Friday, Aug. 23
Pasolini’s Last Words
Once a major figure in Italian letters and cinema, Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922–1975) is considerably more obscure today. His last film retrospective was six years ago in New York, which perhaps inspired artist-academic Cathy Lee Crane’s impressionistic new tribute film. It’s hardly straight biography, though it contains clips from his movies (including Accatone), old interviews, and newsreel footage with gruesome images of his mangled corpse after being murdered by a teenage rent-boy. To that Crane adds voiceover passages from his writings and new footage that vaguely illustrates his texts and echoes his movies. I won’t say it’s a successful essay film, but it certainly arouses curiosity about the man, who placed politics, art, violence, and sexuality all on the same spectrum. Looking at Pasolini’s corpse, a TV newsman calls it “the martyred body of Pier Paolo Pasolini,” and Crane definitely treats him as a martyr. Certainly, Crane’s film makes one wonder about a Pasolini retrospective in Seattle. The challenge would be to convince viewers who come for earlier, easier works like Mamma Roma to stay for the difficult, later stuff like Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. (Crane will appear at tonight’s screening; Pasolini’s 1966 The Hawks and the Sparrows runs tonight through Thurs.) Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., 267-5380, nwfilmforum.org. $6–$10. 7 p.m.
Eef Barzelay
Besides having one of the greatest names in indie rock, Eef Barzelay is also the frontman for one of the greatest unsung bands in indie rock, Clem Snide. Tonight he’ll mix songs from his band work with that of his extensive solo catalogue. He also plays terrific covers, like his sparse arrangement of Journey’s “Faithfully” for baritone ukulele, which injects new life–and heartbreak–into a song you’ve heard a million times before. Barzelay says he only reworks songs he doesn’t revere, so he can take them apart and put them back together again. But his originals are just as good: postmodern tales of outsiders and weirdos, like himself, born out of his experience as an Israeli immigrant. (With Barton Carroll Electric Band, Heligoats.) Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9951, thebarboza.com. $15. 7 p.m.
Nicole Hardy
After her 2011 essay “Single, Female, Mormon, Alone” was published in The New York Times’ Modern Love column, this Seattle writer began work on her memoir Confessions of a Latter-Day Virgin (Hyperion, $24.99), about growing up in a culture, she writes, that deems a woman’s highest achievement in life to be a wife and mother. While her friends are getting married and starting families at 20, Hardy is in the Caribbean, learning to dive; she’s in Chicago, selling hot dogs; she’s getting her MFA in Vermont. Steadily pursuing her own goals through her 20s and 30s, tenderly testing the boundaries of her religion, she struggles to reconcile faith with sexuality and personal independence. In Confessions, she carefully chronicles the slow-brewing realization that her once unshakable LDS convictions are irreconcilable with her true self. She writes, “This absence from myself, this floundering, the years of disconnection, and despair: None of it can be bringing me closer to the spirit of God.” When she eventually frees herself from the church, it’s also a huge relief for readers who feel themselves to be on the same journey with her. When Hardy finally loses her virginity at 36, the experience isn’t racked with guilt or fear; instead it holds the promise of a hard-won freedom. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., 322-7030, hugohouse.org. Free. 6:30 p.m.
Computer Chess
Returning after a week’s run at the Varsity last month, Andrew Bujalski’s latest film was shot on the same antiquated video gear that news crews used in 1980, when his film is set. The retro technology is crucial to this charming, subtle, and unexpectedly entertaining feature. Rendered in black-and-white analog video, acted with true conviction, Computer Chess is so deeply immersed in its milieu that it feels like a documentary. And like a great doc, it is at times tense and uncomfortable to watch as dorky programmers gather to compete against Pat Henderson (Gerald Peary), a braggart chess master who hosts the annual tournament. But much more’s at stake. As the programmers talk about their work, the possibility of artificial intelligence and the very meaning of life come into play—as do the implications of their work for the military-industrial complex. Not that it’s all serious. Bujalski’s programmers are nerds, after all, and their idiosyncrasies are delightful. (Through Thurs.) Grand Illusion, 1403 N.E. 50th St., 523-3935, grandillusioncinema.org. $5–$8. 7 & 9 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 24
Seattle Bike-In
The Tour de France and STP are past, Lance Armstrong is long-retired and living in disgrace, and the battle over the Burke-Gilman Trail’s “Missing Link” in Ballard enters its second decade. And yet there’s still plenty to celebrate about local cycling at tonight’s annual Seattle Bike-In. Commuter numbers are up, SDOT is deploying more of those bike corrals for parking, and whether Mayor McSchwinn remains in office next year or not, more bike lanes and improvements are coming, per the city’s Bicycle Master Plan. So expect a large peloton to converge at this evening of live music (from Tacoma’s Lo’ There Do I See My Brother), food trucks, film (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure will be screened at dusk, with a new soundtrack courtesy of DJs Jon Francois and Eardrumz), games, a raffle, and costumes. New this year will be a free valet-parking system (courtesy of Bike Works in Columbia City, a great place to donate old bicycles and parts), so you don’t have to bring your big heavy lock. Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11th Ave., nwfilmforum.org. Free. 5–11 p.m.
Yogoman Burning Band
A former Bellingham resident, I first encountered the uniqueness of Yogoman Burning Band at Boundary Bay’s weekly Reggae Night. If you’ve ever been, you’ll know the magical effect that YBB’s ska and soul sound has on the patio crowd—everyone swinging and swaying, channeling their inner island vibes. During their stint in the City of Subdued Excitement, YBB established itself as one of Bellingham’s most free-wheeling, feel-good acts, mixing sunny lyrics with big-band brass and jazz-inspired riffs. More recently, the band’s taken its talents to the road with the likes of Iron & Wine and Helio Sequence. The group has since returned to Seattle, where it’s more than prepared to continue the party. (With Victory Lap and Mile 9.) Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020, nectarlounge.com. $7. 8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 25
Sounders Vs. Timbers
More than just another clash of the bitterest rivals in MLS, today’s Seattle-Portland match will determine, first, whether we’re finally going to get a solid foothold in playoff position after a season struggling just underneath it. (We’ve always had games in hand; however, our points-per-game metric has looked much better.) And second, if the owners’ $5 million-per-year investment in Clint Dempsey, returning to MLS after time in England, will pay off when it counts. Since the acquisition was announced—from the initial dare-we-hope rumors to the confirmation at the Aug. 3 home game that sent the crowd into orgasm—fan morale has never run hotter. Today the Timbers will likely find out just what a pitiless bitch goddess Hubris can be. However, Dempsey’s first home game is sold out: All of CenturyLink was opened and a crowd of 68,000 is expected (asking prices for tickets being resold at ticketsnow.com are topping $600). If you don’t have a seat, the best Plan Bs are to watch either at Collins Pub, just a few blocks north of Clink (526 Second Ave.), or at Ballard’s Kangaroo & Kiwi, named Best Soccer Bar in our recent Best of Seattle® issue (2026 N.W. Market St.). CenturyLink Field, 800 Occidental Ave. S., soundersfc.com. 7 p.m.
Hardy will also read at Town Hall on October 11.
