We want to reach out to help the community and we are asking for your help.  The Grand has teamed up with FISH Food Banks of Pierce County to do a holiday food drive.  We have a container located in the lobby of the Grand for anyone to drop off donated food items.  Please help give back to the community as we help those who need it.

Requested items should be in canned or plastic containers only.  Primary needs are:

Beef Chili or Stew
Diced Tomatoes, Green Beans, Corn
Cereal
Tuna
Vegetable, Chicken Noodle or Tomato Soup
Peanut Butter
Peaches, Pears, Fruit Cocktail
Pork and Beans
Spaghetti, Mac & Cheese
Checks also welcome.  For every dollar contributed, they can give $4 worth of food.

We'll continue the food drive through Christmas so please stop by.  THANK YOU!

In coordination with Tacoma Art Museum, The Grand is happy to bring you The Age of Innocence for one screening only on Sunday, November 18 at 2:00 p.m.

Set in 1870s New York, Martin Scorsese's THE AGE OF INNOCENCE examines the tyranny of tradition and family heritage--and the tragic consequences of breaking society's unspoken rules. Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis), an upstanding gentleman and partner in a lucrative and conservative law firm, is engaged to the perfect society woman, the pretty and polished May Welland (Winona Ryder). They are hoping to push forward their wedding date when Newland meets Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer), May's beautiful, cosmopolitan, and scandal-ridden cousin. Ellen, who has resided in Europe and cultivated a more permissive continental sensibility, believes she's found a kindred spirit in Newland. Slowly the two fall in love, and Ellen entices Newland with the vision of a life not ruled by the rigid guidelines of New York's stuffy upper crust. But May represents all the temptations and benefits of wealth, position, and propriety. Newland must make the painful choice between a passionate life with Ellen and a placid, safe life with May--the life he was born and raised to lead. In adapting the classic novel by Edith Wharton, Scorsese meticulously reconstructs the elegant world of mid-19th-century Manhattan, using an onslaught of materialistic vices--including an endless barrage of sumptuous foods--to capture the elite world even more fastidiously.

Visit the Grand Cinema during November to celebrate Tacoma’s Art at Work month. There are art and cultural events going on throughout the city.  Some of what the Grand has to offer this month includes:

• Our Children’s Film Series with screenings of great children’s movies every Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
• Partnering the Tacoma Art Museum, on November 18 at 2:00 p.m., come see the award winning movie The Age of Innocence (one screening only)
• Continuing at the Grand are the popular movies Into the Wild and The Darjeeling Limited
• Coming at Thanksgiving is Lars and the Real Girl and the well reviewed new movie from the Coen Brothers, No Country for Old Men

Support the arts, support the Grand!

Saturday evening's screening of GPS-The Movie sold out so we've added another screening so more people will get a chance to see it.  The additional screening will be on Sunday, October 7 at 4:30 p.m.  It will take place at Tacoma's School of the Arts theater located at 1118 Commerce in downtown Tacoma.  The description of the movie is as follows:

Suspense/Thriller, 98 min, Directed by Eric Colley)
After their most recent GPS Hunt victory, best friends Andrew and Bob return home to find another special invitation on the GPS Hunt website. It's from their old college friend, Shep, who was recently arrested for stealing over 2 million dollars in wire fraud and identity theft scams and has just jumped bail. The two guys, along with five other friends, decide to embark on this GPS Hunt challenge. The excitement of the hunt soon turns to anxiety as they reach the initial coordinates and find what looks like a small grave. Inside is a picture of a woman tied up and masked with a new set of coordinates that lead them deeper into the forest. Is it real, or just part of the game? World Premiere, second performance.

I have heard from a lot of people who want to see many of the films in the 2007 Tacoma Film Festival.  These same people can also sound a little overwhelmed.  With 72 films on the slate, which ones stand out above the others?  I admit that I haven't seen all 72 films so I could be missing a couple that should be on this list, here are my top 10 movies I feel you should most attempt to see in this year's festival.  The films are in order of when they are played.  Ranking them from best to worst was going to be too tough.  Oh, and I know some of them overlap so you can't see them all; you'll still have some tough choices to make!

