It's been a delight to watch Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton make her way in Hollywood. She popped up on the local Seattle scene with MY EFFORTLESS BRILLIANCE and WE GO WAY BACK in the early aughts, but didn't spark national attention until HUMPDAY, then quickly gained traction with YOUR SISTER'S SISTER and LAGGIES. She's been busily directing in television for the last few years, but we're happy to have her back in cinemas with SWORD OF TRUST, starring deadpan genius Marc Maron in "one of the best performances of his career" - Chicago Sun-Times. Maron plays a cantankerous pawn shop owner who gets tangled in a Civil War-era sword scam. As with all of Shelton's films, much of this was improvised. "It's a smart, politically barbed comedy about truth and consequences." -Los Angeles Times. "The humor has a persistent goofy streak, but what sticks to the ribs is the poignant stuff." -The New York Times

     Also starting Friday is the deliriously joyful BLINDED BY THE LIGHT, from director Gurinder Chadha (BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM) about an angst-ridden teenager of Pakistani decent growing up in 1987's racially divided England. Until...he discovers the music of "The Boss" and his world splits open. For the first time he feels like someone understands the miseries of small town life, of being an outsider, and he finds a kindred spirit in Bruce Springsteen. Packed to the gills with that New Jersey rock sound, BLINDED BY THE LIGHT has been receiving raves: "An incandescent ode to the life force of pop music." - Variety

     Playing MAIDEN when the actual boat docked in PT was the most fortuitous event of my 27 years running the Rose. What a warm Port Townsend welcome the crew received. If you haven't seen this great movie, it's here for another week in the Starlight Room.

     Two extremely well-reviewed movies are starting next Friday, September 6th - HONEYLAND and DAVID CROSBY: REMEMBER MY NAME.

--Rocky