BOILER ROOM--Meridian 16, Metro, others
THE CUP--Broadway Market
DIAMONDS--Meridian 16
HANGING UP--Various theaters
PITCH BLACK--Pacific Place 11, others
REAR WINDOW--Egyptian
THE WHOLE NINE YARDS--Metro, Oak Tree, Pacific Place 11, others
THE 6TH ANNUAL NELL SHIPMAN AWARDS-Benaroya Hall
BEST OF BRITISH FILM-Seattle Art Museum
BINGO: THE DOCUMENTARY-Little Theatre
FITZCARRALDO-Grand Illusion
FOR EVER MOZART-Little Theatre
FRANCE/TOUR/DETOUR/DEUX/ENFANTS-Little Theatre
HOU HSIAO-HSIEN RETROSPECTIVE-Grand Illusion
INDEPENDENT EXPOSURE 2/2000-Speakeasy
THE INTERVIEW-Varsity Calendar
KESTREL'S EYE-Grand Illusion
MEET THE FUNDER-911 Media Arts
NUDITY, MUSIC, SEX, KARATE, & BRANDO-Grand Illusion
OUT AT WORK-Seattle Musicians' Union Hall
OUTSIDE IN: NEW CHINESE FILM-Henry Art Gallery Auditorium
SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, UNCUT-Egyptian
TWO NIGHTS WITH ANTERO ALLI-911 Media Arts
February 25-Reindeer Games, A Map of the World, Not One Less, Wonder Boys
March 3-What Planet Are You From?, The Next Best Thing, Beautiful People, Chain of Fools, Agnes Brown, Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train
The 6th Annual Nell
Shipman Awards
A fancy awards ceremony for Seattle's female film community, celebrating 10 years of women in film. Formal attire required, reception to follow ceremony. Sat Feb 19 at 7 (doors at 6:30), $47; for more info and details about sponsorships and special ticket packages, call Women in Film at 447-1537. Benaroya Hall
Alaska: Spirit of the Wild
More of a nature documentary than a ghost story. Omnidome
*All About My Mother
Pedro Almodovar's highly acclaimed new film, a mature look at women (with the obligatory drag queen). Harvard Exit
Amazon
An IMAX examination of the lush forests and exotic animals of the Amazon river basin. Omnidome
The Beach
The Beach is a d-o-g, right up there with The Blue Lagoon, the 1990 Lord of the Flies, and the excrable Castaway. Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a French couple swim (yes, swim) to an island paradise in the Thailand sea and learn the hard way that paradise is easier to envision than to actually create. They end up with the most pristine group of willing castaways you've ever seen (no lingering illnesses or insect bites), and in their attempt to get away from it all still can't escape that ol' bugaboo, sexual jealousy. Oddly, after six years in "paradise" the islanders still wear clothes even when they swim, no one's apparently given birth, and everyone freaks at a shark attack like they hadn't seen one before. Pluses: DiCaprio's descent into the heart of darkness. Minuses: Next to no gratuitous nudity. Would probably improve if you slugged down a few Mai Tais before viewing. (Gillian G. Gaar) Factoria, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Neptune, Oak Tree, Redmond Town Center
*Being John Malkovich
It's the best film of 1999 and it has a monkey in it. Coincidence? We don't think so. Meridian 16, Varsity
BEST OF BRITISH FILM
SAM's series of British comedies and dramas continues with Carol Reed's An Outcast of the Islands (1951), in which a South Seas clerk (Trevor Howard) gets entangled in a smuggling scheme while falling for a native island girl (Thurs Feb 17 at 7:30); then comes The Importance of Being Earnest (1952), Anthony Asquith's film version of Oscar Wilde's famous play (Thurs Feb 24 at 7:30). Call 625-8900 for more info. Seattle Art Museum
The Big Tease
The boss from The Drew Carey Show makes a movie where he plays a Scottish hairdresser. What was he thinking? Broadway Market
*Bingo: The Documentary
Seattle's own John Jeffcoat delves deep into the mysterious bingo subculture to retrieve this enlightening tale of those who put it all on the line for a shot at being the one to stand up and shout, "Bingo!" From Catholic churches to the Carnival Cruise Bingo Ship, Jeffcoat takes his camera all over the world to capture every kind of player, from welfare recipients to drag queens. Hope springs eternal. Thurs-Sun Feb 17-20 at 5:30, 7:30, 9:30. Reviewed this issue. Little Theatre
Boiler Room
A group of macho yuppie men wreak havoc on all us little people. Ben Affleck is one of them. Reviewed this issue. Meridian 16, Metro, others
The Cup
