Grand Illusion Cinema

Two films feature gritty and uncompromising protagonists this week at the GI. Both are larger-than-life archetypes unleashed and wreaking havoc in fits of inspired insanity. One: a comics legend with a beard to be feared (a total badass), the other: a rom-com legend now blood-spattered and a full-on man figure in his own right (another total badass). I’m of course talking about Warren Ellis and Ryan Gosling, two figures I’m equating in a way that could amount to one of the most interesting and exciting one-two GI punches we’ve swung in a while.

The Warren Ellis film is a documentary, not a “RED” sequel. Thank goodness. It comes to you from the man who brought us the Grant Morrison documentary just about a year ago. I’ll be interested to see what figure he cranks one out on next. Garth Ennis shows up a bit in this film, perhaps he’s next? Neil Gaiman? Not Alan Moore, he wouldn’t be bothered and there is already an interesting doc on him. Anyway, I’ve already read almost every comic that I know Ellis has published (except for random Marvel stuff), so I didn’t find this film as inspiring to run out and read his stuff as I did the Morrison doc (and I’m glad I gave Morrison another chance!), but he is just so great to watch and listen to (more so than Morrison, Ellis is one of the best on-camera comics authors).

Speaking as a be-bearded man (redundant, I know, but fun), that's a damn fine beard

And of course I gotta throw some love to “Drive.” I gotta. One of the best opening sequences of the past year (after “Melancholia” of course), it grips you and pulls you in. One of the best soundtracks of the year for sure, even better than “The Muppets” (I love you Bret!). “Drive” may make you think its a nice, safe movie. But then all of a sudden, ultra-violence! Ryan Gosling kicks ass in this film, though I gotta say his performance in “Ides of March” put nearly everyone else in the movie to shame, as Hoffman, Giamatti, and even Clooney seemed like they were just phoning in their performances in their unchallenging, uninspired roles (why it has so many noms this year, I don’t know, “Descendants” is up there!) So yeah “Drive” is snubbed in awards season, but we at the GI still think it was one of the best films of 2011. See it to believe it!

–dan, the filmic man

Don’t worry stalwart anime fans (and thus GI-goers, as who else in Seattle shows you the goods?), I didn’t think it was a Kubrick film. That’s just for the rest of the movie-going public. I, however, knew what I was in for having followed the original show for a while back in the day. You know, right before all the t-shirts and sweatshirts and various other gear pushed the Trigun and Cowboy Bebop merchandise off of Hot Topic shelves. It came at a point in my life when I had been on anime overload, and I needed a change of pace. Well, a couple TV series and movies later I come back to it, and I gotta say it handled the big screen transition (yes, I’m aware of the other movie; again, haven’t seen it) better than a lot of TV shows. Sure, I will praise the Cowboy Bebop movie to no end, and the two Evangelion films we had recently are stand out. As much as I love Trigun, the movie mostly made me excited for the characters and the original show again. What we have in “The Sacred Star of Milos” is a full-fledged tale that anime fans like me can enjoy without having seen all of the previous episodes and such.

No, it's not the new Batman movie. They're the Dark Bats. Yes, they use grappling hooks to help them launch and glide. Not like Batman at all. Where are you getting that from?

Why is “The Sacred Star of Milos” so good? Well, it utilizes the classic formula of introducing new characters that get a full story and emotional arc that Ed and Al can mixed up in and experience plenty of top-notch action sequences. I love me some unbridled anime action sequences! They plow along at full-speed in this film, not a whole lot of back and forth banter in between incantations that you get in some anime. Not even the latin-esque shouts of the Harry Potter universe (though there are some colored bolts clashing in mid-air, you kinda have to have that). Their hands glow and they just make it go crazy! Any mid-battle character development is often handled without breaking the action flow. And at nearly two hours, which is generally much too long for a half hour show to fill comfortably, at least not without poor pacing and extra padding (I’m looking at you, Trigun movie), the movie moves along at an assured pace without resorting to a bunch of unnecessary flashbacks and exposition. A couple decent twists at the end that don’t leave you feeling cheated and you’ve got yourself a decent second film.

Goddammit, I guess I’m gonna have to watch some anime now to catch up. Oh rats. Wink.

–blogsta, dan

Jumping from one end of the “talky” era to the other is what we do at the GI! And what a great landing it is, landing squarely in the heart of Americana with the simple and affecting film “Littlerock.”

