January 2010

Alamo Lake Creek is celebrating Feb. 2 by showing the comedy Groundhog Day.

I didn't know horror filmmaker Larry Cohen (It's Alive) directed a blaxploitation film in 1973, but leave it to Weird Wednesday to dig it up and show it. Here's what programmer Lars Nilsen has to say about Black Caesar:

"When writer/director Larry Cohen and star Fred Williamson set out to make a blaxploitation gangster movie they could scarcely have known how successful the fusion of genres would be. The fused figure of mobster and black avenger has become a cultural touchstone and echoes of BLACK CAESAR still resonate loudly today, especially in the indulgent crime fantasies of gangster rap. But even today, Fred Williamson's character Tommy Gibbs stands tall as the coolest mob boss of them all. BLACK CAESAR is a classical tragedy played out on the streets of Harlem, with Williamson bringing the swagger of James Cagney to the story of a kid with a chip on his shoulder who rises to the top of the heap to take the reins of his neighborhood crime syndicate, only to reach just a little bit too far. Williamson exudes pride and swagger - he has the magnetism of a great screen star - and he's a good enough actor to bring off the sufferings of a man who could rule the world but can't convince his mother to take his ill-gotten money. With a ridiculously brilliant score by James Brown, including the theme song 'Down & Out In New York City'. If you miss this, you're dumber than you look."

Alamo Ritz shows the 1943 film Frankenstein Meets the Wolf  Man as part of its Big Screen Classic series ... and probably to anticipate the Wolfman movie being released later in February.

Please welcome guest reviewer Elizabeth Stoddard to Slackerwood.

Sometimes trailers work as they should; they give you a taste of a film and leave you wanting more. Others give the movie away in a 60-second spot, usually inspiring the thought, "Why should I pay to see the film when I just saw the whole plot?" Then there's When in Rome, for which the trailer shows the weaker points of the film and makes the movie look awful. Please don't judge When in Rome by its lousy trailer!

In the film, Kristen Bell plays Beth, the youngest curator at the Guggenheim Museum (which means there are some great shots at the Guggenheim). Beth is super-dedicated to her work, we're told, but this movie isn't really about that. It's not about her younger sister's quick marriage to a man she's only known two weeks. It's also not really about her relationship with her mother (Peggy Lipton) or womanizing father (Don Johnson). The movie instead focuses on the very fantastical idea that Beth's picking up people's coins from a beloved (fictional) Roman fountain after her sister's wedding would make them fall in love with her.

Could I possibly have picked two martial arts films further apart on the ratings scale than Wushu and Fireball? On one end of the spectrum is the first "family" martial-arts film I've ever seen that wasn't American in origin, and on the other end is pure martial-arts porn, in which whatever plot is present serves to string hard-core brutal action sequences together. Both films are now available on DVD from Lionsgate Films.

Jackie Chan Presents Wushu

As executive producer of Wushu, martial-arts legend Jackie Chan introduces a new generation of talented martial artists in such a way that this film will please fans young and old. Antony Szeto -- known for his animated fantasy film Dragonblade -- directed Wushu and also choreographed all the stunts.

Talented and seasoned actor Sammo Hung Kam-Bo (Kung Fu Hustle, The Medallion) supports the young cast as Li Hui, father to brothers Li Yi (Wenjie Wang) and Li Er (Fei Wang). Szeto discovered Wenjie Wang at Sonjiang Wushu College, which is where Wushu was later filmed.

I receive updates every few months from photographer and filmmaker Phil Mucci, whom I met in 2006. Phil's short horror film The Listening Dead took the Best of Show award for short films at Fantastic Fest that year. Four years after its initial release, this short film has been translated into eight different languages. Phil has just announced that a "behind the scenes" short film on The Listening Dead is now available and can be viewed on his website. You can also watch his videos and short films, including Far Out, which screened at Fantastic Fest 2007.

That's Phil on the left with Alamo Drafthouse impresario Tim League at a filmmakers brunch during Fantastic Fest 2007. Note that Phil is sporting my "Last Night at the Alamo" hard hat that was given out to the audience for the special screening of Earthquake in Sensurround.

[Photo Credit: Phil Mucci and Tim League of the Alamo Drafthouse, courtesy of Debbie Cerda]

Austin Film Society presents its latest Avant Cinema event, an evening of short films selected and hosted by Marfa filmmaker Jennifer Lane. Some of the films are Lane's, some are films that have influenced or inspired her. Some will be shown on 35mm, others on DVD.

