Special Events and Series
We’re Moving!
We recently learned that our lease will not be renewed when it expires in February 2025. Our plan has always been to relocate the cinema. Help us build an even grander Grand Illusion!
All Monsters Attack! 2024
Our annual horror series. Vampires! Demons! Puppets! Cannibals! Slashers! Zombies! And so much more!
Now Playing
Coming Soon
The Sprocket Society’s Secret Vault of Terror
- Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024, 7:00pm
A secret triple bill of twisted pre-Code horror classics plus period shorts — all on 16mm and in less than four hours!
From the infernal depths of their secret film vault, The Sprocket Society has exhumed three of the most infamous horror movies of their time. Journey into a depraved nightmare of brutality, murder and perversion, early 1930s Hollywood style.
These short and sick tales of transgression were once censored in Seattle and, even after 90 years, still shock today. Witness the unspeakable cruelty of dangerous lunatics! A slum-dwelling mad scientist! An incestuous necrophiliac Satanist! A sadistic power-crazed genius and his sex-crazed offspring! Spooky shorts and cartoons from the same era will precede each feature.
You will be scarred forever, for there is no escape from…the Secret Vault of Terror!
Part of our annual horror series All Monsters Attack!
“A truly horrible and nauseating bit of extreme sadism.” Variety
“One of the most shocking instances of violence in early sound cinema.” Stephen Prince, Classical Film Violence
“Unbridled, salacious, subversive, and just plain bizarre.” Thomas Doherty, Pre-Code Hollywood
In the Summers
- Friday, Nov 1, 2024, 7:00pm
- Saturday, Nov 2, 2024, 6:00pm
- Sunday, Nov 3, 2024, 3:30pm
- Monday, Nov 4, 2024, 7:15pm
- Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024, 7:15pm
Winner of the US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2024, IN THE SUMMERS is both an emotional capsule of growing up within a fragmented family and a love letter to the resilience needed to survive.
Siblings Violeta and Eva live in California with their mother, but every summer they travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to spend time with their loving but unpredictable father, Vicente (Puerto Rican rapper, singer/songwriter René “Residente” Pérez Joglar in an unforgettable debut acting performance). Over the course of four formative summers that span adolescence to early adulthood, Violeta and Eva learn to appreciate their father as a person, his flaws and limitations inseparable from his passion and tenderness. Lovers come and go, the backyard goes to seed, but the idea of home remains knotty and elusive. This powerful and deeply personal directorial debut from Alessandra Lacorazza offers a nuanced study of young people questioning their place within their families, their communities, and their identities.
“An exquisite film.” Tim Cogshell, FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
“[Director Lacorazza] has a finely tuned radar for emotional nuance, and In the Summers is an honest film about forgiveness, growth and acceptance of one’s limitations.” Adam Graham, Detroit News
Film Safari Ghana: The Chronicles of Ninja (with director Andrew Leavold)
- Friday, Nov 1, 2024, 9:15pm
Join gonzo Aussie filmmaker Andrew Leavold (THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG) on his wildest adventure yet. FILM SAFARI GHANA explores Leavold’s obsession with the work of Ghanaian action movie sensation, Samuel “Ninja” Nkansah. Journeying to Kumasi to meet his hero, Andrew soon finds himself in the starring role of Ninja's slavery-themed action movie, WHITE DEVIL.
FILM SAFARI GHANA mixes film clips, interviews, and cinema-verite footage to create a vivid, vibrant and violent postcard from one of cinema’s final frontiers. It chronicles the history of Ninja and Ghana’s crazed DIY digital film scene, and the birth of a partnership between two of the world’s most outlandish and unconventional directors as they hatch a plan to reteam in Ghana to shoot Leavold’s dream project, a four-foot kung-fu remake of THE HARDER THEY COME.
Director Andrew Leavold will be in attendance for an intro and Q&A.
Food and Country
- Saturday, Nov 2, 2024, 12:30pm
Ruth Reichl—trailblazing New York Times food critic, groundbreaking Gourmet Magazine editor, best-selling memoirist, and, for decades, one of the most influential figures shaping American food culture—grows concerned about the fate of small farmers, ranchers, and chefs as they wrestle with both immediate and systemic challenges as the pandemic takes hold.
In FOOD AND COUNTRY, Reichl reaches across political and social divides to discover innovators who are risking it all to survive on the front lines. As one person leads her to the next, she follows the unfolding stories of ranchers in Kansas and Georgia; farmers in Nebraska, Ohio, and the Bronx; a New England fisherman; and maverick chefs on both coasts. As she witnesses them navigate intractable circumstances, Reichl shares pieces of her own life, and, in doing so, begins to take stock of the path she has traveled and the ideals she left behind. Through her eyes, we get to know the humanity and struggle behind the food we eat. As Reichl says: “How we grow and make our food shows us our values– as a nation and as human beings.”
