Three Imaginary Girls - SIFF Cinema

Celebrate SIFF's Grand Reopening of the Uptown with Favorite Films {10/20-10/27}

Imaginary Amie — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:59:53 +0000

I would like to take this moment to announce that I think SIFF purchasing the Uptown Cinemas and rescuing them from languishing in certain doom is the best thing that they have ever done, ever. EVER.

Okay, now that I have that out of the way - let's get to the good stuff. The Uptown is having its Grand Reopening this week! Starting Thursday, 10/20, there will be a serious of Sing-Alongs (Hedwig, Purple Rain, and Grease) as part of the Heineken City Arts Fest, and then they're gonna show a whole bunch of awesomeness -- officially known as Uptown Cinema Classics -- starting on 10/23.

You can view the full schedule here, but the films I'm most excited about are West Side Story, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Royal Tennebaums, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, LA Confidential, and The Godfather. They'll also be rounding out the week with Bob & the Monster (which we heartily recommend you get tix to!). Even better: all these films are only $5 - OR FREE with a same-day receipt from any Queen Anne area business. omg. what.

Anyone up for drinks at The Mecca followed by a film?

Gettin' MIFFF'd this weekend: My picks for possible Splatter

Imaginary Amie — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:39:13 +0000

Since I'm mainly interested in splatter and gore (lots and lots of it), I thought I'd make my picks for the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival based on what I think will be the bloodiest. So, here we go:

Midnight Son (opening night, Friday 9/16 @ 8pm): This vampire-esque tale is about a dude who has to drink blood to live, but is apparently having trouble containing his urge to murder everyone in the most violent way possible. Splatter potential: HIGH. The short playing with this (Juan Con Miedo) looks like a typical "don't trust the kid" cautionary tale. Being a fan of creepy children, I'm down for that too.

Abstentia (9/18 @ 6pm) looks creepy and wrong in all kinds of ways! Missing husbands, hallunications, secrets, etc. Watch the trailer, you'll see what I mean. Splatter potential: Minimal, but there'll probably be lots of jumpy scares….which can sometimes be just as good.

MIFFF - SO many films to choose from this weekend!

Imaginary Rich — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:11:09 +0000

Starting this Friday there will be a ton of genre films appearing at SIFF Cinema as part of the Maelstromg International Fantastic Film Festival (Imaginary Amie has already briefed everyone of the general coolness involved). I've checked out a number of films, and am hear to vouch for the offerings as well...with notes on a few things I've already seen.

One thing I haven't seen yet is the opening night film - hope to see tons of folks checking it out with me Friday night. I'm a sucker for a vampire romp, and Friday night's feature Midnight Sun didn't make it into the stack of screeners the organizers were kind enough to share for review. I especially don't want to miss it. given Summit Entertainment's propensity for suing everyone in sight. Since that's the same name given to Stephenie Meyer's unfinished retelling of Twilight from Edward's point of view (no....seriously... please stop laughing .... I'm not making this up - and it's not as bad as it sounds) I figure it's only a matter of time before someone tries to shut 'em down..

Without further adieu, here are a few of the selections I've screened and some notes on them. One spoiler alert up front - you don't want to miss the closing night film The Selling: a supernatural comedy/mystery which will appeal to a broad audience.

September Film Festival Goodness: MIFFF comes to SIFF Cinema {9/16-9/18}

Imaginary Amie — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:54:53 +0000

Oh hey. September kind of snuck up on me there....but then I remembered I need to get all excited about it, because it means that the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival (MIFFF) is back! And also, it's only one more month until my favorite holiday of all time, Halloween. MIFFF is the perfect place to prep yourself for All Hallow's Eve, because it focuses on Indie Fantasy, Horror, and Sci-Fi films. Yay!

Anyway, since it starts this weekend {Friday 9/16 through Sunday 9/18}, Imaginary Rich and I are planning to get some picks up to help you navigate the schedule - or - you could just buy a full series pass for only $40, and hit all of 'em (this weekend is supposed to be rainy, right?). Watch for posts tomorrow and Thursday, and get ready to MIFFF it up. I'm personally hoping for lots and lots of splatter this time around...

Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival
September 16-18, 2011
SIFF Cinema at McCaw Hall
$10 per screening (shorts & features)
$40 full series pass
Buy tickets online

Best of SIFF 2011 Weekend {6/17-6/19}

imaginary embracey — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:07:25 +0000

{Best of SIFF 2011 screenings take place June 17-19 at SIFF Cinema.}

You may have noticed we've hushed up about SIFF these last couple of days. That's because SIFF 2011 is a thing of the past. Did you miss out, despite our daily urgings to see this Alaskan crime thriller or that Spanish period drama? Are you kicking yourself for foregoing Seattle's month-long megalomaniac cinemathon yet again?

Well, you have a few chances for redemption. That's right, just when you thought it was safe to go back to Seattle Center, an action-packed three-day Best of SIFF 2011 program invades SIFF Cinema at McCaw Hall this weekend (6/17 - 6/19), and will feature a mix of (mostly very deservingly-honored) Jury Award winners, Golden Space Needle Audience Award winners and fest favorites. So, you can partake of films you missed the first time 'round (shame on you) or revisit your SIFF favorites one more time (on the big screen instead of Netflix).

The full lineup, along with the intrepid TIG SIFF team's takes on the selections we reviewed, after the jump.

SIFF Take: Holy Rollers - The True Story of Card Counting Christians

Imaginary Amie — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:53:35 +0000

{Holy Rollers is screening at SIFF Saturday, 6/11, 6pm at the Admiral - which is on standby, so be prepared to wait in line if you don't have tix yet! - and again on Sunday, 6/12, 3:30pm at SIFF Cinema}

Thus far, I'd been blissfully unaware of this young, hipster group of Christians who do things like start their own churches so their band can play hymns, drink frothy microbrews and whiskey, and bankroll their lives by hooking up with two other hip young Christian dudes who started a card counting business. But - no more. After watching Holy Rollers, I sadly (SADLY) know way too much about these guys.

That photo above is of Ben, the co-founder of "Chuchteam" (the nickname given to their blackjack business since almost all the players are Christians), and I feel like it pretty accurately portrays what you're in for when you sit down to watch this film. But that's okay - you don't have to like these guys (in fact, if you're similar to me and Embracey, you'll loathe them), because watching them do what they do is still pretty damn fascinating.

SIFF Take: Hooked

Imaginary Rich — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:29:27 +0000

{Hooked screens at SIFF on May 22, 4pm at SIFF Cinema, on May 30, 1:45 pm at the Neptune, and finally on June 3rd, 9:30pm at the Kirkland Performance Center}

I'm sure if I thought about it long enough I could find flaws. But overall I was very satisfied with the experience of watching Hooked, a fun adrenaline ride from Russia that bests the majority of recent Hollywood action flicks at their own game. With the possible exception of giving the female characters little to do - in which category it performed consistently with most American blockbusters.

The premise is preposterous, but quite clever in it's ability to setup the rest of the film. Six students compete as a team in a video game competition, each demonstrating their superiority in different game genres - from martial arts to first person shooters and driving simulations. Each takes home as a prize a new videogame that when played makes their computer go boom. Though it also has the interesting side-effect of giving them the real life abilities they previously only had in the game, which results in their own personal A-Team consisting of a small combat squad and a driver.

SIFF Preview: Shortsfest

Imaginary Rich — Mon, 16 May 2011 21:29:38 +0000

{SIFF's 2011 Shortsfest Weekend screens between 5/27 and 5/30 at SIFF Cinema}

There are lots of ways to make your own personal festival out of SIFF. Maybe you only want to see German films, love stories, or animated escapades. One niche that SIFF carves out into its own show-within-a-show are short films. While some shorts will screen before features, a collection of the really good stuff has been grouped into a weekend of mini-film festival goodness. Beginning on May 27th with Shortsfest Opening Night and concluding on May 30th with Shortsfest Closing Night, you can spend your entire four day memorial day weekend watching these bite sized pieces of cinema. And at $100 ($75 for members) it's one of the most inexpensive pass options going this year (individual tickets also available at SIFF.net or the box office).

