Clay Theatre

Lovely old style theater. We were walking down the street taking in the upscale scene, saw the marquee, saw that a movie was about to start and made an instant decision to walk inside. Very small lobby with the bare minimum in the way of snack options but we got some popcorn and went in for a decidedly 1950s experience compared to the Landmark-​style palaces of today. Definitely a throwback!

First time at the Clay theatre and I was very impressed with the size of the theatre. There is only one (1) actual theatre that seats almost 400 and its fairly comfortable. The reason the Clay Theatre received 5 stars from me is because it screened for one night only, Hidden Colors 4. The Clay is apart of the Landmark Theatre company and is not apart of the major chain movie providers. Its community based and has various movie showings!

The original Clay Theatre within that gorgeous Art Deco building containing the old-​fashioned, much missed, and highly prized Big Screen. Always a good film available. Hospitable Fillmore Street offers meals and beverages before or after the show, so don’t fill up on popcorn. A treasure of the City which you owe it to yourself to savor.

Love that this single movie, old fashioned theater has survived! I don’t know how they do it but am glad they exist. Staff is always friendly and I appreciate the pre-​movie intro by one of the employees asking all to be courteous by turning cell phones off and only talking in the lobby. So civilized! :)

Support local by seeing the latest flicks here and you’ll get the most for your buck — affordable snacks and drinks! The seats are comfortable and plentiful. With a smaller screen than corporate venues, you’ll want to sit closer to the front; and with a smaller venue, you can show up 15 minutes early and still get the best seats. So glad I found this gem!

I like it there.

You may have wondered how does your honey go from the hive to the jar.
Now I know.
Last night I saw «The Wonders», an Italian/​Swiss/​French film at the Clay. This was part of the SF International Film Festival.
What was cool was the house was packed. There were 10 seats open in the front; otherwise all the other seats were taken.
This film won the Grand Prix Prize @ Cannes last year and I could see why.
It depicts a way of life that is being lost. Farmers and local artisans trying to support themselves & their families.
It was heartwarming, troubling, definitely thought provoking.
If you can, see it. And see it in a small independent theater like the Landmark Clay. It’s a dying breed of film house in our neighborhoods so let’s support them and keep the lights on.

We’ve been going to Landmark Theatres in the Bay Area since they first opened, and always with good results. We hadn’t been to Clay in awhile but we went recently to see «Wild Tales,» which was a really good movie worth 5 stars. Minus 3 stars though for the ticket-taker’s unpleasant response to a simple question. We paid $ 2 extra to reserve the tix online, but then had to wait in line with everyone else, so I didn’t see any advantage in the added cost. When I asked why we should buy tix online, the ticket-​taker smarted back, «Because life is inconvenient sometimes.» What? Guess we don’t need to spend any of our $$$ at the Clay Theatre, regardless of how good the movie is. We’ll see it at the other Landmark Theatres or wait for it to show up on a streaming service.

Great that they show out-​of-​the-​way movies, not so great seating (easily blocked by someone in front of you).

I love these old theaters in San Francisco. It would be a shame if they all went dark. Parking is nuts, but I always end up finding something and hiking up the hill.

Recently saw Still Alice, small theater lots of nostalgia, tough to get good seats unless you go early. Pee before so you avoid the line.

Old school neighborhood gold. I come here whenever I can.

Great little theater!
Saw Whiplash here this afternoon. I could do without the commercials before the previews but since these small theaters have to make money somehow, I’ll deal.
Comfy seats and good popcorn. Friendly staff. Beautiful theater.

Amazing intimate theatre in which to see a unique selection of movies.
Does not show the movies that your standard movie theatre will show, but rather a wide array of either classic, foreign, independent, and strange movies. They even have special releases of new movies sometimes as well.
Will be back many times!

Special Events, Woody Allen Movies, Lingering ocean fog, a cocktail bar across street… these are all the right reasons why people LOVE Clay theater. For 7 years, I have been and are still in love with it and neighborhood its in.

I’ve come to this theater to watch films that the «normal» theaters don’t play and each of those visits have been great. There’s just something about these older theaters that I adore and it’s a feeling that I just don’t get from the large cineplexes.
The movie going experience here have always been pleasurable. The audience always seem to be well behaved (no disruptive taking, phones are put away, no obnoxious cackling in humorous scenes) the theater never seems to be jam packed and the AC isn’t on full blast.
They play a lot of classic, art and foreign films with a heavy emphasis on French films. Just last night we watched Yves Saint Laurent (enjoyed it) which was completely in French and subtitled.
I love this theater and although decades old I hope it sticks around for decades longer as it’s surely a city gem. I hear of theaters similar to this sometimes having no choice but to close its doors and I’d hate to see this one go.

They show the Room monthly or so, and that is automatic 5 stars. Great host, memorable movie experience. Charming lobby.
I have nothing bad to say. But I’ll be back, maybe they will lose a star! I could only see that happening if they were rude or mean, but from my one experience I can’t imagine that happening.
I haven’t even tried the popcorn yet.
I wish they served alcohol. They are drinking Scotchka in the Room, and so we should be able to as well.

Great spot for classic films — like Dirty Hairy! Really friendly staff (we had a long talk about the movie and such while at the concession) but pretty stale popcorn.
Parking was easy; i found free parking literally right outside. Mind you it was a midnight movie we were seeing.
Seats were comfortable, would have preferred a little more head support (taller seats) but it was better than most older theatres.