Writer/director/revered incarnate lama Khyentse Norbu's debut effort tells the true-life story of Tibetan Buddhist monks who become obsessed with championship soccer, in a film that is remarkably free of "fish out of water" gags. Occasionally (perhaps deliberately) slow-paced, its main success is in its depiction of the creeping influence of the West on an ancient culture struggling to maintain its traditions: Young monks neglect their studies in favor of contraband magazines and World Cup predictions, to the growing concern of temple elders. While The Cup is at times sluggish, Norbu deserves credit for his portrayal of monastic life as a thoroughly human experience, deflating the stereotypical incense-and-sandals mysticism so often romanticized by Tibetan Freedom Concert-attending college students-though how he resisted a brief cameo by Rodney Dangerfield as a wisecracking, hapless soccer coach is beyond me. (Jason Pagano) Broadway Market
Diamonds
Diamonds casts a post-stroke Kirk Douglas as a post-stroke boxer on a "wild" road trip, coming to terms with his mortality, his alienated son (putzy Dan Aykroyd), and a bland grandson (Corbin Allred), who uses words like "phat." Director John Asher and screenwriter Allan Aaron Katz run out of imagination after about five minutes; On Golden Pond never looked so good. What isn't already limping is further hampered by Asher's clumsy handling of both the comedy and the drama, such as it is. One minute the film is twinkling wanly at you like a weary old aunt, and the next finds Douglas randomly screaming at himself in a mirror before smashing it to pieces. No emotional payoffs await you at the end because the film answers its own questions every five minutes. Characters keep rubbing the hearts on their sleeves with wounded resilience, saying out loud everything that should be left for us to figure out. Douglas is remarkably vanity-free and ready to go, but no amount of fighting spirit can defeat this lumbering behemoth. (Steve Wiecking) Meridian 16
The Emperor and the Assassin
Massive film about Chinese history full of intrigue, violence, and beauty. Broadway Market
The Eruption of Mount St. Helens
The mountain blew up in 1980, and has been blowing up on film ever since. Omnidome
Eye of the Beholder
Ashley Judd is a killer, and Ewan McGregor is the government agent who becomes obsessed with following (and saving) her. Broadway Market
Fantasia 2000
The latest Walt Disney sweeping-animation-and-classical-music extravaganza, this time in thrilling 3D. Bring your own mind-altering substances. Pacific Science Center
*Fitzcarraldo
(1982) Werner Herzog's "depraved masterpiece" about the true story of an insane robber baron who was driven to build an entire opera house in the midst of the Peruvian jungle. Thurs Feb 17 at 4:45, 7:45. Grand Illusion
For Ever Mozart
(1997) Jean-Luc Godard's "fast-paced intellectual vaudeville" cinema contains various historical scenarios and musical metaphors "with graceful philosophical reflections." Thurs-Sun Feb 24-27 at 5:30, 7:30, 9:30. Little Theatre
*France/Tour/Detour/ Deux/Enfants
Part of "Cinema in Transition," a two-week series devoted to changes in cinema, i.e. video work and digital cinema. This Wednesday-night collection of short programs explores the impact of television media on families and children. Jean-Luc Godard and Anne-Marie Miéville teamed up to interview and focus on French schoolchildren, asking them philosophical questions ("Do you think you have an existence?" "What does revolution mean to you?") while following them through their daily school-and-home-life routine. Wed Feb 23 (Parts 1-2, 2 hrs.) at 4:45, 7, 9:15. Reviewed this issue. Little Theatre
Galaxy Quest
The cast of a Star Trek-like show are recruited by a (presumably good) alien race to save them from a (presumably bad) alien race. Grand Alderwood, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree, Redmond Town Center
Girl, Interrupted
Suicidal Susanna (Winona Ryder) is sent to a mental institution where she learns a bit about how self-involved she's been in her young life. The movie is set in the late '60s, so people smoke a lot. Also starring Angelina Jolie as a very social sociopath. Aurora Cinema Grill, Meridian 16, Metro
The Green Mile
Tom Hanks' death row is forever changed when a magical prisoner is admitted. Pacific Place 11
Gun Shy
Basically, Analyze This with more poop and fart jokes. Aurora Cinema Grill, Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Meridian 16, Metro, Southcenter
Hanging Up
Meg Ryan, Lisa Kudrow, and Diane Keaton are three sisters who love (and sometimes hate) one another. Walter Mathau is their crazy, sex-craved father!
