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Mother and Child Reunionposted by Kathy Fennessy (September 04, 2010, 09:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>MAMMA ROMA (Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italy, 1962, 35mm, 105 mins.) “At your age, the only woman you need is a mother.” Despite modest exposure and mixed reviews, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s second feature, Mamma Roma, has only grown in stature over… C'mon a My Houseposted by Kathy Fennessy (August 07, 2010, 03:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>HOUSE / Hausu (Nobuhiko Obayashi, Japan, 1977, 35mm, 87 mins.) Chocolate, candy, bread, love, and dreams! Infamous Japanese whatsit House is the quintessential 1970s artifact. The animated opening recalls The Rocky Horror Picture Show before introducing fresh-faced schoolgirls Fantasy (Kumiko… I'm a Believerposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 22, 2010, 01:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>LEON MORIN, PRIEST / Lèon Morin, Prêtre (Jean-Pierre Melville, France, 1961, 35mm, 117 mins.) There’s not a trace of doubt in my mind. — Neil Diamond Lèon Morin, Priest provides persuasive evidence that French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville didn’t just make… Jumpin Jupiter!posted by David Jeffers (July 12, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Iron Horse (1924) Thursday July 15, 7pm, The Castro, San Francisco “In the heart of one man there is no rivalry” Set amid the romance and mythology of the American West, construction of the Transcontinental Railroad is recounted in… Fun with Barbellsposted by David Jeffers (July 11, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Strong Man (1926) Saturday July 17, 4pm, The Castro, San Francisco “…if you don’t stop following me I’ll turn you over to a truant officer!” A baby-faced boob immigrates to America after The War to search for his pen-pal… Preservation and Performanceposted by Anne M. Hockens (July 11, 2010, 12:13 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The 15th Annual San Francisco Silent Film FestivalJuly 15-18, 2010The Castro TheatreSan Francisco, CA Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:”“; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:”Times… Fire in the Skyposted by David Jeffers (July 10, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Flying Ace (1926) Saturday July 17, 2pm, The Castro, San Francisco “Bad news travels fast.” A railroad agent disappears under suspicious circumstances and former detective, World War Aviator Billy Stokes (Lawrence Criner) is enlisted to solve the crime. The… Deafening Silenceposted by David Jeffers (July 09, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Metropolis (1927) Friday July 16, 8:15pm, The Castro, San Francisco The son of a powerful industrialist discovers a grim subterranean world that exists to support his privileged life. After witnessing a terrible accident and hearing Maria (Brigitte Helm), a prophet… A Golden Roachposted by David Jeffers (July 07, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Pass the Gravy (1928) Saturday July 17, 10am, The Castro, San Francisco “It’s my chicken - and I’m going to eat it !” Feuding neighbors “bury the hatchet” for the sake of their kids, but their cease-fire ends in hilarious… Dinner at The Bull Pupposted by David Jeffers (July 02, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Cook (1918) Saturday July 17, 10am, The Castro, San Francisco A cook (Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle) and waiter (Buster Keaton) stoically go about their jobs with reckless abandon and silliness. A rough character (Al St. John) disrupts their enterprise, harasses… SIFF 2010 - WHAT I LIKEDposted by E. Steven Fried (July 01, 2010, 04:41 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Hello, people. I’ve been away awhile. According to Movable Type, I haven’t posted an entry since August, 2008. Well, I’m back. Not just to Siffblog, but to Seattle and SIFF. Hopefully to stay. I was fairly busy during the festival… Los Lost Muchachasposted by David Jeffers (June 29, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Diary of a Lost Girl (1929) Saturday July 17, 6:30pm, The Castro, San Francisco “I know all about this home and its ‘blessings’…” The adolescent daughter of a spineless, ineffectual pharmacist is raped by her father’s assistant and gives birth… Yuletide Mayhemposted by David Jeffers (June 27, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Big Business (1929) Saturday July 17, 10am, The Castro, San Francisco “Merry Christmas!” Two salesmen who refuse to take “no” for an answer meet their match in an equally stubborn homeowner. Only Stan and Ollie would attempt to sell Christmas… You don't miss what you never had, till it's gone.posted by David Jeffers (June 26, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>L’Heureuse Mort (1924) Sunday July 18, 7:30pm, The Castro, San Francisco When a failed playwright is lost at sea and presumed dead, he is eulogized as a cultural hero. Theodore Larue (Nicolas Rimsky) sheepishly watches through a hole in the… Papa Was a Rolling Stoneposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 24, 2010, 12:30 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>DADDY LONGLEGS / Go Get Some Rosemary (Ben and Joshua Safdie, US, 35mm, 98 mins.) Wherever he laid his hat was his home. — The Temptations Some people grow up with dads who are, well, dads. It isn’t that they… Love and Boxingposted by David Jeffers (June 23, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Shakedown (1929) Sunday July 18, 12pm, The Castro, San Francisco An itinerant boxer “on the take” gets a taste of family life and re-sets his moral compass. Dave Roberts (James Murray) arrives in Boonton ahead of his gang to… Soviet Swing Kidsposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 09, 2010, 10:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>HIPSTERS / Stilyagi ***1/2 (Valery Todorovsky, Russia, 2008, 125 mins.) Everyone has seen a hipster, but no one is one. — Douglas Wolk, 2010 EMP Pop Conference Don’t let the title scare you away. Hipsters has nothing to do with… Retour à La Merposted by David Jeffers (June 08, 2010, 06:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) Wednesday June 9, 7:30pm, The Paramount, Seattle “Slowly, silently, it rises from unfathomable depths.” A French scientist leads an expedition sent to find and destroy a gigantic, menacing sea monster. He discovers instead a… Fog of War: Countdown & the Storyposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 31, 2010, 02:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>COUNTDOWN TO ZERO *** (Lucy Walker, US, 2010, 92 mins.) “How I Learned to Start Worrying and Fear the Bomb.” — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** With a rigorous eye, Blindsight’s Lucy Walker examines the… Boys Chasing Girls (in the forest)posted by David Jeffers (May 28, 2010, 02:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Yi Jian Mei/A Spray of Plum Blossoms (1931) Sunday May 30, 4:30pm, SIFF Cinema (Nesholm Family Lecture Hall), Seattle Friday July 16, 2:00pm, The Castro, San Francisco Jin Yan and Lam Cho-Cho (Shi Luohua/Silvia) Two military cadets, friends since… Family Ties: The Boy & The Concertposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 18, 2010, 04:45 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>NOWHERE BOY ***1/2 (Sam Taylor-Wood, 2009, UK, 95 mins.) John and Julia in Blackpool In “Mother,” John Lennon sang, “You had me, but I never had you.” Fine artist-turned-filmmaker Sam Taylor-Wood delves into the story behind those words, starting with… The Girl from God's Countryposted by David Jeffers (April 18, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Something New (1920) Monday April 19, 7pm, Admiral Theatre, Seattle “Love my dog - love me!” An independent young writer travels south of the border in search of inspiring atmosphere and gets more than she bargained for. Arriving in… Miner's Weekendposted by David Jeffers (April 13, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Gold Rush (1925) April 15-17, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco “You know this fellow is many-sided, a tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow, always hopeful of romance and adventure.” - Charles Chaplin Since his birth… A Trio from Lone Starposted by David Jeffers (March 26, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Chaplin Mutuals - 53, 54, 61 Monday March 29, 7pm, The Paramount, Seattle The Immigrant (1917) A group of steerage class passengers is observed as their steamer crosses the ocean to the New World. When a girl (Edna Purviance) and… i konei koe, Murnau...posted by David Jeffers (March 20, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931) Monday March 22, 7pm, The Paramount, Seattle “I will come to you in your dreams when the moon spreads its path on the sea” Tahitian lovers flee their island home to escape… Sexy Sadie, what have you done?posted by David Jeffers (March 13, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sadie Thompson (1928) Monday March 15, 7pm, The Paramount, Seattle “I guess I’m sorry for everybody in the world - Life is a quaint present from somebody.” A struggle between tolerance and zealotry takes place in a south-seas backwater when… Naughty Postcards from Baliposted by David Jeffers (March 05, 2010, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Legong: Dance of the Virgins (1935) Monday March 8, 7pm, The Paramount, Seattle “… a maiden in love is a maiden in haste.” Filmed in a blaze of color, amid the tropical splendor and elaborate rituals of Balinese life,… Police on My Back: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (February 03, 2010, 11:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>POLICE, ADJECTIVE / Politist, adjectiv (Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania, 2009, 113 mins.) Click here for part one As the walking and (cigarette) smoking continues, Cristi also follows a young woman who might be Victor’s girlfriend and maintains contact with Alex (Alexandru… Police on My Backposted by Kathy Fennessy (February 02, 2010, 09:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>POLICE, ADJECTIVE / Politist, adjectiv (Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania, 2009, 113 mins.) Nothing happened for three hours. — From Cristi’s report on Victor ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Corneliu Porumboiu’s Cannes Jury Prize-winning film, his superior follow-up to 12:08 East of… A Town Not Called Malice: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (January 27, 2010, 05:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A TOWN CALLED PANIC / Panique au village (Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar, Belgium/France, 2009, 75 mins.) Click here for part one As a gift, Indian and Cowboy decide to build a barbecue pit, but a technical snafu turns an… "Make it big. Make it Lon Chaney big."posted by David Jeffers (December 09, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The San Francisco Silent Film Festival 5th Annual Winter Program West of Zanzibar (1928) Saturday, December 12, 9:15pm The Castro, San Francisco “Gee, but you’re a strange man.” A Limehouse magician loses his wife to another man and seeks… Winter in The Cityposted by David Jeffers (December 06, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The San Francisco Silent Film Festival 5th Annual Winter Program The Goat (1921) Saturday, December 12, 7pm The Castro, San Francisco An unlucky young vagrant (Buster Keaton) is mistaken for the notorious fugitive Dead Shot Dan. Chased through city streets… Christmas Lightsposted by David Jeffers (December 03, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A still really doesn’t do justice to this exuberantly animated marquee. Channel lights in the letters sparkle like champagne, while chasing lights run around the outer edge and the glowing “5th” slowly rotates. Everyone in attendance was quite pleased…. "Meet Me On the Tower Bridge!"posted by David Jeffers (November 14, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Lost World (1925) Monday November 16, 7pm, The Paramount, Seattle “Great guns! We can’t get back! We’re prisoners - - ” A tenacious newspaper reporter fights for a spot on the controversial jungle expedition of a rogue academic…. Silent Transitionposted by David Jeffers (November 13, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Downfall of Osen (1935) Sunday November 15, 7pm, SIFF Cinema, Seattle Stranded on the platform of a crowded railway station, a man recalls his youth in a series of flashbacks: A young girl escapes a life of servitude,… Charlotte Scissorhände und...posted by David Jeffers (November 07, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>…The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) Monday November 9, 7pm, The Paramount, Seattle “Prince Achmed stands before the gates!” Her friend Jean Renoir claimed that premiere German animator Lotte Reiniger was “… born with magic hands.” From childhood, Reiniger… World in Your Eyesposted by Kathy Fennessy (November 06, 2009, 11:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>35 SHOTS OF RUM / 35 Rhums (Claire Denis, France, 2008, 35mm, 107 mins.) “I have the feeling I’m going to work often with you, because there is something in you that is so calm, that gives me, helps me… Run Silent, Run Deepposted by David Jeffers (October 30, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) Monday November 2, 7pm, The Paramount, Seattle “Slowly, silently, it rises from unfathomable depths.” A French scientist leads an expedition sent to find and destroy a gigantic, menacing sea monster. He discovers instead a… Ain't she sweet!posted by David Jeffers (October 26, 2009, 12:00 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Happy birthday baby! **Update** From Diana this morning:… Beauty and The Beastposted by David Jeffers (October 14, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>The Saga of Gösta Berling (1924) Friday October 16, 8pm, Northwest Film Forum, Seattle (Lars Hanson and Francis Cardinal Spellman) “You won’t escape by turning yourself into a beautiful corpse. Don’t you know that most people are dead already?”… Tuesday Morning Takedownposted by David Jeffers (October 07, 2009, 08:00 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>An outward and visible sign… The vertical marquee of Seattle’s historic Paramount Theatre came down on Tuesday, in cascading clouds of rust, grime and pigeon poop. With a large construction bucket and an even larger crane, ironworkers carefully dissected the… Love Me Some Highwayposted by Kathy Fennessy (September 12, 2009, 02:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>CONFESSIONSOFA EX-DOOFUS-ITCHYFOOTED MUTHA (Melvin Van Peebles, 2008, US, Digi-Beta, 99 mins.) Makin’ your own bed ain’t no guarantee it’s gonna be comfortable. — Melvin Van Peebles ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** On 8/21/09, Melvin Van Peebles, the man… The Man in the White Suitposted by Kathy Fennessy (August 15, 2009, 01:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>TONY MANERO (Pablo Larraín, Chile/Brazil, 2008, 95 mins.) “Al Pacino! Attica! Attica! Attica!” — Tony Manero (John Travolta) ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** As played by John Travolta, the Tony Manero of John Badham’s Saturday Night Fever was a 19-year-old… Dreamy Artisan Cinema: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 27, 2009, 08:30 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>LAKE TAHOE (Fernando Eimbcke, Mexico, 2008, 81 mins.) Click here for part one Turns out the money is the easy part. Juan borrows from a friend, but help continues to allude him and he can’t reach his mother by telephone…. Dreamy Artisan Cinemaposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 26, 2009, 10:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>LAKE TAHOE (Fernando Eimbcke, Mexico, 2008, 81 mins.) “The director calls his style ‘artisan cinema’; I just call it dreamy.” — Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** On a sunny day… Have you heard the one about the traveling salesman?posted by David Jeffers (July 08, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The Wind (1928) Saturday July 11, 7:30pm, The Castro “Wind … sand … sand …wind … yesterday …tomorrow … forever … ” A young woman travels West to live with her cousin in the harsh Texas desert. Letty (Lillian Gish)… Un Chien Perduposted by David Jeffers (July 07, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>“Envied, elegant and superior —” I put this question to dyed-in-the-wool silent movie fans, those dedicated fans of Polly Moran, Philippe De Lacy, Gustav on Seyffertitz and the Wampas Baby Stars: When did you last see an MGM silent film… Everything Dies: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 05, 2009, 02:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>MADE IN USA (Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1966, 90 mins.) Click here for part one In Made in U.S.A., the plot isn’t the point, though the film does have one, loosely borrowed from Richard Stark’s novel The Jugger* and Howard Hawks’… Mary, Mother of Hollywood...posted by David Jeffers (July 04, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>…and the Miracle on Santa Monica Boulevard The 14th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival The Gaucho (1927) Friday July 10, 7pm, The Castro “Yesterday was yesterday. Today is today. There is no tomorrow until it’s today.” Douglas Fairbanks chose… Everything Diesposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 04, 2009, 12:30 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>MADE IN USA (Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1966, 90 mins.) “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” — Walsh (Joe Mantell), Chinatown (1974) “Everything dies, baby, that’s a fact.” — Bruce Springsteen, “Atlantic City” (1982) ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****… Three Hankie Monday and...posted by David Jeffers (June 27, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>… My Favorite Year Film historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow once described 1927 as the Annus Mirabilis. It remains without a doubt, the greatest year the in storied existence of motion pictures. The Movies reached a parity of technology and… Dad always said...posted by David Jeffers (June 20, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>…Children should be seen and not heard. The Godless Girl (1929) Monday June 22, 7pm, The Paramount “The REFORMATORY..Bricks… Barbed-Wire…Iron… And rebellious Youth.” Christian and Atheist student groups battle for supremacy at an “everytown” American High School. When a riot… Let Nothing You Dismayposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 19, 2009, 07:50 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>THE MERRY GENTLEMAN (Michael Keaton, US, 2008, 97 mins.) “We’re like two peas in a pod.” Once upon a time he was a versatile comic presence who moved from sitcoms in the 1970s (Working Stiffs) to Ron Howard laughers (Night… Salt and Pepper on The Arno...posted by David Jeffers (June 13, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Romola (1925) Monday June 15, 7pm, The Paramount “He is the traitor of traitors — the liar of liars —” A mysterious stranger appears in 15th Century Florence and overturns the apple cart. Tito (William Powell) presents an outward… Last of The Talkies...posted by David Jeffers (June 11, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Part 7 The following SIFF 2009 previews are offered in order of their press screening dates. Must-sees from this group are OSS 117: Lost in Rio and Every Little Step. OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009) Sunday June 14, 6:30pm,… Talk, talk, talk...posted by David Jeffers (June 09, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Part 6 The following SIFF 2009 previews are offered in order of their press screening dates. Must-sees from this group are Fifty Dead Men Walking and Tetro. Three Blind Mice (2008) Monday June 8, 9:30pm, SIFF Cinema Wednesday June 20,… The Silence Returns...posted by David Jeffers (June 06, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Watch out for these women… Pacific Northwest Silent Era film enthusiasts can breath a collective sigh of relief as the popular Trader Joe’s Silent Movie Mondays series returns to Seattle’s Paramount Theater. Featuring four consecutive Monday programs, Women in Film… What Does Your Soul Look Like?posted by Kathy Fennessy (June 06, 2009, 09:30 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>COLD SOULS *** (Sophie Barthes, US, 97 mins.) In debut director Sophie Barthes’ believably surreal world, lovingly shot by Andrij Parekh, human beings can live without their souls—but it isn’t much of a way to live. Last seen duking it… Curse of The Talkiesposted by David Jeffers (June 03, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Part 5 The following SIFF 2009 previews are offered in order of their press screening dates. Must-sees from this group are Breathless and Against the Current. Krabat (2008) Tuesday June 9, 9:30pm, Admiral Theater Thursday June 11, 9:15pm, Uptown Cinemas… Quick SIFF Reviews 4posted by Gillian G. Gaar (June 01, 2009, 05:13 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>It Takes A Cult Dir: Eric Johannsen This doc examines the “Love Family” cult, founded by Love Israel in Seattle in the late ‘60s; originally based in a house on Queen Anne Hill, the group eventually relocated to a farm… Quick Hits: Food, Inc. and Summer Hoursposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 01, 2009, 10:15 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>SIFF screenings for the following have ended, but one title has already opened in Seattle, while the other opens shortly. FOOD, INC. *** Food, Inc. examines the costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact. Robert Kenner… Recent Reviewsposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 28, 2009, 11:58 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Shrink Dir: Jonas Pate Shrink is laden with modern day LA stereotypes: the troubled therapist, the teenager wiser than her years, the hyperactive agent. But as they’ve all got their problems, they’re somewhat endearing — or is it just a… Revenge of The Talkies...posted by David Jeffers (May 25, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Part 3 The following SIFF 2009 previews are offered in order of their press screening dates. Must-sees from this group are La Mission and William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe. Dancing Across Borders (2009) Monday May 25, 7pm, SIFF Cinema Tuesday… The "Poet" and "The Emperor"posted by David Jeffers (May 22, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Wild Rose (1932) Monday May 25, 1.30pm, The Egyptian A wealthy artist (Yan Jin) travelling the countryside is smitten with an impudent girl (Wang Renmei) and lingers in her village to paint. He returns to the city with her, where… 1 Quick SIFF review and a little noteposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 22, 2009, 03:26 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>William Kunstler: Disturbing The Universe Dir: Sarah Kunstler, Emily Kunstler June 2, SIFF Cinema, 4:30 pm June 4, SIFF Cinema, 7 pm This documentary examines the life of William Kunstler, who made his name defending innumerable controversial folks. It’s especially… Bride of The Talkies...posted by David Jeffers (May 21, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>Part 2 The following SIFF 2009 previews are offered in order of their press screening dates. Two from this group are must-sees, The Hurt Locker and The Exploding Girl. The Hurt Locker (2008) Thursday May 28, 7pm, SIFF Cinema Saturday… The Talkies...posted by David Jeffers (May 20, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Part 1 Spring is here, the crocus are blooming and Seattle International