I have been going to the Clay theater for decades, even before I used to live a couple of blocks away. And that is because I have always liked Foreign films, and the Clay always has had a good choice of internationally acclaimed films throughout the years.
Most people are not into foreign films, because they can’t deal with the subtitles. Listen, I am a slow reader, so sub-​titles are a struggle sometimes for me, but I still love foreign films because they often have a different feel, treatment, sensibility than American films. I personally am not a huge fan of the BlowEmUp/​ShootEmUp genre of action films. Occasionally, yes, but a steady diet of them like most 14 year olds? No thank you. I prefer lyrical films, witty films, psychologically adult films, films that make you think and feel with your heart and mind, not just your adrenaline.
Perhaps it was because when I was young, my Mom would take me to a makeshift theater on the Monterey Peninsula where they would show Japanese films. It would be dark, with a roomful of Japanese, watching some film that always had a sad and reflective ending. Perhaps the antithesis of a Hollywood movie.
Or maybe because I was exposed to French in the third grade, required to take it when I lived in a foreign country. I took it again in High School. So as a young adult, I would love French Comedies, with Gerard Depardieu and other popular actors of the time. Many became American remakes. Like La Cage Aux Folles (Bird Cage) or Tall Blind Man with One Brown Shoe (The Red Tennis Shoe) or 3 Men and a Baby, or Les Compares (The Companions) etcetera, etcetera. (etc — also French!). And many of the directorial techniques of Francois Trufault have also been copied by US Directors.
Or maybe it was going to UC Berkeley, with its diversity, and the showing of eclectic foreign films on Campus, from the likes of legendary directors like Akira Kurosawa, or Ingmar Bergman. This coincided with my sister’s interest in Kurosawa and stage versions of Rashomon, or Yojimbo. His 7 Samurai was the basis of the old classic, The Magnificent 7, with Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Colburn and Robert Vaughn.
Or maybe it was dating Asian women that got me interested in films by Zhang Yimou (Ju Dou, Hero), Wong Kar Wai (In the Mood for Love, Grandmaster) or films with Gong Li (Raise the Red Lantern)), Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Memoirs of a Geisha), Maggie Chueng. Or Juzo Itami and his wife Nobuko Miyamoto (Tampopo, A Taxing Woman). But maybe not, because I dragged the Asian dates to most of these Asian movies. Plus, I liked Lina Wertmueller, Pedro Almodovar, and many other non-​Asian directors and stars.
There used to be a large choice of Foreign Film and Independent Movie Houses, pre-​Metroplex, DVDs, and Netflix. The Opera Plaza, The Lumiere, Red Vic, Roxie, Castro, Bridge, Balboa, and Four Star in SF; the Rialto, Elmwood, Act 1 and 2, Albany, CineArts in the East Bay.
Most have shriveled up and disappeared in favor of new media choices and deliveries, and the megaplex in every suburb, where they all show the same 6 movies at the same time, all the time. BlowEmUp/​ShootEmUp movies, made mostly for 14 year olds.
But the Clay is still here, showing something different. At least for now.

Nothing fancy. Great area, nice and clean, theater, pleasant staff members, great movies– what more can I ask for?
OH the popcorn is REALLY good. Fresh and hot. Almost as good as the popcorn at the Castro theater!
I am a fan. I will go there every chance I get.
Only negative– I paid $ 4.25 for a Honest Tea. I’m not mad about it but, it was pricey.
ALSO a great way to meet really cool people. After the show I chatted it up with a few strangers and ended up having dinner with them across the street at Mahfil Indian Cuisine, which I also recommend!!!

I just had the most wonderful old-​school movie theater experience viewing «Blue Jasmine» in this historic San Francisco treasure.
I’m happy to know that such a thing has survived when most cinema is now viewed in a multiplex, either on a tiny screen or (very expensively) on a huge one. I love a good IMAX 3D movie, and also love a well-​made throwback or a classic. The Clay is where I would prefer to see the latter. The vibe there really enhances that experience.
So I’m afraid I must disagree with John N. below. I have viewed movies in theaters with substandard sound systems and tiny screens (ever been to Opera Plaza?), and The Clay is not one of those places. It is indeed quaint, but offers a high quality experience. Their sound and projection equipment are digital, up to date, and are offered in a uniquely SF setting at a substantial savings. The staff seems happy to be there, and happy that you are too. What a treat that is after dealing with the underpaid, bored, and annoyed teens that populate the counters of most contemporary cinemas.
View-​wise, sound-​wise, price-​wise, and service-​wise, it holds it’s own with or excels the corporate megaplexes.
I couldn’t figure out why the bottom of the screen was so high at first, and admit that it felt odd to me. Then, when the movie started, I realized the theatre floor had almost no incline. Moving the screen higher insures that the tall patron in front of you doesn’t block your view. Smart. Just like many quirky details at the Clay.
Plus it just feels good to be there. If that matters to you, check it out.

I recently came to this theatre to watch Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, and I had a pleasurable experience.
I was staying on the opposite side of SF, so I timed my travel to this theater wrong, and missed the 7pm showing. I was actually happy about this because I got to spend a few hours walking around with my friend eating/​drinking. The area around the theatre is very nice, clean, and safe.
As for the theatre itself — for being a small theatre — the prices are really cheap for a movie. I was actually surprised. The place itself is clean, and the one screening room they have is nice and spacious. I was at the 9:40 showing and it was almost packed. The crowd was great, too.
I’d definitely come back.

The Clay is one of those great, small independent theaters becoming fewer and harder to find. And as a bonus for me, it’s only a quick bus ride away.
The Clay use to play a lot of selections from the Film Society’s French and Italian festivals, though a lot of those go to New People now instead. Seems like Clay does a lot of independent and older movies now instead.
Get an alternative baking company vegan cookie while you’re there!

Schönes traditionelles Kino in San Francisco mit einem Saal, wo hauptsächlich anspruchsvolle Filem laufen. Vielfach auch fremdsprachige Filme mit englischen Untertiteln. Angenehme Atmosphäre.