Come join Warren Etheredge as he delves his sharp mind into the controverisal and confusing world of vitmain D deficiency and learn what health benefits truly exist for those who have optimal levels.

Over the past decade, vitamin D has been hitting the spotlight on a regular basis and there’s plenty of good reason.

According to vitamin D scientists, Over One Billion People Worldwide are Vitamin D Deficient.  Over the past 40 years researchers have linked vitamin D deficiency with higher than normal death rates from cancer, it’s influence on developing MS, diabetes and autism; and even shown it’s ability to downright affect our mood, bringing on depression and SAD.

So how are we fairing here in the cloudy Pacfic Northwest?

To get to the bottom of this hot topic, Warren will have the interrogation lamp tilted on Dr. Lucinda Messer, author of Powerful Medicine: Vitamin D; Shedding Light on a Worldwide Health Crisis.

Warren will weed out what’s important and you’ll be leaving with no only a clearer understanding of the importance of vitamin D …your admission price includes a personally signed copy of her book.

Don’t miss out!  Come learn how to raise your levels, keep them up and bring your body into balance with the single most important hormone in the human body…Vitamin D.  (and yes, it’s actually a hormone…not a vitamin)

See you November 8th!

Warren Etheredge, founder of The Warren Report (www.thewarrenreport.com) hosts over 250 events every year, a podcast and a television series. The Warren Report promotes “slow culture” through commentary, outreach, events and education. Our principal:  Smarter Audiences make a better world.

Dr. Lucinda Messer, is a naturopathic physician and graduate of our prestigious Bastyr University.  She is widely published on topics such as anti-aging, the thyroid and natural hormone therapies.  She is frequently asked to speak on nutritional medicine and is trained in the Gerson method for alternative cancer treatment. More information on her book is available at www.powerfulmedicine-vitd.com.

For tix and more info: http://www.tasveer.org/

Recipient of the Indian “Silver Lotus Award” for the best film on Environmental Issues.

Along the border of South-West region of Orissa, a hill named Niyamgiri is home to a tribe called the Dongria Kandha. The current plight of the Dongria Kandha tribe is weaved through a love story of a simple villager Bangaru and his love interest Singari. How the modern man’s mind intrudes into their innocence to exploit the value of the tribe and the natural resources of the hills.

Niyamgiri hills, with its natural beauty of flora and fauna, is also rich of minerals which can be processed and produced as aluminum. The film starts with the controversial government’s announcement for the take-over of the mountain, handing it to a multinational company.

The film is directed by the Legendary Oriya director, Prashanta Nanda.

Here are some links to know more about the people of Niyamgiri.

Orissa tribe to Avatar director: now you watch our film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4tuTFZ3wXQ

Vedanta Aluminium (mining company) recognized as Green Leader in mining and metal industry

http://www.orissadiary.com/ShowBussinessNews.asp?id=18984

In Columbia Pictures’ THE KARATE KID, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could’ve been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother’s (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China.  Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying – and the feeling is mutual – but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre’s feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng.  In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts “the karate kid” on the floor with ease.  With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu.  As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

**To request a seat, send an e-mail to warren@thewarrenreport.com with your name and the name of any guest, please.** (Screening begins at 7pm on Thursday, May 20th. Arrive  early. Seating is NOT guaranteed.)

http://www.gethimtothegreek.net/

Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) gets things done. The ambitious 24-year-old has been given a career making assignment. His mission: Fly to London and escort a rock god to L.A.’s world famous Greek Theatre for the first stop on a huge comeback tour. His record mogul boss, Sergio Roma (Sean Combs), gives him one warning: “The artist is the worst person on Earth. Turn your back on him at your own peril.”

British rocker Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) is a brilliant musician, but due to a bad break up and nose diving career, he has fallen off the wagon and is now a drunken disaster. Weary and scared he’s entered the “greatest hits” moment in his career, Snow’s in the midst of a nihilistic downward spiral. When he learns his true love, model/pop star Jackie Q (Rose Byrne), is in Los Angeles, Aldous makes it his quest to win her back.. .right before kick-starting his world domination.

As the countdown to the concert begins, one innocent young man must navigate a minefield of London drug smuggles, New York City brawls and Vegas lap dances to deliver his charge safe and, sort of, sound. all while trying to remain faithful to his med student girlfriend (Elisabeth Moss). He may have to coax, lie to, enable and party with Aldous, but Aaron will… GET HIM  TO THE GREEK.

Innovators: “We just Click!” The Magic of Instant Connections

With best selling author of Sway, Ori Brafman

Hosted by Lara Feltin & Warren Etheredge in Seattle, Washington

When: Tuesday, June 15 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Pulling Focus:

Join us for the last in our series of panels about the business of film featuring Stephen Gyllenhaal (LOSING ISAIAH, HOMEGROWN, Numb3rs, Army Wives) and Peggy Rajski (TOWELHEAD, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, BEE SEASON, THE GRIFTERS)

Moderated by Warren Etheredge

CROSS-CUTTING
They say, if ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Problem is, a combination of technology, the economy and the great audience diaspora has shattered everything we thought we knew about modern media. So, it’s time to bust out the SuperGlue, don our thinking caps and get busy because “old school” is out for good. But before we can rewrite a business plan for the industry, we need to closely examine our former failures and embrace our revised goals. What constitutes success and how do we best achieve it in the biz? Is there a greater good than the bottom line? How do we profit in today’s era of tipping points and long tails?

Tuesday, May 11
Sorrento Hotel / Top of the Tower Room
900 Madison Avenue (Madison and Terry)

6:30pm     Doors

7:00pm     Discussion with Stephen Gyllenhaal & Peggy Rajski

Cocktail Reception hosted by the Washington Wine Commission to follow event.

Avanced Tickets Brown Paper Tickets:
$10 General Public
$5 Participating Organization Member.  Please contact participating organization to receive discount code.  
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/109839

Tickets Day of Event (Cash Only):
$15 General Public
$10 Participating Organization Member

____________

About Pulling Focus:

Pulling Focus is a series of three panels about the business of film designed to speak to the diversity of audience members, from screenwriters to actors, from directors to producers and on to musicians.  The goal is to elevate the conversation and design a dialogue that will have a little something for everyone and simultaneously help to give our community a rock solid education about how business is done in the film industry.

In Words & Wine events, guests mingle with the author while sipping award-winning wines from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and enjoying savory nibbles prepared by The Hunt Club. For the highlight of the evening, the engaging Warren Etheredge, of The Warren Report, leads an intimate and entertaining on-stage interview and conversation with the author. A copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the $50 ticket cost, in addition to all wines and appetizers.

Words & Wine with Peter Mayle Friday July 16 6pm Sorrento Hotel, Seattle Spend a summer evening sipping wine and chatting all things French with Peter Mayle, in Seattle to discuss his latest novel, The Vintage Caper. The setting is the historic Sorrento Hotel’s Top of the Town, and we’ll enjoy appetizers and Ste Michelle wines while Warren Etheredge interviews Mayle about his books and his life in Paris and Provence. From Hollywood to Marseille with delicious stops in between, Peter Mayle’s latest novel is filled with the culinary delights and entertaining characters that made him our treasured chronicler of la vie Francais. After lawyer Danny Roth’ impressive wine cellar is featured in the LA Times, he finds himself the victim of a world-class wine heist. The search for the missing liquid treasure leads to Bordeaux and Provence, and along the way we, and the characters, get to enjoy all of France’s sensory delights.

	Peter Mayle

“A lighthearted romp, in which picking the right restaurant, choosing the best dish on the menu and of course, finding the perfect wine (and female companion) to accompany the feast is every bit as important as catching the thief.” —Los Angeles Times All wines, appetizers and a copy of The Vintage Caper are included in the $50 per person cost, along with a magical summer evening with one of our most charming writers. Peter Mayle is the author of eleven previous books, including A Year in Provence, French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew, A Good Year, Hotel Pastis and Chasing Cezanne. He received the Legion d’Honneur from the French government for his cultural contributions, and has lived in Provence for twenty years.

In recognition of their dedication to improving the health and well-being of the human community, Bastyr University will confer honorary doctoral degrees on Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife, Lisa Oz. The evening will also include a conversation with the honorary guests, moderated by Warren Etheredge.

Register today for An Evening with Dr. Oz and Lisa Oz.*

Location:

Bastyr University Chapel
14500 Juanita Drive NE
Kenmore, Washington 98028

Tickets:

$500 for VIP Reception at 6 p.m.
$125 for the general attendance at 7:30 p.m.

Mehmet Oz, MD

Dr. Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” is vice-chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He has authored more than 400 original publications, book chapters and medical books and has received several patents. He performs 250 heart operations annually. He lives in Cliffside Park, NJ, with his wife of 23 years, Lisa, and their four children: Daphne, Arabella, Zoe and Oliver.

Lisa Oz

Lisa Oz is a writer, actress, producer and co-host of “The Dr. Oz Show” on Oprah Radio, Sirius and XM. She is co-author of five New York Times best-selling books in addition to her latest, US: Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships that Matter Most. She is the co-founder of HealthCorps, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of America’s youth through school-based peer mentoring.

For more details or underwriting, contact Julie Herbison at 
jherbison@bastyr.edu or (425) 602-3053.

* Note: You will be redirected to a third-party website, blackbaud.com, for secure online registration.

Moderated by Warren Etheredge

___________

DIGITAL UPRISING
The digital revolution may not be televised. While many boast about the democratizing impact of new, inexpensive technology, has it created false hope instead? Movie-makers may now be able to shoot for next to nothing, but how can the truly independent distribute and market their work? Does digital enable greater creativity or engender a greater dependence on established institutions? How can the film community avoid the pitfalls of analog paradigms and best profit from the latest advancements?

Tuesday, May 4
Sorrento Hotel / Top of the Tower Room
900 Madison Avenue (Madison and Terry)

6:30pm     Doors
7:00pm     Discussion with Michael Arrieta & Hanson Hosein
Cocktail Reception hosted by the Washington Wine Commission to follow event.

Tickets
$15 General Public
$10 Participating Organization Member.  Please contact participating organization to receive discount code.
Purchase COMBO tickets early for both May 4th and May 11th Pulling Focus events and receive a discount.

Brown Paper Tickets:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/109837
Tickets also available at the door day of event depending on availability (cash only).  COMBO tickets will not be available for purchase on May 4th so make sure to get them early at Brown Paper Tickets.

Guest Bio:
Michael Arrieta
Founder & CEO Big Air Studios

Michael has over 20 years experience in the entertainment and new media business.  A true pioneer in digital media, Michael spent the last 12 years of his career at Sony Pictures where he oversaw the formation and operation of all Sony’s Digital Entertainment businesses as well as programming, games and services.  Michael established Sony’s licensing, ad sales and distribution relationships that drove new revenue sources from all business models across all digital platforms.  His divisions included Digital Content Production, Digital Distribution, Online and Mobile Video Networks, Online and Mobile Games, Promotional Websites, Digital Ad Sales and Technology/Advanced Platforms.

Through his leadership Sony Pictures was the first to offer film and television downloads on the internet, the first to offer full-length film on mobile phones, the first to offer film in virtual worlds, the first to create professional content for the internet and the first to launch a user-generated video service (Sony Screenblast, 2001).  Michael has produced over 200 websites including Sonypictures.com, over 75 mobile and online games – winning the coveted “Game of the Year” award in both 2005 and 2006 – and has produced over 35 made for digital series – including the first made-for-digital movie Angel of Death.

Michael has established deals with the biggest companies in the traditional and digital entertainment world, including iTunes, Xbox, PlayStation, Blockbuster, CinemaNow, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, YouTube, Hulu, AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, Netflix, Vudu, TiVo, DivX, Samsung, HP, Dell, Nokia, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and Starz.

Prior to Sony, Michael worked for 20th Century Fox and Morgan Creek Productions, and served as a strategic consultant in the Entertainment Group at Price Waterhouse.  Michael is a C.P.A and earned his B.A. in Economics and M.B.A from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Hanson Hosein
Director of the Master of Communication in Digital Media at the University of Washington in Seattle

Hanson Hosein specializes in storytelling, social media strategies and new models of communication. As President of HRH Media, he employed this expertise to direct the award-winning documentary films “Rising from Ruins” and “Independent America: The Two-Lane Search for Mom & Pop,” which have been broadcast around the world and widely distributed online via Hulu and Yahoo!. Hanson advises organizations and companies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Boston University, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Public Relations Society of America on media strategy. He has also won Emmy and Overseas Press Club Awards for his work as a television journalist with NBC News. He was embedded with the U.S. military in Iraq and covered the impact of the war throughout the Middle East, armed only with a laptop, satellite phone and camcorder. Hanson has a Masters degree in journalism from Columbia University, and law degrees from Montreal’s McGill University and the University of Paris. He’s presently occupied with writing a book on storytelling in the digital age, hosting TEDx Seattle, and building the Media Space at the University of Washington, which aims to be a hub and business incubator for the Pacific Northwest’s digital media community. Hanson serves on the boards of the Common Language Project, UWTV, Puget Sound Off and is an affiliate member of the Jackson School’s Middle East Center.

____________

About Pulling Focus:

Pulling Focus is a series of three panels about the business of film designed to speak to the diversity of audience members, from screenwriters to actors, from directors to producers and on to musicians.  The goal is to elevate the conversation and design a dialogue that will have a little something for everyone and simultaneously help to give our community a rock solid education about how business is done in the film industry.

International comedy selection

Admission: $10, plus service fee

Purchase Tickets to Today’s Special on:

In this super-feel-good foodie comedy, young Manhattan chef Samir rediscovers his heritage and his passion for life through the enchanting art of cooking Indian food. Directed by David Kaplan, written by Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show With Jon Stewart ) and Jonathan Bines. Starring Aasif Mandvi, Madhur Jaffrey, Jess Weixler, Naseeruddin Shah, Harish Patel, Kevin Corrigan.

Running time: 99 minutes.

Attending the post-film Q&A: Madhur Jaffrey (Chef/Actress), Aasif Mandvi (Actor) and Nimitt Mankad (Producer)

Moderated by: Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report

International Drama/Documentary selection

Admission: $10, plus service fee       Purchase Tickets to The End of the Line on:

Imagine an ocean without fish. Imagine your meals without seafood. Imagine the global consequences. This is the future if we do not stop, think and act. THE END OF THE LINE is the first major feature documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing on our oceans. Filmed over two years and across the globe, THE END OF THE LINE follows the investigative reporter Charles Clover as he confronts politicians and celebrity restaurateurs, who exhibit little regard for the damage they are doing to the oceans. This powerful film features top scientists, indigenous fishermen and fisheries enforcement officials across the globe, from the Straits of Gibraltar to Alaska to the coasts of Senegal to the Tokyo fish market.

Running time: 90 minutes.

Attending the post-film Q&A : Dr. Ray Hilborn (UW Professor, Aquatic & Fisheries Sciences), John Foss (Coastal Rovers), Dr. Jennifer Jacquet (Ph.D. and post-doctoral researcher with the Sea Around Us Project at the UBC Fisheries Centre. Author of the blog Guilty Planet )

Moderated by: Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report

Local Filmmaker Showcase selection

Admission: $10, plus service fee      Purchase Tickets to Ingredients on:

A feature-length documentary, INGREDIENTS illustrates how people around the country are working to revitalize the connection between good food and our health. Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth, the film takes us across the U.S. from the diversified farms of the Hudson River and Willamette Valleys to the urban food deserts of Harlem and to the kitchens of celebrated chefs Alice Waters, Peter Hoffman, Greg Higgins and Cory Schreiber. INGREDIENTS is a journey that reveals the people behind the movement to bring good food back to the table and health back to our communities. Written and directed by Robert Bates, produced by Brian Kimmel.

Running time: 67 minutes.

Attending the post-film Q&A : Brian Kimmel (Producer and Cinematographer), Greg Higgins (Chef/Owner of Higgins Restaurant & Bar), Debra Sohm Lawson (Researcher/Producer), Cory Schreiber (Chef/Oregon Dept. of Agriculture)

Moderated by: Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report

BIZNIK INNOVATORS SERIES

INNOVATORS: Setting big things in motion using the universal power of pull

With celebrated authors John Hagel III & John Seely Brown

From the Harvard Business Review: In a ferociously dynamic world, what happens if we can’t plan but can only adapt? We must move, say the authors, from push to pull. At the center of the pull strategy is an individual (not a corporation) who has access to knowledge flows, takes advantage of porous boundaries and serendipitous interactions, and occupies new creative spaces to achieve a novel order of performance. I know. It’s a complex model with several moving parts. But it makes for an exhilarating read as the authors sublimely reinvent the world of enterprise.”

What others say about the two Johns and The Power of Pull

“The Power of Pull examines the “how question”—how can we effectively address our most pressing challenges in a rapidly changing and increasingly interdependent world. (The authors) highlight fascinating new ways in which passionate thinking, creative solutions, and committed action can—and will—make it possible for us to seize opportunities and remain in step with change.” - William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America

“Hagel, Brown, and Davison have given us a provocative and insightful look at the power of today’s knowledge flow. If you want to meet the challenges of working and living in the 21st century, this book should be your guide.” - Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google

“Stop whatever you are doing and read this amazing book. The authors totally nail it. Digging beneath the surface of stuff that distracts us on a daily basis, they unpack the deep forces that really truly matter and provide a guidebook each of us can use to unleash passion, transform how and why we work, and restore destiny and dignity to our lives.” -Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and The Great Reset

The Biznik Innovators Series connects members with some of the most premier innovative thought leaders published today in a swank downtown venue (with complimentary wine!) When the authors visit Seattle, we find innovative ways to celebrate their books, while providing you with a unique networking opportunity.