As part of a new series called Cinema Club, Alamo Ritz is showing the delightful 1939 Ernst Lubitsch comedy Ninotchka -- its original tagline was "Garbo laughs!" The script was written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett, and the film also stars Melvyn Douglas and Ina Claire.

UT professor Charles Ramirez Berg, one of the founders of Austin Film Society, will introduce the film and hold a discussion afterward.

As part of their Big Screen Classics series, Alamo Ritz is showing the 1986 James Cameron film Aliens. "Game over, man!"

As part of their Big Screen Classics series, Alamo Ritz is showing the 1986 James Cameron film Aliens. "Game over, man!"

Special 10th Anniversary Screening of the Austin shot comedy Natural Selection, starring David Carradine and Michael Bowen. The story of two serial killers who happen to pick each other as their next victims and the slightly unhinged and obsessed FBI Agent (played to creepy perfection by Carradine) on the hunt.

Also starring Stephen Root (Office Space), Darren Burrows (Natural Selection), Bob Balaban (Waiting for Guffman), Joe Unger (Barfly), Laura House (Austin Stories), Heather Kafka (The Wendell Baker Story), Johnny Hardwick (King of the Hill), Todd Lowe (True Blood), Bill Wise (Six Gun), Lou Perry man (Last Night at the Alamo), local musician Charlie Sexton and radio personality Dale Dudley. Written by B.J. Burrow & Allen Odom. Directed by Mark Bristol. One of the writers will be present for this event.

This spring, United Way Capital Area will introduce their Live United film series in Austin. This series, co-hosted by Austin PBS affiliate KLRU-TV, provides Central Texans an opportunity to explore critical community issues such as education and financial stability through film and dialogue.

It All Adds Up will be the first screening, will be held at the Austin City Limits Studio 6A in the CMB building on The University of Texas campus. This documentary, produced by Academy Award-winning director Sue Marx, profiles the teachers and students of Wayne State University's "Math Corps," a groundbreaking organization that partners struggling middle and high-school students from Detroit's public schools with collegians, who help teach vital math and life skills the kids need to succeed. More than 90 percent of Math Corps students graduate from high school, and more than 80 percent attend college.

Light hors d'oeuvres and beverages will also be provided, but you must RSVP here.

More details in this blog entry.

I've volunteered for SXSW Conferences and Festivals since 2000, including eight years as a crew chief for different crews. The most challenging position I've held has been with Special Venues, as our crew was responsible for line management and crowd control at major events including movie premieres (pictured above). We coordinated not only with the tireless SXSW Film staff and volunteers including theater managers and VIP wranglers, but also press and hired security. More than 1,700 volunteers contribute time each year to support SXSW.

They are the faces of SXSW, working in the Austin Convention Center or the film and music venues, and often the first ones to greet out-of-town registrants. Hours are applied towards earning perks, whether it's a film pass or one of the badge levels. If you are interested in volunteering for SXSW this year, then you won't want to miss the upcoming volunteer calls.

The French and Italian Graduate Student Organization of The University of Texas at Austin hosts a monthly film series at Dobie called the Cinema Francais Today Film Festival. Admission and parking are free, and screenings are followed by a half-hour panel discussion. This month's movie is the 2004 film Les Soeurs Fachees.

The French and Italian Graduate Student Organization of The University of Texas at Austin hosts a monthly film series at Dobie called the Cinema Francais Today Film Festival. Admission and parking are free, and screenings are followed by a half-hour panel discussion. This month's movie is the 2006 film Bled Number One.

The French and Italian Graduate Student Organization of The University of Texas at Austin hosts a monthly film series at Dobie called the Cinema Francais Today Film Festival. Admission and parking are free, and screenings are followed by a half-hour panel discussion. This month's movie is the 2003 comedy Un Homme, Un Vrai.

As part of its Winter Film Series, the Paramount is showing a science-fiction double bill of The Fifth Element and Mars Attacks.

As part of its Winter Film Series, the Paramount is showing a science-fiction double bill of The Fifth Element and Mars Attacks.

So many eyes are on Park City, Utah, as it's Sundance time, but that doesn't mean there aren't films opening in Austin this week.

