December 2009

Rated NR; 82min; Director:Chris Smith

"Americans generally like to hear good news. Pundits tend to restrain their pessimism and hope for the best. But is anyone prepared for the worst? Meet Michael Ruppert, former Los Angeles police officer turned independent reporter, he predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter at a time when most Wall Street and Washington analysts were still in denial. Sitting in a room that looks like a bunker, Ruppert recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out the crises he sees ahead. He is especially passionate about the issue of peak oil, the concern raised by scientists since the seventies that the world will eventually run out of fossil fuel. Listening to his rapid flow of opinions, the viewer is likely to question some of the rhetoric as paranoid or deluded, and to sway back and forth on what to make of the extremism. Director Chris Smith (AMERICAN MOVIE, THE YES MEN) lets viewers form their own judgments. While other observers analyze details of the economic crisis, Ruppert views it as symptomatic of nothing less than the collapse of industrial civilization itself.
(Thom Powes, TIFF)"

Rated PG-13; 86min; Director:Fred Dekker (1987)

Only one '80s masterpiece can claim the title of The Killingest, Swearingest, Monster-est Kids Movie of All Time. I'll let you guess which film it is, but I'll give you a hint: THE MONSTER SQUAD!! A group of horror-obsessed adolescents are joined by the Frankenstein Monster to combat Dracula, the Wolfman, the Mummy and a Swamp Creature. Childhood innocence is lost in a blinding storm of silver bullets, stakes and enormous explosions. This child-sized chunk of anti-creature justice was unleashed on cinemas with such savage fury that few recognized its true greatness, but it has since been rediscovered as the classic it truly is!

"We'll be joined to celebrate this timeless family adventure by director Fred Dekker, screenwriter Shane Black, squad leader Andre Gower, wolfman Jon Gries and more very special guests being added as you read this!

"Don't miss the movie/monster nerd event of the year, or we'll kick you right in the nards!"

Weird Wednesday programmer Lars Nilsen describes the 1975 film Poor Pretty Eddie:

"Everyone who sees this stunning, brain-scraping masterpiece is amazed by it. It tells the story of Liz Weatherly, a famous African-American singer played by Leslie Uggams, who sets out on a drive through Georgia to get away from it all. When her car breaks down in a rural area she gets a room at the only hotel in the area. The innkeeper, played by maniacal method actress Shelley Winters, keeps a tenuous hold on her much younger, handsome but evil country singer boyfriend Eddie. Within five minutes of her arrival, he's making advances to Liz and things go way downhill from there. When Liz tries to escape, her way is blocked and the local populace turns from creepy to unbearably horrifying.

"Directed by Chris Robinson and David Worth but the real MVP is editor Frank Mazzola (who also edited PERFORMANCE and DEMON SEED). He should have won at least an Oscar, and maybe even the Nobel Prize. With Slim Pickens, Dub Taylor and Ted (Lurch) Cassidy. One of the best movies of the '70s or ever. A truly unforgettable experience. AKA REDNECK COUNTY RAPE!"

Alamo describes the 2003 film Let Me Be Your Band: "Twist and stomp through the kooky world of One Man Bands. It's a heart-pumping plunge off a curvy West Virginian highway that leads to the infamous One-Man-Rockabilly-Wild-Man, Hasil Adkins. From Bob Log III, former bus driver turned punk infused Delta Blues band, to Washboard Hank performing on his kitchen-sink tuba, all of the One-Man-Bands documented are undoubtedly the best at what they do, for the simple reason that they are the only ones who can do what they do! Eric Royer's self-built 5-piece Blue Grass band is a long way from his early days playing punk music with Rob Zombie... or is it? Come hear the forbidden rhythms of the Lonesome Organist, Mayor Mc Ca, and the Mysterious Asthmatic Avenger. Witness the world's only One-Man-One-Woman band and be blown away by the King Louie hurricane of sound."

Fantastic Fest 2009 selection Stingray Sam returns to Austin for a three-night run at Alamo Ritz. Alamo calls it a "manic intergalactic comic musical" and "charmingly spazzmatic."