“Littlerock” accomplishes what bigger budget, A-list studded films like “Babel” do but with a subtle and downplayed sensibility. Sure, you can get slammed over the head with the “we’re all just people” thematics of the great but ultimately overblown “Crash,” or you can step outside LA to the suburbs and tell a genuine tale of friendship, family and reflection with a lot less. “Littlerock” is ultimately a hopeful film as you see America at its best and worst in past and present through the eyes of outsiders, but outsiders who apart from language barrier are essentially the same people.

One of the nicer shots from the film, but you'll have to wait till the end to see it...just watch the whole damn thing.

Catch “Littlerock,” and catch a little rock while you’re at it. Some choice tuneage from the Seattle outfit “The Cave Singers” graces the soundtrack throughout. A solid film from Mike Ott who deserved his up-and-comer recognition at Sundance last year.

You can still catch another indie gem, “Silent House,” this weekend in the late night slot. January’s only halfway gone! Look for more new indie horror, some anime, a blood-spattered Ryan Gosling, and a doc on one of the holy trinity of modern comic creators (Ellis, Gaiman, and Moore by my vote) before the month is out!

—dan….just dan

Starting off the year with screwball goodness, the one-two Lubitsch punch. You know that the GI is gonna treat you right in 2012 with greatness like that right off the bat.

I’ll be a little honest about this blog entry before we get going, my brain is a little fried and frazzled right now, partially due to my first day off in 8 days (most of those being 12 hour plus) and also due to just finishing the most emotional Zelda game yet. But you don’t want to hear about my taxing work life or the month and a half long stint of time it took me to get through Skyward Sword, you want the filmic goods. I will do my best to deliver them, just give me a minute to catch my breath already, 2012!

Due to my cinematic upbringing as a whelp, weaned on the metaphorical teats of Howard Hawks and Frank Capra, I am no stranger to the screwball comedy. However, after seeing “Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife” I am ashamed to say there was a Lubitsch-sized gap in my education. Simply put: this was a divine gift of comedy that had me hooked from the department store scene. The sight gag of the president without pajama pants assured me I was in for an hour and a half of pure comedy gold. Gary Cooper’s deadpan is a joy to behold, and plays perfectly against Claudette Colbert, who is a new screwball gem for me to uncover in years to come.

I was once told I looked like a young David Niven. History will be the judge.

Another tip of my hat to this film for the only time the name “Shakespeare” uttered aloud has put me into peals of laughter. Peals I tell you! This had only one negative effect on me: it made me regret I didn’t watch “Trouble in Paradise” last week and urgue you in no uncertain terms to get your asses down to the GI! The Oscars aren’t announced yet and nothing new is coming out this weekend, so give yourself a break from 2011 and take a trip 80 years into the past to one of the golden ages of comedy. Resolution time: go to the GI more in 2012!

If you need something on the opposite end of the spectrum, late nights are back with “Silent House.” And by opposite end of the spectrum, I mean the 2011 Uruguay (that’s right, Uruguay) continuous shot horror film that is truly groundbreaking. Yes, 2002’s incredible “Russian Ark” and other films have used the continuous shot, but I for one have never seen a horror movie do it. Yes, some lengthy shots in films like the “Rec” series have done much to unnerve me and keep me on the edge of my seat, but to have a film that seems like it might be becoming a ghost story through increasingly clever camera angles and reveals, and seamless switches in and out of POV. The production value is strikingly high, as multiple types and sources of light are handled in both interior and exterior shots throughout the continuous take. Uruguay did submit it to the Academy Awards, so they have at least my vote to get nominated.

Color corrected and precisely lit

And last but certainly not least, please give KARP a gander if you didn’t catch it a couple months back. KEXP and other Seattle media gave the doc the thumbs up, and enough of you music-loving patrons have garnered the film a repeat performance. It will be playing at 7 and 9 on Wed the 11^th, and the director will be in attendance again, so if you missed it the first time, there’s no time like the present to make good on your past mistakes. More GI in 2012!