The engaging Warren Etheredge, of The Warren Report, will lead an intimate and entertaining on-stage conversation with the author that takes the entire event up a notch.

In addition…

• Before and after networking with the author and other guests in an intimate setting at the elegant Hotel 1000
• Free-flowing award-winning wines from Columbia Crest Wineries

AND in addition to the wine & appetizers, a copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the ticket cost.

• 5:30pm-6pm Networking over complimentary wine & appetizers
• 6pm-7:15pm-ish On stage interview and Q&A with the author
• Until 8pm Book signing and networking

Previous Biznik Innovator guests have included: best selling authorDaniel Pink, Twitter’s Dom Sagolla, the “fierce” Susan Scott, Wine Library TV’s Gary Vaynerchuk, and blogger Chris Brogan.

What others say about the Biznik Innovators Series

“Very classy Biznik… Can’t believe that (with ProVIP) I got free wine, amazing Hors d’œuvres, a beautiful venue, fun networking with 135 people, a top-notch speaker & a free autographed book – for $30! Thanks for continuing to offer great events and being committed to supporting entrepreneurs and making our work as fun as possible.” -Leif Hansen

“Elegant, interesting, and I had great conversations with people before and after the interview. A great time and a great Value! Keep ‘em coming!” - David Brilbrey

Ticket includes a selection of wines, appetizers and a copy of the featured book. Reservations are required, and can be made here on our website by joining or logging into Biznik. (Basic membership in Biznik is free.)

NOTE ON PARKING. The Hotel 1000 is located on First Avenue in downtown Seattle, 2 blocks south of the Seattle Art Museum. There are parking lots and meters in the general area. The Hotel 1000 is also offering us a discount on valet parking for $9.50.

Note: Event attendance required to receive your copy of the book.

**PLEASE NOTE: You must print out your ticket and present it at the theater. Arrive early. Seating is NOT guaranteed.**

Starring: Andy Garcia, Juilanna Marguiles, Alan Arkin, Steven Strait, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Ezra Miller and Emily Mortimer.

When prison guard and aspiring actor, Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) is asked to reveal his biggest secret during his drama class, he inadvertently sets off a chain of events that turns his mundane suburban life into total chaos. Vince takes great pains covering up his half-truths from his family, but soon it becomes clear that everyone—his hot-tempered wife (Julianna Margulies), college student daughter (Dominik Garcia-Lorido), long-lost ex-con son (Steven Strait), charismatic acting partner (Emily Mortimer) and even his drama coach (Alan Arkin)—all have secrets of their own. Everyone’s furtive deceptions collide with hilarious results. Set on City Island, a quaint fishing community on the outskirts of the Bronx, this smart and charming comedy explores the absurd secrets and vices people choose to keep from their loved ones…and the realization that the truth is easier to cope with than well-intentioned white lies.

CITY ISLAND is a funny and touching family tale about the secrets of the past catching up with the lies of the present, and accepting that nobody’s perfect – least of all your loved ones.

A copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the $50 ticket cost, in addition to all wines and appetizers.

Michael Lewis
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
April 14
Sorrento Hotel
Doors open at 6,
interview begins at 7

Michael Lewis is the most entertaining chronicler of our modern times. He was a top bond trader at Salomon Bros before he left to become a writer. Liar’s Poker, his account of life on Wall Street, is one of the defining books of the ’80s.

	Michael Lewis

Lewis has gone on to tackle topics from Silicon Valley (The New, New Thing and Next) to baseball (Moneyball), to fatherhood (HomeGame). His book about football,The Blind Side, was recently adapted into an academy award nominated film.

His new book, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, is a character-rich and humorous study of how the U.S. economy was driven over the cliff, with a cast of real-life characters that includes villains, a few heroes and a lot of people who look very, very foolish.

The historic Sorrento Hotel will host our event, and the evening begins with appetizers and wine at 6 p.m. with onstage interview at 7. The Chateau St. Michelle will be providing our featured wines for the evening, and all wines, appetizers and a copy of The Big Short are included in the $50 per/person ticket price.

Kim Ricketts/Book Events connects people by creating author events in non-traditional venues. When authors visit Seattle, we find innovative ways to celebrate their books. Keep an eye out for our COOKS AND BOOKS visiting chef series and THE GOOD LIFE: books for better living events taking place at great venues about town.

For more information about Kim Ricketts/Book Events, to inquire about a private event, or to sign-up for our email list, call (206) 632-2419 or contact us.

Many thanks to the dynamic Danielle W!

**Remember: Please print out your ticket from The Warren Report for admission!**

Director: Steve Pink

Screenplay by: Josh Heald and Sean Anders & John Morris

Story by: Josh Heald

Cast: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover, Lizzy Caplan and Chevy Chase

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE follows a group of best friends who’ve become bored with their adult lives: Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by his girlfriend; Lou (Rob Corddry) is a party guy who can’t find the party; Nick’s (Craig Robinson) wife controls his every move; and video game-obsessed Jacob (Clark Duke) won’t leave his basement.  After a crazy night of drinking in a ski resort hot tub, the men wake up, heads pounding, in the year 1986.  This is their chance to kick some past and change their futures – one will find a new love life, one will learn to stand up for himself with the ladies, one will find his mojo, and one will make sure he still exists!

Words & Wine: Intimate Evenings with Interesting People continues, as we welcome New Yorker writer David Grann for a conversation about his NYT bestselling book The Lost City of Z and his new book The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness and Obsession.

Grann has a fascination with eccentric true life characters and the talent to tell their stories in gripping, powerful detail, his pieces pivot around the pull of obsession and the kind of people that fall into its grasp.Whether it be the story of Percy Fawcett, a 19th century explorer who vanished in the Amazon or a Sherlock Holmes scholar who descends into violence and madness, Grann’s unforgettable profiles display the power and perversity of the human spirit.

	David Grann

“Outstanding, a powerful narrative, stiff lipped and Victorian at the center, trippy at the edges, as if one of those stern men of Conrad had found himself trapped in a novel by Garcia Marquez. A kind of magical nonfiction, terrifically entertaining.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

For all those who love the Shackleton story, the tales of the Everest climbers or the obsessive scientist in The Orchid Thief, don’t miss meeting and having a glass of wine with this new and engaging writer.

David Grann is a staff writer at The New Yorker and his stories have appeared in many of the best American writing anthologies, as well as the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and the New Republic.

As always, the beautiful Pan Pacific Hotel will host our event, and the evening begins with appetizers and wine at 6 PM with onstage interview at 7. Snoqualmie Winery, a leader in sustainable and organically made wines will be providing our featured wines for the evening, and all wines, appetizers and a copy of The Devil and Sherlock Holmes are included in the $50 per/person ticket price.

Kim Ricketts/Book Events connects people by creating author events in non-traditional venues. When authors visit Seattle, we find innovative ways to celebrate their books. Keep an eye out for our COOKS AND BOOKS visiting chef series and THE GOOD LIFE: books for better living events taking place at great venues about town.

For more information about Kim Ricketts/Book Events, to inquire about a private event, or to sign-up for our email list, call (206) 632-2419 or contact us.

“This was totally different from anything I have ever done; I’d prefer it if all author events were like this. Warren Etheredge is a good interviewer; a couple of glasses of wine help… This was really the best thing I have ever done as an author.”
— Ethan Canin, author of America, America

“I wanted to tell you how enjoyable the last Words & Wine was (Andre Dubus III) for my money, the best I’ve attended. Beautiful evening, beautiful venue, and he was clearly so thrilled to be in the presence of such an appreciative and enthralled audience. And Warren was really ‘on!’ It’s not always easy to be there after a long day of work, but I wouldn’t have missed this for anything. It is a reminder to me of the tremendous benefit this series (and all your efforts) are to this city.”
— Robert Sutherland, attendee

Check out Book Events videos!

A copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the $50 ticket cost, in addition to all wines and appetizers.

Many thanks to the wonderful Wendy G!

** Filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin will be present for a post-show Q&A **

Yvonne M’Sadoques rocks forward in her chair. She’s lived in the Abenaki community of Odanak for over a century – and has no shortage of stories to tell.

“The priest would march into our home and order us to stop dancing. We were going to the devil, he said.” She pauses, a humorous glint in her eye. “But you know – I don’t really believe in the devil. Do you?”

M’Sadoques is in conversation with Alanis Obomsawin, another of Odanak’s proud daughters – and one of Canada’s leading documentary filmmakers.

Obomsawin’s illustrious career comes full circle with Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises. Having dedicated nearly four decades to chronicling the lives of Canada’s First Nations, she returns to the village where she was raised to craft a lyric account of her own people.

Best Documentary Award, 2006, Imagine Native Media Arts Festival, Toronto

Alanis Obomsawin, a member of the Abenaki Nation, is one of Canada’s most distinguished documentary filmmakers. Her work embraces strong social themes and is inspired by the desire to let the voices of her people be heard. She has made over 20 uncompromising documentaries on issues concerning Aboriginal people in Canada.

Many thanks to the STIFF-ies!

Watch the BREAKING UPWARDS trailer!

BREAKING UPWARDS explores a young, real-life New York couple who, fours years in and battling codependency, decide to intricately strategize their own break up. Based on an actual experiment devised by director/actor Daryl Wein and actress Zoe Lister-Jones, the film loosely interprets a year in their lives exploring alternatives to monogamy, and the madness that ensues. An uncensored look at young love, lust, and the pangs of codependency, BREAKING UPWARDS follows its characters as they navigate each others’ emotions across the city they love. It begs the question: is it ever possible to grow apart together?

THE GOOD SOLDIER is documentary film that follows the journeys of five American combat veterans from different generations as they sign up for war, go into battle, and eventually change their minds about what it means to be a good soldier.

“…I found [our] conversations about 4 times more fun and thought-provoking than any other moderated talks in which I’ve participated.”—

(screenwriter, 25TH HOUR; THE KITE RUNNER; WOLVERINE)

I am always flattered by the (unsolicited!) feedback I receive from the folks I interview. I am thrilled they appreciate the spirit with which I approach interviews. (Owen Schmitt of The Seattle Seahawks refers to my style as “chill”… and who am I to argue with the 6’2″, 247 pound fullback?)

Now you can learn how I prepare for interviews and how I respond to the different challenges presented by questioning folks on tape, on camera or before an audience. And, I’ll share insights and a little bit of gossip from the 1,000+ interviews I’ve conducted with the likes of Amy Sedaris, Calvin Trillin, Naomi Watts, Robert Duvall, Mariel Hemingway, Salman Rushdie, Nora Ephron, Michael Pollan, Charlie Kaufman, Augusten Burrough, Andy Samberg, Vincent Bugliosi, Nicolas Cage and others.

You’ll learn why documentarian Peter Esmonde says: “I was more relaxed being interviewed by you than anyone before or since. It’s so clear that, aside from being attentive and intelligent, you know [your stuff] — and that makes the interview more of a conversation with a compadre.”

Tuition for this exclusive, 3-hour workshop is only $75. You may mail check or money order (made payable to Warren Etheredge) to: 1752 NW Market St #118, Seattle 98107. Or, pay using PayPal, sending money to warren@thewarrenreport.com Or visit EventBrite for more options: http://listenup.eventbrite.com/

Space is limited, so please reserve your seat today and indicate you’ll be attending here on Facebook. The venue will be in the Ballard or Green Lake neighborhood.

About me…

As founder of The Warren Report (www.thewarrenreport.com), Warren Etheredge curates and hosts over 250 events every year, a podcast and television series. The Warren Report promotes “slow culture” through commentary, outreach, events and education. Our principle: Smarter audiences make a better world! Additionally, Warren is one of the founding faculty of TheFilmSchool, along with Tom Skerritt, Stewart Stern, Rick Stevenson and John Jacobsen. For six years, Warren served as the Curator for the 1 Reel Film Festival (at Bumbershoot), before that, he worked with the Seattle International Film Festival. Warren has staged over 40 plays in New York, published five books, written countless magazine articles and recently completed a feature-length documentary, HUMOR ME. He is in pre-production for a new documentary, TAPPED OUT: SOLVING AMERICA’S WATER CRISIS. He is the host of Words & Wine and The Good Life, conversation series with A-list authors, and is a regular contributor to Seattle’s NPR affiliate, KUOW. He speaks at festivals and conferences nationwide including The Screenwriting Expo, The Austin Film Festival and Conference, Bastyr University’s Founders Weekend and Gnomedex.

Monday, February 8, 2010 — 6:30 PM

Bastyr University is proud to host a series of conversations examining the intersections of science, spirituality and medicine. The events are presented by the Bastyr University Center for Spirituality, Science and Medicine and will be moderated by Warren Etheredge ofThe Warren Report.

Where: Bastyr University Chapel, 14500 Juanita Dr. N.E., Kenmore, WA 98028
When: Musical conversation begins at 6:30 p.m. Moderated conversation is 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Advance Tickets: $15/night, $40 for series
At the Door: $20
Students: $10/night, $25 for series
Dine in Bastyr’s award-winning, vegetarian cafeteria before the conversation.  Open until 6:30 before the event.

Spirit conversation:

When: Monday, February 8, 2010
With: Rabbi Ted Falcon, PhD, Terrill Gibson, PhD, and Leanna Standish, ND, PhD, LAc
Music: By Thomas Arthur
Register online for the series or individual lectures.

Monday, February 1, 2010 — 6:30PM

Bastyr University is proud to host a series of conversations examining the intersections of science, spirituality and medicine. The events are presented by the Bastyr University Center for Spirituality, Science and Medicine and will be moderated by Warren Etheredge ofThe Warren Report.

Where: Bastyr University Chapel, 14500 Juanita Dr. N.E., Kenmore, WA 98028

When: Musical conversation begins at 6:30 p.m. Moderated conversation is 7 – 8:30 p.m.

Advance Tickets: $15/night, $40 for series At the Door: $20 Students: $10/night, $25 for series Dine in Bastyr’s cafeteria before the conversation.  Open until 6:30 before the event.

Mind conversation:

When: Monday, February 1, 2010 With: Sheila Dunn-Merritt, ND, Brad Lichtenstein, ND, and Robert V. Taylor Music: By Stephen Merritt Register online for the series or individual lectures.

Movies are a lot like football. Beneath the hype and circumstance, there is a lot of strategy, a lot of technique. And, like football, most Americans watch movies and discuss movies religiously without ever really knowing what they really are talking about. For those who wish to sound smarter and for those who hope to make movies, I offer this special Super Bowl session of LANGUAGE FOR MOVIES the day before the game. The class runs seven hours… which is just slightly shorter than television’s preposterous pre-game shenanigans.

If you want to visit France, it’s best to learn French. If you want to be a retail analyst, you’ve got to talk shop. And if you’re gonna talk smack with Dr. Doolittle, best brush up on your Marsupialese: the vet curses in fluent kangaroo. Can’t you? So why is it so many folks who love movies or want to make them, possess only the most rudimentary vocabulary for critiquing and constructing Film?

LANGUAGE FOR MOVIES, is a 1-day intensive during which we’ll examine the five major components of production — directing, shooting, acting, editing and composing — by reviewing clips to dissect the intricacies and artistry of each of these professions. After seven hours, you’ll fully understand the principles of film theory and the challenges of filmmaking. Most importantly, as the class title implies, you’ll have the vocabulary to best express your impressions of others’ efforts and your own grand visions.

Register now for this special session of LANGUAGE FOR MOVIES on February 6th, 2010. In honor of the Dallas Cowboys’ hoped for appearance in next year’s Super Bowl, I am offering a special discount. Yup, you can attend the entire seven-hour seminar for only $125 (a savings of twenty-five dollars!). Reserve your seat on-line via PayPal or send a check or money order — made payable to Warren Etheredge — to: 1752 NW Market St #118, Seattle, WA 98107. Or, visit www.thewarrenreport.com for other options. Seating is limited, so act now. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at warren@thewarrenreport.com

About me…

As founder of The Warren Report (www.thewarrenreport.com), Warren Etheredge curates and hosts over 250 events every year, a podcast and television series. The Warren Report promotes “slow culture” through commentary, outreach, events and education. Our principle: Smarter audiences make a better world! Additionally, Warren is one of the founding faculty of TheFilmSchool, along with Tom Skerritt, Stewart Stern, Rick Stevenson and John Jacobsen. For six years, Warren served as the Curator for the 1 Reel Film Festival (at Bumbershoot), before that, he worked with the Seattle International Film Festival. Warren has staged over 40 plays in New York, published five books, written countless magazine articles and recently completed a feature-length documentary, HUMOR ME. He is the host of Words & Wine,The Good Life and the Biznik Innovators Series, conversation series with A-list authors, and is a regular contributor to Seattle’s NPR affiliate, KUOW. He speaks at festivals and conferences nationwide including The Screenwriting Expo, The Austin Film Festival and Conference and Gnomedex.

Many thanks to fellow Cowboy fan, Clint B!

Emily Hagins is making a zombie movie. It’s feature-length, it’s bloody, and the zombies don’t run. Just like it should be. But there’s one difference between her film and every other zombie movie you’ve ever seen: Emily is twelve.

brought to you by

April 15
Anna Lappe
DIET FOR A HOT PLANET: The Climate Crisis at the End of your Fork and What You Can Do about it

Time: 6:30 pm
Cost: $35/person (includes all appetizers
and a copy of the featured book)

Location: Tom Douglas’ Palace Ballroom
2030 5th Avenue (at Lenora), Seattle, 98121

	Anna Lappe

Beyond what we already know about “food miles” and eating locally, the global food system is a major contributor to climate change, producing as much as one third of greenhouse gas emissions. How we farm, what we eat, and how our food gets to the table all have an impact.

