The Varsity Theater in the heart of the U District has been in operation since 1940. In 1985 the theater added two screens to make it a triplex that shows a mix of independent, blockbuster, and special engagement showings. It is operated by Far and Away Entertainment, a local company that owns and operates several movie theaters across Seattle and the Puget Sound.

Many of the sandwiches on these “best of” Seattle lists were one or two cities removed. Going to Lynnwood for a good sandwich is fine for some people, but it is not feasible or practical for the majority of us in the city. So, when coming up with my own roundup, I stuck to a few rules. The first was that this was a list of terrific Seattle banh mi, and so should stay within city boundaries. 

Northwest Film Forum will premiere Seattle filmmaker John Helde's new film, Marcie's, on April 4 and 5, 2025. Marcie's is about a small Washington town on the outskirts of the suburbs of Seattle that is feeling the encroachment of the city and developers who want to demolish the beloved community hub of Ed's Tavern in order to bring big business to the area. I sat down with John to talk about Marcie's and his unique style of filmmaking.

That date, three days before my 28th birthday, is when the US Supreme Court handed down the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that ensured same-sex couples the right to marry. I remember crying as I read the news and saw the videos. I was so ebullient in fact that I took to Facebook, started a post with a link to the news story and wrote out, "Now that I can marry anyone I want, I should get going on this whole dating thing," and clicked Post.

Founded in 1997, The Grand Cinema has been Tacoma and Pierce County's destination for independent, foreign, and repertory films. This four screen theater is a non-profit cared for and kept up by tremendous and tireless volunteers. Thanks to the generous donors who have already contributed to the Save the Grand campaign, The Grand hopes to purchase The Merlino Arts building in which it resides.

Photo by Stanislav

The annual comics celebration Emerald City Comic Con is a great time to discover local shops that carry books by the incredible artists you met at the show. 

Here are five shops from across the Puget Sound region that will serve all of your geeky needs. These are by no means the only shops to go to, but have made a particular impression on a comic lover like me.

The theater is a triplex with the largest of its three screens on the street level. The lobby is adorned with history. Photos of the original iterations of the theater line the wall with a look at what the demolition and reconstruction process was like for the theater in 1998. Within the lobby there’s a classic snack bar with everything a movie goer needs. Above your head, notice the unique glass lighting fixtures that look like jellyfish, which complements the theater's maritime theme, more evidence of which is scattered throughout the space. 

Returning this month is Noir City, a film festival dedicated to all things seedy, nefarious, and tantalizing in the world of crime. As the weather stays frightful, it is a great time to watch hardboiled detectives, cruel gangsters, and the women who love them in glorious black and white celluloid with a few hundred fellow genre admirers. This year's edition of Noir City highlights films "where winsome women turn wicked.”

It is tough when a beloved institution closes its doors, but it’s wonderful when it can be given an excellent send off. The Grand Illusion Cinema has been at 1403 NE 50th Street in the U District for over 50 years, the last 20 of which have been as a completely volunteer-run non-profit. The theater will be closing soon and having its final screenings this month.

Bruun Idun, your ancestors saw the glacial ice as it covered the world. They watched as it receded and carved this land. The retreating ice dug deeply for water to seep and swell, rising to fill basins. The water created islands, inlets, bays, coves, straits, and peninsulas. It teemed with life birthing new species and giving a home to others. The whales ruled near the surface and the octopuses kept their kingdom below the murky depths. The water blossomed as the land called to new creatures.

The cineplexes have suffered, yes, but it’s the neighborhood theaters and the art houses that are facing the brunt of the downturn. If people choose to see a film, they are more inclined to see it in a theater that provides an experience. It is not enough to be with strangers staring at a large screen. Now that screen has to be so big you have to turn your head, or the seats have to recline, or there needs to be a meal service and alcohol. People are searching for the nouveau riche instead of the walkable and homey.

Local filmmaker Tim Lightell has released a Manbaby into the world. The film is about Sal and Dana, a married couple who encounter a snag in their relationship when Dana reveals she doesn't want kids. Sal comes up with a harebrained scheme, he pretends he's been transformed into a baby, to try and trick Dana into getting on board with the idea of children. Yet, his plan doesn't work out exactly as he hoped.

I Watched Her Grow was filmed entirely in Seattle with a homegrown crew. Filmmaker Shea Formanes was kind enough to chat with me about the film and her process.

The story is about Ada (Michelle Colman Padron), a botanist struggling with grief over her mother Mirren's (Eloisa Cardona) death. Ada takes in the mysterious teenager Wren (Taylor Freeman), who seems to be struggling from the same affliction as Mirren did. 

There’s a sense of dread when you watch an ensemble film about a landmark birthday. The tension you assume is that the grim reaper is the last guest and the party is a way to tell everyone you love that death is imminent. Yet, Blue Lights subverts and twists this tension into something else. People who bring baggage to the party in one way, leave with new, but healthier baggage at the end.

Loneliness and heartbreak go hand in hand. We try to stave off heartbreak by solving the problem of loneliness. Not being alone never solves loneliness, of course, but we fail to realize that at the time and often leads to more heartache.

That is where we meet Lourenço (Marco Pigossi) at the beginning of the film High Tide. His mood is sedate and atmospheric with the specter of Lourenço's ex-boyfriend hanging over his head. It's the end of summer and the beaches are clear, enter Maurice (James Bland) the balm on Lourenço's fresh wound.

Super Typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda as it is known in the Philippines, made landfall in November of 2013, yet as seen in Asog, the effects and devastation that Yolanda caused are ongoing. There are many stunning aerial shots composed by director Seán Devlin and cinematographer Anna MacDonald. They show forests of coconut trees flattened, cargo ships in the middle of neighborhoods, roads that have become impassable, and homes that are unlivable.

It's time again for the Seattle Queer Film Festival (SQFF)! In its 29th year, the festival has dozens of films that explore multiple facets of the LGBTQ+ experience. The festival offers both an in-person theater experience October 10th-13th and a virtual experience October 14th-20th with events and Q&As throughout.

There are people who exist within human society who wear the mask of respectability, but are in actuality monsters.  Most of these people will never face their reckoning, but those who live their lives and work as public figures will eventually have a light shown on their behavior. In 2017, the social media movement #MeToo sought to oust the monsters from the shadows in every industry, but especially the monsters of the arts.