*Holy Smoke
Ruth (Kate Winslet), on vacation from her dreary Australian suburb, is in India and having a grand time with her friend, jostling through crowds, dancing at parties, and sampling the food. She attends the religious service of a guru, and falls head over heels into it. Her family fears she's been brainwashed, so they force Ruth into meeting with cult deprogrammer P. J. Waters (Harvey Keitel), flown in from America at great expense. Inevitably, sex becomes a way to balance their power relationship. The two leads deserve credit for such brave, honest performances-Keitel especially, tackling a much more dangerous role than the tortured souls and psychopaths he's famous for, by sending up his own persona. But save most of the praise for director Jane Campion, once again pushing everything to its bitter conclusion and then, surprisingly but coherently, going past even that. (Bruce Reid) Harvard Exit
*HOU HSIAO-HSIEN RETROSPECTIVE
Recognized worldwide as one of the "giants of the modern cinema," Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien is admired for his precise, spiritual filmmaking, rich narratives and characters, and examination of Taiwan's unique and turbulent history. The Grand Illusion's weekend matinee series continues with The Puppetmaster (1993), in which a famous 84-year-old puppeteer recalls his colorful childhood and life on the road with a troupe of traveling puppet masters. Winner of the 1993 Cannes Jury Prize. Sat-Sun Feb 19-20 at noon. Grand Illusion
The Hurricane
Based on a true story about Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a star boxer who was framed for multiple murders. The only interesting take this film has on his story is that it shamelessly portrays white Cana-dians as morally superior to their barbarian, gun-toting brethren south of the border-a myth they have treasured since the days of slavery. (Charles Mudede) Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree
*Independent Exposure 2/2000
It appears that the hyperactive editing style beloved for years by makers of short films is currently on the wane; this month's edition of Independent Exposure features mostly slow, almost stately pacing. This is not a guarantee of quality-M. Frank's "Purgatory" and Daniel Lawrence's "Vigilance" are just dull, though the former is an impressive technical achievement-but in general it's a move I welcome, preferring contemplation over sensation. Jessica Joy Wise's "False Creek" is a lovely effort at mapping the human body, Geoff Paracka's "Fire Hydrant" is a well-structured look at one man's life, and while Andrew Carnwath's "Greater Than Half" is too long by about half, its situation is original and some moments are wonderfully disgusting. And for those who must have rapid montage, there's Evan Mather's hilarious, frenetic "Buena Vista Fight Club," which is even better than it sounds. Thurs Feb 24 at 7:30, $4. (Bruce Reid) SpeakeasyThe Interview
As "agents" break into the apartment of a poor schlub (Hugo Weaving) and drag him down to the station, we're supposed to think he's an innocent man being subjected to police state persecution. I, however, thought he's probably guilty of something. I turned out to be right. Throughout the film, I always felt like I was 20 minutes ahead of the plot, which is a dull and annoying feeling. The titular "interview" takes place in a police station, and to make up for the static location (this would work better as a play, but it still probably wouldn't be that good), first-time director Craig Monahan throws in all sorts of crazy camera angles. The biggest surprise in this Australian film is their wussy criminal justice system: The cops get in trouble for "police brutality" by not feeding him for six hours and verbally threatening him. What's up with that? Fri-Thurs Feb 18-24 at (Sat-Mon 2:20), 4:40, 7, 9:20. (Andy Spletzer) Varsity Calendar
Island of the Sharks
Them there's SHARKS on the IMAX screen! Swim with the fishes at your peril. Pacific Science Center
Kestrel's Eye
A Swedish producer/director/photographer contemplates life, human existence, and overall perspective by turning the tables on the traditional "nature documentary" format: In this film, the birds are the ones observing the Homo sapiens' behavior and habitat. See also Stranger Suggests. Fri-Thurs Feb 18-24 at (Sat-Sun 3), 5, 7, 9. Grand Illusion
Magnolia
Paul Thomas Anderson weaves together the story of eight generic characters. In a cinematically fun package, at three hours, the movie is way too long, particularly when it stops to try and flesh out the "characters," but some of the showy visuals make this movie worthwhile. (Andy Spletzer) Aurora Cinema Grill, Metro, Pacific Place 11
Meet the Funder
