- Reviewed by Cocteau Twins fan, and Moviepie guest reviewer Nathan

* * * * *

So here is how the night went...

Dinner... At the Green Papaya, was barely OK, I had a stirfry seafood combo on rice noodles. The seafood was a little over cooked and the sauce was pretty plain. I ended up mostly dissappointed with it. The Tiger beer wasn't typical Asian style, better than a Bud.

We got to the Egyptian Theater just after 6:30. The line was already to the first corner and almost to the end of the next block.

7:00 came around and we were still in line. We were told by staff that the musicians were still syncing the music to the films, or something like that. They didn't open the doors until after 7:20.

When I got to the door there was a group just beyond the entrance and there was Robin Guthrie and others, probably Harold Budd (whom I wouldn't recognize), all out having a smoke. I got a little star-crossed; my wife wanted me to ask him for an autograph.

I won't go into too much detail of all the short films. The films varied from complete storylines (Meshes of the Afternoon, The Fall of the House of Usher) to an early technicolor animation Disney-Fantasia style, with colored shapes dancing across the screen (Short Spook) to just a collection of black and white short clips (Thimble Theater). Hands, a collection of images of hands at work, at play, and at pay (passing money from one to the other) seemed to get the biggest applause for both film and music. I thought it odd that Oramunde (1933) and The Furies (1934) both used topless women draped in sheer white silk.

The music was typical Guthrie and Budd style—sometimes it coincided really well with the movie shorts, sometimes it didn't; sometimes I was expecting a little more intensity from the music and it wasn't there. It seemed like they played it more low-key. I just wanted Guthrie unleash the guitar playing, which only happened a couple of times and for far too short a time.

So far my overall impression was that I was a little underwelmed, kind of disappointed—just like with my dinner.

After the films ended Guthrie and Budd played two more songs. I am not sure if they were new tracks from their new collaboration of if they were from Mysterious Skin, which won the SIFF award for best film last year. I wish they played a little more. The crowd watched in silence almost mesmerized. The second song ended with Guthrie putting his guitar down and watching Budd play for a few more minutes.

The night ended with a short Q&A, I didn't stay for it all. I cracked up when someone from the crowd yelled out "We can't here you", and Guthrie's reply was "Come the fuck, closer."

[See additional reviews from the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival.]

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