Join ‘Movies 101’ crew for Coen double dose

Those of us who remember what filmgoing in Spokane was like in the 1980s know what it’s like to wait, and sometimes never see, anything other than the latest big-budget Hollywood offering. Then, even following the grand openings of such now-closed theaters as the Newport Highway and Lyons Avenue Cinemas, nothing that was remotely alternative – much less foreign – ever opened locally.

Unless such a film played at the Magic Lantern, in between its occasional closings. Even then, it typically opened months after having been screened elsewhere.

Which is why I used to spend a lot of time driving to Seattle. That didn’t always work, though, because often I couldn’t score tickets before they sold out. I still remember being disappointed at the line for “Raising Arizona,” which stretched down an entire city block. Months after the film’s opening in April 1987, I finally saw it when it played Spokane (I forget where) to, I have to add, rather sparse crowds.

But the wait was worth it. To this day, “Raising Arizona” remains one of my favorite Coen brothers films. Which is why I’m happy that, in conjunction with Spokane Public Radio, my “Movies 101” partners Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender and I will be hosting a double screening – and live “Movies 101” taping – of not one, but two Coen brothers films: “Raising Arizona” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” at 1 p.m. on Jan. 11.

The program, “SPR Goes to the Movies with the Coen Brothers,” will begin with a live taping of “Movies 101,” followed by back-to-back screenings of the two films. For ticket-ordering and other information, visit TicketsWest.com.

And let’s all heave a collective sigh that Spokane moviegoing ’80s-style has gone the way of the mullet.  

Dan Webster

Glenn Campbell doc headed our way

One of the difficult tasks for a film festival programmer involves not just finding good movies but holding onto them. Such is the case with the documentary “Glen Campbell – I’ll Be Me,” which is scheduled to play the Bing Crosby Theater on Jan. 17 and 18. The Spokane International Film Festival had planned on including the film in its 2015 lineup (SpIFF is scheduled to run from Feb.5 through Feb. 14).

Instead, the film will be screened at the Bing (at 7 p.m. on Jan. 17, and 3 p.m. Jan. 18), sponsored by the Riverview Retirement Community. This is a natural pairing, as the film documents Campbell’s battle with Alzheimer’s while embarking on a 2011 concert tour. As the Bing’s website explains, “The film documents this amazing journey as he and his family attempt to navigate the wildly unpredictable nature of Glen’s progressing disease using love, laughter and music as their medicine of choice.”

As Washington Post critic Ann Hornaday wrote, “As difficult as it is to witness Campbell’s struggles, especially when he forgets the names of his wife and children, ‘I’ll Be Me’ is an elevating experience, inviting the audience to bear witness to Campbell’s courage, humor and spiritual strength.”

SpIFF may have lost out, but Spokane hasn’t. You can obtain ticket information to the screening through TicketsWest.

Dan Webster

Trifecta for the Bing

Speaking of the Bing, the downtown venue has booked at least three genuine musical legends this coming year. There’s the Lucinda Williams show on Valentine’s Day, which is selling well, with a handful of seats on the floor and some availability in the upper balcony. A few days earlier, on Feb. 11, singer-songwriter Judy Collins comes to the Bing stage. Then, on March 3, the South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo returns to the area for the first time since the 2012 Festival at Sandpoint.

Ladysmith, of course, was introduced to American audiences by Paul Simon, who featured the group on his landmark album “Graceland.” The group went on to work with such luminaries as Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton and Sarah McLachlan. They’ve recorded dozens of albums and toured the world many times.

Tickets to all three shows are available through TicketsWest outlets. For more information, visit bingcrosbytheater.com.

Carolyn Lamberson

‘The Interview’ in Hayden

Heads up, Seth Rogan and James Franco fans. Your chance to see the much-talked about film “The Interview” on the big screen has arrived. You’ll need to go to Hayden to see it, however.

Hayden Discount Cinemas, 300 W. Centa Ave. (off Highway 95 at the Prairie Avenue Shopping Center) will be screening the film beginning today.

The film, about a television interviewer tasked by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is at the center of a massive computer hack of Sony Pictures. The film originally was set to open on Christmas Day, but after the hackers threatened violence against moviegoers, the big theater chains backed away from screening the film. A few independent houses showed the movie, and Sony released it for home viewing through various on-demand services.

For showtimes today, check out page C6. For more information, visit Hayden Discount Cinemas’ Facebook page.

Carolyn Lamberson