The Seattle International Film Festival started last week, but I was not able to begin my film odyssey until now (oh, woe is me, I had to spend a long weekend in NYC). I began my adventure with Homme Au Bain (Man At Bath), a film about two lovers spending a week away from each other after a fight. The film’s star, adult film actor François Sagat was on hand for some Q&A following the screening. He mentioned that it initially was supposed to be a short film, and he was right. The filmmakers would have done well to stick with the original plan, as there was quite a bit of extraneous footage. This was mostly what was shot in New York with a small non-pro camera, ostensibly by the second lead. There is a lot of male nudity, which I’m all for, but it is short on plot and much too long. Homme Au Bain plays again May 26 at 4:30 at the Egyptian.
Category Archives: seattle
Another Movie House Bites the Dust
Not so long I go, I mentioned here that the Uptown Theatre had closed its doors. This week marks the official closing of the Neptune as a movie theatre. Those two venues were very likely my most frequented during the Film Festivals, and now, no more. I don’t see any info yet on this year’s venues, but I have a feeling I’ll be on Capitol Hill more often than usual (Egyptian and Harvard Exit).
1 Thought
Another Revolution
A little bit older, not really any wiser.This year my birthday cheeseburger came from Uneeda Burger, a new gourmet burger joint in Fremont. I had the Philly style burger, with Gruyère, peppers, and onions. It was delicious. Not quite as gargantuan as some of my past cheeseburgers, but their rendition on poutine helped fill the void. They also have Thomas Kemper root beer on tap, which is kinda awesome.Before I had my celebratory vittles, I saw The Fighter, an incredible film that will probably win more than one Oscar. I watched it in Ballard at the Majestic Bay Theatres, a venue worthy of your patronage. Once I was done eating, I found my way to the Mecca Cafe, as is my custom. Lots of wonderful people joined in the fun, and the whole day was a blast.
Merry Christmas To Me – An Adventure Story
I made a list of things to do on Christmas Day – that being the 25th day of December, another day on the calendar for me. Unlike a lot of days when I make lists, I actually managed to do everything I set out to do. In the morning, I took a quick trip down south to feed and greet an alone kitty cat. From there I headed into downtown Seattle and Pacific Place Mall. At the AMC theatre there, any movie beginning before noon is only (only!) six dollars. Before I get to the movie, downtown was virtually empty. Kinda like an early Sunday morning, but even emptier. I was going to park on the street since it would be free for the holiday and there would be plenty of spaces, but something about the emptiness told me I should opt for the safety of the garage. I’ve never seen that garage so empty and was able to park on the top level right outside the elevator room.Once upstairs at AMC, there were quite a few people trickling in for movie time. I bought a ticket for The Tempest and had a half hour to spare. I went in to find the cafe/bar was open. I had already decided, while still at home, that I would get concessions, but I was not prepared for the prices. I haven’t been to that theatre in a while, but they must have just recently raised all their prices. I couldn’t tell you what the old ones where, but earlier this year they were definitely lower. A small soda is now $4.25 and a small popcorn is $5.75. I walked over to the cafe/bar just to see what beers they had in stock and discovered a bottle of beer is only $4! What? A beer is cheaper than the smallest size soda? Where is the logic? So, I had a bottle of Dos Equis poured into a pint glass for me, and had enough time to finish it before the trailers started (the beer and wine can only be consumed in their little corral).Note: You can get a decent amount of popcorn at the new Cinerama for only $2 for plain and $3 for chocolate/mixed.The movie itself was pretty good. Amazingly I was able to follow pretty well the unceasing prose. The costumes were cool – tons of zippers and Prospera’s cape was nifty. The film got a PG-13 rating, partly due to some nudity, which I do believe only amounted to Ben Wishaw’s fake boobies in a few scenes as his Ariel character. They’re obviously fake – he’s a boy! – so I find it a little funny that they should be mentioned in the rating.After the film, I went back home to gather up some things to take to the post office. While I didn’t take everything I intended, the fact is, I did go to the post office and send a package and a letter which is all I intended. All it means is that I’ll have to go back to the post office another day to mail the rest of the items.The walk to the post office was a bit disconcerting. It’s funny how the one day a year that is supposed to be the happiest and most full of love and togetherness was actually a tad bit scary. The streets were practically deserted, most businesses closed. The quiet and the emptiness had me on edge. Anything could have happened that afternoon, and most likely no one would have noticed. I didn’t feel totally safe until I got into Mecca and sat down at the counter. Amazingly, at 3 o’clock on Christmas afternoon, the bar was pretty full, with more people than some days after work. Even in the diner side, most of the booths were occupied. So I sat at the counter and had my Christmas dinner at Mecca. Afterwards, full as a tick, I plodded home, content that I had done everything on my list for the day.Now it’s way too early on the day after (thank the cat for that – the fuzzy alarm clock). I have no plans except to maybe cash in the pizza gift card I got from Secret Santa, thereby delaying a grocery store run a few days. I think I may work on my latch hook rug some more. Or maybe I’ll just do nothing. That’s the prerogative of being an unfettered adult.
