Comedy! Trivia! Movies! The perfect rainy Tuesday cure. more ›

Remember those “choose your own adventure” books? Remember how much you cheated when reading those? You looked ahead - don’t deny it. Well there’s no cheating with Joseph Scrimshaw’s interactive play Adventures in Mating. more ›

We know it's getting toward the end of the month, but your thinning wallet shouldn't be keeping you at home. Here are three fun events that are happening tonight--and all of them are under $10. more ›

While we were thrilled about the 4Culture news this morning, the local arts community remains in a state of mourning for the Washington State Motion Picture Competitiveness Program’s death on the House floor last night. This is like the death of a supportive, wealthy uncle who takes fledgling artists under his wing and gives them the funding and encouragement they need to thrive. Farewell, kind uncle. more ›

Another sold out night at the Showbox, a great all-ages lineup at Vera, plus NWFF's series of Lionel Rogosin films continues. more ›

News on NWFF's nonprofit liquor license, the leadership change-ups over at Seattle Shakes, the Glass Art Society annual conference, and Dave Matthews' new side project. more ›

FLEUR DE VIE: As a part of the Vincent Moon Retrospective, Northwest Film Forum presents - La Faute Des Fleurs. Vincent Moon, creator of La Blogotheque's Take-Away Shows (which if you haven't seen, take a break for now and knock yourself out) received an email from a fan that invited him to Japan to film folk musician Kazuki Tomokawa, aka "The Screaming Philosopher," a man who drinks, gambles, and otherwise attempts to bring life as he knows it to a screeching halt. The film, shot in Moon's general and generally beloved style, tells a story of passion, addiction, and artistic singularity. View a trailer here. This presentation is one night only, with two showings. more ›

The Life of the World to Come (directed by Rian Johnson of Brick and The Brothers Bloom) is a rough, rough document: it's a performance film of the simplest kind: Darnielle plays piano to an empty auditorium at Pomona College for 54 minutes. He's accompanied by a vocalist at times. The camera probes Darnielle's face across the piano. It gives him distance as he plays guitar. And all throughout, you can see rows and rows of empty seats behind him. It doesn't get any more personal than this more ›

45365 is the the filmic equivalent of an oil portrait of a perfectly average middle-aged woman, painted by a skilled, passionate artist. There's nothing distinctive about the subject, but it's rendered in such detail that it's hard not to find it beautiful. more ›

In other cult film news, Monty Python and The Holy Grail will be at Central Cinema tomorrow and Sunday night, and only the most Jonestownian devotees need apply for these very special, supremely dorky, "Quote-Along" performances. That’s right, folks--for once, you can jabber along with every eminently quotable line of this flick, and no one in earshot will beg you to please for the love of God shut up. You’re among friends. more ›

If you were looking to check out an archetypal Western, you couldn't hope to do better than this film, starring Wayne in one of his finest performances as the ornery but straight-shooting US Marshall, the embodiment of the cowboy every kid was pretending to be while playing cowboys and indians. He's joined by Glenn Campbell in an underrated performance as his by-the-book foil. more ›

In addition to a number of excellent films including the stunning documentary The Wall, there will also be a pair of film symposia, which we gather are kind of like film classes, but for very smart people. At the very least, it is a fun word to say. Symposia. more ›

NUCLEAR WASTELANDS: And they're in Washington! Tonight is your last chance to see lauded local doc Arid Lands, winner of the Best Film award at the 2008 Local Sightings Festival. The film explores the economic, environmental, and social impacts of, well, Hanford, the superfund site to end all superfund sites, replete with leaking nuclear waste containers, buried train cars full of radioactive animal poo, and countless other horrors of the nuclear era. more ›

CLEANUP IN REACTOR B: Oh Hanford. In the '40s, Southeast Washington's Columbia Basin was a burgeoning industrial center, thanks to plutonium production as part of the Manhattan Project. Spoiler alert: There are future repercussions. As the winner of Best Film at last year's Local Sightings Film Festival, Grant Aaker and Josh Wallaert's documentary Arid Lands explores the many facets of the nuclear cleanup and the myriad players--Native Americans, farmers, developers, activists, fishermen, and scientists--in the community. The film plays at the NWFF through Thursday. more ›

