Well, well, well, well, well. WELL. Look at that! It’s holiday times
again! One little short year ago, I wrote my very first Concessions
column about my very first Northwest Film Forum Holiday Party.
Standing on the sidewalk, I was intimidated by the fancy film people
within: “I didn’t know what I would talk to them about—unless
the fancy film people want to talk about that part in I Now
Pronounce You Chuck & Larry when Larry drops the soap in the
firehouse shower. Or in Alvin and the Chipmunks when Simon eats
a piece of Theodore’s poop. Or John Goodman (OMG, heart!).” Oh,
me-one-year-ago. So young and so intimidated. Things are different now
(although I am still obsessed with that thing about Theodore’s
poop—that really happens!). But anyway, last week I attended
this year’s NWFF Holiday Party. And guess what? I OWNED THAT
SHIT.
Literally. Because Christmas is the property of Santa (tra la la,
baby Jesus!), and this year, Film Forum Santa was ME. Lindy “Drunk Lady
Santa” West. I wore the suit. I scratched my fiberglass beard. I
judged the nog. I bounced Seattle’s film community upon my knee and
found out what it wanted for Christmas (a job! peace and goodwill! “I
don’t know!”) and only got groped like two times. After 400 cups of
nog, I was deeply into this Santa thing. I texted “HO HO HO” to
everyone I have ever met. I never wanted to take that suit off. Because
here’s the thing about being Santa: Everyone pays attention to
you. The whole world wants to talk to Santa and hug Santa and tell
Santa their secrets (and only like two of them turn out to have a
creepy sexual thing about Santa!)! THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE.
Speaking of dreams and excitement and people paying attention to
other people, there’s some big local film news this week! Three
Northwest films have been accepted into Sundance 2009: The
Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle (recipient of NWFF’s
Start-to-Finish grant), World’s Greatest Dad (remember when
Robin Williams was filming here?), and Lynn Shelton’s
Humpday.
Humpday is about a pair of straight dudes (Mark Duplass and
Joshua Leonard) trying to make a movie together (like, together together) for HUMP!, this paper’s annual amateur-porn contest. “It’s
about a lot of things,” says Shelton, “but mostly it’s about the
limitations and occasional absurdity of straightness, specifically
male straightness. I mean, these two guys try to ‘outdude’ each other
by trying to ‘do’ each other, which is kind of ironic when you think
about it. Okay, it’s completely ironic. We’re billing it as ‘A
Bromantic Comedy.'” Congratulations to all! And HO HO HO! 
