Film

Blow Up

by Andy Spletzer

A former dentist's office converted into a cinema in 1970, the Grand Illusion inspires a strong and wonderful loyalty. When the Northwest Film Forum decided to build two cinemas in its new Capitol Hill home, the Grand Illusion was sold to a coalition of the loving--a group of former NWFF employees and volunteers who couldn't bear to leave the tin-roofed cinema behind. The grand reopening takes place on Thursday, April 1, with an April Fools' Day screening of the cult classic Rubin & Ed, starring Crispin Glover. This choice is notable because the Grand Illusion was the first theater to play it theatrically, even though it was successful on the festival circuit. Also notable is the fact that for this opening-night party, they're charging only $1 for admission, then $1 for popcorn, candy, or soda. Nice.

The run of Rubin & Ed continues for the week, but lest you get the impression that the GI is only about cult films, I must add that the rest of the calendar shows off an impressive mix of films. The late-nights continue in the exploitation mode, of course, with the first weekend being The Beaver Trilogy, featuring Glover and Sean Penn transforming themselves into Olivia Newton-John. Meanwhile, regular runs mix classics like Rear Window, the British cut of Strangers on a Train, Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala, and a five-day run of Hou Hsiao-hsien's latest, Millennium Mambo. Pick up a calendar today. Better yet, become a member and support the new regime.

For fans of psychotronic craziness, head over to the Little Theatre, where they're showing everything from blood feasts to post-apocalyptic armies of Bettie Page look-alikes to fucked-up Japanese rock, classic monsters, sadistic bikers, and talking monkeys. I want to make special note of Screamplay, starring indie film legend George Kuchar, if only because I saw it in Hamburg while backpacking through Europe in 1989. A tribute to '60s black-and-white exploitation films, it was a welcome taste of home. I have a feeling it works in this country, too.

The perfect way to follow a psychotronic weekend would be with a free Monday-night screening at the Sunset Tavern of a Dead Kennedys double feature, The Early Years Live and DMPO's on Broadway. Then on Tuesday night there's a screening at 911 of the locally-made film Far Too Gone, which features a guy who believes he's Tori Amos.

Finally, I want to announce that Tom Tom the Piper's Son (Fri-Sun April 2-4) will be my last show as the film curator of Consolidated Works. I'm proud of every show I've put on, from the sparsely attended to the sellout performances. My young protégé Adam Hart is taking over for the next series. Having seen a glimpse of what he's booking, I look forward to writing about the shows in the months to come.

andy@thestranger.com