REEL UNDERGROUND
FILM REVIEWS
AND CALENDAR
BY ANDREA HELM
Andrea's Picks
At the Pike Street Cinema, every Saturday at midnight through Feb. 26 is the return of Bad Bugs Bunny. Every Friday is some kind of animation; every Saturday is some kind of documentary; and every Sunday is Luis Bunuel night. What more could you ask for in a movie theater? Cheap snacks? Well, OK, maybe cheap snacks, but they got that, too.
911 Media Arts
117 Yale Ave. N. - 682-6552
Feb. 19-?
The Chelsea, by Seattle-born Doris Chase. In conjunction with the Seattle Art Museum, 911 presents Chase's documentary account of more than 20 years at the now-legendary Chelsea Hotel in New York. "Since 1883, this ornate Victorian building has provided congenial and inspiring shelter for an amazing range of creative people. A partial list includes Sarah Bernhardt, Mark Twain, Eugene O'Neill, Thomas Wolfe, Tennessee Williams, William S. Burroughs, Janis Joplin, Jane Fonda, The Grateful Dead, Jackson Pollock, Edith Piaf, Bob Dylan, Virgil Thompson and Arthur Miller." Dylan Thomas died at the Chelsea; as did Nancy Spungen, girlfriend of Sex Pistols' member Sid Vicious. Another Seattle-born resident, Jimi Hendrix, was mistaken for a bellboy and asked by a wealthy guest to carry her bags.
Feb. 25
The History of Non-Fiction Filmmaking.
Feb. 26-27
Heroin and AZT: A Clinical Trial. The promo for this says it's "gay life under the gun." Well, that should make both the NRA and the Republican Party (not to mention Rush Limbaugh) very happy indeed. It's really about two men who set out to obtain lifesaving drugs in the post-Bush AIDS legacy.
March 7
Live Art TV. 911's cable access show looks at stereotypes of art and artists in its Part 2 premiere.
Grand Illusion
50th & Univ Way NE - 523-3935
Feb. 11-17
Wings of Desire. Wim Wenders (who did Until the End for the World and others) shows us our guardian angels and, possibly, a little of ourselves in this film for which I've only seen previews. One not to miss (see more on Wenders below).
Feb. 18-24
McCabe and Mrs. Miller. Wow! Robert Altman, Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in a classic movie about a "cocky gambler" (one supposes that's the Beatty role) who meets an opium-puffing madam in the frontier town of Presbyterian Church, Wash. It's been called a "beautiful pipe dream of a movie."
Feb. 25-March 3
Bad Behavior. A sweet movie with somebody who starred in The Crying Game, but I don't know which character because I didn't see it. Honey, I want to see a drag queen, I just call up my best friend for free.
March 4-10
Household Saints. This film topped several Top 10 lists, but nobody really seems to have seen it.
March 11-24
Wittgenstein. A philosophical biography about Ludwig Wittengstein.
March 25
Calendar. Snapping pix of old Armenian churches and trying to save a relationship. A girl, a guy and his camera story.
Pike Street Cinema
1108 Pike at Boren - 682-7064
shows @ 7:30 & 9:30, $5
Feb. 11
Jazz Cartoons. Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and Duke Ellington, all mixed up live (sorta) and in living Technocolor. Imagine Daffy Duck thmoothing his feathers, and doing his best Minnie the Moocher. Can't see too many cartoons in one lifetime, ya know.
Feb, 12
P4W. Female prison drama. Hopefully it's from the 50s, with tight matron skirts and those lovable pointy bras. Pops my popcorn!
Feb. 13
Fever Mounts in El Pao 59. Promo says it's "long lost."
Feb. 18
Emil Cohl, who's a French Pioneer before W. McCay, whatever that means.
Feb. 19
Salesman with the Maysles Bros., from 1969.
Feb. 20
Viridiana. More Bunuel blasphemy from 1961. Just the name alone makes me want to see this film. I have a confession to make. I did see Un Chien Andalou, his first film with Salvador Dali from 1928 (which is worth seeing as often as possible), but I haven't seen this one. Hey, I'm not too cool to admit when I'm ignorantly uncool. That's how we learn, right boys and girls? V-I-R-I-D-I-A-N-A. Viridiana. I'll be there.