Calling all activist-oriented media-makers! Meet with people from the Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, a funding group that supports social issue media production. See examples of previously sponsored work, discuss what constitutes a successful proposal, and pitch your own socially conscious project. Thurs Feb 17 at 5-8, FREE. 911 Media Arts
*Mr. Death
Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. is an odd-looking chap who is "a self-styled execution technologist"-meaning he repairs and improves the death machines used by our prison system. After establishing himself as the number-one death expert in America, he was asked by a Toronto neo-Nazi (Ernst ZĂĽndel) to prove or disprove the known truth that hundreds of thousands of Jews were gassed at Auschwitz. It is a fool's task, a project only a man bloated by the pride (or delusion) of having defeated death would even think to undertake. Once confronted with evil at this scale, Leuchter finally reaches the limits of his illusion. It is now time to fall, and Errol Morris makes sure he falls hard; harder than poor, prideful Icarus fell when he flew too close to the sun. In the end, Errol Morris manages to get even closer to the center of his primary concerns-death, the nature of evil, and self-deception. This is why Mr. Death stands out as one of his best films. (Charles Mudede) Varsity
*My Best Fiend
A new documentary about the crazy love-hate relationship between cranky film collaborators Werner Herzog (director) and Klaus Kinski (actor). Although they trusted each other enough to make brilliant films together, they were simultaneously planning to kill one another. Thurs Feb 17 at 5:20, 7:30, 9:40. Egyptian
Next Friday
Those who enjoyed Friday and Players Club will not be disappointed by Next Friday. The story is just as bad. I must make a confession. This film is way too crude for my tastes; there is not one drop of intelligence (or beauty) in the whole damn thing, and Cube's depiction of women and Chicanos is more than deplorable. (Charles Mudede) Uptown
*Nudity, Music, Sex, Karate, & Brando
From the basement of the Grand Illusion comes clips and snippets of smutty, dirty, gory scenes from several different movies-all linked together with the boring "plots" cut out! See thrilling highlights from Valley of the Dolls, Tropic of Cancer, and Last Tango in Paris, among others. Fri-Sat Feb 18-19 at 11. Grand Illusion
Olympic Glory
International athletes and adrenaline junkies show off their skills and defy gravity at the 1998 Winter Olympics at Nagano. Omnidome
Out at Work
The Labor Party's popular Labor Video Series is back, this month with a documentary that looks at personal hardship and discrimination on the job. A waitress at a chain restaurant gets fired; an electrician is physically and verbally abused at work; and a Bronx librarian faces mammoth medical expenses and debt. Their common link? Their homosexuality wasn't very well-received at work. Discussion to follow. Fri Feb 18 at 7, FREE (but donations are accepted). Seattle Musicians' Union Hall
*OUTSIDE IN: NEW CHINESE FILM
This series of modern/avant-garde Chinese films continues with Rebels of a Neon God, Taiwanese director Ts'ai Ming-ling's 1992 black comedy about "cultural and generational alienation" in present-day Taipei (Thurs Feb 17 at 7:30, $6); the following week, it's a Wayne Wang double feature-Chan Is Missing, about the quest for cultural identity in San Francisco's Chinatown, and Blue in the Face, Wang's improv ensemble flick about a day in the life of a Brooklyn smokeshop (Thurs Feb 24 at 7:30, $6). Henry Art Gallery Auditorium
Pitch Black
A cheapie sci-fi movie that's supposed to be pretty good. At least, according to all those geeks on the Internet. Grand Alderwood, Pacific Place 11, Southcenter
Rear Window
A re-issue of Hitchcock's disturbing (and at times, extremely funny) tale of urban voyeurism and murder. With Raymond Burr, Jimmy Stewart, and Grace "Gwyneth Paltrow WISHES she was this classy" Kelly. A newly restored 35mm print. Fri-Thurs Feb 18-Mar 2 at (Sat-Mon 2), 4:30, 7, 9:30. Reviewed this issue. Egyptian
Scream 3
The first Scream was an honest-to-God surprise for all but the most diehard of Wes Craven's fans, reviving an all-but-dead genre with brains, humor, and some actual scares. The second Scream was rushed through production, but still managed some fun. Dumping the dead weight of spent wunderkind Kevin Williamson for the third movie, Craven returns to the forefront with this, his "final" chapter. Much is made of how, in a true trilogy, all bets are off and anything can happen, which only makes the ending all the more disappointing. Though the movie is never really scary, there are some great scenes-especially when Neve Campbell is on the set of Stab 3, being chased through a Hollywood facsimile of the house she grew up in. So, now that Wes has Music of the Heart out of his system, and has sworn off horror for a while, he should move into the arena that he's belonged in all along: Comedy. Oh, and there's no extra surprise after the credits end. (Andy Spletzer) Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Lewis & Clark, Metro, Oak Tree, Pacific Place 11