WAYZGOOSE!: We swear no geese are involved (or will be harmed) during Saturday's 8th Annual Letterpress Wayzgoose, a day to creatively honor the letterpress; expect demos, shop tours, and cool designs. Make sure not to miss the Steamroller Letterpress Smackdown! There is nothing cooler than blending the letterpress traditions of the 17th century with the 21st century techniques, design, and horsepower. You'll watch design teams create a poster and then try printing it with a two-ton steamroller, used in place of the traditional printing press. more ›

CHILEAN NIGHT FEVER: It's Santiago in 1978, and even in the suffocating midst of the oppressive Pinochet regime, all that Raul wants to do is dance. Despite being middle-aged, the main character of Pablo Larraín's second film fantasizes that he's John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever and performs his disco dance moves at the local bar. But soon Raul's fantasy becomes an obsession, especially after it's announced that there will be a Tony Manero impersonation contest throughout all of Chile. Tony Manero plays at the NWFF through Thursday. more ›

WHERE DOES CREATIVITY COME FROM?: For a city filled with a decent amount of creatives, advertising folks, and clients that always want the Big Idea, newest movie Art & Copy is a must see. The film, created by acclaimed documentary director Doug Pray (Hype!, Scratch, Big Rig), riffles through the minds of the ad industry's most creative and iconic product pushers. After tonight's 7:00 p.m. showing, select Seattle creatives and ad folks will host a discussion panel about the film. more ›

COOLEST PARTY IN TOWN: Tonight's the night when Cap to the Hill throws their $10K party in the parking lot of Havana. To back up and explain, Creature, a Capitol Hill ad agency, had a contest last month to find someone who could throw a really awesome, $10K party to produce material for a JanSport campaign. Cap to the Hill won, and now they're having a party celebrating the old Pine St. corridor, when the Bus Stop, Bimbo's, and the Cha Cha were all destinations. That said, the party's not open to the public, just to 400 or so of Cap to the Hill's closest friends, so you can either beg them, or turn up and hope someone's got a +1 for you. more ›

TIME WARP: Third Eye Cinema and the Northwest Film Forum present Time Machine, with Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat. The two will be traveling through the past, present, and future via spoken word, video performance, 35mm slides, and good old scratchy records. Discover Real-Time rendering, Quartz, and Max patches as Gruffat steers you through the strange world of digital and analog hyperspace. If your girlfriend or wife has been on you to go see The Time Traveler's Wife, this may be a good distraction...the book is always better anyway. more ›

We were at the Northwest Film Forum last night--Throw Down Your Heart, the Béla Fleck banjo-across-Africa documentary ends tomorrow night--and executive director Lyall Bush came out with a tip jar, asking for $35,000. That sounds like a lot, but just a little while ago it was $70,000. So they are halfway, but August 15th is almost here. If you haven't given yet (suggested donation is actually $10, if you don't have the whole $35,000), think about donating or getting a membership. more ›

MY LIFE IS A MUSICAL: Regular karaoke not enough of a challenge for you? Head to the Rendezvous tonight for Cineoke, in which you sing along to your favorite scenes from musicals. Warm up with some Chicago, belt out The Sound of Music, and soon you'll be Singing in the Rain. Don't forget the jazz hands. 7-9:30 p.m. // Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater // 2322 2nd Ave // $5, 21+ more ›

GUN HAPPY: Why the hell was everything so fucked up back in 1969? We ask that question every time we check out one of the films from NW Film Forum's '69 series. Tonight is your second and final chance to see the notorious Dillinger is Dead, from Italian auteur Marco Ferreri, about a man who finds a gun that allows him to act out his fantasies and escape and the soul-crushing construct of middle-class society. more ›