Anna Lappe is the coauthor of Grub, Hope’s Edge and currently host of MSN’s Practical Guide to Healthy Living, and co host of PBS’s The Endless Feast. Lappe will outline a vision of the future in which our food system does more good than harm, with six principles for an earth-friendly diet, fueled by sustainable farming.

The Good Life: books for better living events are interactive evenings of conversation with authors on tools for creating “the good life.” These events will take place at either Tom Douglas’ Palace Ballroom or the Hotel Andra Ballroom, where we will gather together to enjoy appetizers and beverages and an onstage interview of the author by Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report.

Read what Danielle Greger-Babbit says at examiner.com

A copy of each author’s new book is included in the ticket price as are appetizers and bites of Theo Chocolate that evening. There will be a cash bar available.

March 9

It all started when 14-year-old Hannah Salwen had a “eureka moment.” Seeing a homeless man in her neighborhood alongside a Mercedes, she said “You know, Dad, if that man had a less nice car, maybe that manthere could have a meal.”

Until that day the Salwens had been caught up in the American Dream: providing a good life for their children, accumulating more stuff. As a family they made the extraordinary decision to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half the size and give half the profit to a worthy charity.

Their plan eventually transported them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone, and in the end they learned that they had the power to change a little corner of their world.  And they found themselves changing, too.

Kevin Salwen was a reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal for more than 18 years and a founder of the magazine Motto. He serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity.  Hannah Salwen is a junior at the Atlanta Girl’s School, where she plays for the varsity volleyball team. Hannah has volunteered since 5th grade at the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Café 458.

The Good Life: books for better living events are interactive evenings of conversation with authors on tools for creating “the good life.” These events will take place at either Tom Douglas’ Palace Ballroom or the Hotel Andra Ballroom, where we will gather together to enjoy appetizers and beverages and an onstage interview of the author by Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report.

Read what Danielle Greger-Babbit says at examiner.com

A copy of each author’s new book is included in the ticket price as are appetizers and bites of Theo Chocolate that evening. There will be a cash bar available.

February 17

The best companies know that innovative thinking is the only competitive advantage that can’t be outsourced, and the best schools are those with deep cultures of creative problem solving.  But both innovation and creativity depend on imagination first: the ability and willingness to conceive of what is not.  Fortunately, it is something we can all cultivate—with practice.

	Eric Liu

This books shows us how, with 28 (and a half) universal practices for opening minds at work, home and play. All of them are designed to enable anyone-from corporate executive to preschool teacher-to get unstuck, to reframe challenges and to help others do the same.

Eric Liu is the founder of the Guiding Lights Network, dedicated to mindful and imaginative mentorship.  His previous books include Guiding Lights: How to Mentor and Find Life’s Purpose, The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speakerand the national bestseller The True Patriot. Liu is a former White House speechwriter and senior advisor to President Bill Clinton, and is now an educator ad entrepreneur living in Seattle.

The Good Life: books for better living events are interactive evenings of conversation with authors on tools for creating “the good life.” These events will take place at either Tom Douglas’ Palace Ballroom or the Hotel Andra Ballroom, where we will gather together to enjoy appetizers and beverages and an onstage interview of the author by Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report.

Read what Danielle Greger-Babbit says at examiner.com

A copy of each author’s new book is included in the ticket price as are appetizers and bites of Theo Chocolate that evening. There will be a cash bar available.

January 27
Gretchen Rubin
THE HAPPINESS PROJECT: Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle and Generally Have More Fun

Time: 6:30 pm
Cost: $35/person (includes all appetizers
and a copy of the featured book)

Location: Tom Douglas’ Palace Ballroom
2030 5th Avenue (at Lenora), Seattle, 98121

On a crowded bus Rubin had an epiphany: time was passing, and so little of it was spent doing things which made her feel happy.  She didn’t want to turn her life upside down: just focus on improving her life as it existed, and each month tackled a new set of resolutions:

	Gretchen Rubin

• Give proofs of love
• Ask for help
• Be serious about play
• Keep a one sentence journal
• Forget about results.

She devoured everything from classical philosophy to cutting edge scientific studies, and looked to everyone from Plutarch and Thoreau to Oprah and Martin Seligman. Her discoveries range from the practical to the surprising to the profound, and her “happiness project” was documented on a blog — followed by over 30,000 people and now carried on Slate, Real Simple, The Huffington Post and Psychology Today.

Rubin is the author of several books, a lawyer and a mom, still working on “the happiness thing.” But a lot happier.

The Good Life: books for better living events are interactive evenings of conversation with authors on tools for creating “the good life.” These events will take place at either Tom Douglas’ Palace Ballroom or the Hotel Andra Ballroom, where we will gather together to enjoy appetizers and beverages and an onstage interview of the author by Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report.

Read what Danielle Greger-Babbit says at examiner.com

A copy of each author’s new book is included in the ticket price as are appetizers and bites of Theo Chocolate that evening. There will be a cash bar available.

Time: 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $50 per person (includes all appetizers, wine, and a copy of the featured book)
Location: Pan Pacific Hotel,
2125 Terry Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121

TO PURCHASE TICKETS
by email: contact us
by phone: 206-632-2419

THE ELEMENT is the point at which natural talent meets personal passion: when people arrive at the element, they feel most themselves and inspired to achieve at their highest levels. What are the conditions that enable us to find ourselves in the element, and what are the conditions that stifle creativity?

Sir Ken Robinson

Sir Ken Robinson, in his new book THE ELEMENT, outlines the path to a more creative and fulfilling life, and profiles may people-famous and otherwise-who have connected their natural aptitude with their personal passion and succeeded, despite obstacles in their way.

Sir Ken Robinson speaks to more than 50,000 people each year in a variety of settings and has worked with governments in the US, Europe and Asia, Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Nestle, IBM, Apple and a wide range of non-profit organizations. Hisspeech at the 2006 TED Conference has been downloaded over 2 million times, and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 for his outstanding achievement in education and the arts. In 2005 he was named one of Time/CNN’s “Principal Voices” and in 2008 was awarded the Peabody Medal for contributions to the arts and culture in the US. Robinson overcame childhood polio, and credits education for allowing him to be undefined by his disability.

More on Sir Robinson can be found here: www.sirkenrobinson.com
Join us for an inspirational conversation about creativity, passion–and how we can create a community that allows both to flourish.

Words & Wine events take place at the elegant Pan Pacific Hotel, where guests mingle with the author while sipping award-winning wines from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and enjoying savory nibbles prepared by Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar. For the highlight of the evening, the engaging Warren Etheredge, of The Warren Report, leads an intimate and entertaining on-stage interview and conversation with the author.

A copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the $50 ticket cost, in addition to all wines and appetizers.

Rated PG for sensuality and language. Cast: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott and John Lithgow Directed by: Anand Tucker Written by: Harry Elfont & Deborah Kaplan Amy Adams and Matthew Goode star in LEAP YEAR, a romantic comedy that follows one woman’s determined quest to get married to the perfect guy…despite what fate has in store for her. When their four-year anniversary passes without a marriage proposal, Anna (Amy Adams) decides to take matters into her own hands. Investing in an Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on February 29th, Anna decides to follow her boyfriend Jeremy (Adam Scott) to Dublin and get down on one knee herself. But airplanes, weather and fate leave Anna stranded on the other side of Ireland, and she must enlist the help of handsome and surly Declan (Matthew Goode) to get her across the country. As Anna and Declan bicker across the Emerald Isle, they discover that the road to love can take you to very unexpected places.

Event description

The Biznik Innovators Series connects members with some of the most premier innovative thought leaders published today in a swank downtown venue (with complimentary wine!) When the authors visit Seattle, we find innovative ways to celebrate their books, while providing you with a unique networking opportunity. The engaging Warren Etheredge, of The Warren Report, will lead an intimate and entertaining on-stage conversation with the author that takes the entire event up a notch. In addition…

• Before and after networking with the author and other guests in an intimate setting at the elegant Pan Pacific Hotel
• Sip complimentary award-winning wines from Erath Wineries (yep, FREE)
• Enjoy savory nibbles prepared by Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar on the house

AND in addition to the wine & appetizers, a copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the ticket cost. * VIEW VIDEO (1:33) about the Innovators Series

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Dan Pink, the celebrated best selling author ofFree Agent Nation and A Whole New Mind says forget everything you thought you knew about how to motivate people – at work, at school, at home. It’s wrong. As he explains in his new and paradigm-shattering book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today’s world is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does–and how that affects every aspect of our lives. He demonstrates that while the old-fashioned carrot-and-stick approach worked successfully in the 20th century, it’s precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today’s challenges. In Drive, he reveals the three elements of true motivation:

• Autonomy – the desire to direct our own lives
• Mastery – the urge to get better and better at something that matters
• Purpose – the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves

Drive is bursting with big ideas – the rare book that will change how you think and transform how you live. If you want to see what you’re in for, check out his last TED Talk on TED.com. You don’t want to miss this event!

What others say about Dan and Drive

“Pink has a knack for teaching in such an entertaining way that you’ll forget you are learning.” - Lexi Feinberg, Forbes.com “Important reading…an integral addition to a growing body of literature that argues for a radical shift in how businesses operate.” - Kirkus Book Reviews “Drive is the rare book that will get you to think and inspire you to act. Pink makes a strong, science-based case for rethinking motivation–and then provides the tools you need to transform your life.” - Dr. Mehmet Oz, co-author of YOU: The Owners Manual

About the Author

A free agent himself, Dan Pink, the former chief speechwriter for former vice-president Al Gore and a contributing editor for Wired magazine changed the way companies view the modern workplace with a trio of influential bestsellers: Free Agent Nation (2001), A Whole New Mind(2006), and The Adventures of Johnny Bunko (2008).

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RSVP for the event is $50 per person, which includes all wines, appetizers and a copy of the featured book. Reservations are required, and can be made here on our website by joining or logging into Biznik. (Basic membership in Biznik is free.)

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The Biznik Innovators events are made possible by a partnership between Biznik and:

Rated R for some drug content and sexuality.

www.itscomplicatedmovie.com

Cast: Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin

Written and Directed by: Nancy Meyers

Produced by: Nancy Meyers, Scott Rudin

Executive Producers: Ilona Herzberg, Suzanne Farwell

Writer/director Nancy Meyers (WHAT WOMEN WANT; SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE; THE HOLIDAY) directs Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin in IT’S COMPLICATED, a comedy about love, divorce and everything in between. Jane (Streep) is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has-after a decade of divorce-an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake (Baldwin). But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, things start to get complicated. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable-an affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness (Lake Bell), Jane is now, of all things, the other woman. Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam (Martin), an architect hired to remodel Jane’s kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realizes he’s become part of a love triangle. Should Jane and Jake move on with their lives, or is love truly lovelier the second time around? It’s…complicated.

“The Seven Rays is an unforgettable book, a fascinating joyride for any reader. And so funny! The Seven Rays is the bomb!”

What would you ask JK Rowling if you had met her before HARRY POTTER took off on his broomstick? What would you ask Stephanie Meyer if you had sat with her prior to TWILIGHT’s dawn? What will you  whisper to Jessica Bendinger over drinks before her first novel, The Seven Rays, became the next great, teen-friendly best-selling sensation?

You may never meet Rowling or Meyer, but this Friday, December 11th, I invite you to join me and Ms. Bendinger for an exclusive evening of conversation and cocktails, during which I’ll interview the stunningly talented and breath-takingly beautiful author about her new book, her film work and why YOU ARE MORE THAN THINK YOU ARE.

For the modest admission price of $30, attendees will receive a FREE, autographed copy of The Seven Rays, free hooch, an hour-long interview that will redefine intimacy and candor and the opportunity to speak with Ms. Bendinger one-on-one.

Ms. Bendinger — whose screen credits include BRING IT ON,  STICK IT  and SEX & THE CITY — is the rare breed, the writer who can crafts fresh, funky, indie-minded material that remains broadly accessible and commercially viable. Imagine a female Charles Dickens with a much better ability to make the pitch and work the room.

You may purchase tickets via Paypal or with check or money order which may be brought to the door on the 11th.

About The Seven Rays

When seventeen year-old honors student Beth Michaels starts receiving gold envelopes with messages like, YOU ARE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE, she thinks that a crazy person might be stalking her. When she begins seeing people’s thoughts, feelings, and personal histories on their electromagnetic fields, she thinks that she might be a crazy person. And then when the hottest boy in town, Richie Mac, kisses and becomes obsessed with her, she knows that something’s up.

But she can deal with all of that until her mom gets freaked out by her erratic behavior and sends her to a psychiatric institute for observation. It is here where Beth finds out that she was adopted under mysterious circumstances and perhaps has supernatural powers. Now all she has to do is break out of the ward – with Richie’s help – and road trip to New York to discover who she really is and why all this is happening to her…

Is it possible that Beth might be more than she thinks she is?

The Seven Rays is a paranormal coming-of-age story that delves into love, friendship, family and the supernatural.

What People Are Saying…

“Jessica Bendinger’s The Seven Rays takes you on a journey of mystery, magic, adventure and the intricacies of relationship and love. But there is a deeper significance to this story. It is about dormant potentials that lie deep within the domains of human consciousness and the field of infinite possibilities that we all have access to. Read this book, enjoy the adventure, be inspired, but also find that part of your being, where the paranormal becomes normal.”
- Bestselling author Deepak Chopra

“The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger takes you on a modern, mystical, mystery tour, leaving you holding your breath the entire time. Buckle in because it keeps you on the edge of your seat, your imagination stretched to the limits, and your heart pounding with anticipation, fear, excitement, and love. It’s a wild, psychic, surprising page-turner from beginning to end, and one that you won’t want to miss.”

- Sonia Choquette, Best-selling author of NYTIMES best-seller, The Answer is Simple

“The Seven Rays is awesome, and teentastic… and freaky. Is there anything Screenwriter Jessica Bendinger can’t write? Makes me wish I was a teen girl!”
- Greg Behrendt, bestselling author of He’s Just Not That Into You

“The Seven Rays totally awakened the fantasy fangirl in me!”
- Kate Brian author of the bestselling Private and Privilege series

About Jessica Bendinger

Jessica Bendinger is an acclaimed Hollywood screenwriter who launched onto the scene with her original script for the hit hip hop cheerleading comedy, BRING IT ON. Never shying away from challenges and new opportunities, Bendinger has also added the title of producer, director, and most recently, novelist to her repertoire. A self described “creative seeker,” Bendinger relies on her enthusiasm and curiosity when choosing the next frontier she would like to explore.

Bendinger is slated to release her first and highly-anticipated novel, The Seven Rays on November 24, 2009 with Simon & Schuster. The story follows 17 year-old, Beth Michaels, who uncovers elements of the supernatural on her journey of self discovery. The words: “You are more than you think you are” mysteriously present themselves to Beth and ultimately drive her quest. The novel reaches well beyond the interest of young adults, appealing to all as it explores the universal question-”Are we making the most of our lives?”

It’s a fun, paranormal, metaphysical, coming-of-age adventure based on the hope in all of us that we are more than we think we are. And perhaps our lives have a greater destiny than we anticipated,” says Bendinger.

A former journalist for Spin Magazine and MTV News, Bendinger covered the hip-hop movement while at Columbia University. On her first assignment with Spin Magazine, Bendinger interviewed Chuck D and Flava Flav, members of one of the greatest hip-hop groups, Public Enemy. Her interview with Salt n’ Pepa appears on the liner notes of their second album, A Salt With A Deadly Pepa. Bendinger’s love of music was fostered at an early age as she grew up in the “margins of the music business” where her mother was a renowned Dixieland jazz trombonist and her father wrote commercial jingles.

It was her love of hip-hop and ESPN cheerleading competitions that propelled her into the idea of BRING IT ON. BRING IT ON was rejected 27 times by various Hollywood studios, but Bendinger’s conviction ultimately drove the remarkable success of the film, which debuted at number one at the box office for two straight weeks, and grossed a combined $300 million in theaters and DVD sales. Following the success of BRING IT ON, Bendinger went on to write for Season Four of the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning HBO series, Sex in the City, and for films such as THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE with Thandie Newton and Mark Wahlberg; FIRST DAUGHTER starring Katie Holmes; and AQUAMARINE starring Emma Roberts. Bendinger produced THE WEDDING DATE starring Debra Messing, Amy Adams and Dermot Mulroney.

In 2006, once again seeking her own creative opportunities, Bendinger next went on to write and direct the hit comedy STICK IT, starring Jeff Bridges and Missy Peregrym. Exemplifying Bendinger’s connection with the youth demographic, Stick It was the #1 movie download on iTunes for 7 weeks in a row, during the film’s home video release.

A former model who worked for the legendary designer Stephen Sprouse and appeared on the runway in “Slaves Of New York,” Bendinger was named by Glamour Magazine as one of Hollywood’s “Most Powerful Women Under 40″. Yet for all her success, she is always mindful to avoid complacency.

“I’m a seeker. I’m always interested in what’s new, what’s exciting, and what’s fulfilling for me. And that allows me to keep ahead of the curve as a creative explorer,” says Bendinger.

Jessica Bendinger currently resides in Los Angeles with her two dogs, where she is writing her next feature film and working on the sequel to The Seven Rays.

Many thanks to the lovely Lindsay R!