The films are grouped up into rough themes and screened in sets of 5-10 per 90 minute (or so) block. I've been lucky enough to watch five of the packages so far. I always enjoy throwing a few shorts sets into the SIFF mix, as you're almost guaranteed to like a few of them. Watching shorts to me is akin to Seattle's weather. Don't like it at present?, that's OK, just wait 15 minutes. As someone who has traveled specifically to shorts festivals such as the scorcher that's Palm Springs Shortsfest in late June, I can happily report that this year's Seattle offerings are some of the strongest I've seen to date. The hit to miss ratio is very satisfying. Even if you don't normally like shorts, I'd really encourage you to pick a package that sounds good and give it a try. Odds are you won't be disappointed.

Below are some brief notes of the packages I've seen with callouts for some of the most positively memorable contributions. All the packages have more films than I'm mentioning - it's likely your highlights may be different than mind, which is a big part of the fun.

Louder Than a Bomb

Imaginary Rich — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:20:38 +0000

Louder Than a Bomb is an annual team poetry slam contest that began in 2001. The contestants being students representing around sixty Chicago area schools. It's also the title of a dynamic and uplifting documentary about that event. On the surface it feels as though the picture closely follows the template of other docs about schools kids challenging themselves via a unique after school activity (think Spellbound or Mad Hot Ballroom). That's a formula for a reason, so there's no reason to hold it against them. But in reality, the film peaks in a way that's somewhat different and is dramatically very effective.

The filmmakers followed four teams, and this film absolutely shines due to the energy and raw skill of the high school age participants. This isn't quite the poetry I remember from my high school writing club (and not just because of the lesser focus on death and suicide). It's raw and powerful, and chronicles both the joy and the anguish in the students' lives. The film gets the feel so right that there are moments where it's an act of will not to jump up and cheer along with the slam audience onscreen.

If for some reason the participant's verbal and literary talents don't engage you, then the personal content of their poetry will. It's very hard not to impacted by what is taking place onscreen, and the overall message is so positive that even some of the heartbreaks of the teams will still leave one optimistic about their futures.

One of the unique aspects of the competition is that groups enter as teams, taking what could be an extremely individualistic pursuit and adding on a requirement that kids work together. The teamwork and the coaching required to bring it out adds a depth beyond just the written word everyone is working on.

The competition itself consists of poetry performed both by individual and group. Each team is headed by one or two coaches who work with them throughout the year to write and hone their performances. There are quite a few focus points throughout the endeavor, but it felt to me as though The Steinmenauts (from Steinmetz High School) were the center of the film's dramatic universe. The Steinmenauts were surprise winners in the prior year, their first entering. Struggling with issues holding the team together but with incredible talent, they deliver a performance late in the running that is guaranteed to get you to sit up and take notice. Actually across the board, the amount of talent on display is striking. I'm not going to attempt to run it down, as watching the competitors and realizing you're likely seeing writers at the start of long and fruitful careers is a good part of the fun.

In every way Louder than a Bomb really lets the various personalities shine through and made me care about the kids involved. There's a motto of the event bandied around several times that goes something like, "It's not the points that are the point." By the end when some win and some lose the truth of that statement became evident. And perhaps that is what propels the film to the upper ranks of academic achievement documentary films I've seen.

And no, you don't need to like poetry to enjoy this film. Though you may afterward start to question whether a lifelong belief that you fall in that category may have been based on some bad assumptions. I'd highly suggest trying to catch it Friday or Saturday evening when both the director and one of the artists in the film Lamar Jorden are scheduled to attend.

{Louder than a Bomb opened at SIFF Cinema on Friday, May 6. Director Jon Siskel and artist Lamar Jorden are expected to attend both the Friday and Saturday screenings}

On the surface it feels as though the picture closely follows the template of other docs about schools kids challenging themselves via a unique after school activity (think Spellbound or Mad Hot Ballroom). That's a formula for a reason, so there's no reason to hold it against them. But in reality, the film peaks in a way that's somewhat different and is dramatically very effective.

