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SIFF Review: The Punk Singer

For those lucky enough to catch Who Put The Bomp?, the sizzling Le Tigre tour documentary shown at SIFF a couple years back, the new Kathleen Hanna biography The Punk Singer will be an answer to Pussy Riot-like prayers. (The two music movies would make a delicious double feature.) The fanzine artist, riot grrrl comrade-avatar, Bikini Kill co-founder, fourth-wave feminism fearless bellwether, Le Tigre musician and more just blazes away in this Kickstarter-funded fiesta of fiery rock and fiercely loving social commitment.

Directed by Sini Anderson, a sparkplug-member of the awesome radical-poetic Sister Spit collective and Chief Curator for the The National Queer Arts Festival, The Punk Singer puts you right in the middle of everything as it happens through the early days of punk girl revolution early 90s style. You're there in the pit at a house show, making the decision to commit to revolution with Bikini Kill. You're there in Kathleen's bedroom with she and her friends, using scissors and paste to manipulate clip art and appropriated text to juxtapose images of female passivity with phrases evoking the tortures of being watched and judged daily by patriarchy. You watch as she puts on provocative, prick-kicking fashion shows even though peers remind her that "we're only in high school, Kathleen!"

And then get blown away again as she takes to the mic like a natural, snarling and screaming and shouting passion for her ideal "rebel girl" and telling the boys to "move to the back (be cool for once)" and "girls to the front!" Her bandmates (Tobi Vail, Katji Wilcox, Billy Karren) have as much verve as X-Ray Spex or The Ramones, and though all the musicians are different from each other in many ways, as a mystical shred-unit of focused protest, the footage of them makes The Punk Singer an essential rock documentary. 

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Friday, May 24, 2013
by Chris Estey
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Festivals | Film

SIFF 2013: Week Two Highlights

The Spectacular Now

A twisty political thriller, a surprisingly good high-school movie, and a shockingly bad David Sedaris adaptation are among SIFF's highlights and lowlights in week two (May 24-30).

DON'T MISS:

Camion
Camion{screens May 29 at 6:30pm and May 30 at 4:30pm at the Uptown}
A truck driver nearing retirement age gets in a head-on collision on the job, and his two sons come home (somewhere in rural French Canadia) to help him out of the ensuing funk. The story then takes an interesting detour into childhood-regression territory, focusing on the brothers: one's a funny fuckup who looks kinda like Dave Grohl and the other is a straighter-lacer who looks like I dunno who but definitely not Dave Grohl. Despite any casting questions or POV unevenness, this is a beautifully-crafted film with a gorgeous ending.

Paradise trilogy: Love, Faith, Hope
{screening back-to-back May 25 beginning at 10am at Pacific Place}
A captivating series of films focusing on three women as they confront themselves and search for some version of happiness. Love travels with full-figured, fiftysomething hausfrau Teresa as she becomes a "Sugar Mama" sex tourist in Kenya; in Faith we get to know Teresa's sister, a fanatic Catholic missionary whose summer is disrupted by the sudden return of her paraplegic Muslim husband; then there's Teresa's sullen 13-year-old daughter Melanie, making unexpected new friendships at a fat camp and flirting with a much older camp doctor, in Hope. All three feature intriguing photography (director Ulrich Seidl has a fondness for static symmetrical shots, mainly of characters in small rooms) and audacious, often ruthless storytelling (he also has a fondness for challenging the viewer to look directly at unpleasantness). Paradise is well worth your while.

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Friday, May 24, 2013
by imaginary embracey
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Festivals | Northwest Bands | Recommended shows | Sasquatch

Sasquatch 2013: Your guide to navigating the side stages {Monday, May 27th}

We're giving you the day-by-day for this year's Sasquatch! music festival -- check out our recommendations for Friday here, Saturday here, Sunday here, and read on for Monday's picks!