Rated PG-13

WHEN IN ROME official website

Cast: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Will Arnett, Alexis Dziena, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard, Kate Micucci, Bobby Moynihan, with Danny DeVito and Anjelica Huston

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Written by: David Diamond & David Weissman

An ambitious young New Yorker (KRISTEN BELL), disillusioned with romance, takes a whirlwind trip to Rome where she defiantly plucks magic coins from a fountain of love, inexplicably igniting the passion of those who threw them in: a sausage magnate (DANNY DEVITO), a street magician (JON HEDER), an adoring painter (WILL ARNETT) and a self-admiring model (DAX SHEPARD). But when a charming reporter (JOSH DUHAMEL) pursues her with equal zest, how will she know if his love is the real thing?

, a Co-creator of Twitter and author of the new book, 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form (Wiley 2009), is the next guest in the Biznik Innovators Series produced by Biznik in partnership with Kim Ricketts Book Events, and hosted by

Warren Etheredge leads the authors in an intimate and entertaining on-stage conversation with the author. Admission in the event includes:

· Before and after networking with the author and other guests in an intimate setting at the elegant Pan Pacific Hotel

· Complimentary award-winning wines from Erath Wineries

· Savory nibbles prepared by Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar on the house

· A free copy of the book, signed by the author after the interview

Several books have been written by “social media experts” trying to explain the secrets behind Twitter – the 140 character online service that allows users to share, discover and connect with anyone, anywhere in the world – and how anyone can use it to their advantage. Convincing companies to incorporate Twitter into their marketing strategies has become easier since competing companies have seen phenomenal results. However, according to Dom Sagolla, a co-creator of Twitter and author of the new book, 140 Characters, “The constraint of 140 characters is an opportunity for creative self-expression of all kinds. With Twitter and the short form, we have inadvertently invented a new genre of literature.”

In 140 Characters, Dom shares the way to develop a personal voice and make the most of your messages.140 Characters aims to do for Twitter and other social networking sites what Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style did for good writing via lessons in grammar and composition.

In a world of three second attention spans, the short form is not just confined to Twitter, but also Facebook, LinkedIn, and text messaging. Most of the advice in 140 Characters is focused on helping the reader to find the right words.

Biznik - www.biznik.com – a networking community for independent business people, marries an online social network with local face-to-face events. Biznik was founded in 2005 by Seattlites, Lara Feltin and Dan McComb, and currently connects over 15,000 members in the Seattle area.

Kim Ricketts founded KRBE - www.kimricketts.com – in July of 2003 with an inspiration to find and develop new and targeted author-based events in Seattle. The company represents over 30 companies and groups, books throughout the greater Seattle area, the San Francisco market, and is exploring plans to expand even further. Some of KRBE’s most notable authors have included Former Vice President Al Gore, Madeleine Albright, Malcolm Gladwell, Chris Brogan, and Tim Ferris. If you like the Biznik Innovators Series, you may be interested in KRBE’s Words & Wine series.

As founder of The Warren Report - www.thewarrenreport.com – Warren Etheredge curates and hosts over 200 events every year, a podcast and television series. The Warren Report promotes “slow culture” through commentary, outreach, events and education. Warren has conducted over 1,500 interviews ‹ in print, on camera, on stage ‹ with a wide range of personalities and smarties including Amy Sedaris, Naomi Watts, Salman Rushdie andRobert Duvall. Additionally, Warren is one of the founding faculty of TheFilmSchool, along with Tom Skerritt, Stewart Stern, Rick Stevenson and John Jacobsen. Warren has staged over 40 plays in New York, published five books, written countless magazine articles and recently completed a feature-length documentary, HUMOR ME. He speaks at festivals and conferences nationwide including The Screenwriting Expo, The Austin Film Festival and Conference, Bastyr University’s Founders Weekend and Gnomedex.

The December Biznik Innovator Series event with guest Dom Sagolla will take place on December 1, 2009 from 5:30PM to 8:30PM at the Seattle Pan Pacific Hotel (2125 Terry Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121.) Reservations may be made by following the link on Biznik at Biznik.com/events. Admission is $40 with discounts offered to Pro Members of Biznik.

Event description

Attend this event

Event description

The Biznik Innovators Series connects independent business people at events in non-traditional venues with some of the most premier innovative thought leaders published today. When the authors visit Seattle, we find innovative ways to celebrate their books. The engaging Warren Etheredge, of The Warren Report, will lead an intimate and entertaining on-stage interview and conversation with the author. In addition…

• Mingle with the author and other guests in an intimate setting at the elegant Pan Pacific Hotel
• Sip complimentary award-winning wines from Erath Wineries (yep, free)
• Enjoy savory nibbles prepared by Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar on the house

A copy of the book, signed for you by the author after the interview, is included in the ticket cost, in addition to all wines and appetizers. Twitter co-creator Dom Sagolla covers all the basics of great short-form writing, in 140 Characters (Wiley 2009) including the importance of communicating with simplicity, honesty, and humor. For marketers and business owners, social media is an increasingly important avenue for promoting a business-this is the first writing guide specifically dedicated to communicating with the succinctness and clarity that the Internet age demands. The most extraordinary thing about 140 Characters is that it’s more than book about Twitter. 140 Characters is a concise field manual that will help you be more effective when communicating in small spaces. It’s an actual style guide that covers basic grammar rules for short-form writing The equivalent of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style for today’s social media-driven marketing messages * Helps you develop your own unique short-form writing style 140 Characters is a much-needed guide to the kind of communication that can make or break a reputation online.

What others say about 140 Characters

“Inspired by new mediums of publishing, such as Twitter, this book provides a refreshing look at the breadth of linguistic techniques that shine with the advent of the modern short form.” - Britt Selvitelle, Front End Engineering Lead, Twitter

About the Author

@Dom helped create Twitter. He is also founder of DollarApp and co-founder of iPhoneDevCamp.

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RSVP for the event is $50 per person, which includes all wines, appetizers and a copy of the featured book. Reservations are required, and can be made here on our website by joining or logging into Biznik. (Basic membership in Biznik is free.)

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The Biznik Innovators events are made possible by a partnership between Biznik and:

November 12, 2009
Dacher Keltner
BORN TO BE GOOD:
The Science of a Meaningful Life
Time: 6:30 pm
Cost: $35/person (includes all appetizers
and a copy of the featured book)

Location:
NEW VENUE: Hotel Andra Ballroom
2000 4th Avenue (at Virginia), Seattle, 98121

In Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life, his startling study of human emotion, Keltner investigates an unanswered question of human evolution: if humans are hardwired to live lives that are “nasty, brutish and short”, why have we evolved with positive emotions like gratitude, amusement, awe, compassion and cooperation?

Keltner takes us on a journey into our positive emotions, which lie at the core of human nature and shape our everyday behavior — and they may be the key to understanding how we can live our lives better.  Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at UC/Berkeley, and the director of the Greater Good Science Center and coeditor of Greater Good Magazine.

Reservations are required and can be made by clicking on the Brown Paper Tickets link above.

For more information about this event,
please contact us or call: 206-632-2419

This amazing series is a production of Kim Ricketts/Book Events and

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The Good Life: books for better living events are interactive evenings of conversation with authors on tools for creating “the good life.” These events will take place at either Tom Douglas’ Palace Ballroom or the Hotel Andra Ballroom, where we will gather together to enjoy appetizers and beverages and an onstage interview of the author by Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report.

Read what Danielle Greger-Babbit says at examiner.com

Tickets for the events listed are $35 per person. Reservations are required, and can be purchased here on our website by clicking on the Brown Paper Tickets link for each event.

A copy of each author’s new book is included in the ticket price as are appetizers and bites of Theo Chocolate that evening. There will be a cash bar available.

November 2, 2009
Steven D. Levitt
and Stephen J. Dubner
SUPERFREAKONOMICS:
Global Cooling, Patriotic
Prostitutes and Why
Suicide Bombers Should
Buy Life Insurance
Time: 7 p.m.
Host: Warren Etheredge Cost: $30/person
(includes a copy of SuperFreakonomics)
Where: Town Hall Seattle
1119 Eighth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner will be at Town Hall Seattle on November 2nd to discuss their new book, SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance.

In 2005, Freakonomics was published and forever changed our understanding of how the world works, how we really make decisions, and even how we name our children.  This revolutionary book spent two years on The New York Times bestseller list and spawned a new genre of books on behavioral economics.  

In Superfreakonomics Levitt and Dubner mix smart thinking and great storytelling like no one else, whether investigating a solution to global warming or explaining why the price of oral sex has fallen so drastically. By examining how people respond to incentives, they show the world for what it really is — good, bad, ugly, and, in the final analysis, super freaky.

Join us on November 2nd at Town Hall Seattle for an evening with the men who took the ‘dismal’ out of the economic sciences.

The $30 ticket price includes a copy of SuperFreakonomics, which each attendee will receive upon check-in.

Reservations are required and can be purchased by clicking on the Brown Paper Tickets link above.

For more information about this event, please contact us or call: 206-632-2419.

Many thanks to the rambunctious Rachael B!

This film is presented as part of The 14th Annual Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Got a rocket in your pocket? Tonight, tonight won’t be just any night… We’re gonna jazz it up and have us a ball during our ever-popular sing-along when we fete WEST SIDE STORY, one of cinema’s most celebrated and important musicals. The film was created by queer cinema dream team Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins, and Stephen Sondheim (who will make a rare live appearance at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall in late October).

With just the right mix of theatricality, beauty, and realism, Romeo meets Juliet-or rather, Tony meets Maria-but their transgressive romance is taboo. Their rival neighborhood gangs, the Jets and the Sharks will never accept the lovers’ star-crossed union.

Starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, swarthy George Chakiris, and the electric Rita Moreno, the legendary 1961 film won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture. With a newly restored print on the Cinerama’s giant screen, Bernstein’s unforgettable score will take your musical abilities to new heights. But don’t worry-if you forget the words, they’ll be right there on the screen so that you can sing along feeling pretty, witty, and gay! Come dressed as a Shark, a Jet or dust off your poodle skirt and get ready for a musical rumble.

Many thanks to the rambunctious Rachael B!

This film is presented as part of The 14th Annual Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

DISH
Brian Harris Krinsky; 2009; US; 15 min.
Young emo Israel idolizes adorable Ricky, right down to his hip hairstyle. But he’s not quite ready to take his emulation all the way.

I QUIT
Dave Sarrafian; 2009; US; 20 min.
Unlucky in love, a young man decides he’s finished with men, despite the help and high jinks of his well-meaning friends.

KING JOHN
Jean-Phillippe Labadie; 2009; France; 19 min. (subtitled)
A deaf youth is named king, only to be imprisoned by his spiteful siblings. Magic and imagination are his only companions in this beautifully stylized dark fable.

AFTER
Mark Pariselli; 2009; Canada; 13 min.
Go inside the minds of three geeky guys, each of them longing for the same hunk. Inspired by Dennis Cooper’s poem “After School, Street Football, Eighth Grade.”

Total Running Time: 68 min.

Many thanks to the rambunctious Rachael B!

This film is presented as part of The 14th Annual Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Director: Andrea Meyerson

From the director who brought you the LAUGHING MATTERS series (SLGFF 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008) comes the very first all-drag version of Logo’s hit comedy series “One Night Stand Up.” Filmed live just a month ago in Santa Monica and emceed by the amazing gender-bending Ongina (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”), this flaming show spotlights three fabulous, fierce, and funny performers. For over ten years, drag superstar Jackie Beat has been entertaining audiences live across the country and on Comedy Central, VH-1, and MTV with her razor-sharp comedy and hysterical song parodies. Miss Coco Peru has created and starred in award-winning one-person shows for nearly two decades; she’s been on-screen in TO WONG FOO and TRICK, and on TV’s “Will and Grace,” “Arrested Development,” and her own Logo comedy special. Varla Jean Merman (Mary Sunshine in the Broadway revival of “Chicago”) has filled concert halls and cabarets around the world; you may have also seen her on Bravo’s “Project Runway” and in the hilarious GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS. Three stellar entertainers, one stage, one night only, and one spectacular show. This uncensored world premiere features footage that you won’t see on TV!

Guest in attendance

Many thanks to the rambunctious Rachael B!

This film is presented as part of The 14th Annual Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Many thanks to the rambunctious Rachael B!

This film is presented as part of The 14th Annual Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Director: George O’Donnell

In a quiet Florida suburb, a group of young men struggling to escape the wreckage of their pasts have found an unusual way to create new lives for themselves: on the Web for the whole world to see. Their new home is CollegeBoysLive.com, a voyeur house rigged with 32 webcams, where their every move is watched live by thousands of paying members. The site’s creator claims CollegeBoysLive.com is simply about showing that “it’s okay to be gay,” but the neighbors insist it’s a pornographic whorehouse and sue to have them evicted.

Moreover, drama unfolds between the roommates and their keepers when the realities of life outside their virtual walls come crashing in via obsessive viewers, relationship woes, and trouble with the law. And any attempt at leading an off-camera life at school or a regular job competes with the constant pressure to perform for the cameras and keep the customers happy.

Part “Real World,” part “Jerry Springer,” and part “Queer as Folk,” this intimate and provocative documentary examines a complex subculture of voyeurism, exhibitionism, and the tradeoffs involved in sustaining it. But at its heart, COLLEGE BOYS LIVE is a surprisingly poignant search for family and acceptance.

Many thanks to the rambunctious Rachael B!

This film is presented as part of The 14th Annual Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Director: Stian Kristiansen

If John Hughes had ever added a Norwegian coming-out story to his collection of contemporary teen classics, it might look and feel something like this edgy and authentic coming-of-age comedy-drama.

It’s the end of the 1980s: the Berlin Wall is falling, and the whole world is changing…except in the Norwegian town of Stavanger, where monotony comes with the territory. Seventeen-year-old Jarle’s sole escape from the grey tedium is music, so he and his friends attempt to form “the most hardcore punk band in Stavanger.” But when Yngve, a striking new student, starts at school, Jarle’s simple and familiar world is turned upside down. He soon finds himself struggling to choose between his much-envied relationship with the popular girl and the offbeat boy who captures his affection.

Based on the best-selling book “I Loved Them All” by Tore Renberg, and featuring music from some of the most cutting-edge bands of the time (including The Stone Roses, The Cure, R.E.M., Japan, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Joy Division), THE MAN WHO LOVED YNGVE was a huge box office hit in Norway and continues to receive international critical acclaim and audience awards.

Many thanks to the rambunctious Rachael B!

This film is presented as part of The 14th Annual Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Director: Arthur Ian

Glimpse through the keyhole into the world of male prostitution and hear the stories of hustlers and the men who seek them out. Through a series of candid and compelling interviews, LOOKING FOR ROMEO uncovers the experiences of escorts and their johns. Each offering a unique perspective, the men tell shocking and exciting stories of love found and lost, of control and abuse, of hope and tragedy. We learn about what drives men to prostitution, as well as some shocking secrets of the trade. The johns expose what motivates them to seek out the company of hustlers and how they feel about their experiences. LOOKING FOR ROMEO casts light on issues of affection and companionship, and the desire to escape solitude and insecurity-all with some instant gratification and excitement thrown in. This film offers no easy answers, but lets viewers witness some of the very human experiences that all the men in this film face.

Many thanks to the rambunctious Rachael B!

This film is presented as part of The 14th Annual Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Dir: Gonzalo Justiano
Macho man Charly (Rodrigo Bastidas) finds his world is turned upside down when he’s released from a short jail stint in Mexico City and is forced to make a new life in Viña del Mar, Chile with his nine-year-old son, Pedro (Bastidas’s real-life son Raimundo). Short on options and cash, Charly decides to move in with his estranged father, Mario (veteran Chilean comedian Coco Legrand), who wants to help them start anew. Tradition and ideals are sorely tested when Charly discovers that Mario is flamboyantly out and proud and partnered with a man half his age. Charly tries almost everything to keep the shocking news from his son, but grandfather and grandson begin to develop a strong bond. Moreover, Charly has no choice but to take work in a nearby gay bar and pass for gay for the good tips. When he meets sexy Liliana, things get really complicated. The journey of confusion and discovery that Charly and his father take after 30 years apart illuminates this bright comedy that addresses the serious issue of homophobia in Latino society.

October 27, 2009
C. Marina Marchese
HONEYBEE:
Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper
Time: 6:30 pm
Cost: $35/person (includes all appetizers
and a copy of the featured book)

Location: Tom Douglas’ Palace Ballroom
2100 5th Avenue (at Lenora), Seattle, 98121 (map)

Ten years ago, Marina Marchese fell in love with bees during a tour of a neighbor’s hives. Surprised to find that allowing docile honeybees to crawl across her hands instilled a serene tranquility and comfort, Marina quit her job, acquired her own bees, built her own hives, harvested honey, earned a certificate in apitherapy (the use of honey-bee products in medicinal healing) and eventually opened her own business.

Today, Red Bee Honey sells artisanal honey and honey-related products to shops and restaurants all over the country. Honeybee: Lessons Learned from an Accidental Beekeeper is one woman’s story, but it is also bursting with fascinating and practical information about all aspects of bees, beekeeping and honey, including: building a beehive; pollination and its importance in sustaining life; harvesting honey; healing with honey and apitherapy; and much more.  Recipes for food, drink and personal care products made of honey are included throughout — and Marchese will lead us in an artisanal honey tasting at the conclusion of her interview that evening.

With the challenge of colony collapse disorder threatening the future of honeybees today, spend an evening learning about these amazing creatures and how much they contribute to our lives.

Reservations are required and can be made by clicking on the Brown Paper Tickets link above.

For more information about this event,
please contact us or call: 206-632-2419

This amazing series is a production of Kim Ricketts/Book Events and

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Rated R. Running time:  108 minutes.

Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Written by: Kurt Wimmer

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Bruce McGill, Colm Meaney, Leslie Bibb, Michael Irby, Regina Hall, Viola Davis

When a home invasion robbery turns deadly, the lone survivor will stop at nothing to avenge his lost loved ones in LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, an explosive examination of blind justice from the director of THE ITALIAN JOB.
Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is an upstanding family man whose wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion. When the killers are caught, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), a hotshot Philadelphia prosecutor, is assigned to the case. Nick offers one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice.
Fast forward ten years. The man who got away with murder is found dead and Clyde Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he issues a warning to Nick: Either fix the flawed justice system that failed his family, or key players in the trial will die.
Soon Shelton follows through on his threats, orchestrating from his jail cell a string of spectacularly diabolical assassinations that can be neither predicted nor prevented. Philadelphia is gripped with fear as Shelton’s high-profile targets are slain one after another and the authorities are powerless to halt his reign of terror. Only Nick can stop the killing, and to do so he must outwit this brilliant sociopath in a harrowing contest of wills in which even the smallest misstep means death. With his own family now in Shelton’s crosshairs, Nick finds himself in a desperate race against time facing a deadly adversary who seems always to be one step ahead.

Many thanks to the lovely Leah B!

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Running time: 110 minutes

www.newyorkiloveyouthemovie.com

Directed by:  Faith Akin, Yvan Atal, Allen Hughes, Shunji Iwai, Wen  Jiang, Shekhar Kapur, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Natalie Portman, Brett Ratner, Randall Balsmeyer

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Blake Lively, Shia LaBeouf, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen, Robin Wright Penn, Christina Ricci, James Caan, Rachel Bilson, Ethan Hawke, John Hurt, Olivia Thirlby, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach

In the city that never sleeps, love is always on the mind. Those passions come to life in NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU – a collaboration of storytelling from some of today’s most imaginative filmmakers and featuring an all-star cast. Together they create a kaleidoscope of the spontaneous, surprising, electrifying human connections that pump the city’s heartbeat. Sexy, funny, haunting and revealing encounters unfold beneath the Manhattan skyline. From Tribeca to Central Park to Brooklyn the story weaves a tale of love as diverse as the very fabric of New York itself.

Rated R for some language.

Running time: 120 minutes.

On the 20-year anniversary of his groundbreaking masterpiece ROGER & ME, Michael Moore‘s CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY comes home to the issue he’s been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). But this time the culprit is much bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene far wider than Flint, Michigan. From Middle America, to the halls of power in Washington, to the global financial epicenter in Manhattan, Michael Moore will once again take filmgoers into uncharted territory.

With both humor and outrage, Michael Moore’s CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY explores a taboo question: What is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism? Years ago, that love seemed so innocent. Today, however, the American dream is looking more like a nightmare as families pay the price with their jobs, their homes and their savings. Moore takes us into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down; and he goes looking for explanations in Washington, DC and elsewhere. What he finds are the all-too-familiar symptoms of a love affair gone astray: lies, abuse, betrayal…and 14,000 jobs being lost everyday.

CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY is both a culmination of Moore’s previous works and a look into what a more hopeful future could look like. It is Michael Moore’s ultimate quest to answer the question he’s posed throughout his illustrious filmmaking career: Who are we and why do we behave the way that we do?

Many thanks to the amazing Amy L!

On October 10th, Girish Karnad will screen his film, A LAMP IN THE NICHE, at 4 pm in Kane 210. This documentary on Sufism has won much acclaim. He will lead a discussion after the screening.

Rated PG-13 for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material.

Running time: 111 minutes

For years, Bliss Cavender (Academy Award® nominee Ellen Page) has been dreaming of escaping her tiny, truck-stop of a town Bodeen, Texas. Unfortunately her devoted, beauty pageant obsessed mother (Academy Award® winner Marcia Gay Harden) is convinced that Bliss can only succeed in life if she wins the crown at the local Miss Blue Bonnet Pageant, but the awkward outsider knows there’s something bigger and better out there. When Bliss sneaks off to the big city of Austin with her best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat) she discovers a world unlike anything she could ever imagine: roller derby, with its girl-power-meets-punk-rock spirit and its liberating celebration of wild individuality.

Inspired by the likes of Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), Bliss secretly tries out for a spot on the Hurl Scouts, a rag-tag team of scrappy underdogs. Soon she’s trading in her gowns and crowns for skirts, skates and scrapes becoming her alter ego, Babe Ruthless. Leading a precarious double life, Bliss may be a waitress at Bodeen’s Oink Joint by day, but by night, she’s becoming the fastest thing on eight wheels. Now she’s doing things she never dreamed of — fearlessly facing off with bad-ass rivals like Iron Maven (Academy Award® nominee Juliette Lewis) and falling for a boy in a band (singer/songwriter Landon Pigg) — while trying to be a heroine to her new friends and teammates. But when her secret gets out, Bliss will face her toughest fight yet: to take control of the future . . . on her own terms.

Or: HOW TO GRILL A STAR

We’ve all seen them, documentaries built on boring, lifeless interviews. We’ve all read them, profiles that don’t even hint at the motives of the person behind the story. Warren Etheredge has spent a career interviewing filmmakers, authors and ordinary people on screen, in print and in person and has an uncanny ability to bring out insights his subjects never imagined they’d share. During this program Warren offers structures, tips and strategies to turn mundane questioning into the Art of interviewing. It is an art that Warren has honed in more than 1,000 professional interviews with such personalities as Amy Sedaris, Sir Salman Rushdie, Zack Braff, Michael Pollan and Naomi Watts. He is currently producing The Warren Report television series in which he conducts in depth interviews with filmmakers and experts on the issues brought up in their films. During this workshop you will not only learn the secrets of solid interviews but get to practice the craft yourself under Warren’s watchful eye.

**Register now for this special session of THE ART OF THE INTERVIEW on October 19th, 2009. The class fee is only $75. Reserve your seat on-line via PayPal or send a check or money order – made payable to The Warren Report – to: 1752 NW Market St #118, Seattle, WA 98107. Seating is limited, so act now. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at warren@thewarrenreport.com**

© Scott Squire, NonFiction Media

About me…

As founder of The Warren Report (www.thewarrenreport.com), Warren Etheredge curates and hosts over 250 events every year, a podcast and television series. The Warren Report promotes “slow culture” through commentary, outreach, events and education. Our principle: Smarter audiences make a better world! Additionally, Warren is one of the founding faculty of TheFilmSchool, along with Tom Skerritt, Stewart Stern, Rick Stevenson and John Jacobsen. For six years, Warren served as the Curator for the 1 Reel Film Festival (at Bumbershoot), before that, he worked with the Seattle International Film Festival. Warren has staged over 40 plays in New York, published five books, written countless magazine articles and recently completed a feature-length documentary, HUMOR ME. He is in pre-production for a new documentary, TAPPED OUT: SOLVING AMERICA’S WATER CRISIS. He is the host of Words & Wine and The Good Life, conversation series with A-list authors, and is a regular contributor to Seattle’s NPR affiliate, KUOW. He speaks at festivals and conferences nationwide including The Screenwriting Expo, The Austin Film Festival and Conference, Bastyr University’s Founders Weekend and Gnomedex.

This film has been rated R for language.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/paranormalactivity/

Paramount Pictures Presents
A Blumhouse Production
A Film by Oren Peli
Executive Producer Steven Schneider
Produced by Jason Blum and Oren Peli
Written and Directed by Oren Peli

Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, Amber Armstrong, Ashley Palmer

After a young, middle class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban “starter” tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night.

Especially when they sleep. Or try to.

September 29, 2009
M.J. Ryan
ADAPTABILITY:
How to Survive Change You Didn’t Ask For
Time: 6:30 pm
Cost: $35/person (includes all appetizers
and a copy of the featured book)

Location:
NEW VENUE: Hotel Andra Ballroom
2000 4th Avenue (at Virginia), Seattle, 98121

Layoffs and restructurings, foreclosures and bankruptcy, dwindling retirement savings, divorce….wherever you look something is changing.  As we scramble to keep up it is natural to feel overwhelmed and helpless, because change is hard — especially when it is forced upon us. How can we adapt quickly and successfully?

MJ Ryan has the answer — Adaptability: How to Survive Change Your Didn’t Ask For walks us through three stages of successful change: accepting it, expanding your options, and taking action.  You can retrain your brain to stop panicking and start planning, to identify new opportunities and align yourself with your values and purpose. You can actually thrive during this time of change—and make it a transformative time.

MJ Ryan is the author of many books includingThis Year I Will…: How to Finally Change  a Habit, Keep a Resolution Or Make a Dream Come True;The Happiness Makeover; Trusting Yourself; andThe Power of Patience, and she is one of the creators of the Random Acts of Kindness Series. Ryan is also a columnist atHealth Magazine, a contributing editor at Good Housekeeping, and a coach for high performance executives, entrepreneurs and leadership teams around the world.

Reservations are required and can be made by clicking on the Brown Paper Tickets link above.

For more information about this event,
please contact us or call: 206-632-2419

The Good Life: books for better living events are interactive evenings of conversation with authors on tools for creating “the good life.” These events will take place at either Tom Douglas’ Palace Ballroom or the Hotel Andra Ballroom, where we will gather together to enjoy appetizers and beverages and an onstage interview of the author by Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report.

Tickets for the events listed are $35 per person. Reservations are required, and can be purchased here on our website by clicking on the Brown Paper Tickets link.

Buy a season pass to the
Fall 2009 The Good Life book event series,
and save 15% on the ticket price!

A copy of each author’s new book is included in the ticket price as are appetizers and bites of Theo Chocolate that evening. There will be a cash bar available.

The Good Life is made possible by support from Children’s Trust Foundation, Bastyr University, Nesting Instincts and Lush Life Floral.

ZOMBIELAND

Rated R for horror violence/gore and language.

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Written by: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick

Produced by: Gavin Polone

Executive Producers: Ezra Swerdlow, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese

Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin

Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn’t have fears. If he did, he’d kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they’re about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other.

Many thanks to the delightful Deirdre C!

*PLEASE NOTE: Admission is first come, first seated. There will be no list at the door.*

RAFSKINNA is a cutting edge Icelandic DVD magazine featuring music videos, short films, artist videos and interviews with Icelandic and international artists. Rafskinna #3 features bands and artists such including Animal Collective, Antony and the Johnsons, Olaf Arnalds, Dalek, Emiliana Torrini, FM Belfast, Retro Stefson, Ragnar Kjartansson, Michael Madsen, Finboggi Petursson, Nico Muhly, Psychic TV, Curver Thoroddsen and more!

Many thanks to the delightful Deirdre C!

*PLEASE NOTE: Admission is first come, first seated. There will be no list at the door.*

In 24 hours, forty-something professor Jon will be getting married to a student half his age. But before he can make it to the ceremony, he ll have to deal with a massive debt to his mother-in-law to-be, his extremely drunk best man, the logistics of a remote Icelandic island, an increasingly hostile reverend, and the guilt-ridden memory of his emotionally unstable first wife. Can love survive one final night under the midnight sun or is the road to happiness paved with blissful ignorance? Hilmir Snær Gudnason (101 REYKJAVÍK) stars in this internationally acclaimed comedy/drama from writer/director Baltasar Kormákur (JAR CITY) that The Calgary Herald calls a hilarious, darker version of Woody Allen or Alexander Payne. You won’t see a better film this year than WHITE NIGHT WEDDING!

* Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report will serve as the MC for the Friday Night benefit performance.*

Circus of Dreams Guild is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing hope and joy to children with brain tumors. Circus of Dreams presents a children’s circus performance; the concept of the show is the joy and inspiration of dreaming big. The show is open to the public, however we will be hosting special guests at the event. Children battling cancer will be sponsored to come to the matinee show with their families and will receive a fun backstage tour to meet the performers and other special surprises.

Circus of Dreams was founded in 2007 by Jenn Wrenn in collaboration with her sister Katy, who in July 2007 at age 28 was diagnosed with having brain tumors. ‘I wanted to do something to inspire my sister — and children battling cancer like her — the same way she inspired me with her bravery’, says Jennifer. Katy says of the project: ‘when my sister offered me the chance to put together this benefit, it was the perfect opportunity to support research that’s working to find better, safer treatments for kids. I think of it like this: Every dollar we raise puts us $1 closer to finding a cure..’

Two founding members of the Circus of Dreams planning committee (the Dream Team) are also organizers and performers in ‘Aerlift’, put on by the ‘Aerial Army of Love’. Several members of the ‘Dream Team’ have brain cancer themselves or have family members with brain cancer. Inspired to use their art to help better the world, all performances are donated.

Benefit for: Pediatric Brain Tumor Research @ Seattle Children’s Hospital
Inspirational Evening: Friday September 18, 2009: 8 PM. $25
Children’s Matinees: Saturday September 19, 2009: 1 and 4 PM. $10 kids, $20 adult
Venue: Allen Theater, ACT Theatre , Seattle
Tickets:Buy Tickets Now, Box Office: 206-292-7676
Mailing List: Sign up to be notified on important happenings

Many thanks to the adorable Arleigh N!

Rated R for sexuality, nudity and language.

Running time: 111 minutes

THE BURNING PLAIN, a romantic mystery about a woman on the edge who takes an emotional journey back to the defining moment of her life. Oscar®-winner Charlize Theron plays Sylvia, a beautiful restaurant manager whose cool, professional demeanor masks the sexually charged storm within. When a stranger from Mexico confronts her with her mysterious past, Sylvia is launched into a journey through space and time that inextricably connects her to these disparate characters, all of whom are grappling with their own romantic destinies.

In Mexico, a young motherless girl, Maria (Tessa Ia), lives happily with her father and his best friend until a tragic accident changes it all. In the New Mexico border town of Las Cruces, two teenagers, Mariana (Jennifer Lawrence) and Santiago (JD Pardo), find love in the aftermath of their parents’ sudden deaths. In an abandoned trailer, a housewife, Gina (Oscar®-winner Kim Basinger), embarks on a passionate affair that will put Sylvia and the others on a collision course with the explosive power of forbidden love.

THE BURNING PLAIN is the directorial debut of Oscar®-nominated screenwriter
Guillermo Arriaga. From 2929 Productions (GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, WE OWN THE NIGHT), the film was produced by Walter Parkes and Laurie Macdonald (CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, SWEENY TODD) and executive produced by Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban, Marc Butan, and Ray Angelic.

Directed by: Gregori Viens
Written by: Gregori Viens & Henry Phillips
Cast: Henry Phillips, Ellen Ratner, Wade Kelly, Matt Walker

Henry Phillips, a modern day American troubadour, is grinding his way through the heartland, living out of his car and singing his twisted satirical songs to anyone who will listen. After a booking mishap involving a Christian fundraiser, he decides it’s time for a change. Hoping for something better, he moves to L.A. to crash with his unemployed-actor brother, and his luck changes overnight. Following some good shows (and a fortuitous case of mistaken identity) he finds himself with all he could ask for: a record deal, radio airplay, an article in the paper and even attention from the female barista he’s admired from afar. But like a fist in the face, he learns the whimsical rules of the record industry. The unwitting victim of a vicious rumor that spreads via an elaborate industry ‘telephone game, Henry faces losing the only thing that ever mattered to him: his music. PUNCHING THE CLOWN is the story of Henry Phillips, a very real singer/comedian, facing numerous ridiculous and off-putting hurdles in his career; all the more amusing as he himself is humorously inoffensive. This film is a hilarious, crazy journey of a comedy career that blurs the lines between funny and inappropriate… like spiked punch at the junior prom. PUNCHING THE CLOWN is like a donkey punch to your funny bone. STIFF – Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival. On the last Thursday of every month STIFF brings you a new movie by an independent film maker. Come down and see experimental and wild movies that you won’t see at the multiplex. http://www.trueindependent.org/

Rated R for strong horror violence and language.

Director: Christian Alvart
Screenwriter: Travis Milloy
Producers: Paul W. S. Anderson, Jeremy Bolt, Robert Kulzer
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung Le, Eddie Rouse, André Hennicke, Norman Reedus
In PANDORUM, Dennis Quaid (VANTAGE POINT, THE EXPRESS) and Ben Foster (3:10 TO YUMA, ALPHA DOG) join Cam Gigandet (NEVER BACK DOWN, TWILIGHT), Cung Le (TEKKEN, FIGHTING), newcomer Antje Traue, and director Christian Alvart (ANTIBODIES) to tell the terrifying story of two crew members stranded on a spacecraft who quickly – and horrifically – realize they are not alone.

Two astronauts awaken in a hyper-sleep chamber aboard a seemingly abandoned spacecraft. It’s pitch black, they are disoriented, and the only sound is a low rumble and creak from the belly of the ship. They can’t remember anything: Who are they? What is their mission?

With Lt. Payton (Quaid) staying behind to guide him via radio transmitter, Bower ventures deep into the ship and begins to uncover a terrifying reality. Slowly the spacecraft’s shocking, deadly secrets are revealed…and the astronauts find their own survival is more important than they could ever have imagined.

If you want to visit France, it’s best to learn French. If you want to be a retail analyst, you’ve got to talk shop. And if you’re gonna talk smack with Dr. Doolittle, best brush up on your Marsupialese: the vet curses in fluent kangaroo. Can’t you?

So why is it so many folks who love movies or want to make them, possess only the most rudimentary vocabulary for critiquing and constructing Film?

LANGUAGE FOR FILM, is a 1-day intensive during which we’ll examine the six major components of production — screenwriting, directing, shooting, acting, editing and composing — by reviewing clips to dissect the intricacies and artistry of each of these professions. After seven hours, you’ll fully understand the principles of film theory and the challenges of filmmaking. Most importantly, as the class title implies, you’ll have the vocabulary to best express your impressions of others’ efforts and your own grand visions.

