Free Hoffman marathon honors fallen star

Two weeks ago, Philip Seymour Hoffman perished from the world you and I inhabit.

After years of courageously battling drug addiction, Hoffman succumbed to the powerful lure of heroin. He was found dead in his Greenwich Village apartment, leaving behind a child, a wife and career for us marvel for many years to come.

The loss is immeasurable to calculate; ineffable to articulate. Just thinking about Hoffman’s passing has put me into a melancholic daze. To help with the grieving process is a movie marathon in San Francisco this weekend, presented by the good people of City Arts.

Starting tomorrow at the Nourse Theater (275 Hayes Street) will be a post-mortem festival paying tribute to the illustrious career of Hoffman.

The kicker? It’s all free.

Built in 1927, the Nourse has been closed to the public for much of the last thirty years. Over the past 18 months “City Arts & Lectures” has embarked on a restoration process in an attempt to make the venue usable again.

Those attending the Hoffman marathon will be some of the first people to experience the upgraded Nourse Theater, replete with “state of the state of the art lighting and high quality sound equipment including Meyer speakers, new curtains, plush upholstered seats, newly decorated green room and dressing rooms.”

Moreover, the massive establishment holds approximately 1,600 people.

For those interested in partaking in the Hoffman tribute, the schedule of films is:

Saturday, February 22nd:

Magnolia – 10 AM (running time: 180 min)

Synecdoche, New York – 1:30 PM (124 min)

Jack Goes Boating – 4:00 PM (89 min)

The Master – 6:00 PM (144 min)

The Big Lebowski – 9:00 PM (117 min)

Sunday, February 23rd:

Boogie Nights – 12 PM (155 min)

Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead – 3 PM (117 min)

Owning Mahowny – 5:00 PM (104 min)

Capote – 7:00 PM (114 min)

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As the time moves onward, fads are conceived then forgotten, problems arise then subside, culture shifts then shapes, people come then go. We know this to be true. Philip Seymour Hoffman may no longer be with us, but his work is here to stay.

Below is a video tribute to Hoffman, made by San Francisco based filmmaker Jack Anderson.