Film Festival has returned. The 2009 SIFF schedule includes a stellar selection of archival films, but alas, only one from the silent era. This year’s festival trailer created… Quick SIFF reviews 1posted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 11, 2009, 10:18 PM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>Your time is valuable. So is mine. In the interest of our ever decreasing attention spans, I will keep my reviews brief. If I say “Recommended” it means you could consider spending money on seeing said film. If I don’t… Mennonites in Mexico, or Lust in the Austere Dustposted by Kathy Fennessy (April 08, 2009, 11:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>SILENT LIGHT / Luz Silenciosa / Stellet Licht (Carlos Reygadas, Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany, 2007, 127 mins.) “The best damn Mexican Mennonite drama ever made.” — Neil Pedley, IFC.com “I couldn’t stop laughing, it was just too much.” — IMDb Message Board comment… Happy Eighty-First!posted by David Jeffers (March 14, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>“NEW SEATTLE THEATRE OPENS – The upper photograph shows Mayor Bertha K Landes and Frank B. Edwards, nominated at Tuesday’s primaries, buying tickets for the new Seattle Theatre, which was opened last evening. The lower photograph gives some idea… Exquisite Gem: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (February 23, 2009, 11:00 AM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY (click here for part one) “Everything about being indie is tied to not being black.” — Micah (Wyatt Cenac) ***** ***** ***** Joanne, as it turns out, left her wallet in the cab, giving Micah an excuse… Exquisite Gemposted by Kathy Fennessy (February 19, 2009, 09:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY (Barry Jenkins, US, 2008, 87 mins.) I’m so thrilled that this gorgeously shot and edited film is coming to our town! One of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 to Watch” last year, director Barry Jenkins has crafted something really… Rudy's Swan Song...posted by David Jeffers (February 13, 2009, 08:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Son of The Sheik (1926) Sunday February 15, 1:30 & 7:00pm, The Lynwood, Bainbridge Island “Lie still, you little fool!” An Arabian prince (Rudolph Valentino) becomes infatuated with a beautiful dancing girl (Vilma Banky), travelling each night to see… High Noon at Midnight...posted by David Jeffers (February 12, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) Saturday February 14, 6:30pm, The Castro, San Francisco A farmer (George O’Brien) is seduced by a woman from the city (Margaret Livingston), who persuades him to murder his wife (Janet Gaynor) and disguise… An Essential Silent Film Readerposted by David Jeffers (February 12, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>The following is a list of titles I consider the very best on the subject of silent era film. While numerous autobiographies hold great significance, they present a bias and should therefore be given only secondary consideration. Bitzer is… A Girl and Her Dog: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (February 12, 2009, 10:15 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>WENDY AND LUCY (click here for part one) “No weeping strings.” — Manohla Dargis, The New York Times ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Then Lucy is gone, and Wendy is stuck in a strange town, all alone with a… Rocket to Rockvilleposted by David Jeffers (February 11, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Our Hospitality (1923) Saturday February 14, 12:00pm, The Castro, San Francisco “He’ll never forget our hospitality.” As two families pursue their ancestral feud in 1810 Appalachia, John McKay is killed by Joseph Canfield (Joe Roberts) and his wife sends their… A Valentine from Lake Arrowheadposted by David Jeffers (February 08, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Sunrise (1927) The fourth annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival Winter Program takes place this Saturday at the Castro Theater. Live musical accompaniment for the Valentine’s Day program will showcase two of the finest musicians currently performing for silent… Terror in The Ghettoposted by David Jeffers (January 24, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The Golem (1920) Monday January 26, 7:00pm, The Paramount, Seattle In sixteenth century Prague, the Emperor declares that all Jews will be banished from the city. A rabbi using magical powers creates a man made of earth to protect… A Girl and Her Dogposted by Kathy Fennessy (January 23, 2009, 10:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>WENDY AND LUCY (Kelly Reichardt, US, 2008, 80 mins.) If a person can’t afford dog food, then they shouldn’t have a dog. — A grocery clerk sets Wendy straight ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Once upon a… The Other Barrymore...posted by David Jeffers (January 16, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Bells (1926) Monday January 19, 7:00pm The Paramount, Seattle Desperate to save his livelihood and public standing, a congenial businessman, Mathais (Lionel Barrymore), murders a wealthy stranger for his gold to pay an insurmountable debt. As a mountain blizzard… Beyond Dietrichposted by Anne M. Hockens (January 15, 2009, 10:32 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Genius at work. Josef von Sternberg: Eros and Abstraction January 15, 2009 - February 22, 2009 PFA, Berkley, CA Series curated by Susan Oxtoby. Co-presented by Goethe-Institut San Francisco. “So many people ended up hating this lonely, gifted little… Amour Désespéré...posted by David Jeffers (January 03, 2009, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) Monday January 5, 7:00pm, Paramount Theater, Seattle “He looked like a giant broken to pieces and badly cemented together.” - Victor Hugo The power of the “prestige” film and the art of the deal… Silent Nightsposted by David Jeffers (December 31, 2008, 12:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Winter Season of archival silent film out West begins this evening amid the gothic splendor of Nob Hill’s landmark Grace Cathedral with a special presentation of Universal Pictures’ 1923 blockbuster, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Based on Victor… Far from Heavenposted by Kathy Fennessy (December 26, 2008, 01:15 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>DAY OF WRATH / Vrdens Dag (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1943, Denmark, 110 mins.) “You asked if I ever wished you were dead. I have wished it hundreds of times.” — Anne to Absalon ***** ***** ***** Day of Wrath has… Valkyrieposted by Amie Simon (December 23, 2008, 02:21 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Everyone looks exactly like this throughout the ENTIRE film. At first glance, it seems like Valkyrie can’t fail. A taut political thriller based on a true story that involves tragedy, honor, betrayal and suspense – definite Oscar candidate, right?… Dirty Harry in the Hoodposted by Kathy Fennessy (December 15, 2008, 10:00 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>GRAN TORINO (Clint Eastwood, US, 2008, 116 mins.) “Why don’t they buy American?” — Walt Kowalski on foreign-car buyers “What are you peddling today, Padre?” — Walt Kowalski to his persistent priest “Get off my lawn.” — Walt Kowalski to… World of Echoesposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 21, 2008, 08:45 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>WILD COMBINATION: A PORTRAIT OF ARTHUR RUSSELL (Matt Wolf, US, 2008, HDCAM, 70 mins.) The things that I like seem to be so different. They’re not the things that everybody likes. — Arthur Russell ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****… The Night Is a Friendposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 12, 2008, 06:45 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>THE EXILES (Kent Mackenzie, US, 1961, 72 mins.) Bunker Hill was then a blighted residential locality of decayed Victorian mansions, sometimes featured in the writings of Raymond Chandler, John Fante and Charles Bukowski. — Milestone press release Better than any… Shadows and Swordplayposted by David Jeffers (September 19, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Red Knight-Errant: Red Heroine (1929) Sunday September 21, 7:30pm, SIFF Cinema (Nesholm Family Lecture Hall) The origins of Chinese theatrical film parallel other World markets beyond Europe and North America, where production and distribution began. Soon after their introduction, Edison… Self-Portrait in a Shattered Lensposted by Kathy Fennessy (August 23, 2008, 03:30 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>VIVRE SA VIE: A Film in 12 Scenes / Film en douze tableaux (Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1962, 85 mins.) Godard spent entire films sending semaphore-like messages about the corruption of Western consumer society, but My Life to Live communicates more,… Is It Just Me or Have You Become an Emotionless Shell?posted by Anne M. Hockens (August 21, 2008, 10:36 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Invasion of the Body Snatchers The Long View: A Celebration of Widescreen Pacific Film Archive Berkley, CA Friday, August 22, 2008 7:00pm Available on DVD from Republic Pictures “There’s no emotion. None. Just the pretense of it. The words, the… Branded to Killposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 25, 2008, 10:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A COLT IS MY PASSPORT / Koruto wa ore no pasupoto (Takashi Nomura, Japan, 1967, 35mm, 84 mins.) I think it’s stupid for us to fight in a narrow little country like this. It’s better to have large dreams. —… I Have Always Been Here Beforeposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 19, 2008, 02:00 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD / L’Année dernière à Marienbad (Alain Resnais, France, 1961, 94 mins.) [A]n elaborate joke on the world’s corniest pickup line. — J. Hoberman (he liked it) The snow job in the ice palace. — Pauline Kael… Sunday Night With the Girlsposted by David Jeffers (July 10, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The 13th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival concludes with a pair of gems, from two of Hollywood’s sweethearts. Her Wild Oat (1927) Sunday July 13, 3:50pm, The Castro Theater, San Francisco “An English accent and a little French dressing… Camping Out at The Castroposted by David Jeffers (July 09, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Saturday at the 13th annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival begins at 10am with Amazing Tales From The Archives, and concludes after midnight with Lon Chaney. The Man Who Laughs (1928) Saturday July 12, 7:45pm, The Castro Theater, San Francisco… The 13th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festivalposted by David Jeffers (July 08, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>The San Francisco Silent Film Festival returns this weekend, more fantastic than ever, with something for everyone and surprises guaranteed. Opus thirteen begins Friday night with the bespectacled boy, and a gem from Old Hollywood. The Kid Brother (1927) Friday… After The Fireworksposted by David Jeffers (July 03, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>On the heels of Seattle Theater Group’s Douglas Fairbanks series, accompanist Dennis James appears at two historic Puget Sound venues over the holiday weekend. This year’s anniversary celebration at Bainbridge Island’s Lynwood Theater features two Saturday screenings of King Vidor’s… "The Curse of Capistrano"posted by David Jeffers (June 26, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Mark of Zorro (1920) Monday June 30, 7:00pm, The Paramount Theater The creation of United Artists Corporation brought greater artistic freedom to all of its founding members. Already an established star, Douglas Fairbanks caused a sensation in 1920 with… A few loose ends ...posted by David Jeffers (June 22, 2008, 12:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>“Eating my vegetables” Follow-up on the supposed lost Technicolor segments from The Gaucho, seems to point toward an all too familiar likelihood. There are numerous Technicolor references tied to this film, among them, no less than the AFI silent film… Robin Hood de los Pampas, or ...posted by David Jeffers (June 19, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>… “Doug gets religion.” The Gaucho (1927) Monday June, 7:00pm The Paramount Theater Douglas Fairbanks chose a swarthy Argentine anti-hero for his next-to-last silent role in The Gaucho (1927). A young shepherdess is visited by the Holy Virgin while tending… My final SIFF 2008 film: Donkey Punchposted by Amie Simon (June 16, 2008, 12:16 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Start with three hot chicks, add four mildly-hot guys, a boat, some alcohol and various drugs and of course you’re going to end up with an orgy in the middle of the ocean that eventually ends in massive bloodshed…. 25¢ to Sherwood Forestposted by David Jeffers (June 14, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 5) MORE >>>Robin Hood (1922) Monday June 16, 7:00pm, The Paramount Theater “So fleet the works of men Back to their earth again Ancient and holy things Fade like a dream.” All ye who enter here, leave your twenty-first century scoffing and… SIFF 2008: Villa Jasminposted by Amie Simon (June 11, 2008, 09:51 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Villa Jasmin screens at the 34th Annual Seattle International Film Festival tonight - Wednesday, June 11 at 9pm @ The Egyptian, and again on Sunday, June 15 at 9:30pm @ The Harvard Exit. You can buy tickets online here…. The Sons of Mandrakeposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 08, 2008, 10:00 AM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD (***) (Sean McGinly, US, 2008, 87 mins.) Mentalism is similar to stage magic, featuring some of the same basic tools, principles, sleights and skills in its performance. — Wikipedia entry ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****… Curtis and The Kwakiutlsposted by David Jeffers (June 07, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>“From the wind-swept Straits of Fuca…” A flawed but monumental accomplishment of ethnological studies, The North American Indian (1907-1930), includes approximately 5000 pages of text and over 2000 illustrations in twenty volumes. It was the obsessive life work of… SIFF 2008 Favorite: Anvil! The Story of Anvilposted by Amie Simon (June 06, 2008, 02:54 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Anvil! The Story of Anvil screened at the 34th Seattle International Film Festival on Thursday, June 5 and plays again today - Friday, June 6, 4:30pm @ SIFF Cinema. You can buy tickets online here Though you could bill… SIFF 2008 Favorite: Shall We Kiss?posted by Amie Simon (June 03, 2008, 12:42 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Only the French could craft a thoroughly hilarious romantic comedy about…cheating. Director and writer Emmanuel Mouret walks us through a comedic story within a story about the complications of attraction, lust & love, and relationships in general. A man… Independent Provocateursposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 01, 2008, 10:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>DEREK (Isaac Julien, 2008, UK, 76 mins.) (***) It feels like the correct time to be reminded of an ancient tradition that has always served civilization well, that of the independent, truth-telling poet provocateur. — Tilda Swinton to The New… Cloudy Mondayposted by David Jeffers (May 31, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>When the Clouds Roll by (1919) Monday June 2, 7:00pm The Paramount, Seattle “Never despair, folks, everything will be Jake .. .. when the clouds roll by.” Youthful enthusiasm, show-stopping feats of athletic lunacy and hilarious, eye-catching gimmicks were Douglas… SIFF 2008: Hit and Missposted by Amie Simon (May 31, 2008, 07:55 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>First, the Hit: Because I couldn’t make it last night, I caught the early showing of American Teen this morning, and LOVED every minute of it. There’s been some talk among my friends about whether this documentary was completely real,… SIFF 2008 Favorite: Ben Xposted by Amie Simon (May 30, 2008, 01:01 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Ben X screens at the 34th Annual Seattle International Film Festival tonight, May 30th, 9:30pm, and Sunday June 1, 4pm @ Uptown Cinema.* You can buy tickets here. This visually engaging film focuses on Ben, a teenager with a… Juiced and Rippedposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 30, 2008, 09:15 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>BIGGER, FASTER, STRONGER* (***) (Christopher Bell, US, 2008, 105 mins.) We were experimenting with it. It was a new thing. — Arnold Schwarzenegger ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** **** In the 1980s, pop culture junkies viewed Hulk Hogan, Sylvester… The Return of Indiana Jonesposted by Anne M. Hockens (May 29, 2008, 03:19 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Director Steven Spielberg and the cast of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. San Francisco- The Castro Theatre: http://www.castrotheatre.com/ Seattle- The Cinerama: http://www.cinerama.com/ Or throw a rock and… SIFF 2008: Bad Habitsposted by Amie Simon (May 29, 2008, 09:27 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Bad Habits screens at the 34th Annual Seattle International Film Festival tonight Thursday, May 29th at 9:45pm, and again on Sunday, June 1 at 9:15pm @ The Egyptian. You can buy tickets online here. The first feature from Director… Warm, Dark and Silent ...posted by David Jeffers (May 28, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Robert Houdin sur la 12ème Avenue … Seattle’s Spring and Summer of silent era film kicked off with the whimsy and mischief of Georges Melies at Northwest Film Forum. A packed house for the May 15 show will hopefully encourage… A small break from SIFF: the Sex and the City Movieposted by Amie Simon (May 28, 2008, 09:49 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>I will probably get a lot of crap for posting about this on SIFFBlog, but I got to see the sneak preview of the Sex and the City movie last night, so I feel compelled to share the experience…. SIFF 2008 Favorite: Sita Sings the Bluesposted by Amie Simon (May 24, 2008, 10:24 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Sita Sings the Blues screens at the 34th Annual Seattle International Film Festival this weekend: Sunday, May 25 1:30pm, and Monday, May 26 6:30pm @ the Uptown Cinemas. You can buy tickets online here. Two parallel stories – the… Opulent and Radiantposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 24, 2008, 09:15 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>THE SAGA OF ANATAHAN (***1/2) (Josef von Sternberg, 1953, Japan, 92 mins.) Though language is not always the best way to communicate an idea, its use should not be ignored entirely. — Josef von Sternberg (1894-1969) ***** It’s just like… More caps: Patti Smith, Hair, Heavy Metal, Emmanuel Jal, Hidden Faceposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 22, 2008, 03:49 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Patti Smith: Dream Of Life This is an impressionistic portrait of the artist; though I would’ve preferred a more linear take on her story, this film is probably a better representation of her own outlook/aesthetic. Smith narrates in her wonderfully… SIFF 2008 Favorite: Mermaidposted by Amie Simon (May 22, 2008, 03:11 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Mermaid screens at the 34th Seattle International Film Festival on Saturday May 24, 1:15pm @ The Egyptian, and Monday May 26, 9pm @ Pacific Place. You can buy tix online here. From the whimsical opening credits through the gorgeously… 4 Caps: Wrecking Crew, Last Mistress, Gonzo, Song Sung Blueposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 21, 2008, 11:03 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>The Wrecking Crew is a fascinating film about a loose-knit collection of studio musicians who played on hundreds, probably thousands of songs you’d recognize: “California Girls,” “Close To You,” “Be My Baby,” “Mrs. Robinson,” and on and on and on…. A Hit and a Missposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 17, 2008, 09:30 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>ELITE SQUAD / Tropa de Elite (***1/2) (José Padilha, Brazil, 118 mins.) Captain Nascimento (Wagner Moura, Lower City, SIFF ‘07) Though José Padilha’s action-packed crime drama won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival, a steady stream of controversy… Chekhov's Gunposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 14, 2008, 01:15 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>SHOTGUN STORIES (Jeff Nichols, US, 2007, 35mm, 90 mins.) If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don’t put it there. — Anton Chekhov (1860-1904)… The Father of Everything ...posted by David Jeffers (May 13, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Georges Melies: Impossible Voyager Special Effects Epics from 1901 – 1913 Thursday, May 15, 8:00 p.m. Northwest Film Forum What is the origin of theatrical film? The significant facts of where and how it began have disappeared from our cultural… SFIFFBLOG - Week Two - The Forks, The Lap, The Furposted by E. Steven Fried (May 11, 2008, 10:19 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>My Winnipeg SFIFF51 closed May 8th with a screening of Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. A week ago, Saturday, I went to the Pacific Film Archive to see Guy Maddin present his latest, My… Two Blurbs: Encounters at the End of the World and Derekposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 08, 2008, 12:20 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>After heading “into the wild,” so to speak, with Grizzly Man, Werner Herzog heads south to another remote corner of the globe, Antarctica, in Encounters…. Thankfully, he also narrates, as I love his voice (I was particularly hung up on… SFIFFBLOG - Week Oneposted by E. Steven Fried (May 04, 2008, 06:29 PM, Comments: 6) MORE >>>The Romance of Astrea and Celadon The 51st San Francisco International Film Festival began a week and a half ago with an opening night screening of The Last Mistress. Due to time limitations [work] and fiscal constraints [relocation debts]… The Life Before Her Eyesposted by Amie Simon (April 11, 2008, 11:03 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Since director Vadim Perelman directed one of my favorite films: The House of Sand and Fog, and (in my opinion), translated the book beautifully to film – I had hopes that The Life Before Her Eyes would be just… Sincerity and Violence, or What I Did on My Summer Vacationposted by Kathy Fennessy (March 17, 2008, 12:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>LA CHINOISE / La Chinoise, ou Plutôt à la Chinoise: Un Film en Train de se Faire (Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1967, 90 mins.) Mao’s ideas can help me…in any case, you need sincerity and violence. — Guillaume (Jean-Pierre Léaud) *****… I Started a Jokeposted by Kathy Fennessy (March 09, 2008, 10:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>FUNNY GAMES [U.S.] (Michael Haneke, US, 2007, 107 mins.) I started a joke, which started the whole world crying, but I didn’t see that the joke was on me. — The Bee Gees, “I Started a Joke” (1967) What a… Happy Eightieth!posted by David Jeffers (March 01, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Orpheum By The Numbersposted by David Jeffers (February 10, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>I love any discussion involving silent film, rattling off its endless minutia, and posing countless, obscure questions. While preparing for The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) last month, I ended an e-mail