Harvey is a six-foot tall rabbit who hangs out with eccentric Elwood P. Dowd. (Jimmy Stewart in one of the finest performances of his storied career.) Maybe. Since Elwood is the only person who can actually see Harvey, it’s entirely possible that Harvey doesn’t really exist and Elwood is simply delusional. It’s also entirely possible that Elwood’s simply having a laugh at the expense of his stuffy sister and her social scheming by pretending that he sees a rabbit that isn’t actually there. It’s still further entirely possible that there really is a giant rabbit named Harvey who enjoys palling around with Elwood. One of the great things about this charming comedy is that not only is there no definitive answer to whether or not Harvey really exists nor any explanation for the odd things that seem to happen when he’s allegedly around, but that ultimately it doesn’t really matter. Harvey is sweet without being cloying and its gentle mockery of social convention still hits its targets all these decades later. Starts Friday at the Grand Illusion. Late night at the Grand Illusion: “no budget” post-apocalyptic sci-fi epic Steel of Fire Warriors 2010 A.D. made right here in Seattle.

Harvey, this week at the Grand Illusion

• Northwest Film Forum has a pair of films about people who chose to push the envelope. Obscene: A Portrait of Barney Rosset and Grove Press tells the story of a man whose name isn’t known in every household in America but whose battle against censorship has influenced every one of us. Stop in for the 7pm Saturday showing and you’ll get a bonus ACLU-moderated panel discussion. Christmas on Mars is a science fiction film directed by Flaming Lips leader Wayne Coyne about the colonization of the Red Planet and features music by Flaming Lips and appearances by Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock and Steve Burns who hopes that someday he’ll be better known as Steve Burns of Steve Burns and the Struggle than as Steve from Blue’s Clues.
• The Zeitgeist films series continues at SIFF Cinema with Todd Haynes’ startling and sensual film Poison, inspired by the works of the notorious Jean Genet on Friday; Ballets Russes, a love letter documentary about the groundbreaking ballet troupe, on Saturday; and the delightfully odd Short Films of the Brothers Quay on Sunday, a series of films which may change the way you think about puppets for good. The series finishes with Caraveggio, The World and Nowhere in Africa during the week.
• Central Cinema screens In Search Of, an intense drama in which a strong ensemble cast search for love, power, revenge, sex and belonging.
• Midnight at the Egyptian: the sometimes briliant, sometimes cheesy and always entertaining Labyrinth in which young and charming Jennifer Connelly must rescue her baby brother from the Goblin King, played by a smokin’ hot David Bowie who contributes several songs to the soundtrack.

