Paul AllenaE™s Cinerama is swell, but outside a few special engagements (SIFF

Published 7:00 am Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Paul AllenaE™s Cinerama is swell, but outside a few special engagements (SIFF sometimes included), it only plays blockbusters. LandmarkaE™s Harvard Exit and Egyptian have better movies and considerable charm, but theyaE™re also pretty threadbare (the parent company was for sale, but no buyers bit). For that reason, on the grounds of programming quality, neighborhood, and local control, Northwest Film Forum wins by a mile. Its Capitol Hill two-plex now serves beer and wine; it hosts mini-fests ranging from childrenaE™s movies to New Croatian Cinema; and its Pike-Pine environs promise a better future than the U District (where the Neptune recently flipped to music/performing arts and the Grand Illusion is somehow surviving). BRIAN MILLER 1515 12th Ave., nwfilmforum.org