Recommend Weekend Viewing: Animation Fascination @SIFF Cinema {4/22-4/24}

Imaginary Amie — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:44:15 +0000

Hi there. This post is coming to you from deep within the SIFF vaults (aka: the dark Joe Vs. the Volcano-like office I work in), where I have been toiling away for many weeks without time to post on TIG. *sad face* While I can't WAIT to tell you all about this year's Seattle International Film Festival, I'm sworn to secrecy—except for Opening Night, which you can buy tix to now—but! There’s still some awesome stuff happening over at SIFF Cinema pre-fest.

Animation Fascination kicks off today {Friday, 4/22} with some excellent Pixar Shorts @7pm. Every Pixar short I’ve seen in has been nothing less than excellent, with some of my favorites being the classic Knick Knack and bunny-riffic Presto.

There are a ton of other awesomesauce programs - The Phantom Tollbooth (Chuck Jones!) for example, stuff by Bill Plympton and Don Herzfeldt, and my very favorite animated thing in the whole world; Vincent by Tim Burton, which is part of the stop.motion.time. shorts package playing on 4/24 @5pm.

With animated screenings happening all weekend, you can grab a whole series pass for $60 ($35 for SIFF Members), or pick up individual screening tickets for $10 each ($5 Members). Viva la animation!

A Week of Movie Choices That Won't Make You Feel Like a Fool

Imaginary Rich — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:26:46 +0000

Over the next week, Seattle theaters welcome to town a wide range of film options. Here's a few suggestions ranging from one-off screenings to larger independent openings.

Personally, all my anticipation for this week cinematically comes down to Hobo With a Shotgun, which arrives in US living rooms via various video on demand outlets including Amazon Instant Video. It's the only film I got shut-out on at SXSW - with Rutger Hauer and the easy to visualize title I'm not surprised it was a sellout there. I'll be rushing home tonight to queue that up. But there are also some very good choices at Seattle-area theaters over the coming week.

Imaginary Weekend Film Recs - Some Unusual and Unusually Rich Choices

Imaginary Rich — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:35:51 +0000

If there's one film you see this weekend, please make it Cold Weather at the Northwest Film Forum. If there are two films you see this weekend, I'm gonna have to suggest seeing Cold Weather twice. Seeing three, first let me say, "Good for you!" If you're looking to pull off a cinematic hat trick, my parents would strongly suggest Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune (also at the Northwest Film Forum). Huge fans of Mr. Ochs, they saw the film during its brief stop in NYC and couldn't speak more highly of it. Unfortunately I'm off to SXSW this weekend, so I won't get a chance to see the Phil Ochs film until it hits video.

Speaking of SXSW - in addition to the music its most famous for, there's also a tremendous amount of film. Last year was my first trip out there and it was quite the experience. I saw a lot of great stuff - with one of the highlights being Cold Weather. I almost saw it again in Vancouver at their festival. Couldn't quite make it work, but I did attend a meet the filmmaker series session with the Portland-based director. This is a film that defies easy characterization - except that it's really, really good. It's a fairly unique (the only other example I can think of is Monogamy) mash-up of a chatty relationship slice-of-life drama centered around twenty-something characters, shot in a natural style with a whodunnit mystery. Yet it's not really fully either, and the sum is greater than the individual parts.

A lazy description would be a Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys adventure for the mumblecore crowd. Especially worth a theater viewing, as on top of everything else the cinematography deserves to be seen on a large screen - particularly one breathtaking shot at an Oregon waterfall (you can see this shot briefly in the trailer below in my full review). Yep, I super dug it. Hope you will too.

Recommended Viewing: The Feminine Wiles of Catherine Deneuve @SIFF Cinema {3/11-3/12}

Imaginary Amie — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:15:25 +0000

{The Feminine Wiles of Catherine Deneuve runs from Friday, 3/11 thru Saturday, 3/12 at SIFF Cinema}

I know I'm not the only one who developed an instant crush on Catherine Deneuve the instant that I saw her slink onto the screen in The Hunger, but just in case you're not aware of the glory of this gorgeous French force of nature, you should get yourself over to SIFF Cinema this weekend to view her unforgettable on screen presence. They've put together an impressive package of four films (sadly, the goth culture mainstay mentioned above isn't one of them) that showcase a range of her awesomeness from 1967 to 2010.

