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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Check the Stranger guide to SIFF 2017

Dan Webster

Above: A scene from the documentary film "The Reagan Show."

Life continues to be full of good news/bad news situations.

The good news: I am spending a couple of weeks in Florence, Italy. The bad news: I won't be attending this year's Seattle International Film Festival.

Whatever the joys of Italy, and the country has many, I do regret that latter situation. I've attended SIFF more or less regularly since 1993. Some of the top moments I've enjoyed have included watching Kevin Smith talk about a little film he was hawking called "Clerks," sitting in a packed Egyptian Theater to see Danny Boyle's "Trainspotting," feeling as confounded as anyone else following the screening of Michael Haneke's original production (the German-language one) of "Funny Games," watching Sean Penn skulk and sulk onstage while being peppered with questions by critics. And so on.

I'm thankful, though, that The Stranger — Seattle's alternative newspaper — is there to report what those lucky enough to attend this year's festival should see. Click here to see their "don't miss list."

The film I most regret not being able to see: The documentary "The Reagan Show." As The Stranger says, ""There is no narrator in this documentary, no talking heads, no experts, no direct analysis. The entire thing consists of archival footage from network news and the machinery that manufactured the images of America’s 40th president. Ronald Reagan and his team changed the whole game of American politics by transforming the White House into a movie studio."

Guess I'lll have to wait for its June 30 theatrical release. Or its July 4 video on demand availability. Or even its eventual screening on CNN.

Until then, I'll continue to enjoy la dolce vita.