Movies About or Set In the San Francisco Bay Area

This is just something I've wanted to do for a while now. I'll keep adding more as I have time. I welcome comments regarding movies to add, opinions on existing movies and anything else relevant! :)

I Remember Mama - 1948 with Irene Dunne. Oscar nominations for Actress in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Cinematography (Black-and-White). If you like classic movies, like Life With Father, you'll probably like this old black and white. Irene Dunne plays a Norwegian immigrant family in 1910 San Francisco. They're supposedly struggling, financially, so much so that they take in a border, one that has trouble paying rent, into their 5(?) bedroom home. Sheesh. Good movie though.

48 Hours - 1982 with Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte. This was hilarious the first time I saw it, but I rewatched it later, and it wasn't so funny anymore.

Another 48 Hours - 1990 sequel to 48 hours, as you may have guessed. Don't bother with this one.

The Rock - 1996. Has it been 10 years already? There's a hostage/terrorist situation on Alcatraz when ex-military commando terrorists take over The Rock and turn it into their base of operations. Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery must break into Alcatraz and stop them. Pretty good action flick.

The Maltese Falcon - 1941 with Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor and directed by John Huston. Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Screenplay and Best Picture. Apparently, the movie was originally titled The Gent From Frisco, according to Tim Dirks. Based on the novel from Dashiell Hammett. I read the book but have never seen the film. The book was excellent.

Birdman of Alcatraz - 1961 with Burt Lancaster, Karl Malden (Who later starred in The Streets of San Francisco) and directed by John Frankenheimer. Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. I've never seen this one either.

Escape From Alcatraz - 1979 with Clint Eastwood. According to the trivia, it was the film debut of Danny Glover as well. Never seen it myself.

Mrs. Doubtfire

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

San Francisco - 1936 with Clark Gable. Oscars for Best Sound Recording. Oscar nominations for Best Actor, Assistant Director, Directing, Oustanding Production (Best Picture) and Writing (Original Story). A love story set during the 1906 earthquake. I have never seen it.

Romeo Must Die

The Presidio

When a Man Loves a Woman

Some Kind of Monster - Film documents the strained relationships, disintegration and rebirth of Metallica. Decent documentary with a lot of crying from Lars, in your face anger from James and frustration all the way around.

Pirates of Silicon Valley - 1999 film about the emergence of Apple Computer, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Microsoft. Probably Anthony Michael Hall's best performance since Sixteen Candles. :)

Vertigo - 1958 with Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, directed by Alfred Hitchock. Need I say more?

Dirty Harry - 1971 I have never seen this film.

Joy Luck Club

Citizen Kane

Pacific Heights

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner - 1967 with Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn and Sidney Poitier. Oscars for Best Actress and Writing. Oscar nominations for Best Actor, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Art Direction, Direction, Directing, Film Editing, Music and Best Picture.

The Hulk

ADDITIONS
From voxipsa
The Conversation - 1974 Francis Ford Coppola film with Gene Hackman. Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Sound and Original Screenplay. She says it's "a fabulous early Coppola movie". I haven't seen it, but it sounds intriguing.

From Kevin Bjorke who also happens to run PhotoPermit.Org
Bullitt - 1968 with Steve McQueen and Jacqueline Bisset. That's a sexy combo! Oscar nomination for Sound and won an Oscar for Film Editing.

From homernoh
Sweet November - Klunker
40 Days & 40 Nights - Klunker
The Sweetest Thing - Klunker
Haiku Tunnel - San Francisco stuff that people will recognize.
Colma: The Musical - homer has not seen this, but he hears it's funny.
Mistress of Spices - Unreleased, but set in Oakland.

From kevin
Harold and Maude - 1971 I'd heard of this movie, but I've never seen it. It looks to be a romantic comedy, and it's gotten pretty good reviews on Amazon. It seems worth checking out. kevin also provided a good link to the local shooting locations for Harold And Maude.

From JulioGarcia, who says he "could talk movies all day".
True Crime- 1999 with Clint Eastwood and Isaiah Washington, directed by Eastwood. Eastwood plays an Oakland Tribune journalist that gets assigned an execution story. As he's investigating, he discovers that Frank Beachum, the inmate, may not be guilty afterall. I think I saw this, but don't quite remember. If it's what I think it is, it was a decent enough movie.
So I Married An Axe Murderer- 1993 with Mike Myers and Nancy Travis. Mike Myers meets his dream woman who he suspects may also be an axe murderer. JulioGarcia says, "Whoa-man." I don't know what that means, and I'm surprised to see that reviewers on Amazon gave it nearly five stars. I didn't really think it was funny. It felt forced. I did like the human blanket part. :)
Metro- 1997 with Eddie Murphy. Have not seen it, but it says Murphy plays an SFPD hostage negotiator. Ummm... okay.
Doctor Doolittle- 2001 with Eddie Murphy. I didn't see this, but I caught bits and pieces of it here and there. I believe he plays a vet that can talk to animals but doesn't like to acknowledge his ability because he thinks it's crazy. Saw the original, which I loved. Don't know about this one.
Basic Instinct - 1992 with Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas. Famous crossing legs scene with no underwear. I think people imagined seeing her privates. I didn't see anything. Good thriller. Not as good as Fatal Attraction, but good.
EdTV- 1999 with Jenna Elfman and Matthew McConaughey. This was a pretty bad attempt at depicting reality tv mania amongst the average joe. I can't believe this was directed by Ron Howard.
A View to a Kill- 1985 with Roger Moore and Christopher Walken. Tanya Roberts won a Razzie for worst actress. LOL. I've never seen a James Bond movie, but I'll have to watch this one just because it's got Walken!
The Fan- 1996 with Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes. "...now you know you're in trouble... when you try to get a refund..." LOL. I've never seen it.
Final Analysis- 1992 with Richard Gere and Kim Basinger. I vaguely remember this. It was one of those shows that you watch when you're just vegging for the day. Don't remember if I liked it or not. I guess that should tell you something.
Sneakers- 1992 with Robert Redford, Ben Kingsley, Mary McDonnel and Sidney Poitier. "One of River Phoenix's last films." I love Redford and Kingsley, and I really liked this movie, but a lot of people hated it. If you're a tech geek, or into the history of the tech industry, the trivia makes the movie that much more interesting.
The Net- 1995 with Sandra Bullock. At the time this movie came out, the idea of worldwide connectivity was just starting to emerge into mainstream understanding, so when the villains use the net to destroy Bullock's life, it was thrilling to watch. It's a well-paced action movie.
High Crimes- 2002 Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd. Never seen it.

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