My SIFF Award Goes to …

I’ve had a week to digest the 40 films I saw in the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival, and if I had my own audience-of-one award to bestow, it would be to Humpday, the third feature by Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton. I wrote about it for Randomville in a piece on Northwest comedies in SIFF. It opens in theaters July 10th; visit the Humpday website to see the trailer. (Above photo is courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.)

Read about the other movies Mackenzie McAninch and I admired in Randomville’s SIFF wrap-up article.

29 Down, 11 To Go

Whew – film festivals can be exhausting, especially when you have a job, too. My second round of SIFF previews are now posted at Randomville.

Finally got to see ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction, the first film I volunteered for as an extra. I ended up with a few seconds of strategic screen time; a shot of me, as a zombie wearing a huge plaid nightgown, shambling menacingly toward the camera, is used to illustrate a claim that the zombie outbreak is punishment against “sinners and unitarians.” That made me smile.

11 Down, 29 To Go

My (somewhat arbitrary, somewhat Biblical) goal is to see 40 movies in this year’s Seattle International Film Festival, which starts tonight. Because I’m writing about it for Randomville, I have access to screener DVDs, and I’ve already made a small dent in the massive heap of cinema that is SIFF. My top picks so far are a French fairy tale (Bluebeard), a Bosnian drama (Snow), and an Estonian dark comedy (Sugisball) – none of which I would have predicted. That’s what makes SIFF so much fun! More to come after a marathon of theater screenings this weekend …

Stuff That’s Going Around

Aside from the swine flu, that is. Last week I had the privilege to see two amazing teams of people who were in town doing their thing: Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton, the authors of Picking Cotton, and Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest, also known as Spinal Tap.

In 1984, when she was in college, Thompson-Cannino was raped in her home by a stranger. She provided the police with a detailed description of her attacker, and picked Cotton as her assailant from a line-up. She was certain he was guilty. Cotton served 11 years in prison, then was freed by DNA evidence in 1995. Together, they tell the incredible story of how Cotton forgave and befriended Thompson-Cannino, who was shattered when she learned of her mistake. It’s a powerful tale that moved me greatly. Their travels and media appearances are listed on their website.

Also on tour are Shearer, McKean and Guest, three talented musicians who happen to be pretty funny as well. Called “Unwigged and Unplugged”, their show features the three in street clothes and street personae, playing the music of their alter egos Spinal Tap and The Folksmen on (mostly) acoustic instruments. They banter and tell stories, show archival and fan videos on a big screen, and utilize a few low budget, carefully chosen props. It’s a charming, low key evening that left the Seattle audience beaming. Here’s a souvenir:

He Said What?

Today I had the good fortune to see The Untouchables as it should be seen, on the (really) big screen, at Seattle’s Cinerama Theater. There’s a lot to love about this over-the-top Brian De Palma melodrama, which is basically a classic western transplanted to Depression-era Chicago. I had forgotten that David Mamet wrote the screenplay, as it is nothing like the small-scale psychodramas he is best known for. The Untouchables is more action than talk, and could almost be a silent film – but one would miss Robert De Niro’s line deliveries. His loquacious Al Capone is a lot more fun than any of the good guys.

I learned today that for years I have been misquoting a line of dialogue from the chaotic courtroom showdown that caps the film. As I remember it, Capone screams at Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner), “You’re nothing but a lot of talk in a cheap suit!” It turns out the line is actually “You’re nothing but a lot of talk and a badge,” which I probably misheard as “You’re nothing but a lot of talk and a bad suit,” then revised from there. Too bad – I like my version better. Maybe I need to write a courtroom drama just so I can use it.

For those of you who haven’t seen The Untouchables, here’s De Niro’s infamous “baseball” scene, which starts out Damon Runyonesque but quickly turns toward Sam Peckinpah:

Breaking News: An Awards Show Gets Something Right

A question I posed on this blog last fall — “Who is Tom McCarthy?” — was answered yesterday by Film Independent during its annual Spirit Awards: he is the Best Director of 2008. Yay! One pleasant surprise is the most I expect from any awards show. Will there be one tonight? The Oscars seem a bit pre-ordained, which is perhaps fitting, giving the theme of frontrunner Slumdog Millionaire. But take a look at the Original Screenplay nominees: Frozen River, Happy-Go-Lucky, In Bruges, Milk, WALL-E. These rank high among my favorite films of last year, so the list alone is a pleasant surprise. A five-way tie would be pretty cool, though.

Notes From An Obamecca

I write from New York City, where I’m relaxing a bit after a thrilling three days in Washington, D.C. Like many who arrived there without a ticket to the inauguration, I didn’t know where I would actually be when Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th President – I just knew it would be somewhere with a really big TV screen. As it turned out, a comfortable seat in Constitution Hall proved more tempting than shivering in the shadow of the Washington Monument. It got even better when the empty seat next to me was taken by Betty, a 69-year-old African-American veteran of the civil rights movement currently living in the San Francisco Bay area. With great emotion in her voice, she told me something I’ve heard dozens of times recently but am not tired of: “I never thought I’d live to see this day.” I can’t think of anything else to say, but I do have a few photos to share here.

Popcorn Movies of 2008

It has been suggested that my Top 10 list below is a bit, um, intellectual. I love fun movies, too, so here’s an alternate Top 10 list, from my heart rather than my head:

Be Kind, Rewind

Burn After Reading

The Dark Knight – Heath Ledger really is amazing; I also enjoyed Gary Oldman’s mustache.

Get Smart - It includes just enough references to the TV series, including two perfect cameos.

Hancock

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay – I recently discovered H&K, and am enamored.

Iron Man

Tropic Thunder – I am still laughing at the advice given by Robert Downey, Jr.’s character on how to win an Academy Award.

Twilight

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan – Don’t watch with your parents!

Again, I missed a lot this year, so tell me what to add to my Netflix queue …

Another One of Those Lists

I was recently invited to post my five favorite films of the year on randomville.com. Below is the list, and here are my comments (when you get there, scroll down until you see the image above):

1. The Edge of Heaven
2. The Visitor
3. Let the Right One In
4. Milk
5. WALL-E

I also loved Encounters At the End of the World, Happy-Go-Lucky, Rachel Getting Married, In Bruges, and (surprisingly) Ghost Town. I suppose that makes a Top 10 list, but I missed a lot this year, too — tell me what you liked, and why. (For inspiration, see indieWIRE’s Critics Poll.)

Happy Happy Joy Joy

I watched the election returns last night at the Northwest Film Forum, where we hooted and hollered as each blue state was announced and almost brought down the roof when the West Coast put Obama over the top at 8:00. Seeing the massive crowd at Chicago’s Grant Park go nuts on the big screen emphasized that we were watching history in the making; someday the same footage will be included in a documentary about the true beginning of the 21st century.