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Zombies of Mass Destruction DVD release party Tuesday, Mar. 23rd

Scarecrow is home to a collection of over 100,000 films from around the world; some made in far away countries and some right here in our own backyard. Last year’s SIFF hit ZMD: ZOMBIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION is set in lovely Port Gamble where, amongst the humble town folk, a Middle Eastern student has come ...

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What’s New: Based on the list “March 9th New Releases” by Scarecrow

This week’s new releases include two big Oscar movies, Nazi vampires, a TV show from Hong Kong, a look at the actual Warner brothers, some 3D performance art and an entire shelf full of National Geographic specials. Here’s the list, and as always remember the * means we also have it on Blu-ray and to ...

Best Sellers 3/9/10

Here are Scarecrow’s best selling new discs for the past month.  All items available in our store and highlighted thingies can also be purchased through our website. 1.  Blood on the Flat Track 2.  Black Dynamite 3.  200 Motels 4.  Make Way For Tomorrow 5. Ponyo (BluRay) 6. Zombieland 7. Black Dynamite (BluRay) 8. Bad Biology 9. Ponyo 10. The September Issue 11. Bad Girls of ...

A NEW section in the USED sale area!

The pre-spring sun is casting a warmish glow on the new NEW ARRIVALS section in our Used Sale area.  Now you can see all our quality recent acquisitions in one convenient location. So if you’re out soaking up some Vitamin D while it lasts,  stop by the store to browse and get a first look ...