to Northwest Film Forum Communications Director Ryan Davis… Land of the Midnight Sauna: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (February 09, 2008, 09:00 AM, Comments: 5) MORE >>>EIGHT DEADLY SHOTS / Kahdeksan surmanluotia (Mikko Niskanen, 1972, Finland, 35mm, 145 mins.) Click here for part one Eight Deadly Shots is perhaps the most nuanced picture of the working of the economic system in the history of our cinema: a… Land of the Midnight Sauna: Part Oneposted by Kathy Fennessy (February 03, 2008, 12:00 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>SKIN, SKIN / Käpy selän alla (Mikko Niskanen, 1966, Finland, 35mm, 89 mins.) The Finnish word sisu means resilience and survival under difficult circumstances. In shorthand, it’s often translated as “guts,” and is regarded as a characteristic Finnish trait. —… Noir and a Whole Lot More.posted by Anne M. Hockens (February 01, 2008, 03:05 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Cops confront Laird Cregar in Hangover Square Noir City 6 http://www.noircity.com/noircity.html The Castro Theatre San Francisco January 25th - February 3rd, 2008 Hangover Square (Fox Home Entertainment) Dangerous Crossing (Fox Home Entertainment) Reign of Terror (Alpha Video) Border Incident… “California is wonderful; if you’re a grapefruit.”posted by Anne M. Hockens (January 29, 2008, 03:35 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Joan Leslie in Repeat Performance Noir City 6 The Castro Theatre San Francisco January 25th - February 3rd, 2008 Opening Weekend Review Despite torrential rain, Noir City 6’s opening weekend boasted record attendance. Actually watching film noirs in a… Celestial Patience and Running with Scissors: Weimar animator Lotte Reiniger and …posted by David Jeffers (January 25, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>… The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926). Friday, January 25, 8:00 p.m., Northwest Film Forum Her friend Jean Renoir claimed that premiere German animator Lotte Reiniger was “… born with magic hands.” From childhood, Reiniger possessed an unusual talent for… Getting in on the ground floor ...posted by David Jeffers (January 21, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>… a brief discussion with Dennis James and the film that started it all. My lifetime journey of discovery through the history and culture of silent era film has presented me with no more valued or personally edifying contact than… January Rushposted by David Jeffers (January 19, 2008, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The month of January ends with an indulgent flurry of screenings for Pacific Northwest silent film enthusiasts, featuring three theaters and four films over three days, with logistics to challenge all but the most avid of silent era moviegoers. The… Soul Desert: Part IIIposted by Kathy Fennessy (January 13, 2008, 09:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>DEEP END (Jerzy Skolimowski, UK, 1971, 35mm, 90 mins.) Part III (click here for Parts I and II) I don’t want to work away Doing just what they all say Work hard, boy, and you’ll find One day you’ll have… Soul Desert: Parts I and IIposted by Kathy Fennessy (January 10, 2008, 09:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>DEEP END (Jerzy Skolimowski, UK, 1971, 35mm, 90 mins.) Former child actor John Moulder-Brown Prologue A soundtrack that eclipses the film with which it’s associated is not an anomaly. Pink Floyd’s More (1969) is a case in point. Though I’ve… Love & Marriageposted by Kathy Fennessy (January 02, 2008, 09:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>MARRIED LIFE (Ira Sachs, US, 2007, 90 mins.) PREFAB PEOPLE (Béla Tarr, Hungary, 1982, 102 mins.) Love and marriage, love and marriage It’s an institute you can’t disparage. — Frank Sinatra (Cahn/Van Heusen) Nothing to “disparage” here… By coincidence, I… Henry King & Harry Langdonposted by David Jeffers (December 27, 2007, 06:52 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Announced this morning at 0500 PST: Films Selected for the 2007 National Film Registry • Back to the Future (1985) • Bullitt (1968) • Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) • Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) • Dances With Wolves… I'm Not there (4) Jesus and Rimbaudposted by Franz Bieberkopf (December 20, 2007, 08:05 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>I could do without the Jesus and Rimbaud bits. First, the Rimbaud, because the content would have been just as effective if placed in the press conference scenes with Cate Blanchett, without the confusion of another actor and another character…. Remember The Nightposted by Anne M. Hockens (December 15, 2007, 02:09 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Remember the Night 1940 Director: Mitchell Leisen Screenplay: Preston Sturges Screening: Sunday December 16, 2007 7:00 pm at the Lynwood Theatre on Bainbridge Island Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck debate morality and their future. Mitchell Leisen’s Remember the Night is… Starting Out in the Eveningposted by Amie Simon (December 14, 2007, 09:10 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Once when I was dating another writer, he expressed concerns for his future happiness by sharing this with me: “Writers are essentially very selfish. They HAVE to be to write well, and I know that means that I probably… The Post-Punk Poet of Portugal: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (December 10, 2007, 04:52 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>COLOSSAL YOUTH / Juventude Em Marcha (Pedro Costa, Portugal/France/Switzerland, 2006, 155 mins.) Click here for part one “[H]is slow-moving, impressively photographed and deliberately rep- etitious zero-tech docudramas about the degraded lives of the poor will infuriate and alienate far more… She's a Femme Fataleposted by Anne M. Hockens (December 07, 2007, 03:56 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Greta Garbo, Flesh and The Devil Flesh and the Devil 1926 Director: Clarence Brown Director of Cinematography William Daniels Available on DVD from Warner Brothers: TCM Archives - The Garbo Silents Collection Screened at the San Francisco Silent Film… The Post-Punk Poet of Portugalposted by Kathy Fennessy (December 04, 2007, 04:48 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Pedro Costa ***** “Music is a bitch. I worship her.” — Bassoé, Casa de Lava His movies feature music by The The (“This Is the Day”) and Wire (“Lowdown”). His latest, Colossal Youth (2006), even takes its title from… I'm Not There (3) Woodyposted by Franz Bieberkopf (December 01, 2007, 04:39 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The boxcar scenes are as close as one can get to Hal Ashby’s “Bound for Glory” without Haskell Wexler controlling the light. The compositions are there, but the look is wrong. So, for that matter, are the characters…. Im Not There ( 1 of 8)posted by Franz Bieberkopf (December 01, 2007, 01:28 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>What “Nashville” was to the Bi-Centennial, “I’m Not There” is to the Millennium. Watching it is a crash course in what it has meant to be an American over the last 50 years. The movies, music, the politics, the myths,… Tinsel on The Painted Ladiesposted by David Jeffers (November 28, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Pot Calling the Kettle Black … Intolerance (1916) Saturday December 1, 2:00 p.m. The Castro, San Francisco Originally conceived as a three-reel drama, D.W Griffith’s Intolerance (1916) became his attempt to surpass the popular success achieved by The Birth… Leave It to Baby Dollposted by Kathy Fennessy (November 27, 2007, 10:15 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>BABY DOLL (Elia Kazan, US, R, 1956, 114 mins.) Today is the fifth day of November. Tomorrow is the sixth day of November, and the day after that is November seventh. And you know what day that is, don’t you?… Winter Preview: Part 2posted by David Jeffers (November 21, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Flying south for the winter … Vitaphone Vaudeville (1926-1930) December 1, 11:00 a.m. The Castro, San Francisco Intolerance (1916) December 1, 2:00 p.m. The Castro, San Francisco Flesh and The Devil (1926) December 1, 8:00 p.m. The Castro, San Francisco… Watch the Landlord Get Hisposted by Kathy Fennessy (November 20, 2007, 12:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>THE LANDLORD (Hal Ashby, US, 1970, 35mm, 114 mins.) There’s no worse career move in Hollywood than dying. Hal Ashby is now largely forgotten because he had the misfortune to die at the end of the ’80s, but he had… A Light in The Darknessposted by David Jeffers (November 14, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Regional selections of Silent Era film this Fall and Winter begin with the long overdue return of Fritz Lang’s greatest work from film’s greatest year, and conclude with a weekend of surprises in Port Townsend. Metropolis (1927) November 16 -… San Francisco Silent Film Festival Special Winter Eventposted by Anne M. Hockens (November 06, 2007, 04:21 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The San Francisco Silent Film Festival is presenting a special one day event on December 1, 2007 at the historic Castro Theatre (www.castrotheatre.com) in San Francisco. The day includes a program of Vitaphone shorts, as well as the screening of… Three Angry Menposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 28, 2007, 09:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD (Sidney Lumet, US, 2007, 116 mins.) Don’t call it a comeback / I’ve been here for years. — LL Cool J, “Mama Said Knock You Out” (1990) ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****… An Introduction to Anthropologyposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 22, 2007, 09:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>THE PORNOGRAPHERS / Jinruigaku Nyumon: Erogotshi Yori (Shohei Imamura, 1966, Japan, 35mm, 128 mins.) I am interested in the relationship of the lower part of the human body and the lower part of the social structure. I want to make… Black and White and Blue All Overposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 18, 2007, 09:00 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>LET’S GET LOST (Bruce Weber, US, 1988, 35mm, 119 mins.) Almost blue / It’s almost touching it will almost do There’s a part of me that’s always true…always. — Chet Baker sings Elvis Costello ***** It’s too bad, really, that… Eternal Summer - Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festivalposted by E. Steven Fried (October 17, 2007, 08:39 AM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Bryant Chang, Joseph Chang and Kate Yeung Returning for a repeat screening, Eternal Summer initially showed at SIFF 2007 and was described in the program: “Friends since childhood, the studious Jonathan and athletic Shane must confront their true feelings… A Jewel on 2nd Avenueposted by David Jeffers (October 15, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>She may not be as fancy, she may not be as talked about, she may be smaller than the others, she may even lack their fine acoustics, but the grand old gal of Seattle theaters is without a doubt… Bears - Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festivalposted by E. Steven Fried (October 13, 2007, 07:04 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A big bowl of woof I have a friend who loves Bears. I don’t mean teddy bears. He might like those as well. What I mean is big, burly guys with lots of hair. Seth Rogen fits the bill,… Vivere - Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festivalposted by E. Steven Fried (October 10, 2007, 10:30 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Watching this film, two things struck me. One was the nice reds and greens Judith Kaufmann achieved in the cinematography and the other was that a good portion of the story involves a young woman’s romantic interest in an… The Best of Lezsploitation - Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festivalposted by E. Steven Fried (October 10, 2007, 08:30 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>One of the greatest movies ever made and that’s a fact! One of my absolute favorite genres is the European Sci-Fi Lesbian Vampire movie, a species of film that flourished in the 60’s and 70’s. Denoted by the use… Further Off the Straight & Narrowposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 08, 2007, 09:45 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>THE WITNESSES / LES TEMOINS (André Téchiné, France, 2007, 114 mins.) International Centerpiece of the 11th annual Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, The Witnesses is a true ensemble effort. Freckle-faced, poufy-lipped Emmanuelle Béart, who last worked with André Téchiné… The Mutuals - 60, 61, 62posted by David Jeffers (September 28, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Cure (1917) An affluent inebriate (Charles Chaplin) visits a health spring for “the water cure” and inadvertently pollutes the well with liquor, intoxicating all the guests. The Cure was Chaplin’s tenth of twelve “Mutual Specials” and dealt with a… Relics - The Melbourneposted by David Jeffers (September 27, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Postcards from Seattle, ca 1912 “The Greatest Living Human Being” The final three films produced under contract to the Mutual Film Corporation took Charles Chaplin as long to complete as the previous nine. Of twelve films released in 1916… The Children of Don Corleone (and Red Bull)posted by Kathy Fennessy (September 24, 2007, 09:00 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS (Joe Swanberg, US, 2007, BETA-SP, 84 mins.) It’s so easy to record a CD, or make a film, and the result is that there’s a lot of crap out there. — Joe Swanberg, GreenCine (8/29/06) *****… An English Music Hall on Spring Streetposted by David Jeffers (September 22, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A Night at The Empress As a starving, neglected child, the English Music Hall became Charles Chaplin’s home and salvation. The son of actors had to sing for his supper, much like other film stars in their youth. His older… The Mutuals - 57, 58, 59posted by David Jeffers (September 21, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Monday September 24, 7:00 pm, The Paramount Theater Behind The Screen (1916) A wickedly funny parody of his Keystone days, Behind the Screen was Charles Chaplin’s seventh production under contract to The Mutual Film Corporation. Building on themes used in… Relics - The Strandposted by David Jeffers (September 20, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Gone, but not (quite) forgotten, ca. 1936 Beginning with The Floorwalker in May of 1916, Charles Chaplin created a series of twelve two-reel shorts for The Mutual Film Corporation, and enthralled the world with the finest comedy ever produced… Who's Zoomin Who?posted by David Jeffers (September 18, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>A Dolly on a Dolly… or … Tracking the Wild Starlet. I am outing our post-show discussion from The Count. This is obviously not a tracking “in” setup, and its also an outdoor rig. It is however, the technology to… Modern Times: Charles Chaplin in the 21st Centuryposted by David Jeffers (September 15, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Growing old at 18 fps … Gloria Swanson (1922) Were he alive today, Charles Chaplin would be 118 years old. The series of two-reel shorts he produced for the Mutual Film Corporation have existed for nearly a century. They entertained… Ain't We Lucky We Got 'Emposted by Kathy Fennessy (September 15, 2007, 09:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>MY BROTHER’S WEDDING (Charles Burnett, US, 1983, 81 mins.) He has a very romantic view of the have-nots. — Mrs. Mundy on her son ***** Only a few minutes into My Brother’s Wedding, and my childhood began to flash before… The Mutuals - 54, 55, 56posted by David Jeffers (September 14, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Monday September 17, 7:00 pm, The Paramount Theater One A.M. (1916) Throughout his youth performing in British Music Halls, Charles Chaplin specialized in playing the inebriate stumblebum with hilarious results. The fourth of twelve two-reel shorts produced under contract to… Relics - Colonial / Grandposted by David Jeffers (September 13, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The Colonial Theater circa 1936 One A.M. at The Colonial Mutual Film Corporation previewed Charles Chaplin’s production of One A.M. at Seattle’s Colonial Theater on Sunday, August 6, 1916. The film went into general release the following day. The… That Obscure Object of Desireposted by Kathy Fennessy (September 11, 2007, 12:00 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>MALA NOCHE (Gus Van Sant, US, 1985, 35mm, 78 mins.) This has been a fantastic year to catch up with old favorites. Though American iconoclasts Allison Anders, Jim Jarmusch, and Gus Vant Sant came to fame in the 1980s, their… The Mutuals - 51, 52, 53posted by David Jeffers (September 08, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Monday September 10, 7:00 pm, The Paramount Theater The Floorwalker (1916) The first of twelve films Charles Chaplin produced for the Mutual Film Corporation, The Floorwalker(1916) might have been titled The Escalator, which is the focal point and primary source… Relics - Alhambra / Coliseumposted by David Jeffers (September 08, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The Coliseum Theater (twenty years later) circa 1936 Chaplin Plays The Alhambra The Floorwalker (1916), starring Clarlie Chaplin came to Seattle’s Alhambra Theater on Thursday, May 18, 1916 for a three day run. Post Intelligencer advertisements touted, “… his… Edna, Albert & The Ogreposted by David Jeffers (September 06, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Edna “She was blond, beautiful and serious and Chaplin was instantly captivated by her.” - David Robinson Edna Purviance was a constant presence in the work of Charles Chaplin, from his second film with Essanay, A Night Out (1915), through… Chaplin Returnsposted by David Jeffers (September 01, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Charles Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks on Wall St., April 8, 1918 The Paramount and Seattle Theater Group will screen Charles Chaplin’s entire Mutual Film Corporation catalog in chronological order over four successive Monday nights, beginning on September 10. The… Godard 101: A Girl and a Gunposted by Kathy Fennessy (August 31, 2007, 09:00 AM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>PIERROT LE FOU (Jean-Luc Godard, France/Italy, 1965, 35mm, 110 mins.) Marianne: Pierrot le Fou!!! Ferdinard: My name is Ferdinard. I have told you often enough. Christ almighty! ***** Like Wong Kar-Wai’s 2046, some movies seem more like a collection of… Now I'm Home (to Stay)posted by Kathy Fennessy (August 24, 2007, 09:00 AM, Comments: 6) MORE >>>YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME (Keven McAlester, US, 2005, 35mm, 92 mins.) I am not a member of the human race (not an earthling) and am in fact an alien from a planet other than earth. — Roky’s Declaration, June, 13,… An Account of His Disappearanceposted by Kathy Fennessy (August 09, 2007, 09:15 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>THIS IS GARY McFARLAND (Kristian St. Clair, US, 2006, 71 mins.) He was an overdose of style. — Guitarist Joe Beck ***** First things first. I know filmmaker Kristian St. Clair. I don’t know him from his directing, but because… Talking Timbuktuposted by Kathy Fennessy (August 07, 2007, 08:39 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>BAMAKO / THE COURT (Abderrahmane Sissako, Mali, 2006, not rated, 115 mins.) I was very aware that from my small position, and because I make films, I have to try to be the voice of millions of people. Because of… Message From Finlandiaposted by Kathy Fennessy (August 03, 2007, 12:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>LIGHTS IN THE DUSK / LAITAKAUPUNGIN VALOT (Aki Kaurismäki, Finland, 2006, 80 mins.) It comes off with a nice flavor, and then gives you a slight bite as it starts down the throat. — Vodka Rocks on Finlandia ****** As… Cosmic Translationposted by David Jeffers (July 28, 2007, 02:22 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The process of researching Cosmic Voyage (1936) without the benefit of English intertitles was challenging to say the least. Language translation is now possible using on-line programs, which offer varying degrees of accuracy. Attempting to work with a non-Latin based… Hijack at the Cosmodromeposted by David Jeffers (July 25, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Cosmic Voyage: Fantasy novella (1936) Saturday, July 28, 7 & 8:30 p. m., Northwest Film Forum Taken from the printed page and splashed across the big screen, science fiction flourished in early cinema. Beginning with Georges Méliès’ Le Voyage dans… The 12th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival - In Reviewposted by David Jeffers (July 18, 2007, 11:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>How will they ever top this?