Staff Picks
Seattle’s independent moviehouses this month are offering Valentine’s Day fare, a chance to see some Oscar-nominated films and an extra helping of film noir for these dark nights.
The Beacon
RaMell Ross’ mesmerizing newest film “Nickel Boys” is currently in theaters, but the cozy Beacon is offering a chance to see his first feature-length film: the 2018 drama “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” (Feb. 18-20), which like “Nickel Boys” follows two young Black men in the American South. Also at The Beacon is one of my favorite films of the 21st century: Wong Kar-wai’s gloriously beautiful, heartbreaking tale of longing, “In the Mood for Love“; any chance to see this film on a cinema screen should be snapped up instantly, particularly on Valentine’s Day. (It screens Feb. 14 and 18.) Among other offerings on the Beacon’s eclectic calendar: Marilyn Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (Feb. 23-26) and, from French master Max Ophüls, “The Earrings of Madame de … ” (Feb. 23 and 25) and “Lola Montes” (Feb. 26-27).
4405 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle; 206-420-7328, thebeacon.film
Central Cinema
The friendly food-and-drink theater in the Central District has some witty pairings of films for this month. “The Muppets Take Manhattan,” starring Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and the gang, will play alongside the, um, rather darker John Carpenter film “Escape From New York”; both run Feb. 7-12. The sweetest Seattle rom-com ever made, Nora Ephron’s “Sleepless in Seattle,” runs Feb. 14-18 (it’s perfect Valentine’s Day viewing), alongside the twisted road-movie romance “Wild at Heart” (Feb. 14-19), screening as a tribute to its late filmmaker, David Lynch. And the month wraps up with another classic rom-com, “When Harry Met Sally,” paired with a great contemporary horror film, Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” (both Feb. 21-26). I’ll have what they’re having.
1411 21st Ave., Seattle; 206-328-3230, central-cinema.com
Grand Illusion
After more than 50 years, the Grand Illusion has closed its doors at University Way Northeast and Northeast 50th Street as of Jan. 31; the building has been sold and the lease was not continued. While the staff look for a new University District location, they’ll be presenting a series of pop-up screenings around town, and here’s the first one: the acclaimed 2010 Thai film “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives,” in which an elderly man’s lost loved ones return to him in his final illness. It will screen at Northwest Film Forum on Feb. 19. For updates on the Grand Illusion’s planned move, see grandillusioncinema.org/moving.
1515 12th Ave., Seattle; 206-523-3935, grandillusioncinema.org
Northwest Film Forum
If you missed “Sing Sing” during its brief theatrical run last summer, now’s your chance: Greg Kwedar’s moving film about incarcerated men finding their voices through a prison drama program, nominated for three Academy Awards (best picture, best actor, best adapted screenplay), is at NWFF Feb. 7-16. “No Other Land,” Oscar-nominated this year for best documentary feature, screens Feb. 20-March 2; made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four young activists, it follows a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist in the occupied West Bank. For Valentine’s Day, NWFF offers a package of vintage cartoons (1928-38) by Max and Dave Fleischer, focusing on stories of lovers including Popeye and Olive Oyl, and Betty Boop — in a rare color film appearance — as Cinderella courting her Prince Charming (Feb. 14).
1515 12th Ave., Seattle; 206-329-2629, nwfilmforum.org
SIFF
SIFF Cinema Egyptian, alas, continues to be closed for at least a few more months, due to ongoing work to repair significant damage caused by a leaking pipe late last year. But I’m delighted to report that SIFF Cinema Downtown (Cinerama in my heart, still) is taking a break from contemporary blockbusters to offer some vintage treasures. The gloriously colorful 1964 musical “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,” starring an enchanting young Catherine Deneuve, screens for a week in a new restoration beginning Feb. 7. Next up: the annual Noir City series Feb. 14-20, this year featuring “the femmes who made film noir fatale.” Eighteen black-and-white classics will screen (12 of them in 35mm), including a new restoration of 1944’s “Phantom Lady” starring former Seattleite Ella Raines. “Czar of Noir” Eddie Muller will host all screenings Feb. 14-16, with local mystery authors Vince and Rosemarie Keenan taking over Feb. 17-20; full passes for Noir City are $158 ($133 SIFF members).
Also at SIFF this month: a fundraising screening of local film “Fantasy A Gets a Mattress” (Uptown, Feb. 21); a Talking Pictures presentation of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” hosted by chef Kenji López-Alt (Downtown, Feb. 10); the hypnotic Peter Weir classic “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” screening in a new restoration (Downtown, Feb. 21); and packages of this year’s Oscar-nominated short films in animation, live action and documentary (Uptown, beginning Feb. 14).
SIFF Downtown: 2100 Fourth St., Seattle; SIFF Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle; 206-464-5830, siff.net
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