Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ENTERTAINMENT
GRAND ILLUSION CINEMA
CINEMA
( 206-523-3935;
www.grandillusioncinema.org
;
1403 NE 50th St; 72)
Totally unique! Far
from being a reincarnated gilded-age movie house, the Grand Illusion sits in an old
dentist's office. Run by volunteers and passionately not-for-profit, it has a cherished na-
tional reputation among independent movie guerrillas for its director retrospectives and
other cool, under-the-radar series. It also hosts its own film festival, facetiously called
STIFF (Seattle's True Independent Film Festival).
NEPTUNE THEATER
LIVE MUSIC
(
www.stgpresents.org
;
1303 NE 45th St; 72)
Providing an ideal pulpit for young indie
bands and smirking comedians sharpening their teeth on the university-gig circuit, the
Neptune, a historic theater originally dating from the silent-movie era, reopened its
doors in 2011 as a performing arts venue (it formerly functioned purely as a cinema).
Run by the not-for-profit Seattle Theater Group, the 800-capacity venue filled a hole
in U Dub's nightlife as well as gifting Seattle with an elusive midsize (but relatively in-
timate) live venue. Alt-rock and alt- comedy predominate.
VARSITY THEATRE
CINEMA
( 206-632-3131;
www.landmarktheatres.com/market/seattle/varsitytheatre.htm
; 4329
University Way NE; 72)
Independent and international arthouse films are shown at this
1940 cinema, the scene of many an undergraduate date night.
