Granted, I'm not entirely jumping up for joy this morning. While I am happy tonight's opening night attraction Battle in Seattle has attracted huge names to walk the red carpet (Charlize Theron, Martin Henderson and director Stuart Townsend, amongst others, are scheduled to attend), the biggest Seattle has seen since we premiered Mel Gibson's Braveheart back in 1995, I'm more than a little bummed I couldn't score a press invite to either the screening or the afterparty. It's the first time in years I've been snubbed, and while I totally get it (Moviefreak.com isn't exactly The Seattle Times, after all) the fact it happened still can't help but bruise my ego just a teensy little bit. Besides, I even had the perfect dress picked out for the event and now I won't get to wear it in pictures standing next to Theron. My mother will be ever-so disappointed.
All kidding aside, there is the press conference with the film's stars and its director today at 2:30 which I'm hoping to make it to, and I can always line up in the press row to take pictures of everyone's red carpet arrivals. Can't say I've ever done that and there is always a first time for everything, right? Besides, if I can't get a picture with Charlize then the next best thing is to probably snap one of her (at least, in my world it's probably the next best thing - I can't really comment on if it would be in yours).
As for the festival itself, unlike previous years where I've had trouble making the early press screenings before regular screenings commenced this year I've actually been able to fit in a few things. Quality, for the most part, has been very good, and while nothing has blown my socks off a couple have at least come close enough I definitely hope audiences take the time to track them down and check them out.

As for The Fall, director Tarsem (whose last film was the Jennifer Lopez thriller The Cell), working under the aegis of producers David Fincher and Spike Jonze, supposedly took a decade to bring his masterful interpersonal period adventure to the screen, and while more times than not this usually spells disaster here it is almost cause for celebration. Not since Pan's Labyrinth has an intensely dramatic fantasy carried such weight and poignancy, and while it doesn't quite match Del Toro's masterpiece it comes just close enough I couldn't help but be impressed. The picture goes into wide release next Friday so I'll dig into more in my review then. Just know that, as far as the first weekend of the festival is concerned, this one isn't just a movie to search out it's one to break down doors in order to see.

On a side note, those considering skipping a part of the festival to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this weekend please don't feel at all bad about doing so. Forget the naysayers, I found the Man with the Hat's latest adventure (after 19 frickin' years!!!) to be hugely entertaining. The picture doesn't make a lot of sense (and, admittedly, ends rather anemically) but it's sure one heck of a lot of fun during its running time. In fact, if I wasn't so completely consumed by SIFF I'd head out and see it again for a second time myself. Sometimes sequel expectations can be met, it just took a man with a bull whip and a fedora to do it.
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