Extraordinary Measures -- Sick kids and gravitas. It's just not my thing.  But if you like those kinda movies, Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser probably bring it.  (wide)

Legion -- Much more my style, but unfortunately the film had no advance screening in Austin. Paul Bettany plays a fallen angel who fights to save mankind by saving an unborn child. It looks like a mashup of The Prophecy and Resident Evil, but I still want to watch it. (wide)

The Maid -- Sundance-winning Chilean black comedy about a maid 23 years with the same family (pictured above) facing the servitude that's been her life. It's Oscar shortlisted and is laden with awards, so if you don't fear the subtitles, it's a must-see. (Arbor) 

If you're wondering why I'm posting a photo from last year of the (500) Days of Summer director at the Paramount in Austin, you haven't heard the latest news: Marc Webb has just been signed to direct the next Spider-Man film. That's right, he's going from a quirky romantic comedy to a big-ass Hollywood comic-book action movie. Will we see him in Austin again anytime soon? Well, Sam Raimi (who directed the previous three Spider-Man movies) was at SXSW last year with Drag Me to Hell, so it's possible.

Now if you really want to be amused, imagine the people in the photo after the jump -- also from SXSW 2009 -- as Peter and Mary Jane. It could happen! And check out my SXSW 2009 Flickr set for more photos from the closing-night (500) Days of Summer event, including a nice picture of Webb with SXSW Film Director Janet Pierson.

Who knew you could support Haitian relief efforts by going to the movies? The Paramount Theatre has teamed up with Turk and Christy Pipkin's locally based nonprofit group The Nobelity Project to present a special screening of Turk Pipkin's 2009 documentary One Peace at a Time on Wednesday night. The Austin filmmaker/activist will introduce the film and participate in a Q&A afterward.

I haven't yet seen One Peace at a Time, but I did see and review Pipkin's previous film Nobelity, which was the foundation for The Nobelity Project. It was worth seeing at the Paramount, because the film looked and sounded so gorgeous. If this documentary interests you, this is your chance to watch it at its best.

All proceeds from the screening will benefit Architecture for Humanity's Haiti Reconstruction fund, in partnership with Yele Haiti. Tickets are $10 and you can buy them through the Paramount website. The Paramount's Facebook page promises a $5,000 matching grant if the event raises at least $5,000, but does not specify where the matching grant will come from.

Join members of St. David's on Thursday, January 21, at a forum lunch featuring Deputy Director Carol Pirie of the Texas Film Commission. Pirie will discuss the Texas film industry, what keeps jobs and film dollars coming to Texas, and upcoming projects.

Lunch begins at 11:45 a.m. in Crail Hall. Cost is $10 and provided by Cafe Divine. Free parking is available in the St. David's garage. Registration is available here.

St. David's is hosting a community-wide screening of the documentary Fresh, along with a potluck dinner and a discussion with local farmers and producers. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the movie at 7 pm in Sumners Hall. A discussion will follow afterward with local farmers and producers.

Fresh is a documentary featuring major players in the local and organic food movement including Michael Pollan and writer Joel Salatin. If you missed Edible Austin's screening at the Paramount Theater during Eat Local Week, this free event is a great opportunity to enjoy both food and the film. Donations will be accepted.

Here's the latest Austin film-related news:

• Congratulations to local musician Ryan Bingham (pictured at right) for winning a Golden Globe with T-Bone Burnett for their song "The Weary Kind" from the movie Crazy Heart. Bingham also appears in the movie. Sometimes-Austinite Sandra Bullock also took home a Best Actress (Drama) award for her role in The Blind Side.
• Local filmmaker/Austin Film Society staffer Bryan Poyser heads to Sundance this week to premiere his film Lovers of Hate, shot in Austin and in Park City, Utah. Chris Garcia of the Austin American-Statesman grabbed him for an interview beforehand. If only we could jet up to Utah this weekend and check it out ...
• Speaking of AFS, their Texas Documentary Tour selection this month is Tattooed Under Fire, which plays on Wednesday night at Alamo Ritz. Austin Chronicle writer Kimberley Jones interviewed filmmaker Nancy Schiesari, who is also a professor at The University of Texas, and who shot the movie in Killeen.

Every Monday at 8 pm, Cafe Mundi shows movies from DVD, with free admission.

The United States Art Authority is a concert and art venue that sometimes shows movies. It's right next to Spider House. Parking is often scarce.

My favorite subgenre of science fiction is dystopian tales, including Children of Men, Fahrenheit 451, and Mad Max. Therefore I was intrigued by The Book of Eli, a post-apocalyptic tale of a lone traveler making his way across the wasteland of America. This man carries with him a sacred book that has the power to change the world -- but will that power be used for good or not?

