Seattle Movie Holiday Gift Guide - Part I

Over the years I've watched many a website trot out a holiday gift guide. It's so common that publicists will send ideas of things to include.  In the case of film lovers there's typically a batch of DVD (or their blu ray equivalent) to checkout along with lots of other physical stuff ranging from chotchkies to expensive tech. Let's face it though we probably all have enough junk around the house already. Though if you're looking for something really comprehensive, interesting and broad here's a great example via Ain't it Cool News. And of course if you're just looking for a way to gift the movie of someone's choice it's hard to go wrong with Amazon Gift Cards

Given all this my goal with this post is mainly experiential gift suggestions. Easier on the environment - plus my taste in movies may be very different than your loved one's.  Anyway - I don't tend to buy DVD's, so I wouldn't even know where to start. I've tried to include a broad range of price points - most of the ideas can be had from less than $50 up to quite a lot depending on what's selected. 

This post is very Seattle area centric.  My apologies in advance to international readers - part II will include things of broader geographic interest. Would love to see folks suggestions for Holiday giving for film lovers in the comments.  I'll be sure to move some suggestions up to the main post as well...


First up - Duh - prepaid movies 
If you know someone who loves movies they may spend a fair amount at theaters each week.  If most of their viewing is at home in front of the TV you might want to encourage them to get out and recapture the true cinema experience. You could run down to the local Regal or AMC chain and pick-up some gift tickets.  But why not go just a wee bit bigger - or better.  As Seattle lamentably doesn't have an Alamo Drafthouse here are some other suggestions, in no particular order. Any will happily sell you gift tickets. For those with dining options I suggest taking a look at the menu and purchasing a gift that covers at least a light meal and a couple of drinks.  For each entry I've include a link to the theater's site.