Start Monday off with Nissim at 1:00 on the Cthulhu stage. Nissim is the moniker of Damian Black -- who you might know better by his former alias, D. Black, manager and member of Sporting Life Records and accomplished rapper and producer in his own right. Black gave all that up several years ago when he converted to Judaism, got married, and had a son. Recently however, he’s been lured back into making music, although this time around the music is more earnest and uplifting in nature. Follow his set up at the Bigfoot stage at 2:25 for Minneapolis rapper P.O.S., who’s part of the ever-talented Doomtree collective and part of Rhymesayers, the label that brought us Atmosphere and Brother Ali. P.O.S. comes off a little stronger than some rappers, as some sort of hybrid between punk and rap. He’s just as likely to rap over squealing guitar as he is to record scratches and a bass beat. These two back-to-back is sure to wake you up and set a tone for your last day at the Gorge!

Stick around the Bigfoot stage for Cody ChesnuTT’s set at 3:25. Last year saw the release of his second full-length album Landing On A Hundred, the first since his debut in 2002. Fans of southern soul, R&B, funk, and blues will find a lot to like in ChesnuTT’s music, and his live shows are energetic and oozing with passion. Up next is Dirty Projectors at 4:30, led by the dizzying guitar work of the band's founder and guitarist David Longstreth. The really captivating aspect of Dirty Projectors are the vocals of Haley Dekle and especially Amber Coffman, who at times hit some serious Mariah Carey-level high notes. Their 2012 album Swing Lo Magellan may have been their most gorgeous and explorative release to date.

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Thursday, May 23, 2013
by John in Ballard
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Festivals | Film

SIFF Review: Fateful Findings

I'm calling it right now, Fateful Findings is going to win SIFF 2013. Regardless of category; best dialog, plot, love story, computer hacking - this film takes the experience to eleven. Admittedly, for some that might be to negative eleven. But in the bad movie olympics, Fateful Findings sticks the landing to take the gold, silver and bronze. A hell of a lot of fun to watch by myself, I cannot believe it won't be 10 times more enjoyable at its world premiere midnight screening. I seriously cannot wait for the equally improbable sequel. Take a gander at the trailer - if you're intrigued, RUN to buy a ticket. In a just universe, they'll sell out.

On one hand Fateful Findings is an absolute masterpiece of "can't look away" dysfunction, for which the phrase "hot mess" seems too complimentary. On the other hand, the bizarre and often unexplained vision makes it hugely entertaining - in ways many other bad films such as The Room don't approach. One doesn't need to throw spoons at the screen to enjoy Fateful Findings. Though I suppose a few cocktails or bit of other now legal in Washington substances couldn't hurt. Troll 2, you've now got some serious competition.

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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
by Imaginary Rich
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Festivals | Northwest Bands | Recommended shows | Sasquatch

Sasquatch 2013: Your guide to navigating the side stages {Sunday, May 26th}

We're giving you the day-by-day for this year's Sasquatch! music festival -- check out our recommendations for Friday here, Saturday here, and read on for Sunday's picks!

Start Sunday off right with Seattle’s Deep Sea Diver, playing at 1:00 on the Bigfoot stage. Originally a solo project of guitarist Jessica Dobson, the band has evolved into a three piece that includes her husband Peter Mansen on drums. Dobson shreds on guitar; enough so that she’s spent time during the past year on tour as a guitarist for The Shins. Must see! Next up, at 2:00 on the Yeti stage, is Sean Nelson, who most will know as the former frontman for Harvey Danger. Nelson is set to release a solo album on June 4th titled Make Good Choices, featuring collaborations from Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, and this will be a good chance to hear some of those new songs up-close-and-personal style.

At 3:05 on the Bigfoot stage is Diiv. The four-piece band is the project of Z. Cole Smith, former member of the band Beach Fossils. Smith has a strong admiration for Kurt Cobain, but the band has a sound that's distinctly different from his musical idol: elements of krautrock and early 90’s shoegaze dominate Diiv's vibe. For a changeup, Seattle rapper/producer/multi-instrumentalist O.C. Notes will be taking the Cthulhu stage at 4:15. The project is the moniker of Otis Calvin III, who can also be heard in the hip-hop duo Metal Chocolates. For Sasquatch, he’ll be joined live on stage by several talented Seattle area musicians, including Erik Blood on bass, Thomas Hunter (Wild Orchid Children) on guitar, Trent Moorman (Head Like A Kite) on drums, and Vox Mod on synths. Can't wait!!

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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
by John in Ballard
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