Snow Day
The only way you should see this movie is at a matinee with a theater full of kids who bust out laughing at every belch and fart noise, yell "eeeeewwwww" at the gross scenes, ask their parents "when's it gonna be over?!" and spill popcorn and soda in the rows behind you. The pandemonium will mercifully eclipse this run-of-the-mill Disney film that will make kids fantasize about hijacking a snowplow, co-stars a very skinny but very busty teen, and chides the working mom character as one who neglects her family. The one truly saving grace is a cameo: Iggy Pop plays an ice rink DJ who plays pre-war baritone crooners. (Brian Goedde) Factoria, Lewis & Clark, Oak Tree, Pacific Place 11, Redmond Town Center
Snow Falling on Cedars
Set against the backdrop of the Japanese internment camps in the Pacific Northwest during WWII is the (boring) story of a reporter (Ethan Hawke) who used to have a crush on a Japanese American girl (Youki Kudoh). Pacific Place 11
South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut
When four sweet little tykes sneak into an R-rated movie, they are so enthralled by the dirty language that they can't or won't stop repeating it, even in front of shocked school authorities or parents. This eventually leads to a war with Canada. Includes the Oscar-nominated song "Blame Canada" (even thought we all know "Uncle Fucker" is the song that really should have been nominated). Fri-Sat Feb 18-19 at midnight. Egyptian
Stuart Little
A well-dressed mouse (voice of Michael J. Fox) is adopted by a family. Really, what more do you need? Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Matt Damon is typecast as a loveable psychopath who falls in love with the life of Dickie Greenwood (played by the fantastic Jude Law). Aurora Cinema Grill, Metro, Pacific Place 11, Redmond Town Center
The Third Miracle
Involving cinematic discussions about religious faith are rare, which makes Agnieszka Holland's spotty but rather elegant little film a mild surprise. There are the obligatory moments of anxiety-riddled priest Ed Harris shouting angrily at His Heavenly Father, yet there is also a complex respect for the longings that rattle around inside most human souls. Harris plays a renowned and tormented doubter sent by the Church to debunk another "miracle"-a statue of the Virgin Mary that cries tears of blood-and to put a stop to the calls for sainthood that accompany the memory of the deceased housewife who supposedly inspired it. Naturally, the beleaguered priest is drawn to the woman's bitter daughter (Anne Heche) before becoming a believer himself. Luckily, Heche has a directness that complements Harris' simmering resolve, and keeps their subplot from feeling cheap. The film is so stately it can wear you down, but just when it's about to go completely inert, something nagging kicks in again. It's an obvious film made with care and restraint. (Steve Wiecking) Metro
The Tigger Movie
From the fever dreams of Christopher Robin comes this movie about a maniac tigger who gets into all kinds of trouble. Metro, Pacific Place 11, Redmond Town Center
*Titus
Movie based on the early, violent play by William Shakespeare, with plenty of scenery chewed by Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. Cinerama
*Topsy-Turvy
Director Mike Leigh takes his flair for social realism and points it straight at the Victorian struggles of mediocre artists/high-minded entertainers, Gilbert and Sullivan. Broadway Market
*Toy Story 2
The second-highest-grossing animated film of all time (behind The Lion King). Woody and Buzz take on issues of death and collectability. Meridian 16
TWO NIGHTS WITH ANTERO ALLI
Screenings of Crux: A ParaTheatrical Experiment (which documents the movements, thoughts, and emotions of a group ritual exploration of the crucifixion archetype); Inertia: The Couple Next Door (about a young couple's bout with domestic bliss/boredom); and a debut screening of The Oracle, a "visionary exploration"-featuring Pablo Neruda's poetry-of an elderly, sick man's emotional journey toward death and an afterlife. Fri-Sat Feb 18-19 at 8, $6; Crux screens Fri, Inertia and The Oracle show Sat. 911 Media Arts
The Whole Nine Yards
Matthew Perry freaks and starts taking prescription pills with reckless abandon when he discovers a professional killer (Bruce Willis) has moved in next door. Hilarity, of course, ensues. Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Metro, Northgate, Pacific Place 11