• Seattle Cinerama - I'm assuming I don't need to go into details extolling the virtues of the Cinerama. If I do you owe it to yourself to make a trip downtown to get correct on the situation.  Huge beautiful screen, very solid projection, choice of balcony or floor seating. And a reasonably priced concession stocking chocolate popcorn, Theo's Chocolate, and cupcakes. Only downside is that with one screen you're at the mercy of what's showing there. But if it deserves the big big screen experience, then it deserves to be seen at the Cinerama.
• Central Cinema - They may not always have the most recent movies, but they do have a fascinatingly eclectic set of films and other video based programming. One of the only spots in town with a pre-show reel worth watching - modeled after the type of stuff the Alamo Drafthouse chain does.  With a set of forward facing booths in the front and raised college lecture style seating in the back, film-goers have a nice set of choices. Beer/wine, dinner, dessert - if you're hungry when arriving it's not going to be a problem. All the food I've sampled is pretty solid and the prices don't feel at all gougey. Best spot in town to see the cult hit The Room. Their projection options are a tad limited. But the quality is more than workable and I love the neighborhood joint feel of the place. Free street parking has never been an issue in my experience.
• iPic theaters - Formerly known in these parts as Gold Class Cinema I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the place. When they first opened they stood out in two very specific ways (a) jaw droppingly high ticket prices and (b) super comfortable reclining chairs. Over time they've somewhat whittled back prices and introduced two tiers of seats.  The lower ones on the weekend are around $18 and include no during film services.  The more expensive ones (only ones with the recliner action now) are around $28 and include free soft drinks, weak popcorn and at your seat service. Weekday pricing is somewhat lower.  I haven't eaten the food since the rebranding/purchase of the chain, but earlier incarnations were decent but not great. Prices range from reasonable (for fries/onion rings) to spendy.  I've also had some less than positive experiences with chatty or cell phone wielding audience members. For all that money staff isn't really super quick to boot people for such offenses in my experience.  Yep - another reason to pine for the Alamo Drafthouse (if you don't know what I'm referring to jump here). All said and done though the expensive seats are really super comfortable, and the theater's projection is better than many (though sometimes the theaters are not as dark as they ideally should be).  Sometimes a guy just wants to watch a dumb movie on a big screen with a cocktail. In such a case you can do worse than iPic.  This is the clear choice if you want to spend something significant and really wow a film fan that's gotten use to teens taking over their local multiplex. Did I mention you need to be 21+ to attend?
• Cinebarre - North of Seattle lurks what looks to me like a straight up attempt to open an Alamo without the franchise fee. Right down to the heavily tattooed wait staff in the promotional photos. If they're even close it's a heck of a good thing. I haven't been up there myself yet - and I've heard mixed reviews. But when it's the thought that counts this looks like a great choice to buy me a gift certificate to consider.
• Big Picture (both ticket and celebratory packages) - If we were ranking movie theater options by the quality of their bar there wouldn't even be a competition. Big Picture would win hands down. The lush looking waiting area of the theater reminds you that this is a classy operation. The prompt service and creative, full bar menu proves it.  With locations in Seattle and Redmond there's probably one not that far away from you now. While food is on offer I'd suggest snuggling into a tub of cheddar topped popcorn and some adult beverages during the film and maybe eating something more substantial elsewhere (the facilities aren't really dining friendly inside the theater). I've had multiple trips to their Redmond location over the past few years.  So I can vouch for the super comfy seats and layout that includes a rare center aisle - allowing you to sit dead center and still get in and out easily. No personal experience with the Seattle location. The theater offers festive gift outing packages that are would be most welcome by film fans over 21.  With a few high end pool tables in the Redmond location's lounge you can easily make a night of it.  The projection quality isn't going to wow a cinephile but the other perks can make up for it in most cases.  If you're feeling particularly generous you can rent the whole place for a custom screening experience.
• Landmark Cinemas -  They may not be the most comfortable, newest theaters. They may have bathrooms that must have been designed on a dare (and while on a bender) by folks who flunked out of architecture school. But the Landmark Theaters bring some of the best films out there to Seattle each year. For that simple fact they've got to be considered for gifting occasions.  One can buy physical gift cards online good for tickets and concessions. Presumably the same is available at any of their theaters. Unless there's been a big change recently at the local theaters one can also pickup a discounted ticket book that is good for shows on days other than Friday and Saturday. Sunday is my Landmark day of choice anyway due to the prevalence of free parking. So the Friday/Sat restriction may not be a deal killer for a hardcore fan.  
• SIFF Cinema Pass - The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) has had a pretty crazy year. Opening their offices in their new film center was a long dreamed about goal. But seemingly out of nowhere they also seized an opportunity with the closing of the AMC Uptown to greatly expand their theater capacity. Now sporting four active screens the "SIFF Cinema" branded juggernaut has been offering at least 4 unique films per week. With weekend evening specialized programming I wouldn't be surprised if an enterprising film fan could attend six or more different movies many weeks. Tickets are a steal for members ($5) - but why even leave that low barrier for a loved one. For $250 ($200/members) they can have a year round pass allowing them into any of the regular programming.  Want to see Elite Squad: The Enemy Within at each and every showing for a week? - won't be a problem now. Oh, and if they're not a member don't buy the more expensive pass - just tack on an Enthusiast level membership for just $55. The free popcorn alone makes up the $5 difference. Passes are also offered on a monthly basis if they're not quite a $200 gift sort of friend.
• Moviepass Gift Membership (update 12/11/11) - Since writing the original post I've learned  the Moviepass all you can see in a theater subscription service is rolling out in the Seattle area. This allows the purchase of a pass on a monthly basis that's good for up to one film per day, every day at a subset of theaters. I've written about my experience with it and some of the pluses and minuses. I've been enjoying it - and for the right film fan it could make a very appreciated gift. Additional details on the experience and the company's gifting experience can be read here.

Those are some of the most unique theaters in the area for catching a film.  If none of them appeal to you there's always the somewhat nicer than most Lincoln Square in Bellevue or the catch-all of a Fandango gift certificate. The latter seems more convenient than a chain specific gift ticket in many cases. As evidenced by the two AMC tickets someone gave me a while back that are somehow still sitting in my car.
 
When just one movie isn't enough - Immersive experiences via local festivals

Perhaps the film fan you're buying for is longing for a more intense dose. If they're Seattle based there are an abundance of festivals that are worth trying. Ranging from commitments of a day to almost 6 weeks there are a lot of options to choose from. Many historically have made use of the SIFF Cinema in Queen Anne. Now that SIFF has expanded to four screens I'd expect to see more of these type of rentals and perhaps some expansion for festivals making innovative use of the multiple screens. More pop up all the time - but here's a few that come to mind.

• Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Film Festival - The smallest length of the ones I'm writing about today. This festival takes place over two - two hour sessions on February 4th. Each session consists of ten short films with the event held in the Cinerama.  EMP and SIFF throw this shindig together and in years past it's been a heck of a good time. They're also nice enough to often hold the event on my birthday (as they are this year), so can't complain about that either.  For a basic gift spring for the $18 ticket that gets your loved one into both sessions.  To jazz it up consider buying them dinner in between the two sessions. There's a break from 6-7:30 and everyone's gotta eat.  I'll have a preview post of the event closer to February. But I can say I've seen at least four of the shorts, and they're some of the better ones I've seen in 2011. If you do go this route point the recipient to the fantastic site Short of the Week that has a continuous curated dose of the best short form films online. Heck, point everyone you know at the site anyway.
• Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival (MIFF) -  Challenging the sci-fi folks for the longest fest name in Seattle is MIFFF - our homegrown genre film fest. The closest you're going to get to Austin's accurately named Fantastic Fest in Seattle they bring the horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and other genre specific films you won't see in the multiplex. Their 2012 dates aren't set yet, but history suggests it will be in the late September timeframe and take place over a weekend.  If you'd like to learn more I've written a fair amount on their 2011 festival. Nothing looks like it's officially on sale yet, but I'm sure your friend will accept an IOU. Full passes are likely to repeat in the $50 range.
• Seattle Jewish Film Festival - While I've kidded the folks at SJFF occasionally (OK repeatedly) it's still worth knowing about. They have passes for their 3/15-3/25 series on sale now (this link will take you direct to the order form).  They've oddly decoupled descriptions of the passes from the order form (see, the kidding continues). You can buy "the whole megillah" pass for $250 ($225 student/seniors) which includes everything going on and all the basic parties. $200 gets you into the films but leaves you off some party. Personally - I'd suggest the flex pass at $90 ($75 student/seniors) which gives you eight entries into most of the films. The nice thing about it is that you can bring along friends - one per punch per film.  Hence the pass can also be seen as four films for a couple attending together.  Plus a brunch event I've never made it to. Honestly, this isn't my absolute favorite festival of the year. But I'm glad it's in Seattle and likely to at least be more appreciated as a Hanukkah present than socks.
• Northwest Film Forum: Children's Film Festival Seattle - Finally, something for the small folks in your household. If you're a parent who dies a bit inside every time you take the wee ones to something like The Smurfs then the Northwest Film Forum has an answer. Coming up between Jan 26th and Feb 5th is the 7th annual Children's film festival. There are options for all ages including a 3 and up pajama party, a concert by Caspar Babypants (fronted by Chris Ballew of the Presidents of the United States of America) and what looks like a great selection of international children's films.  There are also hands on workshops such as a movie making with sock puppets class, and one on claymation.  I reviewed a bunch of the films last year and was super impressed. Looking forward to seeing some of the films this year as well.  I know it may be hard to explain to your children that their gift is coming in late January. But that's no excuse not to take them.  Did I mention the Pancake Breakfast event?  Seriously - this is great stuff - tickets on sale as of 12/1. Schedule available here.
• Seattle's True Independent Film Festival (STIFF) - From the title it's hard to imagine that STIFF wasn't started as a bit of a F-you to the folks running SIFF. There is a history of festival counter-programming, most notable Slamdance which coincides with Sundance each year. In years past STIFF also coincided with SIFF. Unfortunately in my view that reduced the opportunity for folks attending SIFF to take advantage of the coolness that STIFF offered. Thankfully in 2012 STIFF will preceed SIFF running May 4th-12th. In the case of Slamdance vs. Sundance when tons of industry types are flying into Park City to watch movies the two festivals butting heads makes sense. But in the case of STIFF I'm really happy they decided to de-couple them somewhat so I can checkout both. I did watch a decent number of STIFF titles this year and feel there's a lot of reasons to recommend the festival in its own right.  It's also a heck of a deal, last year passes ran $50 for everything including parties. They're not on sale yet but I'm sure an IOU would work in this case as well.  Of you can do something really different and sponsor a filmmaker application to the festival on behalf of your friend/family member.
• Seattle International Film Festival - last, but definitely not least is the big kahuna of festivals - SIFF.  Running May 17-June 10th 2012 the odds are good that your giftee is available to catch part of it.  Lots of gifting choices lie within.  For folks you really, really like and who might want the full experience there's the full series pass ($500 until 1/17 for members) which gets them into most films. Or even the super swanky Platinum Pass ($1100 until 1/17) which guarantees admission into pretty much everything. At those prices admittedly maybe more a group purchase for that special someone.  The full series passes also includes admission to three weeks of press screenings before the festival - so for someone with endless free time that's roughly six weeks of movie watching for $500. There may be a better priced movie watching deal out there for the film fanatic. But if there is I haven't found it yet.  Remember though there are lots of other options.  At early bird pricing there's the Secret Festival Pass, four screenings of films on Sunday mornings during the festival that they can never, ever tell you about. It's a hit or miss endeavor - but what an air of intrigue. Gala only ($135) or party passes ($185) are nice options, especially if your giftee already buys a full series pass each year - as those don't include the galas/parties. Maybe less good gifts for anyone with a drinking problem as those passes typically include an open bar.  There are also 6 pack ($45) and 20 pack ($140) options which let the recipient choose their films once the schedule comes out in May.  I'll admit some of the choices are a bit confusing - so don't hesitate to reach out to the folks at the SIFF box office for guidance.  I'm happy to answer questions by email or in the comments if I can.

