I chose Skateland because it is a story set in early 80s Texas, and I always like to see if I can relate to others’ interpretations of “my” childhood. Granted, I was in elementary school at the time, and Skateland is mainly about kids in their late teens, but I had older siblings and cousins, so why not? Set in East Texas, it was a little leafier than I remember (joke – I’m from the south central part), but the filmmakers got a very authentic look, all the way down to the Lone Star longnecks. The mood-setting dialogue of the first third, however, was stilted and corny. Once they got into the actual story it got better, more natural. The writer/director was on hand for Q&A afterward, and he explained that from writing to wrapping, the film was made from April to December 2008. Maybe that was why the script was a little weak. SPOILER ALERT: On my way to the theatre I was musing to myself on the recent ubiquity of sudden death following acknowledgment of contentment/achievement of happiness. Then in Skateland, one of the main characters tells his best friend that he is completely OK with how his life has turned out. Five minutes later—smack! He’s dead.   [Skateland plays again 6 June at 8pm at Kirkland Performance Center, and in theatres this fall.]

Later that day I found myself at the Neptune yet again for a fantastic Japanese treat going by the name K-20: The Fiend with 20 Faces (Kaijin nijû mensô den). It was at times ridiculous, but at all times entertaining. Part Indiana Jones, part Batman, the film was set in a fictional 1949 Japan where World War II ended with a treaty on December 8. The class system is strictly adhered to, and K20 makes his reputation by stealing valuable objects from the upper class. Through a curious string of events, it’s up to circus acrobat Heikichi to foil the fiend.

One of the things I found interesting was how all the non-Japanese writing was German. For instance, the police helicopters were marked “polizei,” and the dials and knobs on the gadgets were labeled in German. An interesting choice, considering the premise that Japan signed a treaty with the US and UK to prevent world war. [K-20 plays again 4 June at 9:30pm at Kirkland Performance Center.]