Climates, part of SIFF's Zeitgeist series

• Zeitgeist Films is an independent film distributor that for 20 years has been presenting the best of world cinema, reviving the movies of established master filmmakers like Jacques Demy and Derek Jarman, as well as providing a launching pad for current creative artists like Todd Haynes and one of my favorites, Guy Maddin. SIFF Cinema pays tribute to Zeitgeist with two weeks of their films, starting this Friday with the lovely Umbrellas of Cherbourg, the complicated romantic musical that established a young Catherine Deneuve as an international star for her turn as a young woman whose seemingly simple love affair creates complications for everyone in her orbit. Saturday sees screening of Guy Maddin’s deliriously fun Careful along with two of his short films, The Heart of the World and My Dad is 100 Years Old. Naturalistic documentary Into Great Silence, about an austere monastery in the French Alps, and film-within-a-film satire on French cinema Irma Vep play Sunday and Monday. Tuesday is Manufacturing Consent, an examination of the ideas of Noam Chomsky, Wednesday is Climates, a film about loneliness, loss, and love gone awry on the beautiful Aegean coast, and Thursday brings Francois Orzon’s nailbiting thriller, See the Sea, particularly recommended to anyone who enjoyed his Swimming Pool and Under the Sand.
• SIFF’s Films4Families series continues Saturday morning with To Kill a Mockingbird, the classic film rendering of Harper Lee’s classic novel, starring Gregory Peck in a masterful performance as a man driven to do the right thing no matter the cost. This is an exceptionally good movie choice for parents of kids in the upper years of grade school or the early years of junior high who will find the film an excellent springboard for discussions about morality and manners.
• NWFF kicks off their own excellent film series on Friday night with a reception for their Festival of New Cinema from Spain. In recent years, Spain has become a true hotbed of cinematic creativity with a host of artists pursuing a wide variety visions and challenges. An eclectic selection of films includes opening night feature Under the Stars which combines family drama with a depiction of the surprising friendship between two completely different people. Other films in the series include a surreal exploration of the self in Me, a struggle to dust off the relics of the past and transform them into a brighter future with Seven Billiard Tables, a collection of refreshingly original shorts, the ineffable joy of falling in love In the City of Sylvia, and more.
• Halloween’s been over for a while now, but horror fans can still get some thrills at The Grand Illusion with a pair of Stuart Gordon flicks from the 80s: The Re-Animator and From Beyond, both adapted from HP Lovecraft stories and best appreciated by those with a strong stomach for gore.
• Swing by the Grand Illusion late nights this weekend for 1976 “blaxploitation” shocker Dr. Black & Mr. Hyde, both cheesy and creepy.
• Who you gonna call late night at the Egyptian this weekend? Ghostbusters, of course. Oh, sure, the special effects that seemed so nifty at the time of its original release look majorly schlocky now but the goofy charm remains as strong as ever in this movie where every character is perfectly played.

• SIFF Cinema brings you a series of Shakespeare-themed films that starts off Friday with My Private Idaho, Gus Van Sant’s (in)famous film about two Portland hustlers played by Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix that was inspired by Henry IV. On Saturday check out the 1952 Cannes Film Festival winning film, Othello, directed by the legendary Orson Welles doubling with Welles’ Macbeth. Other films in the series include Richard III, Looking for Richard, Hamlet, Baz Luhrman’s vividly modern Romeo + Juliet and Tempest with John Cassavetes, Molly Ringwald, Raul Julia, Gena Rowlands and Susan Sarandon.
• Otto Preminger directed 1959’s Anatomy of a Murder, a brilliant courtroom drama nominated for no less than seven Academy Awards. James Stewart stars as a humble small-town lawyer who must defend his client (Ben Gazzara) against charges of first-degree murder for shooting a barkeeper who–allegedly–raped his wife (the lovely Lee Remick). A sharp-eyed look at the law, Anatomy of a Murder remains fresh and fascinating all these years later. Starts Friday at the Grand Illusion.
• Late night at the Grand Illuision: From the Pole to the Pulpit: Ron Ormond screens a series of fiery religious propaganda films from the 70s directed by Ron Ormond, director of “trash classics” like Teenage Bridge, Mesa of Lost Women, and The Monster and the Stripper.
• Late night at the Egyptian: Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.
• Central Cinema offers up the timelySeattle premier of Boogieman, a look at long-time political operative Lee Atwater, tied to Reagan, both Bushes and now McCain.
• Northwest Film Forum brings you The Exiles, a groundbreaking 1961 film about young Indians in the big city. Also showing at NWFF: Secrecy, a documentary about the “seduction and power” of secrecy as it relates to national security and the public’s right to know. The ACLU of Washington will host a pre-screening reception on Friday night.

This week, through “A Drink for the Kids“, bars and clubs around town have been pitching in to help the Vera Project by donating proceeds from over-21 drinkers to the beloved and wildly successful all-ages scene-enhancing organization. All you have to do is go to a participating bar, order some Dewar’s or Redhook products and good times and good deeds follow. Probably the easiest and tastiest good deed you’ll do all week.