—blogmeister, dan

It felt like 2011 was one of the Grand Illusion’s most eclectic years of years in a while. Since becoming our own non-profit 8-1/2 years ago, we’ve maintained a schedule that is part art house, part repertory house, part grindhouse. Here are a bunch of highlights:

• Legendary musician and filmmaker John Cohen premiered his new film, Roscoe Holcomb: From Daisy Kentucky to a packed house, then threw down some old time jams with NYC band The Dustbusters.
• The premiere of a brand spanking new 35mm print of John Huston’s classic adventure, The African Queen.
• An incredible “Trailer War” between the Grand Illusion (namely programmer Ivan Peycheff) and Portland Grindhouse Film Fest‘s Dan Halstead.
• Our first ever booth at the U District Street Fair where we sold a limited edition screen printed poster by our friends Monocol (still available for sale). The cinema showed classic cartoons for free! We’ll be there again in 2012.
• A late night screening with a rare (and nearly pristine!) 35mm print of  the hair metal horror film Trick or Treat.
• Our 2nd annual fundraiser, featuring a beautiful 35mm print of Hitchcock’s Rear Window and another fabulous Monocol poster (also still available for sale).
• Road to Nowhere, Monte Hellman’s exquisite new film premiered at the GI in August, then we showed his masterful Two Lane Blacktop a month later as part of a Warren Oates mini-retrospective.
• A brand new 35mm print of Truffaut’s The Soft Skin (soon to reappear at SAM’s Truffaut series).
• It was a year full of great new documentaries and we showed lots of them: docs about Jim Woodring (with Jim in person), Wavy Gravy (with Wavy via Skype), Bill Hicks, Fishbone (with co-director Lev Anderson in person), KARP (with director Bill Badgley in person), Herschell Gordon Lewis, plus General Orders No. 9 and American Grindhouse.
• Our friend Dennis Nyback came to town with unique programs at least four times, including a week of pre-code musicals.
• Our Summer Classics series brought rare 35mm screenings of Suddenly Last Summer, Picnic, American Graffiti, and a new print of Stand By Me.
• The Sprocket Society presented a Secret Matinee series (and they’re doing it again in 2012), a rare screening of Robert Enrico’s Ambrose Bierce trilogy, a night of silent funnies, and a Super Secret Triple Creature Feature—all on 16mm film!
• We presented two experimental 16mm film shows with the artists in attendance: New Hampshire filmmaker Jodie Mack brought her graphic yet abstract films to the GI, complete with live musical accompaniments and audience participation. Florida’s Roger Beebe presented a multi-projector spectacle, at times operating 3-4 16mm and Super 8mm projectors simultaneously (including video), full of punk attitude and wry humor.
• All Monsters Attack celebrated its 5th anniversary with 35mm double features of Alien(s), Wolfmen, and Zombies.
• We hosted the first annual Seattle Shorts Film Festival to sold out crowds. Festival director Monica Magee assembled two great programs of short films from around the world. Bring your short attention spans back next year!
• Our first ever VHS-themed event, presented with Scarecrow Video, VHSXMAS. It was a wild holiday montage compiled by board member (and former programmer) Spenser Hoyt and edited by yours truly, general manager Brian Alter. Look for a 2nd annual show in December 2012!
• A week run of Jimmy Stewart in the comedy classic Harvey, leading up to our 41st glorious engagement of It’s A Wonderful Life.

Photo by Alan Smith

Please don’t stop paying attention to us because early 2012 is shaping up to be just as varied: Ernst Lubitsch graces our screen first thing in 2012; Mike Ott’s (2011′s Indie Spirit Awards “Someone to Watch”) new film, Littlerock, hits the screen after that; and later in January we bring new anime, a doc about comic writer Warren Ellis, and a special engagement of Nicholas Winding Refn’s Drive.

A major reason we can continue do what we do is our members. Without their support throughout the year we’d surely be doomed (or it would at least be a lot harder!). Thank you members! Membership dipped slightly in 2011, so if you value the Grand Illusion please consider becoming a member in the new year. Memberships start at $30/year and if you see 10 films you pay for it via the $3 discount you get on tickets.

Happy Holidays!

The volunteers of the Grand Illusion

Best documentary of 2011 that wasn’t a documentary: General Orders No. 9

Best Hollywood film that wasn’t a Hollywood film: Drive

Best Terrence Malick film that wasn’t released in 2011: Days of Heaven

Best psychedelic horror film that wasn’t released in 2011: Beyond the Black Rainbow

(in no particular order)

-Goodbye Dragon Inn
-Abar: The First Black Superman
-Night and the City
-Bad Day at Black Rock
-My Man Godfrey
-Twitch of the Death Nerve
-Dagon
-Tuvalu
-5 Million Years to Earth
-The King and the Mockingbird

(in chronological order):