… The SFSFF 2007 - Day 3posted by David Jeffers (July 16, 2007, 11:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The third and final day of this year’s series began with More Amazing Tales from the Archives. Dr. Patrick Loughney, curator of motion pictures at George Eastman House, discussed the ongoing preservation of various early formats at GEH, including their… It Must Be Wonderful To Be A King!posted by Anne M. Hockens (July 15, 2007, 08:25 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Day One, San Francisco Sielnt Film Festival The Student Prince In Old Heidelberg Ramon Novarro and Norma Shearer The opening night of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival featured a screening of The Student Prince of Old Heidelberg (1927) (available… The SFSFF 2007 - Day 2posted by David Jeffers (July 14, 2007, 11:45 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>How often does the day come along when you have a chance to see rare Hal Roach silent shorts, followed by sensational Hollywood and Italian action features, anything written by June Mathis, and Wild Bill Wellman directing Louise Brooks and… The SFSFF 2007 - Day 1posted by David Jeffers (July 13, 2007, 02:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A Trip to the Dentist … 1924 Well here we are again, poised on the brink of that great indulgence, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. The twelfth annual celebration of movies our grannies loved, begins with MGM’s sensational The… The Dark Swanposted by David Jeffers (July 10, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A Doll’s House (1907) Lost in translation … The wonders of technology slowly crept up on the old world of oil painting and candlelight, throwing open doors of opportunity. Within reach of the working classes, portraiture and its visible… The Help Fights Back!posted by David Jeffers (July 08, 2007, 08:03 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Miss Lulu Bett (1921) Sunday, July 15, 3:35 p. m., The Castro, San Francisco Lois Wilson stars as the put-upon servant of her older sister’s household in this melodramatic gem, directed by William C. deMille. Dominated by bombastic man-of-the-house Dwight… The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927)posted by David Jeffers (July 07, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Their finest year … Nineteen Twenty-Seven was the year of miracles. Motion Pictures reached a parity of technology and creative expression, resulting in the greatest collective output of this or any other year, unsurpassed in both quantity and astonishing quality…. The Boy Wonderposted by David Jeffers (July 06, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Guns and Oranges San Dimas - 1900 Early Hollywood was beyond a doubt, the Wild West. Barnstorming film crews of socially questionable, youthfully indiscrete, armed and determined “movie people,” scrambled from one location to the next with the rock throwing,… The Black Pirate (1926)posted by David Jeffers (July 01, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>It beats selling soap! The Three Musketeers (1921) Douglas Fairbanks stood alone at the top in 1920. He was the original action hero, and a bona fide movie star. His smiling face appeared on newspapers from coast to coast. The… Relics: The Clemmer - Columbia - Boston Building (1912 - 1968)posted by David Jeffers (June 30, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A boyhood dream … Saturday, November 13, 1926 In the small upstairs bedroom of a North Seattle home, the eyes of a ten-year-old boy pop open, wide awake. He is too excited to sleep. Dressed and ready in a flash,… A Silent Feastposted by David Jeffers (June 26, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Summer/Fall 2007 As the Seattle International Film Festival concludes its annual cinematic extravaganza of excess, a summer of well known favorites await Northwest enthusiasts of silent era film, and what has become the nation’s foremost celebration of the silents, the… Abattoir Bluesposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 22, 2007, 03:25 AM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett, 1977, US, 35mm, 80 mins.) That’s the way nature is; an animal has his teeth and a man has his fists. — Killer of Sheep (1977) ***** While neo-realism is associated with Italy and the… Is it over?posted by E. Steven Fried (June 21, 2007, 02:50 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>So, did everybody have a good SIFF? Have you finally recovered from that closing night party hangover? Are you getting a reasonable amount of sunshine now? I did tolerably well. I didn’t see as many films as usual, only… eine Postkarte von Berlinposted by David Jeffers (June 13, 2007, 11:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Berlin: Symphony of a City (1927) Friday June 15, 7:00 & 9:30 p.m., The Triple Door Beginning with the pre-dawn ferocity of a locomotive roaring into the city, Walther Ruttmann’s cinematic tone poem Berlin: Symphony of a City (1927) hurls… Scott Walker: 30 Century Manposted by E. Steven Fried (June 13, 2007, 11:05 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>The British comic Lenny Henry once compared Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck by saying that whereas Tom Jones, on his best nights, was like catching lightning in a bucket, Engelbert Humperdinck was the bucket. Well then, Scott Walker, is… Great World of Soundposted by E. Steven Fried (June 12, 2007, 11:37 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>As previously mentioned, my sister visited this weekend. Among the films we saw were The Boss of It All and Great World of Sound. Both movies involve conniving businessmen and their shady schemes. Of the two, I preferred The… Fatal Attractionposted by David Jeffers (June 10, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>A Cottage on Dartmoor (1929) Wednesday June 13, 7:30p.m., SIFF Cinema (The Nesholm Family Lecture Hall), Seattle International Film Festival Sunday July 15, 6:00p.m., The Castro, The San Francisco Silent Film Festival A deranged man escapes from prison to seek… Recommendations: Dancing, singing high school students + wriggling foreheadsposted by Amie Simon (June 06, 2007, 09:29 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>There’s a few films coming up that I greatly enjoyed, so I wanted to clue you in so you don’t miss them. Daespo Naughty Girls is a comedy-musical-fantasy that pokes fun at Korean culture, and teenagers in particular. Based on… King of the triple take ...posted by David Jeffers (June 04, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>… Wallace Beery Tugboat Annie (1933) Wednesday June 6, 7:00pm, SIFF Cinema (The Neshlom Family Lecture Hall), Seattle International Film Festival Beggars of Life (1928) Saturday July 14, 8:45pm, The Castro, The San Francisco Silent Film Festival As the archetypal… 2 Days in Parisposted by Amie Simon (June 03, 2007, 11:19 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Before SIFF officially opened, I had already heard a few things about Julie Delpy’s feature directorial debut. First, I heard that it was almost exactly like Before Sunset. Second, I heard that it was okay, but the ending of… Midnight Adrenaline - "Them" and "Aachi & Ssipak"posted by Jake Ayers (June 02, 2007, 12:14 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>In years past, midnight moviegoing has been somewhat of a counter-cultural phenomenon, inviting attendees to stay up past their bedtime (a residual childhood rebellion?) to indulge in a cinematically subversive amalgam of high camp, ultra-violence, graphic sexuality, rude comedy, extreme… Daywatchposted by Greg Brotherton (June 01, 2007, 06:25 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Neptune Theater, 6/8 9:30 PM Lincoln Square, 6/10 9:15 PM Watching the sequel to a film you haven’t seen is always tricky, but with today’s precedents about vampires, I thought I’d catch right up to Timur Bekmambetov’s Daywatch. Well, I’m… "I wish't yeh meant it, Bill."posted by David Jeffers (May 31, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The noblest of intentions often fail, when they fly in the face of power and greed. The portrayal of a nationalist identity in the early years of Australian cinema suffered a bitter disintegration during the silent era, as block… Worst Episode Everposted by E. Steven Fried (May 31, 2007, 12:40 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The only good thing in Madrigal. I was hoping Waiter would be the worst film I saw at SIFF, but I hoped in vain. Madrigal is worse. How much worse? I wrenched my back a little over a week… SIFF Archival: Gunga Din (1939)posted by Kyle Smith (May 30, 2007, 08:56 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Director: George Stevens Country: USA Three British he-man-woman-hatin’ sergeants (Cary Grant, Victor McLaglin and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) take on a thugee sect in 19th-century India supported by not only the titular untouchable (Sam Jaffe), but also a strong colonialist spirit,… Paris, Je t’aimeposted by Amie Simon (May 28, 2007, 10:17 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>I was looking forward to this film more than any other this year at SIFF, and it did not dissapoint. Paris, Je t’aime is beautifully composed of 18 different shorts about love in the city of love (18 different… Rocket Scienceposted by Greg Brotherton (May 25, 2007, 02:21 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Saturday, 6/2 Neptune Theatre, 6:30 PM Monday, 6/4 Lincoln Square, 7:00 PM Rocket Science brings the same empathetic attitude toward kids that I enjoyed so much in Spellbound. It tells the story of young Hal Hefner a stuttering kid who… SIFF Opening Night Gala - Son of Rambowposted by Amie Simon (May 25, 2007, 11:09 AM, Comments: 7) MORE >>>Last night, I had the extreme pleasure of attending the 2007 SIFF Opening Gala at the new Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Deborah Person, Carl Spence, and Gary Tucker all openly shared their love for the festival, and a general… B.M.O.C.posted by David Jeffers (May 24, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The Freshman (1925) Friday May 25, 7:00pm, The Paramount Theater Raccoon coats, rumbleseats, the “football hero” and all the trappings of college life found their way into movie theaters everywhere in the nineteen-twenties. Films like The Plastic Age (1925) and… Yva Las Vegass, Red Roadposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 23, 2007, 10:16 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The Life and times of Yva Las Vegass May 28, 9:15 pm, Egyptian At times, I’ve wondered if I was the only Sweet 75 fan in the world, because it seemed like everyone I talked to about Krist Novoselic’s first… Girls Rock!, Crazy Love, Doubletimeposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 22, 2007, 11:08 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Girls Rock! May 25, 7 pm, Harvard Exit May 27, 1 pm, SIFF Cinema This doc should be a great crowd pleaser. It’s set at the rock ‘n’ roll camp for girls held in Portland, Oregon, where girls get one… An insurance salesman, a soapmaker and a waiter walk into a bar...posted by E. Steven Fried (May 21, 2007, 04:23 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>meshugge like a fox The great philosopher Boris Grushenko once said, “There are worse things in life than death. If you’ve ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman, you know what I’m talking about.” Yes, but what if… American Shopper, Severence, Aachi and Ssipakposted by Greg Brotherton (May 20, 2007, 09:46 AM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>The sun is coming out. Flowers are popping up. Gortex jackets are being shed right and left. The signs are clear. It’s time to go inside for a month and watch movies. It’s taken me a few weeks to get… Harold Shinesposted by David Jeffers (May 19, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The nonsense of hierarchy … The contemporary label defining Harold Lloyd as “The Third Genius” is both demeaning and incorrect. He was certainly a tremendous talent and popular film star throughout the silent era. If ticket sales are used as… Racing to The Finishposted by David Jeffers (May 17, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Speedy (1928) Monday May 21, 7:00pm, The Paramount Theater In his eleventh and final silent feature Speedy (1928), Harold Lloyd made the most of his often used multi-sketch format, producing a funny and energetic farewell to the silent era. Harold… Black White + Grayposted by E. Steven Fried (May 17, 2007, 11:18 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Although no longer impressed with his work, I was once a bit of a Mapplethorpe fan. In 1988 I asked an art-collector friend how one got to have a career like his. My friend replied, “You date Sam Wagstaff.”… Thimbles for Peter Panposted by David Jeffers (May 15, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 5) MORE >>>Peter Pan (1924) May 18-20, Northwest Film Forum Seventeen-year-old Betty Bronson was hand picked by author J. M. Barrie to play the boy who wouldn’t grow up, in Paramount’s star studded production of Peter Pan (1924). Delightful art direction (frolicking… The Greatest Film Noirs?posted by Anne M. Hockens (May 12, 2007, 06:23 PM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>Dan Duryea in an unusually tender embrace with Black Angel co-star June Vincent. A friend recently asked me to compile my list of ten to twenty of the greatest film noirs for a project he is working on. I… An Unscheduled Stop ...posted by David Jeffers (May 11, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sound, Comedy and the Silent Argument What was the impact of synchronized sound on motion pictures? In their infancy, any offering would attract a paying audience. As the novelty wore off, presentations increased in length and complexity. The artificial flamboyance… Silent SIFF 2007posted by David Jeffers (May 10, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The cat is finally out of the bag! Seattle International Film Festival has announced it’s hefty 2007 program, and SIFF’s 33rd opus includes interesting archival selections of Film Noir, Hollywood adventure, with three films from the silent era. The Sentimental… His Best Girlposted by David Jeffers (May 04, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Monday May 7, 7:00pm, The Paramount Theater Why Worry (1923) “Say! Why didn’t you tell me I love you?” Well-known hypochondriac and boy millionaire Harold Van Pelham (Harold Lloyd) travels to a sleepy banana republic to cure his ills. Upon… Waitressposted by Amie Simon (May 02, 2007, 10:51 PM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>This movie truly made me both happy and sad at the same time. Happy, because it’s honestly one of the best movies I’ve seen in well…forever. And sad, because director Adrienne Shelly will never be able to make another… Grandma's Boy & Dr. Jackposted by David Jeffers (April 28, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Monday April 30, 7:00pm, The Paramount Theater Grandma’s Boy (1922) Of all his films, Harold Lloyd considered Grandma’s Boy (1922) his personal favorite. The second of eleven silent features starring Lloyd, it was the story of a kind-hearted boy, convinced… "...the boy in the horn-rimmed glasses."posted by David Jeffers (April 27, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Hal Roach, Harold Lloyd, and a new comic font The Architect In 1908, at the tender age of sixteen, Hal Roach left his home in New York State to travel the world and make it his oyster. Roach sold ice… White Man's Burdenposted by Kathy Fennessy (April 19, 2007, 02:36 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>After the Wedding / Efter brylluppet (Susan Bier, Denmark, rated R, 119 mins.) Jacob after the wedding Susan Bier’s Oscar-nominated ninth is two films in one. I have mixed feelings about both. On the one hand, it’s a domestic drama…. A Married Couple at NWFFposted by E. Steven Fried (April 18, 2007, 09:39 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>After having made Warrendale [68], a documentary about emotionally disturbed children, Toronto director Allan King wanted to make a film about married life. Inspired by the breakdown of his own marriage and the fact that his parents, “seemed incapable of… Please don't piss in the ditchesposted by Kathy Fennessy (April 07, 2007, 10:02 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>GLASTONBURY (Julien Temple, UK, rated R, 138 mins.) Mrs. Matthew Barney If you’ve seen the ads for Glastonbury, you’ve probably noticed the familiar visage of Chris Martin. If you’re a Coldplay fan, you’ve probably been intrigued. If not, you’ve probably… Dead Objects Live Onposted by Kathy Fennessy (April 04, 2007, 12:43 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Two or Three Things I Know About Her / 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d’elle (Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1966, 35mm, 90 mins.) Juliette Janson: housewife, zombie, robot, prostitute Living people are often dead already. — Narrator ***** By… Le Chat Dans Le Sacposted by E. Steven Fried (March 29, 2007, 09:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>“The Canadians are like the Jews, they’re continually examining their identity… Canadians have always understood that we have to go along with the United States to a certain extent. But even though article after article threatens us with the… He Don't Use Jellyposted by Kathy Fennessy (March 23, 2007, 12:01 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>MATTHEW BARNEY: NO RESTRAINT (Alison Chernick, US, 2006, DV-CAM, 70 mins.) Björk Guðmundsdóttir in Drawing Restraint 9 I know a girl who thinks of ghosts She’ll make you breakfast She’ll make you toast She don’t use butter She don’t use… Deadwoodposted by mike whybark (March 11, 2007, 01:26 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>I have been thinking about westerns on and off this year - I’m working my way through Deadwood and a trip to The Searchers and The Man who Shot Liberty Valance seems in order. I might want to review… Bowie Eyed Dog (El Aura)posted by Kathy Fennessy (March 02, 2007, 06:11 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>EL AURA (Fabián Bielinsky, Argentina, 35mm, 2005, 129 mins.) The Taxidermist With No Name A black eyed dog he called at my door The black eyed dog he called for more A black eyed dog he knew my name. —… Don't Hate Ghost Rider!posted by E. Steven Fried (February 23, 2007, 09:27 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>He once ate a live cockroach. Man, everybody’s giving the finger to Ghost Rider. Even critics I know who usually dig this sort of thing have been giving it the big beat-down in the Seattle Times and The Stranger…. Valentines at The Lynwoodposted by David Jeffers (February 15, 2007, 11:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>After many attempts and several near misses, I finally made the trip to Bainbridge Island for The Historic Lynwood Theater’s Valentines Day screening of The African Queen. A short hop from the Coleman Dock and a quick ride down… Agee, Huston and The African Queenposted by David Jeffers (February 12, 2007, 12:00 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Written by … James Agee “His regard for other people’s feelings was unique in my experience. I don’t believe is was because he was afraid of hurting them, and certainly it had nothing to do with gaining in anyone’s estimation…. If You Don't Have Anything NIce to Say, Say It With Styleposted by Anne M. Hockens (February 01, 2007, 02:54 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Noir City 5 Days 4,5 and 6 The San Francisco Film Noir Festival Friday, January 26th-Sunday, February 4th, 2007 The Castro Theatre San Francisco, CA For a complete listing of the screenings go to: http://www.noircity.com/noircity.html Days four, five and six… Why Is Everyone So Sarcastic?posted by Anne M. Hockens (January 29, 2007, 11:28 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Noir City 5: Days Two and Three Cry Danger (1951, Dir. Robert Parish Special Guest: Richard Earlman Abandoned (1949, Dir. Joseph M. Newman) Hell’s Half Acre (1954, Dir. John Auer) 99 River Street (1953, Dir. Phil Karlson) Hell’s Half Acre… Weinoirposted by David Jeffers (January 27, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Asphalt (1929) Monday January 29, 7:00pm, The Paramount Theater A frenzy of murderous violence and moral turpitude lurk just beneath the urban order of Asphalt (1929). Joe May (The Indian Tomb, 1921) wrote (as Fred Majo) and directed this Ufa… Descent into Darknessposted by Anne M. Hockens (January 27, 2007, 12:32 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Noir City 5: Day One Raw Deal (1948, Dir. Anthony Mann) Kid Glove Killer (1942, Dir. Fred Zinneman) Special Guest: Marsha Hunt Marsha Hunt torn between naughty Lee Bowman and nice Van Heflin The San Francisco Film Noir Festival Friday,… The Ufa Styleposted by David Jeffers (January 25, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Metropolis (1927) The emergence of Ufa as Germany’s dominant film production company in 1921 brought a unifying, identifiable look and character to Weimar film. Parallels may be drawn between this development in German film history and the consolidation of… Deutschland, Interruptedposted by David Jeffers (January 24, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Silent film accompanist Donald Sosin returns to the Pacific Northwest this weekend for a pair of shows, at Kenyon Hall in West Seattle and the Rose Theater in Port Townsend. Way Down East (1920) Friday January 26, 8:00pm, Kenyon Hall… Un Bonne Flicposted by Kathy Fennessy (January 20, 2007, 04:44 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>LE PETIT LIEUTENANT (Xavier Beauvois, France, 2005, unrated, 110 mins.) Un flic = French for a cop. Antoine and Solo take a ride I love the police procedural. It’s been around for ages and shows no signs of stopping. As… Teuton Ecstasy: Weimar Cinema and The Mountain Filmposted by David Jeffers (January 19, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Expressionism and the abyss… The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1919) As the World emerged from the First World War a great infusion of money and talent poured into Hollywood, fueling the emerging studio system that produced increasingly complex and lavish… Inland Empireposted by Amie Simon (January 19, 2007, 11:00 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>It’s been said that watching a David Lynch film is like watching his dreams on screen. Since I usually have pretty f-ed up dreams, I can identify with that – in fact, perhaps that’s a big part of why… A Thing of Beauty and A Boy Foreverposted by David Jeffers (January 18, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Peter Pan (1924) Sunday January 28, 12:30 & 4:00pm, The Rose Theater, Port Townsend Sir James M. Barrie and Porthos (1904) What might have been … Paramount chose A Kiss for Cinderella (1925) as their second production with playwright Sir… Girl, Interruptedposted by David Jeffers (January 11, 2007, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>On the coattails of a brat … By the time G. W. Pabst noticed her playing Marie, a luscious carnival high diver in Howard Hawks’ A Girl in Every Port (1928), Louise Brooks was poised to make Hollywood’s ‘A-list’…. Happy Familyposted by Kathy Fennessy (January 11, 2007, 07:29 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>51 BIRCH STREET (Doug Block, USA, 2005, BetaSP, 88 mins.) Mike and Mina Block All happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. — Leo Tolstoy ***** To the cynic, documentaries should only… One (or More) That Got Awayposted by Kathy Fennessy (January 01, 2007, 09:14 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>SHERRYBABY (Laura Collyer, US, rated R, 96 mins.) Sherry in her favorite halter “Two thumbs up.” — Ebert & Roeper “Grade A! A miracle of an actress!” — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly “She’s on a fast track to an Oscar… Was It Good For You?posted by David Jeffers (January 01, 2007, 12:03 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>My favorites from 2006, in the order I saw them: The New World The World’s Fastest Indian Hard Candy Water A Prairie Home Companion Conversations with Other Women The Proposition The Puffy Chair The Refugee All-Stars The Science of Sleep… Gone Daddy Goneposted by Kathy Fennessy (December 30, 2006, 01:20 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>THE TREASURES OF LONG GONE JOHN (Greg Gibbs, USA, 2006, DV-CAM, 95 mins.) Todd Schorr provides the poster art ***** We almost really care. — original Sympathy for the Record Industry motto 18 years of performance anxiety, instability, and poor… Synthetic Noirposted by David Jeffers (December 14, 2006, 10:03 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Good German Thursday, December 14, 7:00pm The Guild 45th Opens Friday, December 22 Set in post-war Berlin on the eve of the August 1945 Potsdam Conference, The Good German stars George Clooney as Captain Jacob ‘Jake’ Geismer, an Army… Make a Joyful Noise HEREposted by Kathy Fennessy (December 14, 2006, 03:56 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>DANIELSON: A FAMILY MOVIE (JL Aronson, USA, 2006, BETA-SP, 105 mins.) “They sound like Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band joined by the Partridge Family at some roadside revival along the Jersey Turnpike.” — The All Music Guide ***** I watch documentaries… Stop Making Scentsposted by David Jeffers (December 13, 2006, 10:22 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Wednesday, December 13, 7:00pm Lincoln Square Cinemas Opens December 27 “The Soul of a Being is their scent.” Filmgoers hankering for the shallow tale of an olfactory savant/serial killer, in search of elaborately… Ain't It Wonderful!posted by David Jeffers (December 09, 2006, 12:30 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>This is so fantastic I had to share! I found the BFI’s new Chaplin site last September when I was researching One AM. What I didn’t realize until I stumbled across the Film and Television Database this week, was… Silent Winterposted by David Jeffers (November 29, 2006, 09:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Here’s a run-down of Seattle’s winter silent film screenings, and two out of town dates well worth the trip. Roxie does The Castro Silly Symphonies (1929-1935) Saturday, December 2, 1:30pm The Castro Theater, San Francisco Chicago (1927) Saturday, December 2,… D'Autres Nouvelles des Etoilesposted by E. Steven Fried (November 29, 2006, 11:11 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>“There’s a trilogy in my life, an equilateral triangle, shall we say, of Gitanes, alcoholism and girls… and I didn’t say isosceles, I said