The revelry commences with a celebratory show at Neumo’s hosted by the Republic of Komedy’s Kevin Hyder. Until now, the super secret headliner was, you know, super secret, but we now know that Mt St. Helens Vietnam Band and Sub Pop’s own Auckland pop darlings the Ruby Suns will be joined by Ontario’s Tokyo Police Club, of seizure light, screaming keyboardist, and bromance-inducing bouncy rock fame. Get your tickets while you can. $15, 8pm, Saturday. [neumos]

Can’t make the show? Drink up at Linda’s, King’s Hardware, Spitfire, or West 5 on Friday and the Cha Cha, Hattie’s Hat, Mission, or Rendezvous tonight. And then maybe see a show — Stars bring lush romantic pop to the Showbox (at the Market), Gogol Bordello put on gypsy punk shenanigans (at Shobox SoDo) and Feral Children will tear up the Comet. Oh, October, indeed.

• Opening night of Local Sightings at NWFF kicks off Friday night with a program of short local films followed by a party. If you happen to be Carol Marquess, you get to go for free, courtesy of NWFF and Seattle Metblogs.
• SIFF begins a week of politically themed films Friday night with The Parallax View, a conspiracy-theory thriller starring Warren Beatty. The early 1970s view of the Space Needle, scene of an opening segment assassination, is almost reason enough to watch on its own, but the twisted thriller is rather exciting, too.
• Saturday the 4th is an excellent day to spend at SIFF Cinema: the day begins with a 10:00 am showing of 1982’s The Black Stallion, an optically arresting adapation of the classic children’s novel about a boy and the titular horse stranded together on a remote island after a shipwreck. Go back at 1:00 pm for The Meaning of Tea (part of the first annual Northwest Tea Festival, going on all weekend at the Seattle Center’s Northwest Rooms) and return again in the evening for a double bill of Gabriel Over the White House, a hard-charging pre-Hays Code film depicting a US President bent on shaking up the nation, and the brilliant A Face in the Crowd about a charming, cynical man’s rise to political power that remains as on target today as it was on release back in 1957.
• Midnight at the Egyptian: Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke. If there’s anyone left who still thinks cartoons are nothing but kids’ stuff, I strongly recommend you check this film out–it’s as serious, intense, and even scary in parts as any live action film.
• Late night at the Grand Illusion is the odd but excellent Repo Man but stop in earlier to see My Father, My Lord, David Volach’s dramatic contemporary retelling of the story of Abraham and Isaac.
• Fans of Joel and Ethan Coen will want to spend some time at Central Cinema for their screening of Blood Simple, the 1985 neo-noir that marked their directorial debut.

In just two days, Bumbershoot takes on Seattle for another epic showdown of endurance and sensory overload. The festival at Seattle Center is a sprawling, multi-headed beast of entertainment and memory-making fun. We fired up the Recommend-o-Tron and collected a list of suggestions from Team Metblogs to help you sort through the overstuffed lineup to make the most of the long weekend. Be sure to fill the comments letting us know what we missed, what we should skip, and what you’re most excited to see.

All Weekend:

One Reel Film Festival : No matter what time you stop in for the series of short film programs SIFF is showing all festival long, you’re bound to see some excellent filmmaking. Today’s highlights include Films4Families at 1:00pm and Cuisine Art at 7:00pm. Short films made for children have a way of appealing to everyone, regardless of age, and how could a series of films about food be anything other than tasty? [zee] SIFF Cinema, 12:00 - 9:00 pm

One Pot: This may be your best chance to get something really good to eat at Bumbershoot. Dinner is at 6pm each night; go to onepotbumbershoot.blogspot.com for details. [jameson] 6:00 pm, NW Rooms.