Register now for this special session of LANGUAGE FOR FILM on September 19th, 2009. In honor of my own birthday, I am offering a significant discount. Yup, you can attend the entire seven-hour seminar for only $100 (a savings of fifty dollars!). Reserve your seat on-line via PayPal or send a check or money order — made payable to The Warren Report — to: 1752 NW Market St #118, Seattle, WA 98107. Seating is limited, so act now. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at warren@thewarrenreport.com

About me…

As founder of The Warren Report (www.thewarrenreport.com), Warren Etheredge curates and hosts over 250 events every year, a podcast and television series. The Warren Report promotes “slow culture” through commentary, outreach, events and education. Our principle: Smarter audiences make a better world!  Additionally, Warren is one of the founding faculty of TheFilmSchool, along with Tom Skerritt, Stewart Stern, Rick Stevenson and John Jacobsen. For six years, Warren served as the Curator for the 1 Reel Film Festival (at Bumbershoot), before that, he worked with the Seattle International Film Festival. Warren has staged over 40 plays in New York, published five books, written countless magazine articles and recently completed a feature-length documentary, HUMOR ME. He is in pre-production for a new documentary, TAPPED OUT: SOLVING AMERICA’S WATER CRISIS. He is the host of Words & Wine and The Good Life, conversation series with A-list authors, and is a regular contributor to Seattle’s NPR affiliate, KUOW. He speaks at festivals and conferences nationwide including The Screenwriting Expo, The Austin Film Festival and Conference and Gnomedex.

September 17, 2009
Po Bronson
NURTURESHOCK:
New Thinking About Children
Time: 6:30 pm 
Cost: $35/person (includes all appetizers
and a copy of the featured book)

Location:
NEW VENUE: Hotel Andra Ballroom
2000 4th Avenue (at Virginia), Seattle, 98121

Nurtureshock: New Thinking About Children is a ground breaking new work by award-winning journalists Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman that explodes our assumptions about parenting and childhood.  In a world of modern, involved, caring parents, why are so many kids aggressive and cruel? Why are kids more aggressive after watching TV shows like Arthur than Power Rangers?  Why do cross-racial friendships decrease in schools that are more integrated?  If 96% of kids think lying is morally wrong, then why do 96% of kids lie? How can exposure to marital conflict actually be good for a child?  What are the keys to unlocking an infant’s language learning?

Bronson’s and Merryman’s articles on the cutting-edge science of childhood won the journalism award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the award for outstanding journalism from the Council on American Families.  Prior to collaborating together, Bronson authored five books, including theNYT bestseller What Should I do With My Life? Bronson is a graduate of Lakeside High School (in Seattle) and Stanford University, and his work has been featured on Oprah, Good Morning America, and on the cover of five magazines including Wired and Fast Company.  He is the founder of The Grotto, a San Francisco writer’s colony and is currently writing for New York Magazine and The Guardian in the UK.

Reservations are required and can be made by clicking on the Brown Paper Tickets link above.

For more information about this event,
please contact us or call: 206-632-2419

**Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report will host an exclusive post-show panel discussion. Stay tuned for names of special guests.**

An honest and intimate look at the complexities of grief and healing, MOTHERLAND is about resilience, triumph of the human spirit and the power of unconditional love. It also reminds us of the vastly different ways in which disparate cultures confront deeply felt personal challenges.

Each year over eight million families around the world suffer the loss of a child. In Jennifer Steinman‘s moving and inspiring documentary film, a 17-day trip to South Africa transforms the lives of six grieving women from across the US. Unexpectedly and eight thousand miles from home, each finds comfort and healing in a landscape that appears, at first, to offer little more than melancholy.

Prior to their journey, the six intrepid women featured in the film have each suffered the death of a child but otherwise have little in common. And although the anticipation of a long, emotional journey with a group of strangers evokes anxiety, the women all share a desire to make sense of their tragedies and to move forward with their lives…

Debbi works as a paramedic in a rural Northern California town. Her son Garrett was hit by a drunk driver on the side of a highway while waiting for his car to be towed.

Mary Helena, an African-American actress and storyteller from urban Wisconsin, suffered a debilitating stroke less than a year after her son Aaron was killed in a triple-homicide.

Anne is married to an advertising executive in San Francisco and works as a volunteer for a local children’s charity. Her daughter Grace died of suicide at the age of 15.

Kathy, a suburban mom from Santa Rosa, California, works in a hospital emergency room. Her husband is a local police officer. Their son Mike died in a motorcycle accident.

Barbara, a nursing student from the small town of Dixon, California, is struggling with her impending divorce. Her marriage began to unravel after her son Jason died in a head-on collision.

Lauren is a 22-year old student from Oakland, California, and the youngest member of the group. Her older brother, Teveston, was killed by angry gang members who retaliated when he refused to join.

These six remarkable women travel half way around the world where they live with local families and work with African organizations dedicated to improving the lives of children. As they come to know each other, they assist teachers in over-crowded day care centers, lead activities with abused and at-risk teens and help care for physically-challenged youth. The work is meaningful and rewarding and a welcome reprieve from the depression, isolation and stagnation of life at home. In the end, the women share not just their stories and their pain but themselves – with and for each other and even more profoundly, with the children who touch their hearts at every turn.

MOTHERLAND was the winner of the 2009 Emerging Visions Audience Award at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival. Its other awards include the Jury Prize for Best Feature at the 2009 Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival and Best Documentary at the 2009 California Independent Film Festival.

Where: Pan Pacific Hotel
2125 Terry Avenue, Seattle, 98121

Sara Paretsky has written twenty books and has received numerous awards, including the Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award from the British Crime Writers Association.

When Indemnity Only was published in 1982, Paretsky opened the previously male-dominated mystery genre to a new kind of hero: a female investigator who uses her wits as well as her fists, and is neither a vamp nor a victim.

Paretsky’s passion for social justice led her to found Sisters in Crime in 1986, to support women writers in the mystery world, endow scholarships and mentor students in Chicago’s public schools, and also serve on a wide range of advisory boards for literacy.  

Hardball, her 12th novel to feature popular detective V.I Warshawski, draws on real events of the civil rights movement in 1960’s Chicago, as well as Paretsky’s own experiences living there in 1966, not far from Dr. Martin Luther King. As Detective Warshawski unravels an old cold case, she stumbles upon an ugly, shocking chapter of Chicago police history — one that may implicate her own late father, a Chicago cop. With a missing young woman to find and old wounds to open, Warshawski will come to distrust everything and everyone she thought she knew.

Reservations are required, and can be purchased by clicking on the Brown Paper Tickets link above.

For more information about this event,
please contact us or call: 206-632-2419

September 11, 2009
Frank Bruni
BORN ROUND:
The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater
Time: 6:30 pm 
Cost: $50/person (includes all wines, appetizers and a copy of the featured book)

Where: Pan Pacific Hotel
2125 Terry Avenue, Seattle, 98121

Frank Bruni was born round: stout, chubby, and hungry. He grew up in a big, loud Italian family in White Plains, New York, where meals were epic affairs and where he learned one of his foremost qualifications for his future career: an outsize love of food.

When Bruni was named the restaurant critic forThe New York Timesin 2004, he knew enough to be nervous—it is one of the most closely watched tasks in the food world—and he had spent his career covering politics, political campaigns and the Pope. Yes, he was the Time’s Rome Bureau chief and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, but did his love affair with food qualify him to be one of the most loved and/or hated tastemakers in the food world? His memoirBorn Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater traces his unusual path to becoming a restaurant critic, and is a brutally honest, sometimes funny, often painful tale of his complex and lifelong struggle with food.

“Frank Bruni has written a food memoir for our time, plumbing the depths of our personal and collective eating disorders.  By turns shocking and hilarious, Born Round is as addictive as Chinese Sesame Noodles and as satisfying as Grandma Bruni’s lasagna.”
—Michael Pollan

Reservations are required, and can be purchased by clicking on the Brown Paper Tickets link above.

For more information about this event,
please contact us or call: 206-632-2419

Rated PG-13 for nudity and brief strong language.

Running time: 101 minutes

Written and directed by: Sophie Barthes

Starring: Paul Giamatti, David Strathairn, Emily Watson, Lauren Ambrose, Dina Korzun

In response to shiny, bigger, better American consumerism comes COLD SOULS, a surreal comedy in which souls can be extracted and traded as commodities. Balancing on a tightrope between deadpan humor and pathos, and reality and fantasy, the film presents Paul Giamatti as himself, agonizing over his interpretation of Uncle Vanya. Paralyzed by anxiety, he stumbles upon a solution via a New Yorker article about a high-tech company promising to alleviate suffering by extracting souls.  Giamatti enlists their services — only to find out that his soul is the shape and size of a chickpea. On top of this discovery, complications arise when he becomes the unfortunate victim of “soul-trafficking” which leads him to Russia in hopes of retrieving his stolen soul from an ambitious but talentless soap-opera actress.

**IF THE WARREN REPORT IS SOLD OUT, PLEASE KNOW A FEW TICKETS REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. JUST CLICK HERE!**

Please note:  Dr. Amit Goswami will join Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report for an exclusive post-show q&a that will freak your melon.

Be prepared to take a discontinuous leap.

There is a revolution going on in science. A genuine paradigm shift. While mainstream science remains materialist, a substantial number of scientists are supporting and developing a paradigm based on the primacy of consciousness.

Dr. Amit Goswami, Ph.D, a pioneer of this revolutionary new perspective within science shares with us his vision of the unlimited potential of consciousness as the ground of all being, and how this revelation can actually help us to live better.

THE QUANTUM ACTIVIST tells the story of a man who challenges us to rethink our very notions of existence and reality, with a force and scope not felt since Einstein.

This film bridges the gap between God and Science. The work of Goswami, with stunning precision and without straying from the rigors of quantum mechanics, reveals the overarching unity inherent in the worlds major religions and mystical traditions.

Meet the man behind the message as Dr. Goswami tells how he moved away from the religious teachings of his childhood, to seek his path in nuclear and theoretical quantum physics, and how he has come full circle, through quantum insight, back to the very religious axioms offered as a youth.

With a poignant relevance to the problems of our day this film follows Dr. Goswami as he demonstrates how our mistaken views of reality have led to our current environmental, social, economic and spiritual crisis; as well as the means of correcting these errors. At stake is nothing less than our survival upon the planet. THE QUANTUM ACTIVIST is a film for our time. It is a film for all time. It is a film whose very subject transcends time.

Witty, profoundly insightful and colored with humor, THE QUANTUM ACTIVIST brings you Amit Goswami’s vision of the universe. Steeped in the verifiable facts of Quantum Mechanics, Dr. Goswami dares to pose the question, “What are you doing to participate in the creation of the reality we all share?”

A PERFECT GETAWAY

Directed by: David Twohy

Starring: Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant, Kiele Sanchez

Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) are an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii. Hiking the wild, secluded trails, they believe they’ve found paradise. But when the pair comes across a group of frightened hikers discussing the horrifying murder of another newlywed couple on the islands, they begin to question whether they should turn back.

Unsure whether to stay or flee, Cliff and Cydney join up with two other couples, and things begin to go terrifyingly wrong. Far from civilization or rescue, everyone begins to look like a threat and nobody knows whom to trust. Paradise becomes hell on earth as a brutal battle for survival begins…

Many thanks to the splendid Spencer F!

Running time: 94 minutes.

Written & directed by: Cameron Kirkwood

Starring: Charles Officer, Jeff Geddis, Scott Beaudin, Terra Vnesa and Cameron Kirkwood

In YOUR BEAUTIFUL CUL DE SAC HOME, a young lawyer sabotages his career, moves home and starts a ‘green’ lawn care service to save his integrity. Frustrated by suburban values, he resorts to extortion and corrupts himself more deeply than the law ever could before finding his way.

THE COVE is an astounding piece of investigative journalism with the heart of an action thriller. Led by Louie Psihoyos, leader of the Ocean Preservation Society, and Richard O’Barry, an internationally recognized authority on dolphin training who is best known for his work on the 1960′s TV show “Flipper,” the film follows a high-tech dive team on a mission to discover the truth about the international dolphin capture trade as practiced in Taji, Japan. Utilizing state-of the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide.

THE COVE is also directed by Louie Psihoyos, who brings confidence and precision to his insider’s account of this life-or death covert operation. A celebrated photographer who has created images for National Geographic for 18 years, Psihoyos captures the magnificence of the dolphins themselves and the ocean that surrounds them.

Save Japan Dolphins!
www.takepart.com/thecove
www.SaveJapanDolphins.org

Rated PG-13 for some language.

Running time is approximately 89 minutes.

Charlyne Yi does not believe in love. Or so she says. Well, at the very least, she doesn’t believe in fairy-tale love or the Hollywood mythology of love, and her own experiences have turned her into yet another modern-day skeptic.

PAPER HEART follows Charlyne as she embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn’t fully understand. As she and her good friend (and director) Nicholas search for answers and advice about love, Charlyne talks with friends and strangers, scientists, bikers, romance novelists, and children. They each offer diverse views on modern romance, as well as various answers to the age-old question: does true love really exist?

Then, shortly after filming begins, Charlyne meets a boy after her own heart: Michael Cera. As their relationship develops on camera, her pursuit to discover the nature of love takes on a fresh new urgency and Charlyne risks losing the person she finds closest to her heart.

Combining elements of documentary and traditional storytelling, reality and fantasy, PAPER HEART brings a fresh perspective to the modern romance and redefines the classic love story.

PAPER HEART is directed by Nicholas Jasenovec and also features Jake Johnson.

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, sexual content and language

Running time: 98 minutes

**PLEASE NOTE:  Hugh Dancy and Max Mayer will join Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report for an exclusive post-show q&a.**

Directed by: Max Mayer

Starring: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving and Frankie Faison

Romance can be risky, perplexing and filled with the perils of miscommunication – and that’s if you aren’t ADAM, for whom life itself is this way. In this heartfelt romantic comedy, Hugh Dancy stars as Adam, a handsome but intriguing young man who has all his life led a sheltered existence – until he meets his new neighbor, Beth played by Rose Byrne, a beautiful, cosmopolitan young woman who pulls him into the outside world, with funny, touching and entirely unexpected results. Their implausible and enigmatic relationship reveals just how far two people from different realities can stretch in search of an extraordinary connection.

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sensuality.

Written & directed by: Nora Ephron

Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Jane Lynch, Mary Lynn Rajskub

Meryl Streep is Julia Child and Amy Adams is Julie Powell in writer-director Nora Ephron‘s adaptation of two bestselling memoirs: Powell’s Julie and Julia and My Life in France, by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme.

Based on two true stories, JULIE & JULIA intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends…until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

Many thanks to the convivial Christin M!

**PLEASE NOTE: Award-winning filmmaker/voyeur(?) Ondi Timoner will join Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report for an all too revealing, post-show q&a.**

** WE LIVE IN PUBLIC was just honored with the Special Grand Jury Prize at the 2009 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival! **

On the 40th anniversary of the Internet, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC tells the story of the effect the web is having on our society, as seen through the eyes of “the greatest Internet pioneer you’ve never heard of,” visionary Josh Harris.  Award-winning director, Ondi Timoner (DiG!), documented his tumultuous life for more than a decade, to create a riveting, cautionary tale of what to expect as the virtual world inevitably takes control of our lives.

Josh Harris, often called the “Warhol of the Web,” founded Pseudo.com, the first Internet television network during the infamous dot-com boom of the 1990s.  He also created his vision of the future: an underground bunker in NYC where 100 people lived together on camera for 30 days over the turn of the millennium. (The project, named QUIET, also became the subject of Ondi Timoner’s first cut of her documentary about Harris.  Her film shared the project’s name.) With Quiet, Harris proved how, in the not-so-distant future of life online, we will willingly trade our privacy for the connection and recognition we all deeply desire.  Through his experiments, including another six-month stint living under 24-hour live surveillance online which led him to mental collapse, he demonstrated the price we will all pay for living in public.

Ondi Timoner — the only filmmaker to win the Sundance grand jury award twice in history — graduated from Yale University cum laude and founded Interloper Films in 1994.

She has achieved worldwide critical acclaim with her feature length documentary, DiG! – which took home the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival (2004). Her short film, Recycle (2005) was a winner at the ICG Awards, and screened at both Sundance and Cannes.

Since DiG!, Ondi has also directed commercials for McDonald’s, State Farm, DeVry, the Army and Ford, which has helped her independently fund her latest film projects, JOIN US, released in 2007, and her next feature release, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC.

Whether it’s rock music, religious cults, or the virtual world of the Internet, Ondi always takes the viewer deep into worlds they would never otherwise explore. Her iconoclastic work is noteworthy for telling stories that unfold over time with incredible access and emotional depth.

In March 2008, Ondi traveled to Ethiopia to shoot THE GREATEST GIFT, a short film for the non-profit organization, One Love Africa Schools. In October, Ondi returned to Africa, traveling to Ethiopia and Senegal, where she directed/produced two shorts for the prestigious annual show CNN: HEROES.

Upcoming projects include two narrative feature films, THE PERFECT MOMENT, about the controversial work and life of Robert Mapplethorpe. And of course Ondi continues to follow Josh Harris as his horizons expand in the wake of this film’s release!

www.thecollector-movie.com

New York, New York. The U.S. military draft is back. You have thirty days to report . . .

DAY ZERO follows the lives of three best friends in New York City who have thirty days to come to terms with their fate : the draft is back and they’ve been called to serve.

