Herb and Dorothy Vogel seem normal enough.  In his late eighties, he is a retired postal worker, a tiny lifelong New Yorker who lives with his slightly taller, quieter wife, a retired city librarian. But at the opening of Megumi Sasaki’s new documentary Herb and Dorothy, these two mingle with the creme de la creme Read more…

I hate to beat a dead horse, but it’s hot .
However, unlike many Seattle establishments, the Grand Illusion , Northwest Film Forum , and the Landmark Theatres here all have air conditioning.
Go to your local moviehouse today! Duh.

Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Maziar Bahari, director of several TV documentaries and reportedly the only filmmaker consistently working in Iraq since 2003, has been in Iranian prison since June 21.  He was arrested on that date without charge and continues to be held.

Bahari has also been the Iranian correspondent for Newsweek—they put in their two cents Read more…

Vincent Gallo in Coppola's Tetro

If you’re on the Landmark Theatres email list, you may have seen a letter from Francis Ford Coppola that went out a few days ago regarding his new film, Tetro .

In his effort to get you to see his film, Coppola insults you, "the film audience," and implicitly compares himself to Michelangelo Antonioni and Ingmar Bergman.

It’s the weirdest thing I’ve seen since this.

Letter after the jump. Read more…

Central Cinema is showing a personal favorite:  Boys Don’t Cry, playing through July 29 at 7.
Ten years ago, Hilary Swank busted onto the silver screen as Brandon Teena, a victim of homophobic hate crime.
The role started  Swank on the road to the exclusive 2-for-2 actress Oscars Club (members include Swank, Vivien Leigh, Read more…

Sometime last year, a friend introduced me to a great film website,  The Auteurs.
The Auteurs is like facebook with an online movie theater:  You have a profile, friends,  discussions, and a news feed, but you can also watch movies, many for free, and discuss discuss discuss.
It’s run by Criterion Read more…

If you missed the recent Seattle premiere of Godard’s 1966 pop culture freak out Made in the U.S.A. at the Northwest Film Forum (and its awesome Nico-like rendition of the Rolling Stones’ As Tears Go By ), not to worry.
The Criterion Collection has just released not one, but two mid-60s Godard films: Two Read more…

It’s too hot to be outside today.  Easy solution:  Go to the movies.
As part of an ongoing Golden Age of Sci Fi series, Grand Illusion Cinema is playing the original War of the Worlds this week.
In there, only the cities on the screen will be on fire.
Plays through Thursday at 7 Read more…

Whether you can’t get enough of the moon landing or you were over it on July 21, 1969, tonight’s commemorative event at Northwest Film Forum promises to be a multimedia treat.

After viewing the original broadcast on the big screen, see artist Joe Milutis remix it live.
7pm, Northwest Film Forum, tonight only.

In one of the now-lost comments (thanks Wordpress) on my outdoor cinema post below, commenter “West” had pointed out I missed a series: Movies on the Wall in West Seattle, at 4410 California Ave SW.
Opens tomorrow night with The Princess Bride.

When you live in a city where it rains nine months out of the year, you learn how to move everything outside in the summer. Seattle boasts three regular outdoor cinemas. Here’s where they are, and how you can best enjoy them.
1. Fremont “Almost Free” Outdoor Cinema
Where?
3501 Phinney Ave N, Read more…