Things of a theatrical nature for the November 19th weekend

It's the last weekend before Thanksgiving! If you're looking for cinematic refuge from the grocery store crowds and snow panic, here's some of what's in theaters: Northwest Film Forum has COLONY, a documentary about a family who runs an apiary in California and how they are affected by the still unexplained vanishing bee epidemic. Over the weekend they also have CINE-CONSTELLATION: THREE FILMS BY AMIE SIEGEL. The filmmaker, author and video installation artist will be in attendance to present three of her films: Empathy, The Sleepers and DDR/DDR. There will be a NWFF members only reception with Ms. Siegel at 7pm on Saturday as well (Not already a member? Become one here). And because it's ok to rock out sometimes, Sunday at 8pm they'll be showing REGINA SPEKTOR: LIVE IN LONDON. Over at Central Cinema, there's SAY ANYTHING..., the film where we first fell in love with both John Cusack and Lili Taylor. If for some reason you've never seen it, give yourself an early holiday present and go. Then on Wednesday, aka Thanksgiving Eve, they'll showing Jodie Foster's HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, the excellent dysfunctional family film starring Holly Hunter, Robert Downey, Jr., Charles Durning and the wonderful Anne Bancroft. The NEW ITALIAN CINEMA FESTIVAL ends this weekend at SIFF Cinema with such movies as road movie family drama 18 YEARS LATER and the clever Closing Night comedy HAPPY FAMILY. Visit the SIFF website for the full roster of what's playing the fest's home stretch. A film series begins down the street from us at Grand Illusion Cinema with ROAD TO LAUGHS: 3 BOB HOPE/BING CROSBY ROAD MOVIES. First up is 1942's desert hijinx adventure ROAD TO MOROCCO, with ROAD TO ZANZIBAR and ROAD TO UTOPIA in the next few weeks. The obscure 1975 Blaxploitation film SUPER SPOOK is in the Late Night spot. We were sad to learn this morning that there will soon be one less theater in town--Queen Anne's UPTOWN will be closing after 84 years. As someone who can see the marquee from my apartment building and has enjoyed many a film on its screens, I'm extremely sad to see it go. I don't want to end on a down note, so we'll end with a shout out to all those who saw HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART I at midnight. If you were among those who waited in the cold last night, we hope it was worth the while and ask you not talk loudly about it at work and spoil things for those of us who haven't yet had the pleasure. Happy viewing to all and best wishes for a safe & happy Thanksgiving!