Hello from Seattle!!

Close on the heels of my arrival in the NW is this years Seattle Int’l Film Festival. Welcome SIFF. The following are the highlights, according to me. I’m planning to check out a few flicks during the time I am in and out of the city (see below in bold). Lemme know if you wanna join or if you catch anything cool.

The Wackness
My favorite film at Sundance – this fantastic coming of age story follows a high schooler (Josh Peck) as he slangs dope to his shrink (Ben Kingsley) and gets his heart broken by the shrink’s daughter (Olivia Thirlby). All of this is set to a bumpin early 90s hip hop soundtrack. Check this flick out for sure! (It’ll be out in theaters this summer).

Man on Wire
This docu is definitely one of the year’s best. Unfolding like a crime thriller, it tells the story of a high wire walker as he plans and carries out his famous World Trade Center feat of 1974. I highly recommend this.

Ploy
I’m going to give Thai auteur Pen-ek Ratanaruang another shot after his disappointing Hidden Waves. Seeing this Weds. 5/28 at 9:30P.

Love and Honor (Bushi no Ichibun)
I was so excited when I saw that Yoji Yamada’s final chapter of his samurai trilogy would be at SIFF (I was lucky enough to catch the other two on the big screen) until I discovered both screenings are Memorial Day Weekend and I can’t make it!

Battle in Seattle
After premiering at SXSW, this dramatization of the 1999 Seattle WTO protests makes its hometown debut in a Gala screening. Will local audiences find it authentic? I am curious.

Blood Brothers
Alexi Tan’s 1930s Shanghai gangster flick looks very cool (and co-stars Shu Qi). I plan to go to the May 29 Screening at the Egyptian at 4:30P.
Toronto 07 writeup

The Edge of Heaven & Head-On
I have heard nothing but amazing praise for Turkish/German director Fatih Akin and both of his films are at SIFF this year.

Elite Squad
This great Brazilian action flick won the top prize at this year’s Berlin Film Festival. I guess you could say it is kinda like a present day City of God from the cops’ perspective.

Under the Bombs
This Sundance flick was incredibly shot a few days after the 2006 bombing of Beirut. Although the story isn’t all that polished, the filmmaking and photography are really remarkable.

Let the Right One In
People have been telling me I need to see this Swedish vampire flick for months. So I finally plan to do just that on Sat. May 31 at 11:00A.

American Teen
I’ve talked about it before and here is more – this is one of the most interesting docus of the year – exploring the social interactions of a group of teens growing up in a small Indiana town.

Jolene
This is an interesting sounding World Premiere film based on an E.L. Doctorow story about a girl making her way across America over a 10-year period.

Baghead
This super low budget flick from the Duplass Bros. (Puffy Chair) is a good example of getting a solid film made outside the system and worth a watch.

Sukiyaki Western Django
Ahhh Miike – always a fun ride. This is Miike’s western and he has an all Japanese cast speaking in broken English. Should be a blast. I’m checkin it out Monday 6/9 at 9:45P.

Bigger Stronger Faster
While I have yet to catch this docu about steroid use – it got good buzz out of Sundance and the filmmaker, Chris Bell, is a good guy.

Nocturna
Interesting sounding Spanish animated film.

Chrysalis
This French sci-fi action-thriller looks like it could be pretty decent.
Trailer

Mad Detective
Very cool looking Johnnie To & Wai Ka Fai HK cop actioner.

Up the Yangtze
I have heard great things about this Sundance docu about China’s Three Gorges Dam project.

Some Assembly Required
Interesting sounding docu about kids competing in an annual toy building challenge.

In Search of Kennedy
This docu about Kennedy and what would have been different had he lived is the world premiere screening from director Chuck Workman.

Song of Sparrows
What is bound to be another beautiful film from Iranian auteur Majid Majidi (The Color of Paradise).

Girl Sparks
What SIFF would be complete with some kooky Japanese comedy? This one, about a teen and her cross-dressing dad, is by Yuya Ishii who directed the 2005 hit (well…) Bare-assed Japan.

California Dreamin’ (Endless)
This feature debut by touted Romanian Christian Nemescu won a jury prize at Cannes a year ago and sounds interesting in an Eastern European comedy kinda way.

August
Josh Hartnett, and David Bowie star in this interesting sounding film about a dot-com entrepreneur. Co-starring Sloan from Entourage (Emmanuelle Chriqui).

Anvil! The Story of Anvil
One of my favorite docus from Sundance, this story of a heavy metal band’s 30 year search for stardom is a hell of a good time. If the band or brilliant director Sacha Gervasi is there, expect a great Q&A. (photo is me with lead singer Lips at SKE)