Watch It

Short films and video clips from three Tacoma filmmakers featured in our cover story this month. Complemented with quotes from the article.

Rick Gratzer
“'[Bestsellers is] a story about not selling out.' The film’s protagonist, Bernard, is an aspiring writer and bookstore clerk, desperate to make a break from his hometown. Learning that Frederick Stone, a former local boy and best-selling author of fifteen political thrillers, is coming to town to read at the bookstore, Bernard abandons the coming-of-age story he’s working on to write a political thriller of his own. He sees easy money as the answer. Soon, he’s grappling with the consequences. Gratzer is an entertaining writer, and the plot is multilayered, with two screwball characters making a film-within-the-film."

In this clip, Bernard (Jeremy Adams) and his best friend Kyle (Mathew Suhr) discuss the existential subtext of Sega Genesis cult classic "Toejam & Earl" in this scene from Bestsellers, which was shot in Tacoma, WA.

Kris Crews
“'The Nightgowns. Going Shopping. Humble Cub. Motopony. Paris Spleen. Friskey. The Drug Purse. Makeup Monsters. Tacoma has a lot of important bands. I offered my video services because I wanted to help out. Now the world at large can home in on Tacoma and see kids dancing and singing in the Warehouse ... it’s what Hollywood tries to achieve in a teen movie, but this stuff is real.' Though Crews is reluctant to describe his documentary style, what stands out about his work is the way his video skills serve the spirit of live music. The visual and audio quality is there, and his cuts shift to the beat. The results look fun and sound good. Interesting camera angles give you a first-person perspective. It’s not quite like standing at the edge of the stage, but there’s a sense of the way things went down. And if you aren’t a house show habitué, or feel a little too old for the scene, Crews’ videos may induce nostalgia."

In this video The Nightgowns (formerly The Elephants) perform "Working for a Living" from their album Sing Something at the now closed Warehouse in Tacoma.

Michael Hoover
"According to Hoover, the dance film genre blossomed during the ’80s, thanks to greater visibility through the PBS show Alive from Off Center. 'The program often featured contemporary choreographers and modern dancers collaborating with filmmakers,' he says. 'Dance was created specifically for film rather than for a live performance.' In Hoover’s experience, filmmaking techniques expand the potential of choreography and storytelling: 'Film adds an amazing 3-D aspect. I can move with, above and around the dancer and focus the viewer’s attention in a way that isn’t possible in a live show.'”

Side note: all three filmmakers are participating in this year's 72-Hour Film Festival at the Grand Cinema in Tacoma, which screens Friday, May 7.