ON THE RADIO: KEXP’s annual broadcast from an undisclosed location deep in the heart of Seattle Center will bring you live performances from a diverse selection of the weekend’s darlingest bands. A few lucky people who signed-up ahead of time will be able to watch for themselves, but everyone can tune in to get a taste of Bumbershoot from the comfort of their own home. [kexp]

VISUAL ARTS: All exhibitions are open 11:00 am to 8:00 pm all three days. Highlights include:

the Power of One : A series of photographs that illustrate the powerful impact a single person can have on global society, featuring works by Charles and Ray Earnes, Nina Berman, Phil Borges, Katharina Mouratidi and Jackie Renin; several of the artists will be on hand during the exhbiition. [zee] NW Rooms

FLATSTOCK 18: Your walls are looking a little empty, Seattle. The country’s best rock poster artists fill the Fisher Pavillion with the artistic ephemera created to advertise shows by your favorite bands. While you’re sure to swoon over the Seattle–Tehran poster show in the NW rooms, you can both adore and buy the ones here. Set aside a healthy budget, plenty of time, and a place to stow your purchases. The show runs all weekend, but the best stuff has a way of selling out early. [josh/samantha/zee]

Saturday-specific picks after the jump.

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• Vivre sa vie is one of pioneering filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard’s best films, a 12 chapter story of Nana (played by the luminous Anna Karina) who leaves her husband and child in hopes of becoming an actor. Instead of playing roles on-screen, however, she finds herself working as a prostitute instead. Despite its often documentary-like format, Vivre sa vie is intimate and emotionally engaging and is an excellent example of the Nouvelle Vague focus on the ordinary and mundane as a springboard to thoughtful study. This is an excellent introductory film for anyone unfamiliar with Godard’s works. At SIFF Cinema.
• Also at SIFF this weekend: Get up early and bring the kids (or just go yourself) to SIFF Cinema for Saturday’s 10:00 am screening of The Neverending Story. Though some of the special effects seem very dated these days, this charming story of young Bastian, a sad and bullied boy who escapes his troubles by falling into a book that details the epic battle of the beautiful land of Fantasia versus the dark forces who seek to extinguish its light.
• The Grand Illusion presents The Church on Dauphine Street, a documentary focused on Father Joseph Benson and ex-Marine Arthine Vicks, two unlikely allies who come together in the hopes of reuniting one of New Orleans’ most unusual congregations, on a Seattle businessman who organized over 160 volunteers to fight the post-Katrina destruction and despair, and on the enduring allure of “home”.
• Also at the Grand Illusion: stop by for the Saturday and Sunday matinee showings of Kicking It, a documentary about the Homeless World Cup.
• Medium Cool is a cinema verite style drama filmed around the actual 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago–the one where protestors and cops engaged in battle on the streets. In Medium Cool, this weekend at NWFF, Robert Forster plays a cameraman contemplating the politics and ethics of his work after the FBI starts using his footage to identify militants.
• Also at NWFF: To the Limit, a look at the adrenaline junkies involved in speed rock-climbing and Summer of ‘68, a documentary about the ‘68 Democratic National Convention that serves as a great companion piece to Medium Cool.
• Midnight at the Egyptian: One of my all-time faves, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a hot mess of a movie about a struggling novelist/gigolo in love with a daffy, high-living professional party guest. Holly Golightly may be the most famous role of Audrey Hepburn’s career; it’s definitely one of her best. In the hands of another actor, Holly might seem vapid and morally bankrupt but Hepburn’s luminous charm, vitality, and grace makes her one of the most appealing characters on film and more than makes up for the film’s rough spots.
• Outdoor films this weekend: Alvin & the Chipmunks at McCormick Park in Duvall, E.T at Lake Burien Park in Burien, both on Friday and Hairspray in Fremont, Galaxy Quest in West Seattle, Shaolin Soccer at Hing Hay Park in Seattle, Surf’s Up at Renton’s Henry Moses Aquatic Park, Back to the Future at Carillon Point in Kirkland, and The Wizard of Oz at Bainbridge Island’s Waterfront Park, all on Saturday.

