the driving force behind every ticket sold was the same: the audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Grand Lake Theatre is a century-old building made for showing films, it’s the people who make the stories there.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Grand Lake Theatre (3200 Grand Ave., Oakland) hosts free screenings of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ and ‘Fantasia’ all day on Wednesday, March 4, to celebrate its 100th birthday. First come, first served. \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissancerialto.com/GLT100.php\">More details on screenings and tours of the theater here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Music and All That Jazz at This Year’s Noir City Film Festival",
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"content": "\u003cp>Treachery and deceit swirl all around us. Every awards season, it seems, there’s an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oscars\">Oscar\u003c/a> given to the right person, but for the wrong film. Sometimes it’s an actor (Al Pacino for \u003cem>Scent of a Woman\u003c/em>), sometimes it’s a director (Martin Scorcese for \u003cem>The Departed\u003c/em>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And sometimes it’s a singer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you see any movie at this year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/\">Noir City\u003c/a> festival, running Jan. 16–25 at Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/grand-lake-theatre\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a>, make it \u003cem>The Man With the Golden Arm\u003c/em>, starring Frank Sinatra. At the time a skinny crooner who’d just won Best Supporting Actor for \u003cem>From Here to Eternity\u003c/em>, Ol’ Blue Eyes turns in his actual greatest-ever acting performance as a jazz drummer \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmqTc07linY\">desperately trying\u003c/a> — with girlfriend Kim Novak — to kick his debilitating heroin addiction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985493\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985493\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.ManWithGoldenArm.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.ManWithGoldenArm.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.ManWithGoldenArm-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.ManWithGoldenArm-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak in ‘The Man With the Golden Arm,’ directed by Otto Preminger in 1955. \u003ccite>(United Artists)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Screening in a double feature at Noir City with \u003cem>The Sweet Smell of Success\u003c/em> (from the bygone age of 1957, when critics actually held power over performing artists’ fortunes), \u003cem>The Man With the Golden Arm\u003c/em>, with its pulsing, blaring jazz music by Elmer Bernstein, marked a sea change in film scores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eddie Muller knows the cliché all too well of a black-and-white noir movie from the 1940s, with its “a lonesome wailing saxophone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Except that brass instruments were hardly used at all in 1940s scores, Muller explains in a recent interview. “In the 1940s, Hollywood had their studio orchestras, and were still beholden to that classic European orchestral score approach,” he says. “But in the ’50s, that really changed, and \u003cem>The Man With the Golden Arm\u003c/em> had a lot to do with that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985492\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985492\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.TheManILove.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.TheManILove.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.TheManILove-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.TheManILove-768x561.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ida Lupino as a lounge singer in ‘The Man I Love,’ directed by Raoul Walsh in 1947. \u003ccite>(Warner Bros.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s the kind of deep knowledge I anticipated from a conversation with Muller, who since 2003 has hosted Noir City, a celebration of all things double-crossing and murderous on the silver screen. Each year, the hugely popular festival follows a theme; the first year I attended and realized I’d found my people, it was newspapers. This year’s is music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That includes films like \u003cem>Gilda\u003c/em>, with Rita Hayworth’s famous glove-removing nightclub performance of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hllEi7bJ4os\">Put the Blame on Me\u003c/a>,” and \u003cem>A Man Called Adam\u003c/em>, starring Sammy Davis Jr. as an alcoholic, self-sabotaging singer and cornet player.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also includes some films that, Muller admits, stretch the definition of film noir, including not one but two Doris Day movies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985491\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985491\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.YoungManWithaHorn.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.YoungManWithaHorn.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.YoungManWithaHorn-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.YoungManWithaHorn-768x561.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Doris Day and Kirk Douglas in ‘Young Man With a Horn,’ based on the life of Bix Beiderbecke and directed by Michael Curtiz in 1950. \u003ccite>(Warner Bros.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“When people see \u003cem>Love Me or Leave Me\u003c/em>, they assume ‘Oh, that’s a Doris Day musical,’” Muller says, adding that people have asked him: How can you possibly pass that off as noir?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And you know, the answer is that Ruth Etting had a very, very noir life,” he explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Etting, a singer and actress who endured threats, a messy divorce and a murder attempt, is portrayed in \u003cem>Love Me Or Leave Me\u003c/em> not in gritty black and white, but full MGM Technicolor. Likewise, \u003cem>Pete Kelly’s Blues\u003c/em>, with Jack Webb and Janet Leigh, is also in color. But its story is grimy, and its stellar performances by Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee fit the festival’s theme too well to be overlooked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13980003']Speaking of jazz performances, Muller’s lined up a schedule of them to precede each screening, with pianists, guitarists, tap dancers and singer Elizabeth Bougerol (she’s the one on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/\">festival poster\u003c/a> this year, spattered in blood). And he’s more than ready to get on stage and make converts of any noir-naysayers, like the woman behind me at the December festival preview at the Grand Lake, who saw the Elvis Presley film \u003cem>King Creole\u003c/em> flash on screen and remarked “Elvis?! Really?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Muller’s response to that is straightforward: “Watch the movie! It’s gangsters, it’s everything. It’s a typical noir story except the guy is a rock singer.” While other Elvis movies were certified fluff for teenagers, he says, “this one has a serious crime element, it’s in black and white … Like, that’s \u003cem>the\u003c/em> Elvis noir movie.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985490\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985490\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.RoundMidnight.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.RoundMidnight.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.RoundMidnight-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.RoundMidnight-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dexter Gordon in ‘Round Midnight,’ directed by Bertrand Tavernier in 1986. \u003ccite>(Warner Bros.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This year also marks the festival’s fourth year at the Grand Lake after leaving its longtime home at the Castro Theatre, which reopens next month to host more concerts than films in a renovated auditorium without its original theater-style seating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Does Muller ever miss the Castro? “I don’t think about it, honestly,” he says. “What I regret is that San Francisco has no opulent single-screen movie palaces anymore. Like, how is that even possible?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Muller’s happy at the Grand Lake, a glorious 1926 movie palace with a curtain, a Wurlitzer and a community of film lovers who huddle together in the dark each year for a few hours of treachery and deceit on screen.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/\">Noir City 23: Face the Music!\u003c/a> runs Jan. 16–25, 2026 at the Grand Lake Theatre (3200 Grand Ave., Oakland). \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Treachery and deceit swirl all around us. Every awards season, it seems, there’s an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oscars\">Oscar\u003c/a> given to the right person, but for the wrong film. Sometimes it’s an actor (Al Pacino for \u003cem>Scent of a Woman\u003c/em>), sometimes it’s a director (Martin Scorcese for \u003cem>The Departed\u003c/em>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And sometimes it’s a singer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you see any movie at this year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/\">Noir City\u003c/a> festival, running Jan. 16–25 at Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/grand-lake-theatre\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a>, make it \u003cem>The Man With the Golden Arm\u003c/em>, starring Frank Sinatra. At the time a skinny crooner who’d just won Best Supporting Actor for \u003cem>From Here to Eternity\u003c/em>, Ol’ Blue Eyes turns in his actual greatest-ever acting performance as a jazz drummer \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmqTc07linY\">desperately trying\u003c/a> — with girlfriend Kim Novak — to kick his debilitating heroin addiction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985493\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985493\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.ManWithGoldenArm.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.ManWithGoldenArm.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.ManWithGoldenArm-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.ManWithGoldenArm-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak in ‘The Man With the Golden Arm,’ directed by Otto Preminger in 1955. \u003ccite>(United Artists)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Screening in a double feature at Noir City with \u003cem>The Sweet Smell of Success\u003c/em> (from the bygone age of 1957, when critics actually held power over performing artists’ fortunes), \u003cem>The Man With the Golden Arm\u003c/em>, with its pulsing, blaring jazz music by Elmer Bernstein, marked a sea change in film scores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eddie Muller knows the cliché all too well of a black-and-white noir movie from the 1940s, with its “a lonesome wailing saxophone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Except that brass instruments were hardly used at all in 1940s scores, Muller explains in a recent interview. “In the 1940s, Hollywood had their studio orchestras, and were still beholden to that classic European orchestral score approach,” he says. “But in the ’50s, that really changed, and \u003cem>The Man With the Golden Arm\u003c/em> had a lot to do with that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985492\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985492\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.TheManILove.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.TheManILove.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.TheManILove-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.TheManILove-768x561.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ida Lupino as a lounge singer in ‘The Man I Love,’ directed by Raoul Walsh in 1947. \u003ccite>(Warner Bros.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s the kind of deep knowledge I anticipated from a conversation with Muller, who since 2003 has hosted Noir City, a celebration of all things double-crossing and murderous on the silver screen. Each year, the hugely popular festival follows a theme; the first year I attended and realized I’d found my people, it was newspapers. This year’s is music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That includes films like \u003cem>Gilda\u003c/em>, with Rita Hayworth’s famous glove-removing nightclub performance of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hllEi7bJ4os\">Put the Blame on Me\u003c/a>,” and \u003cem>A Man Called Adam\u003c/em>, starring Sammy Davis Jr. as an alcoholic, self-sabotaging singer and cornet player.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also includes some films that, Muller admits, stretch the definition of film noir, including not one but two Doris Day movies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985491\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985491\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.YoungManWithaHorn.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.YoungManWithaHorn.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.YoungManWithaHorn-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.YoungManWithaHorn-768x561.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Doris Day and Kirk Douglas in ‘Young Man With a Horn,’ based on the life of Bix Beiderbecke and directed by Michael Curtiz in 1950. \u003ccite>(Warner Bros.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“When people see \u003cem>Love Me or Leave Me\u003c/em>, they assume ‘Oh, that’s a Doris Day musical,’” Muller says, adding that people have asked him: How can you possibly pass that off as noir?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And you know, the answer is that Ruth Etting had a very, very noir life,” he explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Etting, a singer and actress who endured threats, a messy divorce and a murder attempt, is portrayed in \u003cem>Love Me Or Leave Me\u003c/em> not in gritty black and white, but full MGM Technicolor. Likewise, \u003cem>Pete Kelly’s Blues\u003c/em>, with Jack Webb and Janet Leigh, is also in color. But its story is grimy, and its stellar performances by Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee fit the festival’s theme too well to be overlooked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Speaking of jazz performances, Muller’s lined up a schedule of them to precede each screening, with pianists, guitarists, tap dancers and singer Elizabeth Bougerol (she’s the one on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/\">festival poster\u003c/a> this year, spattered in blood). And he’s more than ready to get on stage and make converts of any noir-naysayers, like the woman behind me at the December festival preview at the Grand Lake, who saw the Elvis Presley film \u003cem>King Creole\u003c/em> flash on screen and remarked “Elvis?! Really?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Muller’s response to that is straightforward: “Watch the movie! It’s gangsters, it’s everything. It’s a typical noir story except the guy is a rock singer.” While other Elvis movies were certified fluff for teenagers, he says, “this one has a serious crime element, it’s in black and white … Like, that’s \u003cem>the\u003c/em> Elvis noir movie.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985490\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985490\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.RoundMidnight.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.RoundMidnight.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.RoundMidnight-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Noir.RoundMidnight-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dexter Gordon in ‘Round Midnight,’ directed by Bertrand Tavernier in 1986. \u003ccite>(Warner Bros.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This year also marks the festival’s fourth year at the Grand Lake after leaving its longtime home at the Castro Theatre, which reopens next month to host more concerts than films in a renovated auditorium without its original theater-style seating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Does Muller ever miss the Castro? “I don’t think about it, honestly,” he says. “What I regret is that San Francisco has no opulent single-screen movie palaces anymore. Like, how is that even possible?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Muller’s happy at the Grand Lake, a glorious 1926 movie palace with a curtain, a Wurlitzer and a community of film lovers who huddle together in the dark each year for a few hours of treachery and deceit on screen.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/\">Noir City 23: Face the Music!\u003c/a> runs Jan. 16–25, 2026 at the Grand Lake Theatre (3200 Grand Ave., Oakland). \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>On Wednesday night, Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater will play host to \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-film-night-tickets-1376792345969\">Bay Area Film Night\u003c/a>, an event that features a panel discussion and a screening of two short films that are truly from the soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13961266']Behind the films \u003ci>What’chu Mixed With?\u003c/i> and \u003ci>I Thought You’d Never Ask\u003c/i> there’s a slate of actors, producers and directors, as well as extras and notable venues, that are all local. And the stories depicted in the movies are stitched together with the fibers that make up this region’s unique cultural cloth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The event falls in line with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13971322/black-film-connect-all-star-movie-night-grand-lake-theatre\">the theater’s dedication to highlighting local filmmakers\u003c/a> — Wednesday’s film night is all about bringing more local representation to the big screen and fueling a growing Bay Area film industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977404\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977404\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4510.jpg\" alt=\"Two people in a car, smiling, on a film set.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4510.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4510-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4510-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4510-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Actors Jasmin Corley and Mariah Fields (Alien Mack Kitty) getting sideways in a car on the set of the film ‘What’chu Mixed With?’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Maya Cameron-Gordon )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>What’chu Mixed With?\u003c/i> stars \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jasmincorley/?hl=en\">Jasmin Corley\u003c/a> as a San Francisco mixed-race teenager named Alexis. Struggling to find herself after her father leaves the family, the main character’s identity issues hit an apex as she has a bit of a breakdown while trying to manage her curly hair. Her mother, a white woman with flowing straight hair, has no idea what to do either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, Alexis’ mother is a teacher in Hunters Point and a student in her class named Precious is one of the coolest young women on the block.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mariah Fields, daughter of late San Francisco rapper Cougnut and an MC in her own right (she goes by the moniker \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928057/alien-mac-kitty-cougnut-daughter-san-francisco-frisco-rap-legacy\">Alien Mac Kitty\u003c/a> or AMK), plays the role of Precious. A gold grill-wearing, street-savvy mentor to Alexis, Precious is a fly fashionista who knows how to hustle and have a good time while doing so. Precious not only helps Alexis style her hair, she passes her down earrings and fresh kicks. She even shows Alexis how to defend herself when other girls start talking trash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thought about this time in my life when I was about 12 years old,” says filmmaker \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/maya_mulatta/?hl=en\">Maya Cameron-Gordon\u003c/a>, who who set the semi-autobiographical short film in the flip phone and Myspace era of the early 2000s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A mixed-race woman herself, Cameron-Gordon was raised by her white mother after her Black father moved back to Los Angeles for medical reasons. She too struggled with identity issues; she went to a predominantly white middle school and lived in a majority Black neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Alexis, hairstyles gave a young Cameron-Gordon a hard time, until she met someone who could show her the ropes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was an older girl that my mom introduced me to,” Cameron-Gordon explains. The girl was about four years her senior, popular and from Hunters Point. “She took me under her wing and exposed me to different parts of the city I hadn’t been exposed to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977405\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1290px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977405\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515.png\" alt=\"A woman in all back clothing, sitting on a set of stairs while holding a printed script for a film.\" width=\"1290\" height=\"2796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515.png 1290w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515-160x347.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515-768x1665.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515-709x1536.png 709w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515-945x2048.png 945w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1290px) 100vw, 1290px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Quiet on the set! San Francisco filmmaker Maya Cameron-Gordon chose all the music that went into the film ‘What’chu Mixed With?’ It was her way of honoring the music she grew up slapping. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Maya Cameron-Gordon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That experience of being put on game both inspired the film and changed Cameron-Gordon’s life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s open about the lifestyle choices that came after, and how they brought about some setbacks — including run-ins with the law. But later in her teens another San Francisco institution provided a second beacon of light for the emerging writer: the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbff.org/\">San Francisco Black Film Festival\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was a huge moment for me,” Cameron-Gordon says of attending the event. It wasn’t one specific film that moved her, but she left the festival with an “inner knowing” that she was supposed to be in circles of storytellers. Cameron-Gordon eventually \u003ca href=\"https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-mermaid-princesses-maya-cameron-gordon?variant=40565833433122\">published a children’s book\u003c/a> and earned a graduate degree in filmmaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wednesday night’s screening at the Grand Lake Theater will be her big-screen directorial debut. As a person who was raised in San Francisco and was crafted by the culture of this corner of the world, she’s the reason this film night exists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13973907']“We’ve been deprived,” says Cameron-Gordon about the need for local film events like this. The Bay Area has so much talent, she says, but it doesn’t get recognized nearly as much as other regions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of times we see films that are set in Los Angeles. We see ’em in New York, but we have such a unique culture,” Cameron-Gordon attests. “And we have some characters that definitely need to be on the screen, people that the world needs to see.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977420\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13977420\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-2000x1125.jpeg\" alt=\"A photo of two people at a dimly lit restaurant. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-2000x1125.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-160x90.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nathan (Titus Vanhook) and Lisa (Keren Southall) sit down for dinner during their courting period in the film ‘I Thought You’d Never Ask.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Jamal Trulove)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That sentiment is echoed by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jamaltrulove/\">Jamal Trulove\u003c/a>, who co-organized the event with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13856296/from-oakland-high-to-silicon-valley-y-combinators-dominique-fines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Domonique Fines\u003c/a> and wrote the night’s second film, \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/i.thought.youd.never.ask/\">I Thought You’d Never Ask\u003c/a>\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inspired by a dream he had while attending the Sundance Film Festival in 2024, Trulove set out to write a piece that explores the idea of a woman facing the “biological clock” and a man eager to find the right one to settle down with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With insight from lived experiences as well as his production team, he ended up with a sweet love story. The film deals with the pressure of having a baby by a certain age, finding someone to marry and the issue of divorce rates in the Black community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The concept of it was to create a conversation about love, marriage, and the reasons why things fall apart,” says Trulove. Another goal was to infuse the film with “our culture.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A very universal story about love, timing and communication between intimate partners, the film has a distinguished Bay Area flavor. It stars Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kerensouth/\">Keren Southall\u003c/a> as Lisa and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_vanhook_/\">Titus VanHook\u003c/a> as Nathan. They’re joined on screen by a chorus of Bay Area faces, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tia.nomore/?hl=en\">Tia Nomore\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/iamsaucee/?hl=en\">Devin “Sauce” Davis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After his role as Kofi in the film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858829/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-hits-home-in-oakland\">The Last Black Man in San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Trulove understood the power of giving screen time to local folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody wants to get into this field,” says Trulove, noting how a lack of resources and know-how impedes a lot of folks’ big-screen dreams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But having a nucleus of talent, \u003ca href=\"https://www.spotfund.com/story/438385c0-a8e5-42b1-b837-4f2df9f46b4d\">community support\u003c/a> and the backing of local establishments makes the dream more attainable. “People can identify with it,” he says of the local connections shown in the films. “And that’s what it comes down to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another key component of what’s needed for filmmakers is sustainability, Trulove says. Referencing the rich history of independent musicians making it in the Bay, he imagines the same direct-to-audience approach could be used for filmmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s so many Bay Area stories that are untold,” he says. And when our stories \u003ci>are\u003c/i> told, he laments, too often we’re not the ones telling them. His question: What if we created conversation pieces about people really born and raised in the Bay?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the same time,” Trulove says about his vision for the local film industry, “we need to celebrate us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-film-night-tickets-1376792345969\">Bay Area Film Night\u003c/a> takes place at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater on Wednesday, June 11 at 6 p.m. The event is free, and you can sign up for the waitlist.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On Wednesday night, Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater will play host to \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-film-night-tickets-1376792345969\">Bay Area Film Night\u003c/a>, an event that features a panel discussion and a screening of two short films that are truly from the soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Behind the films \u003ci>What’chu Mixed With?\u003c/i> and \u003ci>I Thought You’d Never Ask\u003c/i> there’s a slate of actors, producers and directors, as well as extras and notable venues, that are all local. And the stories depicted in the movies are stitched together with the fibers that make up this region’s unique cultural cloth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The event falls in line with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13971322/black-film-connect-all-star-movie-night-grand-lake-theatre\">the theater’s dedication to highlighting local filmmakers\u003c/a> — Wednesday’s film night is all about bringing more local representation to the big screen and fueling a growing Bay Area film industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977404\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977404\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4510.jpg\" alt=\"Two people in a car, smiling, on a film set.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4510.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4510-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4510-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4510-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Actors Jasmin Corley and Mariah Fields (Alien Mack Kitty) getting sideways in a car on the set of the film ‘What’chu Mixed With?’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Maya Cameron-Gordon )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>What’chu Mixed With?\u003c/i> stars \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jasmincorley/?hl=en\">Jasmin Corley\u003c/a> as a San Francisco mixed-race teenager named Alexis. Struggling to find herself after her father leaves the family, the main character’s identity issues hit an apex as she has a bit of a breakdown while trying to manage her curly hair. Her mother, a white woman with flowing straight hair, has no idea what to do either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, Alexis’ mother is a teacher in Hunters Point and a student in her class named Precious is one of the coolest young women on the block.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mariah Fields, daughter of late San Francisco rapper Cougnut and an MC in her own right (she goes by the moniker \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928057/alien-mac-kitty-cougnut-daughter-san-francisco-frisco-rap-legacy\">Alien Mac Kitty\u003c/a> or AMK), plays the role of Precious. A gold grill-wearing, street-savvy mentor to Alexis, Precious is a fly fashionista who knows how to hustle and have a good time while doing so. Precious not only helps Alexis style her hair, she passes her down earrings and fresh kicks. She even shows Alexis how to defend herself when other girls start talking trash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thought about this time in my life when I was about 12 years old,” says filmmaker \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/maya_mulatta/?hl=en\">Maya Cameron-Gordon\u003c/a>, who who set the semi-autobiographical short film in the flip phone and Myspace era of the early 2000s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A mixed-race woman herself, Cameron-Gordon was raised by her white mother after her Black father moved back to Los Angeles for medical reasons. She too struggled with identity issues; she went to a predominantly white middle school and lived in a majority Black neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Alexis, hairstyles gave a young Cameron-Gordon a hard time, until she met someone who could show her the ropes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was an older girl that my mom introduced me to,” Cameron-Gordon explains. The girl was about four years her senior, popular and from Hunters Point. “She took me under her wing and exposed me to different parts of the city I hadn’t been exposed to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977405\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1290px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977405\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515.png\" alt=\"A woman in all back clothing, sitting on a set of stairs while holding a printed script for a film.\" width=\"1290\" height=\"2796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515.png 1290w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515-160x347.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515-768x1665.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515-709x1536.png 709w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/IMG_4515-945x2048.png 945w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1290px) 100vw, 1290px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Quiet on the set! San Francisco filmmaker Maya Cameron-Gordon chose all the music that went into the film ‘What’chu Mixed With?’ It was her way of honoring the music she grew up slapping. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Maya Cameron-Gordon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That experience of being put on game both inspired the film and changed Cameron-Gordon’s life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s open about the lifestyle choices that came after, and how they brought about some setbacks — including run-ins with the law. But later in her teens another San Francisco institution provided a second beacon of light for the emerging writer: the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbff.org/\">San Francisco Black Film Festival\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was a huge moment for me,” Cameron-Gordon says of attending the event. It wasn’t one specific film that moved her, but she left the festival with an “inner knowing” that she was supposed to be in circles of storytellers. Cameron-Gordon eventually \u003ca href=\"https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-mermaid-princesses-maya-cameron-gordon?variant=40565833433122\">published a children’s book\u003c/a> and earned a graduate degree in filmmaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wednesday night’s screening at the Grand Lake Theater will be her big-screen directorial debut. As a person who was raised in San Francisco and was crafted by the culture of this corner of the world, she’s the reason this film night exists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We’ve been deprived,” says Cameron-Gordon about the need for local film events like this. The Bay Area has so much talent, she says, but it doesn’t get recognized nearly as much as other regions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of times we see films that are set in Los Angeles. We see ’em in New York, but we have such a unique culture,” Cameron-Gordon attests. “And we have some characters that definitely need to be on the screen, people that the world needs to see.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977420\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13977420\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-2000x1125.jpeg\" alt=\"A photo of two people at a dimly lit restaurant. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-2000x1125.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-160x90.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Untitled_1.151.1-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nathan (Titus Vanhook) and Lisa (Keren Southall) sit down for dinner during their courting period in the film ‘I Thought You’d Never Ask.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Jamal Trulove)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That sentiment is echoed by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jamaltrulove/\">Jamal Trulove\u003c/a>, who co-organized the event with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13856296/from-oakland-high-to-silicon-valley-y-combinators-dominique-fines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Domonique Fines\u003c/a> and wrote the night’s second film, \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/i.thought.youd.never.ask/\">I Thought You’d Never Ask\u003c/a>\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inspired by a dream he had while attending the Sundance Film Festival in 2024, Trulove set out to write a piece that explores the idea of a woman facing the “biological clock” and a man eager to find the right one to settle down with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With insight from lived experiences as well as his production team, he ended up with a sweet love story. The film deals with the pressure of having a baby by a certain age, finding someone to marry and the issue of divorce rates in the Black community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The concept of it was to create a conversation about love, marriage, and the reasons why things fall apart,” says Trulove. Another goal was to infuse the film with “our culture.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A very universal story about love, timing and communication between intimate partners, the film has a distinguished Bay Area flavor. It stars Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kerensouth/\">Keren Southall\u003c/a> as Lisa and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_vanhook_/\">Titus VanHook\u003c/a> as Nathan. They’re joined on screen by a chorus of Bay Area faces, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tia.nomore/?hl=en\">Tia Nomore\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/iamsaucee/?hl=en\">Devin “Sauce” Davis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After his role as Kofi in the film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858829/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-hits-home-in-oakland\">The Last Black Man in San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Trulove understood the power of giving screen time to local folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody wants to get into this field,” says Trulove, noting how a lack of resources and know-how impedes a lot of folks’ big-screen dreams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But having a nucleus of talent, \u003ca href=\"https://www.spotfund.com/story/438385c0-a8e5-42b1-b837-4f2df9f46b4d\">community support\u003c/a> and the backing of local establishments makes the dream more attainable. “People can identify with it,” he says of the local connections shown in the films. “And that’s what it comes down to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another key component of what’s needed for filmmakers is sustainability, Trulove says. Referencing the rich history of independent musicians making it in the Bay, he imagines the same direct-to-audience approach could be used for filmmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s so many Bay Area stories that are untold,” he says. And when our stories \u003ci>are\u003c/i> told, he laments, too often we’re not the ones telling them. His question: What if we created conversation pieces about people really born and raised in the Bay?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the same time,” Trulove says about his vision for the local film industry, “we need to celebrate us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-area-film-night-tickets-1376792345969\">Bay Area Film Night\u003c/a> takes place at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater on Wednesday, June 11 at 6 p.m. The event is free, and you can sign up for the waitlist.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "freaky-tales-movie-easter-eggs-locations-cameos-oakland",
"title": "The 27 Best ‘Freaky Tales’ Easter Eggs and Cameos for Oakland Locals",
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"headTitle": "The 27 Best ‘Freaky Tales’ Easter Eggs and Cameos for Oakland Locals | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The new Pedro Pascal movie \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">Freaky Tales\u003c/a>\u003c/em> is a wild, over-the-top love letter to Oakland. It involves four interconnected stories, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">most of which actually happened in the East Bay in 1987\u003c/a>. And it’s packed with landmarks, cameos and easter eggs for Oakland locals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, then, are 27 local references and hidden details in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, listed from A to Z.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Be warned: This glossary contains spoilers!\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973918\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973918\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1496\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-800x598.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-1020x763.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-768x574.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-1536x1149.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-1920x1436.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ji-young Yoo, as Tina, stares down Nazi skinheads outside the Grand Lake Theatre in a scene from ‘Freaky Tales.’ Co-star Jack Champion wears a T-shirt for Corrupted Morals, the underground East Bay punk band which counted Primus’ Larry LaLonde and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong as onetime members. \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxriXHNuLcg\">Bitch Fight\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The character Tina can be seen wearing a T-shirt of this all-women punk band, which \u003ca href=\"https://razorcake.org/bitch-fight-all-we-wanted-was-everything-part-3-by-michelle-cruz-gonzales/\">moved from Tuolumne\u003c/a> to the Bay Area in 1987. Drummer Michelle Cruz Gonzales would later join Kamala & the Karnivores, drum for Spitboy and \u003ca href=\"https://www.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=777\">write a memoir\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101908540/remembering-la-filmmaker-david-lynch-and-his-lynchian-legacy\">Blue Velvet\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Not so much a local reference, but filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden like to honor this David Lynch classic by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DFEy3kWJ01B/?img_index=1\">sneaking references to it in their films\u003c/a>. It’s mentioned in passing in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> twice.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/colonialdonuts/\">Colonial Donuts\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seen on the clerk’s T-shirt in the video rental store, Colonial Donuts is an Oakland institution that abides by the three magic words: Open 24 Hours. With multiple locations, the beloved donut shop is just about the only thing “colonial” that Bay Area folks agree on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973921\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973921\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Dominique Thorne and Normani as Danger Zone’s Barbie and Entice in a scene from ‘Freaky Tales.’ \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">Danger Zone\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The stars of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>’ second chapter are Danger Zone, who perform “Don’t Fight the Feelin’” onstage with Too Short at Oakland hotspot Sweet Jimmie’s. The female rap duo of Barbie and Entice made their debut with “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvMjOBASvbc\">Jailbait\u003c/a>,” a warning to underage girls about predatory men. Too Short then brought them in the studio for “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfSYngzHOsY\">Don’t Fight the Feelin’\u003c/a>,” and history was made. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">Read the full backstory on Danger Zone here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2013/07/12/dicks-restaurant-gets-a-fresh-start-from-son-of-loyal-customer/\">Dick’s Restaurant\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A handful of scenes in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> were filmed at this now-boarded up San Leandro diner and adjoining sports lounge, which originally opened in 1969. This is not the restaurant’s first starring role — it also provided the setting for \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt8AdNwTTUI\">Radiohead’s “High & Dry” U.S. music video\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/el-cerrito\">The El Cerrito Hills\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Where evil lives. In \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, the house of the Nazis is also where multiple scenes take place with Angus Cloud, Oakland’s son, in his final role. In real life, the house where filming took place is in the hills of El Cerrito.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973916\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973916\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-800x332.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-1020x423.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-160x66.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-768x319.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-1536x637.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-1920x797.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay Ellis, as Sleepy Floyd, celebrates after his 29-point quarter at Giant Burger in Oakland in a scene from ‘Freaky Tales.’ \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1sVoWIhUKg\">Sleepy Floyd\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Warriors point guard is played by Jay Ellis in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, but watch closely and you’ll see the real Sleepy Floyd make a cameo at a post-game hangout. (There’s \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/u1sVoWIhUKg?feature=shared&t=140\">a famous call by announcer Greg Papa\u003c/a> that shows up later in the film, too.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#too-short-and-freddy-b-start-making-handmade-tapes\">Freddy B\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Too Short’s early rap partner is represented in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> as the character “Lenny G.” The rapper Stunnaman02, who plays Lenny, says that he tried to find Freddy B to get pointers for the role, but was unsuccessful. Too Short and Freddy B \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20160610000914/https://eastbayexpress.com/CultureSpyBlog/archives/2016/03/28/too-horts-30th-anniversary-show-couldnt-have-been-long-enough\">last appeared together onstage in 2016\u003c/a>, and according to reports, Freddy B is \u003ca href=\"https://www.dailyrepublic.com/lifestyle/from-drugs-prison-to-christian-missionary/article_fe8f3629-9338-5159-9b6c-22d9b247a425.html\">now a mission director\u003c/a> at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Fairfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://localwiki.org/oakland/Giant_Burger\">1/4 lb. Giant Burger\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This Oakland institution — the one at Dimond and Macarthur — provides the after-hours meetup spot where Sleepy Floyd celebrates his record-breaking playoff performance with fans. (Hanging out among the people after a game \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epIVF0KkEOU\">is a thing\u003c/a> for pro athletes from the Town.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973949\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973949\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">924 Gilman St. in Berkeley on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/924-gilman\">924 Gilman\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The venerable all-ages, all-volunteer punk club in Berkeley is the star of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>’ first chapter. And, because the filmmakers worked with Gilman volunteers past and present, they got a lot of details right: the basketball hoop, Big Wheels in the pit, the “Animal Liberation” graffiti, the “Meese is a Pig” poster. Gilman regulars like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">George Hated\u003c/a> are portrayed in the film, and logos of bands like Soup, Christ on Parade, Crummy Musicians, MDC and Sewer Trout can be seen. The set re-creation of the club was filmed in \u003ca href=\"https://maps.app.goo.gl/d5hGHvyxTieJZD4H9\">a warehouse in East Oakland\u003c/a>, not actually at Gilman — but the \u003cem>feeling\u003c/em> is accurate, which is hard to do when depicting a regional punk scene in a Hollywood film. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">Read about the real-life Nazi beatdown at Gilman here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/grand-lake-theatre\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seen in several scenes, with the marquee advertising 1987 films \u003cem>The Lost Boys\u003c/em> and Elaine May’s famous flop \u003cem>Ishtar\u003c/em>. Host to the local premiere in March of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, the Grand Lake needs no introduction — it’s part of every Oaklander’s formative memories and serves as one of the Bay’s last remaining movie palaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13973907']\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13899154/sunami-review-san-jose-drain-gulch-show\">Gulch\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Santa Cruz hardcore band, now broken up, portrays the headlining band at Gilman after the Nazi brawl. (In reality, the band that played after the fight was \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_.jpg\">MDC\u003c/a>.) Credited as “924 Gilman Band,” Gulch is shown playing songs by Black Flag and Negative Approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13812623/tom-hanks-talks-trump-weinstein-and-america-at-city-arts-lectures\">Tom Hanks\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The filmmakers have been trying to keep this cameo quiet, but the cat is out of the bag. Hanks, who \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/mYjw3B6K9qw?feature=shared&t=471\">worked as a concession vendor at the Oakland Coliseum when he was 14\u003c/a>, goes deep on nerdy film knowledge for a scene in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> involving VHS rentals, and that’s all we’ll say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13972041\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2880px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13972041\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30%E2%80%AFPM.png\" alt=\"Still shot from the 'Freaky Tales' trailer shows a "Late Night Video" storefront next to a braiding salon.\" width=\"2880\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM.png 2880w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-800x417.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-1020x531.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-160x83.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-768x400.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-1536x800.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-2048x1067.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-1920x1000.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2880px) 100vw, 2880px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of Telegraph Avenue, as seen in the ‘Freaky Tales’ trailer. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13972017/freaky-tales-trailer-oakland-too-short-pedro-pascal\">Jasmine African Hair Braiding\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This Telegraph Avenue standby is seen adjacent to a video rental store in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>. The video store itself is in the former location of \u003ca href=\"https://hillsshoes1724.weebly.com/\">Hill’s Shoes\u003c/a>, which sold fine footwear to generations of Oakland residents for nearly 100 years before closing in 2020. (Also seen is the nearby sex shop \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858579/rightnowish-nenna-joiners-inclusive-sex-toys-at-feelmore-adult-gallery-in-oakland\">Feelmore Adult Gallery\u003c/a>, which — oops — didn’t exist in 1987.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWnHz8_BoUg\">Jewdriver\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, as the skinheads are getting ready to go out on the town, music reminiscent of the Nazi punk band Skrewdriver plays. But it’s not Skrewdriver — hilariously, it’s Jewdriver, the parody band from Oakland that wrote Jewish-themed lyrics to Skrewdriver’s racist songs. (Nazis getting beaten up \u003cem>and\u003c/em> denied sync royalties? Right on.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3trBd6nsZ4\">Kamala and the Karnivores\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This band’s logo is seen on the back of Tina’s jacket in a diner scene. The band’s namesake, \u003ca href=\"https://newnoisemagazine.com/column/east-bay-punk-kamala-lyn-parks/\">Kamala Parks\u003c/a>, cofounded 924 Gilman, drummed for several bands, booked many other bands’ tours and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjlhlqcCTjM\">is too nice\u003c/a>. Kamala, drummer Michelle and singer Ivy all met with the \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> film crew and actors on set.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13959712/a-place-to-call-home-documentary-la-pena-cultural-center-murals\">La Peña Cultural Center\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s not pictured in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, but it’s mentioned in one scene as the host of a hip-hop open mic, which have been a staple of the long-running community space. La Peña \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lapenaculturalcenter/\">celebrates its 50th anniversary\u003c/a> this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13974106\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13974106\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Loard’s ice cream parlor on Coolidge and Macarthur. \u003ccite>(Flickr/Anomalous A)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.loards.com/\">Loard’s Ice Cream Parlor\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Sure, there are other Loard’s locations. But the film crew restored the classic look of the now-shuttered Dimond location on Coolidge and MacArthur for \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, to great effect. When it appeared onscreen at its Grand Lake premiere, it elicited gasps and cheers from the audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13836150/the-power-of-taking-up-space-at-marshawn-lynchs-oakland-rideout\">Marshawn Lynch\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yep, that’s Beastmode driving an AC Transit bus in a quick cameo for \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966077/inside-the-trial-that-overturned-californias-same-sex-marriage-ban-proposition-8-mike-johnson-lgbtq-rights\">The Mormon Temple\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seen on the hill in a quick cut to Lake Merritt, this East Oakland landmark has been a shining beacon (and \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/1289408-Capital-Tax-Capital-Tax/image/SW1hZ2U6MjIwMTI5ODQ=\">photo shoot location\u003c/a>) to generations. Notably, the Mormon church excluded its Black members from priesthood ordinances in the temple until a 1978 reversal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973913\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973913\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay Ellis as Sleepy Floyd in ‘Freaky Tales,’ surrounded by other actors in a scene filmed at the Oakland Coliseum. \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965624/oakland-as-last-game-songs-played-coliseum\">The Oakland Coliseum\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The glorious concrete landmark provides the backdrop to a TV commercial for a new age mind-healing program called Psytopics. Director Ryan Fleck explained that Psytopics was based on “these weird spiritual centers that were all over the Bay Area” in 1987. “I just remember lo-fi commercials selling you this kind of spiritual wish fulfillment on television,” he said. The Oakland Arena, next door, can be seen in certain scenes as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13239750/the-definitive-documentary-on-east-bay-punk-is-coming-pit-warning\">Operation Ivy\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The band that all but defined Gilman in the late 1980s is shown playing two songs in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, and guitarist Lint has a cameo in the film. The members of Operation Ivy also had some say in who got to portray them: the L.A. band \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aphidsmusic\">Aphids\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.corbettredford.com/\">Corbett Redford\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The mustachioed director of the East Bay punk documentary \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbaypunk.com/\">Turn It Around\u003c/a>\u003c/em> is seen briefly in the movie’s opening scene — a nice nod, considering his documentary provided a roadmap for the Nazi brawl depicted in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>’ first chapter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973909\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973909\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The New Parish in downtown Oakland on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#mc-hammer-shoots-lets-get-it-started-at-sweet-jimmies\">Sweet Jimmie’s\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The site of the thrilling scene where Too Short and Danger Zone perform “Don’t Fight the Feelin’,” and \u003cem>the\u003c/em> place to be in Oakland in the ’80s and ’90s. As Luenell put it at the \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> premiere, “Sweet Jimmie’s was the hub — the music, the dancing, the food, the fellowship. It was \u003cem>everything\u003c/em>.” Now known as the New Parish, the nightclub on San Pablo Avenue actually didn’t host rap shows in 1987, and certainly not Too Short shows. David “Sweets” Ward, the son of owner “Sweet Jimmie” Ward, says his dad was opposed to the profanity common in rap. (\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#mc-hammer-shoots-lets-get-it-started-at-sweet-jimmies\">MC Hammer recorded a music video at the club in 1988\u003c/a>, but of course, Hammer never swore in his songs.) Fun fact: because Saturday nights at Sweet Jimmie’s were broadcast live on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13877570/a-tribute-to-soul-beat-tv-the-black-owned-network-of-east-oakland\">Soul Beat\u003c/a>, kids at home could watch their parents on TV, partying in real time. The club closed in 2006.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/too-short\">Too Short\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>He narrates the movie. He’s portrayed by the rapper Symba. He’s an executive producer, and his nearly 10-minute song from 1987 provided the movie’s title. The day of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>’ release, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101909460/movie-freaky-tales-is-a-love-letter-to-1980s-oakland\">came onto KQED Forum to discuss the film\u003c/a>. And yes, he’s got a cameo.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/tower-of-power\">Tower of Power\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There’s music from Bay Area icons (Sly Stone, Metallica), punk bands (the Avengers, Black Flag) and ’80s freestyle artists (Stevie B, Pebbles) in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>. This one’s special, though. How can you be mad when you hear “So Very Hard to Go” in the movie theater?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.yeastiegirlz.com/our-story\">Yeastie Girlz\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The character Tina wears a T-shirt of this Berkeley-based feminist acapella rap group, whose 7” made such an underground splash that Pearl Jam’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxVpql6_JxrwEdAnCU5GUc1y87dwKcroda\">Eddie Vedder sang one of its songs onstage\u003c/a>; their song “You Suck” was also \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0xTqwKMOyk\">sampled by TV Girl\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Your ultimate guide to the movie's locations, cameos and hidden details for East Bay moviegoers.",
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"title": "The 27 Best ‘Freaky Tales’ Easter Eggs and Cameos for Oakland Locals | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The new Pedro Pascal movie \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">Freaky Tales\u003c/a>\u003c/em> is a wild, over-the-top love letter to Oakland. It involves four interconnected stories, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">most of which actually happened in the East Bay in 1987\u003c/a>. And it’s packed with landmarks, cameos and easter eggs for Oakland locals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, then, are 27 local references and hidden details in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, listed from A to Z.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Be warned: This glossary contains spoilers!\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973918\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973918\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1496\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-800x598.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-1020x763.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-768x574.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-1536x1149.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/TinaEtAl-EXT-Theater-1920x1436.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ji-young Yoo, as Tina, stares down Nazi skinheads outside the Grand Lake Theatre in a scene from ‘Freaky Tales.’ Co-star Jack Champion wears a T-shirt for Corrupted Morals, the underground East Bay punk band which counted Primus’ Larry LaLonde and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong as onetime members. \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxriXHNuLcg\">Bitch Fight\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The character Tina can be seen wearing a T-shirt of this all-women punk band, which \u003ca href=\"https://razorcake.org/bitch-fight-all-we-wanted-was-everything-part-3-by-michelle-cruz-gonzales/\">moved from Tuolumne\u003c/a> to the Bay Area in 1987. Drummer Michelle Cruz Gonzales would later join Kamala & the Karnivores, drum for Spitboy and \u003ca href=\"https://www.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=777\">write a memoir\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101908540/remembering-la-filmmaker-david-lynch-and-his-lynchian-legacy\">Blue Velvet\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Not so much a local reference, but filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden like to honor this David Lynch classic by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DFEy3kWJ01B/?img_index=1\">sneaking references to it in their films\u003c/a>. It’s mentioned in passing in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> twice.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/colonialdonuts/\">Colonial Donuts\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seen on the clerk’s T-shirt in the video rental store, Colonial Donuts is an Oakland institution that abides by the three magic words: Open 24 Hours. With multiple locations, the beloved donut shop is just about the only thing “colonial” that Bay Area folks agree on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973921\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973921\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Dominique Thorne and Normani as Danger Zone’s Barbie and Entice in a scene from ‘Freaky Tales.’ \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">Danger Zone\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The stars of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>’ second chapter are Danger Zone, who perform “Don’t Fight the Feelin’” onstage with Too Short at Oakland hotspot Sweet Jimmie’s. The female rap duo of Barbie and Entice made their debut with “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvMjOBASvbc\">Jailbait\u003c/a>,” a warning to underage girls about predatory men. Too Short then brought them in the studio for “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfSYngzHOsY\">Don’t Fight the Feelin’\u003c/a>,” and history was made. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">Read the full backstory on Danger Zone here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2013/07/12/dicks-restaurant-gets-a-fresh-start-from-son-of-loyal-customer/\">Dick’s Restaurant\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A handful of scenes in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> were filmed at this now-boarded up San Leandro diner and adjoining sports lounge, which originally opened in 1969. This is not the restaurant’s first starring role — it also provided the setting for \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt8AdNwTTUI\">Radiohead’s “High & Dry” U.S. music video\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/el-cerrito\">The El Cerrito Hills\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Where evil lives. In \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, the house of the Nazis is also where multiple scenes take place with Angus Cloud, Oakland’s son, in his final role. In real life, the house where filming took place is in the hills of El Cerrito.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973916\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973916\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-800x332.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-1020x423.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-160x66.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-768x319.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-1536x637.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyGiantBurger-1920x797.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay Ellis, as Sleepy Floyd, celebrates after his 29-point quarter at Giant Burger in Oakland in a scene from ‘Freaky Tales.’ \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1sVoWIhUKg\">Sleepy Floyd\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Warriors point guard is played by Jay Ellis in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, but watch closely and you’ll see the real Sleepy Floyd make a cameo at a post-game hangout. (There’s \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/u1sVoWIhUKg?feature=shared&t=140\">a famous call by announcer Greg Papa\u003c/a> that shows up later in the film, too.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#too-short-and-freddy-b-start-making-handmade-tapes\">Freddy B\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Too Short’s early rap partner is represented in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> as the character “Lenny G.” The rapper Stunnaman02, who plays Lenny, says that he tried to find Freddy B to get pointers for the role, but was unsuccessful. Too Short and Freddy B \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20160610000914/https://eastbayexpress.com/CultureSpyBlog/archives/2016/03/28/too-horts-30th-anniversary-show-couldnt-have-been-long-enough\">last appeared together onstage in 2016\u003c/a>, and according to reports, Freddy B is \u003ca href=\"https://www.dailyrepublic.com/lifestyle/from-drugs-prison-to-christian-missionary/article_fe8f3629-9338-5159-9b6c-22d9b247a425.html\">now a mission director\u003c/a> at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Fairfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://localwiki.org/oakland/Giant_Burger\">1/4 lb. Giant Burger\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This Oakland institution — the one at Dimond and Macarthur — provides the after-hours meetup spot where Sleepy Floyd celebrates his record-breaking playoff performance with fans. (Hanging out among the people after a game \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epIVF0KkEOU\">is a thing\u003c/a> for pro athletes from the Town.