SIFF SIFF: Party People and an Amphibious Sea Hag
Yesterday’s The Heart of the Game afterparty was a chill affair, with lots of adorable kids running around, some discussion of the nastiest caffeine/ethanol combination known to man (that would be Rockstar + tequila, if you’re keeping track), and only one basketball in sight.
I met filmmaker Lynn Shelton (We Go Way Back, playing next Tuesday at 9:30 pm at the Egyptian and Saturday the 17th at 1:30 pm at the Egyptian) for the first time—she was rad. I bitched to SIFF Artistic Director Carl Spence about the problematic projection at the Egyptian Wednesday night, which made Lynn cringe, while Michael Seiwerath shared some projectionist horror stories of his own (none involving NWFF, bien sûr). SIFF AD Emerita Helen Loveridge proclaimed Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, which she had seen at Cannes, to be excellent.
Chris Paine, the director of Who Killed the Electric Car? (tonight at 7 pm at the Egyptian), talked about the movies he had liked at another festival (they were The Guatemalan Handshake and something else that sounded intolerably earnest). Today he emailed to encourage me to come to the screening (I’ll go if my early Prius-adopter dad will come with me) and to inform me that “my eyes dance when [I’m] explaining myself.” Confidential to Chris: poor eye contact does not poetry make.
And finally, a new review, by Lindy West, of the Sarah Polley-starring Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf & Grendel.
The movie screens at SIFF again tomorrow at 9:30 pm at the Egyptian, and it opens for its U.S. theatrical premiere in Seattle (and Seattle only) at the Varsity next Friday. (What, do they think New York and LA moviegoers aren’t gonna like amphibious sea hags or something?)
"I bitched to SIFF Artistic Director Carl Spence about the problematic projection at the Egyptian Wednesday night..."
I was at last week's SIFF showing of Half Nelson at the Egyptian. The projector broke half way through the film. After a few long breaks the theatre manager offered refunds. I felt horrible leaving because the director and screenwriter were there, but it was painful to sit through projection trouble at the Egyptian again. Feeling guilty, I spent the money on a ticket to another SIFF film.