Three samurai warlords duke it out to be top dog in mid-sixteenth century Japan when the strongest of the bunch is taken out of the game by a sniper. Lord Shingen’s family refuse to let his death stand in the way of their power grab so they recruit his look-a-like, a poor thief, as his stand-in on the throne, but can such a scheme succeed? See legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s Kagemusha, playing Friday and Saturday at SIFF Cinema to find out. Kagemusha was a genuine labor of love for Kurosawa; unable to secure financing in Japan, he never gave up his dream of making the movie and was eventually rewarded when two legendary American directors, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, helped him get US financing for a film that’s equal parts a broad war epic and the very intimate portrait of a man whose life is shaped by the complex code he chooses to follow.

Saturday morning make your way to SIFF Cinema for this weekend’s Films4Families selection: Whale Rider, the emotionally engaging tale of a Maori girl, Pai, whose traditionalist grandfather refuses to see her full potential to become leader of their family. Pai herself isn’t entirely sure of her destiny at first but her dedication to learning all she can of her people’s traditional ways as well as her understanding of the world as it is now combine with her own surprising inner strength to send her on an emotional journey that impacts everyone in her life.

Andreayaya told you about the Seattle Human Rights Film Festival earlier this week. The festival continues through Sunday, with films focused on human rights issues like the death penalty, prisoners of conscience, violence against women and the struggles of people everywhere to survive oppression and brutality. Films screen at Northwest Film Forum Friday night through Sunday afternoon; the festival closes with Sand and Sorrow Sunday night at SIFF Cinema.

Opening this weekend at the Grand Illusion is Ice People, director Anne Aghion’s new journey to one of the most exotic and fascinating destinations on Planet Earth–the ice bound continent of Antarctica. Aghion spent four months on the ice with a group of polar explorers, determined to capture the genuine experience of living and working in such an extreme environment. She was there when researchers made one of the most significant discoveries about Antarctica’s history in recent years, a history that shows an Antarctica very different from the one we know today.

Do you like science fiction? Fantasy? Short films? If your answer is yes, you definitely want to spend your weekend at the Cinerama for the fourth annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival, brought to you by SIFF and EMP/SFM this Saturday. There are two sessions, one from 4 pm to 6 pm, the other from 7 pm to 9 pm; each feature 10 short films selected from entries sent in from all around the world. If you go to the later section stick around after the final credits for the awards ceremony that follows to hand out the awards voted on by the panel of film, television, literature, and science fiction industry professionals, peers, and film critics.

Central Cinema screens Memento, a striking psychological thriller that plays with audience perceptions with two story tracks, one in chronological order and one in reverse chronological order as a man with a form of amnesia that prevents him from making any new memories struggles to overcome his limitations and find the killer of his wife.

Midnight at the Egyptian: Chocolate, a martial arts spectacular whose hero is a “young autistic girl who grows up next to a Muay Thai boxing studio and is raised on a steady diet of chocolate and marathon viewings of Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee films”.

brendan canning performing with broken social scene

Tonight, two highly recommendable bands under one roof! Even though that roof is metal and in the near reaches of SoDo, it’s worth mapping out your public transit agenda to get the the Showbox “SoDo” on time to see Grand Archives opening for Broken Social Scene.

Any time either of these bands plays, I’ll tell you to see them.[1] Grand Archives, because they started incredible the first time I saw them playing a four-song show at half-Neumo’s and they’ve gotten improbably better, more cohesive, and warm-fuzzy smile-inducing ever since. They’re readying a new album later this year; so this should be a good opportunity to hear a bunch of newish material before it arrives in disc form.

Broken Social Scene is currently touring in support Something For All of Us, Brendan Canning’s pseudo-solo “BSS presents” effort. Canning’s usually plays the role of “the cornerstone of the band’s rhythmic foundation” and typically hangs out a few steps shy of the spotlight on the crowded stage while Kevin Drew drinks and chats. His solo album is a touch more introspective than the full collective’s material. It’s an album with glitchy instrumental stand-outs, a healthy serving of big anthems, duets, and a hilarious jazz funk explosion. In person, it’s always a bit of a surprise to see who shows up on stage. Sometimes its collaborators like Feist and Amy Milan, last time at the Moore it was Andrew Kenny from American Analog Set and a couple Death Cab for Cuties for an encore.

