Whoa, there goes February and a good part of March … I just learned that the Northwest Film Forum is going to be showing 27 Ozu films beginning on February 3rd and running through March 10. The slate includes such well-known films as Tokyo Story, Ohayo (a.k.a “Good Morning”), and Floating Weeds, but also includes a large number of his rarer silent work. Some showings of the silent films will feature live premieres of original scores commissioned for the series.

For those unfamiliar with Ozu’s work, he is the other classic Japanese director. Where Kurosawa was a master of the heroic epic and the grand gesture, Ozu is remembered for his gentle attention to the everyday details of ordinary people’s lives.

Full details about the retrospective are available at the NWFF’s Ozu festival webpage.

I never really noticed Le Petit Caf

A couple of items of note for this thrilling installation of Architecture Watch:

1. The new U.S. Federal Courthouse [emporis] is looking more and more complete. For years, we’ve gazed at the skyline, wondering about the point of the awkward green glass wedge. Apparently, it is meant to accentuate the terrifying concrete-steps-everywhere entrance to the building. Maybe it’s our current distrust of the U.S. DoJ or the still-leafless birch trees crowded into the courtyard with its scary totem altar that left us creeped out by the imposing facade. Or maybe it was the questionable choice of putting the opening phrases of the Declaration of Independence on a small sinking Vietnam Memorialesque wall.

   We’ll try to go back with our camera when it isn’t pouring to give the site a second chance.

2. In other news of soulless takeovers, it looks like the final stages of the Camlin’s transformation are complete with TrendWest branding on most exteriors. We just hope that the people staying in the new penthouses will be haunted by ghosts of piano bars past.

   Because change sucks, except when it doesn’t.

If you’re afraid of large crowds, Tuesday would be a good time NOT to have dinner at the Crossroads Mall. Joel Spolsky (of joelonsoftware.com fame) will be in town to speak at a conference, and at last count, over 80 people had committed to meeting him for an “informal geek-out”. Crossroads Mall has been the location of choice for blogger meets for some time now, but I believe that 80 people all having dinner at once (in addition to the locals) will probably test their capacity a little bit.

Having to start here is a bit unfortunate. Joe Bar is one of the quintessential Seattle coffee shops and almost everything else is going to seem anti-climatic. Of course, you could quibble that Joe Bar isn

I like coffee. A lot. But I

Apple barely got done announcing their Mac mini, but Mac Central reports that our Tom Bihn is already selling pre-orders on a bag for it.

Does Tom’s name sound familiar? You may have heard about him back when during the media expose’ on his bag labels.

As if having 3 coffee bars at Bellevue Square wasn’t enough (I don’t count the Starbucks clinging to the outside of the mall like a barnacle), Teavana moved in last December. I finally noticed they were there after the mall packed up the Satan display (Santa. I MEANT SANTA!) and the adoring mob dispersed. In the new quiet, I stared across the center court, and there, where Kit’s Camera used to be, was Teavana.

Teavana bills themselves as “Part Tea Bar, Part Tea Emporium.” Out front they are giving away free samples of tea, all sterile in little plastic sample cups. Further in, the store has that barren, lots-of-space look that one has come to associate with wanna-be oriental-themed stores. On the shelves around the store, little yixing clay teapots rub shoulders with japanese iron teapots (tetsubin) and an array of teacups. There are a few electric tea kettles, but this is definitely an asian-influenced store, so if you want a brown betty, don’t stop — just keep moving. I’m not in the market for a teapot at all, so I found all the cute little asian teapots impractical and expensive.

One side of the store is dedicated to the tea bar, canisters of loose leaf tea on large shelves behind the cash register; a counter with hot water dispensers and tea steeping canisters stacked tidily at the back wall. I had to keep moving so I didn’t stop to check prices, but no doubt they will be priced to challenge the Seattle’s Best Coffee across the corridor.

It’s that time of year again — where you can nominate your favorite people as Seattle’s Sexiest for the Stranger’s Valentine’s Day issue. Show your special stalkee some love at by filling out the online form [stranger]. Feel free to use the comment section on this entry to build grassroots support for your favorities.

While there isn’t a category for local ‘blogger, I think that a write-in vote or two would be completely appropriate. After all, 2004 was the year of the weblog.