Membership has its privileges
A great way to plug more into the local film watching scene is to become a member of one of the strong arts organizations in our community. Some ideas along that direction:

• Northwest Forum - SIFF may get a lot of the hoopla as far as Northwest film orgs go, but there are plenty of other important voices out there. A super key one is the Northwest Film Forum which both screens innovative movies and helps people make them. This is likely the best film organization to gift to someone who is interested in making films vs. just watching them.  Though lovers of both will benefit too of course.  Membership includes significant discounts on movie screenings, classes, performance and special events. Individual memberships are $45, dual (two people at same address) are $75 and families (4 people same address) are just $100. Memberships taken (new or renewing) in December include an admit-two pass and a free popcorn to get you started at the movies, lending privileges from their DVD library, and half price rentals of film-making equipment and post-production suites. For someone who's already a fan they have some pretty sweet 15th anniversary shirts and mugs available on their site.  Gift certificates are also available if you just want to send your friends to the movies.  I think it's important to point out the range of workshops available for those who want to learn more about the film process, or are interested in getting their hands dirty and making films. If you're buying for someone who wants to make films NW Film Forum is an organization they should be involved with in some way. Actually - this is probably a good place to point folks toward the 911 Media Arts Center if they know someone interested in making vs just watching. I don't have a lot of personal experience with their work - but it seems like a nice collection of educational opportunities there as well.
• Grand Illusion Cinema - The Grand Illusion Cinema is the oldest continuously running theater in Seattle. It's also a non-profit volunteer run theater. It's not a huge place (70 seat theater) but they have creative programming mixing old and new and a true sense of history. Memberships start at $30 and include reduced admission to films, invites to members-only parties and screenings.  Plus that unquantifiable sense of doing good.  More expensive memberships include some films and presumably more of that positive vibe. Membership details are online here.
• SIFF - with many levels of supporter ranging from $55/year through $10k you can certainly calibrate the size of your gift (significant portions of most are tax deductible). The full list of levels and benefits are here. All levels include a popcorn punch-card redeemable at SIFF Cinemas, the ability to buy early bird offers for the festival, and invitations to free preview screenings (typically admit-two) throughout the year. I don't fully understand the formula, but I believe $125 and up memberships include a bit more in the way of free invites. They also include may include tickets to the cinema year round and festival.  Remember all memberships include $5 tickets to the year round (non festival) programming at the four screens SIFF runs in Queen Anne.
• EMP/SFM - OK, OK - the the Experience Music Project/Science-Fiction Museum isn't really a film related thing. At least on the surface. But with exhibits like Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film they still sort of fit. Membership includes free year round admission, and access to special offers/events as well. Starting at $50 for individual memberships. And yeah - there's a tax deduction too...

I'm going to take a break for now. I'm planning to come back with a part II gift guide section - covering local educational series, choices for the traveling film fanatic, DIY equipment on a budget, sources of at home content, and for the generous four destination festivals that are a heck of a lot of fun and easy to navigate for fans of all types.  Until then... Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.