Featured Film:
The Assassin at the SIFF Egyptian
The best film of the year so far, and one of the very best of the decade, opens this week at the Egyptian. Hou Hsiao-hsien’s long-awaited return, eight years after The Flight of the Red Balloon, follows on the heels of the career-long retrospective that played Seattle Screens earlier this year. His first foray into the martial arts genre, The Assassin is based on a Tang Dynasty story about a young woman assigned to kill the man she had been betrothed to a decade earlier. As she returns home to his provincial court, she observes all manner of intrigue and deception as she contemplates what her course of action should be. Meditative and gorgeous, it’s a film that defies expectations of both the wuxia genre and Hou’s career, while at the same time remaining consistent to the spirit of both. Sean’s review attempts to situate the film within generic and auteurist contexts, while Melissa’s tries to capture the emotional experience of the deeply immersive narrative. We also discussed the film on all three of our podcasts from the Vancouver International Film Festival.
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Playing This Week:
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009) Fri-Tues
Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979) Fri-Tues
The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-hsien) Fri-Tues, Thurs Our Review, Our Other Review
Yakuza Apocalypse (Takashi Miike) Fri & Sat Midnight Our Review
Home Alone (Chris Columbus, 1990) Sun & Weds Only
A Brilliant Young Mind (Morgan Matthews) Fri-Thurs
Sundance Shorts (Various) Sat & Sun, Tues & Weds
Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932) Mon Only
Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (Kazuya Nomura) Tues & Weds Only
Of Men and War (Laurent Becue-Renard) Weds Only
The Last One (Laurent Becue-Renard) Thurs Only
Tab Hunter Confidential (Jeffrey Schwarz) Fri-Thurs
Polyester (John Waters, 1981) Fri, Sat & Thurs Only 35mm In Odorama
Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (Kazuya Nomura) Tues Only
Oklahoma! (Fred Zinnemann, 1955) Weds Only Our Review
Home Alone (Chris Columbus, 1990) Sun & Weds Only
Goodbye Mr. Loser (Yan Fei & Peng Damo) Fri-Thurs
Nasty Baby (Sebastián Silva) Fri-Thurs
Children of the Arctic (Nick Brandestini) Sat Only
Dreamcatcher (Kim Longinotto) Sun Only
Cinema Bomb Squad: Movies We Love to Hate Mon Only
Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life (Robert Levi, 2008) Weds Only
Ex Files 2: The Backup Tsrikes Back (Tian Yusheng) Fri-Thurs
The Nightingale (Philippe Muyl) Fri-Thurs
The Witness (Ahn Sang-hoon) Fri-Thurs
Home Alone (Chris Columbus, 1990) Sun & Weds Only
Heneral Luna (Jerrold Tarog) Fri-Thurs
Felix Manalo (Joel Lamangan) Fri-Thurs
Everyday I Love You (Mae Czarina Cruz) Fri-Thurs
Scarecrow Video Screening Room:
Heart of a Dog (Vladimir Bortko, 1988) Fri Only
The Golden Age of Seattle Public Access Sat Only Special Guests
The Great Beauty (Paolo Sorrentino) Sun Only
The Reckless Moment (Max Ophuls, 1949) Mon Only
Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1992) Tues Only
Head (Bob Rafelson, 1968) Weds Only
All That Jazz (Bob Fosse, 1979) Thurs Only
The Bigamist (Ida Lupino, 1953) Thurs Only 35mm
The Wonders (Alice Rohrwacher) Fri-Thurs
Barista (Rock Baijnauth) Fri Only
Fantasia (Various, 1940) Tues Only
Home Alone (Chris Columbus, 1990) Sun & Weds Only
Love in 3D (Gaspar Noé) Fri-Thurs
All Things Must Pass (Colin Hanks) Fri-Thurs
Home Alone (Chris Columbus, 1990) Sun & Weds Only
Victoria (Sebastian Schipper) Fri-Thurs Our Review
Fantasia (Various, 1940) Sun Only
Clueless (Amy Heckling, 1995) Mon Only Makeover Party
Trumbo (Jay Roach) Tues Only
The Cockettes (Bill Weber and David Weissman, 2002) Weds Only
My Mother (Nanni Moretti) Thurs Only
I Smile Back (Adam Salky) Fri-Thurs
Home Alone (Chris Columbus, 1990) Sun & Weds Only
In Wide Release:
Seattle Screen Scene 
