Staff Picks
April showers bring May flowers — and May movies? If you feel like stepping out of the spring sunshine (or if the pollen’s just getting you down), here’s a selection of offerings at independent moviehouses around town.
The Beacon
The cozy Beacon continues its series Shadowland: The Emotional Underworlds of Classic Cinema in May with several beloved John Ford titles: the 1941 drama “How Green Was My Valley,” starring a very young Roddy McDowall (May 10-11), the 1940 adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel “The Grapes of Wrath” (May 17-18), the little-seen 1950 Western “Wagon Master” (May 24-25) and Ford’s late-career masterpiece “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” starring James Stewart, Lee Marvin, John Wayne and Vera Miles (May 31-June 1). Also popping up at the Beacon: the 1972 Lina Wertmüller comedy “The Seduction of Mimi” (May 8, 12, 14); Kinji Fukasaku’s tale of the ultimate Hunger Games, “Battle Royale” (May 20-22); and Ian Bell’s documentary about the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle, “WTO/99” (May 15, 16, 19, 21).
4405 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle; 206-420-7328, thebeacon.film
Central Cinema
AniMAYtion brings a selection of animated films to the Central Cinema, with Satoshi Kon’s drama “Millennium Actress” (May 8-9, 11-13) paired with the aliens-on-Earth drama “District 9” (May 8-9, 11-12). A special Mother’s Day double feature of “Mamma Mia” and “Mermaids” shows May 10 only, in case your mom is a fan of ABBA or Cher. AniMAYtion continues with the 2026 Oscar nominee “Arco,” in which a girl shelters a boy who’s time-traveled into the present (May 15-20) and Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s animated adventure “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” (May 15-19). The great “Moonstruck” makes a one-night appearance May 20, in honor of Cher’s 80th birthday, followed by Sam Raimi’s “Army of Darkness” (May 22-27) and Tatsuya Yoshihara’s animated action film “Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc” (May 22-26).
1411 21st Ave., Seattle; 206-328-3230, central-cinema.com
Grand Illusion
While working to secure a new location after its University District venue closed last year, Grand Illusion continues to present pop-up screenings around town. The 1987 Hong Kong action thriller “City on Fire,” starring Chow Yun-Fat, screens in a new restoration May 18 at Northwest Film Forum. Also in a new restoration: Stanley Kubrick’s lavish 1975 epic “Barry Lyndon,” likely to look glorious on the massive SIFF Downtown screen May 19. And Grace Glowicki’s campy tale of a lonely gravedigger, “Dead Lover,” screens at Northwest Film Forum May 25 in — you have been warned — Stink-O-Vision.
Northwest Film Forum: 1515 12th Ave., Seattle; SIFF Cinema Downtown: 2100 Fourth Ave., Seattle. Information: grandillusioncinema.org
Northwest Film Forum
NWFF’s offerings include a selection of films from Seattle-based experimental filmmaker and composer Jon Behrens (1964-2022), screening May 9. Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami’s “Close-Up,” a documentary/feature hybrid based on a real event in which a young man impersonated a well-known filmmaker, screens May 13-14. Céline Sciamma’s gorgeous, smoldering love story, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” screens May 19, and Ken Russell’s 1980 head trip of a movie, “Altered States,” screens May 22-24 in a new restoration.
1515 12th Ave., Seattle; nwfilmforum.org
SIFF
SIFF’s various screens will be taken up for much of the month by the 52nd annual Seattle International Film Festival, running May 7-17 at SIFF Cinema Uptown, SIFF Film Center and SIFF Cinema Downtown. Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” will turn up at SIFF Downtown as a community screening with special low prices ($7 adults, $5 children) on May 31, and Todd Haynes’ 1998 glam-rock drama “Velvet Goldmine” will screen at SIFF Uptown June 1 as a SIFF Movie Club event (screening followed by discussion at the nearby bar The Traveling Goat).
SIFF Cinema Uptown: 511 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle; SIFF Film Center: Seattle Center campus, Seattle; SIFF Cinema Downtown: 2100 Fourth Ave., Seattle; 206-464-5830, siff.net
Majestic Bay
The Ballard indie continues its popular Wednesday Retro Night series (voted on by the theater’s social media audience), with “The Big Lebowski” on May 13 and “Jurassic Park” on May 20 and 27.
2044 N.W. Market St., Seattle; majesticbay.com
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yakimaherald.com ’
