Thanks so much to everyone who came out to Scarecrow x SIFF x Unstreamable’s special screening of Near Dark last Friday. We did not expect the line to be wrapped around the block!!! Watching that movie on 35mm with you all was a truly a treat 🍬🎃
In other nearly-sold-out news: We’re screening director Gregg Araki’s Nowhere this week at Northwest Film Forum, and …… NOWHERE ACTOR JAMES DUVAL WILL BE THERE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT! Don’t rely on tickets at the door. Reserve some seats.
For the column this week, we’ll lead with Nowhere, then close out our month of unstreamable documentary picks with Warren Miller’s Fifty and Robert Leacock’s Catwalk.
Got a recommendation? Give us the scoop at unstreamablemovies@gmail.com.
United States, 1997, 82 minutes, Dir. Gregg Araki
Nowhere, the final installment in Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy, is a totally engrossing, violent, cinematic rave. Taking place over one bright Los Angeles day, moody teen Dark (James Duval) hangs with his bisexual girlfriend Mel (Rachel True) and longs for shy twink Montgomery (Nathan Sexton) while preparing to go to a wild party later that night.
Throughout the afternoon, Dark and his circle of friends — played by a huge cast of iconic actors of the late ‘90s like Heather Graham, Ryan Phillippe, Christina Applegate, and Guillermo Diaz — do drugs, make out, dodge their parents, and lounge around their intricately stylized rooms all while being stalked by an alien. The end of the world seems nigh, but why should that get in the way of a good time?
Dubbed by the director as “Beverly Hills 90210 on acid,” Nowhere is a frenetic and psychedelic ode to teen angst and the alienation of young adulthood. Initially released to lukewarm reviews, in the two decades since, Nowhere has attained cult status for its prescient perspective on queer identity and vibrant production design. Only officially out on VHS in the United States with low-quality rips floating around on the internet, Nowhere has finally gotten the 4K treatment with a new sound mix that makes the horny, colorful movie crisper than ever.
Available on VHS in the Comedy section. In store only. OR IN THEATERS!!! IN 4K!!!
United States, 1999, 97 minutes, Dir. Kurt Miller, Peter Speek
The prolific ski bunny cum filmmaker Warren Miller (1924-2018) created over 500 films during his 93 years on this snowy planet. Even if we exclude the promotional films he made for resorts like Sun Valley and Telluride, he still created more than 50 feature-length films, primarily through his own company, Warren Miller Entertainment. He and his team spent the whole second half of the 20th century annually selling out cities across the country, screening the popular ski films they’d make about their trips around the world with athletes and businessmen. Miller wasn’t a stranger to Washington state, living on Orcas Island during the latter part of his life and making appearances in Seattle. He left behind a hefty legacy, though most of it is unstreamable.
I’m a newbie to the world of Warren Miller, first learning about him via his ongoing screenings that continue to happen in Seattle. The next one, ALL TIME, screens at McCaw Hall on November 13th. This year’s event has sparked controversy, though, as Miller's company is now under corporate ownership, and ALL TIME marks the first time in 74 years that a new film has not been produced. Instead, the screening will feature a compilation film celebrating Miller's legacy, which has left fans disappointed. Still, it makes for a unique time to revisit his work. Scarecrow’s got a ton of it, and in the film I rented, FIFTY, it had a rare sequence of Marilyn Monroe skiing in the 1950s. The guy knew how to get a shot. CHASE BURNS
Find it in the Sports section under Skiing & Boarding. Rent by mail.
United States, 1996, 95 min, Dir. Robert Leacock
Catwalk is all about faces. Mostly, Christy Turlington's face as she jets across the world during the Spring/Summer 1994 season. Shot in a roving, guerilla-like style, director Robert Leacock gets seemingly unfettered access to the supermodel—the chaotic backstages of Versace, Valentino, and Mizrahi shows; various fittings; glamorous parties; back seats of taxis; taking off her makeup at night. Through it all Turlington is serenely good-natured and smiley, offering moments of vulnerability (like reflecting on her dating life) while maintaining a cool distance from the camera. It's myth-making.
Other famous faces pop up throughout as the film takes several interesting detours away from Turlington. John Galliano coaches Kate Moss on how to run down the catwalk in a giant dress designed to evoke Russian aristocracy. Naomi often cruises across the screen, making comments that manage to be both innocuous and cutting. The late André Leon Talley declares that fashion is definitely not art. Isaac Mizrahi laments the trend of models getting their belly buttons pierced. Sharon Stone, RuPaul, Christian Slater, and the heads of other vaunted fashion houses pop up as well. Even the soundtrack is glittery, composed by thee Malcolm McLaren. JAS KEIMIG
Available only on VHS. In store only.
No trailer! But enjoy Versace :)
Looking for more? Browse our big list of 350+ hard-to-find movies over on The Stranger.
*The fine print: Unstreamable means we couldn’t find it on Netflix, Hulu, Shudder, Disney+, or any of the other hundreds of streaming services available in the United States. We also couldn’t find it available for rent or purchase through platforms like Prime Video or iTunes. Yes, we know you can find many things online illegally, but we don’t consider user-generated videos, like unauthorized YouTube uploads, to be streamable.
