Whether your stuck home all alone in Seattle this weekend or you’re surrounded by extended family and need a few hours break, you’ll find plenty of reasons to sneak away to your nearby movie theater.
New releases
True Grit, directed by Ethan and Joel Coen, starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Hailee Steinfeld. True Grit is this year’s reprisal of the classic Western genre (there’s always at least one) and a remake of the 1969 adaptation starring John Wayne. This film promises to be a true cinematic escape from the Holiday blahs – breath-taking cinematography, excellent performances, stark landscapes and characterizations. Maybe not an uplift of Holiday cheer, but an appropriate antidote to it.
Little Fockers, directed by Paul Weitz, starring Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro, Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Blythe Danner. The marketing strategy for the third installment of the Meet the Parents franchise is to pack as many talented stars into one feature and see what happens. Unfortunately that strategy can be risky, because big stars require big salaries, especially when one of the biggest (DeNiro) was reluctant to reprise his role, and held out longer than the rest of the cast. Just look at last week’s disappointing How Do You Know to see how this strategy can fail. However, since opening Tuesday, Little Fockers has already grossed $14.5 million. My guess is that holiday movie goers are looking for family-friendly mildly bawdy comedy that can reliably deliver a few chuckles. Does this mean there’s going to be a fourth installment? Where else can you go? Mother Fockers? (Editor’s Note: I hate this film series more than I hate Sarah Palin…)
Tiny Furniture, directed by Lena Dunham, written by Lena Dunham and starring Lena Dunham. The word “navel gazing” has been tossed around a few times in reviews of this film. Is that really so bad? The best stories come from a deeply personal place. So what if Lena Dunham’s personal experience is pretty neurotic, privileged and unrelatable for most folks? It’s an invitation to someone else’s life, very quirky life.
Seattle Screenings
Central Cinema will be closed Christmas day, but they reopen on Sunday with 1984’s Ghostbusters at 6:30. The best part about the Central Cinema screening of this classic is that everybody shout’s along when asked “Who You Gonna Call?”
Footloose (1984) starring Kevin Bacon, followed by a night of dancing to music videos. At Central Cinema, Friday, December 31 at 9:30pm. $10/Advance and $12/DOS.
Merry Christmas, Marys!
-Ryan Hicks
Ryan Hicks is Sponsorship Manager for Three Dollar Bill Cinema, a film fan and contributor to Seattle Gay Scene.