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973949\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973949\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-09-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">924 Gilman St. in Berkeley on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/924-gilman\">924 Gilman\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The venerable all-ages, all-volunteer punk club in Berkeley is the star of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>’ first chapter. And, because the filmmakers worked with Gilman volunteers past and present, they got a lot of details right: the basketball hoop, Big Wheels in the pit, the “Animal Liberation” graffiti, the “Meese is a Pig” poster. Gilman regulars like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">George Hated\u003c/a> are portrayed in the film, and logos of bands like Soup, Christ on Parade, Crummy Musicians, MDC and Sewer Trout can be seen. The set re-creation of the club was filmed in \u003ca href=\"https://maps.app.goo.gl/d5hGHvyxTieJZD4H9\">a warehouse in East Oakland\u003c/a>, not actually at Gilman — but the \u003cem>feeling\u003c/em> is accurate, which is hard to do when depicting a regional punk scene in a Hollywood film. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13973907/freaky-tales-true-stories-pedro-pascal-too-short-924-gilman-oakland\">Read about the real-life Nazi beatdown at Gilman here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/grand-lake-theatre\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seen in several scenes, with the marquee advertising 1987 films \u003cem>The Lost Boys\u003c/em> and Elaine May’s famous flop \u003cem>Ishtar\u003c/em>. Host to the local premiere in March of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, the Grand Lake needs no introduction — it’s part of every Oaklander’s formative memories and serves as one of the Bay’s last remaining movie palaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13899154/sunami-review-san-jose-drain-gulch-show\">Gulch\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Santa Cruz hardcore band, now broken up, portrays the headlining band at Gilman after the Nazi brawl. (In reality, the band that played after the fight was \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_.jpg\">MDC\u003c/a>.) Credited as “924 Gilman Band,” Gulch is shown playing songs by Black Flag and Negative Approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13812623/tom-hanks-talks-trump-weinstein-and-america-at-city-arts-lectures\">Tom Hanks\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The filmmakers have been trying to keep this cameo quiet, but the cat is out of the bag. Hanks, who \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/mYjw3B6K9qw?feature=shared&t=471\">worked as a concession vendor at the Oakland Coliseum when he was 14\u003c/a>, goes deep on nerdy film knowledge for a scene in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> involving VHS rentals, and that’s all we’ll say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13972041\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2880px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13972041\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30%E2%80%AFPM.png\" alt=\"Still shot from the 'Freaky Tales' trailer shows a "Late Night Video" storefront next to a braiding salon.\" width=\"2880\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM.png 2880w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-800x417.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-1020x531.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-160x83.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-768x400.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-1536x800.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-2048x1067.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-1.48.30 PM-1920x1000.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2880px) 100vw, 2880px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of Telegraph Avenue, as seen in the ‘Freaky Tales’ trailer. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13972017/freaky-tales-trailer-oakland-too-short-pedro-pascal\">Jasmine African Hair Braiding\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This Telegraph Avenue standby is seen adjacent to a video rental store in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>. The video store itself is in the former location of \u003ca href=\"https://hillsshoes1724.weebly.com/\">Hill’s Shoes\u003c/a>, which sold fine footwear to generations of Oakland residents for nearly 100 years before closing in 2020. (Also seen is the nearby sex shop \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858579/rightnowish-nenna-joiners-inclusive-sex-toys-at-feelmore-adult-gallery-in-oakland\">Feelmore Adult Gallery\u003c/a>, which — oops — didn’t exist in 1987.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWnHz8_BoUg\">Jewdriver\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, as the skinheads are getting ready to go out on the town, music reminiscent of the Nazi punk band Skrewdriver plays. But it’s not Skrewdriver — hilariously, it’s Jewdriver, the parody band from Oakland that wrote Jewish-themed lyrics to Skrewdriver’s racist songs. (Nazis getting beaten up \u003cem>and\u003c/em> denied sync royalties? Right on.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3trBd6nsZ4\">Kamala and the Karnivores\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This band’s logo is seen on the back of Tina’s jacket in a diner scene. The band’s namesake, \u003ca href=\"https://newnoisemagazine.com/column/east-bay-punk-kamala-lyn-parks/\">Kamala Parks\u003c/a>, cofounded 924 Gilman, drummed for several bands, booked many other bands’ tours and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjlhlqcCTjM\">is too nice\u003c/a>. Kamala, drummer Michelle and singer Ivy all met with the \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> film crew and actors on set.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13959712/a-place-to-call-home-documentary-la-pena-cultural-center-murals\">La Peña Cultural Center\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s not pictured in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, but it’s mentioned in one scene as the host of a hip-hop open mic, which have been a staple of the long-running community space. La Peña \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lapenaculturalcenter/\">celebrates its 50th anniversary\u003c/a> this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13974106\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13974106\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Loards-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Loard’s ice cream parlor on Coolidge and Macarthur. \u003ccite>(Flickr/Anomalous A)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.loards.com/\">Loard’s Ice Cream Parlor\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Sure, there are other Loard’s locations. But the film crew restored the classic look of the now-shuttered Dimond location on Coolidge and MacArthur for \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, to great effect. When it appeared onscreen at its Grand Lake premiere, it elicited gasps and cheers from the audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13836150/the-power-of-taking-up-space-at-marshawn-lynchs-oakland-rideout\">Marshawn Lynch\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yep, that’s Beastmode driving an AC Transit bus in a quick cameo for \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966077/inside-the-trial-that-overturned-californias-same-sex-marriage-ban-proposition-8-mike-johnson-lgbtq-rights\">The Mormon Temple\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seen on the hill in a quick cut to Lake Merritt, this East Oakland landmark has been a shining beacon (and \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/1289408-Capital-Tax-Capital-Tax/image/SW1hZ2U6MjIwMTI5ODQ=\">photo shoot location\u003c/a>) to generations. Notably, the Mormon church excluded its Black members from priesthood ordinances in the temple until a 1978 reversal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973913\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973913\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay Ellis as Sleepy Floyd in ‘Freaky Tales,’ surrounded by other actors in a scene filmed at the Oakland Coliseum. \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13965624/oakland-as-last-game-songs-played-coliseum\">The Oakland Coliseum\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The glorious concrete landmark provides the backdrop to a TV commercial for a new age mind-healing program called Psytopics. Director Ryan Fleck explained that Psytopics was based on “these weird spiritual centers that were all over the Bay Area” in 1987. “I just remember lo-fi commercials selling you this kind of spiritual wish fulfillment on television,” he said. The Oakland Arena, next door, can be seen in certain scenes as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13239750/the-definitive-documentary-on-east-bay-punk-is-coming-pit-warning\">Operation Ivy\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The band that all but defined Gilman in the late 1980s is shown playing two songs in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, and guitarist Lint has a cameo in the film. The members of Operation Ivy also had some say in who got to portray them: the L.A. band \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aphidsmusic\">Aphids\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.corbettredford.com/\">Corbett Redford\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The mustachioed director of the East Bay punk documentary \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbaypunk.com/\">Turn It Around\u003c/a>\u003c/em> is seen briefly in the movie’s opening scene — a nice nod, considering his documentary provided a roadmap for the Nazi brawl depicted in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>’ first chapter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973909\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973909\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/230401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The New Parish in downtown Oakland on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#mc-hammer-shoots-lets-get-it-started-at-sweet-jimmies\">Sweet Jimmie’s\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The site of the thrilling scene where Too Short and Danger Zone perform “Don’t Fight the Feelin’,” and \u003cem>the\u003c/em> place to be in Oakland in the ’80s and ’90s. As Luenell put it at the \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> premiere, “Sweet Jimmie’s was the hub — the music, the dancing, the food, the fellowship. It was \u003cem>everything\u003c/em>.” Now known as the New Parish, the nightclub on San Pablo Avenue actually didn’t host rap shows in 1987, and certainly not Too Short shows. David “Sweets” Ward, the son of owner “Sweet Jimmie” Ward, says his dad was opposed to the profanity common in rap. (\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#mc-hammer-shoots-lets-get-it-started-at-sweet-jimmies\">MC Hammer recorded a music video at the club in 1988\u003c/a>, but of course, Hammer never swore in his songs.) Fun fact: because Saturday nights at Sweet Jimmie’s were broadcast live on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13877570/a-tribute-to-soul-beat-tv-the-black-owned-network-of-east-oakland\">Soul Beat\u003c/a>, kids at home could watch their parents on TV, partying in real time. The club closed in 2006.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/too-short\">Too Short\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>He narrates the movie. He’s portrayed by the rapper Symba. He’s an executive producer, and his nearly 10-minute song from 1987 provided the movie’s title. The day of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>’ release, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101909460/movie-freaky-tales-is-a-love-letter-to-1980s-oakland\">came onto KQED Forum to discuss the film\u003c/a>. And yes, he’s got a cameo.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/tower-of-power\">Tower of Power\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There’s music from Bay Area icons (Sly Stone, Metallica), punk bands (the Avengers, Black Flag) and ’80s freestyle artists (Stevie B, Pebbles) in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>. This one’s special, though. How can you be mad when you hear “So Very Hard to Go” in the movie theater?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.yeastiegirlz.com/our-story\">Yeastie Girlz\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The character Tina wears a T-shirt of this Berkeley-based feminist acapella rap group, whose 7” made such an underground splash that Pearl Jam’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxVpql6_JxrwEdAnCU5GUc1y87dwKcroda\">Eddie Vedder sang one of its songs onstage\u003c/a>; their song “You Suck” was also \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0xTqwKMOyk\">sampled by TV Girl\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "The Real-Life Tales Behind ‘Freaky Tales’",
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"content": "\u003cp>It was not your usual Wednesday night at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/grand-lake-theatre\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside Oakland’s movie palace in March, Hollywood actors made their way down the red carpet. Rap legends and punk OGs mingled beneath the marquee. Fans got on their tiptoes behind the line of TV cameras, jockeying for a glimpse of the film’s star, Pedro Pascal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Premieres at the Grand Lake are always exciting, but they’re extra special when the movie is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13974034/freaky-tales-movie-easter-eggs-locations-cameos-oakland\">filmed and set in Oakland\u003c/a>. \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, from screenwriting and directing team Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (\u003cem>Half Nelson, Captain Marvel\u003c/em>), is a revenge-fantasy flick that takes place in the year 1987. It’s filmed at Oakland landmarks, including the Oakland Coliseum, Giant Burger and the old Loard’s ice cream parlor on Coolidge and MacArthur. Marshawn Lynch and Rancid’s Tim Armstrong make cameos, as does Oakland rap icon \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/too-short\">Too Short\u003c/a>, who narrates and helped produce the film.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973843\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973843\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans crowd the sidewalk for the ‘Freaky Tales’ special screening at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on March 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973838\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973838\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pedro Pascal poses on the red carpet before the ‘Freaky Tales’ premiere at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on March 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s full, in other words, of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13974034/freaky-tales-movie-easter-eggs-locations-cameos-oakland\">people and locations that carry name recognition for locals\u003c/a>. But nationally, Oakland has never quite received proper credit for its contributions to American culture at large. As rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13921058/watch-rising-oakland-rap-star-symbas-tiny-desk-concert\">Symba\u003c/a>, who plays Too Short in the film, remarked on the red carpet, “People get their curations, their whole make-up, from things that we created here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, then, is a movie about a town with a permanent underdog complex — and, fittingly, it’s told through different chapters, interconnected by Pascal’s performance as a hitman, that have underdogs as their heroes. A ragtag bunch of pacifist punk rockers beats up a crew of Nazi skinheads. Two teenage girls in a rap battle rip to shreds a rapper known for objectifying women. A basketball point guard comes alive for a mind-blowing fourth quarter in a historic comeback win.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The freakiest thing of all? These are events that really happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973913\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973913\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay Ellis as Sleepy Floyd in ‘Freaky Tales,’ surrounded by other actors in a scene outside the Oakland Coliseum. \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Thankfully, the events depicted in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> involved people who are still around to witness what likely seemed impossible 38 years ago: a Hollywood movie with Oakland as its true star. Here are some of their real-life tales.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Punching Nazis: A punk love story\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The first chapter of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> follows young couple Tina (Ji-young Yoo) and Lucid (Jack Champion) as they navigate an increasing menace to their home-base punk collective of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/924-gilman\">924 Gilman\u003c/a>: neo-Nazi skinheads, who barge into shows, knock people to the ground, assault girls and women and destroy band equipment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After taking a vote led by security guard Greg (LeQuan Antonio Bennett), the punks decide to fight back. During an Operation Ivy show at the Berkeley club, the Nazi skinheads return, but this time they’re met by a wall of punks armed with bats, chains and trash can lids. Battered in the ensuing brawl, the defeated Nazis pile into their smashed and dented pickup truck and drive away to the El Cerrito hills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973920\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1499\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-1020x764.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-1536x1151.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-1920x1439.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A group of Nazi skinheads approaches punk club 924 Gilman in a scene from ‘Freaky Tales.’ \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973928\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973928\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In 1987, skinheads caused trouble at punk shows around the country, including at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, pictured. \u003ccite>(Murray Bowles)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Minus a few details, the chapter is remarkably true to real-life events. Fleck and Boden had a good roadmap: the fight is recalled at length in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13239750/the-definitive-documentary-on-east-bay-punk-is-coming-pit-warning\">the East Bay punk documentary \u003cem>Turn It Around\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, directed by Gilman alum Corbett Redford, who came on as a technical advisor for the film.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Greg” in the film is based on George Stephens, a.k.a. George Hated, who in 1987 lived in West Oakland, sang in the band The Hated and served as head of security at Gilman. In an interview, Stephens, now 57, recalled walking out to the sidewalk that night and seeing Nondo, his friend who was also working security, lying in the gutter outside the front door.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13974034']“And there were three Nazis standing over him, one holding a bat. So I grabbed the bat out of the guy’s hands and hit the three of them, got Nondo up, and got him inside,” Stephens said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On any other night, that might have been the end of it. But just like in the film, the punks at Gilman had vowed to fight, and emptied into the street. Even Dave Dictor, the singer of “peace-punk” band MDC, who were headlining that night, joined in wielding an aluminum crutch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“More people came out, and it turned into an absolute mess,” said Stephens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973959\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973959\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">George Stephens today, pictured in Alameda on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kamala Parks, who co-founded Gilman and drummed in several bands, remembered the nuanced deliberations about retaliating against Nazis among volunteers at the club, whose door rules stated “No Fighting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of folks who had previously taken a more pacifist standpoint had been convinced to fight back, mainly because skinhead violence had gotten more pronounced,” she said. (Parks herself had been punched in the face by a skinhead during a previous melee across town.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of the brawl outside Gilman, the punks had won. They even chased the Nazis across the street and smashed up their pickup truck before the skinheads sped away, fleeing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973986\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1025px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973986\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1025\" height=\"1319\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_.jpg 1025w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_-800x1029.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_-1020x1313.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_-160x206.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_-768x988.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1025px) 100vw, 1025px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Clockwise from upper left) Kamala Parks drums with Cringer at 924 Gilman in 1990; the flyer for the show at Gilman on the night of the Nazi brawl, May 17, 1987; George Hated sings with the Hated at Gilman in 1992; rules posted at Gilman’s front door. \u003ccite>(Murray Bowles)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My heart was pounding right out of my chest,” Dave Dictor, MDC’s singer, recalled in \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29363293-mdc\">his 2016 autobiography\u003c/a>. “Right after the battle it was time to get on stage and sing, but I was too numb to be able to change gears to talk about it from the stage. As I remember, we just plowed through the set.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those mixed emotions were real, Parks said. “There was euphoria, but there’s dread, because you don’t know what’s going to happen next. You don’t know if they’re going to come back with a bigger group of people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973991\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13973991 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kamala Parks today, pictured in downtown Oakland on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Parks stayed on edge for a few weeks afterward. Amazingly, the Nazis never came back to Gilman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Stephens points out, though, they never went away for good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, we live in America,” Stephens said. “It’s not surprising that the Proud Boys are back. That fringe has never really gone away in America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973946\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973946\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">924 Gilman St. in Berkeley on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>You want a bit of danger, step into my zone\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“Ryan will tell you, he’s been pitching me a version of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> for literally 15 years,” said Anna Boden, the film’s co-writer and co-director, in an interview. Her filmmaking partner, Ryan Fleck, grew up in Oakland; Boden in Massachusetts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And he grew up listening to Too Short’s music and I did not. And so I was listening to Too Short’s music for the first time as a grown woman. And it was, like, a \u003cem>very\u003c/em> different experience for me than it was for Ryan,” she said of Short’s explicit and often misogynist subject material.