1. Opening Night brings two movies that aren't to be missed.  The one that will have a little more local name recognition is the South 5 combo: a repeat of the original South 5 from the 72-Hour Film Festival in May plus the new sequel, South 5 – True Grit.  Both are highly entertaining and will be fun for any Tacoma resident.  It all revolves around the Seattle vs. Tacoma 'debate' and they put a very funny spin on it.  If you miss South 5 on Opening Night, it will also play again on Sunday afternoon at Tacoma Art Museum.  Paired with the short 10 minutes of South 5 on Thursday night only is the feature length movie Let Others Suffer.  This movie is technically a work in progress for screening purposes but it is ready for your viewing pleasure.  It is a comedy from a first time filmmaker who grew up in Spokane and it tells the story of a documentary filmmaker filming a filmmaker making a documentary (think that one through slowly).  It is all done in great fun as you see the story evolve.  Even better, some of the people in the film knew it was a comedy while others thought it was a true documentary.  The post film discussion of these movies should be an added bonus because filmmakers from both South 5 and Let Others Suffer will be in attendance to meet you during the pre-movie reception as well as the post film discussion.  Opening Night begins on Thursday the 4^th with a reception at A.O.C Gallery (next door to the Grand) at 6:30 with the movies starting about 8:00 p.m.
2. A Lobster Tale- This movie represents probably the most mainstream movie of the festival.  I'm told that it in the final stages of obtaining distribution so this is probably the last festival in which it will appear.  It stars Colm Meaney and a very funny Graham Greene.  It tells the tale of a lobsterman (Meaney) who finds a mysterious sea moss in one of his traps.  The moss has the supernatural ability to heal and it upends the town.  It is a funny movie that should appeal to people of all ages (I consider it a good family film).  It plays at the Grand on Friday at 5:45 p.m.
3. Nice Hat! Five Enigmas in the Life of Cambodia – This is a documentary that really fits in as a "Grand Cinema kind of movie".  It gives a great history of Cambodia and ties it together through the hats that people wear.  I never thought about it before but if you search for a picture of Cambodians, I bet most will be wearing a variety of hats.  The movie has some great scenery of Angkor Wat and lots of smiling faces of Cambodians who have been through quite a lot in recent history.  The movie is in English as well as French and Khmer with subtitles.  It plays at the Grand on Saturday at 12:15 p.m.  The filmmakers will be in attendance for post film discussion.
4. Rain in the Mountains – This one is filmed in Washington, mostly locally, and has a cast of almost entirely Native Americans.  It is a light hearted comedy that tells the story of a man who believes it is his destiny to lead his tribe back to the old ways.  Only he doesn't know what the old ways are.  I really enjoyed this movie and guarantee its quirky sense of humor will make you smile.  One of the actors, a Puyallup tribal member, will be in attendance for discussion following the movie.  It plays at 1:15 on Saturday at Tacoma Art Museum.
5. Spitfire 944 – I first learned of this short movie when The News Tribune did a story on it earlier this year.  That article indicated that they'd be submitting it to our festival so I was anxiously waiting for it to arrive.  It tells the story of an American pilot's crash landing in Britain during WWII.  The pilot, who now lives in Lacey and will be in attendance at the movie, had never seen the footage of his crash landing until this video caught him viewing it live.  His reaction is wonderful to see.  The movie played at Sundance earlier this year.  It plays with other short films, including an encore from last year's festival favorite Finding Thea, on Saturday at the Grand at 2:15.
6. My Left Hand – This is the only one on the list that I haven't actually seen but our screeners found it really interesting so I'm including it on this list.  It is the story of a local Microsoft employee as he documents his battle with a rare cancer found in his left hand.  As the movie progresses, you don't know what the final outcome will be.  There will be a discussion of the film following it.  The movie plays at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday at Tacoma Art Museum.