8 Women is one of my favorites - a comedy/musical centered around a patriarch’s murder, with a cast of so many fabulous French women it's almost hard for Catherine to stand out - except, you know, she's Catherine Deneuve. Belle de Jour is a simply fantastic and heartbreaking portrait of a lost woman, and Dancer in the Dark is so good - and so depressing - it will almost kill you. The only one I haven't seen yet is Potiche, but with François Ozon directing (he also helmed 8 Women), I'm 100% positive it will rule.

Tix are $10 ($5 for SIFF Members) each for Dancer in the Dark & Potiche, and $12 ($7 SIFF Members) for an 8 Women/Belle de Jour double feature. The price is WELL worth it for the opportunity to watch Ms. Deneuve tear up the screen.

Recommended Viewing: Carbon Nation @SIFF Cinema {3/4-3/10}

Imaginary Amie — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:36:53 +0000

{Carbon Nation screens at SIFF Cinema from 3/4-3/10}

It's a tricky business getting people to sit down and watch a movie about climate change - it sounds boring right? Or maybe you don't believe in global warming, or care about the price of oil, or whatever. Carbon Nation strives to change all that by billing itself as "a climate change solutions movie [that doesn't care if you believe in climate change]". Basically:

"So, you don't give a damn about the environment - do it because you're a greedy bastard, and you want cheap power."

Based on the tagline, you might think this film is full of quirky, hipster-esque references to being an environmentally responsible person, but actually it's way cooler than that. Director Peter Byck interviewed a variety of colorful characters that suck you into their way of living to show you that even the littlest things can make a difference - mostly for YOU, but hey, guess what? They might change the world too.

It's worth a watch just for the sheer entertainment value. Head over to SIFF Cinema this Friday {3/4} through next Thursday {3.10} and see if you learn anything new. $5 for SIFF Members, $10 General admission, with screenings @7:30pm (+ a 2pm matinee on Saturday & Sunday for $7).

Recommended Viewing: Mommie Dearest Quote Along @SIFF Cinema w/free wire hangers {2.26}

Imaginary Amie — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:11:56 +0000

Another movie I probably saw WAY too much of - 1981's Mommie Dearest, is the definition of a serious drama gone wrong, as in "total cheese" and "full of over-the-top actors" wrong, but also as in "so bad it's good" wrong. Faye Dunaway takes the infamous Joan Crawford to all new levels of raised eyebrow expressions while she pouts, sobs, and screams at adopted daughter Christina for everything from not eating her whole steak to the oft-quoted "No! More!!! WIRE! HANNNNGGGERSS!" scene.

Since I find myself quoting it on a weekly basis, it only seems natural that I should be excited about the Mommie Dearest Quote Along this weekend at SIFF Cinema - especially because SIFF is giving everyone their own wire hangers just for the screening. There'll also be subtitles on screen for key lines, and a pre-show Joan Crawford drama queen costume contest with prizes.

Put on your best Crawford-esque dress, draw on some eyebrows, and head to SIFF Cinema Saturday, 2/26. Showtime's at 7:30pm, and tix are $12 each/$7 for SIFF Members. (You can buy tickets online here)

Imaginary Interview: Eric Zala & Chris Strompolos (AKA: The Raiders Guys)

Imaginary Amie — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 23:36:27 +0000

{Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation screens at SIFF Cinema February 18-20, as a double feature with the original Raiders}

As I mentioned before, Raiders had a huge impact on me and was one of the things that cemented my future as a film-obsessed writer chick. After seeing the film, three 12-year-old boys in Mississippi were inspired to create a tribute film: Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation—which I think is the most awesome thing of ALL awesome things. Thus, I was both excited and nervous to interview two of the guys (Eric Zala & Chris Strompolos)—what if they didn’t think I was a big enough Raiders fan? What if I made some terrible film nerd faux-pas? What if (OMG WHAT IF) I screwed up an easy-to-remember quote from the film???

I needn’t have worried. They’re both amazingly nice guys who made me feel right at home from the second we sat down and started talking about all things Raiders, from the passion to get it finished to actually meeting Steven Spielberg, and caressing the original Ark of the Covenant prop at Skywalker Ranch.

TIG: So how many times did you guys see Raiders of the Lost Ark before you decided to get started on The Adaptation?

