The folks at Central Cinema serve up Halloween this weekend with scary and not-so scary offerings. Starting tonight is Tim Burton’s genius Beetlejuice (1988) Friday & Saturday at 7, Sunday at 6. The film starring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Winona Ryder and Glenn Shadix perfectly blends kitsch and macabre in a style that became Tim Burton’s trademark. Catherine O’Hara’s Delia Deetz says my favorite line – “Kids! You know I love them.” -when in fact she really doesn’t.
For those looking for thrills of a higher octane, the second screening is Poltergeist (1982) directed by horror-legend Tobe Hooper. Friday & Saturday at 9:30. Despite its PG rating, the film starring Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Heather O’Rourke and Zelda Rubinstein, produces some truly horrific and iconic images – child strangled by evil clown doll for starters. Heather O’Rourke’s classic performance as creepy blond girl overshadows equally impressive performances by the lovely JoBeth Williams (pictured) and fabulous friend of the gays Zelda Rubinstein. This film is further proof that the suburbs are nightmares – especially when built on a burial ground.
On Halloween night Crypticon, the Beta Society, and Blood Squad present A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), Sunday at 9.
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Wednesday at 7 Reel Grrl’s present Wayne’s World (1992) directed by Penelope Spheeris, starring Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere and Lara Flynn Boyle. This continuation of the Reel Grrl’s film series, hosted by the Stranger’s Lindy West, explores ass-kicking movies directed by equally ass-kicking women. Penelope Spheeris, famous for directing the ass-kicking Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988), certainly fits this criterion. My only beef with the genius Wayne’s World is that there aren’t enough Madonna references or even a Madonna cameo. Other than that, the film is pretty damn near flawless, and should make for a fun screening on Wednesday.
Thursday at 8 is the encore presentation of the Way Gay Sing Along. If you like karaoke, but you hate the stupid show-off singing karaoke, then you will love this show.
Grand Illusion presents the Super Secret Triple Feature, Friday & Saturday 7pm As the title says, the three films in this series won’t be revealed until show time. Here’s what the Grand Illusion says –
Join us as we present two heaping helpings of secret insanity! A different mystery triple bill each night that is guaranteed to peel the skin from your eyeballs and make you sh** your pants in fright! A cryptic conflagration of psychotic killers, interstellar terrors and nature gone amok! Do you dare to risk your very soul by stepping into the abyss of unknown horrors?
If the 666 minute running time of the triple feature is too great a commitment, you may prefer the Spookshow Spectacular, Sunday 7pm, a 90 minute clip reel of various film and video that celebrates the spooky season.
Thursday at 6:30pm and 9:30pm Grand Illusion and Northwest Folklife present Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) directed by Michael Apted, starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones. For a film that basically invented the music biopic, the attention to realism in this Loretta Lynn story is unequaled by its contemporaries. An excellent pairing for this film would be 1993’s What’s Love Got To Do With It, the Tina Turner story. Both are films about woman musicians and their overbearing husbands, who also happen to be their managers. However, the resolutions to this conflict are direct opposites. Loretta Lynn choses to stick it out with her control-freak husband, whereas Tina Turner divorces her dead-beat abuser. Both women end up stronger for their decisions.
Northwest Film Forum presents three films in the Earshot Jazz Films series
Howl directed by Rob & Jeffrey Epstein, starring James Franco. Set in 1957, this film examines the Alan Ginsberg’s indecency trial for his ground-breaking work of poetry. The film captures the details of 1950s Manhattan with careful attention.
Also screening are Ornette: Made In America (1985), 25th Anniversary Screening, directed by Shirley Clark, featuring Ornette Coleman, and Ed Thigpen: Master of Time, Rhythm and Taste the Seattle premier, directed by Don McGlyn.
Ryan Hicks is Sponsorship Manager for Three Dollar Bill Cinema and a contributor to Seattle Gay Scene.
