CHRISTOPHER WOOD: TFF DAY 2 NOIR @ THE GRAND >>>

Appropriately, rain began falling in time for The Grand’s Friday screening of two contemporary noir films as part of the Tacoma Film Festival. Both pieces faithfully follow many of the stylistic conventions that defined the unmistakably American genre throughout its heyday. Neither work dissolves into a send-up of those iconic images, which so easily pass these days as quaint, fading photographs of a bygone era.   

The first film’s double homage to classical Hollywood and gritty crime pulp is apparent in its title: L.A. Noir. True to form, the black-and-white short features a hard-drinking protagonist brooding in harsh key lighting. A raven-haired bombshell saunters into his life and instantly becomes the object of his desire. He pursues her through an apartment complex, yet the city’s shadowy recesses keep her identity a mystery. Buildings in Conor Colwell’s photography tower ominously over the individual isolated in the urban maze. The end of the film has man and woman sharing a moment of hot passion. But bliss erupts into murder. No motive. No explanation. No matter â€" somehow it makes sense in the gray logic of L.A. Noir.

Yesterday Was a Lie exploits noir’s iconography even more fully. Writer-director James Kerwin’s feature has everything: rain-slicked alleyways shrouded in fog; gruff detectives in fedoras; a slinky jazz score. Anachronisms abound â€" the main character, a tough-talking female cop named Hoyle (Kipleigh Brown), arrives at the crime scene dressed like Orson Welles in Touch of Evil yet investigates clues to a murder on her Mac. The narrative undergoes a similar temporal anxiety. The story has something to do with Hoyle’s old flame searching for a wartime journal which contains some time-bending secrets. Fortunately all players involved (even a doll-faced lounge singer) can discuss theoretical physics at length without cracking a smile. But who cares? Every shot is gorgeous. Confusion never looked so good.

Tacoma Film Festival schedule

Saturday, Oct. 4
More details here

11 a.m.
The Grand Cinema
Children’s Film Series: Multi From Musnaka, Montrose Avenue, Aston’s Stones, Piano Lesson, Cookies For Sale, Shhhh..., Rindin The Puffer, When I Grow Up, Raven Tales

11:15 a.m.
Tacoma Art Museum
La Paloma. Sehnsucht. Weltweit, A Night in the Sunlight

1 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
CTU: Provo

1:20 p.m.
Tacoma Art Museum
Endless Tunnel, Pat Martino Unstrung

2 p.m.
School of the Arts Blackbox Theater
The Obituary Writer, Pappy Boyington Field

3 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
Gimme Music, Gimme Shelter, Weiner Takes All: a Dogumentary

3:15 p.m.
Tacoma Art Museum
Donut Heaven, Courthouse Girls of Farmland, One Bucket of Water

4 p.m.
School of the Arts Blackbox Theater
The Gift Wrapper, JUMP!

5 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
Crawford, For You, My People

6 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
eDump, The Life Penalty

6:15 p.m.
School of the Arts Blackbox Theater
Cabbie, PK Granny, Taken, The Man from Mars, Double Talk, One Year Later, Blind Luck, Rock in a Hard Place

6:45 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
Light Years, On Paper Wings, Pierre

8:15 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
American Harvest

8:30 p.m.
School of the Arts Blackbox Theater
My Dad Ralph, Now You See Me Now You Don’t, Maine, Gravida, The Loneliness of the Short-Order Cook

8:45 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
Aim Away From Face, Trust Issues

VOLCANO STAFF: THINGS TO DO TODAY >>>

St. Nicholas Greek Festival
For me, the entire festival is just a complicated set dressing for a baklava-delivery system. Oh, I’ll hang out and listen to them ramble on about Socrates, the Olympics and “Summer Lovers,” but I’ll be picking the flaky crumbs from my blouse and stuffing them into my hungry taste-hole while I do it. I’ll dance (three groups of dancers throughout the weekend) and eat the food (souviklakia, gyros, calamari, salata, loukomades) not just because I like it, but in an attempt to bring the honey content in my blood down low enough so I can scarf down another slab of triangular goodness. â€" Suzy Stump
[St. Nicholas Church, Oct. 4 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Oct. 5 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., $11-$12 sit-down dinner, special $7 lunch Oct. 3, 1523 S. Yakima Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.0466]