Feb. 25
Offensive Animation. As the name implies, no refunds. Guaranteed to contain something to offend everyone. Attendance to this film is hereby declared mandatory to every man, woman and child within a 30-mile radius. While at the December Tournee of Animation, I was fortunate enough to witness morbid political correctness at its finest. Part of the Tournee was dedicated to the work of Will Vinton. Vinton is the artist responsible for the Domino's Pizza "Noid" and now ladies and gentlemen without further ado the Singing Raisins. I was secretly praying for the Michael Jackson Singing Raisin vignette when God came through again for my amusement. When the Michael Jackson Singing Raising was doing his/her thang, I could feel the entire mood of the audience change to tense, unamused and uncomfortable. At the end of the commercial, the Claymation Jackson awakens from his nap on the couch and says in this sweet high-pitched soft and wistful voice, "Oh, it must have been something I ate." Naturally, I was almost snorting I was laughing so hard; I was alone in my enjoyment. Which, naturally, made the entire episode even funnier to me. What I'm trying to say here kids is lighten up! And go see this film.
Feb. 26
Hookers on Davie. More from Canadians Janis Cole and Holly Dale.
Feb. 27
Exterminating Angel. Another Bunuel offering from 1962 with a "dinner party deluxe!"
March 4
Blood of the Vampire.
March 17
Lucky Charm Video Awards featuring short horror films.
March 18-20
The Dark Side of Dr. Seuss. The beloved children's author makes money off the American propaganda machine in this collection of documentary films Seuss made in the 40s and 50s: Your Job in Germany (directed by Frank Capra - isn't it a wonderful life?) and Our Job in Japan (radiate them slant-eyed fuckers!) Also showing is a cartoon Seuss did for soldiers titled Private Snafu.
March 25-30
Halleluja the Hills, a 1963 Adolfus Meks film. Meks started Film Culture magazine.
Shining Moment Films
(at the Weathered Wall)
1921 Fifth Avenue - 448-5688/325-1364
Feb. 12 - March 2
Archetypes of Horror. A weekly series of scary classics like The Golem (featuring live music by iv bricoleurs), The Dybbuk, Le Golem and Dos Eybike Folk. These films are from the 20s and 30s. Worth seeing.
(at Room 608 - 608 19th Ave. E.)
March 23
Othello. Emil Jannings and Werner Krauss, with live music by Tessa Brinckman, Matt Sperry and Sabra Weber.
The Varsity
4329 University Way NE - 632-3131
Welcome to the Varsity, home of the most uncomfortable theater seats in the world. Am I right, kids? Anyway, here's their stuff:
Feb. 4-17
A Streetcar Named Desire. Original scenes yanked by the freakin' Board of Decency or whoever God sent down to make sure we heathens didn't get exposed to no real life or nothing.If you haven't already done so, read the screenplay. Sister Blanche has a little secret never revealed in the edit released for general (Christian) consumption.
This is the quintessential Valentine's Day movie. Forget When Harry Met Sally or Sleepless in Seattle with that Meg PfeifferStone; this film is another not to be missed.
Feb. 25-March 3
La Strada by Federico Fellini, with Anthony Quinn. He paints now, you know.
March 6-8
Samba Traore. New African cinema.
March 9-12
The 2nd International Festival of Short Films, with Omnibus, the 1992 Oscar-winning best short.
March 13-15
Guelwaar, a film by Ousmane Sembene.
March 16
Bagdad Cafe. You know that AT&T commercial where that woman is singing in a far-away voice, "I ... am calling you ... " and it's all haunting and spooky and heart-achingly lonely? That's the theme song to Bagdad Cafe. If you saw, and enjoyed, Rosalie Goes Shopping, you'll like this film because it's the same woman.
March 17
Without You I'm Nothing. Sandra Bernhard at her best. She recently was quoted as saying of ex-pal Madonna, "She'll steal your friends and anything she can get her grubby little hands on. She should have stolen some acting tips." How can you resist? Anybody that can make David Letterman squirm can't be all bad.
March 20
Dr. Seuss and Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Fantasy double-feature. If you haven't seen 'em, do it. If you have, do it again. Your future happiness and spiritual development depend on it. "We are the music makers ... and we are the dreamers of the dream."
March 25-27
Tito and Me. Funny family memoir film.
March 31
The Queen and Split. More drag queen scene. Ooh, it's billed as being both funny and bitchy. That must be because it's men pretending to be women, right?
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Contents on this page were published in the February/March, 1994 edition of the Washington Free
Press.
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