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• This weekend's film roundup begins with not one, but two film festivals. First up: the AJC SEATTLE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL begins Saturday night at SIFF Cinema with AJAMI, one of the nominees for Best Foreign Film at last Sunday's Oscars. The festival continues through the 21st with an eclectic mix of features and documentaries, including the coming-of-age dramedy  HEY, HEY IT'S ESTHER BLUEBURGER with Toni Collette & WHALE RIDER's Keisha Castle Hughes on Tuesday, March 16th and VOICES OF EL-SAYED, a documentary about Bedouin village in Israel that's also home to the largest community of deaf people in the world, on Wednesday the 17th. Check their website for the full schedule. Second: Start your St. Patrick's Day festivities a few days early with the IRISH REELS FILM FESTIVAL running from the 12th to the 14th at Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Center, and our U-District neighbors at the Henry Art Gallery. The fest kicks off Friday night at the Henry with the documentary SAVING OUR HERITAGE: THE IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY and a lecture by its subject, the Hon. Desmond Guinness. Visit their website for a complete list of films & locations. Elsewhere around town, Northwest Film Forum is screening 45365, a slice-of-life documentary by Bill and Ross Turner. With their portrait of their hometown of Sydney, Ohio, they "construct perhaps the world's first rural symphony" (that phrase alone makes me need to see it). Also this weekend at NWFF, there's LEONARD COHEN LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT, 1970, featuring his late night performance at the Isle of Wight Music Festival along with new interviews by onlookers Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Kris Kristofferson. You can get your Bond on down at Central Cinema with GOLDFINGER and the Lazenby-riffic ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. On Monday, March 15th, Central Cinema is hosting my idea for Best Award Show-Related Idea EVER:  THE 20/20 AWARDS. The event is an Oscar re-do for the 1990 Oscars (with DRIVING MISS DAISY  taking home the top honor), with a team of local cinema experts re-evaluating the nominees and voting on all new winners, honoring what, in hindsight, really should have won. Visit their site for all the new nominees.  If you're at all an Oscar nerd (like me) then you'll definitely want to be in attendance to see who win. Go team DO THE RIGHT THING! Lastly at the CC, they're showing LEPRECHAUN on St. Patrick's Day (Wednesday the 17th) at 10pm. Back in our neck of the woods, Grand Illusion Cinema is showing GOLD: BEFORE WOODSTOCK, BEYOND REALITY, a "A bizarre and beautiful journey into the mind and madness of the late 1960’s – one overflowing with fantasies of revolution, recreation and raunchy free love." In the Late Night viewing rotation is BLADE--not the one featuring Wesley Snipes as The Daywalker, but the 1973 gritty crime drama about karate-kicking homicide detective Tommy Blade (and keep your eyes peeled for a Golden Girl cameo!). Of course, you can also head into the store and catch up on all the new releases like PRECIOUS, UP IN THE AIR, PONYO, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, three versions of ALICE IN WONDERLAND and much more. Happy viewing, everyone. #
• Big Movie Award weekend kicks off this evening as Eddie Izzard hosts the 25th annual SPIRIT AWARDS starting at 8pm.  It looks like they're only going to be broadcast on the IFC Channel, but you can watch the preshow festivities  online on MySpace and follow the ceremony on Twitter.  We'll all be rooting loudly for hometown hero HUMPDAY and director Lynn Shelton, nominated for the John Cassavetes Award that honors the best feature made for under $500,000.  If you're looking to follow the Oscar action on Sunday, please review our list of  parties to attend and places to follow along online. The folks over on SLOG also posted yesterday that they'll be live slogging all the action starting at 4:30, so we encourage you to log on and join the always lively conversation.  If you couldn't give a hoot about awards shows, there's of course plenty of moviegoing to be done this weekend. In addition to the VENGEANCE TRILOGY screening this Sunday, NORTHWEST FILM FORUM kicks off  BYDESIGN, a mulitmedia series that "explores the intersection of graphic design and moving image, and celebrates multidisciplinary artists who push the boundaries to create new techniques, styles and forms." There's a free Opening Night party TONIGHT at 9pm featuring short films and live performances by Iller Aint, Scientific American and Wyndel Hunt.  You have another opportunity to experience the phenomenon that is THE ROOM over at CENTRAL CINEMA, plus an awesome GOONIES Quote-A-Long.  I personally would like to thank the folks at Central Cinema for offering a welcoming environment for me to yell "MARTIN SHEEN? THAT'S PRESIDENT KENNEDY YOU IDIOT!" without incurring the wrath of fellow moviegoers.  After successful screenings at both SIFF and the Lesbian & Gay Film Festival last year, Kimberly Reed's powerful & personal documentary PRODIGAL SONS returns  to town over at SIFF CINEMA, plus the cautionary environmental documentary DIRT! Down the street from us at GRAND ILLUSION CINEMA tonight is the G.I. JOE STOP MOTION FILM FESTIVAL, a collection of shorts all made starring the your favorite patriotic action figure, along with "A Hard Day's Night" director Richard Lester's ancient Rome farce A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (1966) starring Phil Silvers and Zero Mostel.  And making an encore appearance in the Late Night spot: GUMS.   Enjoy! #
• It's the last weekend before THE OSCARS! We have all the last minute catch-up viewing you can find on DVD, then  head to your nearest Landmark Theatre to see many of the nominated films, including the live-action & animated short films at The Varsity. Elsewhere on screens around town, SIFF Cinema is taking the weekend off to recover from their NOIR CITY series but returns in full force on Monday, March 1st with $5 COVER: SEATTLE.  "$5 Cover: Seattle is both a long-form rock musical and 12-part series, shot during August 2009 in the city’s clubs bars, crash pads, and streets, showcasing Seattle’s musical diversity. With all the musicians playing themselves in stories drawn from their actual lives, the show will emphasize the authentic intimacy of a living, breathing musical community, as a well as a sweet, deadpan sense of humor." The musicians in question range from Thee Satisfaction and Champagne Champange to Whiskey Tango and The Lights, plus Sean Nelson, The Moondoggies and our personal favorites, The Maldives.  This inside look into our thriving music scene was directed by local filmmaker extraordinaire Lynn Shelton.  Check out her films MY EFFORTLESS BRILLIANCE (starring the aforementioned Sean Nelson) and the SIFF & Sundance hit HUMPDAY on our shelves now.  