Waiting on Moon

I am sitting in the Egyptian theater waiting on Moon to start. It's been a good festival thus far, as I've seen films ranging from a Romeo and Juliet-inspired tale of teen angst and forbidden love to a few of the great classics classics of American cinema. Tonight I am here to see a cabin fever flick set on the moon starring Sam Rockwell as an astronaut who has spent three years alone overseeing a mining operation and, with two weeks to go before he is to return to earth discovers that he may not be alone.

The Egyptian is one of those huge, grand old city cinemas with lush velvet curtains everywhere and colorful ornamentation (in this case, the theme is, well, Egyptian). They feature typical art house fare - independents, foreign films, classics and great weekend midnights like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Bladerunner and The Princess Bride.

Tonight's feature is sold out, and the place is packed. Fourth row center feels like the middle of a sardine can. But the cinematic experiences I have had here over the past 11 years have been memorable. I took Tarantino's B-movie tutorial here, listened to Ben Kingsley talk about his craft, enjoyed two weeks of Hitchcock and have enjoyed dozens of film festival screenings in this very auditorium.

The Egyptian remains one of my two favorite movie houses in Seattle,and I am always pleased that it continues to play a role as one of SIFF's primary venues. But enough for now. The lights are beginning to dim and director Duncan Jones is stepping up to speak.