Tacoma Mall Lifestyle section
Hot off the orgasmic excitement of opening the new, improved, and substantially bigger Nordstrom, where well-to-do folks from all over the South Sound can now shop for handbags that cost as much as my Volvo and jeans that require a down payment, the Tacoma Mall is looking to capitalize on that energy, and planning one hell of a party this weekend, Oct 4 and 5, to celebrate the new “Lifestyles” section. Apparently, children’s musician Tim Noah is scheduled to make an appearance at the celebration, as is the aging communist performer “Castro the Magician.” â€" Matt Driscoll
[Tacoma Mall, 4502 S. Steele St., Tacoma, 253.475.4566]

urbanXchange Grand Re-opening
Tacoma can lavish the newly grown and updated urbanXchange with all the love one can muster. In response, the thrift store will provide Tacoma with a Grand Re-Opening party that will include light refreshments, a DJ, models, a make-up artist, and prize drawings all day. On top of all the Grand Re-Opening hoopla, live music will be in full force by Anomie Belle and The Next Door Neighbors. You can find this daylong party happening right next door to the old UrbanXchange located on Pacific Avenue.
Oh, its new digs are freakin’ spectacular. Check out Jennifer Johnson’s take in the Fix section on our Web site. â€" Steph DeRosa
[urbanXchange, noon to 9 p.m., no cover, 1932 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2280]

Antique Quest and Wine Fest
The Tacoma Community House hosts their Antique Quest and Wine Fest Saturday where you can bring your confusing antique for a free appraisal, sample local food and wine, and listen to live music from Latin jazz group Trombanga. You have direction now. You’re welcome. â€" SS
[Museum of Glass, 6:30-9:30 p.m., $75 to benefit Tacoma Community House, 1801 Dock St., Tacoma]

LINK: ViVA South Sound arts and entertainment column

VOLCANO SCRIBES: MORE LIVE THAN YOU’LL EVER BE >>>

I Am the Enemy
Uber-talented singer Taylour Woodruff â€" whose feminine ferocity definitely gives this band their edge â€" along with guitarists Adamm Mitchell and Robbie MacNeil, bassist Anthony Jones and drummer Mike Bergman, I Am the Enemy packs a new school, screaming rock punch that makes the kids go wild while still subscribing to the fundamentals of timeless rock. Currently working on their debut CD and playing shows all over Washington, I Am the Enemy has both a swagger and an unmistakable backbeat â€" definitely two qualities that should serve them well over time.

Tonight they’ll put it all on display at Club Impact, as part of a show that also features up and comers Sirens in the Sky and Madison Drive. If you’re of the age group and of the screamo state of mind, this is a show not to miss. â€" Matt Driscoll
[Club Impact, I Am the Enemy, Sirens in the Sky, Madison Drive, Kid Vs Hero, Beneath Oceans, 7 p.m., all ages, $6-$8, 754 Pacific Ave., Tacoma]

Paul Anastasio
Paul Anastasio studied under the originator of jazz violin, Joe Venuti, but is also inspired by such greats as Stuff Smith and Svend Asmussen. His versatility landed him touring gigs with big name acts Asleep At the Wheel, Larry Gatlin, Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard, but his love of jazz has always brought him back home. In 2005 he hooked up with San Francisco-based jazz guitarist Tony Marcus for the CD, Anything Goes. The disc was recorded live in the studio, which gives it a free-style jam vibe. He has also appeared on three compilation discs with the likes of Dick Barrett, Lisa Barrett, Mike Dowling, Cary Black and brother/bass player, Tom Anastasio. â€" Tony Engelhart
[Traditions Café, 8 p.m., $8-$12, 300 Fifth Ave. S.W., Olympia, 360.705.2819]

The Staxx Brothers
The Staxx Brothers are performing live for the release party for their album, The 12 Street Blues in Downtown Olympia at the famed Eastside Club Tavern. With a band setup, the group is composed of musicians, male and female vocalists and maybe one of the most potent voices you have never heard. Decurrian is a dope MC from the city of Tacoma who has ravaged microphones with a stage presence and lyrical tenacity all his own. â€" Jose S. Gutierrez Jr.
[Eastside Club Tavern, The Staxx Brothers, High Ceiling, 9 p.m., 410 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.357.9985]

Also on tonight
LINK: Maltoberfest at Bob’s Java Jive
LINK: Flash’s 40th birthday bash
LINK: Tonight’s live music and DJs

KEN SWARNER: APPLE SQUEEZE >>>

The sleepy little town of Steilacoom religiously ushers in the fall with a good old-fashioned apple pummeling. Known as the Steilacoom Apple Squeeze, the event runs downtown (you can’t miss it â€" look for the Sound) today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s a celebration of the apple including 20 presses squeezing cider, apple products for sale and much more.

LINK: Steilacoom Apple Squeeze
LINK: Best of Tacoma Eats/Drinks
LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: LAST PERFORMANCES >>>

It’s Sunday, and you need a laugh. Tomorrow’s gonna be hell, so today should be uproarious. Today marks the last day for several local theater productions.

