AND tickets purchased. Thanks for the heads up, Paul.

I'm guessing that this will sell out in record time and they'll be scalped for a few hundred on craigslist. If anyone wants to gamble with that, you could make some change. *smile*

WHOMP purchased. I am super excited - thank you!

A minor film, that hits a few "notability" checkboxes (familiar story, major director trying something different, cinematography looks pretty sharp) while failing to mask some obvious flaws (the acting is first-line-reading quality), which will be given a grossly disproportionate gala treatment for one night in an opera house that is (oddly) acoustically disastrous for films.

This seems about par for the SIFF course.

@3, you left out all of us having fun without you!

Shakespeare in American accents and speech rhythms? Count me among the super skeptics.

Thanks for the heads up! Tickets purchased!

lets hope hearing the dialog isn't important. McCaw Hall is chosen for its size, certainly not for its movie acoustics.

@4 You gave me the gigglesnorts.

Although films at McCaw Hall are terrible, acoustically. (Always puzzles me, as it's gorgeous for live singing, obviously. Maybe set up speakers on stage where opera singers would stand?)

But yeah, Kevin Smith's redstate was mostly unintelligible.

Also, @3, I expect much embarrassing FAWNING from the Seattle audience. Gawd, the SIFF crowd is so ridiculously simpering at these galas in general...now that there's some serious Nerd-power in the house, it may be over-the-top.

You can upgrade to Red Carpet Experience on your pass early and get into the private party with them as well. Kind of fun.

@9:

Don't expect this to stop anytime soon, especially with Shakespeare, seeing as they've been doing this SINCE Shakespeare's day, when even the history plays were done in contemporary dress, because that's basically all they had to work with.

Tickets safely purchased and tucked away. Thank you!

@9, such snobbery.

I can't wait for the comments the day after the gala, which will describe Shakespeare's title as apt.

actually, i'm hating siff right now. each pass now has a barcode which is scanned. the data is collected and linked to your membership account so they track every film you ever see during your life through siff. fucked up. and they won't give members the option to opt out and they won't let you into a film without being scanned. sucks ass. i hate you, siff!