// tonight, 8pm, $23 [showboxonline]

–

(1) Exuberant recommendation aside, I wouldn’t blame you for sticking closer to home and saving a bit of money while supporting an all-star lineup of local talent: SHIPs, Grand Hallways, Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden, and Ghost of Kyle Bradford are playing a mega-show that also merits serious consideration. $8, 8pm. [neumos]

The small town of Oakridge, Oregon has made the move to a 4-day school week as a way to save $120,000 a year. This is a huge amount for such a tiny town (I have relatives that live there, you can walk across the entire town in 1-2 hours) that I wonder how much the Seattle School District could save by making a similar move. Olympia is currently tossing around this very idea.

There would likely not be much support though…what would parents do on the weekday where their children are not in class? Daycare costs money, and with the economy the way it has been, it’s unlikely that many parents could absorb the extra costs.

What are your thoughts? Should students transition to a 4-day school week in order to save schools/money for extra programs?

the zipcar reservations interface

Zipcar, the car-sharing service that merged with Flexcar last year, is opening a real life office in downtown Seattle. In an interesting twist of fate, they’re taking over the storefront formerly occupied by the Department of Licensing office on Union Street (below 4th Avenue).

The grand opening is today and in addition to free snacks they’re also rewarding drop-in visitors with free Zipcar memberships. If you’ve been intrigued by short-term car rental but have been weary of the $50 annual fee, this is a great time to take the plunge. When you sign-up you’ll get a chance to spin a prize wheel for a chance to earn “driving credit, ski passes and other goodies.”

Today also marks a new partnership with the City of Seattle granting all city employees access to Zipcar. In their press release, they cite survey data showing that about half of Zipcar users increased their public transit usage and that membership is associated with reducing vehicle miles traveled by nearly 40 percent. When they extrapolate this data to Seattle, this represents an annual reduction of 2,623,620 gallons of gas and 25,449 tons of carbon dioxide.

I’ve been a member since they were Flexcar, and while my use has been infrequent it has always been convenient enough to reduce temptation to buy a car to occupy my parking space.

Previously in car sharing:

• “I Like Zipcar, too” [mb]
• Flexcar 101 [mb]

* 7:00 PM: Best title of the year award, to date, goes to Delicate Edible Birds: And Other Stories, by Lauren Groff. She’ll read and sign at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard. Sponsored by UW Bookstore.
[LINK]

* 7:30 PM: The Milton Center at Image hosts a reading by Milton Center Fellow Hannah Notess at SPUs Art Center Gallery. Her poems have appeared in The Christian Century, Crab Orchard Review, Rattle, Relief, Ruminate, and Slate, and are forthcoming in 5 AM, Measure, and Mid-American Review.
[LINK]

* 7:30 PM: Photographer Summer Moon Scriver and writer Iris Graville discuss and sign Hands at Work: Portraits & Profiles of People Who Work with Their Hands at Elliott Bay Books. What a lovely idea.
[LINK]

It’s all about free art this week. Get your fill with the following:

-First Thursday is today, and since it’s been nice outside you can expect Pioneer Square will be hopping with free art, wine and cheese. If you go to the SAM or EMP for free today, I recommend going during the day and not after work. It’s a mob house post 5pm.

-The Henry is always free on Thursdays. Every Thursday!! If you’re into modern, funky pieces the exhibits this time around seem worth seeing. Beware, Thursdays are crazy crowded thanks to all the UW kids.

-The Frye is always free. That’s right. Every damn day you can get your fill of contemporary and surprisingly interesting exhibits. I’ll have to check out what Nathalie Djurberg has animated.

-Last but not least, Seattle Print Fair is this weekend. See what Cornish kids came up with for free. But do come with money, as the prints are for sale.

Stay free!

Some artists act like animals but the artists whose work is on display at the “New Breed of Art” show opening at the Art/Not Terminal Gallery (2045 Westlake Ave, Seattle) this Saturday, February 7th really ARE animals.

The American Association of Zookeepers – Puget Sound hosts Seattle’s first animal art show which features works by Woodland Park Zoo‘s elephants, orangutans, and more to help raise funds for the 2009 AAKZ/ICZ zookeepers conference.

Saturday’s opening night reception runs from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm and features talks about the animals’ art by WPZ zookeepers and wine by PengWine, whose fine Chilean wines are named after many different varieties of penguins.

King 5′s website is reporting Washington Mutual on Fifth and Union was robbed earlier this evening. The bank robber claims to have left a bomb behind.

“The suspect is still on the loose. He is only described as a male in his 30’s with no facial hair and no glasses.”

Oooh!