DATEBOOK PICK<\/p>\n
Jacques Tati<\/a> did not have to do this. The French comedian, known for his character Monsieur Hulot, was already a beloved Oscar-winning, highly successful international filmmaker when he set out to make “Playtime” (1967), which became one of the great acts of folly in cinema history.<\/p>\n More Information<\/p>\n Jacques Tati films: “Playtime,” 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 21; 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26. \u2022 “Parade,” 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 22; 1:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26. \u2022 “Mon oncle,” 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23; 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26. $12.50-$15. Vogue Theatre, 3290 Sacramento St., S.F. www.voguemovies.com<\/a><\/p>\n Today, audiences can revisit that audacious project as the highlight of the Vogue Theatre’s three-film Tati series, running Tuesday, July 21, through Sunday, July 26.\u00a0<\/p>\n To realize his nearly dialogue-free comedy critique on the effects of modernization and technology on our daily lives, he built an entire city, dubbed “Tativille,” on the outskirts of Paris and insisted on shooting in 70 mm. As costs spiraled out of control and filming dragged on for nearly three years,\u00a0Tati refused to scale down his vision and went into debt to complete the project.<\/p>\n Its failure at the box office was dispiriting, but he never regretted the big swing.<\/p>\n “I had a house before ‘Playtime.’ I don’t have my house today,” Tati told an enthusiastic crowd at the 1972 San Francisco International Film Festival<\/a>, where “Playtime” made its U.S. premiere. “But I don’t think it’s very important, that’s what I feel. You have the respect of a young generation (at) my age, that’s what I think I have. I’ve seen it here. Or you have the respect of the Bank of France. It’s a choice.”<\/p>\n Also on the Vogue calendar are another masterpiece, “Mon oncle” (1958), which won the Academy Award for best foreign language film, and Tati’s last film, “Parade” (1974), about which the less said the better.<\/p>\n Subscribe<\/p>\n There’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25\u00a2.<\/a><\/p>\n