7. Two similarly themed movies share this spot and I think people should try to see at least one of these.  Both are very well made and deserve attention.  Playing at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday night at the Grand is For the Bible Tells Me So.  Winner of the Audience Award for the best documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival, the movie takes a look at homosexuality and Biblical scripture by focusing on five families, including former House Majority Lead Dick Gephardt, as they respond to having a gay child.  On Sunday at 4:15 p.m., also at the Grand, we host the movie Inlaws and Outlaws.  This one is great in the way it weaves together stories from couples, both gay and straight, as they talk about their relationships.  It shows that all types of relationships share so much in common and it does it with a great sense of humor.  The filmmakers for Inlaws will be in attendance and available for discussion following the movie.
8. Saturday evening at 7:50 at the School of the Arts you have the opportunity to watch a very funny group of eight short films.  The movies range from 3 to 18 minutes and you'll have a nice laugh in all of them.  Included among them are Moviebonics, where a couple speaks only in famous film quotations; The Last Laugh, where Grandpa casts a suspicious eye on Elmo; Full Disclosure, where the lead character discloses all of his worst attributes on his first dates; and The Frank Anderson, which stars several recognizable actors, where a man's quest for a breast reduction leads to quite unexpected results.
9. Her Best Move – This is a great family movie and if you have a young daughter, you should bring her to see this.  It tells the story of a 15 year old girl with an amazing talent for soccer.  She has to face the challenge of discovering her true self so she can make the best move of her life.  This is definitely a "Disney" type movie and any age can enjoy it.  It plays at 2:20 p.m. on Sunday at the Grand.
10. Ray Hill's Prison Show – This one is 58 minutes long and plays with two other shorter movies at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday the 9^th at the Grand.  I first heard of the radio show on which the movie is based on an old episode of This American Life on NPR.  (I encourage you to listen to that story)  It tells the story of Ray Hill, who for 25 years has hosted a radio show that serves convicts and their families whose only source of contact is through this broadcast.  Hearing children talk to their imprisoned family members live on the air is amazing.  The cool part of this to me is that Ray Hill is making the trip from Texas to appear at the screening and answer questions following the movie.  His is a personality not to be missed.
11. The eleventh movie on my "top ten list" is The Union: The Business Behind Getting High.  It plays on Wednesday the 10^th at 5:30 p.m. at the Grand.  This is a very interesting movie that takes a look at the business of marijuana.  It gives a great history, takes head on many misconceptions and is highly entertaining.  The movie definitely has a point of view but it does a great job in presenting it.  This one is also playing at many other festivals and has won several awards.

I hope this list gives you a few ideas of movies to view during the next week of fascinating films.  There are far more to see, including many from local filmmakers, so pick up a guide at the Grand and read more about the entire slate of films.  I hope you are able to support the Tacoma Film Festival through your presence at a film the 4^th through 11^th.  You should enjoy it!

As an added bonus list of top films, Exit133 has also posted a list of movies they recommend you see in the festival.  Some overlap with my list, some are different.  Click here to see their list.

Philip Cowan

Executive Director

The Grand Cinema

www.tacomafilmfestival.com

We've seen a lot of GREAT movies come to the non-profit Grand over the last 10 years and it has been a wonderful time for all involved.  Please join us this Sunday, September 9th as we serve birthday cake and have fun both looking back and going forward.  The party will run continuously from 1:30 to 7:00 p.m.  You are welcome to have cake before or after a movie that day but you are also more than welcome to pass on the movie and join the party.  At 2:00 we'll unveil the top 10 movies from the last 10 years and announce a new film series that will be coming up soon.  The cake is no charge but there is a suggested donation of $3 per person.  Help make it a great day with your presence.

Thank you to The Pipe Guys for sponsoring the Sunday Socials including this Birthday Party.