While it can make walks between venues inconvenient, there's nothing better than seeing movies at the festival when it's raining like the return of the Great Flood. Saturday started in a wash of torrential downpours, making an afternoon screening of "Examined Life" at Old Town Playhouse even cozier and more inviting than it already had been.

The film - a riveting documentary featuring a series of conversations with the world's top thinkers and philosophers - couldn't have been a better fit for the weather. While its description may sound pedantic, the movie is anything but. Creative minds like Cornel West, Avital Ronell, Peter Singer and Slavoj Zizek riff on everything from Plato to jazz to consumerism to ecology to the social isolation of the disabled in our society. It's really fascinating stuff. At a short 86 minutes, you'll want to watch it again as soon as you've finished it, then grab coffee with a good friend and discuss everything you've just seen. Far more so than the mindless romantic comedies that dominate theaters, this is the kind of movie that would be heralded as a perfect date flick in an ideal world.

Cornel West in "Examined Life"

When I walked out of the theater, the storm clouds had dissipated to make way for a perfectly beautiful Saturday evening. I grabbed a quick bite to eat, then headed back to OTP for "A Sneak Preview with Jeff Garlin." Jeff's preview wound up being the first two episodes of the upcoming season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" - conveniently, one of my favorite shows on television. Even night vision-wielding security ("If you glow, you go," they warned) couldn't somber the proceedings, with audience members laughing so loud a couple of the line readings were drowned out. Jeff told the crowd afterward that the main storyline of the new season will focus on a Seinfeld reunion - and that they actually got the old Seinfeld set back, shooting scenes that had all four main Seinfeld actors both in and out of character. He wouldn't elaborate on the context, but assured Seinfeld fans it is "a riot." To top it off, TCFF guest Paul Mazursky (who was at the screening) will appear in episode 7, which Jeff called his favorite episode. The season debuts on HBO September 20 - don't miss it!

Jeff Garlin at Sneak Preview Screening

During the Q&A, Jeff also confirmed a comedy fest is in the works for early next year in Traverse City (see previous post for more details). He humored the crowd with another Great Wolf Lodge rant ("Great Wolf: Terrifying for adults, joyful for children") and confided that when he becomes "rich," he plans to buy a summer home in Traverse City. "You know what's great about winter here?" he asked. "It keeps the a**holes out."

Post-screening, most of the crowd - including Jeff - headed downtown to watch the 5K Costume Run participants cross the finish line/red carpet in front of the State Theatre, then hit up the Filmmakers Party in the Wade Trim parking lot:

Team crossing the 5K finish line. This group
took second place in the costume contest.

Attendees at the Filmmakers Party

It was a riot to see flamboyant costumed runners mingle with party attendees dressed in their black tie finest under one big jubilant tent. Jeff took the microphone to announce the race winners, including the 5K Costume Run and the elite Golden Mile winners, as well as the winners of the Downtown Merchant Window Display Contest. Winners were as follows:

Golden Mile Winners

Men
1 - Rondell Ruff from Ann Arbor, MI - Time: 04:10
2 - Mike Hanlon from Ann Arbor, MI - Time: 04:12
3 - Josh Karanja from Ypsilanti, MI - Time: 04:15
4 - Sean Tully from Philadelphia, PA - Time: 04:18
5 - Caleb Kromm from Green Bay, WI - Time: 04:20

Rondell Ruff Crosses the Finish Line in the Men's Golden Mile

Women
1 - Nicole Edwards from Ann Arbor, MI - Time: 04:38
2 - Andrea Parker from Ann Arbor, MI - Time: 04:43
3 - Lisa Sienakeiwich from East Lansing, MI - Time: 04:44
4 - Sarah Price from Mankato, MN - Time: 04:50
5 - Breeda Willis from Stevens Point, WI - Time: 04:56

Costume 5K Winners

Curt Emsing & Family As The Incredibles

1 - Curt Emsing & Family - Costume: The Incredibles
2 - Emily Westerman & Group - Costume: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
3 - Scott Knudstrop - Costume: Tobias Funke from Arrested Development

Downtown Merchant Window Display Contest

1 - Annie's
2 - Subway

It was a great night, with guests costumed and uncostumed enjoying wine, delicious food and live music until nearly midnight. It was an exuberant lead-in to the next day's Closing Night Party, which will be covered - along with an afternoon TCFF concert in the park, the closing night film "Julie & Julia" and the 2009 TCFF Awards - in our Day 6 recap. Look for it up shortly!

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