Results tagged “dennisjames”

Brian Miller over at the Weekly is covering the contretemps between organist Dennis James and the Seattle Theatre Group over who'll be helming the Mighty Wurlitzer during silent movie nights. STG has told James they won't need his services to fill out the rest of the current series; they're bringing in a San Francisco ringer named Jim Riggs to accompany 1927's Seventh Heaven on Monday, June 29.

Seattlest likes to put on a party-planner hat for you every once in a while (we blame it on unresolved "feelings" stirred up by Julie from the Love Boat). Tonight we've got a one-two punch all lined up, centered around a screening of the silent-era Zorro, with Douglas Fairbanks, at the Paramount (7 p.m., $12). The more we watch Fairbanks, the more certain we are that he invented parkour back in the 1920s. Watch this three-minute YouTube excerpt from Zorro to get in the mood. However, be warned that the tinny soundtrack you hear is in no way comparable to the magnificence of the Paramount's majestic Mighty Wurlitzer organ, helmed by Dennis James. The food and drink to complement this evening's imaginary expedition to Mexico are waiting at The Saint, which is conveniently a walkable distance from the Paramount—and depending on how enthusiastic you are about sampling the Saint's tequila cocktails, walking might be a legal requirement.

TALK ABOUT YOUR HEALTH: Founder of Bastyr University and chief science officer for Metagenetics, Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., thinks we should be focusing on "biochemical individuality derived from genetic and environmental differences." Seems practical enough. He'll be speaking on the matter tonight and, if you're interested in the ongoing debate about how to fix our healthcare system, you should check out his talk, entitled Healthcare Reform 2008: Creating a True Health Care System.

Trader Joe's Silent Movie Mondays wrap up tonight at the Paramount -- the redoubtable Dennis James on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ -- with a trifecta of Charlie Chaplin shorts from 1917: The Cure, The Immigrant, and The Adventurer. Tickets are $12. The show starts at 7pm, but if you get there early, you can hear Freehold Theatre's George Lewis talk about Chaplin's contribution to the field of physical comedy.

The triple play kicks off at 7pm tonight at the Paramount Theatre: Chaplin's One A.M., The Count,

SILENT MOVIES: It seems like only yesterday we were announcing Silent Movie Mondays' Harold Lloyd retrospective. But all good things must come to end, and frankly it's just in time because SIFF and STIFF are cranking up.

SILENT MOVIES: It's Week II of the Paramount's Harold Lloyd retrospective. Silent Movie Mondays brings you Dennis James on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ and ought to be on one of those things-to-do-before-you-die list because that's just the kind of experience it is. Of course, if you're into fast-paced comedies, it's just something-to-do-tonight and there's no reason to make a big fuss about it. Trader Joe's is the sponsor, by the way, and they're being generous with free snacks in the lobby.

FACT: On August 24, 1919, film star Harold Lloyd -- while posing for publicity shots in which he was lighting a cigarette from a lit bomb -- blew the thumb and forefinger off his right hand. "Somehow," accounts explain, "a real bomb had gotten mixed in with the props." In 1923, as if to underscore learning nothing from the experience, he released one of the most famous films of all time, Safety Last! (Which you won't see at this month's retrospective of the films of Harold Lloyd because they just showed it a while ago.)

HAROLD LLOYD: Tonight kicks off a month-long retrospective of the films of Harold Lloyd [learn more!], with Grandma's Boy and Dr. Jack.

Last night, the Paramount finished up its three-film silent German Expressionist festival with Asphalt, a 1929 movie by Joe May. With Dennis James helming the Mighty Wurlitzer, we headed back in time to Berlin.

One of the great things about the German Expressionist era is that the films are so much fun to watch -- they're some of the hardest working visuals in show business. But at the Paramount, you also get Dennis James on the Mighty (Liberace-Lookin') Wurlitzer, and for the first time at the Paramount, we enjoyed the sound up in the balcony. Whoever placed the organ's pipes knew what they were doing -- we felt like we had our "stereophonic" headphones on. And who knew a pipe organ could create such a snappy snare drum roll?

Way back in Seattlest's infancy (ah, February) we encouraged you to attend the silent movie series at The Paramount. We took our own advice on that one, and we have to say that the experience was incredible. We saw the world through black and white glasses for days afterwards until modern life yanked us from our 1919 fantasy.

The Paramount Theatre's Silent Movie Mondays during February are actually concerts in disguise. Yes, yes, silent movies are great. Seattlest laments the advent of the talkie on a daily basis. Yes, yes, seeing one of Hollywood's first stars, Gloria Swanson, on the big screen is a great opportunity that shouldn't be missed. But the real reason to be at the Paramount on Monday is that Dennis James will be providing live musical accompaniment.