equilateral.” —Serge Gainsbourg… Poison Angelposted by David Jeffers (November 28, 2006, 06:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Alraune (1928) Based on the medieval legend of the Mandrake, a root, which grew beneath the gallows from the semen of hanged men, Hanns Heinz Ewers novel Alraune was brought to the screen in 1928 by Ama-Film GmbH and director… Gimme Indie Film!posted by Kathy Fennessy (November 27, 2006, 07:52 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>MUTUAL APPRECIATION (Andrew Bujalski, USA, 2005, 35mm, 109 mins.) True, he likes the Breeders, thinks Green Day’s pretty swell, but what about the Bartlebees and Neutral Milk Hotel? It’s okay for a Sunny Day but that Sting album won’t do… Dead Kennedysposted by David Jeffers (November 21, 2006, 10:35 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Bobby Tuesday, November 21, 7:00pm The Harvard Exit Opens Thursday, November 23 “They made a desert, and they called it peace.” Ambitious and well-intended, Bobby attempts a level of complexity that becomes scattered and difficult to follow, while lacking… Revelations of the Human Soulposted by Kathy Fennessy (November 09, 2006, 11:40 AM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI SHORT FILMS “When Krzysztof Kieslowski died on March 13, 1996, it was as though a certain kind of cinema had come to an end along with him. The calm, reflective, compassionate gaze he brought to bear on the… What Is It?posted by Amie Simon (November 08, 2006, 11:25 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Crispin Glover’s What Is It? I was very excited to see that this show was coming to Seattle – so excited, in fact, that I purchased my tickets about 4 weeks in advance. The first part of the show… The World According to Whitehead: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (November 04, 2006, 02:41 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>TONITE LET’S ALL MAKE LOVE IN LONDON: A POP CONCERTO (Peter Whitehead, United Kingdom, 1967, BetaSP, 70 mins.) Tonite lets all make love in London as if it were 2001 the years of thrilling god. — “Who Be Kind To”… Cutting Through Repressionposted by David Jeffers (November 04, 2006, 01:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Secrets of a Soul (1926) A chemist is plagued by his reoccurring nightmares in G. W. Pabst’ exploration of psychoanalysis, Secrets of a Soul (1926). As Martin (Werner Krauss) trims the hair on the back of his wife’s (Ruth Weyher)… Granddad Was A Street Racerposted by David Jeffers (November 02, 2006, 10:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Roaring Road / Excuse My Dust – Unknown Video I’ve finally had some time to work on my backlog of unwatched videos. This dvd was a pleasant surprise. Normally, I expect smaller companies to produce material of somewhat lesser… The Devil You Say!posted by David Jeffers (October 28, 2006, 04:00 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Rosemary’s Baby (1968) Tuesday October 31, 7:30pm, The Historic Lynwood Theater “Monsters, monsters, unspeakable, unspeakable!” Guy and Rosemary Woodhouse are average, happy newlyweds, until they move into an imposing, fortress-like apartment on Manhattan’s upper West Side. Everyone else at The… I Wasn't Born to Have a Bad Timeposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 28, 2006, 12:58 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Bridesmaid / La Demoiselle D’Honneur (Claude Chabrol, France/Germany/Italy, 2004, 35mm, 111 mins.) “The family is one of the biggest frauds ever invented…the family tree is a monstrous invention. People boasting of one of their ancestors being the Pope’s official… The Horrors of Apartment Livingposted by David Jeffers (October 27, 2006, 11:05 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Repulsion Roman Polanski At their essence, the films of Roman Polanski are the studies of seemingly average people, thrust into conflicted and frightening circumstances. His first feature, Knife In the Water (1962) explores sexual tension and confinement, when a… The World According to Whiteheadposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 23, 2006, 10:30 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>THE FALL (Peter Whitehead, UK, 1969, BetaSP, 120 mins.) Whitehead in 1968 I am not capable of experiencing the real and never have been, which is why I have had such an amazing life…I even married a Swedish girl so… Slimy Rodents and Shiny Roadstersposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 20, 2006, 09:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>TALES OF THE RAT FINK (Ron Mann, US, 78 mins.) “He’s the Salvador Dali of the movement—a surrealist in his designs.” — Tom Wolfe, The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (1965) ***** You’ve got to give props to any documentarian who… Flaming Love, and Choleraposted by David Jeffers (October 19, 2006, 10:01 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The11th Annual Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival The Music Lovers (1970) Sunday October 22, 12:00pm, The Cinerama “Gossip dies without a few facts to support it my friend. Tchaikovsky gives them plenty.” The fifth of seven vaguely biographical features… LOOKING FOR CHEYENNEposted by Franz Bieberkopf (October 19, 2006, 09:44 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>LOOKING FOR CHEYENNE Directed by Valerie Minetto Played the Seattle Gay and Lesbian film Festival NWFF Tuesday Octover 17 By Franz Bieberkopf Not long ago, queer cinema was outsider cinema, revolutionary cinema. Pasolini, Fassbinder, Borden, and Jarman are a few… The Truthposted by David Jeffers (October 17, 2006, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>“There is no God! All of these rules are made up by man!” Bob Jyono, father of an abused child. Oliver O’Grady Deliver Us From Evil Monday October 16, 7:00pm Metro Cinemas Opens Friday, November 3 When pressed to offer… Old Documents (revised)posted by David Jeffers (October 16, 2006, 11:40 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus Opens Friday, November 17 “I work from awkwardness. By that I mean I don’t like to arrange things. If I stand in front of something, instead of arranging it, I arrange myself.” Diane… Local Produce: Local Shortsposted by Anne M. Hockens (October 12, 2006, 08:53 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Local Produce: Local Shorts Saturday, October 14, 12:00pm Harvard Exit Still from To Be A Heart www.seattlequeerfilm.com This 92-minute program of shorts features the queer related works of Pacific Northwest filmmakers. The films vary greatly in genre, format, subject matter,… Boy Cultureposted by Anne M. Hockens (October 11, 2006, 07:57 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sunday, June 15th, 9:15 p.m. Harvard Exit Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival http://www.seattlequeerfilm.com/06/index.html Please take advantage of Seattle getting this great film a second time. This review was originally written for its screening at SIFF. Here’s my problem… Wagon Jumping (with enthusiasum)posted by David Jeffers (October 10, 2006, 08:53 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>The Departed “Who the fuck are you?” “I’m the guy who does his job. Who are you?” How often have moviegoers observed that “So-and-so hasn’t made a decent film in years …” How often has that observation been true? Given… Three for the Roadposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 04, 2006, 12:13 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>FREE ZONE (Amos Gitai, Israel/Belgium/France/Spain, 2005, 35mm, 90 mins.) People will basically crawl, when they’re completely exhausted and shaken, to stretch their arm out to the other side. I had hoped that people were al- ready sufficiently drained by this… God, and Monstersposted by David Jeffers (September 28, 2006, 11:05 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Jesus Camp (2006) Thursday September 28, 7:00pm, The Varsity Opens Friday October 6, at Metro Cinemas “Equal freedom is gonna destroy us!” For anyone subjected to Conservative Evangelical Christian dogma and culture as a child, Heidi Ewing and Rachael Grady’s… Flyboysposted by mike whybark (September 24, 2006, 12:34 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Well, Viv and I made the arduous trek to far Lynnwood to see Flyboys last night. Presumably due to the unorthodox funding model employed by the film (the producers made the film with their own money), the film has… The Wicker Manposted by Amie Simon (September 20, 2006, 03:30 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>You little liars! Here’s the thing about the original Wicker Man: It is not as if there aren’t elements that will make you laugh – there definitely are. You can’t expect to watch Christopher Lee cavorting about an island… Sunday in Port Townsendposted by David Jeffers (September 19, 2006, 06:49 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Yipee-ee-ti-yi-o get along little doggies … Uncle Dave in his cowboy’n days How much do I love Westerns? Well, I spent my youth within a bicycle ride of Niles Canyon, where Bronco Billy and the Essanay cowboys filmed amid the… Donald Sosin Unpluggedposted by David Jeffers (September 18, 2006, 06:42 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Back in the day … Kenyon Hall, once upon a time, The Olympic Heights Social Club. Old Wood Popular silent film accompanist Donald Sosin returned to the Puget Sound area last week for a two-stop, four-show tour, beginning with… Pass the Gravy (1928)posted by David Jeffers (September 16, 2006, 12:27 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Pass the Gravy (1928) Wednesday September 13, 7:30pm, Kenyon Hall Describing anything as the ‘best’ or ‘greatest’ almost certainly demands subjectivity, invites unrealistic expectations and may ultimately result in disappointment. Pass the Gravy has often been described as the funniest… Griffith and the Yiddish Silentsposted by David Jeffers (September 12, 2006, 11:16 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>This week’s second evening of silent film at West Seattle’s Kenyon Hall will feature a program of Yiddish themed shorts and one feature from the National Center for Jewish Film. Musical accompaniment will again be performed by Donald Sosin. Three… The Silents Come to Kenyon Hallposted by David Jeffers (September 12, 2006, 12:39 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>West Seattle’s Kenyon Hall will present two nights of silent films this Wednesday and Thursday, featuring the musical accompaniment of Donald Sosin, who last performed in Seattle for SIFF 2006. Wednesdays program includes two Hal Roach comedies, Pass the Gravy… Burning From the Insideposted by Kathy Fennessy (September 10, 2006, 11:17 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Burn to Shine: Portland, OR 06.15.05 (Christoph Green, USA, 2005/06, BetaSP, 45 mins.) “It doesn’t make sense to anybody now why we would do this, besides just to do it, but in 20 years it will only get cooler and… To Sir, With Something Like Loveposted by Kathy Fennessy (September 09, 2006, 11:54 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Half Nelson (Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, US, rated R, 104 mins.) The time has come for closing books and long last looks must end And as I leave I know that I am leaving my best friend A friend… Behind the Eight Ball (or wrecking ball)posted by David Jeffers (August 29, 2006, 10:59 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Lament for The Roxy This comment was recently posted to www.cinematreasures.com The Roxy-2005 (photo-Scott Neff) What was formerly the Renton Roxy, has been converted into a ‘for-rent’ hall, used primarily as a storefront church. When the building was last sold… Factotumposted by David Jeffers (August 29, 2006, 10:58 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Tuesday August 29, 7:00pm, The Varsity Opens Friday September 1, at the Egyptian “Amazing how grimly we hold onto our misery.” Angelino poet and novelist Charles Bukowski, whose supposed indifference to praise contradicts his boozer chic commercialization, is once again… The Iron Mask (1929)posted by David Jeffers (August 25, 2006, 10:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Monday August 28, 7:00pm, The Paramount Theater Dumas amuck … Among the most popular works of literature adapted for film, Alexander Dumas’ D’Artagnan Romances, have seen no less than ninety versions produced for the screen, from Biograph’s abbreviated, Fencing Contest… Melville's Bad Memoriesposted by Kathy Fennessy (August 25, 2006, 09:39 AM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>Army of Shadows / L’Armée des ombres (Jean-Pierre Melville, France, 1969, 35mm, 145 mins.) “Bad memories! I welcome you anyway…you are my long-lost youth.” — Georges Courteline quote which opens Army of Shadows ***** Though I caught a screening almost… D'Artagnan, and the making of "Doug"posted by David Jeffers (August 24, 2006, 10:08 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Where action heroes came from … In the spring of 1915, Douglas Fairbanks hopped a train and headed west, for Hollywood. Already an established Broadway star, Fairbanks’ disdain for “the movies” was relieved by the whopping $2000 a week Triangle… "Last of the Journeyman Filmmakers"posted by David Jeffers (August 23, 2006, 10:01 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Allan Dwan Behind the wheel in California, 1911 Allan Dwan may well be the last great-undiscovered master of the silent era. An electrical engineer by trade, he started out as a lighting technician for Essanay in 1909, but the movie… The Prisoner of Zenda (1922)posted by David Jeffers (August 12, 2006, 12:13 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Monday August 14, 7:00 pm, The Paramount Theater “While you’re unhung, Hentzau, hell lacks its master!” On the eve of his coronation, Rudolph Elphberg of Ruritania is poisoned by his jealous half-brother, Duke Michael of Strelsau. A distant English cousin,… "The world's greatest director."posted by David Jeffers (August 10, 2006, 10:06 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>” … the power to visualize the written word in picture form.” Rex Ingram He was a prince of Hollywood, whose own life story reads like one of the romantic adventures he brought to the big screen. The son… Hollywoodlandposted by David Jeffers (August 09, 2006, 11:40 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Wednesday August 9, 7:00pm Pacific Place Cinemas “An actor can’t always act. Sometimes he has to earn a living.” What really happened to actor George Reeves has been the source of myth and speculation since 1959 when his death was… The Descentposted by Amie Simon (August 08, 2006, 02:00 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Imagine 6 women stuck in a pitch black labyrinth of caves and narrow passages leading to claustrophobia, hallucinations, and pure terror. Add in some major conflicts and a few snapped psyches and it all equals one thing: wherever you… Don Juan (1926)posted by David Jeffers (August 03, 2006, 11:55 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Monday August 7, 7:00pm The Paramount Theater The Actor… “I want you all to remember one thing. No matter what I may say, no matter what I may do, on this stage, during our work, I love you all.” He… Ollie's 9/11posted by David Jeffers (July 28, 2006, 12:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>World Trade Center Thursday July 27, 7:00pm The Harvard Exit “Pain is your friend. It means you’re alive.” Oliver Stone’s name above the title guarantees certain things. His films are well conceived, well executed, and unashamedly possessing his own… You Little Devil!posted by David Jeffers (July 23, 2006, 08:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Milestone film & video chose Tuesday, July 11th as their release date for the much anticipated Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino film Beyond the Rocks (1922). This was two short days before the trip to San Francisco and I’ve only… Happy Loving Couplesposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 23, 2006, 08:39 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>LEMMING (Dominik Moll, France, 129 mins.) Happy loving couples make it look so easy Happy loving couples always talk so kind Until the time that I can do my dancing with a partner Those happy couples ain’t no friends of… The 11th SFSFF - In Reviewposted by David Jeffers (July 21, 2006, 12:26 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>So how did this three-day event stack up against similar silent film programs? Friday night’s choice of 7th Heaven (1927) was tremendous! Go big or don’t go at all. The SFSFF did an excellent job of making this film… An Intelligent Primitiveposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 20, 2006, 10:37 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A GIRL IS A GUN aka AN ADVENTURE OF BILLY THE KID (Luc Moullet, France, 1971, 35mm, 100 mins.) “Reminiscent of the finale of Duel in the Sun, but pushed to the level of excruciating lunatic farce, with a touch… The SFSFF - Day 3posted by David Jeffers (July 17, 2006, 12:34 PM, Comments: 5) MORE >>>The third and final day of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival began with a panel presentation, Amazing Tales from the Archives. First up, Patrick Loughney from George Eastman House gave a brief description of his organization, its history… Sam Fuller and Luc Moulletposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 17, 2006, 09:38 AM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Brigitte and Brigitte (Luc Moullet, France, 1966, 35mm 71 mins.) “The young American filmmakers have nothing to say, Sam Fuller even less than the others. He has something to do, and he does it, naturally, without forcing it. This isn’t… The SFSFF - Day 2posted by David Jeffers (July 16, 2006, 08:51 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Day two began with newsreel footage of the Great Earthquakes aftermath, smoldering ruins and hasty demolition, once again with accompaniment from Michael Mortilla. The days first feature was John Ford’s Bucking Broadway (1917), starring 23-year-old Harry Carey. Bucking Broadway… The SFSFF- Day 1posted by David Jeffers (July 16, 2006, 12:10 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Saturday, July 15, 10:30am The Castro, San Francisco The 11th annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival got off to a good start with A Trip Down Market Street, April 14, 1906, only four short days before the Great Earthquake. This… Chico! Diane! Heaven!posted by Anne M. Hockens (July 15, 2006, 09:21 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Seventh Heaven San Francisco Silent Film Festival Director Frank Borzage; Oscar; Actress Janet Gaynor Relationship expert Dr Joy Brown once said “Romance is the poison of the twentieth century.” After watching Seventh Heaven in a crowded theater last night, all… SFSFF - Opening Nightposted by David Jeffers (July 14, 2006, 12:18 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Friday July 14, 12:15pm Market Street, San Francisco Foggy morning has just burned off into warm sunshine. We are here and anxiously awaiting tonight’s screening of 7th Heaven at 8:00pm. Festival director Stacey Wisnia was on hand with a… Show People (1928)posted by David Jeffers (July 12, 2006, 10:25 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Closing Night 2006, The San Francisco Silent Film Festival Sunday July 16, 8:00pm The Castro, San Francisco “As a Southern colonel your make-up is very Indiana” The yammering gossips of Hollywood have managed to sling more than a little mud… The Unholy Three (1925)posted by David Jeffers (July 11, 2006, 11:08 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sunday July 16, 5:00pm The Castro, San Francisco “That’s all there is to life, friends – a little laughter … a little tear … ” Between 1919 to 1929, Tod Browning and Lon Chaney produced… Girl With a Hat Box (1927)posted by David Jeffers (July 11, 2006, 11:02 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sunday July 16, 2:40pm The Castro, San Francisco This Boris Barnett film starring Anna Sten is a marvelous slapstick romp with a definite Russian twist. A Moscow couple lists a young girl as their tenant to get a larger apartment… Pandora's Box (1929)posted by David Jeffers (July 09, 2006, 11:25 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Saturday July 15, 8:20pm The Castro, San Francisco ” … watch out for this girl!” It is doubtful any film actress in the nineteen-twenties displayed a greater sense of overt sexuality on screen than Louise Brooks. With… Sparrows (1926)posted by David Jeffers (July 06, 2006, 06:27 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Saturday July 15, 4:20pm The Castro, San Francisco Monday August 21, 7:00pm The Paramount, Seattle Hollywood’s Oldest Teenager … In the early days of the Biograph Company, as D. W. Griffith created the new vocabulary of film, a diminutive young… Busby Berkeley Dreamsposted by Kathy Fennessy (July 04, 2006, 09:27 AM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>The Gang’s All Here (Busby Berkeley, USA, 1943, 35mm, 103 mins.) I haven’t seen you in ages But it’s not as bleak as it seems We still dance on whirling stages In my Busby Berkeley dreams — “Busby Berkeley Dreams”… 7th Heaven (1927)posted by David Jeffers (July 02, 2006, 05:19 PM, Comments: 6) MORE >>>Friday July 14, 8:00pm The Castro, San Francisco ” The trouble with you is you won’t fight. You’re afraid! Me! I’m not afraid of anything! That’s why I’m a very remarkable fellow!” His gift for transforming the mundane, commonplace… The Cameraman (1928)posted by David Jeffers (June 27, 2006, 06:00 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Wednesday July 5, 5:00 & 8:00pm The Historic Lynwood Theatre, Bainbridge Island ” I’ll show you some real fancy diving! ” The Cameraman marked Buster Keaton’s move to MGM in 1928, and the loss of creative control that would… Arranging Life's Stuffposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 26, 2006, 10:34 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Russian Dolls / Les Poupées russes (Cédric Klapisch, France, 2005, 35mm, 125 mins.) “Writing is arranging life’s stuff.” — Xavier (Romain Duris) ***** The title has two meanings, only one of which I will reveal here: Writer/director Cédric Klapisch’s sequel… Swelter in Silence ...posted by David Jeffers (June 23, 2006, 11:17 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Seattle’s Silent Film Summer, a short hop to Bainbridge, and a long one to San Francisco … The Cameraman (1928) Wednesday July 5, 5:00 & 8:00pm Historic Lynwood Theatre, Bainbridge Island Buster Keaton’s finest hour … … featuring live accompaniment… Iberiaposted by David Jeffers (June 20, 2006, 03:01 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Spain / France, 2005 (99 minutes) Saturday June 3, 6:30pm The Neptune Monday June 5, 4:30pm The Neptune North American release dates are unannounced. Few celebrations of ethnic and cultural identity succeed as mightily as Carlos Saura’s brilliant interpretation… House of Sand (Casa de Areia)posted by David Jeffers (June 19, 2006, 10:31 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Brazil, 2005 (115 minutes) Friday June 16, 7:00pm Pacific Place Saturday June 17, 1:15pm Pacific Place Opens Friday August 11 The story of three women, marooned in a remote corner of northwest Brazil is portrayed by real life mother… We Go Way Backposted by David Jeffers (June 19, 2006, 08:34 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>USA, 2006 (80 minutes) Tuesday June 13, 9:30pm The Egyptian Saturday June 17, 1:30pm The Egyptian “You were great, You make a really good victim.” Kate (Amber Hubert) is everyone’s doormat. Her boss berates her, her mother makes her… A Comedy of Power (L'lvresse du pouvoir)posted by David Jeffers (June 18, 2006, 04:44 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>France / Germany, 2006 (110 minutes) Sunday June 11, 9:30pm Lincoln Square Saturday June 17, 9:30pm The Neptune An invitation to the home of a great chef requires no knowledge of the menu beforehand; it will surely be a… Sneak Midnightposted by David Jeffers (June 18, 2006, 03:24 PM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>A Scanner Darkly USA, 2006 (100 minutes) Sunday, June 18 12:00am The Neptune “I wanna be found with a copy of The Fountainhead and a letter to Exxon …” At some point in recent history, rotoscoping has become a technique… "Happy Christmas" (The Moore is Over)posted by David Jeffers (June 17, 2006, 09:25 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The Unknown with Portastatic Friday June 16, 9:00pm The Moore Portastatic’s approach to Tod Browning’s The Unknown last night at the Moore was not entirely meritless. I was struck by the perverse nature of the story drawn out by the… Jeffers Unloads ... (god help us!)posted by David Jeffers (June 16, 2006, 01:15 PM, Comments: 8) MORE >>>This originally began as a comment I was posting to one of Steven’s entries regarding screeners. I realized as I got further and further into it that I’ve held this back for a long time and it needs some daylight…. The Women Who Fell to Earthposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 15, 2006, 08:44 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>House of Sand / Casa de Areia (Andrucha Waddington, Brazil, 115 mins.) Warning: This review contains mild spoilers. The year is 1910. An elderly woman, Dona Maria (Fernanda Montenegro), and her daughter, Áurea (Fernanda Torres), have been brought by Áurea’s… Parallel Synchronized Randomnessposted by David Jeffers (June 15, 2006, 12:02 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Science of Sleep France / USA, 2006 (105 minutes) Sunday June 18, 6:30pm The Neptune “Do you shave with toast?” Every second of Michael Gondrey’s, The Science of Sleep is a riot of clever originality, right down to… The Unknown (1927)posted by David Jeffers (June 14, 2006, 12:40 AM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>USA, 1927 (63 minutes) Friday June 16, 9:00pm The Moore “Hands! Men’s hands! How I hate them!” In the final years of the silent era as feature films reached their zenith, few actor/director teams achieved the success and notoriety… Los Aires Dificiles: Missed Opportunityposted by Anne M. Hockens (June 13, 2006, 06:40 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Los Aires Difíciles Saturday, June 17, 7:20 PM Pacific Place Cinema Sunday, June 18, 1:30 PM Pacific Place Cinema Los Aires Dificiles, based on a novel by Almudena Grandes, takes on some interesting ideas, characters and narrative structures then,… "Raising hell with Harry ..."posted by David Jeffers (June 13, 2006, 12:03 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>“He spent most of his life in pursuit of a good time, and he caught it.” Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him?) USA, 2006 (90 minutes) Thursday June 15, 9:30pm The Egyptian Saturday June… Well, Hello, Dolly!posted by Anne M. Hockens (June 12, 2006, 09:47 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Director Gene Kelly, Producer Ernest Lehman, Star Barbara Streisand Hello, Dolly! Monday, June 12, 6:30 PM Harvard Exit Reception at the DAR, 5:00 PM Despite being a 20th Century Fox production, Hello, Dolly! is a wonderful throwback to the… Fast Eddie and the Film Noir Roadshowposted by David Jeffers (June 12, 2006, 12:01 AM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>I ate up pavement like a starving dog gulping down a bloody steak as I tore my way up Capitol Hill. With the smell of burning rubber I skidded to a stop on the cold concrete of the parking… The Refugee All Starsposted by David Jeffers (June 10, 2006, 08:39 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Guinea / Sierra Leone / USA, 2005 (80 minutes) Saturday June 10, 4:15pm The Neptune Tuesday June 13, 9:30pm The Neptune “I am with the music!” The healing power of music is joyously reaffirmed by Sierra Leonean musicians in… Pimp My Tofuposted by David Jeffers (June 10, 2006, 12:03 AM, Comments: 6) MORE >>>Initial D Hong Kong, 2005 (108 minutes) Thursday June 8, 4:00pm Lincoln Square Sunday June 11, 7:15pm The Neptune A soft-spoken nerd becomes king of the street racers when he perfects the art of corner drifting on a mountain road… Wristcutters: A Love Storyposted by Amie Simon (June 09, 2006, 04:16 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>After committing suicide, heartbroken Zia (Patrick Fugit) finds himself in an even worse place than before — a depressing landscape of broken-down buildings, industrial carnage, dead-end jobs, dark bars, and other aimless suicide victims. A land of no smiles,… Bickford Schmeckler's Cool Ideasposted by Amie Simon (June 09, 2006, 10:55 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Patrick Fugit is Bickford Schmeckler, a loner who lives in the basement of a busy frat house, writing down his “cool ideas” in a large metal book. Olivia Wilde is the beautiful (and smart) girl who throws his world… Every Other Week (Varannan Vecka)posted by David Jeffers (June 09, 2006, 02:23 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sweden, 2006 (97 minutes) Friday June 9, 7:00pm Lincoln Square Tuesday June 13, 9:15pm Pacific Place Two brothers and divorced fathers with child custody Every Other Week try their best to juggle ex-wives, girlfriends and careers in what could… Conversations with Other Womenposted by Amie Simon (June 08, 2006, 07:40 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>It seems like you’re watching a typical wedding scene, with a typical, disgruntled bridesmaid, and a typical groomsman offering her champagne and trying to get into her hotel room (and her dress). Only, there’s something a bit off. Well,… The Gold Rush Reduxposted by Anne M. Hockens (June 08, 2006, 07:13 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Saturday June 10, 11:00am The Egyptian This review is for the 1942 re-release version of The Gold Rush. What a disappointment! For the 1942 release of this film, Chaplin trimmed 14 minutes out of the film, added a new score,… The Ecstatic Truthposted by David Jeffers (June 08, 2006, 12:07 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Walking To Werner USA, 2006 (93 minutes) Thursday June 15, 6:30pm The Neptune “You can’t push yourself into the future with your feet.” By walking from Munich to Paris in 1974, Werner Herzog believed his dying friend Lotte Eisner… Archival Screeningsposted by Anne M. Hockens (June 07, 2006, 10:08 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The Gold Rush Wednesday, June 07, 7:00 PM Neptune Theatre Saturday, June 10, 11:00 AM Egyptian Theatre Distant Journey Saturday, June 10, 1:30 PM Harvard Exit The Man Who Cheated Himself Sunday, June 11, 1:30 PM Egyptian Theatre The Window… The Road to Guantanamoposted by David Jeffers (June 07, 2006, 08:29 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>United kingdom, 2006 (95 minutes) Thursday June 8, 7:15pm The Harvard Exit Saturday June 9, 4:00pm The Harvard Exit The Road to Guantanamo is the latest offering from director Michael Winterbottom (A Cock and Bull Story, 24 Hour Party… Brothers of the Headposted by Anne M. Hockens (June 06, 2006, 05:27 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Friday, June 09, 9:15 PM Pacific Place Cinema Saturday, June 10, 11:00 AM Pacific Place Cinema You’d think a film about conjoined twins plucked out of obscurity by a pop music impresario who find fame as punk rockers would… Call of Cthulhuposted by Anne M. Hockens (June 06, 2006, 05:08 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>This is the best film adaptation of an H. P. Lovercraft story that I’ve ever seen. The director, Andrew Leman, made two major decisions that ultimately made the film so effective. One, he chose to use the original narrative technique… Was It Good For You?posted by E. Steven Fried (June 06, 2006, 02:36 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>“Sex. You has probably heard the word out there. And some of you probably know what it means. For those of you who don’t, it means boning.” -Ali G Destricted [Abramovic, Barney, Brambilla, Clark, Noé, Prince, Taylor-Wood, UK/USA, 115 min.]… Black Orpheusposted by David Jeffers (June 06, 2006, 02:53 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Brazil / France / Italy, 1959 (107 minutes) Tuesday June 6, 7:15pm The Neptune When Orpheus sang he calmed wild beasts, stilled the rivers and made the trees dance. To save his lover Eurydice he descended into hell. Marcel… In a Wordposted by E. Steven Fried (June 05, 2006, 11:39 AM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Been transcribing an interview, so haven’t had much time to write anything up lately, but I thought I’d give my quick impression of the films I’ve seen so far, using the following rating sytem: Great Pretty Good Good Okay Sucked… Eight is Enoughposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 05, 2006, 09:53 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Me You Them / Eu Tu Eles (Andrucha Waddington, 2000, Brazil, 104 mins.) Revised version of a review written when this film was first released on DVD. Me You Them may sound hokey, but feels authentic thanks to a non-judgmental… Line Castesposted by Greg Brotherton (June 05, 2006, 09:04 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Saw The Fuzzy Chair yesterday afternoon. It was very good, as I expected from the reviews. I ripped it a 4 on the survey (and a 5 for the short film, I Am Not Van Gogh, which I’ve seen twice… Garpastumposted by David Jeffers (June 05, 2006, 08:35 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Russia, 2005 (110 minutes) Thursday June 8, 4:30pm The Egyptian Saturday June 10, 9:15pm Pacific Place Cinema A true test of quality is perfection in the simplest things. Garpastum is the simple story of two brothers, Andrei (Yevgeni Pronin)… Crazy Teenagersposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 04, 2006, 10:08 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>C.R.A.Z.Y. (Jean-Marc Vallée, Canada, 129 mins.) I remember when I lost my mind There was something so pleasant about that place. Even your emotions have an echo And so much space. — Gnarls Barkley, “Crazy” Funny, moving, and highly tuneful,… The Gold Rush (1925)posted by David Jeffers (June 03, 2006, 07:58 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>June 6 update SIFF’s programming department has confirmed they are screening Chaplin’s 1942 re-issue version with the married soundtrack. June 5 update: A word of caution… I’d like to apologize for not recognizing this problem when I originally posted my… SIFF 5/26-5/31posted by Gillian G. Gaar (June 03, 2006, 12:51 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Hokay, this catches up with the rest of what I’ve been doing, so it’s not in strict Film, Date, Time format. That will follow, and YES, there will be party news soon! So I got you up to SIFF’s Opening… Spinning in His Graveposted by David Jeffers (June 02, 2006, 09:18 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>My Dad is 100 Years Old Canada / Italy, 2005 (15 minutes) Thursday June 1, 6:30pm The Harvard Exit Roberto Rossellini’s The Flowers of Saint Francis is resplendent in its simplicity. Seeing the film on a big screen is an… And Voila! Back from the brink ...posted by David Jeffers (June 02, 2006, 06:19 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Gravehopping (Odgrobadogroba) Slovenia, 2005 (103 minutes) Wednesday June 14, 4:15pm Pacific Place Cinemas Friday June 16, 9:45pm Pacific Place Cinemas “I’ll bet there are lots of guys in London who can talk with a London accent, and it’s no particular… Conversations With Myselfposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 02, 2006, 05:31 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>We Go Way Back (Lynn Shelton, USA, 80 mins.) Must be something in the air. First, there was 2004 romantic comedy 13 Going on 30 with Jennifer Garner. Then a few weeks ago, pop-rocker Pink released I’m Not Dead, featuring… Au Bonheur des dames (1929)posted by David Jeffers (May 29, 2006, 06:11 PM, Comments: 5) MORE >>>France, 1929 (85 minutes) Sunday, May 28 4:00pm The Egyptian Saturday, July 15 1:40pm The Castro, San Francisco “Upon the ruins, the future is built!” A train pulls into a Paris station and off steps Denise Baudu (Dita Parlo),… All Kinds of Folksposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 29, 2006, 10:06 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>FESTIVAL (Murray Lerner, USA, 1967, BetaSP, 95 mins.) Well, all you ladies gather around. The good sweet candy man’s in town. It’s the candy man, candy man. — Mississippi John Hurt (1963) ***** Festival is a welcome reminder about the… " Faites la guerre de chats pas! " *posted by David Jeffers (May 28, 2006, 06:53 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Case of the Grinning Cat (Chats perchés) France, 2004 (58 minutes) Saturday May 27, 7:00pm Northwest Film Forum Wednesday May 31, 9:30pm Northwest Film Forum “It’s a great asset in life, not to know what you’re talking about.” On the… View at Your Own Riskposted by David Jeffers (May 25, 2006, 05:53 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Ski Jumping Pairs - Road to Torino 2006 Japan, 2005 (82 minutes) Friday May 26, 9:15pm Broadway Performance Hall Saturday May 27, 1:15pm Broadway Performance Hall Ski Jumping Pairs – Road to Torino 2006 is a ‘film’ any potential viewer… In Defense of Crappy FXposted by Greg Brotherton (May 25, 2006, 05:18 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>I saw The Illusionist at the press launch along with everyone else and pretty much agreed with the reviews on Siffblog. It’s a middling mildly entertaining movie. But what I want to rant about on this, the opening day of… Briefly: Everyone Stares, This Film Not Rated, Wordplayposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 25, 2006, 04:32 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>My arms were bothering me of late, so I’ve been absent, and I’m going to keep this pretty short… First, I have only been invited to one SIFF party so far! Oh, lamentation. If anyone has invites and needs a… Funny, But Trueposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 24, 2006, 04:03 PM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>Love Streams (John Cassavetes, US, 1984, 141 mins.) With press screenings in full effect and the official opening on Thursday, it’s easy to overlook the non-SIFF films playing in town. That said, you’ve got one day left to catch John… Bury me under a Kookaburra treeposted by David Jeffers (May 24, 2006, 12:05 AM, Comments: 6) MORE >>>The Proposition Australia / United Kingdom, 2005 (104 minutes) Friday May 26, 9:30pm The Neptune Sunday May 28, 1:30pm The Neptune “Australia, what a fresh hell this is.” Westerns today are as rare as hens teeth and good ones even… The Scarlet Letter (1926)posted by David Jeffers (May 23, 2006, 12:10 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>1926, United States (98 minutes) Saturday May 27, 4:00pm The Egyptian Film bears no responsibility to literature beyond its acknowledgment as a source. There have however, been more than a few great works utterly destroyed by terrible screen adaptations. MGM’s… Boy Cultureposted by Anne M. Hockens (May 22, 2006, 08:22 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sunday, June 15th, 9:15 p.m. Harvard Exit Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival http://www.seattlequeerfilm.com/06/index.html Please take advantage of Seattle getting this great film a second time. This review was originally written for its screening at SIFF. Here’s my problem… Wristcuttersposted by Greg Brotherton (May 22, 2006, 03:44 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>9:15 PM June 3rd, Neptune; 4:15 PM June 4th, Neptune Bravo! Watch out for Goran Dukic, writer and director of Wristcutters. It’s an assured debut and the kind of script I love seeing unfold. The story of Zia (Patrick Fugit… Pretty, Vacant and Talking Chickensposted by David Jeffers (May 21, 2006, 01:31 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The King United States, 2005 (95 minutes) Monday May 29, 4:00pm The Egyptian Wednesday May 31, 9:30pm The Neptune “I need to get right with God.” Discharged form the Navy, Elvis (Gael Garcia Bernal) travels to Corpus Christi, buys a… The King is deadposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 20, 2006, 12:49 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>The King is one dreary story, that made me wonder if the actors were especially hard up for money the day they were presented with the script. Gael Garcia Bernal is a recently discharged sailor named Elvis (don’t look for… Sketches of Frank Gehryposted by David Jeffers (May 20, 2006, 01:54 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>United States, 2005 (82 minutes) Friday May 26, 6:30pm The Harvard Exit Monday May 29, 4:15pm The Harvard Exit “If you meet an architect at a party, the best thing you can do is hit them” - Bob Geldof… The Not-So-Magnificent Sevenposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 19, 2006, 10:05 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Seven Swords / Chat gim (Tsui Hark, Hong Kong, 144 mins.) Please forgive me for (temporarily) abandoning the standard review format, but this mind-numbing battle extravaganza drove me too crazy to spend any more time thinking or writing about it… Twelve and Holdingposted by David Jeffers (May 19, 2006, 03:30 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>United States, 2005 (94 minutes) Saturday May 27, 3:45pm Broadway Performance Hall Monday May 29, 1:30pm Broadway Performance Hall “Ninety percent of all people’s problems are because of the inability to get over the past.” A tree house is… Coach Cluckposted by David Jeffers (May 18, 2006, 05:28 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Half Nelson United States, 2006 (106 minutes) Monday June 1, 7:00pm The Egyptian Wednesday June 3, 1:15pm The Egyptian Dan (Ryan Gosling) is an inner-city teacher and girls basketball coach. He’s morally conflicted but decent enough, even though he’s a… Sacred Cow Tippingposted by Greg Brotherton (May 18, 2006, 03:01 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>4 PM May 29th, Egyptian; 9:30 PM May 31st, Neptune James Marsh’s first narrative feature, The King, features Gael Garcia Bernal trumping his fast-expanding canon of inappropriate sex. When Elvis (Gael Garcia Bernal) gets out of the navy in the… 7 Virginsposted by David Jeffers (May 17, 2006, 09:31 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Spain, 2005 (86 minutes) Monday June 5, 9:30pm The Neptune Wednesday June 7, 4:15pm Pacific Place “Dude, weren’t you in the joint?” “I still am, this is an illusion.” While free on a 48-hour pass from juvenile detention to attend… A Soap, Conversations, little newsposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 17, 2006, 08:56 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Got an invite to Opening Night. Here are the key words: Bombay Sapphire, Freixenet, Pyramid Hefeweizen, Sterling Vineyards. And Jones Soda (uber-sugar) and Vitamin Water (less sugar, I drink it lots). A Soap Denmark/Sweden Dir: Pernille Fischer Christiansen May 28,… Shanghai Dreamsposted by Franz Bieberkopf (May 17, 2006, 08:15 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>What an odd and stupid choice for an English title. The Chinese title is “Qing Hong,” which is the name of the central character, a girl who has no dreams of Shanghai whatsoever. It is her father, forced by the… Some Alternate Viewsposted by Franz Bieberkopf (May 16, 2006, 11:53 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Here are a few capsules of SIFF films that have been covered by other bloggers, offered here on the presumption that a second opinion never destroyed a patient’s chances of surviving on the operating table. Wah-Wah It’s not as boring… Garpastumposted by Franz Bieberkopf (May 16, 2006, 11:52 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Garpastum The Russians still have standards. Not just anybody can invest $200 in a film and get it shown on the festival circuits. There is training to be had for those with the aptitude before being entrusted with a feature… Initial Dposted by Franz Bieberkopf (May 16, 2006, 11:43 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The racecar crap is boring as hell, but Taiwanese pop singer Jay Chou is charismatic as the son of a racer who discovers that his father’s world is where his own happiness and destiny lies. Anne Suzuki is also worth… Allegroposted by Franz Bieberkopf (May 16, 2006, 11:22 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Is there anything less interesting than drab surrealism? With ”Allegro,” the Dutch have taken an idea that the Latin Americans would have developed magically and the Russians would have developed intellectually and the Chinese would have treated as a… The Little Fugitiveposted by Franz Bieberkopf (May 16, 2006, 11:20 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Joannn Lipner’s remake of the sweetly terrifying 1953 film about a seven year old boy who runs away to Coney Island after believing he has committed murder maintains the surrealism of the original while placing it into the context… Host & Guestposted by Franz Bieberkopf (May 16, 2006, 11:17 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Faith and despair become fair weather friends in a heavy handed but sincere allegory of a world that has been carved up and barricaded by oppositional dogmas. Kim Jae-Rok lends his impassive face to Ho-Jun, an unemployed film teacher… Conversations With Other Womenposted by David Jeffers (May 16, 2006, 06:21 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>United States, 2005 (83 minutes) Friday May 26, 7:00pm The Neptune Friday June 2, 9:30pm Lincoln Square “My heart was broken.” “So you married a cardiologist.” A man (Aaron Eckhart) and a woman (Helena Bonham Carter) meet on the fringe… Adam's Applesposted by Greg Brotherton (May 16, 2006, 06:21 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>4 PM May 26th, Pacific Place; 6:30 PM May 29th, Egyptian Hilarious as twenty blackbirds shot from a tree, Adam’s Apples, written and directed by Anders Thomas Jenson, packs some pretty heavy subjects (good, evil, faith and redemption) into a… A Prairie Home Companionposted by David Jeffers (May 15, 2006, 09:20 PM, Comments: 7) MORE >>>United States, 2006 (103 minutes) Saturday May 27, 6:30pm The Neptune Friday June 2, 7:00pm Lincoln Square “What do you get when you mix holy water and castor oil?