“An accessible look at the perilous future of food.” Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter
“The only people who need to see this movie are people who eat.” Ty Burr, Ty Burr’s Watch List
The Birthday
- Saturday, Nov 2, 2024, 3:15pm
- Sunday, Nov 3, 2024, 8:00pm
- Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024, 7:00pm
- Thursday, Nov 7, 2024, 7:00pm
Not everything is as it seems at the old Royal Fulton Hotel. Norman Forrester, played brilliantly in a career-defining performance by the iconic Corey Feldman, is finally going to meet his girlfriend’s family at her father’s lavish birthday party. But what was supposed to be an important step forward in their relationship doesn’t exactly go as planned; he’s not on the guest list, his girlfriend is ignoring him, and her father doesn’t like him at all. Rejected and heartbroken, Norman wanders away from the party, only to find something far more sinister than his girlfriend’s family lurking deep within the churning bowels of the ailing hotel: an ancient evil that threatens to bring about the end of the world.
Hailed a “cinematic marvel” by Jordan Peele, THE BIRTHDAY is the mischievously thrilling, darkly hilarious, and cult-celebrated first feature from visionary filmmaker Eugenio Mira, nearly lost after its world premiere at the 2004 Sitges International Film Festival and never viewed in theaters after its initial festival circuit tour… until now!
“A rare gift for lovers of unconventional cinema, The Birthday is a film that lingers in the mind long after viewing, inviting—perhaps even demanding—repeated viewings to unravel its many layers.” Stephanie Malone, Morbidly Beautiful
I’m from Hollywood (with director Lynne Margulies)
- Saturday, Nov 2, 2024, 8:30pm
I'M FROM HOLLYWOOD is the unbelievable true story of comedy legend Andy Kaufman's career in professional wrestling. A lifelong fan of the sport, Kaufman spent most of 1982 feuding with Memphis legend Jerry "The King" Lawler. The film features hard-to-find footage of Kaufman in the ring, as well as interviews from his "Taxi" co-stars, Memphis announcer Lance Russell, and friend Robin Williams. A truly stranger-than-fiction story that needs to be seen to be believed.
This rare screening will feature a Q&A with the film’s director and Andy Kaufman’s partner, Lynne Margulies Osgood! The evening will be hosted by Jon Langmead, author of the new book Ballyhoo!: The Roughhousers, Con Artists, and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling.
Be sure to arrive early as, before the feature, we will be showing recently restored Super 8 footage shot in the PNW during the late ‘70s showcasing many of the legends from Don Owen’s Portland Wrestling. This recently discovered footage features Northwest wrestling luminaries such as Roddy Piper, “Playboy” Buddy Rose, Dutch Savage, Jimmy Snuka and countless others set to a synthesized soundtrack composed by Greg Meleney.
Limited copies of this footage will be available for purchase on VHS. Copies of Jon Langmead’s book will also be for sale.
Frybread Face and Me
- Sunday, Nov 3, 2024, 6:00pm
Free screening in honor of Native American Heritage Month!
Winner of the best narrative feature at the 2023 Urbanworld Film Festival, FRYBREAD FACE AND ME follows two adolescent Navajo cousins from different worlds as they bond during a summer on their grandmother’s Arizona ranch, learning more about their family’s past and about themselves. Produced by Chad Burris and executive produced by Taika Waititi, the film stars Kier Tallman, Charley Hogan, Martin Sensmeier, Kahara Hodges and Sarah Natani. Written and directed by Native American filmmaker Billy Luther of the Navajo, Hopi and Laguna Pueblo tribes, whose other credits include the award-winning documentary MISS NAVAJO and the AMC series DARK WINDS. In English and Navajo with English subtitles.
Screenings are co-presented with Mother Nation and we ask that you support them with a donation this month. You can donate directly to them at their website or in-person at these screenings.
Free ticket reservations will begin one week prior to the film’s showtime.
Funding for this screening provided by 4Culture’s Sustained Support grant.
