MUSIC: Criminally underrated British singer-songwriter Jim Noir delivers his psych-pop twice tonight: first an acoustic set at Sonic Boom in Ballard, and then rocking out at the Croc as part of the Sub Pop/Barsuk Winter Celebration and Holiday Party Extravaganza. more ›

Our first film-going experience at Sundance got off to an inauspicious start. There we were, fresh off our flight, catching a film in Salt Lake before heading to the festival proper in Park City. We stood around in the wait list line for the requisite two-plus hours to guarantee we got a seat (once the actual ticket holders got theirs, of course). At long last, we entered the theater and took our seats. The lights went down, the credits rolled, this was it! And then---the film's sound went out. And it stayed out. For a half hour. During that time, the film kept running, sans dialogue, while the Sundance staff struggled to figure out what was wrong and the audience grew unruly. Trust us, you do not want to be in a crowd of pissed off Mormons. There were shouts of "this is bullshit!", "turn on the lights!", "turn off the lights!", and the ever-popular "start the movie over!" When we were close to ditching out (as many had), the sound came back, the film was rewound, the audience cheered, and our Sundance experience could begin. This time for reals. more ›

The Northwest Film Forum's been showing The Girl from Monday for a week now, but for tomorrow night's screening at 8pm, director Hal Hartley will be in attendance to introduce his latest work and hold a post-film Q&A. Since Hartley's veritable indie film royalty, this is a big geeky deal. The Girl from Monday has been dubbed a "fake sci-fi movie," but it's also a dark dystopian satire, a vision of the future where humans are traded like stocks, their value determined by sexual experiences. Sounds like a hoot. The film's showing sans Hartley through May 4th daily at 7pm and 9pm. more ›

Think that today's media is nothing but a corporate lapdog? Miss the days of pre-Rathergate investigative reporting? Want to see a slice of Seattle in the pre-WiFi coffee shops days? If so, take a look at the entertaining thriller The Night Strangler, finally available on DVD. The plot involves curmudgeonly reporter Carl Kolchak, played amazingly by Darren McGavin, who moves to the Emerald City just-in-time to solve a series of bizarre murders. In the movie, you can see great glimpses of Pioneer Square, pre-Sleepless in Seattle houseboats, belly-dancing bars, and the original underground Seattle tour. Be warned that the movie is a little unrealistic, since the main character wears a blue seersucker suit, which we all know is hard to keep clean in a rainy climate. more ›