From the Alamo site: "A new film presenting the Chicago band Wilco live in concert during their 2008 tour. Filmed and recorded from five quintessentially American concert venues - Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Tipitina's in New Orleans, The Mobile, AL Civic Center, The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. - the film captures the spirit, energy and poignancy of a Wilco concert and tour. Ashes of American Flags intersperses interviews with band members and day-in-the-life footage as the band travels across the U.S."

Alamo's 2009 High for the Holidays series ends with The Big Lebowski ("Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!"). Alamo Ritz will be offering White Russian drink specials.

Alamo's 2009 High for the Holidays series ends with The Big Lebowski ("Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!"). Alamo Ritz will be offering White Russian drink specials.

aGLIFF hosts a brunchtime showing of the delightful 1958 film Auntie Mame. Admission is free for aGLIFF members.

Austin Film Society co-hosts a special screening of the Kwanzaa film The Black Candle with the Carver Museum. The movie screens at 10 am and again at 2 pm, with Kiswahili lessons by Carver instructor Jane Muturi from noon-1 pm. Admission is free; however, since seating is limited, it's recommended that you RSVP at 974-4926 if you want to attend.

The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center shows movies at the museum's Boyd Vance Theatre. The theater seats up to 134 audience members. The museum itself occasionally hosts film-related exhibits.

Austin has a few film-related news items to close out the end of the year. Here we go:

• Artois the Goat, which premiered at SXSW 2009, is still going strong on the film-fest circuit. Next stop: The Palm Springs International Film Festival, where it will screen on Jan. 14-15, 2010. The locally shot comedy is in competition for the festival's John Schlesinger Award for best first feature.
• Oxford Film Festival in Mississippi has announced its lineup of free children's films and one more Austin film will play the festival this year: Zombie Girl, the documentary about young local filmmaker Emily Hagins. One or both of the filmmakers may be there. The fest describes the film as "appropriate for age 8 and above," which is probably true, although I've never thought of it that way.
• It's that list-making time of the year -- we may have some for you soon. In the meantime, enjoy this excellent list from The Onion's Austin AV Club of the Top Overlooked Austin Movies of the Decade. 

Can you believe it? Christmas is upon us. Only one more week left in 2009. The holiday-opening films are lighter than I expected, but there is something new for most tastes.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel --  Debbie was the trouper to sit through this, uh, sequel.  I refuse to type that "other" word some marketing hack thought up. See Debbie's review. (wide)

It's Complicated -- This romantic comedy about a divorced couple who rekindle at least their sex life with each other doesn't look so great from the trailers, despite two charismatic stars (Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin). See Debbie's review to find out if it's just too complicated. (wide)

Nine -- A love song to female archetypes on pedestals and an homage to Fellini's 8 1/2, Nine is a musical best appreciated by those who love musicals and Fellini. And those who love gorgeous actresses. See my review for more details, or read Jette's review at Cinematical. (wide)

What do you get when Guy Ritchie directs a film about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle characters? Something that doesn't much resemble the work of either artist, in the case of the new movie Sherlock Holmes.

After solving a shocking mystery, the self-indulgent and manipulative Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) is sulking for lack of a case and the impending move of his best friend and roommate with Dr. John Watson (Jude Law). Their bromance is threatened not only by the resurgence of the case, but a future fiancée and a returning lover/nemesis. 

Sherlock Holmes is gritty, pretty and devoid of much substance, focusing instead on the flash and deception the villain in the film uses to pass as magic as tattered as Holmes's smoking jacket. Much the same can be said about the original script from Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg. 

'Twas the day before the night before Christmas, and all through the town ... oh, never mind. I'm lousy at those kinds of parodies. What I'm trying to say is that Austin has a rather surprising quantity of film news this week. Let's see what we've got for today:

• Fantastic Fest 2010 is now accepting submissions for short and feature films. Let's get lots of local films in the running (and hopefully in the lineup)!
• Next year The Domain will open a gift that keeps on giving -- a new movie theater. The LA Times has a story about the upscale Gold Class Cinema chain, which has only a few locations so far. Will Austinites shell out nearly $30 for a first-run movie ticket plus extra cash for fancy food, or will we stick with lower prices and food options at local Alamo Drafthouse theaters? Maybe the new theater will attract Domain regulars as opposed to film geeks.
• The latest Predator movie, produced by Robert Rodriguez, has been shooting in Austin recently. Apparently there was a press day/set visit (pssst: please invite us next time!), which means we're seeing a wealth of interviews with Rodriguez and one of the film's stars, Danny Trejo (pictured above). IESB has a nice interview with Trejo about Machete. Collider talks with Rodriguez about upcoming projects, including Sin City 2 and the possibility of another Spy Kids movie.