Eric Zala: Well, not as much you might think. Because, as you know, it wasn’t available—I mean it was re-released in theaters in 1982 (ed. note: orginal Raiders of the Lost Ark release was 1981) and Chris had roped me into this crazy project then, and so we watched it in the theater and tried to commit as much to memory as possible.

Indy meets Indie: Raiders of the Lost Ark double feature @SIFF Cinema {2/18-2/20}

Imaginary Amie — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:53:39 +0000

I still remember my mom taking me to see Raiders of the Lost Ark when I was a kid and being on the edge of my seat the whole time, swooning over Harrison Ford's heroics, loving how tough Marion was, and covering my eyes when it was a little too scary. I also remember recording it on our VCR later (no Betamax for us!) and watching it over and over and over until my Indy impression was almost perfect, and I could quote it line-for-line ("It's a date! Ya eat 'em!")

Sadly, I never thought to get a group of my friends together to remake it shot-for-shot, but lucky for all of us, a group of 12-year-olds in Mississippi totally did. The result is Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation, filmed over the course of 6 years after the release of the first Indiana Jones masterpiece.

You can't find the latter on DVD, but SIFF Cinema is showing both films back to back from 2/18-2/20 so we can experience the glory for ourselves. This is an event that quickly sells out, so don't miss your chance to see it! Buy tix online now. ($12 gets you in to both films - $7 for SIFF members).

Rock On or Geek Out: some Imaginary Film suggestions for the weekend

Imaginary Rich — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:26:10 +0000

Can't get tickets to see Motorhead Friday night? Reading this Saturday morning and not ready to let your concert high end? Northwest Film Forum has an option for you. With a poster bearing the tagline 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch, the documentary Lemmy rolls into town.

I caught this back at SXSW with Lemmy in attendance, and while you're unlikely to have that experience this week (sorry, I checked), it's still gonna be must see for Motorhead fans. I am not quite in that group, but I still found the film pretty interesting. Even beyond learning that Lemmy, the one standing member of the legendary band Motorhead, is the authentic real deal. We're told that over and over (and over) by many folks who should know. Despite that minor quibble the that filmmakers got great access to their subject, and whether's it's his extremely broad and deep musical tastes, or the ongoing rationalizations of his Nazi memorbilia collecting habits - it's not a boring ride. Plus, I've got to admit, the music is pretty catchy...

Maybe you're looking for something more along the cinematic downer axis...

Kuroneko

imaginary embracey — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:11:16 +0000

Entertainment option for a bleak midwinter evening: a super-stylin' late-'60s Japanese samurai romance revenge melodrama... with spooky-ass ghosts. Specifically, Kaneto Shindo's 1968 horror triumph Kuroneko ("black cat"), a film that only recently enjoyed a proper American release but which has finally made its way to Seattle via SIFF Cinema, where it will play through 1/26. It really should not be missed.

B&W images of a peaceful, breeze-blown bamboo grove in the film's opening sequence hint at paranormal activity but convey a sense of serene calm... which comes to an abrupt halt with a scene of harrowing violence: We observe a rag-tag squad of nomadic samurai approach the humble house of Yone (Nobuko Otowa), whose son is away in another war-torn region. The hospitality of Yone and her son's wife Shige (Kiwako Taichi) is gratefully accepted, but isn't enough for the troops, who proceed to rape them both repeatedly, then mask the crimes by setting fire to the hut where their unconscious bodies lie. A black cat tiptoes through the ashes and rubble that remain, and the women are seemingly spirited away.

The corridors of medieval Rajomon Gate are then haunted by a ghost in the form of lovely Shige, who leads samurai, one by one, to an awesome house of horrors in the glade. There, seduced and drunk on sake, they meet their dark fates.

Yone's son Gintoki (Kichiemon Nakamura), finally home from battle and newly honored as a chieftain's officer after executing an enemy of the state, is directed to eliminate whatever it is that's dwindling the local samurai population. He ends up at the spectral house, which vaguely resembles the home he left behind -- one possible difference being the out-of-nowhere luminescent mists that make the floor seem to fade (via one of many nifty old-school double-exposure tricks) into hilly forest earth. He falls hard for not-Shige, not fully aware of the nature of her existence... or of the shadowy deal that not-Shige and not-Yone have made with the malevolent spirits that held them.

