Seattle hosts best of indie films
It takes a special breed of moviegoer to be a film festival freak.
Film-fest freaks, especially those who haunt the annual Seattle International Film Festival, have a vampire-like attitude toward the sun. They survive on diets of popcorn, bready pretzels, Raisinettes and – at least at Seattle’s world-famous Egyptian Theatre – coffee strong enough to dissolve enamel.
Today marks the beginning of the second weekend of what is known in festival circles as SIFF. And if you have nothing to do this weekend, much less for the next 16 days, drive over to Seattle and impersonate Dracula by getting tickets for some of the best foreign-language and American independent films in existence today.
I say “in existence” rather than “in release” because many of these films are making the festival circuit specifically to find a distributor. Some already have deals and may show up either on television (HBO, for example, or Showtime), in art houses or even, in the rare case, your neighborhood metroplex. A fair number will go straight to video, and some will never get released.
It’s best, though, to see them on the big screen in a festival setting among fellow movie fans. One of the best movie-going experiences I’ve ever experienced took place in 1996 during SIFF 22, when I sat among a sellout crowd at the Egyptian to roar, wretch and roll over with laughter at Danny Boyle’s film “Trainspotting.”
SIFF, which is known generally as one of the most fan-friendly festivals in the country, uses eight venues including the Cinerama and Auburn’s Valley 6 Outdoor Theatres (for the last weekend’s “Drive-In Party”). But the main theaters in use are the Egyptian, Harvard Exit, AMC’s Pacific Place 11 and Seattle Central Community College’s Broadway Performance Hall.
Tickets are easy to get, though they tend to go fast for evening screenings, especially on weekends at the smaller theaters (Harvard Exit, Broadway Performance Hall). Just go online at http://www.seattlefilm.com/ index.aspx and follow the instructions (you’ll need a credit card). You also can order tickets over the phone (also with a credit card) by calling (206) 324-9996 between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Or you can take a chance and show up in person. The SIFF main box office is at Pacific Place (Sixth and Pine, third level) with a ticket outlet at the Broadway Performance Hall (1625 Broadway). If you show up at a particular theater a half-hour early (maybe even a couple of hours for a popular movie) with cash in hand, you may be able to snag whatever tickets are still available.
General admission tickets are $9.
Is it worth the time and hassle, driving 280 miles west, navigating Seattle traffic, having to find accommodations (or prey on friends) and parking with no guarantee that you’ll be able to see everything that you want? It depends. Anxiety is part of the festival experience, whether you’re seeing films in New York, Cannes, Telluride, Park City or even Spokane.
We freaks eat such anxiety for dinner. Along with our Raisinettes. In the dark.
“Shrek” shreds the competition
Hollywood is a business, which is why so many movies have things that blow up real good. And which is why so much attention is paid to box-office success.
“Shrek 2” defines success. More than that, it redefines the very meaning of success. Not only did the May 21 release make (according to http://www.rottentomatoes.com) an astounding $104.4 million during its first weekend of release, it scored almost universal praise from critics.
Not bad for a sequel (always a bad sign) with a couple of green monsters and a talking donkey as its principal characters. As Farmer Hoggett might say, “That’ll do, ogre. That’ll do.”