The latest comedy from Austin filmmaker Mike Judge, Extract, is out on DVD today. Just in time for Christmas, you can sit with your family and watch a movie about insurance fraud, adultery, sexy con artists, dopey gigolos, drug-pushing bartenders ... hmm, I may have to get my hands on a copy. As you can see from my review, I got a kick out of the movie, although it may not be as repeatedly watchable as Office Space or Idiocracy. Jenn Brown also reviewed the film.

The DVD release gives me an excuse to share a few more photos from the local Extract premiere at the Paramount in August. As I noted in my article, everyone was sweating like crazy, although you're supposed to call it "glow" when actors do it. Still, the folks on the red carpet that evening were good-natured about it. Debbie Cerda was also there and got some great quotes from Judge as well as Houston actress Lidia Porto, who plays one of the factory workers in the film, sidekick to Beth Grant's chronic complainer. Although Grant wasn't at the Extract red carpet, we chatted with her a bit at Austin Film Festival and should be posting some of that material soon.

After the jump, I've got a photo of Lidia Porto, another of Jason Bateman, and one more of Mike Judge, my favorite from the evening.

Local filmmaker Richard Linklater will attend this special screening of his latest film, Me and Orson Welles, and will hold a Q&A afterward. Admission is a whopping $6.75, so this is an amazing bargain opportunity to chat with the well-known Austin director and see a fun movie too.

Me and Orson Welles recently won the Austin Film Critics Association award for Best Austin Film. Check out Jette Kernion's review. If you can't attend this event, you can always read Debbie Cerda's interview with Linklater and star Christian McKay.

[Ed. Note:  The list of theatrical releases has been updated. See The New Daughter for details]

Now that BNAT is over, and the Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) has chosen their favorites for the year (and the decade), we're seeing the last of the big films with award potential are finally getting released.  Next week, Christmas day is the Big Day for several films, but for now, there are still some films coming to a theater near you. 

Avatar --  Big bad mega-corp takes on the indigenous people living in harmony with their planet.  Don't go see it for an original story, as everything is very familiar. Go see it for some beautiful visuals, and Zoe Saldana's outstanding performance. See Debbie's review.  (wide)

Apparently James Cameron was not content just being "King of the World" with Titanic -- now he's tackling other planets, with lovers even more star-crossed than Jack and Rose in one of the most anxiously awaited epic science fiction film of the decade, Avatar.

The story takes place on Pandora, a lush planet light years from Earth where a multinational corporation has established a mining colony. Harvesting of the rich deposits of the fittingly named unobtanium on the planet is made difficult by the toxic air and seemingly primitive and hostile inhabitants, the Na'vi. In an attempt to make nice with the natives, the conglomerate uses "avatars", remotely controlled biological bodies created by mixing the "driver" human DNA with that of the native genome. The avatars can then act as proxies within the local inhabitants to infiltrate and then negotiate their exodus from a prime mining location. The guns for hire military forces prefer wielding a heavy stick, with oversized armored robots and firepower, than finding a peaceful solution. In a world where everything is connected -- think biodiversity -- mining under the Na'vi Hometree and the "Sky People" brute force has cataclysmic effects.

Need an antidote to the sentimentality to the holidays? Up in the Air is a breath of cinematic fresh air.  Jason Reitman's third film is another book adaptation, this time a novel by Walter Kirn, a 2001 novel.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a "career transition" consultant, is happiest when he's up in the air, and upping his frequent flier miles to astronomical heights. He barely sees his own family, and may not even make it to his own sister's wedding.  This is the guy most of us fear; the guy delivering the deathblow to your paycheck as he tells you it's really a rebirth.  To Ryan, the less weight in your life, from relationships to possessions, the better. But when he's forced to team up with the upstart analyst (Anna Kendrick) has found ways to automate the system and threatens Ryan's way of life, and changing his perspective.