Dixon, Rifkin and Feller grew up together in New York. Living very different lives in the same city, their childhood friendship still binds them. Rifkin (Chris Klein) is a married lawyer whose career is on the rise. He’s just made partner and is looking for any loop hole to get out of serving. Now “isn’t a good time” for him. Feller (Elijah Wood) is working on his second novel. The first was a smash success, but his draft notice paralyzes him, causing severe writer’s block. Instead he draws up his list of “Top 10 things to do before I serve.” Dixon (Jon Bernthal) drives a cab, lives a solitary life and is proud and ready to serve – until he meets someone and finally has something to lose. Over thirty days, they will find their relationships tested as they confront long held beliefs about life, death, courage and love.

Rated R for some language and sexual references.

Running time: 95 minutes

**PLEASE NOTE: Oscar®-nominated actor/writer/director Peter Riegert will join Warren Etheredge for an exclusive, in-depth, post-show conversation about the craft and commerce of filmmaking!**

A sardonic, dead-pan social comedy about the dangers of navigating life without a compass, KING OF THE CORNER paints a portrait of Leo (Peter Riegert), his family and his world. His father (Eli Wallach) is ailing, his daughter (Ashley Johnson) is growing up too fast, his protege (Jake Hoffman) is after his job, his wife (Isabella Rossellini) is running out of patience, an old-flame resurfaces (Beverly D’Angelo) and his judgement is becoming blurred. Through a twist of fate and the help of an unorthodox rabbi (Eric Bogosian), Leo charts his way through these murky waters towards middle age self-redemption and a second chance.

Shot by the imaginative cinematographer Mauricio Rubinstein (CASA DE LOS BABYS) with music by rock ‘n’ roll legend Al Kooper and edited with Mario Ontal‘s able hand, KING OF THE CORNER is director Peter Riegert‘s first feature since his Academy Award® nominated short, BY COURIER. KING OF THE CORNER was co-written by Riegert and Gerald Shapiro, based on Shapiro’s collection of short stories, Bad Jews and Other Stories.

Born in the Bronx and raised in Ardsley, New York, Peter Riegert was a teacher and social worker before taking up acting. He made his directorial debut with the short film BY COURIER which was nominated for an Academy Award® in 2000. He has appeared in more than 30 films including ANIMAL HOUSE, LOCAL HERO, CROSSING DELANCEY, OBJECT OF BEAUTY, OSCAR, PASSED AWAY, THE MASK and TRAFFIC. His television credits include The Sopranos, Gypsy, Barbarians at the Gate and the final episode of Seinfeld. Riegert has appeared in a number of acclaimed theatrical productions such as The Old Neighborhood, An American Daughter, The Nerd, Dance With Me, Road To Nirvana, The Birthday Party and A Rosen By Any Other Name. He recently completed work on WHEN WE WERE GROWNUPS starring Blythe Danner and SURRENDER DOROTHY with Diane Keaton.

With last year’s inaugural season of How To Write Like I Do, we discovered that Seattle is full of folks who wish to write like someone else…and they did in writing exercises led by writing luminaries such as John Moe, Kathleen Alcala, Ryan Boudinot and Garth Stein, and even a drawing luminary, David Lasky.

The series was so successful we’re doing it again, and we’re raising the price a teeny bit. Let’s just get that piece of information out of the way. Why are we doing this? Because, well, because people said to us after they had attended a workshop or two, “I can’t believe you are charging so little!” But even more importantly, we’re doing it because 100 percent of the profits from these workshops go to support the work of 826 Seattle.

Yes, let me repeat: 100 percent.

By participating in 826 Seattle’s How to Write Like I Do series you are, essentially, doing your part to promote worldwide harmony and to end war. And, during it all, you’ll be enjoying the wit and wisdom of people like John Roderick (songwriter) and Ellen Forney (cartoonist) and Bharti Kirchner (novelist).

Are you game?

Each workshop is only $30 (tax included) and for that you get to spend two hours with local and national writing luminaries, learning their secrets. You also get to have books signed by said luminaries and drink coffee with them. You will be able to say things like, “Oh yes, I’ve had coffee with Elizabeth Kostova, you know, the author of that best-selling novel The Historian. Why, yes, she did fly all the way out from Ashville, North Carolina just for this workshop. I’ll never forget it.”

Sign up now. Just remember: space is limited and last year, most workshops sold out.

We’ve all seen them, documentaries built on boring, lifeless interviews. We’ve all read them, profiles that don’t even hint at the motives of the person behind the story. Warren Etheredge has spent a career interviewing filmmakers, authors and ordinary people both on screen and in print and has an uncanny ability bring out insights his subjects never imagined they’d share. During this program Warren offers structures, tips and strategies to turn mundane questioning into the art of…conversing. It is an art that Warren has honed in more than 1,000 professional interviews. For a sample of Warren’s distinctive style, please check out The Warren Report’s FREE podcast available via iTunes or Libsyn.

In the action-thriller PUBLIC ENEMIES, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger (Depp)—the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public.

No one could stop Dillinger and his gang.  No jail could hold him.  His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone—from his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression. 

But while the adventures of Dillinger’s gang—later including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi)—thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw’s capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI.  He made Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One and sent in Purvis, the dashing “Clark Gable of the FBI.’’ 

However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis’ men in wild chases and shootouts.  Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) and orchestrating epic betrayals—from the infamous “Lady in Red’’ to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti—were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.

Many thanks to the affable Adam S!

Running time: 82 minutes

**Filmmaker Alex Olch will join Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report for an exclusive post-show q&a.**

 
What do you call a documentary composed of elements of somebody else’s unfinished diary film? Homage? Portrait? Assemblage? Case study? Richard Rogers was a NYC baby boomer, born to privilege: Harvard-educated, he became a first-rate independent director and a gifted film teacher. But he was also a tortured neurotic soul torn between narrow class loyalties and broader professional goals and political values. Though Rogers found the time to juggle multiple relationships with the skill of a world-class Lothario, he was unable to complete an autobiographical film he had worked on for 25 years. His former student Alexander Olch brings together a trove of leftover material, including extraordinary scenes of Rogers’s mink-coated, domineering mother, along with fictional sequences with Wallace Shawn as Richard. THE WINDMILL MOVIE is a heady, fascinating brew that brings together one man’s parentage, culture, education and ambition—letting the chips fall where they may. 

Shown along with Richard Rogers’ first film QUARRY, a black and white short made near Quincy, MA with beautifully composed rocky landscapes and shots of young people worthy of Robert Frank‘s The Americans.

“It’s a reconstructed depiction of a contradictory artist and man, an act of memory preservation and facilitation whose eloquence, largely free of pat analysis, captures the messy, paradoxical emotions that often remain irreconcilable to the grave.” —Slant

Many thanks to the randy Rachael B!

Running time: 110 minutes

Long before “the new economy” and bigwig bailouts, this hilarious tale celebrated sticking it to the man. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton star as overworked women slaving away in the depths of corporate hell. When pushed too far by their chauvinistic boss (Dabney Coleman), the women fight back and find out that getting even is a full-time job. With a new stage musical based on the film packing in audiences on Broadway, 9 TO 5 has withstood the test of overtime to become a beloved favorite.

Many thanks to the randy Rachael B!

Running time: 111 minutes

He’ll save every one of us! Playgirl centerfold Sam J. Jones takes on the titular role as the legendary hero of comics and serial films. In this campy, big-budget interpretation, Flash is a football player who finds himself transported to planet Mongo, where he must do battle with Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydow) to save the universe. Featuring a killer soundtrack by Queen and plenty of hot pants, FLASH GORDON is sci-fi adventure at its sexiest.

Running time: 95 minutes

LITTLE DARLINGS

It’s a battle of the babes in the ultimate summer camp smackdown, when two girls from opposite sides of the tracks compete to be the first to lose their virginity. 80s teen idols Kristy McNichol and Tatum O’Neal star with forever hunky Matt Dillon (and Sex and the City’s Cynthia Nixon as a spunky teenager) in this frisky and fun romp through fast cars, food fights, and the end of innocence.

Seattle Central Community College  presents its 23rd Annual Film And Video Showcase. Come see the work of a budding new class of Seattle filmmakers! Enjoy a wide range of creative works, featuring narrative shorts, documentaries, process films, commercials, animation, Super 8mm, 16mm, and more! The event is at the Broadway Performance Hall at 1625 Broadway Avenue on June 10th. This free show starts at 6PM, reception to follow.

**One of David Carridine‘s last movies.**

BREAK is presented as part of the ongoing STIFF Nights series.

Produced by: Joseph Isgro, Dan Michaels, Luca Palanca & Marc Clebanoff

Written & Directed by: Marc Clebanoff

Starring: Frank Krueger, Sarah Thompson (Angel , 7th Heaven), Chad Everett (MULHOLLAND DRIVE), Michael Madsen (RESERVOIR DOGS, FREE WILLY), Mackenzie Firgens (GROOVE, RENT), David Carradine (KILL BILL), Charles Durning (TOOTSIE , DOG DAY AFTERNOON), Matthew Jones (General Hospital), James Russo (THE NINTH GATE) and Xin Sarith Wuku.

Original Music by Peter DiStefano

BREAK is a stylistic noir drama about an introverted hit man named Frank who is contracted to carry out an unusual job. When the city’s crime boss, known only as “The Man”, discovers that he’s terminally ill, he enlists Frank to carry out his own assassination. “The Man”, however, is selfish and jealous, and doesn’t want to die alone, and makes it clear to Frank that he is to take out the woman he loves in addition to himself. When Frank discovers that The Woman is his own long lost lover, Frank alters the job making himself the next mark. In an action-packed KILL BILL style chain of character-driven events, riddled with dark humor and visual spectacle, Frank and The Woman take on the many enemies set out before them before they can free themselves from The Man’s jealous grip.

Running time: 92 minutes

**Please check in with The Warren Report ambassador, the jocular Julie C!**

 
Directed by: Woody Allen

Written by: Woody Allen

Starring: Ed Begley, Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Larry David, Conleth Hill, Michael McKean and Evan Rachel Wood

 
Woody Allen returns to New York with an offbeat comedy about a crotchety misanthrope (Larry David) and a naïve, impressionable young runaway from the south (Evan Rachel Wood). When her uptight parents, (Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley, Jr.) arrive to rescue her, they are quickly drawn into wildly unexpected romantic entanglements. Everyone discovers that finding love is just a combination of lucky chance and appreciating the value of WHATEVER WORKS.

Screenplay by: Brian Helgeland

Based on the novel by: John Godey

Produced by: Todd Black, Tony Scott, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch

Executive Producers: Barry Waldman, Michael Costigan, Ryan Kavanaugh

Cast: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli and James Gandolfini

 
In THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3, Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there’s one riddle Garber can’t solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?

Inlaws & Outlaws cleverly weaves together the true stories of couples and singles— both gay and straight — and all into a collective narrative that is as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.

At the top of the film, you meet real people one on one. You don’t know who’s gay or straight or who’s with whom. As their stories unfold and stereotypes fall by the wayside, you won’t care because you’ll be rooting for everybody. With candor, good humor, great music and real heart, Inlaws & Outlaws gets past all the rhetoric to explore what we all have in common.

We love. We lose. We all want to belong. And we’re all making this up as we go along.

July 14, 2009
Mark Caro
THE FOIE GRAS WARS: How a 5,000-Year-Old Delicacy Inspired the World’s Fiercest Food Fight
Time: 6:30 pm 
Cost: $45/person
Where: Pan Pacific Hotel 
2125 Terry Avenue, Seattle, 98121

TO PURCHASE TICKETS 
by email: contact us l by phone: 206-632-2419 l or purchase online

The Egyptians developed it, food loving people everywhere embraced it, and then in 2005, Chicago outlawed it: foie gras. Mark Caro, veteran Chicago Tribune writer, spent time on all sides of the debate, and the facts, he admits, “give me pause” although “not enough to put down my fork.” Join us for a lively discussion about appetite, ethics and the intersection of the two, when we talk with Caro about his latest book, “The Foie Gras Wars: How a 5,000 Year-Old-Delicacy Inspired the World’s Fiercest Food Fight.”

For more information about this event, 
please contact us or call: 206-632-2419

Check back for more fun future book events!

Kim Ricketts/Book Events connects people by creating author events in non-traditional venues. When authors visit Seattle, we find innovative ways to celebrate their books. Keep an eye out for our COOKS AND BOOKS visiting chef series and THE GOOD LIFE: books for better living events taking place at great venues about town. 

For more information about Kim Ricketts/Book Events, to inquire about a private event, or to sign-up for our Fun List or Cooks & Books email list, call (206) 632-2419 or go to our contact us.

Many thanks to the delightful Dewdrop!

Rated PG for some mild language & brief questionable behavior.

Running Time: 107 minutes

**Please check in with The Warren Report Ambassador, the jocular Julie C!**

Directed by: Karey Kirkpatrick

Written by: Ed Solomon & Chris Matheson

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Yara Shahidi, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox and Martin Sheen

In Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies‘ family comedy IMAGINE THAT, Eddie Murphy stars as a successful financial executive who has more time for his BlackBerry than his seven-year-old daughter (Yara Shahidi). When he has a crisis of confidence and his career starts going down the drain, however, he finds the solution to all his problems in his daughter’s imaginary world.

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout and language.

**Please check in with The Warren Report Ambassador, the affable Neil S.**

DANCE FLICK is a hilarious new comedy that brings together the talents of two generations of the Wayans family, the explosively funny clan who brought us the SCARY MOVIE franchise and WHITE CHICKS as well as the groundbreaking TV series “In Living Color.”

In DANCE FLICK, a young street dancer, Thomas Uncles (Damon Wayans, Jr.), from the wrong side of the tracks and a beautiful young woman, Megan White (Shoshana Bush), are brought together by their passion for dancing and put to the test in the mother of all dance battles.

DANCE FLICK sends up the dance movie genre, including such recent hits as STEP UP and YOU GOT SERVED as well as the classic FLASHDANCE.

Rated PG for mild action and brief language.

Running time: 105 minutes

Please check in with The Warren Report Ambassaddor, the jocular Julie C!

http://www.nightatthemuseummovie.com/

Director: Shawn Levy
Screenplay by: Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon
Cast: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Christopher Guest, Alain Chabat and Robin Williams

It’s a new “Night” and “Museum” for Ben Stiller, who is joined by several other stars from the original film, as well as new characters from history — including Amy Adams as famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart, Hank Azaria as villainous Egyptian pharaoh Kahmunrah, Christopher Guest as Russian tyrant Ivan the Terrible and Alain Chabat as Napoleon. Owen Wilson is back as cowboy Jedediah, and Robin Williams again rides into history as Teddy Roosevelt. The centerpiece of the film will be bringing to life the Smithsonian Institution, which houses the world’s largest museum complex with more than 136 million items in its collections, ranging from the plane Amelia Earhart flew on her nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic and Al Capone‘s rap sheet and mug shot to Dorothy’s ruby red slippers and Archie Bunker‘s lounge chair. No major film has ever shot inside the Smithsonian in Washington…until NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN.

Come see an ultra-preview of Kevin Rexroat‘s subversive, hilarious SHE CAN’T STAY WITH ME.

This screenplay reading will be directed by Lisa Halpern and star Sarah Harlett, Basil Harris, Jose J. Gonzales, Annette Toutonghi, Eray Anderson, and more!

Please note: This screening will be followed by a reception and panel discussion at Il Fornaio (on the ground floor of Pacific Place).

**Teens talking openly about Sex, Peer Pressure, Homophobia and the “Gender Police”**

Filmed in the same intimate style as That’s a Family! and Let’s Get Real, the heart of STRAIGHTLACED is candid interviews with more than 50 teens form diverse backgrounds.

There is no disputing the fact that gender-based stereotypes and anti-gay attitudes affect the lives of all students today. The pressure to conform to conventional expectations about gender is strongly tied to anti-gay attitudes-the girls who won’t play sports because they don’t want to be called “lezzies”; the boys who make crude comments about girls’ bodies just to prove to their peers that they aren’t gay; the students who won’t raise their hands in class because it’s gay to be smart.

STRAIGHTLACED provides a way into a much-needed dialogue about gender roles and homophobia among teenagers. With refreshing honesty, the diverse youth in the film open up about the pressure to conform to rigid gender role expectations. Boys who have to act tough even though they may feel vulnerable, or girls who have to dress provocatively just to fit in, reveal the toll it takes on them to live up to gender role expectations and how that limits who they really want to be.

There are very few media resources for teens that address anti-gay prejudice, and those that do, focus solely on the lives of young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Straightlaced not only includes the perspectives of teens who self-identify as LGBT it focuses on straight teenagers and those who identify themselves on all points of the gender spectrum.

Any student who watches the film will find someone whose experience with these issues mirrors their own. This is not a film for students about “those other people” – it is a film about them. Audiences will walk away from the film inspired to challenge anti-gay assumptions and actions among others, and for themselves.

Student/School employees: $4 advance, $5 at the door

General Admission: $8 advance, $10 at the door

Get your tickets NOW at:  http://groundspark.org/upcoming-screenings

A benefit for the Safe Schools Coalition and Groundspark’s STRAIGHTLACED campaign.

Rated R for sexual content, language and a brief disturbing image.

Running time: 112 minutes

http://www.littleashes-themovie.com/

Directed by: Paul Morrison

Written by: Philippa Goslett

Cast: Robert Pattinson, Javier Beltran, Matthew McNulty, Marina Gatell

Madrid in 1922 is a city wavering on the edge of change as traditional values are challenged by the dangerous new influences of jazz, Freud and the avant-garde. Salvador Dalí arrives at university at the age of 18 years old, determined to become a great artist. His bizarre blend of shyness and rampant exhibitionism attracts the attention of two of the university’s social elite – Federico García Lorca and Luis Buñuel.