SIFF 2010: Day Seven
Halfway through the festival, more or less. There’s still almost two weeks left, but I only have 8 out of 20 more movies to see. My Day Seven was also Memorial Day, but it didn’t really feel like it. It was kinda rainy and gray and not warm – just like I like it. Still, it was a little disorienting. I also found myself at the only Harvard Exit screening of my festival. I drove, of course, (for those of you who don’t know, Seattle bus service totally sucks after 9pm, especially on Sundays/holidays) and ended up parking in an area of Capitol Hill I’ve never been. Huge houses, gated communities – it was a bit spectacular. When I think of the Hill, I often think of squatter punks projectile vomiting into the street (that’s an actual occurrence), but this area was the complete opposite. Still no parking, so whatever. The film I saw was Life During Wartime, a sequel to 1998’s Happiness, with all the roles played by a new set of actors. I don’t really have too much to say about it. If you liked Happiness or like Todd Solondz, I’d recommend it. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the earlier film, but I think this new one is not as dark, but it still deals with the same uncomfortable subjects in a kind of lighthearted manner. I enjoyed seeing Michael K. Williams in a totally different role than he played in “The Wire”, and the other actors were great in their parts – Allison Janney, Shirley Henderson, Ciarán Hinds, Paul Reubens, Michael Lerner, et al.
SIFF 2010: Day Six
Mediterranean Diet (or Food, depending on your translation) is one of several ménage à trois movies at this year’s festival. This one is set in a seaside village near Barcelona so it is always sunny, everyone is glistening with a sexy sheen, and people have no tanlines. All the action revolves around food, and yet I felt like the filmmakers really didn’t know much about food. The depictions of the dishes were not anywhere near a sensuous as I would expect from a threesome movie. Besides that, no one ever ate anything. Even when Sofía auditions for a cook position at a resort hotel, her evaluator merely looks at the dishes she’s prepared and she’s hired. Aside from what could be a huge deficit, Mediterranean Food is a pleasant romp with three beautiful people. Not a bad start to a Sunday. [Mediterranean Food plays again 1 June at 9:15pm at Everett Performing Arts Center.]
The only Croatian entry into the festival, Donkey (Kenjac) is about family bonds and issue resolution. Summer break brings family together in the Croatian countryside, along with a donkey, a symbol of each one’s stubbornness. Secrets are revealed, confrontations are made, and in the end . . . well, why ruin it for you, right? Nothing earth-shattering, but a nice little film. [Donkey plays again at Pacific Place on 5 June at 9:30pm.]
Although I thought I would enjoy the Bulgarian film Crayfish (Raci) more than Donkey, I was, in fact, wrong. The story itself was a good one, but it took 110 minutes to tell what could have been told in 30. There were many long, drawn-out scenes of nothingness. They were visions which probably pleased the director quite a bit, but did nothing to hold the audience’s interest and keep pace. Several people left before the ending, and while it’s not my policy to give up on a movie, I don’t blame them. (Someone on IMDb gave Crayfish 8 out of 10 stars and had this to say: “At least, this movie will remind you of your mother.” What?) I would like to see this screenplay remade by any other director. [Crayfish plays again at Uptown on 2 June at 9:30pm.] SIFF 2010: Day Five
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.]