Focus Features

Oscar Wilde once quipped that, "It's an odd thing, but anyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco.” True that. Generation after generation came west to either lose or find themselves and, if they were lucky, did both. In Milk, a mild-mannered Wall Street closet case Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) moves to San Francisco’s Castro with his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) at the start of the gay revolution. Among the morning fog, tie-dyed shirts, and purple-painted Victorian homes, Milk found the inspiration to reinvent himself several times over.

With the release of Milk, we turn our cinematic eye to San Francisco, to see why this infamous town keeps showing up in movies. Filmmaker Caveh Zahedi not only talks the talk, but walks the walk in Caveh Takes the Vertigo Tour, a trek that leads him to many of the celebrated landmarks of Hitchcock’s dizzying thriller and into a funny and moving meditation on mortality and the movies. In addition Scott Macaulay speaks to Nathaniel Rich on his book San Francisco Noir: The City in Film Noir from 1940 to the Present.

We check in with the five citizens in a special San Francisco Five in Focus, to find out what are these locals’ five favorite films featuring their fair city. In Why Is San Francisco So Gay?, In These Times editor Joel Bleifuss looks at how the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow flag became San Francisco for many lesbians and gay men. Joshua Gamson gives that history a dance rhythm in his look at the gay club scene in Milk Marched to a Disco Beat.

If you are in the Bay Area and want to follow along, download Paul VanDeCarr’s podcast Out of the Bars and into the Streets and take a stroll through some of Milk’s favorite Castro haunts (and perhaps even cruising areas).

Caveh Takes the Vertigo Tour

Filmmaker Caveh Zahedi travels in James Stewart's footsteps as he goes on the Vertigo tour in San Francisco. Fittingly for a film all about doubling, he comes up with two perspectives on his experience.

Over to the Dark Side

Scott Macaulay speaks with Nathaniel Rich about San Francisco Noir: The City in Film Noir from 1940 to the Present.

San Francisco Five in Focus

San Francisco, the gorgeous city on the bay, looks just as good in film as it does in real life. See what San Francisco films are favored by five city natives.

Why Is San Francisco So Gay?

As part of FilmInFocus' series of articles on San Francisco, Joel Bleifuss examines the history of the city and looks at how it evolved into the center for the LGBT community in America.

Milk Marched to a Disco Beat

The gay revolution that Milk launched in 70s San Francisco found its musical counterpoint in the Disco/Dance Scene happening in the clubs.

Out of the Bars and into the Streets

In association with the new Inside Stories website, FilmInFocus presents an audio tour of Harvey Milk’s San Francisco featuring archival material and interviews with Milk’s friends and colleagues.

Behind the Blog: Michael Guillen

The San Francisco blogger encourages us to take a seat at his popular film blog, The Evening Class.

Oscar Wilde once quipped that, "It's an odd thing, but anyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco.” True that. Generation after generation came west to either lose or find themselves and, if they were lucky, did both. In Milk, a mild-mannered Wall Street closet case Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) moves to San Francisco’s Castro with his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) at the start of the gay revolution. Among the morning fog, tie-dyed shirts, and purple-painted Victorian homes, Milk found the inspiration to reinvent himself several times over.

With the release of Milk, we turn our cinematic eye to San Francisco, to see why this infamous town keeps showing up in movies. Filmmaker Caveh Zahedi not only talks the talk, but walks the walk in Caveh Takes the Vertigo Tour, a trek that leads him to many of the celebrated landmarks of Hitchcock’s dizzying thriller and into a funny and moving meditation on mortality and the movies. In addition Scott Macaulay speaks to Nathaniel Rich on his book San Francisco Noir: The City in Film Noir from 1940 to the Present.

We check in with the five citizens in a special San Francisco Five in Focus, to find out what are these locals’ five favorite films featuring their fair city. In Why Is San Francisco So Gay?, In These Times editor Joel Bleifuss looks at how the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow flag became San Francisco for many lesbians and gay men. Joshua Gamson gives that history a dance rhythm in his look at the gay club scene in Milk Marched to a Disco Beat.

If you are in the Bay Area and want to follow along, download Paul VanDeCarr’s podcast Out of the Bars and into the Streets and take a stroll through some of Milk’s favorite Castro haunts (and perhaps even cruising areas).

Caveh Takes the Vertigo Tour

Filmmaker Caveh Zahedi travels in James Stewart's footsteps as he goes on the Vertigo tour in San Francisco. Fittingly for a film all about doubling, he comes up with two perspectives on his experience.

Over to the Dark Side

Scott Macaulay speaks with Nathaniel Rich about San Francisco Noir: The City in Film Noir from 1940 to the Present.

San Francisco Five in Focus

San Francisco, the gorgeous city on the bay, looks just as good in film as it does in real life. See what San Francisco films are favored by five city natives.

Why Is San Francisco So Gay?

As part of FilmInFocus' series of articles on San Francisco, Joel Bleifuss examines the history of the city and looks at how it evolved into the center for the LGBT community in America.

Milk Marched to a Disco Beat

The gay revolution that Milk launched in 70s San Francisco found its musical counterpoint in the Disco/Dance Scene happening in the clubs.

Out of the Bars and into the Streets

In association with the new Inside Stories website, FilmInFocus presents an audio tour of Harvey Milk’s San Francisco featuring archival material and interviews with Milk’s friends and colleagues.

Behind the Blog: Michael Guillen

The San Francisco blogger encourages us to take a seat at his popular film blog, The Evening Class.