“Writer/director Billy Luther’s warm, tender, and funny debut Frybread Face and Me, which was executive produced by Taika Waititi, explores the humor and joy in finding your footing with family and the strength that comes from embracing your heritage.” Marya E. Gates, RogerEbert.com
SECS Fest 2024
- Friday, Nov 8, 2024, 7:00pm
- Friday, Nov 8, 2024, 9:00pm
- Saturday, Nov 9, 2024, 3:00pm
- Saturday, Nov 9, 2024, 5:00pm
- Saturday, Nov 9, 2024, 7:30pm
- Sunday, Nov 10, 2024, 4:30pm
- Sunday, Nov 10, 2024, 7:00pm
SECS Fest is a sex-positive international film festival presented by the Seattle Erotica Cinema Society (SECS), celebrating the artistry of erotic cinema while inspiring diverse communities to engage in adult conversations about sex.
This year’s festival lineup is as follows:
CAFÉ FLESH (new 4K restoration) – Nov. 8 at 7pm
DARK FANTASY (short films) – Nov. 8 at 9pm
OLD-SCHOOL/NEW-SCHOOL (short films) – Nov. 9 at 3pm
POST-PORN (short films) – Nov. 9 at 5pm
ROOMMATES (new 2K restoration) – Nov. 9 at 7:30pm
SEX 101 (short films) – Nov. 10 at 4:30pm
HIDDEN FLORA – Nov. 10 at 7pm
Series Passes are also available!
Missing from Fire Trail Road
- Monday, Nov 11, 2024, 7:00pm
Free screening in honor of Native American Heritage Month!
Mary Ellen Johnson-Davis disappeared over two years ago from the Tulalip Indian reservation. Because the investigation is at a standstill, her sisters and other tribal members set off to discover what happened to her. Their quest uncovers a harsh reality: indigenous women are murdered at an alarming rate. Most crimes go unsolved and are committed by non-natives in 2020. Her story exposes how hundreds of indigenous women continue to go missing in the USA, perpetuating trans-generational trauma on Indian reservations. From the filmmaker of THE STATE OF TEXAS VS MELISSA Sabrina Van Tassel. Executive produced by Deborah Parker, activist and the ex-Vice Chairwoman of the Tulalip Tribes.
“Though viewers may walk away infuriated and angered by the continued cycle of destruction and injustice towards indigenous women, Missing From Fire Trail Road does a great job of explaining the problem. It also shows there will be no lasting solutions until laws and the people in control who perpetuate ongoing colonialism and all the trauma it brings, change. Through it all, however, every woman featured in the film is a force that will inspire, and might even move every member of the film’s audience to take action.” Leslie Combemale, Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Screenings are co-presented with Mother Nation and we ask that you support them with a donation this month. You can donate directly to them at their website or in-person at these screenings.
FYI, free ticket reservations will begin one week prior to the film’s showtime.
Funding for this screening provided by 4Culture’s Sustained Support grant.
Hundreds of Beavers
- Saturday, May 4, 2024, 8:00pm
- Saturday, Jun 1, 2024, 8:30pm
- Saturday, Jul 13, 2024, 8:30pm
- Saturday, Aug 10, 2024, 8:30pm
- Saturday, Sep 7, 2024, 6:15pm
- Sunday, Oct 20, 2024, 8:00pm
- Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024, 7:15pm
- Thursday, Dec 5, 2024, 7:15pm
HAPPY GNAWLIDAYS! - 7th and 8th encore screenings added!
In this 19th century, supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America’s greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers.
Created by Mike Cheslik and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, the duo behind the modern cult hit LAKE MICHIGAN MONSTER (2018).
“Starts strange, gets stranger, and yet remains resolutely adorable… embraces the defiant glee of art cinema and distills it into something so thoroughly pure and sincere that it is surely hard not to fall in love with it.” Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Alliance of Women Film Journalists
“It’s sure to develop a significant cult following with its unique mix of silent-era slapstick, animation elements, theme-park-style critter costumes, and general air of inspired absurdity.” Dennis Harvey, Variety
“Steroidally swollen with gags and smarts.” Guy Maddin
La Cocina
- Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024, 7:00pm
- Thursday, Nov 14, 2024, 7:00pm
- Friday, Nov 15, 2024, 7:00pm
- Saturday, Nov 16, 2024, 3:00pm
- Monday, Nov 18, 2024, 7:00pm
In the heart of a bustling Times Square kitchen, dreams and desperation collide as the back-of-house staff each chase the elusive American dream. When money goes missing from the till, the spotlight falls on Pedro (Raúl Briones), a passionate dreamer entangled in a tumultuous love affair with Julia (Rooney Mara), a waitress grappling with her own commitments. As tensions rise and shocking revelations unfold, the relentless pace of the kitchen threatens to shatter the hopes and aspirations of those who keep it running. It's a high-stakes drama that explores the intersection of the personal ambition and systemic exploitation of undocumented immigrant workers within the pressure-cooker environment of a Times Square New York restaurant.
