On Ferry to Seattle (2006-04-30)

In Jarrell Cove State Park (2006-04-30)

Along Pickering Passage (2006-04-29)

At Beach House (2006-04-28)

At SIFF Member Box Office (2006-05-13)

We exchanged our Early Bird vouchers (a Special Holiday Gift Pack, a Film Buff 20-Pack, two Secret Festival Memberships, and a Gala Pass) and some additional money for 13 vouchers and the following screenings:

• --05-25 19:00 The Illusionist Opening Night Gala
• --05-26 16:30 Wah-Wah
• --05-26 19:00 Boy Culture Gay-la Extravaganza
• --05-27 23:55 The District! [added 2005-06-25]
  
• --05-27 18:30 A Prairie Home Companion Gala Presentation
• --05-28 11:00 Secret Festival #1
• --05-28 18:30 Wordplay
• --05-28 21:15 A Summer Day
  
• --06-02 21:30 3 Needles
• --06-03 18:30 Factotum Gala Presentation
• --06-03 23:55 Destricted [noted 2006-06-24]
• --06-04 11:00 Secret Festival #2
• --06-08 21:30 Shinobi [noted 2006-06-24]
• --06-06 21:15 Gay Discovery
• --06-09 18:45 The Iceberg
  
• --06-09 23:55 Another Gay Movie
• --06-10 18:30 Perhaps Love Gala Presentation.
• --06-11 11:00 Secret Festival #3
• --06-11 13:30 The Man Who Cheated Himself [noted 2006-06-24]
• --06-13 21:30 We Go Way Back [added 2005-06-25]
• --06-15 20:00 Face the Music Rock Party
• --06-16 16:00 Expiration Date
• --06-16 21:00 C.R.A.Z.Y.
• --06-17 19:00 Strangers with Candy Gala Presentation
• --06-17 23:55 Sneak Midnight Movie [noted 2006-06-24]
• --06-18 11:00 Secret Festival #4
• --06-18 18:30 The Science of Sleep Closing Night Gala

What else shall I see? Ryan suggested the following films (roughly in order of decreasing preference):

• Queens, a Spanish film with advertisements in TÊTU
• Monster House, animated fun
• Russian Dolls, the sequel to L'Auberge Espagnol, which I liked
• The District!, wicked Hungarian animation
• 20 Centimeters, a Spanish musical also with advertisements in TÊTU
• Backstage, a French film, since we're going to France
  
• Linda, Linda, Linda, a Japanese film
• Whole New Thing
• Kirikou and the Wild Beast, French animation
• Combat, a French film
• The Line of Beauty
• In Bed, a Spanish film
• The Birthday, a French film
  

There isn't time for all of these, of course. Separately, I considered the following films (roughly in order of decreasing preference):

• This Film is not yet Rated
• Time to Leave
• Broken Sky
• 7 Virgins
• Beyond Hatred
• Case of the Grinning Cat
• Itineraires
• Rites of Passage
• Tough Enough
• Urban Scarecrow
• Wild Tigers I Have Known
• A Conversation With Mark Mothersbaugh
• Destricted
• El Cine Gigante
• Evil Aliens
• Low Profile
• The Betrayal
• The First People on the Moon
• Two Drifters
• We Go Way Back
• Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talking About Him?)

How shall we use the remaining 13 vouchers? Please post a comment with the films you're considering!

Buying Air Canada Tickets (2006-05-05)

Ryan and I bought September 27 and December 4 tickets to and from Paris at STA Travel. We arranged to stay October and November with a Paris host family through France Accommodations & Culture. During these months Ryan will study in the University of Washington Department of Comparative Literature Fall Quarter in Paris and I'll work remotely. We hope to travel Europe on long weekends. We think it is a great opportunity, and we're excited!

At SIFF Annual Members Preview (2006-05-11)

The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) Annual Members Preview was last night at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI). We saw previews for 10 of this year's 418 films (from 62 countries), and heard about dozens more from SIFF staff. The following films looked or sounded interesting [links added 2006-05-29]:

• Sketches of Frank Gehry
• The Heart of the Game
• Expiration Date
• Wah-Wah
• The King (with Gael García Bernal)
• The Power of Nightmares
• Gitmo: The New Rules of War
• Beyond Hatred (French)

In addition, I'm eager for the following special events and galas:

• Opening Night Gala featuring The Illusionist
• Saturday Galas: Prarie Home Companion, Factotum, Perhaps Love, Strangers with Candy
• Gay-la featuring Boy Culture
• Closing Night Gala featuring Science of Sleep

For those that have had time to decide on films, the box offices open their doors to members today.

Watching Abre Los Ojos (2005-08-19)

After meeting (and calling) friends for the U District's own Art Walk, the conversation turned to travel at Twice Sold Tales and continued at Schultzy's. Deciding that a subtitled movie was the natural next event, we went to Scarecrow Video for the title that came to mind: Abre los ojos/Open Your Eyes. The Vanilla Sky remake was quite close to the original, though I think Eduardo Noriega was more convincing as César than Tom Cruise as David Aames.

Ryan recognized Fele Martínez, playing Pelayo (the Brian Shelby role played by Jason Lee in Vanilla Sky) as Enrique Goded in La mala educación/Bad Education. La mala educación might be enjoyable for those that like director Pedro Almodóvar--e.g., Todo sobre mi madre/All About My Mother--or actor Gael García Bernal--e.g., Y tu mamá también/And Your Mother Too, El crimen del padre Amaro/The Crime of Father Amaro, Dot the I.

Winning a Bronze Duck (2005-08-09)

This week Allan's boat Great Expectations won third place in Duck Dodge! Our crew sailed well, despite the spinnaker halyard detaching, requiring Ratna to retrieve it.

[Updated 2007-07-18, changing title from "Black" to "Bronze".]

Watching Vanilla Sky (2005-08-13)

We took a weekend at the Vashon Island Hostel with friends to camp, swim, walk on the beach--and watch a movie. I've never completely understood the popularity of Tom Cruise, though I find his movies entertaining. The Outsiders was a decent novel adaptation, Top Gun had action, Rain Man was award-winning, Far and Away was romantic, A Few Good Men was humorously quotable ("My client's a moron, that's not against the law."), The Firm had action, Mission: Impossible had gadgets, and Minority Report is one of a series of adaptations of Philip K. Dick short stories (of which my favorite is Blade Runner based upon Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). Only Magnolia and Jerry Maguire stand out in my memory, though not because of Tom Cruise: Magnolia I recall because of the poignant, quirky story line and great Aimee Mann music, and Jerry Maguire I remember because afterwards my then-wife asked, "Why can't you be more like him?"

I was pleasantly surprised by the Vanilla Sky story line. Consequently I plan to accept the two recommendation I received today for the Spanish original, Abre los ojos, also starring Penélope Cruz (and her breasts). Minor spoiler: I like movies in which it is difficult to distinguish appearance and reality.