• Seeing Winnie the Pooh a full month before its official US release date thanks to its inclusion in the Seattle International Film Festival.  Yes, I am a full-grown man, and yes, I love Winnie the Pooh, and yes, I’m sure I was the only adult male who attended the screening solo.  Read my full review here if you’re so inclined.
• The spectacular range of feelings and emotions that passed through me while watching Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, including, but not limited to: frustration, wonder, awe, heartbreak, happiness, boredom, and bewilderment.  I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after leaving the theater.  And here’s a review for that one if reading’s your thing.
• The riveting writing in Moneyball, which showcased the talents of Steven Zaillian (David Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) and Aaron Sorkin, who, as he did with The Social Network, proved he could write an engrossing screenplay about subject matter most people would initially label as boring, this time concerning Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane’s attempt at putting a successful  baseball team together using statistics, money-crunching, and data analysis instead of traditional recruiting methods.  Additionally, it was bolstered by Brad Pitt’s best performance to date.
• Getting the opportunity to see Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in its original 70mm Cinerama format as part of the Seattle Cinerama’s 70mm Film Festival.  Never has space looked so beautifully barren onscreen.
• The glorious genre-amalgamation that was Drive, which, if you never got the chance to see (or even if you have), you’ll get another opportunity to catch it in a more appropriate environment at The Grand Illusion from January 27-February 2.  Since I know you were wondering, I have a review for that one too.
• Lucky McKee’s The Woman, which, as an unapologetic horror fanatic, was a brutal breath of fresh air, and hands-down the best horror movie of the year.  I was stoked that we got it as a late night movie at The Grand Illusion since I had been desperately waiting to see it ever since its much-ballyhooed debut at Sundance.  I know you’re just dying for a full review.
• The Muppets, for providing me with the most grin-inducing, feel-good time at the movies I had all year.  It’s the film equivalent of a big, warm hug.  Go ahead and embrace it.
• Martin Scorcese’s Hugo in 3D.  Not only was it a fantastic adaptation of a fantastic book, but it is also is also a loving tribute to cinema magic and the history of the movies, made by one of the greatest cinema lovers in all of history.  Moreover, the 3D is expertly incorporated, taking full advantage of the depth of field the format can provide when placed in the right hands.  Still not convinced?  Well then, read on doubtful one.
• It’s a Wonderful Life in marvelous 35mm at… where else?  The Grand Illusion.  Sure, I’ve seen the film countless times, but it’s one of those rare movies that only get better with age.  Plus, I had the opportunity to share the experience with my girlfriend, who had never seen it before!  I was actually kind of envious since she got to see this classic for the very first time in such a special manner.  I was glad to discover that it hasn’t lost any of its power as she was no longer dry-eyed by the end of it.  Heck, I was a blubbering mess too.
• Michael Fassbender’s performance in Shame.  Without it, the movie wouldn’t be very memorable, yet because of it, the film is a haunting piece of work.

Experiences I still look forward to in the remaining weeks of 2011: David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; the what-looks-to-be-promising-fun of The Adventures of Tintin; one of my favorite directors, David Cronenberg’s new film, A Dangerous Mind; and the much-buzzed-about modern-day silent movie, The Artist.

Submitted for your approval by Trevor Brandt, Grand Illusion enthusiast and volunteer.

I was disappointed with most new movies I saw this year and really just wanted to watch old westerns and kung fu movies. Here are a couple lists of things I enjoyed watching for one reason or another.

REALLY BAD MOVIES THAT WERE SO FUNNY THAT I WATCHED THEM TWICE
1. The Great Skycopter Rescue (cut rate regional action film with the dude who played Blacula as the bad guy plus there’s skycopters)
2. The Best of Everything (an obvious inspiration for Mad Men)
3. Susan Slade (another hysterical melodrama)
4. The Big Cube (dated and “trippy” anti-drug film starring Lana Turner)
5. Burial Ground (thanks to Dormarth for hipping me to this outrageous and tacky Italian zombie trash)
6. No Retreat No Surrender (set in Seattle, though they probably only spent a day or two here, this is a hilarious Karate Kid rip off that features a fat kid eating an entire cake while standing in the middle of the street among its many questionable highlights)