… A religious movement!” Coming to you from The Fitzgerald Theater… Sketches of Sydneyposted by Greg Brotherton (May 15, 2006, 06:28 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>6:30 PM May 26, Harvard Exit; 4:15 PM May 29th, Harvard Exit Sydney Pollack’s first documentary, Sketches of Frank Gehry, was fine. I know it was his first because Sydney told us in his voice over. “Why’s Sydney talking to… Evil Aliensposted by David Jeffers (May 15, 2006, 07:32 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>United Kingdom, 2005 (90 minutes) Saturday June 10, 11:59 The Neptune Tuesday June 13, 4:30pm The Neptune Desperate for a ratings boost, Weird Worlde TV sends a camera crew and reporter Michelle Fox (Emily Booth) to investigate reported alien… Crossing the Drawbridgeposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 14, 2006, 11:28 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Crossing the Bridge - The Sound of Istanbul (Fatih Akin, Germany, 90 mins.) After the triumph of Head-On, my expectations were probably unrealistically high for Fatih Akin’s non-fiction follow-up. Crossing the Bridge isn’t bad, and most of the music is… Dreaming of Space and 7th Avenueposted by David Jeffers (May 14, 2006, 12:59 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Dreaming of Space (Kosmos kak predchuvstvie) Russia, 2005 (90 minutes) Saturday June 10, 1:30pm Lincoln Square Monday June 12, 9:30pm The Neptune Victor (Yevgeni Mironov) dreams of being a cosmonaut. He meets Gherman (Yevgeni Tsyganov), who longs to defect, at… Wah-Wahposted by David Jeffers (May 12, 2006, 02:03 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>South Africa / France / U.K., 2005 (99 minutes) Friday May 26, 4:30pm The Egyptian Sunday May 28, 6:30pm Pacific Place Set in 1969 as Swaziland is about to gain independence from Britain, Wah-Wah is the childhood memoir of actor,… The Long & Winding...posted by Kathy Fennessy (May 12, 2006, 12:35 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Road to Guantánamo (Michael Winterbottom, Mat Whitecross, UK, 95 mins.) While watching The Road to Guantánamo, it occurred to me that important films are rarely fun, while fun films are rarely important. United 93 is an important film. Though… Opening Night and Gone But Not Forgottenposted by David Jeffers (May 11, 2006, 06:55 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>The Illusionist United States, 2006 (110 minutes) SIFF 2006, Opening Night Thursday May 25, 7:00pm The Paramount Theater Once upon a time a peasant boy and a princess fell in love. The boy was driven away, only to return an… With Blood on My Handsposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 11, 2006, 05:05 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands (Nicolas Winding Refn, Denmark, 98 mins.) I wasn’t a big fan of Pusher, which I caught at SIFF ‘98, but nor was I a detractor. I dig Refn’s highly-saturated style (those glowing reds!),… Pusherposted by Greg Brotherton (May 11, 2006, 04:26 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>6:30 PM May 26, Pacific Place; 11 AM May 29th Pacific Place It’s a Danish year at SIFF with fourteen features, including five world premieres. Nicholas Winding Refn is being honored as an emerging master. Why this year? I don’t… Prairie, Crossing Bridge, Heart of Game, Allegro, Gehry, Princess Racoonposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 10, 2006, 09:04 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>We’ve been in pre-SIFF mode for almost two weeks now, with press screenings held at the Seven Gables. Full series passholders are allowed in as well, making for a lively mix of folks. I’m going to leap in first with… An American Hauntingposted by Amie Simon (May 10, 2006, 02:26 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Based on true events that happened between 1818 and 1820, An American Haunting is the story of the Bell Family in Red River, Tennesee, and about the spiritual presence that tormented their youngest daughter and eventually caused a family member’s… Art School Confidentialposted by E. Steven Fried (May 08, 2006, 12:13 PM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>A painter I knew in Austin, who had attended art school at UT, once told me that he asked one of his instructors if he knew how to draw Bullwinkle. When the instructor confessed that he couldn’t render a depiction… The Phantom of the Opera (1925)posted by David Jeffers (May 06, 2006, 04:26 PM, Comments: 6) MORE >>>Tuesday May 9, 7:00pm The Historic Everett Theater Following their great success with The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1923, Universal Pictures and producer Carl Laemmle sought a suitable follow-up for the biggest horror star of the silent era, Lon… Classify All Risksposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 05, 2006, 10:05 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Classe Tous Risques (Claude Sautet, France/Italy, 1960, 35mm, 103 mins.) Until I caught up with the long unavailable Classe Tous Risques, I thought of Claude Sautet (1924-2000) as the elder statesman behind the exquisitely restrained dramas Un Coeur en Hiver… Waterposted by David Jeffers (May 04, 2006, 10:05 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Thursday, May 4, 7:00pm The Harvard Exit Opens Friday, May 12 at the Seven Gables “For a long time I believed that God is truth. But now I know that truth is God.” The tragic suffering and isolation of women… The Wedding March (1928)posted by David Jeffers (April 30, 2006, 11:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>This film recently came up in conversation. It’s another one of my favorites. Among the handful of films directed by Erich von Stroheim, the finest individual performance may be that of Fay Wray in The Wedding March. A young Viennese… It's Just Like Thatposted by Kathy Fennessy (April 26, 2006, 06:32 PM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>Woman Is the Future of Man (Hong Sangsoo, South Korea, 2004, 35mm, 88 min.) I like his films above all because they are amusing. Not in the style of comic films but they manage to capture aspects of everyday life… Silent Hillposted by Amie Simon (April 25, 2006, 05:12 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>I admit: I went into this film with the very lowest of expectations. And even though I’ve never played the video game, I was prepared for the worst (I still have bad flashbacks from House of the Dead), but fortunately,… Wu ji (The Promise)posted by David Jeffers (April 23, 2006, 11:21 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sunday, April 23, 7:00pm The Seven Gables Opens Friday, May 5 “Every man you ever love, you will lose.” A starving girl makes a promise to the mystical Goddess Manshen (Hong Chen) giving up true love and happiness for a… The Wind (1928)posted by David Jeffers (April 22, 2006, 11:33 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>One of the greatest films of the silent era, and one of my personal favorites. From IMDb by request. Irving Thalberg gave Lillian Gish carte blanche when she signed with MGM and she personally selected the story, director and leading… Hope Is Deadposted by Kathy Fennessy (April 21, 2006, 06:07 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>MOUCHETTE (Robert Bresson, France, 1967, 35mm, 78 mins.) I want to concentrate, constantly, absolutely, on one face, the face of this little girl, to see her reactions… And I will choose, yes, the most awkward little girl there is, and… Hard Candyposted by David Jeffers (April 13, 2006, 08:09 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Wednesday April 12, 8:00pm The Cinerama “Nothing is yours when you invite a teenager into your home.” Lolita in a red hoody becomes part avenging angel and part torture loving psychopath in David Slade’s shocking directorial debut Hard Candy. Creepy… Innocent Dreamsposted by Kathy Fennessy (April 13, 2006, 02:39 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Innocence (Lucile Hadzihalilovic, France, 2004, 35mm, 115 mins.) It’s such a sad old feeling the fields are soft and green it’s memories that I’m stealing but you’re innocent when you dream when you dream you’re innocent when you dream —… The Devil and Daniel Johnstonposted by David Jeffers (April 11, 2006, 09:51 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Tuesday April 11, 7:00pm The Varsity “The best summer I ever had, I had a flat tire down memory lane.” The final shot of Daniel Johnston in Jeff Feuerzig’s bio-doc about the “cult hero and all-American weirdo” is of Johnston… Knowledge Is Powerposted by Kathy Fennessy (April 11, 2006, 11:50 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Protocols of Zion (Marc Levin, USA, 2005, 93 min.) As promised by the title, Marc Levin’s provocative documentary does examine the infamous Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. But it isn’t the first or last word on the racist… Akeelah and the Beeposted by David Jeffers (April 10, 2006, 09:53 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Monday April 10, 7:00pm The Harvard Exit Opens April 28 “If I could spell like you I know I could be a flight attendant!” Another spelling bee movie (requisite eye-rolling here)? Akeelah is an adorable, bright eleven-year-old who sees the… Maybe It's a Trick of the Lightposted by Kathy Fennessy (April 04, 2006, 10:44 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Intruder / L’intrus (Claire Denis, France, 2004, 35mm, 130 min.) Where to begin with the latest burst of brilliance from cinematic illusionist Claire Denis—with the spooky opening or the ecstatic conclusion? Or should I simply describe what The Intruder… Reflections on a Journeyposted by Kathy Fennessy (April 02, 2006, 12:42 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Phantom India / L’Inde fantôme (Louis Malle, France, 1969, 35mm>BetaSP, 378 min.) It was enormously important for me, and I’m still trying to make sense of it today. — Louis Malle on Phantom India To quote Sir Tom Jones, it’s… Duck Seasonposted by David Jeffers (March 22, 2006, 09:44 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Wednesday March 22, 7:00pm The Varsity Currently showing in New York, LA, Chicago, San Francisco … “We four are like The Beatles.” “They were all men!” “John Lennon was a woman.” How much mischief can two bored fourteen-year-olds get into… As Bees in Honey Drownposted by Kathy Fennessy (March 21, 2006, 12:36 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Spirit of the Beehive / El Espíritu de la colmena (Víctor Erice, Spain, 1973, 35mm, 95 mins.) Before Alejandro Amenábar (The Others, The Sea Inside), there was Víctor Erice (Dream of Light). While Spirit of the Beehive isn’t a horror… The Higher the Hair...posted by Kathy Fennessy (March 18, 2006, 10:45 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Hair High (Bill Plympton, USA, 2004, 35mm, 75 min.) Imagine a cross between cartoonish musical Grease, Finnish show-band crazies the Leningrad Cowboys, and violently twisted video game Stubbs the Zombie, and there you have it: Hair High, the latest full-length… Joyeux Noëlposted by David Jeffers (March 16, 2006, 10:31 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Thursday March 16, 700pm Metro Cinemas Joyeux Noël opens with a moving prologue of school children from France, Germany, Scotland and America reciting the memorized dogma of war. The story builds effectively as the War To End All Wars begins… Histoire(s) du Metal: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (March 15, 2006, 10:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey (Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen, & Jessica Joy Wise, Canada, 2006, 96 mins.) I miss the innocence I’ve known Playing KISS covers Beautiful and stoned. — Wilco, “Heavy Metal Drummer” (2002) ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****… Histoire(s) du Metal: Part Oneposted by Kathy Fennessy (March 14, 2006, 10:24 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey (Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen, & Jessica Joy Wise, Canada, 2006, 96 mins.) What about the voice of Geddy Lee How did it get so high? I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy? (I know… DUMAposted by E. Steven Fried (March 13, 2006, 04:16 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Although Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Oscar for best actor last night, one of the most remarkable performances in a film last year was the name character in Carroll Ballard’s Duma. Granted, the role was played by a cheetah… Histoire(s) du...Godardposted by Kathy Fennessy (March 11, 2006, 10:41 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Histoire(s) du Cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1989-1998, BetaSP, 315 mins.) histories of the cinema with an s all the histories that might have been that were or might have been that there have been — Jean-Luc Godard, Histoire(s) du Cinéma… Lucky Number Slevinposted by David Jeffers (March 08, 2006, 10:45 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Wednesday March 8, 7:00pm The Harvard Exit Opens Friday April 7 “I live on both sides of the fence and the grass is always green.” Four violent murders are committed before the titles finish rolling in Lucky Number Slevin. Josh… A Feast of Short Filmsposted by Kathy Fennessy (March 03, 2006, 11:07 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Oscar-nominated Short Documentaries “Brotherhood is not so wild a dream as those who profit by postponing it pretend.” — Norman Corwin, “On a Note of Triumph” (1945) “Every school kid should know that.” — Studs Terkel, A Note of Triumph:… Six Days in a Lifeposted by Kathy Fennessy (February 24, 2006, 06:46 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Sophie Scholl: The Final Days / Die letzten tage (Marc Rothemund, Germany, 2005, 35mm, 117 mins.) Sophie in her cell In the end of the movie “Downfall,” we see Hitler’s original secretary, Traudl Jünge. Years after the war, in Munich,… From Perch to Pop Art: Part Twoposted by Kathy Fennessy (February 17, 2006, 11:15 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Two New Docs at the Northwest Film Forum Who Gets to Call It Art? (Peter Rosen, USA, 2006, 35mm, 80 min.) The answer is: Henry Geldzahler. There are those who document their times and those who participate in them. Curator… From Perch to Pop Art: Part Oneposted by Kathy Fennessy (February 15, 2006, 08:06 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Two New Docs at the Northwest Film Forum Darwin’s Nightmare (Hubert Sauper, Austria/Belgium/France, 2004, BetaSP, 107min) The most visceral film-going experience I’ve had so far this year, Oscar-nominated documentary Darwin’s Nightmare couldn’t be more aptly titled. It begins with a… Unknown White Maleposted by David Jeffers (February 08, 2006, 11:42 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A 2005 SIFF entry Wednesday February 8, 7:00pm The Harvard Exit Opens Friday, February 17 On Thursday morning, July 3rd 2003 an Englishman stepped off a subway car in Coney Island New York. Doug Bruce had no memory of who… The Scar of Shame (1927)posted by David Jeffers (February 02, 2006, 12:14 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Monday February 6, 7:00pm The Paramount Theater In a contemporary study of film history The Scar of Shame (1927) has great value as an early surviving example of the “Race Movie” genre. These were motion pictures produced from the silent… Eight Belowposted by David Jeffers (February 01, 2006, 12:41 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Yes, I would have rather seen Imagine Me and You, but that totem pole is reeeeally high! (Grumble, grumble) Tuesday January 31, 7:00pm Oak Tree Cinemas Opens February 17 Take a ruggedly handsome dogsled guide, a cute girl that also… The World's Fastest Indianposted by David Jeffers (January 29, 2006, 12:49 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Tuesday January 10, 7:00pm The Harvard Exit Thursday February 2, 7:00pm The Uptown Theater Opens Friday, February 3 Take a little Cervantes, throw in some Monster Garage, add an afternoon tea break and you’ve got Burt Munro. He’s a sweet… A Good Woman (Is a Good Movie)posted by Kathy Fennessy (January 25, 2006, 08:24 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>A Good Woman (Mike Barker, 2004, 93 min.) Marital bliss is a great burden to place on two people; sometimes a third person is needed to lighten the load. — Oscar Wilde It never fails to amaze me how many… I AM A SEX ADDICTposted by E. Steven Fried (January 20, 2006, 12:46 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>No that is not a confession, though I will admit to liking sex a whole lot. However, as Caveh Zahedi points out in I Am A Sex Addict, enjoying loads of sex isn’t the same thing as possessing a… DeMille's giant step forwardposted by David Jeffers (January 18, 2006, 12:03 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Cheat Sunday January 22, 4:00pm The Paramount Theater Did Cecil B. DeMille pander to the baser interests of the American film audience, or, did he simply have the ability to produce films that targeted the popular interests of the… The New Worldposted by David Jeffers (January 17, 2006, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Wednesday January 18, 7:00pm Metro Cinemas Opens Friday January 20 “All is perfect. Let me be lost. You flow through me like a river.” The New World at its heart is the tale of an exceptional young woman and a… Geraldine Farrar and "Carmen"posted by David Jeffers (January 11, 2006, 12:18 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Silent Opera ? and the Gerry-flappers Sunday January 15, 4:00pm The Paramount Theater By 1915 Geraldine Farrar had established herself as premier soprano of the opera world. With radio nearly a decade away, her phonograph records had found their way… The Weeping Meadow, A Purely Cinematic Experienceposted by Kathy Fennessy (January 05, 2006, 11:09 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>I would like the world to remember my work as a musical moment, as a musical phrase, suspended, which may reach some people. The important thing in my life is what I do, my work, what I see, feel,… Demille's Lost City and "The Ten Commandments"posted by David Jeffers (January 04, 2006, 12:33 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Ten Commandments Sunday January 8, 4:00pm The Paramount Theater Countless slaves pull a gleaming white sphinx, inch-by-inch, across the desert sands. Brutalized by their cruel Egyptian masters, The Children of Israel toil before the monumental city gates of Pharaoh… "DeMille Must Die!" .posted by David Jeffers (December 28, 2005, 12:24 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The plot to kill Cecil B. DeMille on the set of “The Crusades” and the thirty year feud with the Gower Gulch boys. In the mythic west of Mark Twain and Charles Russell that never really was, the horsemen of… Breakfast On Plutoposted by E. Steven Fried (December 21, 2005, 02:55 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Breakfast On Pluto has been getting so-so reviews. The film, which opens Friday at the Varsity, currently has a 51% rating on the Tomatometer. The common complaint seems to be that it’s a superficial, insufficiently political piece of fluff… My Interview with Cecil B. DeMilleposted by David Jeffers (December 21, 2005, 12:32 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>“Yes CB, anything you say CB …” Had P.T.Barnum, famous nineteenth century huckster and showman, been born at the end rather than the beginning of that century he might have been Cecil B. DeMille. DeMille was almost single handedly… Hairy and Mrs Hendersonposted by David Jeffers (December 15, 2005, 11:58 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>King Kong Wednesday December 14, 7500 screens - every freaking corner of the planet! The first time is special because it is the first time. It is the thing that has never been done. It is new, unusual, sometimes… Two Hours You'll Never Get Backposted by David Jeffers (December 05, 2005, 11:29 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Casanova Monday December 5, 7:00pm Pacific Place 11 Lasse Hallström successfully merges the decay and decadence of baroque Venice with MTV in his latest film Casanova. Exquisite locations, beautiful photography and Vivaldi on an endless loop are combined with the… While you were away . . .posted by David Jeffers (November 17, 2005, 11:57 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The Wild Blue Yonder Tuesday November 8, 7:30pm Seattle Art Museum An evening with Werner Herzog featured the North American Premier of his latest, “The Wild Blue Yonder”, a strange, fictitious, quasi-documentary starring Brad Dourif as an alien and self… Ushpizinposted by David Jeffers (October 26, 2005, 11:14 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Wednesday October 26, 7:00pm The Guild 45th “When a man changes something within himself, he progresses.” As Moshe and Malli prepare for the Succoth holiday they pray for a child. The ultimate “guests who wouldn’t leave” visit them instead which… More Shopgirl, or Lunch at Saksposted by Kathy Fennessy (October 21, 2005, 06:06 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>SHOPGIRL (Anand Tucker, US, rated R, 104 mins.) I was at the same screening of Shopgirl as my colleague. Initially, I was just going to leave a comment stating that I felt the same way about it. Then I realized… Shopgirlposted by David Jeffers (October 20, 2005, 11:49 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Thursday October 20, 7:00pm The Uptown Theater Opens Friday October 28 Mirabelle is pensive. She glides between Wilshire Boulevard and her second floor walk-up in adagio, expectant and unsure. Jeremy is an oaf. He is foolish and eager like a… The British Primativesposted by David Jeffers (October 14, 2005, 10:36 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Electric Edwardians: The films of Mitchell and Kenyon Friday October 14 through Thursday October 20, 7:00 & 9:00pm, plus 3:00 & 5:00pm Saturday & Sunday Grand Illusion Cinema Peter Worden discovered seventeen ice cream tubs filled with 826 uncored rolls… Eat The Documentposted by E. Steven Fried (October 03, 2005, 04:03 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>With the release of No Direction Home Dylan fans have a further opportunity to glimpse some of the most sought after footage of his career. Although the film elides a few key characters [Carolyn Hester, Edie Sedgwick, Sara Lowndes], it… One Week and Steamboat Bill Jr.posted by David Jeffers (September 23, 2005, 02:33 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Monday September 26, 7:00pm The Paramount Theater “Here’s your house!” “One Week” begins with church bells and happy guests throwing shoes and rice. The Groom (Buster Keaton) picks up a pair he thinks might fit then tries to kiss his… Big Bosoms and Square Jawsposted by E. Steven Fried (September 21, 2005, 10:26 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>“I don’t pretend to be some kind of sensitive artist. Give me a movie where a car crashes into a building, and the driver gets stabbed by a bosomy blond, who gets carried away by a dwarf musician. Films should… Cops and Collegeposted by David Jeffers (September 17, 2005, 04:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Monday September 19, 7:00pm The Paramount Theater “Get some cops to protect our policemen!” Cops is a symphony of misunderstanding, beginning with a stolen wallet and ending with a thousand men in blue chasing Buster down the street. In between,… The Crowd (1928)posted by David Jeffers (September 11, 2005, 01:07 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Tuesday September 13, 7:00pm The Historic Everett Theater “The Crowd laughs with you always …. but it will cry with you for only a day.” King Vidor’s masterpiece, The Crowd, is a landmark of Hollywood’s silent era. The delirious joy… Sherlock Jr. and The Balloonaticposted by David Jeffers (September 07, 2005, 08:24 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Monday September 12, 7:00pm The Paramount Theater “Say Mr. Detective, before you clean up any mysteries, clean up this theater.” In an age before computer generated effects Sherlock Jr’s out of control ride on the handlebars of a motorcycle is… Our Hospitality and The 'High Sign'posted by David Jeffers (August 25, 2005, 12:06 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Monday August 29, 7:00pm The Paramount Theater “It would be the death of anyone to go outside tonight!” Buster goes home and his neighbors are hell bent to bust a cap in his ass. Raised in the city, Willie McKay… The Navigator & The Boatposted by David Jeffers (August 18, 2005, 12:09 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Monday August 22, 7:00pm The Paramount Theater “… living proof that a family tree must have its sap.” Without a doubt, the happiest accident of Buster Keaton’s film career was the discovery of an ocean liner headed for the scrap… Capra and The Crowdposted by David Jeffers (July 14, 2005, 01:13 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Wonderful acoustics and an oversized Kimball-Wurlitzer organ made The Historic Everett Theater’s Tuesday night screening of That Certain Thing akin to driving a vintage sports car with an enormous engine, nearly sensory overload but immensely enjoyable. Dennis James is no… That Certain Thing (1928)posted by David Jeffers (July 09, 2005, 08:00 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Tuesday July 12, 7:00pm Historic Everett Theater “Here’s your handkerchief.” “Keep it, and blow your brains out!” In his first film with Columbia Pictures we see the beginnings of what would make Frank Capra the great populist director of the… War o' the Worldsposted by Gillian G. Gaar (July 08, 2005, 02:39 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Hello! Wanted to throw some stuff up here…sorry I’m still working on the SIFF wrap-up. It’ll come, I just have to ration my hand use. Anyways, I was pleased as punch to get to the advance screening of War of… March o' the Penguinsposted by Gillian G. Gaar (July 02, 2005, 11:08 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>This was to have run in the July Tablet, but it was cut. So I’m putting it here! Look for War of the Worlds and the SIFF party wrap-up soon… MARCH OF THE PENGUINS Dir. Luc Jacquet Rating: B This… Her Minor Thingposted by Amie Simon (June 22, 2005, 10:20 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>I suppose you could categorize Her Minor Thing as a Chick Flick with a twist — the main character is a 25 year-old-virgin. Her reasons for remaining as such are not religious, she’s not holding out for marriage, she’s not… Last Daysposted by David Jeffers (June 13, 2005, 09:05 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sunday June 12, 6:30pm Neptune Theater A long lingering reflection of a sad and unpleasant memory was my first impression as the credits rolled on Last Days. There is beauty in the composition but also decay and ugliness in the… Man About Dogposted by David Jeffers (June 12, 2005, 11:53 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Saturday June 11, 6:45pm Uptown Theater Sunday June 12, 1:45pm Uptown Theater “You can pull a hair out of your arse, but you can’t pull a rabbit.” Smalltime gangsters, bookies, gamblers, various nefarious henchmen and their assorted weapons served up… Max and Graceposted by David Jeffers (June 11, 2005, 07:46 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Thursday June 9, 6:45pm Broadway Performance Hall Saturday June 11, 1:45pm Broadway Performance Hall Bless the independent filmmaker. Without them we’d see nothing but Speilberg the Farrelly brothers and films based on old sitcoms. They are the risk takers. They… End In Sight: 8 More Reviews!posted by Gillian G. Gaar (June 11, 2005, 04:16 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>I believe this will be the first year I end up writing about every film I saw at SIFF. Yes, you should be impressed. I’ll have at least one more film after this posting, maybe two. And yes, party news!