Clooney can play smarmy well, but he also adds humanity to a man whose only connections are at airports despite dramatically affecting the lives of dozens of people every new assignment.  Kendrick's Natalie holds her own with Clooney even as she trips over her own inexperience.  But it's Vera Farmiga's Alex who steals every scene, right from the moment she and Clooney (Ryan)  flirt over business traveler perks. 

The Austin Film Critics Association announced their annual awards on Tuesday. The best movie of the year honor went to director Kathyrn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, a drama about a bomb disposal unit based in Baghdad, Iraq. Bigelow was also awarded Best Director, and the film, which played SXSW 2009, won the Best Cinematography category for Barry Ackroyd's work.

The Austin Film Award, given to a movie directed by a local filmmaker or shot in Austin, went to Richard Linklater's Me and Orson Welles. The film, which Jette reviewed, also won an award for Best Breakthrough Performance by Christian McKay, who played Welles.

The local critics' group awarded Best Original Screenplay to Austin favorite writer/director Quentin Tarantino's WWII-era movie Inglourious Basterds. Best Actress went to Melanie Laurent for her performance in the film, which we reviewed, with my personal favorite Christoph Waltz winning Best Supporting Actor.

Best Actor went to Colin Firth for his role in A Single Man, which has not yet had an Austin release, and Anna Kendrick received the honor of Best Supporting Actress for Up in the Air, which opens Friday in Austin.

The Austin Film Critics Association, of which Slackerwood editor Jette Kernion is a member, also voted on the top movies of the decade, a list headed by the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

You can read the full list of awards after the jump, including Top Films of 2009 and the Decade.

After BNAT1138: The Beginning and  BNAT: The Middle, we're coming to the end of Butt-Numb-a-Thon (BNAT). Don't panic. There's plenty to make it a very memorable ending.

Inappropriate Clip:  Apparently it's tradition to show something tasteless.  This year it's sumo-diapered men in a ring allowing themselves to be dry-humped by dogs, from a variety of angles, with a special guest (perhaps the MC?) wearing a penis'd afro wig.  The truly disturbing part was at least one of the men seemed to be enjoying it.

Special Presentation:  "AICN True-ish Hollywood Story."  Birthday wishes and wisecracks from JJ Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Damon Lindelof, Danny McBride, Michael Bay and Jon Favreau.  Favreau had a very special birthday/BNAT greeting, with an introduction to world premiere of the Iron Man 2 trailer. 

Trailers:  Iron Man 2, Fearless Frank, Animal Protector, The Return of Captain Invincible

Matthew Vaughn brought the not quite finished cut of Kick-Ass along with co-star Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

26+ hours. Longer, if you start at registration. And hands down one of the best mixed genre programs I could imagine.  For a first time BNAT-er I could not have wished for more; thematically tight with an outstanding mixture of genres and styles old and new. From the contented comments of the veteran BNAT-ers, it sounds like they couldn't either. If you weren't there, this recap will probably make you jealous.

Registration was quick and as efficient as possible. Our goodie bags promptly stored after a quick perusal.  The list:  Two t-shirts, Zombieland cap and hand sanitizer, I Love You Man mug,  Nineteen Seventy-Four by David Peace, Dear Zachary DVD, a promotional poster, a Scare for a Cure cardgame, and a collectible Monsterpocalypse starter set, miniposter for Marianne (2011), and the BNAT Yearbook. 

The yearbook includes our bald pictures required on the applications, and highlights from our apps. No names, though, only a designated ID number based on initials and seat assignments. Very creative.

Slamdance Film Festival has just released their list of competition features for the 2010 fest, and two titles popped out at me. These are both films that Slackerwood reviewed (and liked) during Austin Film Festival 2009, and both of them have Austin connections.

• Cummings Farm is a comedy about several couples planning an weekend orgy outing on a farm. Actor/screenwriter Ted Beck is from Austin, and actress Yasmine Kittles was also in the Austin-shot 2006 film Gretchen. In her review, Jenn Brown called Cummings Farm "raunchy and insightful" and was impressed with Beck's performance.
• I called The Scenesters a "noir-mumblecore-L.A. homage comedy" in my review. The film is about some would-be auteurs who are shooting crime scenes and stumble across what they think is a serial killer murder mystery. Actor/writer/director Todd Berger and actor Kevin Brennan are both former University of Texas at Austin film students.