• Northwest Film Forum has a couple of interesting films this weekend: Chimes at Midnight is a 1966 film by Orson Welles that blends scenes from Shakespeare’s plays Richard II, Henry IV (parts 1 and 2), Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor with a commentary from Elizabethan historian Holinshed to produce an original work centered around the character called Falstaff, played by Welles himself.
• Full Battle Rattle, the other film at NWFF examines the Mojave Desert facility built by the US Army for a billion dollars to give soldiers headed for deployment to Iraq the chance to train in simulated “virtual Iraq”. The film follows one Army battalion through the simulation during which time they will try to quell a staged insurgency and prevent a staqed civil war before they are transported to Iraq to put their newly-acquired skills to the test where the action is 100 percent real.
• SIFF kicks off their Jean-Luc Godard tribute series with Contempt, the brilliant director’s first big budget film. Legendary sex kitten Brigitte Bardot stars as the not-quite-loving wife of a screenwriter (played by Michel Piccoli) whose marital discord neatly mirrors the confict between art and commerce examined in the film both directly as part of its film-within-a-film storyline and indirectly as a matter of philosophical reflection.
• Also at SIFF: The Films4Families series continues Saturday morning with a showing of the best of the film adaptations of classic children’s novel The Secret Garden. This version, released originally in 1993, is beautifully shot and well-acted by excellent young actors who bring to vivid life the story of three neglected children who restore themselves as they restore an abandoned garden on an isolated English country estate. An excellent film for children, The Secret Garden is also appealing to adults. (August 9, 10 am)
• The Grand Illusion presents Monster Camp, a documentary that provides a peek into the world of live action role playing, or, LARPing, for short. At NERO Seattle, the local branch of an organization that role plays games all across America, serious gamers spend 48 hours fully immersed in their imaginary world, transforming from ordinary folks into the fantastical beings they imagine, limited only by their own creativity.
• Midnight at the Egyptian: Family adventure film turned cult classic, The Goonies.
• One of my favorite films of SIFF’s 2008 Festival was Baghead, a film that asks: “Is a guy with a bag on his head really all that scary?” Four struggling actors head to the woods with the idea of writing their own screenplay and discover that the answer to that question is a resounding “yes”. Baghead isn’t just scary, though, it’s also funny and charming and totally likeable. It’s at the Varsity.
• If you’d rather see The Goonies outside, you can catch it Friday night at the Seattle Center’s Mural Ampitheater or Lynnwood’s Lynndale Park. Also on Friday night: South Lake Union’s Cinema on the Lawn screens Juno. On Saturday head to Fremont Outdoor Cinema for “Big Giant Monster Night” featuring Cloverfield, to West Seattle’s Sidewalk Cinema for Finding Nemo, the Mural Ampitheater for Batman Begins followed by a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, or Hing Hay Park for Transformers.

