“Let’s All Go to the Movies” or “Let’s Talk Turkeys” or “Ryan’s Weekly Movie Round-Up”. I haven’t quite figured out the name yet, but I’ll be writing Seattle Gay Scene’s weekly film column. When Michael put out the call for writers last week, I jumped at the opportunity for no good reason, except that it’s fun to write about movies and I would love to share my joy with you. In my day job, I run a small business consulting company, and I am also the current sponsorship manager for Three Dollar Bill Cinema, presenters of numerous queer film events and the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, October 15-24, 2010. I feel passionately about Seattle’s queer film scene, and I hope this column helps contribute to it.
Currently showing –
Machete: dir. Robert Rodriguez, starring Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan, and some dudes. Why you should see this movie: because it looks amazing in every possible way. More specifically, it’s Robert Rodriguez’s highly anticipated follow-up to 2007’s Planet Terror, which along side Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof was the most important cinematic event of the past decade. If you need more evidence, this is also the highly anticipated follow-up for Lindsay Lohan, whose 2007 I Know Who Killed Me was an instant camp horror classic.
The American dir. Anton Corbijn, starring George Clooney in a very un-Hollywood Hollywood movie. Anton Corbijn is best known for 2008’s Joy Division biopic Control, which was decently enjoyable, but I find this music video director’s talents would be better suited for a movie adaptation of a more MTV-friendly band. Wouldn’t a Duran Duran movie be cool? Better yet, why hasn’t anyone made a Culture Club biopic? What about Wham! The movie!?
Also currently playing: Drew Barrymore’s Going the Distance with her MAC dude boyfriend; Like all rich, white women (and Oprah) Julia Roberts loves to Eat Prey Die; The Expendables – directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, and a bunch of hasbeen action stars, which says enough; Nanny McPhee Returns, which I thought was a sequel to Renee Zellweger’s Miss Potter.
New releases –Resident Evil: Afterlife, dir. Paul W.S. Anderson, starring Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Wentworth Miller. Why I would recommend this movie: Because I will always love Milla Jovovich for her ridiculous music career:
Not to mention, Ali Larter for camping it up opposite Beyoncé in 2009’s Obsessed, and Wentworth Miller for his performance as Adam, the male cheer leader (with a secret) on Popular, (and, Wentworth has LOTS of secrets…) Why I wouldn’t recommend this movie: because it’s the fourth Resident Evil movie…
Screenings in Seattle this weekend
Central Cinema will be showing several extremely queer-friendly films this week. Starting this weekend they will be presenting Wizard of Oz (1939) at 7 and The Warriors (1979) at 9:30 Friday-Sunday. Now that is a truly inspired double feature… On Monday Jason Miller’s Bad Movie Art presents Mac & Me (1988) at 7. If you really like Big Macs and you really hate children, then you will love this movie. If you think corporate product placement today is bad, you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen an extended dance sequence set inside a MacDonald’s restaurant and a character that wears her MacDonald’s uniform throughout the picture… You can wash this feast down with a fistful of yellows and reds when Three Dollar Bill Cinema presents Valley of the Dolls (1967) Wednesday 9/15 at 7, starring Patty Duke as “I’m Neely O’Hara!” (pictured). This movie set the gold standard of high camp, so if you haven’t seen it you better get yourself an education (finger snap)…Finally this queer-friendly week concludes with the Ladies of the 80s Sing Along on Thursday 9/16 at 8. Get your tickets in advance, because I’m sure this one will sell out.
For art house fans and first year film students, you won’t want to miss Werner Herzog’s Aguirre, The Wrath of God (1972) at Grand Illusion or Akira Kurosawa’s Ran (1985) at the Varsity. I would also suggest for queer film geeks the gay Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Mama Roma (1962) starring the incomparable Anna Magnani (pictured) as a prostitute and single mother in post-war Italy, which is playing at Northwest Film Forum. All are worth checking out.
-Ryan Hicks
