The Grand Illusion

Anime Expo Cinema Nights (AXCN) presents a special concert film of the band BABYMETAL with their worldwide tour Legend - 43. In April 2023, SU-METAL (Vocal, Dance), MOAMETAL (Scream, Dance), and MOMOMETAL (Scream, Dance) entered a new stage as the newly born BABYMETAL. Since then, they have embarked on their largest world tour, "BABYMETAL WORLD TOUR 2023 - 2024," which took them to 25 countries, including Japan. The headline tour, excluding festivals and guest acts, drew a cumulative audience of more than 280,000 people for a total of 98 performances. The final chapter of the world tour, the first Okinawa performance "TOUR FINAL IN JAPAN LEGEND - 43", has been fully filmed. The film is BABYMETAL's first live film that allows viewers to experience all of the diverse music, unique worldview, and production that only a tour finale can offer, and the overwhelming performance of BABYMETAL, which has evolved even further during their world tour.

“With just over 80 minutes onstage, the band fly through each song with a sense of unstoppable energy and infectious joy that leaves no question as to how they’ve managed to take pride of place as one of the biggest success stories of 21st Century metal.” Rich Hobson, Metal Hammer

Calling all bims and brunos! Astral Projections visits from Portland, OR to open a 16mm Speakeasy right here at the Grand Illusion. Drawing from the legendary archive of Dennis Nyback, they'll whisk you back to a 1920s smoky cocktail lounge, where the waiters, entertainers, and even your food wear roller skates. Garrett Schroeder and Ioana Cherascu have cooked up a hotsy-totsy rumpus of shorts featuring animation, sing-alongs, and stories from nearly a century ago. You'll be wooed by crooners, wowed by jazz, and awed by death-defying daredevils! So hop in your steamer and come on down to a time of ecstasy and excess, of sorrow and blues. More fun than a zozzled rub in a breezer – it's the beginning of life as we know it.

Co-presented by The Sprocket Society.

This cinema’s 54th consecutive engagement on 35mm film! (But please know that a few showings may be digitally projected due to staffing). Please join us for what will be your last opportunity to see this holiday classic at our current location. And donate to our relocation fund so we can continue this Seattle tradition in a new location!

“It’s a great — really great — film, so densely well made that to watch any three minutes is to realize how paltry the vast majority of movies are by comparison.” Richard T. Jameson

“The epiphany of movie sentiment and a transcendent experience.” Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

**ADVANCE TICKETS RECOMMENDED**

Please note: As of this time, all screenings will be on 35mm except those listed below, which will be projected digitally and will still look fabulous! Digital showings are subject to change to 35mm depending on 35mm-trained projectionist availability.

• Saturday, December 7 – 4pm
• Sunday, December 15 – 7pm
• Saturday, December 21 – 3:30pm

Aging filmmaker Leonard Fife (Richard Gere), still fiery despite his battle with illness, wants to tell his life story, unfiltered, before it’s too late. As the director of acclaimed documentary exposés, he has much to be proud of, but his Vietnam War draft-dodging and his past relationships harbor thorny truths. Leonard sits for an extended interview with his former student Malcolm (Michael Imperioli), relating candid stories about his younger self (Jacob Elordi) in the tumultuous 1960s and beyond. At Leonard’s insistence, his wife and indispensable artistic partner, Emma (Uma Thurman), bears witness to it all. His successes are held up against his failings and, as the man is cleansed of the myth, Leonard must confront what is left.

Paul Schrader’s adaptation of Russell Banks’s novel sees him reunited with Gere more than 40 years after AMERICAN GIGOLO, and together they deliver a moving and deeply personal take on this story of an artist reflecting on a lifetime of storytelling. Named one of the ten best movies of the year by Richard Brody of The New Yorker.

“Schrader bravely forsakes the narrative fastidiousness of his recent work and takes on grand themes of memory, mortality, and artistic self-reckoning, to formally ragged but sincerely moving effect.” Justin Chang, The New Yorker

“There’s much to like here, particularly in Gere’s vulnerable performance and just how openly Schrader is expressing what feels like his own concerns about aging, regret, and reputation.” Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

“Gere gives his best performance in years, evoking Philip Baker Hall in the similarly confessional Secret Honor, at once defiant, uncertain and just the slightest bit frightened.” Hannah Strong, Little White Lies

Three rad and witchy 80s teen girls botch their anti-Christmas candle ritual in the woods, awakening a long-dormant bloodthirsty elf. The Elf kicks off his murderous rampage by stomping on over to the local mall to kill Santa. Coincidentally, our three ladies are having an after-hours sexy sleepover party that night… The bloodbath continues!

“Twas the night before Christmas, And all through the town, Blood-thirsty Elves are about to get down!” –Actual VHS Box Quote

NEVER RELEASED ON DVD! ONLY $3! ONLY ON VHS!