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973969\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1208px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973969\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1208\" height=\"598\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB.jpg 1208w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB-800x396.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB-1020x505.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB-768x380.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1208px) 100vw, 1208px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Too Short on the cover of his single ‘Freaky Tales,’ circa 1988; at right, Short’s early rap partner Freddy B in 1992. \u003ccite>(Dangerous Music/Serious Sounds)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But one song stuck out for Boden. In “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfSYngzHOsY\">Don’t Fight the Feelin’\u003c/a>” from the 1989 album \u003cem>Life Is… Too Short\u003c/em>, Short trades verses with a female rap duo called Danger Zone, who insult his bankroll, poke fun at his bad breath and make repeated references to his size below the belt: “Do they call you Short because of your height or your width? / Diss me boy, I’ll hang your balls from a cliff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Boden knew she had found her entry to the story. “Hearing him allow himself to be taken down by these young women was kind of mind-blowing to me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the film, Barbie and Entice from Danger Zone are approached by Lenny G (the rapper Stunnaman02, in a role based on Short’s early rap partner \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#too-short-and-freddy-b-start-making-handmade-tapes\">Freddy B\u003c/a>) to battle Short onstage at the Town’s hottest nightclub, Sweet Jimmie’s. Dubious of the proposition, but tired of being mistreated at their day job scooping ice cream, they accept.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973921\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973921\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Dominique Thorne and Normani as Danger Zone’s Barbie and Entice in a scene from ‘Freaky Tales.’ \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The song unfolds in a thrilling scene, verse for verse, with actor and rapper Symba portraying Short’s hunched gait and coy taunting. (Symba asked Short for pointers, “and he sent me four videos, and was like, ‘Just embody this, and you’ll be alright,’” he said.) Danger Zone, meanwhile, keep coming back with heat, and win over the crowd. By the end, Short daps up the girls, conceding a draw, if not defeat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In reality, “Don’t Fight the Feelin’” came together in the studio, not on stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, Tamra Goins is a talent agent in L.A. But in 1987, she was Entice — the 15-year-old East Oakland girl who linked up with her cousin, Bailey Brown, to form Danger Zone. They’d met Short through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934715/kimmie-fresh-real-freaky-tales-oakland\">the female rap pioneer Kimmie Fresh\u003c/a> years before recording “Don’t Fight the Feelin’,” she said in an interview. Danger Zone had even been signed to Short’s Dangerous Music label, which released their song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvMjOBASvbc\">Jailbait\u003c/a>,” a blunt warning to underage girls about predatory men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973922\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 944px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973922\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/DangerZone.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"944\" height=\"808\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/DangerZone.jpg 944w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/DangerZone-800x685.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/DangerZone-160x137.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/DangerZone-768x657.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fifteen-year-old cousins Bailey Brown and Tamra Goins, a.k.a. Barbie and Entice of Danger Zone, pictured in 1988. \u003ccite>(Dangerous Music)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When Short’s manager, Randy Austin, pitched the concept for “Don’t Fight the Feelin’” to be included on Short’s next full-length album, Goins was hesitant, just like her character in the movie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re terrified, right? Because one, we’re kids. Two, Short was known to call people head doctors. I think I was still a virgin! So we just were terrified of what he could possibly say,” Goins said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Laying down the track at engineer Al Eaton’s One Little Indian studio in Richmond — essentially Eaton’s living room — Goins and Brown came for Short so viciously that the men present, like rappers Spice 1 and Rappin’ 4-Tay, kept laughing and ruining the take. “They’re running out of the house, cracking up, laughing,” said Goins. “We can’t even get through it!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973836\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973836\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Co-director Ryan Fleck high-fives Tamra Goins, a.k.a. Entice from Danger Zone, ahead of the ‘Freaky Tales’ premiere at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on March 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Short was similarly unprepared for Danger Zone’s verses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We made the song, I did my two verses. And it was supposed to be about an old dude pullin’ up in his car flirting with these young girls,” Short explained on Nick Cannon’s \u003cem>We Playin’ Spades\u003c/em> podcast. “My verse was kinda nice. And they came back rippin’ me to shreds!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13934715']Short was rattled, but “I went home and listened to it, and I was like, ‘Damn, this is kind of cool … let me go back and talk a lotta shit about \u003cem>them\u003c/em>, and it’ll be a crazy song!’’\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After redoing his verses to match Danger Zone’s venom and adding Rappin’ 4-Tay to the track, the song grew to a ridiculous length of over 8 minutes. \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#kimmie-fresh-answers-too-shorts-freaky-tales-with-the-girls-story\">Kimmie Fresh had released her own eight-minute diss track to Short\u003c/a>, but this was men and women on the same song, a battle of the sexes on wax. Short knew it was gold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973963\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973963\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1213\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-800x485.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-1020x619.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-768x466.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-1536x932.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-1920x1164.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Danger Zone’s Tamra Goins (Entice) at far left, and Bailey Brown (Barbie) third from left, in a group photo of the cast and crew of ‘Freaky Tales’ at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024. \u003ccite>(Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Despite the song’s legendary status, Danger Zone never performed “Don’t Fight the Feelin’” live onstage with Short, as depicted in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>. (Goins and Short have done the song without Brown a handful of times at cruises and sorority events.) Brown, who later traveled the world as a dancer for MC Hammer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@getaroundwithbaileybrown\">currently lives in Ghana\u003c/a> most of the year, scriptwriting and producing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now 53, Goins is proud of the song’s longevity among fans like Shaquille O’Neal, who lovingly \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/APrhXcftYPs?feature=shared&t=204\">goaded her into performing it on \u003cem>Sway’s Universe\u003c/em> in 2011\u003c/a>. But it comes with a dash of concern for her former 15-year-old self, rapping so brazenly amid the older pimps and players that inspired “Jailbait.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes I’ll look back at the lyrics and I go, ‘Oh!’” she said. “I’m a mom now. I’ll be like, ‘And why was your name \u003cem>Entice\u003c/em>?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973926\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1427px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973926\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1427\" height=\"1884\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987.jpg 1427w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987-800x1056.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987-1020x1347.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987-160x211.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987-768x1014.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987-1163x1536.jpg 1163w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1427px) 100vw, 1427px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Golden State Warriors’ Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers’ James Worthy during their playoff game at the Oakland Arena on May 10, 1987. Floyd scored an NBA playoff record-setting 29 points in the fourth quarter, 12 field goals in the same quarter and 39 points in a half, to lead the Warriors to a 129-121 victory over the Lakers. \u003ccite>(Gary Reyes/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A warrior in more ways than one\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>’ final chapter revolves around a story so well-known that it’s in the record books. In Game 4 of the 1987 NBA playoffs, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/warriors\">Warriors\u003c/a> were down 3-0 against the Lakers and trailed 102-88 going into the fourth quarter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Out of nowhere, Eric “Sleepy” Floyd roared into action, scoring 29 points in the fourth quarter to propel the Warriors to victory. Game announcer Greg Papa, baffled and slightly hoarse, was moved to exclaim, “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/u1sVoWIhUKg?feature=shared&t=135\">Sleepy Floyd is Superman!\u003c/a>”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It still stands today as the NBA postseason record for the most points scored by a player in a single quarter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973835\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973835\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd enters the ‘Freaky Tales’ premiere at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on March 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Outside the Grand Lake last month, Sleepy Floyd seemed surprised and humbled that his achievement is now part of a Hollywood film. Calling \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> “a love song to Oakland,” the point guard, now 65 and living in his home state of North Carolina, remarked that “just to have it centered around that game, truly I’m just blessed and honored to be a part of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Floyd, who in the same matchup against the Lakers also set the record for the most points scored in a half of a playoff game with 39, is portrayed in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> by Jay Ellis (\u003cem>Insecure, Top Gun: Maverick\u003c/em>). Without giving away too much, Sleepy Floyd becomes the star of the film’s climax, diverging drastically from real-life events, complete with supernatural samurai skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They made me look a lot cooler than I actually am,” Floyd said with a chuckle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973842\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973842\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The ‘Freaky Tales’ cast, with Pedro Pascal and Jay Ellis at center, pose on the red carpet ahead of the Oakland premiere at the Grand Lake Theater on March 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Gilman punks’ beatdown, Danger Zone’s dominance, Sleepy Floyd’s fireworks — \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> makes clear to a nationwide moviegoing audience what Oakland has always known about itself: this is a place of amazing people, events and stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asked about Oakland on the red carpet at the Grand Lake premiere, Pedro Pascal put it simply: “It’s the raddest city in the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Freaky Tales’ opens in wide release on Friday, April 4. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It was not your usual Wednesday night at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/grand-lake-theatre\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside Oakland’s movie palace in March, Hollywood actors made their way down the red carpet. Rap legends and punk OGs mingled beneath the marquee. Fans got on their tiptoes behind the line of TV cameras, jockeying for a glimpse of the film’s star, Pedro Pascal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Premieres at the Grand Lake are always exciting, but they’re extra special when the movie is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13974034/freaky-tales-movie-easter-eggs-locations-cameos-oakland\">filmed and set in Oakland\u003c/a>. \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, from screenwriting and directing team Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (\u003cem>Half Nelson, Captain Marvel\u003c/em>), is a revenge-fantasy flick that takes place in the year 1987. It’s filmed at Oakland landmarks, including the Oakland Coliseum, Giant Burger and the old Loard’s ice cream parlor on Coolidge and MacArthur. Marshawn Lynch and Rancid’s Tim Armstrong make cameos, as does Oakland rap icon \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/too-short\">Too Short\u003c/a>, who narrates and helped produce the film.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973843\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973843\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-114-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans crowd the sidewalk for the ‘Freaky Tales’ special screening at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on March 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973838\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973838\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-73-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pedro Pascal poses on the red carpet before the ‘Freaky Tales’ premiere at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on March 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s full, in other words, of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13974034/freaky-tales-movie-easter-eggs-locations-cameos-oakland\">people and locations that carry name recognition for locals\u003c/a>. But nationally, Oakland has never quite received proper credit for its contributions to American culture at large. As rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13921058/watch-rising-oakland-rap-star-symbas-tiny-desk-concert\">Symba\u003c/a>, who plays Too Short in the film, remarked on the red carpet, “People get their curations, their whole make-up, from things that we created here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, then, is a movie about a town with a permanent underdog complex — and, fittingly, it’s told through different chapters, interconnected by Pascal’s performance as a hitman, that have underdogs as their heroes. A ragtag bunch of pacifist punk rockers beats up a crew of Nazi skinheads. Two teenage girls in a rap battle rip to shreds a rapper known for objectifying women. A basketball point guard comes alive for a mind-blowing fourth quarter in a historic comeback win.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The freakiest thing of all? These are events that really happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973913\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973913\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_01151RC2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay Ellis as Sleepy Floyd in ‘Freaky Tales,’ surrounded by other actors in a scene outside the Oakland Coliseum. \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Thankfully, the events depicted in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> involved people who are still around to witness what likely seemed impossible 38 years ago: a Hollywood movie with Oakland as its true star. Here are some of their real-life tales.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Punching Nazis: A punk love story\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The first chapter of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> follows young couple Tina (Ji-young Yoo) and Lucid (Jack Champion) as they navigate an increasing menace to their home-base punk collective of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/924-gilman\">924 Gilman\u003c/a>: neo-Nazi skinheads, who barge into shows, knock people to the ground, assault girls and women and destroy band equipment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After taking a vote led by security guard Greg (LeQuan Antonio Bennett), the punks decide to fight back. During an Operation Ivy show at the Berkeley club, the Nazi skinheads return, but this time they’re met by a wall of punks armed with bats, chains and trash can lids. Battered in the ensuing brawl, the defeated Nazis pile into their smashed and dented pickup truck and drive away to the El Cerrito hills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973920\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1499\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-1020x764.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-1536x1151.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SkinheadLineup-1920x1439.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A group of Nazi skinheads approaches punk club 924 Gilman in a scene from ‘Freaky Tales.’ \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973928\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973928\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GILMAN-143-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In 1987, skinheads caused trouble at punk shows around the country, including at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, pictured. \u003ccite>(Murray Bowles)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Minus a few details, the chapter is remarkably true to real-life events. Fleck and Boden had a good roadmap: the fight is recalled at length in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13239750/the-definitive-documentary-on-east-bay-punk-is-coming-pit-warning\">the East Bay punk documentary \u003cem>Turn It Around\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, directed by Gilman alum Corbett Redford, who came on as a technical advisor for the film.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Greg” in the film is based on George Stephens, a.k.a. George Hated, who in 1987 lived in West Oakland, sang in the band The Hated and served as head of security at Gilman. In an interview, Stephens, now 57, recalled walking out to the sidewalk that night and seeing Nondo, his friend who was also working security, lying in the gutter outside the front door.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“And there were three Nazis standing over him, one holding a bat. So I grabbed the bat out of the guy’s hands and hit the three of them, got Nondo up, and got him inside,” Stephens said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On any other night, that might have been the end of it. But just like in the film, the punks at Gilman had vowed to fight, and emptied into the street. Even Dave Dictor, the singer of “peace-punk” band MDC, who were headlining that night, joined in wielding an aluminum crutch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“More people came out, and it turned into an absolute mess,” said Stephens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973959\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973959\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-07-KQED-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">George Stephens today, pictured in Alameda on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kamala Parks, who co-founded Gilman and drummed in several bands, remembered the nuanced deliberations about retaliating against Nazis among volunteers at the club, whose door rules stated “No Fighting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of folks who had previously taken a more pacifist standpoint had been convinced to fight back, mainly because skinhead violence had gotten more pronounced,” she said. (Parks herself had been punched in the face by a skinhead during a previous melee across town.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of the brawl outside Gilman, the punks had won. They even chased the Nazis across the street and smashed up their pickup truck before the skinheads sped away, fleeing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973986\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1025px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973986\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1025\" height=\"1319\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_.jpg 1025w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_-800x1029.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_-1020x1313.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_-160x206.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Kamla.Flyer_.George.Rules_-768x988.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1025px) 100vw, 1025px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Clockwise from upper left) Kamala Parks drums with Cringer at 924 Gilman in 1990; the flyer for the show at Gilman on the night of the Nazi brawl, May 17, 1987; George Hated sings with the Hated at Gilman in 1992; rules posted at Gilman’s front door. \u003ccite>(Murray Bowles)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My heart was pounding right out of my chest,” Dave Dictor, MDC’s singer, recalled in \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29363293-mdc\">his 2016 autobiography\u003c/a>. “Right after the battle it was time to get on stage and sing, but I was too numb to be able to change gears to talk about it from the stage. As I remember, we just plowed through the set.