… Steal Meposted by David Jeffers (June 10, 2005, 11:28 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Friday June 10, 6:45pm Broadway Performance Hall Saturday June 11, 4:00pm Broadway Performance Hall Right off the bat what I noticed in Melissa Painter’s film was the crisp editing, strong composition and feeling of rural Montana and small town life…. Ellie Parkerposted by David Jeffers (June 09, 2005, 10:31 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Thursday June 9, 7:15pm Neptune Theater Saturday June 11, 2:00pm Neptune Theater “There was my brother with my Barbie in his hand, and her hair was on fire! …Do you think Meryl Streep had to do this shit?” Beyond a… Cleanposted by Amie Simon (June 08, 2005, 11:23 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>I’m sad to say that thus far, Clean has been the most disappointing SIFF film I’ve seen this year. I had no emotional connection to this film at all — in fact, I was just plain bored. Emily Wang (Maggie… Last Days Reviewposted by Gillian G. Gaar (June 08, 2005, 10:24 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>So, saw Last Days yesterday, a rather hush-hush screening…only press allowed in, no passholders. As you must know by now, Last Days is a film “inspired by” the last days in the life of Kurt Cobain. In a similar vein… The Beautiful Countryposted by David Jeffers (June 07, 2005, 10:54 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Thursday June 9, 9:15pm Egyptian Theater Saturday June 11, 2:00pm Uptown Theater Being loved and belonging is essential for most children. Those born to Vietnamese mothers and GI fathers often found neither. The Beautiful Country is the story of one… A Mighty 12 Film Reviews!posted by Gillian G. Gaar (June 07, 2005, 11:54 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Hello…if you’ve been reading my entries, you may think I don’t actually get to the movies. Well, that is just not so. So here are quickie recaps. I agree w/Neil about “Ellie Parker,” it was much fun. Of course I’m… The Civilization of Maxwell Brightposted by Amie Simon (June 07, 2005, 10:14 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>As the credits rolled, my good friend turned to me and said, “I like this director; he doesn’t make great movies, but he makes movies that are refreshingly different”. This is the best summation of The Civilization of Maxwell Bright… Max and Graceposted by Kathy Fennessy (June 06, 2005, 04:59 PM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>MAX AND GRACE, AKA My Suicidal Sweetheart (Michael Parness, USA, 2005, 91 mins.) Ever since Harold and Maude became one of the more surprising hits of the 1970s, one young American filmmaker after another has hoped and prayed lightning would… Writer of Oposted by Amie Simon (June 06, 2005, 03:11 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Part reenactments/part interview footage, this documentary about Dominique Aury’s authorship of the scandalous erotic 1954 novel held my interest when actually speaking to Aury and her circle of friends, but lost me during the long, stylistic scenes from the novel… A Not So Wonderful Night in Splitposted by (June 06, 2005, 12:41 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The weekend brought three exceptional films—movies so powerfully, sensuously good that they reminded me of what a film festival is supposed to be. Those three were Ingmar Bergman’s Saraband, the Argentine film Roma, and Thomas Riedelsheimer’s follow-up to Rivers and… The Warriorposted by David Jeffers (June 05, 2005, 11:20 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Saturday June 4, 9:30pm Neptune Theater Sunday June 5, 4:15pm Neptune Theater Lafcadia is the deadly and obedient right arm of an Indian feudal warlord. Sent to massacre a village for failing to pay their tribute he brings the mayhem… Heaven's Gateposted by David Jeffers (June 05, 2005, 02:38 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Saturday June 4, 1:30pm Egyptian Theater There was some expectation that SIFF might reward audience members surviving the entire 219 minutes of this film some sort of medal but that did not happen. I was surprised to discover the film… Deep Blueposted by David Jeffers (June 05, 2005, 12:45 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Saturday June 4, 11:00am Egyptian Theater Monday June 6, 7:15pm Neptune Theater Deep Blue reveals an underwater world filled with unusual and unexpected creatures. Breathtaking images of dolphins, whales, vast schools of jellyfish, deep ocean creatures that defy imagination seeming… Parker, Penguins, Heights!posted by (June 03, 2005, 05:37 PM, Comments: 3) MORE >>>Are the movies getting better or is my resistance getting lower? I saw three films this week that I thought were outstanding: Ellie Parker, After Innocence, and Little Sky. The last two are already gone, but the best of these… The Dying Gaulposted by Amie Simon (June 03, 2005, 01:53 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Peter Sarsgaard plays Robert, a screenwriter who’s written a deeply personal script about his lover who died from Aids. Campbell Scott is the slimy Hollywood producer who seduces Robert with money (and his body) in order to get him to… Twist of Faithposted by Amie Simon (June 03, 2005, 01:32 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>This emotionally trying documentary was almost as hard for me to get through as the Paradise Lost/West Memphis Three documentaries. Tony Comes is a firefighter, family man, and a genuinely good guy. He was sexually abused during several of his… The Circus (1928)posted by David Jeffers (June 03, 2005, 12:14 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Sunday June 5, 6:30pm - Neptune Theater Saturday June 11, 11:00am - Egyptian Theater “Swing little girl. Swing high in the sky, and don’t ever look at the ground. If you’re looking for rainbows look up to the sky. You’ll… Sarabandposted by David Jeffers (June 02, 2005, 09:24 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Wednesday June 1, 7:15pm Egyptian Theater Saturday June 4, 4:15pm Neptune Theater Thirty years after their divorce, Marianne decides to visit Johan at his summer home in the country. In this reprisal of their roles from Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 Scenes… Rock Schoolposted by Amie Simon (June 02, 2005, 09:20 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Paul Green’s School of Rock seems to be a combination of misfits and artistically talented kids (which is pretty much a label that you could apply to any group of teenagers) that really learn how to rock. You might find… Saint Ralphposted by Amie Simon (June 02, 2005, 09:14 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Normally I would hate something as sugary-sweet and predictably “feel-good” as Saint Ralph, dismissing it as Hallmark-esque schlock. But call me crazy, I got all teared up a few times during this coming-of-age-50s-era-catholic-school drama. Ralph Walker (Adam Butcher) just can’t… Tony Takitaniposted by David Jeffers (June 02, 2005, 01:23 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Wednesday June 1, 9:30pm Egyptian Theater Tony Takitani is a lonely illustrator. His father is a former prisoner of war, jazz musician he cannot relate to and sees only briefly every few years. Tony hires an assistant fifteen years his… Rice Rhapsodyposted by Amie Simon (June 01, 2005, 06:43 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Rice Rhapsody made me laugh and cry, sometimes via very typical comedy/family situations, but it still worked. Jen (Sylvia Chang), a mother with 3 boys, is running a restaurant in Singapore famous for the specialty dish: Hainan Chicken Rice. Since… Godzilla: Final Warsposted by David Jeffers (June 01, 2005, 12:34 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Saturday May 28, 3:30pm Neptune Theater Everything I’ve come to expect from the genre sprang to life in this one, goofy monsters, bizarre flying craft, hokey effects, broken up by bad dialogue and hopeless corn. Exuberant in it’s own… Last Chance for Little Sky!posted by (May 31, 2005, 02:35 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The excellent Argentine film Little Sky, probably the best movie I’ve seen at SIFF 31 to date, arrived with little fanfare and may exit just as unnoticed. No guests, no sponsors. (And no screener??) I saw it last night at… Dopo Mezzanotte (guest review)posted by mike whybark (May 29, 2005, 11:56 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>[This was posted in a comments box on another person’s entry. For the record: DON’T DO THIS. It’s comment spam. Despite this, David’s review is serious and worth publishing. I will address this in yet another comments-related entry.] “For… Quick Hits: Junebug & That Man: Peter Berlinposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 29, 2005, 09:54 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>Junebug (USA/2005) Director: Phil Morrison Based on the description of this film, I was expecting a slice of Southern whimsy, but first-time director Morrison is more ambitious than that. Consequently, “Junebug” feels like two films, a comedy and a drama… The Aristocrats - Interview Featureposted by Gregory Wylie (May 27, 2005, 03:57 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>A guy walks into a talent manager’s office and says “Boy, have I got an act for you!” Thus begins the joke comedian/director Paul Provenza explores in a documentary entitled The Aristocrats. The film played the Seattle International Film Festival… EL CRIMEN FERPECTOposted by Kristopher Monroe (May 26, 2005, 08:49 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Dir. Alex de la Iglesia Oh, my god! This movie is hillarious. It not quite the height of the director’s form like “Day of the Beast” but it’s a pretty entertaining black comedy. The papers list the film with a… The Beat That My Heart Skippedposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 26, 2005, 04:14 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Beat That My Heart Skipped / De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté (Jacques Audiard, France, 2005, 108 mins.) After the press screening of this inventive reimagining of James Toback’s Fingers (1978), I heard one passholder proclaim, “Implausible!” I heard… DEEP BLUEposted by Herb Krohn (May 26, 2005, 06:04 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>DEEP BLUE – United Kingdom/Germany – 2003 - Documentary AVERAGE Directed by Alastair Fothergill & Andy Bryant Sat June 4 11:30 am Egyptian Theatre Mon June 6 7:15 pm Neptune Theatre While beautifully photographed with stunning underwater scenes, this film… AS IT IS IN HEAVENposted by Herb Krohn (May 26, 2005, 06:03 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>AS IT IS IN HEAVEN – Sweden – 2004 – Subtitled VERY GOOD Directed by Kay Pollak Thurs June 2 6:30 pm Neptune Theatre Sun June 5 2:15 pm Uptown Theatre After a heart attack a prodigy turned Conductor returns… STRINGSposted by Herb Krohn (May 26, 2005, 06:02 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>STRINGS – Denmark/Sweden/United Kingdom/Norway - 2004 BOMB Directed by Anders Ronnow Klarlund Thurs June 2 9:30 pm Neptune Theatre Weds June 8 2:00 pm Harvard Exit When a King commits suicide, his evil brother conceals the death to make it… YESTERDAYposted by Herb Krohn (May 26, 2005, 06:00 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>YESTERDAY – South Africa – 2004 – Subtitled OUTSTANDING Directed by Darrell James Roodt Tues June 7 7:00 pm Uptown Theatre Weds June 8 2:00 pm Uptown Theatre Oscar nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in 2004, this dramatic story… CAMPFIREposted by Herb Krohn (May 26, 2005, 05:57 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>CAMPFIRE - Israel – 2004 – Subtitled VERY GOOD Directed & Written by Joseph Cedar Fri Jun 3 2:00 pm Egyptian Theatre Tue Jun 7 9:30 pm Neptune Theater Set in 1981, this somewhat humorous yet complex drama centers on… Going Through Splat and Kekexili: Mountain Patrolposted by (May 23, 2005, 05:43 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Going Through Splat: The Life and Work of Stewart Stern Directed by Jon Ward ONE SCREENING ONLY Sunday, May 29 6:00pm The Egyptian SEE IT! This is a “5” on your ballot! Stern will be there for a Q&A after… Rambling on My Mind: Malfunkshun, Mysterious Skin, 4 & Frozenposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 23, 2005, 05:20 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story (Scot Barbour, US, 2005) I was Andy’s biggest fan not because he was going to be a rock star. I was Andy’s biggest fan because Andy was who he was. If you met Andy, you… Preview: Go see this movie!posted by Kristopher Monroe (May 23, 2005, 05:11 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Izo Dir. Takashi Miike Okay, I haven’t actually seen this yet, but its pedigree makes it impossible to resist. It features the great Beat Takeshi and is directed by the enfant terrible of Japanese cinema, Takashi Miike (though not much… Shorties: Lizard, Yang Ban Xi, Ladies in Lavendar, My Summer of Luvposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 23, 2005, 04:27 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Seen recently… “The Lizard” is my new fest favorite, and there’s a screening 5/24 at the Neptune, so I’d advise you to stop reading this blog right now and go out and buy a ticket! It’s an Iranian film, about… Review: Innocent Voicesposted by Kristopher Monroe (May 22, 2005, 06:27 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Excellent film about El Salvador’s civil war in the mid 80s that takes the point of view of an eleven year old boy and is based on a true story. The film follows the boy and his friends and family… Critic-in-Law does the SIFFBLOG!posted by (May 21, 2005, 11:56 PM, Comments: 4) MORE >>>Perhaps if I were drinking as much as it sounds like the rest of you are, I might be enjoying this boring festival a tad more. With a few exceptions, the films have been shit, not worth the time and… Shorties: Overlord, Rock School, Splat, Dying Gaul, November, Me & You...posted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 16, 2005, 09:10 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>More quickies…. Overlord Directed by Stuart Cooper Just saw this today. It’s a bittersweet, evocative look at WWII, as seen through the eyes of one young British man from the day he enlists in the service to the dawn of… Quick Hits: Murderball, Boats, Dying Gaul & the Aristocratsposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 14, 2005, 11:50 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>MURDERBALL (Henry-Alex Rubin & Dana Adam Shapiro, US, 2005) Inspired by Shapiro’s Maxim article, Murderball is a lively, surprisingly funny, ultimately quite moving documentary about the burgeoning sport of quad rugby. To play “murderball,” mobility-impaired athletes use customized wheelchairs on… Capsules: Kim Ki-duk, Daniel Auteuil, & Miranda Julyposted by Kathy Fennessy (May 07, 2005, 09:48 AM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Just a few comments while these films are fresh in my mind. 3-iron (Kim Ki-duk, South Korea, 2004) 3-iron is another winner from the prolific Kim Ki-duk (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring). Those who enjoyed Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s… Pounding Nails into the Coffin of Quirkyposted by (May 06, 2005, 10:07 PM, Comments: 6) MORE >>>Kris, you’re the first person—locally—who’s had anything good to say about this year’s opening night film. Several of us—including some critics I’m typically in disagreement with—stood in the lobby after the screening, unable to contain our disgust. Deb—I don’t know… Reviews: Yes, Deep Blue, Saving Face, Mad Hot Ballroomposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 04, 2005, 05:13 PM, Comments: 2) MORE >>>Four quickies, my hands hurt (already!). Yes Directed by Sally Potter This is Potter’s response to 9/11, and though you needn’t know that, it does provide context. A frustrated housewife (Joan Allen) — is there any other kind? — has… Earthling vs. Deep Blueposted by (May 03, 2005, 05:51 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Earthling Directed by Wolfgang Bayer and Tristan Bayer USA, 2005 It seems almost criminal to write anything negative about Earthling, a nature film that gives us so much as far as astonishing sights of fauna and flora, from the tropics… Head-On at the Varsityposted by (May 01, 2005, 08:54 PM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>The German-Turkish film Gegen Die Wand (or Head-On, as it’s known to American-speaking audiences) isn’t a SIFF movie; it is, however, opening during the SIFF season—this Friday, May 6 at the Varsity—and since the publicist was kind enough to loan… The Holy Girl reviewposted by Gillian G. Gaar (April 28, 2005, 06:58 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Holy Girl Directed by Lucrecia Martel It’s all there in the synopsis, if you look for it; “The Holy Girl delicately explores themes of sin, frustration and desire.” We’re in modern day Argentina, and one fine day the teenaged… Campfireposted by Gillian G. Gaar (April 26, 2005, 04:28 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Campfire Directed by Joseph Cedar Press screenings have begun, open to press (of course) and full series pass holders. So here’s some previews; will post showtimes when the official schedule is released (May 5). This film is set in 1980s… A Very Long Engagementposted by mike whybark (December 18, 2004, 09:15 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>In late November, Viv and I were happy to attend a Cinema Seattle preview screening of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s newest film, A Very Long Engagement. The film stars Audrey Tatou, who also had the lead in Amèlie. The film concerns… The Manchurian Candidate: reviewposted by Gillian G. Gaar (July 26, 2004, 04:52 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The prospect of a remake of “The Manchurian Candidate” filled me with dread, quite frankly. I’ve reviewed and/or seen an increasing number of remakes over the past few years, and I usually come to the same conclusion — ultimately, they’re… FAHRENHEIT 9/11 REVIEWposted by Gillian G. Gaar (June 21, 2004, 05:26 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>SIFF is over, but the blog is still here so lets use it. 6/21 I was just at a press screening of Michael Moores Fahrenheit 9/11. Ive been following the development of this film since Moore mentioned it as his next project… Darkness Brideposted by Tonnvane Wiswell (June 11, 2004, 11:47 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Last night I went to what will probably be my final movie of SIFF this year: Darkness Bride, a Mandarin-language Hong Kong movie that had promise as a chop-sockie zombie revenge flick. This, however, was not what was delivered, and… Review of Zhang Yimou's "Hero"posted by Tonnvane Wiswell (June 07, 2004, 10:02 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Just got back from seeing Hero at the Cinerama (I had to leave work early to make my 4 PM appointment with Dr. Lee - Jet Li, that is!). The movie blew me out of my socks and I’m still… Festival Expressposted by Gillian G. Gaar (June 05, 2004, 12:11 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>6/3 checked out Festival Express at the Egypto. This doc chronicles a 1970 rock tour across Canada, and so, accordingly, the show was introduced by Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, and Sly Stone. But wait! I know my rock history Janis and Jerry… Bright Futureposted by Tonnvane Wiswell (June 02, 2004, 04:24 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>“Bright Future” is a film that you’ll only ever get a chance to see at a film festival. Is this because this is an unknown gem that simply will never have a chance to make it in the U.S. market… In the Realms of the Unreal - Henry Darger Film Bioposted by Tonnvane Wiswell (June 01, 2004, 12:10 AM, Comments: 1) MORE >>>As a fan of the art of Henry Darger, I very excited to have an opportunity to see In the Realms of the Unreal. Ever since I first read about the lonely janitor and his strange body of art in… Los Angeles Plays Itself reviewposted by Gillian G. Gaar (May 31, 2004, 11:54 AM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>May 30 checked out Thom Andersens Los Angeles Plays Itself. I made the mistake of not checking the running time before going, and so found myself fidgeting a lot after a time, as Id no idea I was going to see… More Recomendationsposted by Kristopher Monroe (May 24, 2004, 06:46 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>The Corporation Dir. Mark Achbar & Jennifer Abbott Canada, 2003 May 27, 4:15pm, HARVARD EXIT; May 29, 6pm, EGYPTIAN Slightly pointy-headed, but very interesting documentary that traces the history of incorporated companies from the 1800s, when they were granted the… Film Recomendations (so far...)posted by Kristopher Monroe (May 20, 2004, 06:07 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Here are a couple of my personal favorites that have been previewed so far: In Your Hands Dir. Annette K. Olesen Denmark, 2004 May 27, 7:15pm; May 28 5pm, PACIFIC PLACE Thoroughly engaging Dogme drama about Kate, an inmate in… Placeholderposted by mike whybark (May 17, 2004, 06:12 PM, Comments: 0) MORE >>>Without an entry in a category, the top navigation won’t render when the site publishes…. |
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