Friday night was the annual Butt-Numb-a-Thon (BNAT) pre-party, this year at the shiny new and oh so conveniently located Highball. Dozens of film geeks were there, greeting old friends and making some new ones prior to the 25+ hour movie marathon spectacle that is BNAT, now in its 11th year.

Among my first greetings was, "So I hear you're a virgin." What the.... Oh. BNAT virgin. Yeah. A little later, I hear, "I told her you were a virgin." and "Yeah, and I wanted to know how he knew, til I realized he meant BNAT." Thankfully, BNAT veterans welcome newbies with open arms.

I have several friends among those who have secured seats, and more trying for standby. But this isn't an exclusive crowd; they're very welcoming. People were very friendly and the advice is still flowing (apparently the hygiene comments are very appreciated). I met people at the party with guaranteed seats as well as some hoping to get in from the standby line. At least one person came as far as Atlanta without a guaranteed seat. People with seats have come from as far away as Sweden. 

The lineup for BNAT is never announced in advance, which was a great source for discussion for tonight's partygoers. So what's the buzz? What among the most anticipated upcoming releases will play BNAT1138?

After the success of his first sports movie, Million Dollar Baby, Clint Eastwood takes on the sport of rugby, but with a social consciousness slant. Based on the novel by John Carlin, Invictus tells the story of Nelson Mandela's ambitious plan to use South Africa's national rugby team, the Springboks, to help unite the country in the wake of apartheid. The Springboks had to defy the odds to be able to make it to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship, held in South Africa.

After the first democratically run election in 1994, South Africa was still divided racially in the financial and political sectors as well as the sports arena. Reminders in the colors and symbols of the white supremacist rule are despised, but President Mandela recognized the opportunity to unify both races of his recovering country through the universal language of sport. Mandela's decision to keep the Springbok name, jersey, and colors is not approved of by the sports association or his advisors, yet he stands his ground in an attempt to reconcile with the Afrikaners.

I'm going to my very first Butt-Numb-a-Thon (BNAT) on Saturday. Eek.

Austin cineastes know this is kind of a Big Deal. For those not in the know, BNAT is a combination film festival of sorts, fundraiser, and birthday celebration. It's the one film event that requires attendees to apply to attend. Only 188 seats were available, and 6,128 applied. That's not a rare ticket, it's practically mythic. 

The application isn't just "let me in," it includes a series of questions that help weed out or secure a seat.  This year's theme is "BNAT1138" as it's the 11th year, so the application picture, which will be used in the yearbook (!) required a bald picture.  There was a lot of bemoaning on the talkback forums about the selection process, but it couldn't be clearer -- over 1,000 people who applied didn't submit a bald picture. It didn't have to be a "good" bald picture, just a bald picture of yourself. After that, the questions, silly and otherwise, were used, particularly related to films. 

I shouldn't be surprised at the yearbook.  There are people who've made it in every year.  There seems to be a real community about it. I feel lucky to know so many veteran BNATters. 

So I've paid my $71 to support the Alamo Kids Club and get a seat. Hopefully a real seat, and not a folding chair, or the very front row (the thought makes my knees ache and my migraine worsen).  Now, to prepare. I'm working on my sleep, something I have a hard time with at the best of times, but I don't want to go into BNAT sleep deprived.     

Austin filmmaker Richard Linklater and actor Christian McKay were recently in town for the regional premiere of Me and Orson Welles. This is McKay's first major film role -- he plays Welles, staging his now-famous version of Julius Caesar in 1937. Zac Efron plays a teenager who is pulled into the whirlwind of the stage production.

I managed to catch up with Linklater and McKay before the red carpet and talk about the film. Here's what they had to say.

Christian, you've done Orson Welles on stage, and now on film -- how do the two feel to you?

Christian McKay: They are completely different characters. On stage, I played him up to the age of 70  with a fat suit -- my dad used to say you don't need that -- and the stick-on beard. To play him right at the beginning of his career, at 22 starting out with the Mercury Theatre -- it's extraordinary, it's a brave time. To make such an astonishing success of it, that it is still considered one of the greatest Shakespearean performances in North American theatre history. It's just amazing and this is of course before War of the Worlds and Kane, to do all that by the time you are 26.

It's Monday morning, so let's see what's been in the news recently for Austin filmmaking and movie events.