Salvador is absorbed into their decadent group and for a time he, Luis and Federico become a formidable trio, the most ultra-modern group in Madrid. However, as time passes, Salvador feels an increasingly strong pull toward the charismatic Federico – who is oblivious to the attention he is getting from his beautiful writer friend, Magdalena. Finally, in the face of his friends’ preoccupations – and Federico’s growing renown as a poet – Luis sets off for Paris in search of his own artistic success.

Alone in Madrid, Federico struggles against his psyche, tortured by the damning implications of his own religious beliefs and the undeniable voice of his flesh. He is haunted by news of Salvador, who is collaborating on a Surrealist film with Luis and has embarked on an affair with Gala, a married woman.

By 1936 Spain is teetering on the precipice of civil war, and Federico, now a highly acclaimed and controversial playwright, receives an invitation to dinner from Salvador and Gala. But the hosts have a rather unusual agenda and the evening is a disaster. A week later, Salvador is hosting a party when he discovers that Federico has been assassinated in the outbreak of war. The walls of self-denial that surround the artist come crashing down as he realizes, too late, the depth of his love for Federico.

Many thanks to the luscious Lindsay R!

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, nudity and language.

***Please check in with The Warren Report Ambassador, the jocular Julie C!**

http://www.myspace.com/proposalmovie

Cast:  Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Akerman, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Denis O’Hare and Betty White
Director: Anne Fletcher
Written by: Peter Chiarelli

When high-powered book editor Margaret (Sandra Bulllock) faces deportation to her native Canada, the quick-thinking exec declares that she’s actually engaged to her unsuspecting put-upon assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), who she’s tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family (Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White) and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another. With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails, Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the plan despite the precarious consequences.

“Grade A! A transcendant and deeply affecting new play, which shifts perfectly
from hilarity to grief.” –Entertainment Weekly

Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, RABBIT HOLE is the brilliant and critically acclaimed new play about loss, heartbreak and forgiveness. Becca and Howie have everything a family could want, until a life-shattering accident turns their world upside down.

Using equal doses of humor and candor, this masterpiece is a refreshingly honest look at domestic tragedy and the healing power of love and family… A life-affirming testament to the endurance of the human spirit. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry…you’ll be touched. Don’t miss this magnificent heartwarming tale.

Cynthia (Sex & the City) Nixon and Tyne (Cagney & Lacey) Daly starred in the
recent Broadway run, and Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart are slated to star in
the upcoming film version that will be directed by John Cameron Mitchell  (SHORTBUS).

This film is not yet rated by the MPAA. 

Directed by: Ron Howard

Screenplay by: David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman

Based upon the novel by: Dan Brown

Produced by: Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, John Calley

Executive Producers: Todd Hallowell, Dan Brown

Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Armin Mueller-Stahl

The team behind the global phenomenon THE DA VINCI CODE returns for the highly anticipated ANGELS & DEMONS, based upon the bestselling novel by Dan Brown. Tom Hanks reprises his role as Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon, who once again finds that forces with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals. 

When Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati – the most powerful underground organization in history – he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization’s most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. When Langdon learns that the clock is ticking on an unstoppable Illuminati time bomb, he jets to Rome, where he joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and enigmatic Italian scientist. Embarking on a nonstop, action-packed hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra will follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican’s only hope for survival.

Many thanks to the indispensable Spencer F!

NERDCORE FOR LIFE is presented as part of the ongoing STIFF Nights series.

Two of the 21st century’s most powerful social forces; Hip-Hop and Geek Culture, collide head-on in the feature length documentary, NERDCORE FOR LIFE. Born on the Internet, Nerdcore is rap music made by geeks, for geeks and covers such traditionally nerdy topics as comic books, video games, anime, sci-fi, astrophysics and technology. Filmed over the course of two years, NERDCORE FOR LIFE follows the top names in this new genre as they celebrate ‘geek life’ and their love of Hip-Hop to the fullest, fight anti-nerd stereotypes and struggle to overcome the common obstacles that prevent musicians of all genres from fulfilling their dreams.

Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment Present
A Bad Robot Production

** Please check in with The Warren Report ambassador, the jocular Julie C.**

http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/startrek/

Produced by J.J. Abrams,  Damon Lindelof
Based upon “Star Trek” Created by Gene Roddenberry
Written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Directed by J.J. Abrams

Cast: John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, with Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy

From director J.J. Abrams (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III “Lost” and “Alias“), producers Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk and screenwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (TRANSFORMERS, MI: III) comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, STAR TREK, featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no one has gone before.

A man who is suddenly without feelings is motivated by a love he isn’t quite sure is there in this offbeat independent comedy. Hudson (Matthew Perry) is a screenwriter who has enjoyed a modest success in Hollywood, but one day he suddenly and inexplicably sinks into a strange funk — he feels strangely removed from the world around him, as if reality has slipped away and he can’t physically or emotionally feel his surroundings. Hudson’s writing partner Tom (Kevin Pollock) is more than a bit disturbed by the sudden change in Hudson’s demeanor, and on his advice he begins seeing the first of several psychiatrists, most of whom prescribe a dizzying variety of drugs, except for Dr. Blaine (Mary Steenburgen), who is turned on by Hudson’s condition and ends up having an affair with him. As Hudson seems to be running out of ways to reconnect with himself, he meets Sarah (Lynn Collins), a beautiful woman who is quite taken with him and decides to introduce him to as many positive and compelling experiences as possible. The first feature-length directorial project for screenwriter Harris Goldberg, NUMB received its North American premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Followed by a special screening of the blockbuster hit TRANSFORMERS.

** Please check in with The Warren Report ambassador, the affable Neil S.**

Attendees are encouraged to come in costume!

Following this special viewing, the trailer will be available exclusively on Yahoo from April 30th at 9am to May 1st at 9am.

Many thanks to the rambunctious Rachael B and Three Dollar Bill Cinema!

In this striking portrayal of 1960s working class British life, a young married couple find themselves drifting apart until another man steps in and revs things up. Racy and rough-edged, THE LEATHER BOYS (1964) shifts gears between fiery confrontations and quiet moments of contemplation, ultimately leading to a climactic crossroads for the two men and the woman between them.

(Z?oty ?rodek)

2009, 104 Minute Running Time

Many thanks to the terrific Tom C of The Seattle Polish Film Festival!

(NIEZAWODNY SYSTEM)

2008, 80 Minute Running Time

Many thanks to the terrific Tom C of The Seattle Polish Film Festival!

Director: Izabela Szylko
Screenwriter: Izabela Szylko
Cinematography: Wojciech Staro?
Music: Grzegorz Turnau
Film Editor: Ewa Smal
Principal Cast: Alina Janowska, Wojciech Siemion, Szymon Brobrowski, Katarzyna Cynke, Piotr Fronczewski, W?adys?aw Kowalski, S?awomir Orzechowski, Ewa Kwiatkowska, Ludwika Najbauer

(WSZYSTKO BEDZIE DOBRZE)

2007, 98 Minute Running Time

Many thanks to the terrific Tom C of The Seattle Polish Film Festival!

Director: Tomasz Wiszniewski
Screenwriter: Rafa? Szamburski, Robert Brutter, Tomasz Wiszniewski
Cinematography: Jaros?aw Szoda
Music: Micha? Lorenc
Film Editor: Krzysztof Szpetma?ski
Principal Cast: Robert Wi?ckiewicz, Adam Werstak, Izabela D?browska, Beata Kawka, Daniel M?kolski, Jaros?aw Gruda, Janusz Chabior, Janusz K?osi?ski, Zdzis?aw Ku?niar, Stanis?aw P?k, Magdalena Mirek, Stanis?aw Penksyk, Wies?awa Mazurkiewicz, Lech Dyblik

2008, 87 Minute Running Time

Many thanks to the terrific Tom C of The Seattle Polish Film Festival!

Director: Christopher Doyle
Screenplay: adapted by Christopher Doyle
Cinematography: Rain Kathy Li
Music: Lech Rowi?ski and Adam Walicki
Film Editor: Agnieszka Gli?ska
Principal cast: Jan Frycz, Anna Przybylska, Adam Ferency, Violetta Arlak, Les?aw ?urek, ?ukasz Simlat, Jerzy Bo?czak, Jacek Poniedzie?ek

Warsaw, night, a club by the river. Ojka, a young and beautiful prostitute, runs out to the parking lot. Wolski, a fat and aging politician follows her, lured by her charm. Wolski does not realize that Ojka is only bait in a trap, and that he will shortly die… WARSAW DARK is visually stunning. Unexpected perspectives, unique locations, unorthodox approach to capturing reality make the film truly exceptional. The city of Warsaw is not only a stage on which events take place. It is one of the focal points of the film. Mysterious, dark, almost monochromatic…Any secret can be safe here.

Rated PG-13 for some violence, language including sexual references, and brief drug content.

Running Time : 127 minutes

Oscar® winner Russell Crowe leads an all-star cast in a blistering thriller about a rising congressman and an investigative journalist embroiled in a case of seemingly unrelated, brutal murders. Crowe plays D.C. reporter Cal McAffrey, whose street smarts lead him to untangle a mystery of murder and collusion among some of the nation’s most promising political and corporate figures in STATE OF PLAY, from acclaimed director Kevin Macdonald (THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND).

Handsome, unflappable U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is the future of his political party: an honorable appointee who serves as the chairman of a committee overseeing defense spending. All eyes are upon the rising star to be his party’s contender for the upcoming presidential race. Until his research assistant/mistress is brutally murdered and buried secrets come tumbling out.

McAffrey has the dubious fortune of both an old friendship with Collins and a ruthless editor, Cameron (Oscar® winner Helen Mirren), who has assigned him to investigate. As he and partner Della (Rachel McAdams) try to uncover the killer’s identity, McAffrey steps into a cover-up that threatens to shake the nation’s power structures. And in a town of spin-doctors and wealthy politicos, he will discover one truth: when billions are at stake, no one’s integrity, love or life is ever safe.

Many thanks to the delightful Dewdrop!

http://www.soloistmovie.com/

Executive Producers  Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner,  Jeff Skoll,  Patricia Whitcher
Produced by Gary Foster,  Russ Krasnoff
Based on the book by Steve Lopez
Screenplay by Susannah Grant
Directed by Joe Wright

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander and LisaGay Hamilton

In THE SOLOIST, an emotionally soaring drama about the redemptive power of music, journalist Steve Lopez (Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr.) discovers Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Oscar® winner Jamie Foxx), a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of L.A. As Lopez endeavors to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both their lives. THE SOLOIST is directed by Joe Wright (Golden Globe winner for Best Drama and Oscar® nominee for Best Picture ATONEMENT).

Many thanks to the dandy Danielle W!

Running time: 88 minutes

**Please check in with The Warren Report ambassador, the jocular Julie C!**

Coming soon to a theater and drive-in near you: ALIEN TRESPASS, a thrilling sci-fi adventure from three-time Golden Globe winner and five time Emmy Award-nominated director/producer R.W. Goodwin (“The X-Files”) and brought to you in glorious color!

 
ALIEN TRESPASS is an exciting and entertaining homage to the great science-fiction movies of the 1950s, the post-war boom period when the country was filled with great hope and prosperity and, at the same time, lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation.

The story begins in 1957 in the star-filled skies above California’s Mojave Desert. It is a special night for noted astronomer Ted Lewis (Eric McCormack), who is preparing a special dinner for his beautiful, adoring wife Lana (Jody Thompson) to celebrate their wedding anniversary. In another part of town, Tammy (Jenni Baird), a waitress at the small local diner with big plans for the future, looks out her window and is excited to see a shooting star, which she takes as a good sign for her dreams.
But what Dr. Lewis and Tammy assume is a shooting star, is really an alien spaceship. The fiery ball hurtles toward earth and crash-lands on a butte in the desert. The only witnesses are Dick (Andrew Dunbar) and Penny (Sarah Smyth) who are necking in a nearby lovers’ lane.

A tall, metallic alien named Urp emerges from the craft unharmed, alarmed to discover that the monstrous Ghota, who was also on board, has escaped. The menacing one-eyed creature’s unquenchable appetite could mean the end of civilization as we know it.
Urp is the only one who knows how to stop the hideous extra-terrestrial, but to do so he has to take over the body of Dr. Lewis and enlist the aid of Tammy, the only human in town willing to believe and trust in his mission. The local police – including police Chief Dawson (Dan Lauria) and officer Vernon (Robert Patrick) – are confirmed skeptics and offer little help. Together, Urp and Tammy must hunt down the Ghota and neutralize it before it consumes all the local inhabitants and uses the human fuel to multiply and conquer the world!
ALIEN TRESPASS stars Eric McCormack, Jenni Baird, Dan Lauria and Robert Patrick. The co-stars are Jody Thompson, Aaron Brooks, Sarah Smyth, Andrew Dunbar, Tom McBeath, Vincent Gale, Jerry Wasserman, Jonathan Young and Michael Roberds.

The film was directed and produced by R.W. Goodwin from a screenplay by Steven Fisher and a story by James Swift and Steven Fisher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohR-9ugs9V0

SLEEPWALKING THROUGH THE MEKONG follows Los Angeles based band Dengue Fever on their recent journey to Cambodia to perform 60s and 70s Cambodian rock n’ roll in the country where it was created and very nearly destroyed. The odyssey is a homecoming for singer Chhom Nimol and a transformation for the rest of the band as they perform with master musicians and record new songs along the way.

Along with the free screening, there will be FREE Izze Soda and FREE popcorn at the Snack Bar. It’s all ages. We just got word that band members will be on hand at the event as well. For more information, click here.

25TH HOUR is a eulogy, mourning the New York of post-September 11, 2001, and the regrettable life of one of the city’s least reputable citizens. Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) isn’t a bad guy — in fact he’s a mensch, adopting a battered dog in the film’s mood-setting opening scene, and leading a decent life with his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson)… when he’s not dealing narcotics. Facing a seven-year prison term, Monty spends his last free night with pals (Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman) and visiting his understanding father (Brian Cox), while a Russian drug lord pressures him for getting busted. Lee directs this plotless, no-win scenario as the last gasp of a guy with nowhere to go, and the film (written by David Benioff, from his own novel) suffers from a similar loss of potential, lacking enough focus to make Monty’s odyssey compelling. Instead, 25TH HOUR (which also costars Anna Paquin) rambles from scene to lazy scene, vaguely lamenting that lives have been wasted, some by terrorism, others by self-destruction. –Jeff Shannon

 David Benioff worked as a high school English teacher and club bouncer until he won recognition for his first book, The 25th Hour  - which he later adapted into a film directed by Spike Lee. He adapted the screenplay for TROY, STAY and THE KITE RUNNER, and is currently working on a script for the X-MEN series. City of Thieves is his third book of fiction, and is a tale of two young Russian prisoners in WWII Leningrad, who must find a dozen eggs in the starving war torn city or lose their lives; and so begins an adventure and a friendship that lasts a lifetime.

Cast:   Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Brian White, Luis Guzmán

Directed by:   Dito Montiel

Writers:   Dito Montiel, Robert Munich          

http://www.fightingmovie.net/

Small-town boy Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) has come to New York City with nothing.  Barely earning a living selling counterfeit goods on the streets, his luck changes when scam artist Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard) sees that he has a natural talent for streetfighting.  When Harvey offers Shawn help at making the real cash, the two form an uneasy partnership.

As Shawn’s manager, Harvey introduces him to the corrupt bare-knuckle circuit, where rich men bet on disposable pawns.  Almost overnight, he becomes a star brawler, taking down professional boxers, mixed martial arts champs and ultimate fighters in a series of staggeringly intense bouts.  But if Shawn ever hopes to escape the dark world in which he’s found himself, he must now face the toughest fight of his life.

Written by Jayce Bartok

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Bruce Dern, Elizabeth Ashley, Jayce Bartok, Melissa Leo, Thomas Cavanagh, Jesse L. Martin

THE CAKE EATERS is a quirky, small town, ensemble drama that explores the lives of two interconnected families coming to terms with love in the face of loss. Living in rural America, The Kimbrough family is a normally odd bunch; Easy, the patriarch and local butcher, is grieving over the recent loss of his wife, Ceci, while hiding a secret ongoing affair for years; Beagle, his youngest son who was left to care for his ailing mother, works in the local high school cafeteria by day but has a burning passion inside that manifests itself through painting street signs; and the eldest son, Guy, has been away from the family for years while pursuing his rock star dream in the big city until the day he learns of his mother’s passing and that he’s missed the funeral. Upon Guy’s return home, relationships between the characters begin to unravel; Beagle’s pent up emotions connect with Georgia Kaminski, a terminally ill teenage girl wanting to experience love before it’s too late; Easy’s long time affair with Marg, Georgia’s eccentric grandmother, is finally exposed to the Kimbrough children; and Guy discovers that, in his absence, his high school sweetheart, Stephanie, has moved on and started a family of her own. Through it all, The Kimbroughs and Kaminski’s manage to establish a new beginning in the face of their greatest fears. Written by The Buffalo Niagara Film Festival (BNFF), 2008

Robinson Devor

~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Robinson Devor ‘s last feature film, ZOO, made its world premier at 2007 Sundance Film Festival, and then went on to play at the prestigious Cannes film festival. The film was picked up for distribution by ThinkFilms and has been playing in theaters around the world. The press has called the film “masterful” (Dennis Lim, New York Times), “beautiful and beguiling” (Village Voice), and “a breathtakingly original nonfiction work” (Scott Foundas, Variety).