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those mixed emotions were real, Parks said. “There was euphoria, but there’s dread, because you don’t know what’s going to happen next. You don’t know if they’re going to come back with a bigger group of people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973991\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13973991 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-05-KQED-4-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kamala Parks today, pictured in downtown Oakland on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Parks stayed on edge for a few weeks afterward. Amazingly, the Nazis never came back to Gilman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Stephens points out, though, they never went away for good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, we live in America,” Stephens said. “It’s not surprising that the Proud Boys are back. That fringe has never really gone away in America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973946\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973946\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/250401-VARIOUS-FREAKY-TALES-MD-08-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">924 Gilman St. in Berkeley on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>You want a bit of danger, step into my zone\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“Ryan will tell you, he’s been pitching me a version of \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> for literally 15 years,” said Anna Boden, the film’s co-writer and co-director, in an interview. Her filmmaking partner, Ryan Fleck, grew up in Oakland; Boden in Massachusetts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And he grew up listening to Too Short’s music and I did not. And so I was listening to Too Short’s music for the first time as a grown woman. And it was, like, a \u003cem>very\u003c/em> different experience for me than it was for Ryan,” she said of Short’s explicit and often misogynist subject material.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973969\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1208px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973969\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1208\" height=\"598\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB.jpg 1208w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB-800x396.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB-1020x505.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Short.FreddyB-768x380.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1208px) 100vw, 1208px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Too Short on the cover of his single ‘Freaky Tales,’ circa 1988; at right, Short’s early rap partner Freddy B in 1992. \u003ccite>(Dangerous Music/Serious Sounds)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But one song stuck out for Boden. In “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfSYngzHOsY\">Don’t Fight the Feelin’\u003c/a>” from the 1989 album \u003cem>Life Is… Too Short\u003c/em>, Short trades verses with a female rap duo called Danger Zone, who insult his bankroll, poke fun at his bad breath and make repeated references to his size below the belt: “Do they call you Short because of your height or your width? / Diss me boy, I’ll hang your balls from a cliff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Boden knew she had found her entry to the story. “Hearing him allow himself to be taken down by these young women was kind of mind-blowing to me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the film, Barbie and Entice from Danger Zone are approached by Lenny G (the rapper Stunnaman02, in a role based on Short’s early rap partner \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#too-short-and-freddy-b-start-making-handmade-tapes\">Freddy B\u003c/a>) to battle Short onstage at the Town’s hottest nightclub, Sweet Jimmie’s. Dubious of the proposition, but tired of being mistreated at their day job scooping ice cream, they accept.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973921\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973921\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/FT_00825RC2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Dominique Thorne and Normani as Danger Zone’s Barbie and Entice in a scene from ‘Freaky Tales.’ \u003ccite>(Lionsgate Films)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The song unfolds in a thrilling scene, verse for verse, with actor and rapper Symba portraying Short’s hunched gait and coy taunting. (Symba asked Short for pointers, “and he sent me four videos, and was like, ‘Just embody this, and you’ll be alright,’” he said.) Danger Zone, meanwhile, keep coming back with heat, and win over the crowd. By the end, Short daps up the girls, conceding a draw, if not defeat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In reality, “Don’t Fight the Feelin’” came together in the studio, not on stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, Tamra Goins is a talent agent in L.A. But in 1987, she was Entice — the 15-year-old East Oakland girl who linked up with her cousin, Bailey Brown, to form Danger Zone. They’d met Short through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934715/kimmie-fresh-real-freaky-tales-oakland\">the female rap pioneer Kimmie Fresh\u003c/a> years before recording “Don’t Fight the Feelin’,” she said in an interview. Danger Zone had even been signed to Short’s Dangerous Music label, which released their song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvMjOBASvbc\">Jailbait\u003c/a>,” a blunt warning to underage girls about predatory men.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973922\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 944px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973922\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/DangerZone.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"944\" height=\"808\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/DangerZone.jpg 944w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/DangerZone-800x685.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/DangerZone-160x137.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/DangerZone-768x657.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fifteen-year-old cousins Bailey Brown and Tamra Goins, a.k.a. Barbie and Entice of Danger Zone, pictured in 1988. \u003ccite>(Dangerous Music)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When Short’s manager, Randy Austin, pitched the concept for “Don’t Fight the Feelin’” to be included on Short’s next full-length album, Goins was hesitant, just like her character in the movie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re terrified, right? Because one, we’re kids. Two, Short was known to call people head doctors. I think I was still a virgin! So we just were terrified of what he could possibly say,” Goins said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Laying down the track at engineer Al Eaton’s One Little Indian studio in Richmond — essentially Eaton’s living room — Goins and Brown came for Short so viciously that the men present, like rappers Spice 1 and Rappin’ 4-Tay, kept laughing and ruining the take. “They’re running out of the house, cracking up, laughing,” said Goins. “We can’t even get through it!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973836\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973836\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-33-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Co-director Ryan Fleck high-fives Tamra Goins, a.k.a. Entice from Danger Zone, ahead of the ‘Freaky Tales’ premiere at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on March 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Short was similarly unprepared for Danger Zone’s verses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We made the song, I did my two verses. And it was supposed to be about an old dude pullin’ up in his car flirting with these young girls,” Short explained on Nick Cannon’s \u003cem>We Playin’ Spades\u003c/em> podcast. “My verse was kinda nice. And they came back rippin’ me to shreds!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Short was rattled, but “I went home and listened to it, and I was like, ‘Damn, this is kind of cool … let me go back and talk a lotta shit about \u003cem>them\u003c/em>, and it’ll be a crazy song!’’\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After redoing his verses to match Danger Zone’s venom and adding Rappin’ 4-Tay to the track, the song grew to a ridiculous length of over 8 minutes. \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#kimmie-fresh-answers-too-shorts-freaky-tales-with-the-girls-story\">Kimmie Fresh had released her own eight-minute diss track to Short\u003c/a>, but this was men and women on the same song, a battle of the sexes on wax. Short knew it was gold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973963\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973963\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1213\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-800x485.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-1020x619.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-768x466.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-1536x932.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/GettyImages-1943659116-1920x1164.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Danger Zone’s Tamra Goins (Entice) at far left, and Bailey Brown (Barbie) third from left, in a group photo of the cast and crew of ‘Freaky Tales’ at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024. \u003ccite>(Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Despite the song’s legendary status, Danger Zone never performed “Don’t Fight the Feelin’” live onstage with Short, as depicted in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>. (Goins and Short have done the song without Brown a handful of times at cruises and sorority events.) Brown, who later traveled the world as a dancer for MC Hammer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@getaroundwithbaileybrown\">currently lives in Ghana\u003c/a> most of the year, scriptwriting and producing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now 53, Goins is proud of the song’s longevity among fans like Shaquille O’Neal, who lovingly \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/APrhXcftYPs?feature=shared&t=204\">goaded her into performing it on \u003cem>Sway’s Universe\u003c/em> in 2011\u003c/a>. But it comes with a dash of concern for her former 15-year-old self, rapping so brazenly amid the older pimps and players that inspired “Jailbait.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes I’ll look back at the lyrics and I go, ‘Oh!’” she said. “I’m a mom now. I’ll be like, ‘And why was your name \u003cem>Entice\u003c/em>?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973926\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1427px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973926\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1427\" height=\"1884\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987.jpg 1427w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987-800x1056.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987-1020x1347.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987-160x211.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987-768x1014.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SleepyFloyd.May101987-1163x1536.jpg 1163w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1427px) 100vw, 1427px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Golden State Warriors’ Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers’ James Worthy during their playoff game at the Oakland Arena on May 10, 1987. Floyd scored an NBA playoff record-setting 29 points in the fourth quarter, 12 field goals in the same quarter and 39 points in a half, to lead the Warriors to a 129-121 victory over the Lakers. \u003ccite>(Gary Reyes/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A warrior in more ways than one\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em>’ final chapter revolves around a story so well-known that it’s in the record books. In Game 4 of the 1987 NBA playoffs, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/warriors\">Warriors\u003c/a> were down 3-0 against the Lakers and trailed 102-88 going into the fourth quarter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Out of nowhere, Eric “Sleepy” Floyd roared into action, scoring 29 points in the fourth quarter to propel the Warriors to victory. Game announcer Greg Papa, baffled and slightly hoarse, was moved to exclaim, “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/u1sVoWIhUKg?feature=shared&t=135\">Sleepy Floyd is Superman!\u003c/a>”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It still stands today as the NBA postseason record for the most points scored by a player in a single quarter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973835\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973835\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-7-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd enters the ‘Freaky Tales’ premiere at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on March 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Outside the Grand Lake last month, Sleepy Floyd seemed surprised and humbled that his achievement is now part of a Hollywood film. Calling \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> “a love song to Oakland,” the point guard, now 65 and living in his home state of North Carolina, remarked that “just to have it centered around that game, truly I’m just blessed and honored to be a part of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Floyd, who in the same matchup against the Lakers also set the record for the most points scored in a half of a playoff game with 39, is portrayed in \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> by Jay Ellis (\u003cem>Insecure, Top Gun: Maverick\u003c/em>). Without giving away too much, Sleepy Floyd becomes the star of the film’s climax, diverging drastically from real-life events, complete with supernatural samurai skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They made me look a lot cooler than I actually am,” Floyd said with a chuckle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973842\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13973842\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/20250319_FREAKYTALES_GC-110-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The ‘Freaky Tales’ cast, with Pedro Pascal and Jay Ellis at center, pose on the red carpet ahead of the Oakland premiere at the Grand Lake Theater on March 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Gilman punks’ beatdown, Danger Zone’s dominance, Sleepy Floyd’s fireworks — \u003cem>Freaky Tales\u003c/em> makes clear to a nationwide moviegoing audience what Oakland has always known about itself: this is a place of amazing people, events and stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asked about Oakland on the red carpet at the Grand Lake premiere, Pedro Pascal put it simply: “It’s the raddest city in the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Freaky Tales’ opens in wide release on Friday, April 4. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-masquerade-film-vernon-davis-joslyn-rose-lyons-oakland",
"title": "Former 49er Vernon Davis and Oakland Artists Star In ‘The Masquerade’",
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"headTitle": "Former 49er Vernon Davis and Oakland Artists Star In ‘The Masquerade’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>What if it were possible for city developers and elected officials to see the future consequences of their actions before making decisions? And what if they could revisit a younger version of themselves and get reacquainted with the dreams that originally led them to a position of political power?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These questions about influence, community and the illusions created by the passing of time are at the heart of the short film \u003ca href=\"https://vimeo.com/1062803374?share=copy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>The Masquerade\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1764418/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joslyn Rose Lyons\u003c/a>, the film debuts Tuesday, April 1, at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alongside \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://indienightfilmfestival.com/nature-boy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Nature of the World\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZBbYDF3l5g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Tales of the Town\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and a teaser of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzpxWnQ0gLk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>See It Thru: The Jacka Docu-Series\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, the film will screen as part of the theater’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickettailor.com/events/indienightfilmfestival/1616087\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indie Night Bay Area\u003c/a> event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973770\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13973770\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28%E2%80%AFAM-800x456.png\" alt=\"A man on stage in all black clothing\" width=\"800\" height=\"456\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-800x456.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-1020x581.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-160x91.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-768x438.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-1536x875.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-2048x1167.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-1920x1094.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former San Francisco 49ers star Vernon Davis plays Elias, an illusionist, in the film ‘The Masquerade.’ \u003ccite>(From the film 'The Masquerade')\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Masquerade\u003c/em>, set in the fictional town of Nova Heights, is made in the image of Anytown, USA where development and culture clash — but Oakland is clearly an inspiration for the film. The action takes place around an elegant dinner table, where community stakeholders discuss the city’s ability to retain its history and spirit while it grasps for a high-tech future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyons, who was born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland, wrote the film after seeing so many changes in her hometown. She calls it a love letter to time, even while parts of it feel like a diss track to change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I grew up and went to school in Oakland my whole life,” says Lyons, listing Claremont Middle School, Bishop O’Dowd and California College of the Arts as institutions that shaped her as a person and artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says the changes to the Town over the past decade, specifically the loss of the A’s, Raiders and Warriors, are illustrative of a city in flux.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re the only city in this country that has ever lost all of its professional sports teams,” she says. “You don’t even have to be a sports fan to to understand the magnitude of what that means for an economy of a city, for the soul of a city and ultimately for its dreams.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973767\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13973767\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"A copy of the script of the film 'The Masquerade' rests in Joslyn Rose Lyon's director's chair. \" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A copy of the script of the film ‘The Masquerade’ rests in Joslyn Rose Lyon’s director’s chair. \u003ccite>(Joslyn Rose Lyons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dreams are a big part of \u003cem>The Masquerade\u003c/em>, and also the focus of Lyons’ forthcoming initiative, in partnership with Oaklandish, to support artists and creatives called Oakland Dream Makers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oakland,” she says, “gave me the ability to dream, and gave me the foundation to feel like I had a voice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyons has used that voice to tell some significant stories. She’s the director of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21878148/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_cdt_img_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stand\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, the Emmy-nominated documentary on basketball star and activist Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, which features the Bay Area’s own Steph Curry and Academy award-winning actor Mahershala Ali. She served as the impact producer on \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7309234/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, a film about the legacy of Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Additionally, Lyons has produced music videos for Bay Area artists Hieroglyphics, Too $hort, E-40 and Mahershala Ali back when he was rapping under the stage name \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c53CbxdVuoo\">Prince Ali\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973768\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13973768\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119-800x575.jpg\" alt=\"An image of people looking at a TV monitor on a movie production set. \" width=\"800\" height=\"575\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119-800x575.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119-1020x733.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119-768x552.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joslyn Rose Lyons, Vernon Davis and crew on the set of ‘The Masquerade.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Joslyn Rose Lyons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lyons knows all about pursuing and achieving a dream. But, as she asks in her most recent film, what happens when the source for dreaming is turned off? When the institutions that build the individuals put income over community?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These scenarios compelled her to write a piece envisioning what the behind-the-scenes meetings might entail. As the full cast sits at a long fancy dinner table, the conversation is anchored by two brothers: one arguing for the smart city of the future and the other holding tight to the soul of a city from the past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One brother, an artist and activist named Jason, is played by \u003ca class=\"sc-cd7dc4b7-1 kVdWAO\" href=\"https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6642489/?ref_=tt_cst_t_3\" data-testid=\"title-cast-item__actor\">Omar Bolden\u003c/a>. The other brother, a businessman named Jared, is portrayed by \u003ca class=\"sc-cd7dc4b7-1 kVdWAO\" href=\"https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9471242/?ref_=tt_cst_t_2\" data-testid=\"title-cast-item__actor\">Dushaun Thompson\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two are flanked by a reporter, a real estate tycoon, a city planner, a billionaire investor, a choreographer, an architect, an arts commissioner and a tech investor. The fictional role of Mayor Rasheed is played by Oakland actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0480358/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donald E. Lacy Jr.