New Releases:
OMG BABY CHEETAH!!!
African Cats, directed by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey. Friday only! The latest Earth Day release from Disney Nature follows an adorable lion family and an even more adorable cheetah family who live and struggle in the African savannah. Proceeds from the theatrical release go to protecting their native habitat. If you miss this, how will you be able to live with yourself? (Regal Meridian, 1501 7th Ave, 2:40, 4:50, 7 and 9:10 p.m.
Water for Elephants, directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend), starring Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, and Christopher Waltz. If you’d rather not watch wild animals in their native environments, and you’d prefer to see animals treated cruelly both on-screen and off, then Water for Elephants is the picture for you. It’s bound to draw the Team Edward crowd, but will there be enough interest in a depression-era circus love story to make this a main stream hit? (Pacific Place, 600 Pine St, 11:45 a.m., 1:00, 2:30, 4:05, 5:15, 7, 8, 9:50, and 10:45 p.m.; Big Picture, 2505 First Ave, 4, 6:30, and 9 p.m.; Landmark Metro, 4500 9th Ave NE, 1, 3:50, 7, and 9:45 p.m.; Columbia City Cinema, 4816 Rainier Ave S, 4:30, 7, and 9:15 p.m.; Majestic Bay, 2044 NW Market St, 12:30, 3:45, 6:45, and 9:50 p.m.)
Madea’s Big Happy Family, directed by Tyler Perry, starring Tyler Perry, Loretta Divine and Bow Wow. Go ahead and scoff. Meanwhile Madea grosses more at the box office than every other new release combined. Mr. Perry’s got the magic touch, and you know it. Calling Madea the real Black Swan might be a bit of a stretch, but she’s hands down the real America’s Next Drag Superstar. Eat your heart out Ru! (Regal Meridian, 1501 7th Ave, 12:05, 2:30, 5, 7:30, and 10 p.m.)
Also opening this weekend:Bummer Summer, directed by Zach Weintraub. Winner of the 2010 Local Sightings Film Festival, Friday is the Seattle premier with the director in attendance. Three teenagers, a road trip, a love triangle, coming of age in the Pacific Northwest. It might be the coldest April on record, but here’s a much needed taste of summer.
(Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, 7 and 9 p.m.)
MORE area films to check out, AFTER the jump!
Seattle Screenings:
Animation Fascination: A weekend of animated shorts and features at SIFF Cinema. Full schedule here.
Friday: Pixar Shorts (7 p.m.); Return of the Animated: the Best of SIFF Animation for Adults (9 p.m.)
Saturday: Animation for All Ages: the Best of SIFF Films4Families (1 p.m.); The Phantom Tollbooth (1970) directed by Chuck Jones. (3:30 p.m.)
http://youtu.be/V7Co7UZ02_0NFB
Animation Express (5:30 pm.); Mary and Max (2009) directed by Adam Elliot, starring voices of Toni Collette, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Barrie Humphries and Eric Bana. (8 p.m.)
Sunday: Stop Motion Time (5 p.m.); Idiots and Angels (2008) directed by Bill Plympton (7:30 p.m.)
All screenings at SIFF Cinema: 321 Mercer St.
Do Something Reel Film Festival at Central Cinema. More details here.
Friday: Vanishing of the Bees (7 p.m.); Planeat (9:30 p.m.)
Saturday: Bag It! (7 p.m.); On Coal River (9:30 p.m.)
Sunday: Lunch Line (7 p.m.); Urban Roots (9 p.m.)Monday: Dig It, featuring Peal Jam’s Stone Gossard (7 p.m.)All screenings at Central Cinema, 1411 21st Ave.
Also at Central Cinema: Truck Turner (1974) directed by Jonathan Kaplan, starring Isaac Hayes and Nichelle Nichols, presented by Scarecrow Video.
http://youtu.be/HUHmQ0rfejw
(Central Cinema, 1411 2st Ave, Wednesday, 7 p.m.)
Late Night at Grand Illusion: Porky’s (1982) directed by Bob Clark (Black Christmas, A Christmas Story) starring Kim Cattrall. (Grand Illusion Cinema, 1403 NE 50th St, Friday and Saturday, 11 p.m.)
Ryan Hicks is Development Manager for Three Dollar Bill Cinema, which just announced the schedule for Translations: the Seattle Transgender Film Festival. He’s also a film fan and contributor to Seattle Gay Scene.
