Training the Camera on Tacoma

Over the years, the port city of Tacoma, Washington has helped populate the movies with native lights Bing Crosby, Dyan Cannon and Blair Underwood. Although it has also been used occasionally as a stand-in shooting location for Hollywood films such as Sleepless in Seattle and An Officer and a Gentleman, very few movies have emblazoned Tacoma across the screen in all of its accredited glory.


Which explains why locals are so excited about indie film noir comedy Quiet Shoes, premiering Saturday, June 19th at the Rialto Theatre. As reviewer Adam McKinney puts it, director Issac Olsen "brilliantly utilizes downtown and industrial Tacoma. Around every corner an alleyway looms, and on every horizon great plumes of smoke lurk. It's a thrill to see Tacoma finally used to all its gritty potential."

The private detective goof was made for less than a thousand dollars. It was begun in 2006 after the demise of another Olsen feature film project and because the filmmaker relied heavily on members of local band Girl Trouble to fill on-screen roles, he would have to occasionally wait out their touring absences. Alongside his work on Quiet Shoes, Olsen has also been an active participant in the local annual 72 Hour Film Festival.

Quiet Shoes is the second homegrown feature effort to premiere this year in Tacoma. The drama Bestsellers by Rick Gratzer debuted at the Grand Cinema in March.

[Quiet Shoes]