"It's a samurai's world now," boasts a haughty officer early in the film, touching on the larger message Kuroneko wants to convey: government has a duty to protect its disenfranchised, but rulers' avarice and hubris often lead to failure in caring for their ruled. And director Shindo sends this bitter pill down with completely wackadoo visuals, an evocative score, swoon-worthy costumes, high-flying swordfight sequences, and stylistic influences from Noh theater (with its kabuki-esque dance and movement), creating a chilling, hypnotic, memorable, just plain fun film experience.

And it's presented in a new 35mm print, ahead of a Janus/Criterion DVD release, emboldening every glorious image -- including one of a severed human arm that transforms before our eyes into a raggedy cat's claw -- to entice and to haunt.

{Kuroneko screens in Seattle at SIFF Cinema 1/21 through 1/26.}

{Kuroneko screens in Seattle at SIFF Cinema 1/21 through 1/26}

Entertainment option for a bleak midwinter evening: a super-stylin' late-'60s Japanese samurai romance revenge melodrama... with spooky-ass ghosts. Specifically, Kaneto Shindo's 1968 horror triumph Kuroneko ("black cat"), a film that only recently enjoyed a proper American release but which has finally made its way to Seattle via SIFF Cinema, where it will play through 1/26. It really should not be missed.

And Everything is Going Fine

Imaginary Rich — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:41:31 +0000

{And Everything is Going Fine screens at SIFF Cinema January 14th-19th}

This week brings And Everything is Going Fine to SIFF Cinema after 2010 appearances at the SXSW, Slamdance, and Hot Docs festivals. It's a biographical documentary about Spalding Gray - or perhaps an autobiographical documentary about Gray by director Steven Soderbergh. That last part might be a bit confusing...

What I mean is that it's a portrait of the man, in his own words. Those words are pulled together and arranged by Soderbergh from video archives of Gray's prior appearances and home movies.

Watching the film, I learned that Spalding Gray was a well-known writer of monologues of an inward looking sort, in addition to other succesful writing and acting pursuits. I disclose upfront the fact that I wasn't super familiar with his legacy, as your familiarity with the subject will likely impact how you feel about the film (that, and my ceaseless need to point out my own cultural inadequacies). If you're a fan of Spalding Gray's then this is definitely a documentary worth heading over to Seattle Center for.

Much of the film features Gray sitting at a desk speaking to an audience, with some additional footage of Spalding's parents to round out the visual backdrop. Never having seen him speak before, I can see why watching one of his monologues could be a transfixing experience.

We only get to hear modest pieces of Gray's monologues, but each time I found myself wanting to hear more. Always a sign of high-quality storytelling for me. Not getting to listen longer was similar to the pain I've experienced when I have to break away in the middle of an episode of This American Life on the radio.

If I had one criticism, it's that as a novice (with respect to Gray), I probably would have appreciated a bit more of his work to be repeated here. Though there are ample opportunities to see his performances in other ways, it's mainly just an observation that this documentary to some degree rewards familiarity with its subject.

Clearly there was more than enough historical video floating about to make a film ten times longer. In fact the press materials for And Everything is Going Fine mention 120 hours of film as a starting point. Soderbergh, who has collaborated with Gray in the past, tightly edits together the tale in a way that is truly less about any one of the monologues and more about the arc of Gray's life - both the good and the bad of it. I suppose in our current era of reality TV and Facebook, over-sharing is epidemic. Maybe it's just because of his skills as a storyteller, or that he lived a more interesting life, but this film has a different more intimate, less exploitive feel than more common examples of public therapy.

It's only 89 minutes - so if you're a fan, or curious about the man, this film is well worth a shot. If you've never heard of him you might first start with one of his theatrically released monologues instead. And if you do go and leave slightly depressed about the arc this talent took, SIFF Cinema stocks Theo's Chocolate in their concession. I always find that helps.

{And Everything is Going Fine screens at SIFF Cinema January 14th-19th}

What I mean is that it's a portrait of the man, in his own words. Those words are pulled together and arranged by Soderbergh from video archives of Gray's prior appearances and home movies.