AMC is like a box of chocolates …

(Posted Tuesday) Not for the first time, I have to question the wisdom of those who book movies for Spokane’s theaters. In this case, the folks at AMC.

Now, I like the AMC. It’s convenient to where I live, and the manager – Rob Holen – is one of the nicest, most gracious guys I’ve ever met, personally or professionally. But Rob doesn’t book his movies. Somebody who works in the corporate office does. Which explains why this week, along with the new releases, AMC is featuring a screening of the 1994 release “Forrest Gump” (in IMAX, no less).

Guess they need to find something to fill those 20 screens in the lull between Labor Day weekend and the beginning of the fall season. But “Forrest Gump”? Seriously?

“A Hard Day’s Night” just showed in a 50th-anniversary special event  at The Bing to a full house. Imagine watching that Beatles movie in IMAX with the AMC’s sound system. Ah, well. AMC never consults with me.

Anyway, here is the new stuff the week will offer:

“The Identical”: A so-called “faith-based” look at what might have happened had the twin of an Elvis Presley-type singer not died at birth but been raised separately, with one boy becoming The King and the other a gospel preacher. Sounds like the devil in disguise.

“Innocence”: After losing her mom to a surfing accident, a teen girl moves with dad to Manhattan – only to discover that her exclusive prep school is home to a coven of witches. Bubble bubble, baby.

“Land Ho!”: This little indie tells the story of two former brothers-in-law who take a road trip to Iceland. With Earl Lynn Nelson and Aussie-turned-Seattleite Paul Eenhoorn.

And at the Magic Lantern:

“The One I Love”: With their marriage falling slowly apart, a couple spends a weekend examining their relationship – and the experience becomes surreal. Because … of course. (Also, the Lantern is reopening the Polish feature “Ida” and the Korean-made/English-language feature “Snowpiercer.”)

So go. Enjoy. And … run, Forrest, run!

Dan Webster

Terrain campaign

(Posted Thursday) We all know Terrain as the annual one-night-only festival of art and music that happens each October.

Terrain organizers previously have talked about making Terrain more than that. Just this week, they announced the Campaign for Terrain, which posed this question:

“So we’ve been thinking: what if Terrain weren’t an event? What if it were a place? And what if it didn’t just happen once a year?”

Beginning next month, Terrain will launch a fundraising campaign to open a new nonprofit gallery in Spokane. We’ll have more on this later, but for now, visit www.terrrainspokane.com/ campaign/ for details.

Carolyn Lamberson

New face at Civic

(Posted Thursday) Spokane Civic Theatre has hired a new managing director.

Marnie Rorholm comes to the community theater organization from the city of Spokane, where she was the office manager of Business and Developer Services.

As managing director, Rorholm will work to develop community partnerships, expand volunteer and supporter bases and help the theater be financially viable, according to a news release from Civic. She’s been a volunteer at Civic for more than a decade.

She replaces Jim Humes, who resigned this summer.

Carolyn Lamberson