• Northwest Film Forum gets you revved up with their 1960s Nikkatsu Action Cinema series this weekend featuring The Warped Ones, Glass Johnny Velvet Hustler, and A Colt Is My Passport, all action packed thrillers from 1960s Japan. Also at NWFF: Operation Filmmaker, Nina Davenport’s documentary about Muthana Mohmed, an aspriring young filmmaker from Baghdad brought to Prague by actor and director Liev Schreiber. Mohmed is frustrated with the low-level work he is given on the film Everything Is Illuminated. The culture clash between the young Iraqi and his hosts is huge and hard to overcome. Mohmed’s visa is about to expire. On top of that, Davenport has become entangled in the would be director’s story and there seems to be no resolution in sight. A group of Seattle-area documentary filmmakers provide a panel discussion after the 4:30 Saturday showing.
• After the weekend passes, head back to NWFF on Tuesday or Wednesday for a screening of Hal Ashby’s Shampoo, one of the great films of the mid-1970s whose sharp comedy still stings today.
• Back in 1978, director Roman Polanski (Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown) fled the US after plea bargaining his indictment for rape and other sexual charges into “unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor” to avoid being sentenced for his crime. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired examines this time in the notorious director’s life, focuing on allegations that the case’s judge was more interested in fame than the law. Despite expressions of sympathy from a variety of people, including his victim, who insist that Polanski has suffered enough, I remain unconvinced that he has suffered at all, but the film does present an interesting view of the issues surrounding the case. Opens at SIFF Friday.
• Worth getting up early on Saturday morning is SIFF’s second film in their Films4Families series, the excellent 1971 Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. Gene Wilder is slyly subversive as the reclusive candy maker who opens his factory for a special tour for six lucky Golden Ticket winners. His disposition isn’t nearly as sweet as the sugary treats the surround him, but Wilder’s brilliant performance in the title role makes him appealing even when he’s mean. After all, the kids who run afoul of his temper only bring on their various ends by their own misbehavior. A couple scenes might be a little intense for very young kids but this is a great film for the whole family. (Screens at 10:00 am.)
• If you like creepy, make sure you get to the Grand Illusion for the late night showings of the 1971 horror/sci-fi classic The Omega Man, another film that was remade in recent years. This original stars Charleton Heston in a film adapated from classic vampire novel I Am Legend into a world where biological war has decimated most of the population, leaving behind a handful of survivors struggling to escape the scary post-plague neohumans known as The Family. Did I mention that it’s creepy? Believe me, it is. I had nightmares for days after I saw this as a kid and I’m pretty sure I’d have them again if I watched it now.
• Speaking of creepy, Midnight at the Egyptian this weekend is The Shining starring creepy Jack Nicholson as the creepy caretaker of a creepy hotel whose creepy spirits are trying to convince him to kill his wife and child.
• If you like your movies al fresco, you have several outdoor cinema choices this weekend: Edmonds Outdoor Cinema is presenting Charlotte’s Web and SLU’s Cinema on the Lawn shows Bring It On, both Friday night. Saturday head over to West Seattle’s Movies on the Wall for The Goonies or to Fremont’s Outdoor Cinema for An Inconvenient Truth. Go ahead and mark your calendar early for Thursday, July 31 when Rainier Square’s Movies on the Pedestal presents Rear Window,. one of the best suspense films ever.

• SIFF screens Love and Honor, the final film of director Yoji Yamada’s samurai trilogy. Lower level samurai Shinnojo dreams of opening his own kendo dojo but his dreams are crushed when he goes blind after being poisoned while testing his shogun’s food. Complicating matters, his devoted wife begins an affair with a higher-ranking samurai in an attempt to secure her husband’s financial future, an affair which inspires the blind samurai to challenge his rival for a duel.
• Saturday at 10 am check out SIFF’s first selection in their Films4Families series, one of the best-known and best-loved films ever, The Wizard of Oz, a movie which is excellent on its own but even better when seen with an auidence.
• Speaking of SIFF selections, Garden Party, a 2008 festival selection, opens at the Varsity. A businesswoman bent on success by any means necessary and three young people trying to find themselves and their own paths are bound together by interwoven stories of the quest for success in up- and down-scale LA. Also at the Varsity are two other 2008 SIFF films: Encounters at the End of the World and Up the Yangtze.
• Midnight at the Egyptian: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the film adaptation of the legendary Hunter S. Thompson’s legendary book. Enhance your experience of the film by going to see it after you’ve seen the documentary Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson at the Harvard Exit first.
• Northwest Film Forum continues their run of The Gits, a powerful documentary on the influential titular NW punk band.
  While most everyone knows the story of lead singer Mia Zapata’s brutal murder, the fim does an excellent job of showing that Zapata and her surviving band mates deserve to be remembered at least as much for their great music as for their tragic history.
• Also at NWFF is a new 35mm print of Charlie Chaplin’s film Monsieur Verdoux, possibly his most underrated movie and definitely one of his most brilliant, a dark comedy in which Chaplin plays the title character as an unemployed bank worker who turns to marriage and murder for profit.
• Enjoy your films outdoors: Friday at South Lake Union Cinema on the Lawn is the brilliant black comedy, Heathers, still easily one of Winona Ryder’s best performances in a film. Saturday night is “Outer Space Night” at Fremont Outdoor Cinema where they are screening Project Moonbase.