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://vimeo.com/1062803374\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind the scenes, Lacy Jr. is also an activist. The 1997 \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/27/us/redemption-project-donald-lacy-christopher-smith-forgiveness/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">murder of Lacy Jr.’s first child, LoEshé Lacy\u003c/a>, led him to found the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lovelifefoundation.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LoveLife Foundation\u003c/a>, which combats violence in Oakland. The foundation’s name is also the basis for \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/oaklandlovelife#:~:text=Love%20Life%20Motto-,About%20the%20Love%20Life%20Motto,cry%20to%20embody%20Oakland%20love.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oakland’s official motto, “Love Life.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After reading the script for \u003cem>The Masquerade\u003c/em>, Lyons says, Lacy Jr. told her that he’d sat in on a lot of political meetings in his life, and they match her script exactly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While city council meetings have been known to be dramatic, \u003cem>The Masquerade\u003c/em> goes a bit further, as former San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis plays an illusionist who brings visions of the past and the future into the discussion about community development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyons says Davis approached the stage with the same discipline and commitment that he brought to football. In the film, Davis’ character, dressed in a black jacket, blue scarf and black leather gloves, eloquently leads the rest of the cast through a hypnosis in order to reveal what they once dreamed of becoming, and the potential consequences of the decisions they’re making now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a lot of drama in the way that he played it,” Lyons says of Davis. “He took it off the page in a way that I did not imagine, but it totally worked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 3000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13973771 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13%E2%80%AFAM.png\" alt=\"A woman makes a face of concern as she sits at a dinner table. \" width=\"3000\" height=\"1674\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM.png 3000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-800x446.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-1020x569.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-160x89.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-768x429.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-1536x857.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-2048x1143.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-1920x1071.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland’s Simone Leanora plays the role of an arts commissioner named Lucy in ‘The Masquerade.’ \u003ccite>(From the film 'The Masquerade')\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Through both the film’s subject matter and cast, the movie pulls directly from the Oakland arts community. Lucy, the film’s arts commissioner, is played by \u003ca href=\"https://msha.ke/simoneleanora?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabJHcqxwA9mxJWZ0cHwT-HlBxlRThN9T5By3WsW9N9_D4Dlp1oBeGb9nCc_aem_gpKS9Zrrag7_sJS-qGtXUQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Simone Leanora\u003c/a>. She and \u003ca href=\"https://www.msryannicole.com/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RyanNicole Austin\u003c/a>, who plays an architect named Sable, are both products of Oakland schools and arts institutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A step further into the meta nature of the film is the presence of renowned turf dancer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/icecold3000/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gary “Ice Cold 3000” Morgan.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I called him at the last minute,” says Lyons, asking if he’d like to turf dance with a modern contemporary dance group for her short film. “He pulled up the next day and did his thing,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ice Cold 3000, who along with his group the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/theturffeinz/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Turf Feinz\u003c/a> recently performed alongside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13971637/kendrick-lamar-super-bowl-halftime-performance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kendrick Lamar at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show\u003c/a>, has been giggin’ on stages and in videos for over a two decades. He and Lyons met in 2013 when she directed an E-40 music video “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjoEKzTqUF0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fast Lane\u003c/a>”and have stayed in contact since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973774\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13973774\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48%E2%80%AFAM-800x446.png\" alt='An image of dancer Gary \"Ice Cold 3000\" Morgan, dressed in all black, squatting as he is in the middle of a dance move. ' width=\"800\" height=\"446\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-800x446.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-1020x569.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-160x89.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-768x428.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-1536x857.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-2048x1143.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-1920x1071.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary “Ice Cold 3000” Morgan squats in the middle of a dance routine in the film ‘The Masquerade.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lyons sees Ice Cold 3000, who gained notoriety after performing in the viral 2009 video “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#turfing-goes-viral-with-yak-films-rip-rich-d-video\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RIP RichD Dancing In The Rain\u003c/a>,” as an artist whose work is an intricate part of the city’s fabric. She stops short of saying that artists have to be activists, but she does believe that it’s up to artists, including herself, to “be honest reflections of the things we’re observing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And ultimately,” she adds, “the conversation I would like this piece to start is, what does community mean to you? And what does it mean for our future?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She closes by asking, “Where does art live?” Which, in the midst of thoughts around city development and a government in disarray, also leaves the unspoken lingering question: \u003cem>where does art die?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Masquerade’ screens on Tuesday, April 1, at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland as a part of Indie Night Bay Area. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickettailor.com/events/indienightfilmfestival/1616087?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaJqMe79p9qXfZwsERlYjzR5tpOgCjoypNktzc53fdMDwR2Rwr87xp0-Es_aem_ojk6NDoRuvFhwmr843OutQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Inspired by changes in Oakland, the short film raises deep questions about preserving the soul of a city. ",
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"title": "Former 49er Vernon Davis and Oakland Artists Star In ‘The Masquerade’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>What if it were possible for city developers and elected officials to see the future consequences of their actions before making decisions? And what if they could revisit a younger version of themselves and get reacquainted with the dreams that originally led them to a position of political power?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These questions about influence, community and the illusions created by the passing of time are at the heart of the short film \u003ca href=\"https://vimeo.com/1062803374?share=copy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>The Masquerade\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1764418/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joslyn Rose Lyons\u003c/a>, the film debuts Tuesday, April 1, at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alongside \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://indienightfilmfestival.com/nature-boy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Nature of the World\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZBbYDF3l5g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Tales of the Town\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and a teaser of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzpxWnQ0gLk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>See It Thru: The Jacka Docu-Series\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, the film will screen as part of the theater’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickettailor.com/events/indienightfilmfestival/1616087\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indie Night Bay Area\u003c/a> event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973770\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13973770\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28%E2%80%AFAM-800x456.png\" alt=\"A man on stage in all black clothing\" width=\"800\" height=\"456\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-800x456.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-1020x581.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-160x91.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-768x438.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-1536x875.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-2048x1167.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-8.37.28 AM-1920x1094.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former San Francisco 49ers star Vernon Davis plays Elias, an illusionist, in the film ‘The Masquerade.’ \u003ccite>(From the film 'The Masquerade')\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Masquerade\u003c/em>, set in the fictional town of Nova Heights, is made in the image of Anytown, USA where development and culture clash — but Oakland is clearly an inspiration for the film. The action takes place around an elegant dinner table, where community stakeholders discuss the city’s ability to retain its history and spirit while it grasps for a high-tech future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyons, who was born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland, wrote the film after seeing so many changes in her hometown. She calls it a love letter to time, even while parts of it feel like a diss track to change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I grew up and went to school in Oakland my whole life,” says Lyons, listing Claremont Middle School, Bishop O’Dowd and California College of the Arts as institutions that shaped her as a person and artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says the changes to the Town over the past decade, specifically the loss of the A’s, Raiders and Warriors, are illustrative of a city in flux.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re the only city in this country that has ever lost all of its professional sports teams,” she says. “You don’t even have to be a sports fan to to understand the magnitude of what that means for an economy of a city, for the soul of a city and ultimately for its dreams.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973767\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13973767\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"A copy of the script of the film 'The Masquerade' rests in Joslyn Rose Lyon's director's chair. \" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Directors-chair-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A copy of the script of the film ‘The Masquerade’ rests in Joslyn Rose Lyon’s director’s chair. \u003ccite>(Joslyn Rose Lyons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dreams are a big part of \u003cem>The Masquerade\u003c/em>, and also the focus of Lyons’ forthcoming initiative, in partnership with Oaklandish, to support artists and creatives called Oakland Dream Makers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oakland,” she says, “gave me the ability to dream, and gave me the foundation to feel like I had a voice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyons has used that voice to tell some significant stories. She’s the director of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21878148/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_cdt_img_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stand\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, the Emmy-nominated documentary on basketball star and activist Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, which features the Bay Area’s own Steph Curry and Academy award-winning actor Mahershala Ali. She served as the impact producer on \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7309234/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, a film about the legacy of Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Additionally, Lyons has produced music videos for Bay Area artists Hieroglyphics, Too $hort, E-40 and Mahershala Ali back when he was rapping under the stage name \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c53CbxdVuoo\">Prince Ali\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973768\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13973768\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119-800x575.jpg\" alt=\"An image of people looking at a TV monitor on a movie production set. \" width=\"800\" height=\"575\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119-800x575.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119-1020x733.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119-768x552.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_7119.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joslyn Rose Lyons, Vernon Davis and crew on the set of ‘The Masquerade.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Joslyn Rose Lyons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lyons knows all about pursuing and achieving a dream. But, as she asks in her most recent film, what happens when the source for dreaming is turned off? When the institutions that build the individuals put income over community?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These scenarios compelled her to write a piece envisioning what the behind-the-scenes meetings might entail. As the full cast sits at a long fancy dinner table, the conversation is anchored by two brothers: one arguing for the smart city of the future and the other holding tight to the soul of a city from the past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One brother, an artist and activist named Jason, is played by \u003ca class=\"sc-cd7dc4b7-1 kVdWAO\" href=\"https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6642489/?ref_=tt_cst_t_3\" data-testid=\"title-cast-item__actor\">Omar Bolden\u003c/a>. The other brother, a businessman named Jared, is portrayed by \u003ca class=\"sc-cd7dc4b7-1 kVdWAO\" href=\"https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9471242/?ref_=tt_cst_t_2\" data-testid=\"title-cast-item__actor\">Dushaun Thompson\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two are flanked by a reporter, a real estate tycoon, a city planner, a billionaire investor, a choreographer, an architect, an arts commissioner and a tech investor. The fictional role of Mayor Rasheed is played by Oakland actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0480358/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donald E. Lacy Jr.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Behind the scenes, Lacy Jr. is also an activist. The 1997 \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/27/us/redemption-project-donald-lacy-christopher-smith-forgiveness/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">murder of Lacy Jr.’s first child, LoEshé Lacy\u003c/a>, led him to found the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lovelifefoundation.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LoveLife Foundation\u003c/a>, which combats violence in Oakland. The foundation’s name is also the basis for \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/oaklandlovelife#:~:text=Love%20Life%20Motto-,About%20the%20Love%20Life%20Motto,cry%20to%20embody%20Oakland%20love.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oakland’s official motto, “Love Life.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After reading the script for \u003cem>The Masquerade\u003c/em>, Lyons says, Lacy Jr. told her that he’d sat in on a lot of political meetings in his life, and they match her script exactly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While city council meetings have been known to be dramatic, \u003cem>The Masquerade\u003c/em> goes a bit further, as former San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis plays an illusionist who brings visions of the past and the future into the discussion about community development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyons says Davis approached the stage with the same discipline and commitment that he brought to football. In the film, Davis’ character, dressed in a black jacket, blue scarf and black leather gloves, eloquently leads the rest of the cast through a hypnosis in order to reveal what they once dreamed of becoming, and the potential consequences of the decisions they’re making now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was a lot of drama in the way that he played it,” Lyons says of Davis. “He took it off the page in a way that I did not imagine, but it totally worked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 3000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13973771 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13%E2%80%AFAM.png\" alt=\"A woman makes a face of concern as she sits at a dinner table. \" width=\"3000\" height=\"1674\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM.png 3000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-800x446.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-1020x569.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-160x89.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-768x429.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-1536x857.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-2048x1143.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-28-at-7.22.13 AM-1920x1071.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland’s Simone Leanora plays the role of an arts commissioner named Lucy in ‘The Masquerade.’ \u003ccite>(From the film 'The Masquerade')\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Through both the film’s subject matter and cast, the movie pulls directly from the Oakland arts community. Lucy, the film’s arts commissioner, is played by \u003ca href=\"https://msha.ke/simoneleanora?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabJHcqxwA9mxJWZ0cHwT-HlBxlRThN9T5By3WsW9N9_D4Dlp1oBeGb9nCc_aem_gpKS9Zrrag7_sJS-qGtXUQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Simone Leanora\u003c/a>. She and \u003ca href=\"https://www.msryannicole.com/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RyanNicole Austin\u003c/a>, who plays an architect named Sable, are both products of Oakland schools and arts institutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A step further into the meta nature of the film is the presence of renowned turf dancer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/icecold3000/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gary “Ice Cold 3000” Morgan.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I called him at the last minute,” says Lyons, asking if he’d like to turf dance with a modern contemporary dance group for her short film. “He pulled up the next day and did his thing,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ice Cold 3000, who along with his group the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/theturffeinz/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Turf Feinz\u003c/a> recently performed alongside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13971637/kendrick-lamar-super-bowl-halftime-performance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kendrick Lamar at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show\u003c/a>, has been giggin’ on stages and in videos for over a two decades. He and Lyons met in 2013 when she directed an E-40 music video “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjoEKzTqUF0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fast Lane\u003c/a>”and have stayed in contact since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13973774\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13973774\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48%E2%80%AFAM-800x446.png\" alt='An image of dancer Gary \"Ice Cold 3000\" Morgan, dressed in all black, squatting as he is in the middle of a dance move. ' width=\"800\" height=\"446\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-800x446.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-1020x569.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-160x89.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-768x428.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-1536x857.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-2048x1143.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-30-at-9.43.48 AM-1920x1071.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary “Ice Cold 3000” Morgan squats in the middle of a dance routine in the film ‘The Masquerade.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lyons sees Ice Cold 3000, who gained notoriety after performing in the viral 2009 video “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#turfing-goes-viral-with-yak-films-rip-rich-d-video\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RIP RichD Dancing In The Rain\u003c/a>,” as an artist whose work is an intricate part of the city’s fabric. She stops short of saying that artists have to be activists, but she does believe that it’s up to artists, including herself, to “be honest reflections of the things we’re observing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And ultimately,” she adds, “the conversation I would like this piece to start is, what does community mean to you? And what does it mean for our future?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She closes by asking, “Where does art live?” Which, in the midst of thoughts around city development and a government in disarray, also leaves the unspoken lingering question: \u003cem>where does art die?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Masquerade’ screens on Tuesday, April 1, at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland as a part of Indie Night Bay Area. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickettailor.com/events/indienightfilmfestival/1616087?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaJqMe79p9qXfZwsERlYjzR5tpOgCjoypNktzc53fdMDwR2Rwr87xp0-Es_aem_ojk6NDoRuvFhwmr843OutQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "An All-Star Movie Night at the Grand Lake Theatre",
