A Seattle moviegoing lifestyle magazine
In a fantastical animated world where bears speak, are rarely interested in attacking humans and live for their fellows’ happiness is where we find ourselves in The Bears’ Famous Invasion. A story within a story, it unfolds with the city of Sicily coming under invasion by a mass of bears because their leader has lost his son and believes him to be taken into the city unwillingly by humans.
Morgen is “headed” to the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF), virtually of course, and she couldn’t be more excited about adding a new festival to our growing roster here at The Sunbreak. It actually starts tomorrow 10/7 and runs through 10/17, so I highly recommend you check out their site and nab a virtual viewing ticket while the getting is good. Read on for more info and what’s to come at the festival!
Even though Local Sightings came to a close yesterday, I had to fit in one more set of shorts. There were just so very many to choose from I know I missed out on more than a few that deserved attention but following are the ones that really stood out in the bunch I was able to get to. If you’re able to seek them out, I highly recommend finding them and enjoying them as much as I did.
Morgen discusses two documentaries, Occupying the Megalopolis and Reflecting on Anti-biased Education, appearing at the Local Sightings festival currently being held by the NW Film Forum both virtually and in person.
There’s an enormous number of short films included in this year’s Local Sightings Festival, lucky me! I’ve probably said this many times before, but I seriously love shorts. I’d argue it takes quite a bit more planning, creative storytelling and ingenuity to make a quality short than a feature-length; especially one that stays with the viewer long after the 5, 10, or 20 minutes it shows on the screen. Below are a few of my favorites so far; I haven’t taken a precise approach to my viewing (like grouping them by type or genre) so it’ll seem a little more slap dash, but it also means I won’t limit my favorites to one per grouping… just the best of the best to share with you.
A pair of best friends decide to take their favorite child-star actress to a cabin in the woods to help her dry out. As you can imagine, the aging actress isn’t into it, and chaos ensues.
We’re dragged through the streets of London as Lara (Laura Jean Marsh) and Daniel (Jamal Franklin) are rushing to make it from one debaucherous romp to the next. An all too familiar scene for those of us barely tickling 21 in the early aughts and perhaps something we’d mostly like to forget. The story turns tragically dark and we’re left to deal with the fallout of a lifestyle that’s never meant to last.
Set to leave for Paris, Scott (Ben Platt, Politician and Pitch Perfect) can’t wait for the rest of his life to begin. A budding novelist stuck in his home town slinging drinks as a waiter, this literal ticket out of town is the catalyst he needs. Then he gets a call, his dad has died and the fall out isn’t just having to take care of the family estate. His sister Cindy (Lola Kirke, Gone Girl) has schizophrenia and Scott is the last relative that has any ability to care for her. Does he take the trip of a lifetime, live in Paris and work on his dream or stay back to make sure his sister is ok. This struggle throws his life into chaos in a way he was never prepared for.
Jamie New has never felt ordinary, and fitting in with the rest of the kids wasn’t a priority but it wasn’t easy to go to school every day feeling like an outsider. Dreaming of becoming a performer, a star, is a desire he’s always known and can’t seem to live without and he’s just waiting to get out of high school to burst onto the drag scene. Based on the very real story of a kid wanting to be more than he is but finding resistance at every turn, this is the third in a line of productions based on his life starting with a television show, evolving into a broadway play and (maybe) finishing with this movie. The story is so universal every iteration is a success, including the film, so why keep telling it? It’s uplifting, we all want to feel like we belong and we’ve found a place, a thing and avocation that calls to us… helps us to feel comfortable in our own skin. This one hits the spot.
Set with the gorgeous backdrop of Appalachia all around them, The Evening Hour is an indictment on how little opportunity and a lot of desperation can push a man to thing he never would have considered otherwise. Cole (Philip Ettinger, First Reformed) was born and raised in a small town destroyed by corporate greed and coal mining and living day to day the best he can. An orderly at the local senior home, he also makes ends meet by selling opiates around town. We’re immediately drawn to him for his good deeds around town: bringing groceries to elderly locals, giving cash to his grandmother, but he’s still part of a system that creates and keeps folks addicted.