I Hate Hamlet
TV actor Andrew Rally finds himself in the gothic apartment in New York City that was once owned by the legendary actor John Barrymore. He is in town to do a Shakespeare in the Park production of Hamlet, a role Barrymore owned during the time he was warmer than room temperature. The fact that he is dead doesn't stop the very hammy Hamlet from offering advice to the young actor.
[Olympia Little Theater, Sunday, Oct. 5, 1:55 p.m., $10-$12, 1925 Miller Ave. N.E., Olympia]

Lucky Stiff
Lakewood Playhouse continues its run of the very funny Lucky Stiff, a show about a dead dude who tours the gambling world of Morocco as his last party before he gets planted into the ground.
[Lakewood Playhouse, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2 p.m., $21-$24, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd. S.W. in the Lakewood Towne Center off exit 125, Lakewood]

And not so funny…

Daman: The Seven Creations
An original opera presented by the Seattle Choral Ensemble and the Esoterics as part of the college's World Stage Series.
[KJM Center for the Arts, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2 p.m., $10-$20, South Puget Sound Community College, 2011 Mottman Road S.W., Olympia, 360.596.5501]

LINK: ViVA South Sound arts and entertainment calendar

ALEC CLAYTON: MUST SEE SHOW >>>

Head over to the Tacoma Art Museum and check out The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection. With art ranging from Seattle artist Scott Fife (the guy who did the giant dog) to Morris Graves to Salvador Dali, how can you go wrong with this exhibition?

[Tacoma Art Museum, through May 26, open noon to 5 p.m. today, $7.50 admission, $6.50 student, military and seniors, free to members, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.4258]

LINK: South Sound visual arts calendar

CHRISTOPHER WOOD: TFF DAY 3: COMEDY SHORTS >>>

Laughs are a tough sell, especially among independent filmmakers working with limited resources and untrained actors. Despite such setbacks, punchlines with intelligence and insight can still reach audiences. The Tacoma Film Festival works screened Saturday at SOTA take their comedy seriously.

Maybe because most of the shorts feature older characters that they end up avoiding YouTube’s level of self-conscious silliness. Take Marty Yacovelli from the mockumentary Cabbie. Marty is a 36-year-old nobody with big dreams of driving a taxi in the Big Apple. He wanders around wintry Chicago while sharing his hatred of inferior modes of transportation: “If you’re a trolley, drive off a cliff.” His cab gab makes for one likable kook. The middle-aged wife in local filmmaker Joseph Andolina’s One Year Later shares Marty’s chattiness â€" much to the chagrin of her husband, who finally takes action.

Both PK Granny and Taken turn the title “helpless old lady” on its head. The white-haired heroines don’t let age stop them from unleashing a little inspired havoc on some unwitting youngsters. Another codger comedy, The Grayed Escape, shows one man yearning for pleasures beyond the walls of his nursing home. His constant scheming reveals a need to shed restraints imposed upon him by an uncaring system.

The absurdity of society’s rituals is a topic which finds release in comedy; The Man from Mars, Blind Luck and Double Talk all examine one of our strangest ceremonies: the first date. Hailing from Norway, Mars deploys sparkly special effects to heighten its saga of woman’s encounter with some out-of-this-world male behavior. Men find it hard just communicating with each other in Talk. Unfortunately, the film spells out its “surprise” ending way before the climax.

The good-natured Blind Luck follows a matchmaker’s attempt to unite two jaded souls. Following the screening, writer/actor Jody Arensberg shared stories about the inception of Luck. “Short films and stories come naturally to me,” she says. 

Tacoma Film Festival schedule
Sunday, Oct. 5
Full details here

11 a.m.
The Grand Cinema
For a Few Marbles More, The Natural History of the Chicken

12:30 p.m.
Tacoma Art Museum
Lumia, To Live: A Cinematic Study of Godard’s Vivre Sa Vie

1 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
Last September, Radioactive Red Bull

2 p.m.
School of the Arts Blackbox Theater
E for Everyone

3 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
In Times of War: Ray Parker’s Story, The Ostrich Testimonies

3 p.m.
Tacoma Art Museum
Fish, but No Cigar, Forced Perspective: Odessa, Verlaine, Everett DuPen: Sculptor, Dudley’s World, Mugs, Paradittle, Some Assembly Required, Tacoma Chalk Off

4:15 p.m.
School of the Arts Blackbox Theater
Crawford, For You, My People

5:10 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
Certifiably Jonathan, Stuck

6:15 p.m.
School of the Arts Blackbox Theater
Four Minutes on an Abandoned Bridge, The Skyjacker

7:15 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
Alone

8:15 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
For a Few Marbles More

8:15 p.m.
School of the Arts Blackbox Theater
Memorize-You-Saw-It, Some Assembly Required, Tacoma Chalk Off, Velocipede, Bike Project

9:15 p.m.
The Grand Cinema
Beauty 24, Young Love