By Summers Henderson

WHEN YOU CAN'T afford a night at the opera, you can still find a diverting spectacle at the movies. However, for the truly budget-minded, it's worth searching out alternatives to the steeper prices. Movies theaters in San Francisco are currently averaging $9, with a matinee price of $6. Prices in Berkeley and Oakland run a little below that, but not by much. For movie fiends without a lot of cash, we've compiled a selection of the best silver screen spots that won't leave you without enough money for dinner afterward.

Theaters

The best movie bargain in San Francisco is at the Balboa Theater (3630 Balboa, S.F. 415-221-8184), where you can see a double feature of second-run films for $7, while its matinee offers two flicks for only $4.50. Best of all, on your birthday you get in free. Another second-run theater with good prices is the Four Star (Clement at 23rd Ave., S.F. 415-666-3488), which also shows Asian cinema you might not see anywhere else in the city. General admission is $7, and the matinee is $4.50 Monday through Friday, before 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, before 2 p.m.

Some of the best movie prices are at the independent theaters, including the worker-owned Red Vic (1727 Haight, S.F. 415-668-3994), where general admission is just $6.50. Its discount card offers four admissions for $20, and its 2 p.m. matinee on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday is only $4.50. At the Roxie Cinema (3117 16th St., S.F. 415-863-1087) movies are $7, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for an affordable $4. The Roxie also has a great discount deal of five prepaid admissions for $22. San Francisco's Castro Theater (429 Castro, S.F. 415-621-6120) shows excellent films for $7.50, and the first matinee on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday is $4.50. In San Francisco one of the better corporate chains is AMC; its Kabuki 8 offers a twilight discount of $4.25, and 1000 Van Ness's twilight films (Mon.-Thurs., 4-6 p.m.) are $4.50.

In the East Bay the best moviegoing bargain is the Fine Arts Cinema (2451 Shattuck, Berk. 510-848-1143), which offers rewarding double-feature programming of classic and independent films. A general admission price of $8 gets you two films; you can also opt for the discount pass of six admissions for $25. Berkeley's second-run Elmwood Theater (2966 College, Berk. 510-649-0530) shows Hollywood blockbusters as well as the art-house films you missed during their first run. Elmwood's regular price is $8, with a $4.75 matinee; all shows on Tuesday are an attractive $4.50.

Alternative venues

Oakland's second-run movie theater the Parkway (1834 Park, Oakl. 510-814-2400) shows popular and independent films, as well as blasts from the past (including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Sat., midnight), and it serves food during the show. General admission is only $5, and Wednesday is shockingly cheap, with two-for-one admissions. Of course, you'll spend more on pizza and a couple of Sierra Nevadas, but this is still a cheap dinner-and-entertainment deal.

In San Francisco it doesn't get much more alternative than the Werepad (2430 Third St., S.F. 415-824-7334, www.werepad.com), where an admission price of $5 covers 16mm screenings of rare, bizarre, or unknown films, such as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster and the upcoming "Experiments in Terror" program of experimental horror films (Fri/29). Adventurous viewers in search of a bargain will also want to check out events at Artists' Television Access (992 Valencia, S.F. 415-824-3890, www.atasite.org), where there's always something interesting being shown and the policy is never to turn away patrons for lack of funds. ATA has a monthly screening of underground video, with a postshow party, and although the suggested donation is $3, you get in free if you bring a video you've made; this month's show is Thurs/21, 7:30 p.m.

The various local universities can be a good place to look for cheap movies. One of the best deals in the city is the regular film series at San Francisco State University (415-338-2444, www.aspa-sfs.org), where for just $3 you can see 35mm prints of popular films in their second run. This is a weekly series with screenings on Wednesday or Thursday evenings; the organizers also occasionally host free sneak previews throughout the school year. Another option is the Cole Hall Cinema series at the University of San Francisco (513 Parnassus, S.F. 415-476-6932), where you can see 16mm prints of popular films for $4 or $2.50 – though the university is pressuring the organizers to stop showing films and switch to video. The spring series runs April through May.

If you're a fan of Japanese animation, you should join UC Berkeley's anime club (www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~animage) for its regular, free screenings of anime not commercially available in the United States. Screenings this semester are Mondays, 7-10 p.m., and if you join the club ($8 membership) you can also borrow videos from its extensive library. Another offbeat location for free video screenings is the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (425 Washington, S.F. 415-788-6210, www.sfiic.org). The institute shows a video on its big screen every week; through April 30 it's "Recent Italian Cinema" on Tuesday evenings.

Rentals

Mission Video (5188 Mission, S.F. 415-586-2375) offers a good deal: five movies for five days for $5 from the store's older stock. At Dr. Video in Glen Park (2810 Diamond, S.F. 415-333-7321) and in Potrero Hill (1521 18th St., S.F. 415-826-2900) you can get old videos at $1.25 after your first two regular-price videos, and every month videos with a theme, such as "animals," are $1.25. You can find a great deal at Leather Tongue Video (714 Valencia, S.F. 415-552-2900), which specializes in cult films, on Tuesdays, when everything in the store is 99¢.

In Berkeley at Front Row Video (1831 Solano, Berk. 510-526-5353) Monday through Thursday two or more videos are $2 each, and Fridays after 5 p.m. you get a dollar off if you can make a shot with the Nerf basketball. At Videots (2988 College, Berk. 510-540-0222) you can get two for one Monday through Wednesday, and on Sunday a second video is just $1. At Video Maniacs (1484 University, Berk. 510-540-7368) rent two, get one free Sunday through Wednesday.