Northwest Film Fourm is showing the British crime-noir RED RIDING TRILOGY, a fictional account of the Yorkshire Ripper's murderous spree across England in the 70s and 80s, based on the novels by David Pearce. For more we encourage you to read the twice aforementioned Sean Nelson's  review in The Stranger. NWFF also has the Seattle premiere of OLD PARTNER, a Korean documentary about an elderly couple and their trusty ox.  They call it "a charming, heartbreaking, existential buddy tale." Two 80s classics are playing down at Central Cinema--THE BLUES BROTHERS and REPO MAN.  On Thursday, March 4th, they're hosting the WAY GAY SING ALONG!, where you can unleash your inner diva and belt out classics from Cher, Wham!, Morrissey, Elton John and every other song you've enthusiastically danced and/or sang loudly to while in the car or shower.  In case you needed further incentive to attend, $2 from every ticket goes to support Three Dollar Bill Cinema. Grand Illusion Cinema has the riveting end of the world documentary WAITING FOR ARMAGEDDON: "America’s 50-million strong Evangelical community is convinced that the world’s future is foretold in Biblical prophecy – from the rapture to the battle of Armageddon. This astonishing documentary explores their world; in their homes, at conferences, and on a wide-ranging tour of Israel."  While in transit to the GI, have U2's "Until The End Of The World" and REM's  "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" available on your car stereo/portable music machine. In the Late Night spot, there's one of the best and most sensationally entertaining  JAWS rip offs ever: GUMS. It  also has one of the best character names in cinema history: Sheriff Rooster Coxswain.  Don't miss your chance to witness this absurdity while you can--it's not on DVD! Finally, the Olympics draw to a close this weekend, and if you're like me and are a bit sad you won't be able to turn on the TV and see ice skating any night of the week, visit the OLYMPIC SPORTS section up in our Sports area, where among other things you can get the 1994 highlights and relive the dramatic Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding debacle. Happy viewing to all. #
• Though the sun is shining outside, a dark and brooding fog has settled inside SIFF Cinema as the NOIR CITY: LUST AND LARCENY series begins. Tonight's opening double feature is Andre de Toth's PITFALL (1948) and a brand new 35mm print of LARCENY (1948) starring John Payne, Dan Duryea and Shelley Winters. Please read noted noir enthusiast (and former Scarecrow staffer) Sean Axmaker's excellent series overview in The Stranger. Over at Northwest Film Forum, there's HOME, a dark comedy about a family living happily isolated on a remote stretch of country road whose lives are thrown into a paranoid chaos when their street turns into a heavily trafficked thoroughfare. If you need any incentive to see this film, we offer two words: Isabelle Huppert.  Central Cinema has THE USUAL SUSPECTS (recommended as part of an ongoing birthday celebration for Pete Postlethwaite, who turned 64 on Tuesday),  the BEARD & 'STACHE MOVIE NIGHT on Sunday (read more about their philanthropic follicle follies here); and on Monday BADMOVIEART returns with THE BODYGUARD.  The four year search for the reincarnation of a Tibetan master is chronicled in UNMISTAKEN CHILD, playing this weekend down the street from us at Grand Illusion Cinema. Check out this review from its short run in town after playing at SIFF.  NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: RE-ANIMATED makes an encore appearance in the GI's Late Night spot as well.  If you're looking to make a more informed decision in the office Oscar pool, head to The Varsity for their screenings of the live action and animated short films nominated this year.  And if you're all caught up on this year's Academy Award nominated films, get a jump on next year's potential nominees with Martin Scorsese's SHUTTER ISLAND.  This is also the last weekend for you to head into the store and enter to win tickets to the TRAILER PARK BOYS live show at the Moore on Sunday, February 28th.  Look for the big entry box on our front counter (and check out their film TRAILER PARK BOYS: COUNTDOWN TO LIQUOR DAY while you're at it).  Whatever you choose to view when the spring sun sets, enjoy. #
• To begin our weekend film roundup, we'd like to thank everyone who came out for the Frank Henenlotter & Thelma Schoonmaker in-store appearances. We're honored to have two filmmakers from seemingly opposite ends of the movie spectrum in our store within a week of each other, but even more honored to have customers with wide ranging and eclectic tastes that come out to meet, greet and talk film with them. Our next in-store is a DVD release party for BLOOD ON THE FLAT TRACK: THE RISE OF THE RAT CITY ROLLERGIRLS. We'll have the directors & past & present skaters here to sign DVDs & chat on Tuesday, February 23rd at 7pm. Check the featured story above for details. If you missed Ms. Schoonmaker's presentation of THE RED SHOES  at SAM, the Northwest Film Forum is screening a new 35mm print (the one that debuted at Cannes) starting this Friday.  Central Cinema has a more modern song & dance movie; they're doing a sing & quote-along with Baz Luhrmann's MOULIN ROUGE, coupled with an elaborate dining menu for a full regal experience. If you're feeling a little lovelorn and a lot old school, you can also belt out the classics with the THE 80'S LOVE SONG SING ALONG (fingers crossed Lionel Ritchie's "Hello" is among them). Looking ahead to next week, they're showing Wim Wenders' WINGS OF DESIRE.  The KUROSAWA-SENSEI series continues this weekend at SIFF Cinema with THE HIDDEN FORTRESS (look for elements that may have influenced STAR WARS), HIGH AND LOW and SEVEN SAMURAI.  Down the street from us,  Grand Illusion Cinema is  getting into the proper holiday spirit with Federico Fellini's extravagant CASANOVA starring Donald Sutherland, and the classic comedy innuendo of  PILLOW TALK starring the dynamic duo of Rock Hudson and Doris Day (and as an extra bonus, Tony Randall).  If you're not in the mood for love, there's the Late Night screenings of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: RE-ANIMATED: "George Romero’s groundbreaking horror classic comes to startling new life in this mixed media re-envisioning by various artists, animators and filmmakers from around the globe." And of course it's Valentine's Day weekend, so head into the store for a movie or two to snuggle up and watch with your sweetie, or if you'd prefer a significantly less mushy Valentine's Day movie, check out our specially themed TWISTED LOVE rental section.  If you have Monday (aka Presidents' Day) off of work or school, head into Scarecrow and stock up on three day weekend viewing--it's always  a good time to plow through a season or two of a  TV show. Happy viewing to all. #