Vashon Theatre goes virtual with two new films

The theater is now offering two new documentary film releases online.

The island’s very own movie theater, Vashon Theatre, is now offering two new documentary film releases online, thanks to a partnership with Magnolia Pictures.

Both are available for a $12, three-day rental until April 16, by clicking through the links at vashontheatre.com/calendar. Best of all, fifty percent of the take from the films will go to the Vashon Theatre, helping to sustain the historic movie house through the time of coronavirus.

It’s all part of a move, led by film distributors and independent movie theaters, to get eyeballs on new films that were set to release before public gatherings were curtailed by the pandemic.

The first doc offered by Vashon Theatre, “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band,” is a confessional, cautionary and occasionally humorous tale of Robbie Robertson’s young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band.

The film blends rare archival footage, photography, iconic songs and interviews with Robertson’s friends and collaborators including Martin Scorsese, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, and more.

According to Kenneth Turan, film critic for The Los Angeles Times, the film “demands to be seen.” Rolling Stone called it “triumphant.”

The film, directed by Daniel Roher, is rated R and has a running time of 100 minutes.

Another doc, “Slay the Dragon,” is a hard-hitting look at the practices of gerrymandering and redistricting, and the citizen-led movements and legal battles that are taking place behind the scenes to bring fairness and equity and expanded voting rights to U.S. democracy.

Directed by Chris Durrance and Barak Goodman, “Slay the Dragon” is rated PG-13 and runs for 101 minutes.

For more information on the films and see other ways to support the theater, visit vashontheatre.com.