…all hail the queen of Technicolor Maria Montez in SOUTH OF TAHITI (Palomar), sadly in B&W but with additional vaudeville hosted by Sammy Cohen! Famous pairings: Powell & Loy in SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN (Music Box) and, of course, Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland in LIFE BEGINS FOR ANDY HARDY. 3/3

Meanwhile, Telenews Newsreel Theatre gets us up-to-date on the U.S.-Japan Crisis. For escapism, there's Disney's lesser known feature THE RELUCTANT DRAGON (Green Lake), Nelson Eddy sans Jeanette MacDonald in THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER (5th Ave), and… 2/

There's a smattering of Rock Hudson, too: PILLOW TALK (Colonial, w/OPERATION PETTICOAT) and THE SPIRAL ROAD (Roxy) paired with the excellent Peter Cushing Christmas-set crime flick CASH ON DEMAND; you'll have to wait till tomorrow for BATTLE HYMN (5th Ave). 4/4

Vadim's LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES + HER BRIDAL NIGHT (Beaux Arts), and MR HULOT'S HOLIDAY + MY UNCLE (sic, VARSITY). 3/

Double Oscar-winner THE MIRACLE WORKER (Music Box) will always be second-best in my heart to WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE (Blue Mouse). Classic foreign cinema bursting all over Seattle—LA DOLCE VITA (Guild 45th), BLACK SUNDAY + NEVER ON SUNDAY (Ridgemont)… 2/

Of course, the best genre fare is the revival screenings of Disney's FANTASIA (Varsity) and RKO's KING KONG + I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (Garden), open all night—I'm buying a ticket and pushing through till dawn. 3/3

THE KING AND I (Crest), HIGH SOCIETY (Broadway), and Elvis's film debut LOVE ME TENDER (Coliseum), where they won't crop out his swiveling hips. George Pal & Byron Haskins reunite for CONQUEST OF SPACE (Colonial), not great, but better than CURUCU, BEAST OF THE AMAZON + THE MOLE PEOPLE (Orpheum). 2/

I love the aesthetics of MISHIMA (Varsity) and TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., but the latter's narrative I've always found lacking to some degree. Special shout out to early John Cusack vehicle BETTER OFF DEAD, made even better paired with GODZILLA 1985 (Parkway Plaza). 4/4

The other big blockbuster in cinemas is ROCKY IV—the catalyst for the Cold War ending, The Reagans loved it. The Reagans hated KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (Egyptian) which is all the recommendation you need to see it (coming to Criterion Collection in January). 3/

Holiday holdovers from Halloween still playing: early Jim Carrey in ONCE BITTEN and TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000. BACK TO THE FUTURE (King Cinema) holding over from summer. 2/

Finally, the Ridgemont making sure everyone knows Chabrol's LA FEMME INFIDELE is not a skin flick and it's paired with the ultra-rare LAUGHTER IN THE DARK—not even Scarecrow has a copy. 5/5

Adaptation of Arthur Hailey's HOTEL (Town) and AIRPORT (Broadway). Down the road, the Harvard Exit is trying to warn us about the dangers of AI with COLOSSUS, THE FORBIN PROJECT. 4/

You've got a Fellini double-feature: SATYRICON + SPIRITS OF THE DEAD (Neptune). Kids' double feature at the Crest—A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN + RING OF BRIGHT WATER—but might want to leave early to keep eyes dry. I keep meaning to watch NO BLADE OF GRASS but I'll have to wait till tomorrow. 3/

It's been 7-years so Disney's SON OF FLUBBER gets a re-release. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY playing Seattle but not at Cinerama, where Mike Nichols' CATCH-22 reigns. More New Hollywood with FIVE EASY PIECES (UA 150), M*A*S*H (Coliseum), and PAINT YOUR WAGON (Uptown)[kidding]. 2/

A MAN AND A WOMAN (Ridgemont), we probably won't ever see a film have a 14+ month engagement in Seattle ever again…. 4/4

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING (Lake City), and Elvis! in CLAMBAKE (Blue Mouse). I hear the 70mm transfer of GONE WITH THE WIND is flawed, so skip; COOL HAND LUKE (7th Ave), must see; Michael Winner's THE JOKERS + Truffaut's FAHRENHEIT 451, weird pairing. 3/

The Sinatra vehicle, TONY ROME (Coliseum) screens with THE FURTHER PERILS OF LAUREL & HARDY, an anthology of clips drawn from the duos short films. Have to mention the musicals about town: THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (Cinerama), CAMELOT (Music Box),… 2/

Finally, who wants to spend all night watching THE RETURN OF THE FLY at the Colonial? Have no idea what GOLDEN CONDOR might be, however…. 4/4

The recently departed Bud Costello's final film THE 30 FOOT BRIDE FROM CANDY ROCK supporting THEY CAME TO CORDURA (Paramount), big budget for Columbia that made half of it back at the box office. 3/