I’m psyched that SIFF had not one, but TWO amazing “An Evening with” programs lined up this year with actors that I adore. An Evening with Jason Schwartzman happens TOMORROW {Saturday, June 6} and I’m sure it will be just as entertaining as Kevin Bacon’s. I got my ticket long ago and the Evening is now on “standby,” but I have to have to have to talk about it anyway because …. reasons. One of them being Schwartzman’s adorable dog, Arrow, who co-stars with him in 7 Chinese Brothers, which screens during the Evening and again on Sunday (still tix available!).

Every Wes Anderson fan knows who Schwartzman is because he’s in pretty much every single one of his films, particularly Rushmore, which inspired a million people to continually quote this Max Fischer zinger (I swear to god I heard someone say this the last time I was at Linda’s):

Max: I like your nurse’s uniform, guy.
Dr. Flynn: These are O.R. scrubs.
Max Fischer: O, R they?

Schwartzman’s particular brand of quirkiness always makes for fun times on screen, so it’s awesome that he’s in two films this weekend for the closing of the 2015 Seattle International Film Festival (*sob* closing weekend already? WHAT THE): 7 Chinese Brothers (playing twice this weekend; once during the Evening and again the next day) and The Overnight, which is screening as part of the Closing Night Gala. This one’s also on standby – sorry, imaginaries!

7 Chinese Brothers
My boyfriend surmised that I would have loved 7 Chinese Brothers even if it was just Jason Schwartzman and his ridiculously cute dog Arrow driving around in a car for the entire 76-minute run time. While that’s probablytrue, I loved watching it (even though I felt it could have used even more Arrow) because it’s just the right mix of quirky and funny. It’s not super-twee, and it’s not over-the-top with the comedy, either. A lot of the conversation is between Larry and his dog, which, being a dog owner too, I can appreciate. Sample line from Larry to Arrow, “You just sleep all the time. You’re like a cartoon cat, but a dog, who’s alive.” 

Larry is a socially-awkward slacker who mostly gives no fucks about anything except his dog and his feisty grandmother—for instance, his apartment is so messy he can’t even tell at first that ex-coworkers have broken in and vandalized it. The film chronicles the kind-of bizarre circumstances he finds himself in while going through two jobs, a love interest, and a death. All the performances were great, and the next time I go to Scarecrow I’m going to search for all the Bob Byington films I can find, because I really dig his low-key, up-close directing style. Also, he’s inspired me fill a Big Gulp cup with tequila  #lifegoals …{screens at SIFF as part of An Evening with Jason Schwartzman 6/6, 5:30pm – screening is on standby – and again 6/7, 1:30pm at SIFF Cinema Egyptian – there are still tix for Sunday!}

The Overnight
I missed the press screening of this one and screwed up by not getting a ticket in time, but since this is opening Seattle June 26, I’ll be able to catch it post-festival. Embracey saw it and said something about “squeamy laughs (and at least two prosthetic penii),” which sounds … promising?!? I guess? I personally LOVE the cast (Taylor Schilling! Adam Scott!!!) plus I can’t stop laughing at Schwartzman in the trailer, especially when he’s photographing Scott. {screens at SIFF as part of the Closing Night Gala, 6/7, 6pm at Seattle Cinerama – tickets are on standby}

PS: I CANNOT WAIT to see Schwartzman in the new Wet Hot American Summer series on Netflix! Also, I desparately want Coconut Records to release another album; the first two are my go-to summer jams.

{All photos from the 7 Chinese Brothers Facebook page}