OLD MOVIES THAT I WATCHED THIS YEAR AND REALLY LIKED (mostly westerns and martial arts)(this list is not in any particular order. I just numbered them as I recalled the films)
1. Black Tavern (lots of fights and strange characters, a new fave from the Shaw Brothers)
2. Hit! (little seen French Connection variation starring Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor- a few scenes take place in Seattle!)
3. Delightful Forest (another Shaw Brothers winner that is part of the Water Margin stories)
4. The Duel (not the Spielberg truck movie, this is a cool Cheng Cheh gangster/martial arts/knife fight/gun shooting movie from 1971 that set the stage for people like John Woo)
5. Down Home Music (change of pace here, this is a neat documentary that the guy who runs Arhoolie Records helped make for German TV in 1963 that has been recently re-edited. A great overview of authentic American sounds circa 1963. There is no kung fu in this movie)
6. Try And Get Me (a gritty, obscure and socially aware noir directed by Cy Endfield)
7. The Ox-Bow Incident (while this would certainly be considered a western it is really a strong statement about mob mentality and capital punishment.)
8. Dark Command (my new favorite John Wayne movie. Loosely based on Quantrill’s Raiders.)
9. Yellow Sky (I always liked Gregory Peck in the Gunfighter so I watched this. I’m surprised I hadn’t before as it also stars Richard Widmark (another favorite of mine) and am glad I finally got around to it).
10. Colorado Territory (a western variation on High Sierra. I like this one better than the Bogart movie)
11. Copper Canyon (enjoyable western with colorful technicolor sets and dresses (worn by Hedy Lamarr) and a slick, sharpshooting Ray Milland. Not quite as good as the other westerns on this list but still a lot of fun)
12. Randy Rides Alone (a tight little poverty row western starring a young John Wayne)
13. The Far Country (another movie I’m surprised I never watched before…and another solid Jimmy Stewart/Anthony Mann western)
14. Max Manus (the only movie on this list shot in the 21st century. There have been a lot of great World War 2 resistance movies made in the past few years. I liked them all and this one is especially good).
15. 99 River Street (Phil Karlson is one of my favorite directors and this is one of his best. A twist filled film noir with lots of bare knuckle action. Shamefully obscure.)
16. Bastard Swordsman (okay, one last kung fu film. very weird and funny with lots of action, sword fights and imaginative details).

In terms of book-to-film adaptations, 2011 was pretty stankin’ bad (fuck you Twilight and Atlas Shrugged). I haven’t seen Rum Diary or Hugo, or Harry Potter though, but I’m pretty sure my previous statement holds solid.  I also found out this year that the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book (coincidentally, a book based on another book) was kaput after two years of waiting. So, I’ve had to ADAPT to this precarious situation. And yes, I like crappy science fiction and horror movies A LOT.

Here’s a list of the 10 best book-to-film adaptations I saw this year:

• Sunrise (1927) directed by F.W. Murnau: A man and his wife fall in love again…after he tries to drown her. A gorgeous film: Unique and Artistic Production winner at the first Academy Awards in 1929. Trailer
• Babette’s Feast (1987) directed by Gabriel Axel: Axel adjusts some components of Karen Blixen’s novel, changing the story’s setting from Norway to Denmark, and interprets Babette (portrayed as a witch in the novel) as a self-sacrificing Christ-figure.
• Saga of Gösta Berling (1924) directed by Mauritz Stiller: Greta Garbo’s breakout role! An interesting adaptation to a really really complicated Swedish novel (Nobel Prize winner) of the same name.
• Naked Lunch (1991) directed by David Cronenberg :  “Did I ever tell you about the man who taught his asshole to talk?” William S. Burroughs is the shit and David Cronenberg is the shit, nuff’ said.
• Salome’s Last Dance (1988) directed by Ken Russell: An adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s play Salome—ridiculous, sexy as hell, and has one of my favorite monologues, ever (the beginning of which is shown in the trailer).
• The Music Lovers (1970) directed by Ken Russell:  Everything you didn’t want to know about Russian composer Tchaikovsky and his nymphomaniac wife (Glenda Jackson). 
• The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988): directed by Wes Craven and starring BILL PULLMAN, in a great pre-Lost Highway performance; Pullman apprentices with a Haitian shaman and uncovers the ingredients of a sought-after zombie-making-powder!
• Altered States (1980): After a series of drug-induced hallucinations and sensory-deprivation experiments William Hurt turns into an Ape-man! Trailer
• The Lair of the White Worm (1988) directed by Ken Russell: “Stoker’s final novel, Lair of the White Worm – a work so bad that it could come close to being the literary eq. of an Ed Wood movie. It is no wonder that, when Ken Russell adapted the book to the screen in 1988, he treated the material with campy contempt, creating an off-the-wall parody of the horror genre.” –Cinefantastique. Trailer
• Coraline (2009) directed by Henry Selick: I know, I know, this came out two years ago, but it is still awesome, especially after thinking about it in relationship to Freud’s concept of the Uncanny. Plus Neil Gaiman!