SIFF moves fast and it’s already Day 5 of the 25 day event but there’s still so much to check out and talk about and see…Hot events/films you need to be aware of include the big opening night in Everett at the Everett Performing Arts Center on Thursday, May 27. A treat for film lovers in the northern reaches of the metro area, SIFF will screen films at the Center through June 3. The opening night film will be the local premiere of director Bruce Beresford’s Mao’s Last Dancer, the true story of a young dancer’s rise from poverty to international ballet stardom. Both director Beresford, best known for his films Breaker Morant and Driving Miss Daisy, and co-star Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks, Desperate Housewives) are expected to be in attendance at the gala event which starts at 7pm and features an after-party with catering from some of Everett’s best restaurants. And, for those of you who can’t make it up to Everett for that screening, the film will also show May 29 and 31 at the Uptown Cinemas.
If you’re a fan of old westerns and/or northwestern style alt-country music then you won’t want to pass up local favorite band The Maldives performing the musical accompaniment to the silent Tom Mix western, Riders of the Purple Sage a film dating from 1925. You’ll be craving moonshine and baked beans before the night is over, but be satisfied with a martini and a plate of pad thai from the excellent bar and kitchens at The Triple Door. There are two performances of this show on Tuesday, May 25; the 7pm show has VERY limited availability and close to being on Rush status, but the 9:30pm has a bit more availability. Get your tickets NOW regardless!
For good, scary, but educational fun, check out Cane Toads: The Conquest-in 3D which is screening May 28 at 7pm at the Neptune in the U District. A sequel to the 1988 documentary about the effects of introducing the Cane Toad into Australia to control the sugar cane beetle and the aftermath when it was discovered that the rapidly reproducing cane toad had no natural enemies in the Australian ecology with the result that the cane toad population is now estimated to be 1.5 BILLION in the Land Down Under. This update of the earlier documentary features state of the art 3D technology, so be prepared to be dazzled, dazed, horrified and possibly nauseated by the spectacle of billions of toads springing out at you from the screens of the Neptune…it’s horrifying ’cause it’s TRUE!
There’s not a ton of LGBT movies screening early in this week (don’t forget to check out the lesbian themed, The Owls, tonight at 7pm at SIFF and Friday at the Egyptian at 5pm) but one title does stand out…From Beginning to End could be the plot of a Kristen Bjorn gay porn film, (if Kristen Bjorn gay porn films HAD plots) but it’s really just a beautifully twisted story of forbidden love…and lust:
Gorgeous men and beautiful vistas dominate this lovingly shot look at an illicit affair. Half-brothers Francisco and Thomás share a comfortable life in Rio with their mother Julieta and father Alexandre. Like most kids, they play, they fight, and they make up. Julieta, however, wonders if they might be too close. On a visit to Buenos Aires, Francisco’s father, Pedro, wonders the same thing, telling Julieta he suspects their relationship is too intimate, but she predicts they’ll grow out of it. Fifteen years pass, and the brothers are on their own. However, what may have been innocent when they were children has now grown into something more serious. When Thomás, a swimmer, gets the chance to train for the Olympics in Russia, calling for a three-year separation, it’s an offer too good to refuse. Alone for the first time, Francisco explores new avenues, but old habits are hard to break, especially for one who’s never known anything different. Director Aluizio Abranches refrains from judgment, taking as his guide Julieta’s statement: That’s the way it is in life. Everything has two sides.
This lusty but touching Brazilian bromance screens Wednesday, May 26 at 9:30pm at the Egyptian and repeats there again on June 2 at 4:30pm. Sounds like a great date movie…or, maybe a great THIRD date movie, but please play safe afterward. Thank you…
-Michael Strangeways
About the Author: Michael Strangeways