• Austin filmmaker Kat Candler's short Love Bug just won the audience award at the Little Ripper Film Festival for short films, in Melbourne, Australia. The film has played a number of Texas film fests this fall, including Austin Film Festival, where it won the Narrative Short Audience Award.
• Save the date: Looks like Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek will be holding an Evil Dead trilogy movie marathon on March 26, 2010. Groovy. We'll post more info as it's available.
• Texas Archive of the Moving Image is holding an open house on Wednesday, December 9, at 501 Studios from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. I don't know much of anything about this organization so I'm hoping to stop by and find out more. They promise refreshments and some screenings of films from their collection.

It's the holiday season, and that means we get a lot of relentlessly cheerful comedies in theaters. But it's also the Oscar season, which means we get some heavy-duty dramas. The Road is one of the latter -- in fact, you may find the post-apocalyptic drama a refreshing antidote to forced holiday cheeriness.

I've heard some complaints from people who read Cormac McCarthy's book before seeing the movie that they felt the adaptation of The Road has pulled some punches -- it's not as relentlessly downbeat as the book. Personally, I think the movie is one of the most grim I've seen in a long time, and I didn't need to see babies cooking on a spit to reinforce the film's tone.

On Tuesday night, Fantastic Fest held a special screening of Satoshi Miki's Adrift in Tokyo, a film the fest organizers tried to get for FF2008, and one that hasn't any U.S. distribution.  Thanks to a special arrangement, the film is getting a special engagement run at the Alamo Ritz, which kicked off with a free screening primarily for Fantastic Fest badge holders. 

On a purely technical level, Adrift in Tokyo doesn't really fit into the Fantastic Fest programming categories other than being, well, fantastic. Austin Film Festival goers who fell in love with another Japanese film, Happy Ending, are sure to love this quirky, surreal piece of cinema. The Keep Austin Weird crowd will want to make Tokyo a sister city as well after viewing the eccentric leads and the quirky random characters that wander in and out of the film.

Rated NR; 101min; Director:Satoshi Miki

Fumiya, a university student for the last 8 years and heavily in debt to loan sharks gets a shocking visit from a debt collector, Fukuhara. But even more shocking is when Fukuhara offers to pay the debt and more if Fumiya joins him on a walk across Tokyo.  Imagine seeing the most random moments of a weird town like AUstin admist some surprising revelations about yourself and your relations to others.  It's beautiful, funny, poignant, surreal, and sublime. 

You will regret missing this one if you don't see it, trust me.

Rated NR; 101min; Director:Satoshi Miki

Fumiya, a university student for the last 8 years and heavily in debt to loan sharks gets a shocking visit from a debt collector, Fukuhara. But even more shocking is when Fukuhara offers to pay the debt and more if Fumiya joins him on a walk across Tokyo.  Imagine seeing the most random moments of a weird town like AUstin admist some surprising revelations about yourself and your relations to others.  It's beautiful, funny, poignant, surreal, and sublime. 

You will regret missing this one if you don't see it, trust me.

Rated NR; 101min; Director:Satoshi Miki

Fumiya, a university student for the last 8 years and heavily in debt to loan sharks gets a shocking visit from a debt collector, Fukuhara. But even more shocking is when Fukuhara offers to pay the debt and more if Fumiya joins him on a walk across Tokyo.  Imagine seeing the most random moments of a weird town like AUstin admist some surprising revelations about yourself and your relations to others.  It's beautiful, funny, poignant, surreal, and sublime. 

You will regret missing this one if you don't see it, trust me.

With so much debate about the state of America's health-care system, the documentary Money-Driven Medicine: What's Wrong With America's Health Care and How to Fix It is quite timely. This documentary was produced by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) and based on Maggie Mahar's acclaimed book, Money Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much.

Texan Lisa Lindell, a burn victim, is featured in the documentary. A kick-off screening of Money-Driven Medicine was held in late October at the U.S. Capitol for members of Congress and staff and health-reform advocates.  Lisa and her husband, Curtis Lindell,  traveled from their Houston home for the screening and received a standing ovation.

Tonight (Dec. 2), you can see the documentary for free in Austin at 7 pm, at the Millennium Youth Center Complex located at 1156 Hargrave Street. A Q&A with Consumers Union and the Center for Public Policy Priorities will follow the screening.