PIZZA, COMEDY, AND KIDDOS: This month's Pagliacci comedy night is headlined by Derek Sheen, known for his heavy metal, pop culture, sci-fi, and comic book humor. Hellooooo, nerds! While usual host PRoK's Emmett Montgomery is enjoying his honeymoon, Paul Merrill takes over MC duties, and joining Paul on stage are his two sons Charlie (3) and James (9). Because nothing says comedy like some dude's kids. 8 p.m. // Broadway Pagliacci Pizza // 426 Broadway Ave E // free more ›

THE ONE THAT MAKES YA FEEL ALRIGHT: We don't need to notify you that today is Crue Fest 2. Undoubtedly you are already on your way to White River, wearing your finest American flag halter top and blasting "Girls, Girls, Girls." We know you are very excited for Motley Crue (set to play Dr. Feelgood in its entirety), along with Godsmack, Drowning Pool, Theory of a Deadman, and Charm City Devils, especially if they all collaborate on a live performance of the Crue's new single "White Trash Circus." Yes, it is a rawk dream come true, and yes, the only thing better than tonight's show is the upcoming Poison and Def Leppard doubleheader. 5 p.m. // White River Amphitheatre // 40601 Auburn Enumclaw Rd SE, Auburn WA // $16.50-$95 more ›

WALKING ON THE MOON: The Northwest Film Forum keeps on 69ing with their screenings this week of Downhill Racer and Camille 2000. As a lovely coincidence, 1969 was also the year that Neil Armstrong did his giant leap for mankind. As such, the NWFF is well within their purview to show footage of the moon landing tonight as part of their 69 film series. A screening of the original television broadcast starts at 7 p.m., followed by a montage of major NASA events leading up to and including the landing, stitched together love by local filmmaker and sound artist Joe Milutis. 7 p.m. // Northwest Film Forum // 1515 12th Ave. // $9 more ›

Design geeks, jot a note on your Helvetica fonted calendar: If you didn't make the weeklong run of Objectified at the Northwest Film Forum--its last showing is at 7 p.m. tonight--you'll have another chance come August. The NWFF just announced that Gary Hustwit's documentary on how everyday items around us came to be will return for one more weekend in August. There'll be two showings a night the 14th-16th. more ›

DESIGN GEEK HEAVEN: Early on in Gary Hustwit's documentary about design, Andrew Blauvelt reveals why Japanese-style toothpicks have those two grooves at the top. And no, it's not because they look pretty. With that, the film snagged our trivia-loving heart. Hustwit presses on to explore the psychology, philosophy, sociology, history, and several other -ys of design. It's never less than fascinating. If you ever think about the mass-produced stuff around you, don't miss Objectified. 7 p.m. & 9 p.m. // Northwest Film Forum // 1515 12th Ave. // $9 more ›

GET STIMULATED: All this week, through Saturday July 18th, it's the second annual Seattle City Stimulus, which encourages residents to spend money at small local businesses. Fill out the form to get your membership card, which affords you discounts at all kinds of establishments. Eat, drink, and shop your way around town--IT'S FOR THE ECONOMY! All week long // Participating businesses // prices vary more ›

• For the fans who missed out on the Michael Jackson memorial, tonight at 8:00, a music video medley and tribute will be shown celebrating the King of Pop at the Northwest Film Forum. Online tickets are sold out, but there should be still a few available at the door.
• Photos have surfaced from the Fisher Building fire and power outage that knocked out KOMO, Bing Travel, and even Allrecipes.com right before the big holiday weekend. We can only imagine the panicked and pissed off home cooks without their Fourth of July recipes.

(via PubliCola) We were just reminded that French New Waver J-L Godard's tribute to The Big Sleep and sociocultural criticism, Made in the U.S.A., is half-price ($4.50) at the Northwest Film Forum tonight (7, 9 p.m.). Hard to say no to that, especially since you won't see it anywhere but in a theater. The New York Times--you wouldn't argue with an old gray lady, would you?--says, "Godard’s ultimate statement about his love/hate for the aesthetics/politics of American movies/life is an event to be savored and celebrated." (Mondays--if you were as unaware as we were until just minutes ago--are Happy Mondays at NWFF, and you can get tickets at the box office for half-price.) more ›