In English and Spanish (with English subtitles).
“A monumental work of righteous anger… a wonder to see, feel, and take in.” Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
“A chaotic symphony [that] mixes biting social critique with stylistic bravura… If the United States is a melting pot, this is the furnace.” Peter Debruge, Variety
Playland
- Saturday, Nov 16, 2024, 6:00pm
- Sunday, Nov 17, 2024, 3:00pm
PLAYLAND conjures a time-bending night in Boston’s oldest and most notorious gay bar. Featuring an eclectic ensemble of queer performers, including drag icon Lady Bunny and POSE’s Danielle Cooper, this transdisciplinary film sees music, dance, archival footage, tableaux, opera, and performance art layered into an ethereal piece subverting all boundaries. The work of queer fantasy and history takes place inside the empty husk of the Playland Café. Although the cafe shut down in the late ’90s, PLAYLAND stages one last bawdy night on the town for the ghosts of their LGBTQ+ ancestors.
“West’s film is a haunted house, a tribute to these ghosts and the living queers most deliciously possessed.” Drew Gregory, Autostraddle
Louder Than You Think: A Lo-Fi History of Gary Young and Pavement
- Saturday, Nov 16, 2024, 8:00pm
- Sunday, Nov 17, 2024, 5:00pm
An up-close cinematic walkabout through the life of Gary Young, the original (and highly unlikely) drummer of indie rock royalty Pavement. His booze and drugs-fueled antics (on-stage handstands, gifting vegetables to fans) and haphazard production methods (accidentally helping launch the lo-fi aesthetic) were both a driving force of the band's early rise and the cause of his eventual crash landing. Leaving a wake of joy and/or destruction at every turn, Gary teeters the thin line between free-form self-expression and chaotic self-destruction. Thirty years on with scoliosis, blood clots, and a shriveled liver, Gary continued drumming with no regrets.
Starring Gary Young and featuring Pavement members Stephen Malkmus, Scott Kannberg, Bob Nastanovich, and Mark Ibold.
“As unique and wide-ranging as its subject’s venerated drum skills.” Mike DeAngelo, The Playlist
“A must-watch film for any Pavement fan, especially those wanting to know more about the indie rockers’ formative days.” David Roy, The Irish News
“Not only a film about Pavement percussionist Gary Young, but also a shattering exploration of destiny, creativity, and existence.” Alyssa Miller, No Film School
Powwow Highway
- Sunday, Nov 17, 2024, 7:15pm
Free screening in honor of Native American Heritage Month!
Buddy Red Bow (A Martinez) is struggling, in the face of greedy developers, to keep his nation on a Montana Cheyenne Reservation financially solvent and independent. Philbert (Gary Farmer), his easygoing friend, pursues Native wisdom and lore wherever he can find it—even on “Bonanza.” As the two set off on a journey to bail out Buddy’s imprisoned sister, Philbert’s gentle faith challenges Buddy’s hard-edged view of the world, and together they face the realities and dreams of being Cheyenne in the modern-day U.S. Native American spirituality abounds in this bittersweet portrait of two Cheyenne men on a journey through the American West and their own identities.
Screenings are co-presented with Mother Nation and we ask that you support them with a donation this month. You can donate directly to them at their website or in-person at these screenings.
Free ticket reservations will begin one week prior to the film’s showtime.
Funding for this screening provided by 4Culture’s Sustained Support grant.
“One of the reasons we go to movies is to meet people we have not met before. It will be a long time before I forget Farmer, who disappears into the Philbert role so completely we almost think he is this simple, openhearted man – until we learn he’s an actor and teacher from near Toronto. It’s one of the most wholly convincing performances I’ve seen.” Roger Ebert
Something Better Change (with punk legend Joe Keithley)
- Tuesday, Nov 19, 2024, 7:00pm
These days, there’s a lot of talk about outsiders in politics, but very few people can claim outsider status like Joe Keithley, punk legend turned a dedicated environmentalist and city councilor. SOMETHING BETTER CHANGE follows Keithley’s absolutely fascinating life and career, showing us both his time as the front man of the formative hardcore punk band D.O.A., as well as his campaigns for city council as a Green Party candidate in his hometown of Burnaby, British Columbia. Featuring interviews with other punk luminaries like Jello Biafra and Ian MacKaye, as well as an appearance from Beto O’Rourke, whether you’re a hardcore punk fan or just a civically engaged citizen, Creem: America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine director Scott Crawford’s latest film has a little something for everyone. – Daniel Abelow
Featuring an in-person Q&A with Joe Keithley, filmmaker Scott Crawford, and producer Duff McKagen!
Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90)
- Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024, 7:00pm
10th anniversary director's cut! Q&A with filmmaker Scott Crawford.
SALAD DAYS examines the early DIY punk scene in the Nation's Capital. It was a decade when seminal bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Government Issue, Scream, Void, Faith, Rites of Spring, Marginal Man, Fugazi, and others released their own records and booked their own shows - without major record label constraints or mainstream media scrutiny. Contextually, it was a cultural watershed that predated the alternative music explosion of the 1990s (and the industry's subsequent implosion). Thirty years later, DC's original DIY punk spirit serves as a reminder of the hopefulness of youth, the power of community and the strength of conviction.
This director’s cut will only be available in cinemas and not available on physical media or streaming (at least anytime soon).
Pulp Fiction – New 35mm print!
- Thursday, Nov 21, 2024, 7:00pm
- Friday, Nov 22, 2024, 7:00pm
- Sunday, Nov 24, 2024, 4:00pm
- Monday, Nov 25, 2024, 7:00pm
- Tuesday, Nov 26, 2024, 7:00pm
- Wednesday, Nov 27, 2024, 7:00pm
30th anniversary! New 35mm print of Quentin Tarantino's groundbreaking crime classic!
Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) are hitmen with a penchant for philosophical discussions, whose story is interwoven with those of their boss, gangster Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), his wife Mia (Uma Thurman), struggling boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), and a nervous pair of armed robbers, "Pumpkin" (Tim Roth) and "Honey Bunny" (Amanda Plummer).
Part of our 20th Anniversary Celebration Series!
“A spectacularly entertaining piece of pop culture.” Todd McCarthy, Variety
“It’s a film that still satisfies like a ‘quarter-pounder with cheese’ – then hits like a bullet to the gut.” Geoffrey Macnab, The Independent
BOOM! A Film About the Sonics (with filmmaker Jordan Albertsen)
- Saturday, Nov 23, 2024, 4:30pm
BOOM chronicles one of rock ‘n’ roll’s wildest and most influential bands: The Sonics. For the first time ever, all five original members explore how a relatively unknown band from the Pacific Northwest became a worldwide phenomenon 50 years later, shaping music for decades to come. Featuring interviews with homegrown heroes and breakthrough artists alike, including Pearl Jam, The Sex Pistols, Heart, Mudhoney, and many, many more.
Filmmaker Jordan Albertsen scheduled to be in attendance for a live Q&A!
“Brilliantly displays why The Sonics are so important. It’s clear that this film will further cement the legacy of one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time.” Glen Casebeer, Northwest Music Scene
“The spirit of BOOM is as righteous and undeniable as Gerry Roslie’s howl.” Dave Segal, The Stranger
Placebo: This Search For Meaning
- Saturday, Nov 23, 2024, 7:15pm
- Sunday, Dec 1, 2024, 5:00pm
THIS SEARCH FOR MEANING charts Placebo’s ongoing impact and legacy through a visual meditation on contemporary themes such as surveillance culture & scrutiny, sexuality & gender identity, addiction & trauma, as well as the climate crisis. These significant and weighty themes are explored in both an informal and personally authored manner through brand new interviews with band members Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal.
The film’s overall narrative is structured around incredible and completely new performances of Placebo’s latest songs, captured at Britain’s legendary Twickenham Film Studios. The documentary also features rare archive interviews with David Bowie, along with exclusive interviews with Yungblud, Shirley Manson, Joe Talbot of Idles, Robbie Williams and others.
Navajo Star Wars
- Sunday, Nov 24, 2024, 7:15pm
Free screening in honor of Native American Heritage Month!
Conceived by Navajo Nation Museum director Manuelito Wheeler and his wife Jennifer, this version of STAR WARS: EPISODE IV – A NEW HOPE is dubbed in the Navajo language and voiced by nearly 70 Navajo voice actors. It is the first major motion picture ever dubbed into a Native language. In Navajo with English subtitles (obviously!).
PLEASE NOTE: it is based on the "Special Edition" of STAR WARS with the added scenes and CGI.
Screenings are co-presented with Mother Nation and we ask that you support them with a donation this month. You can donate directly to them at their website or in-person at these screenings.
FYI, free ticket reservations will begin one week prior to the film’s showtime.
Funding for this screening provided by 4Culture’s Sustained Support grant.