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"headTitle": "An All-Star Movie Night at the Grand Lake Theatre | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>As NBA superstars descend upon the region for All-Star Weekend, the stories of some of the Town’s top hip-hop talents will be on display in the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Feb. 12, complete with a red-carpet entry, Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre will host The Black Film Connect’s All-Star Movie Night. With an informative panel discussion and a live afterparty at Oakland’s Root’d In The 510 venue, the event serves as a high-energy kickoff to NBA All-Star weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oakland is in a film renaissance right now,” says Seretse Njemanze, co-founder of The Black Film Connect. As evidence, he cites \u003cem>I’m a Virgo\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Blindspotting\u003c/em>, and other films in production, while praising local filmmakers for doing “the work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Njemanze wants to make sure that work is seen by a broad audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971367\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13971367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"11 men stand in a semicircle as they pose for a photo. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Jacka docu-series crew & cast members. From left to right: Tehan Davis, ‘Uzi,’ Tim Slater, Joaquin ‘Wok’ Mixon, Rob ‘Rob Lo’ Mixon, ‘Tony Milwaukee,’ Addae Hill, Seretse Njemanze, Micah J. Allen and Trent Hanible. \u003ccite>(D-Ray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s event begins with a red-carpet walk followed by a panel discussion with artists, creatives and representatives from the East Bay Film Collective’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/makeitbay/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#MakeItBay\u003c/a> platform on the current state of the Bay Area’s film industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Njemanze, the director of \u003cem>See It Thru: The Jacka Documentary\u003c/em> — a forthcoming docu-series on late East Bay rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931795/the-jacka-allah-muslim-bay-area-islam-hip-hop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Jacka\u003c/a> — will show a teaser from his latest production. That will be paired with a trailer for \u003cem>Pay The Producer,\u003c/em> a film directed by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/themekanix/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Mekanix\u003c/a>. Plus attendees will get a glimpse of a film about beloved West Oakland rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jstalinlivewire/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">J. Stalin\u003c/a> and his music label, it’s titled \u003cem>Cypress: The Livewire Story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The evening also features the short film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29260401/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sweet Santa Barbara Brown\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, based on the true 1983 story of African American Harlem Globetrotter basketball players being racially profiled by police in the beach town of Santa Barabra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the two-hour film block, a 20-minute Q&A with the participating filmmakers takes place. Then the festivities skip across town to Root’d In The 510 for a performance by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stunnaman02/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">StunnaMan02\u003c/a> and perfomance sets from The Mekanix and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djtourehiero/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DJ Tourè\u003c/a> of Hieroglyphics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971358\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13971358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Roughly a dozen people stand outside as they pose for a photo in front of a wall where a film is being projected.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Black 2 Da Movies,’ a pandemic-era film event hosted by The Black Film Connect for Halloween 2020. \u003ccite>(Seretse Njemanze)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The event continues the work of The \u003ca href=\"https://blackfilmconnect.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Black Film Connect\u003c/a> since its founding during the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2020, the group held a COVID-safe movie screening outside. Ever since, the group has held social events where filmmakers congregate and discuss projects, the industry and employment opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Black Film Connect has also focused on increasing inclusion on Bay Area film sets. “We staffed a lot of the positions,” says Njemanze, rattling off occupations such as location department and production assistant, examples of the types of gigs people have been connected with on local productions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve even done feature films in-house,” Njemanze says, in reference to the Jesse Kuba-directed 2024 film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28571562/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Moon is in Aquarius\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Njemanze, a 30 year-old who spent most his life between Oakland and the South Bay, surveys the Bay Area and sees a “cultural explosion” happening amidst the All-Star Movie Night. “And that’s what we want to show our audience,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Black Film Connect’s All-Star Movie Night takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickettailor.com/events/dreammoviellc/1580367\">Tickets and details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Before All-Star Weekend, The Black Film Connect hosts a film night, panel discussion and afterparty. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As NBA superstars descend upon the region for All-Star Weekend, the stories of some of the Town’s top hip-hop talents will be on display in the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Feb. 12, complete with a red-carpet entry, Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre will host The Black Film Connect’s All-Star Movie Night. With an informative panel discussion and a live afterparty at Oakland’s Root’d In The 510 venue, the event serves as a high-energy kickoff to NBA All-Star weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oakland is in a film renaissance right now,” says Seretse Njemanze, co-founder of The Black Film Connect. As evidence, he cites \u003cem>I’m a Virgo\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Blindspotting\u003c/em>, and other films in production, while praising local filmmakers for doing “the work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Njemanze wants to make sure that work is seen by a broad audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971367\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13971367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"11 men stand in a semicircle as they pose for a photo. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/unnamed.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Jacka docu-series crew & cast members. From left to right: Tehan Davis, ‘Uzi,’ Tim Slater, Joaquin ‘Wok’ Mixon, Rob ‘Rob Lo’ Mixon, ‘Tony Milwaukee,’ Addae Hill, Seretse Njemanze, Micah J. Allen and Trent Hanible. \u003ccite>(D-Ray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s event begins with a red-carpet walk followed by a panel discussion with artists, creatives and representatives from the East Bay Film Collective’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/makeitbay/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#MakeItBay\u003c/a> platform on the current state of the Bay Area’s film industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Njemanze, the director of \u003cem>See It Thru: The Jacka Documentary\u003c/em> — a forthcoming docu-series on late East Bay rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931795/the-jacka-allah-muslim-bay-area-islam-hip-hop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Jacka\u003c/a> — will show a teaser from his latest production. That will be paired with a trailer for \u003cem>Pay The Producer,\u003c/em> a film directed by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/themekanix/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Mekanix\u003c/a>. Plus attendees will get a glimpse of a film about beloved West Oakland rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jstalinlivewire/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">J. Stalin\u003c/a> and his music label, it’s titled \u003cem>Cypress: The Livewire Story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The evening also features the short film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29260401/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sweet Santa Barbara Brown\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, based on the true 1983 story of African American Harlem Globetrotter basketball players being racially profiled by police in the beach town of Santa Barabra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the two-hour film block, a 20-minute Q&A with the participating filmmakers takes place. Then the festivities skip across town to Root’d In The 510 for a performance by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stunnaman02/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">StunnaMan02\u003c/a> and perfomance sets from The Mekanix and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djtourehiero/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DJ Tourè\u003c/a> of Hieroglyphics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971358\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13971358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Roughly a dozen people stand outside as they pose for a photo in front of a wall where a film is being projected.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/IMG_3795-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Black 2 Da Movies,’ a pandemic-era film event hosted by The Black Film Connect for Halloween 2020. \u003ccite>(Seretse Njemanze)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The event continues the work of The \u003ca href=\"https://blackfilmconnect.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Black Film Connect\u003c/a> since its founding during the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2020, the group held a COVID-safe movie screening outside. Ever since, the group has held social events where filmmakers congregate and discuss projects, the industry and employment opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Black Film Connect has also focused on increasing inclusion on Bay Area film sets. “We staffed a lot of the positions,” says Njemanze, rattling off occupations such as location department and production assistant, examples of the types of gigs people have been connected with on local productions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve even done feature films in-house,” Njemanze says, in reference to the Jesse Kuba-directed 2024 film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28571562/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Moon is in Aquarius\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Njemanze, a 30 year-old who spent most his life between Oakland and the South Bay, surveys the Bay Area and sees a “cultural explosion” happening amidst the All-Star Movie Night. “And that’s what we want to show our audience,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Black Film Connect’s All-Star Movie Night takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickettailor.com/events/dreammoviellc/1580367\">Tickets and details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Film noir is the perfect movie genre for this time of year. So long as there’s a chill in the air and the nighttime outlasts the day, it’s easy to get lost in noir’s murky side streets and obfuscating shadows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/index.html#nc22program\">Noir City Film Festival\u003c/a>, running Jan. 24–Feb. 2, couldn’t be more perfectly timed, then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Screening 24 movies over a 10-day stint at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre, this year’s fest promises a close focus on iconic female stars of noir’s heyday. Friday’s opening night is a Marie Windsor double feature: \u003cem>The Narrow Margin\u003c/em> (1952) and \u003cem>Hell’s Half Acre\u003c/em> (1953). Windsor was the sultriest of the femme fatales of her day, and seeing her saunter across the big screen (as God intended) is going to be a true delight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcZiAWD6NQM\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saturday’s matinee is dedicated to Colleen Gray with \u003cem>Kiss of Death\u003c/em> (1947) and \u003cem>The Sleeping City\u003c/em> (1950). Audrey Totter dominates Sunday, bringing incomparable venom to (the frankly unmissable) \u003cem>Tension\u003c/em> (1949), as well as \u003cem>Alias Nick Beal\u003c/em> (1949). Monday belongs to Peggie Castle in \u003cem>99 River Street\u003c/em> (1953) and \u003cem>The Long Wait\u003c/em> (1954). Tuesday is dedicated to Marsha Hunt in \u003cem>Raw Deal\u003c/em> (1948) and the incredibly fun \u003cem>Mary Ryan, Detective\u003c/em> (1949). The fest’s second Saturday is all about Rhonda Fleming in \u003cem>Cry Danger\u003c/em> (1951) and \u003cem>Inferno\u003c/em> (1953).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13970417']Not all days of the festival are structured around a single actress. There are a wealth of other twisty crime stories to sink into, including the essential \u003cem>Out of the Past\u003c/em> (1947). Screening on Saturday, Jan. 25, this classic is propelled by Robert Mitchum as the quintessential fearless private investigator and Jane Greer as the dangerous, doe-eyed dame. If you only watch one movie at Noir City, make it this one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The festival is curated by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/\">Film Noir Foundation\u003c/a>, a nonprofit dedicated to recovering and preserving old noir films for future generations. The organization’s founder is San Francisco-born, Alameda-based Eddie Muller, who hosts the Turner Classic Movies show \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tcm.com/articles/Programming%20Article/021846/noir-alley\">Noir Alley\u003c/a>.\u003c/em> He is also the author of \u003ca href=\"https://www.eddiemuller.com/darkcitydames.html\">\u003cem>Dark City Dames: The Wicked Women of Film Noir\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. Needless to say, the festival is in very capable hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The 22nd \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/noircity22-p1.html\">Noir City film festival\u003c/a> runs Jan. 24–Feb. 2 at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissancerialto.com/Noir%20City%2022.php\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a> in Oakland. \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/noircity22-p1.html\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Film noir is the perfect movie genre for this time of year. So long as there’s a chill in the air and the nighttime outlasts the day, it’s easy to get lost in noir’s murky side streets and obfuscating shadows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/index.html#nc22program\">Noir City Film Festival\u003c/a>, running Jan. 24–Feb. 2, couldn’t be more perfectly timed, then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Screening 24 movies over a 10-day stint at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre, this year’s fest promises a close focus on iconic female stars of noir’s heyday. Friday’s opening night is a Marie Windsor double feature: \u003cem>The Narrow Margin\u003c/em> (1952) and \u003cem>Hell’s Half Acre\u003c/em> (1953). Windsor was the sultriest of the femme fatales of her day, and seeing her saunter across the big screen (as God intended) is going to be a true delight.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/XcZiAWD6NQM'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/XcZiAWD6NQM'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Saturday’s matinee is dedicated to Colleen Gray with \u003cem>Kiss of Death\u003c/em> (1947) and \u003cem>The Sleeping City\u003c/em> (1950). Audrey Totter dominates Sunday, bringing incomparable venom to (the frankly unmissable) \u003cem>Tension\u003c/em> (1949), as well as \u003cem>Alias Nick Beal\u003c/em> (1949). Monday belongs to Peggie Castle in \u003cem>99 River Street\u003c/em> (1953) and \u003cem>The Long Wait\u003c/em> (1954). Tuesday is dedicated to Marsha Hunt in \u003cem>Raw Deal\u003c/em> (1948) and the incredibly fun \u003cem>Mary Ryan, Detective\u003c/em> (1949). The fest’s second Saturday is all about Rhonda Fleming in \u003cem>Cry Danger\u003c/em> (1951) and \u003cem>Inferno\u003c/em> (1953).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Not all days of the festival are structured around a single actress. There are a wealth of other twisty crime stories to sink into, including the essential \u003cem>Out of the Past\u003c/em> (1947). Screening on Saturday, Jan. 25, this classic is propelled by Robert Mitchum as the quintessential fearless private investigator and Jane Greer as the dangerous, doe-eyed dame. If you only watch one movie at Noir City, make it this one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The festival is curated by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/\">Film Noir Foundation\u003c/a>, a nonprofit dedicated to recovering and preserving old noir films for future generations. The organization’s founder is San Francisco-born, Alameda-based Eddie Muller, who hosts the Turner Classic Movies show \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tcm.com/articles/Programming%20Article/021846/noir-alley\">Noir Alley\u003c/a>.\u003c/em> He is also the author of \u003ca href=\"https://www.eddiemuller.com/darkcitydames.html\">\u003cem>Dark City Dames: The Wicked Women of Film Noir\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. Needless to say, the festival is in very capable hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The 22nd \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/noircity22-p1.html\">Noir City film festival\u003c/a> runs Jan. 24–Feb. 2 at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.renaissancerialto.com/Noir%20City%2022.php\">Grand Lake Theatre\u003c/a> in Oakland. \u003ca href=\"https://www.noircity.com/noircity22-p1.html\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A celebration of Black sci-fi, horror, fantasy and anime is coming to Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre on Nov. 6: \u003ca href=\"https://afrocomiccon.org/\">AfroComicCon International Film Festival\u003c/a>. The one-day event features a screening of 38 short films by independent directors, an Afrofuturist fashion show, stand-up comedy by Papp Johnson and live music by Oakland-based Congolese drummer Kiazi Malonga.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the films to look forward to is Benjamin MulHolland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelakemerrittmonstermovie.com/\">\u003ci>The Lake Merritt Monster\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, a beautifully shot, 16-minute sci-fi short about an Oakland teenager named Ollie whose mom gets snatched up by a mysterious beast lurking around Lake Merritt. Ollie and his lovable band of friends — who include a heavy-metal guitarist and two science whizzes — hunt for the monster in a thrilling tale that pulls in social commentary and bits of Filipino folklore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13967044\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13967044\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/230917_PatrickTiu_AfroComicCon-283-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/230917_PatrickTiu_AfroComicCon-283-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/230917_PatrickTiu_AfroComicCon-283-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/230917_PatrickTiu_AfroComicCon-283-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/230917_PatrickTiu_AfroComicCon-283-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/230917_PatrickTiu_AfroComicCon-283-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/230917_PatrickTiu_AfroComicCon-283-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/230917_PatrickTiu_AfroComicCon-283-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/230917_PatrickTiu_AfroComicCon-283-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cosplayers at AfroComicCon 2023. \u003ccite>(Patrick Tiu)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Also on the program is Chris Cathern’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29731964/\">\u003ci>A-Train: New Beginnings\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, a dark comedy about \u003ci>The Boys\u003c/i> superhero, who finds a second act as a rapper after a fall from grace. And Eric Dyson’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29260401/\">\u003ci>Sweet Santa Barbara Brown\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, also in the program, travels back to Southern California in the ’80s to tell the story of a basketball team’s dangerous encounter with the police after they’re wrongfully suspected of a jewelry store robbery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The festival’s judges panel features filmmaker and Bay Area Black Comedy Competition producer Tony Spires, producer Lathan Hodge, director and \u003ci>Boyz n the Hood\u003c/i> actor Kenneth A. Brown, video game voice actor and writer Jason E. Kelley (\u003ci>Deathloop\u003c/i>) and actress and comedian Nikki Star.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the films and performances, AfroComicCon promises panel discussions on diverse storytelling, breaking into the industry and filmmaking technology.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>AfroComicCon takes place Nov. 6, 4–10:30 p.m., at Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland. \u003ca href=\"https://allevents.in/oakland/afrocomiccon-international-film-festival-2024/80001272522541\">Tickets and details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
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"onourwatch": {
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
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