{ The FP screens daily at 9pm 3/16-3/21 at the SIFF Cinema Film Center}

I was supposed to being using this slot to talk about 21 Jump Street, a surprisingly fun endeavor I recommend checking out. But I went to SXSW at the same time I'd intended to be doing that writing. And let's just say things got a little complicated. So instead we're going to talk about the other film you should see this weekend. One you likely have never heard of, but perhaps an ideal double feature to get your 80's flashback on with. But don't worry – the straight dope on 21 Jump Street isn't that far off.

The folks at SIFF Cinema have been doing a bang-up job filling their four screens with a rotation of really diverse stuff. The inclusion of the somewhat insane Drafthouse Films distributed The FP makes me proud of them, and proud to live in Seattle. I saw this film at SXSW last year in a screening memorable enough to briefly become an internet controversy. I liked it well enough then, but the film has been steadily growing on me since I saw it almost a year ago. So I'll be one of the folks hanging out in Seattle Center 9pm one day this week for another bite at the apple. You can watch the first ten minutes of the film below to whet the appetite. Just be aware it's not entirely safe for work.

The film is set in a world where everything and everyone is a throwback to something you've seen in an 80's action movie. Gangs reign supreme and settle their scores through a deadly version of the video game DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION (DDR). Which to me reads as a picture destined either for total awesomeness or screaming while aflame into the side of a mountain failure.  Which is the sort of high risk/high reward proposition I'm drawn to like a moth to a flame. I cannot guarantee which side you're going to be on with respect to The FP – but I still think everyone should give it a whirl. 

It's an impressive send up of too many to name genres of 80's cinema, which by playing things 100% straight is also pretty damn funny.  The FP maybe lags a bit mid-way as even a fairly tight production is going to drag a bit when it's all roughly the same joke.  Because of that it falls short of perfection (for me) – but the ride is well worth taking.  Seriously, "for reals" as they say in Frazier Park (aka The FP). A phrase I guarantee (based on personal experience) you'll be saying repeatedly for at least the next week to folks you saw the movie with. The film opens with JTRO and BTRO about to walk into a battle against their cross town enemies.  It's a brilliant sendup of the vibe of tons of other films, feeling like a mashup of Rocky and The Warriers.  With a touch of Escape from NY thrown in due to JTRO's Snake Plissken eyepatch and hairstyle. It's a style that combined with many of the characters simply screaming their lines works surprisingly well.