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mondo culture-o
Still X After All These Years by Gillian G. Gaar 
JOHN AND EXENE of X visiting the Complete Control Radio studios. Had a fine old time finally seeing X, in their original lineup, at the Showbox, with the lovely Mark Pickerel (and His Praying Hands) opening. Mark was promoting his nifty new swingin' platter, Cody's Dream (Bloodshot Records). It has a decided alt-country vibe, but also tends toward the toe-tapping end of the genre. Nice bunch of folks working with him too, including a Young Fresh Fellow (Jim Sangster), a Posie (Mike Musburger), Steve Fisk (producer and instrumentalist) and Carrie Akre (vocals). Mark looked especially dapper in a nice suit, and Visqueen's own Rachel Flotard was a special guest vocalist, getting the evening off to a good start. When X first took the stage, and Exene stepped to the center mic, all I could think was  "It's Magenta!" The maid from The Rocky Horror Picture Show that is, clad in a dark dress with a white collar, and apron, and judging by the reviews I wasn't the only one who made that association. The band rocked, my friends, with such gusto the crowd dragged them back for two encores (a total of 26 songs!), with guitarist Billy Zoom happily mugging every step of the way. No denying they look older, but their spirits are clearly as fiery as ever. And Exene apparently likes Mark's record label so much, she's signed with them herself.
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Though it opened a few weeks ago, who could resist film with a title like Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden? Especially as the documentary sprang from the mind of Morgan Spurlock, the director who suffered for his art in Super Size Me (when he ate nothing but McDonald's food for a month). I didn't find Where In The World... quite as incisive. After an intro sequence about how the US gummint cozies up to dictatorial regimes when it's convenient, the rest is essentially a travelogue around the Middle East where Spurlock finds that most folks there are, hey!, just like us, wanting peace and the right to be left alone.
That's probably not such a big revelation to those who read this paper. But... I can sure think of a few people I'd like to see this movie that might find that notion surprising. Such as the ladies I worked with at a part-time job in Ballard stuffing envelopes a while back, women in their 60s and 70s who thought George W. was doing a fine old job, and Hillary C. was, well, the devil. Spurlock's a kinder, gentler Michael Moore, and thus his message might go down better. Education. It's a fine thing.
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And this film is about to close, so see it quick: Martin Scorsese's excellent doc of the Rolling Stones in concert, Shine A Light. It'll be at the IMAX Theater at the Pacific Science Center through the first week in May, and it's well worth seeing, even if you're not the biggest Stones fan (I'm on the Beatles side of the Beatles/Stones divide myself). First, Scorsese's an excellent filmmaker, one secure enough to not hesitate to challenge the Stones when needed, while the band themselves are still dedicated to putting on one heck of a show. And the sight of Ron Wood graciously greeting Hillary C.'s mother was quite the surreal moment. If you're interested, don't settle for the DVD; this really deserves to be seen in IMAX.
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And oh yes, SIFF is coming. The Seattle International Film Festival, that is. You may have read that the opening night film is Battle In Seattle, about that fractious time during the WTO in 1999; it'll be interesting to see how that history's rewritten. Opening night is May 22, and the event will be held at McCaw Hall; other venues sorta in the neighborhood include SIFF Cinema (which is beneath McCaw), The Uptown, Cinerama, and Pacific Place. And if you venture up to Capitol Hill you can partake in the festivities at NW Film Forum, Harvard Exit, and, of course, the world famous Egyptian Theater.
SIFF runs until June 15, so as the bulk of the fest takes place next month, I'm going to instead focus on some money saving tips for you. Admission to regular screenings is a hefty $11, but there are ways to ease the pain. Matinee/midnight screenings drop to $8. Don't overlook the "Films For Families" series, which can throw up some nifty fare for a mere $6. A "Cinematic 6-Pack" gives you six flicks for $57. And if you're a SIFF supporter, each of those prices is a few dollars less. SIFF memberships start at $55, and also allow you to buy SIFF tickets before they go on sale to the general public (May 8 vs. May 11). Lest you think I'm becoming a SIFF shill, let me point out that another membership benefit are the free monthly screenings of upcoming films. And considering that regular movie ticket prices are at $9-$10 today, it's definitely one of the better film bargains out there today. Check siff.net for more info.
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