The future painted in The Book of Eli by the Hughes brothers is a sepia-toned brutal one, hot and dusty with little protection from the elements and murderous hijackers and marauders. Eli (Denzel Washington) has been traveling for 30 years, and remembers the time before "The Big Flash" and the war, when people threw away items that are now killed for. He can't remember how old he is but can read, while younger generations are illiterate and desperate. Food and water are scarce, and many survivors have resorted to cannibalism. Eli is well-armed and extremely skilled with his weapons, but his senses are his real survival tools.

The Anime Club at Austin Public Library Southeast Austin Community Branch shows anime movies or TV series on the third Friday of every month. Movies are on DVD. The screenings are free. This month's selection is the 2007 TV series The Big Windup!.

The Anime Club at Austin Public Library Southeast Austin Community Branch shows anime movies or TV series on the third Friday of every month. Movies are on DVD. The screenings are free. This month's selection is the 2007 TV series Kaze no Stigma.

The Pleasant Hill branch of the Austin Public Library system is hosting a free Family Movie Night on the third Tuesday of each month. Movies are screened on DVD. This month's selection is the 2003 Disney film Brother Bear. (Sadly, there will be no moose commentary.)

The Pleasant Hill branch of the Austin Public Library system is hosting a Family Movie Night on the third Tuesday of each month. Movies are screened on DVD. This month's selection is the 2009 film Hotel for Dogs.

Jette reviewed the movie for Cinematical and noted, "If you're over the age of ten, Hotel for Dogs has little to offer but doggie antics -- still, there are plenty of those to enjoy, and you can always ignore the human characters during the occasional canine-free lulls in the film. This is one of those movies where grownup audience members may fidget more than their kids."

The Pleasant Hill branch of the Austin Public Library system is hosting a free Family Movie Night on the third Tuesday of each month. Movies are screened on DVD. This month's selection is the 2009 Pixar film Up.

Jette reviewed the movie for Cinematical and noted, "If you're old enough to sit quietly through a feature film, go see it. (And bring tissues.)"

Back into the post-holiday swing of things, yet? There's not much out there new film-wise, but it's another week, and more new releases.

The Book of Eli --  Post-apocalyptic tale about a lone man who takes on a corrupt town with desperate townsfolk. Keep an eye out for Debbie's review. (Wide)

The Lovely Bones -- The novel by Alice Sebold blew me away. Peter Jackson's film adaptation, not so much, with some of the least energetic performances by otherwise good actors. However, that doesn't apply to Saoirse Ronan, who doesn't seem able to deliver anything but engaging performances.  From what I can tell, those who like it seem to be those who haven't read the book. Read my review for more details. (wide)

As part of its Winter Film Series, the Paramount is screening a Baz Luhrmann double-bill of Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge.

As part of its Winter Film Series, the Paramount is screening a Baz Luhrmann double-bill of Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge.

The 1966 George Axelrod film Lord Love a Duck seems relatively sedate for a Weird Wednesday selection ... until you hear WW programmer Lars Nilsen describe it:

"A quick glance at the marketing materials for LORD LOVE A DUCK would probably give the impression of another teen-appeal 60's beach party movie, but a closer look at the tagline, 'An Act Of Pure Aggression' is sure to leave viewers confused. And sure enough, there's far more here than meets the eye. I'll just dive in. Roddy McDowall plays a sort of genie or guardian angel named Mollymauk, after a type of extinct bird. He magically appears to beautiful, mixed up cheerleader Tuesday Weld and offers to grant her wishes. They all come true - for instance she is cast in a movie called BIKINI WIDOW and lands the man of her dreams, but then they take a bad twist like the fingers on a monkey's paw.

"Along the way, every aspect of modern American society circa 1965 is bitterly ridiculed. And while such sitting targets as psychoanalysis, bikini beach movies and car culture weren't exactly sacred cows even then, the machine-gun quality of the satire and the churning bile underneath the humor is notable. Writer/director George Axelrod described it as 'a non-optimistic get well card. LORD LOVE A DUCK is against teenagers, their parents, movies, cars, school and several hundred other things.' The cast is brilliant, with Tuesday Weld in particular giving the performance of a lifetime. Also with Lola Albright and the great Ruth Gordon."

The documentary Tattooed Under Fire focuses on a Killeen tattoo parlor and the soldiers who visit it. Local filmmaker Nancy Schiesari and singer/songwriter James Collette will be in attendance at this screening.

I'll argue quite passionately that Heavenly Creatures is Peter Jackson's best film -- a 1994 drama with fantasy/dream elements, starring Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey. The two schoolgirls are inseparable friends, and when their parents plan to separate them, hatch a nasty plan of their own.

The 1990 Stuart Gordon film Robot Jox is being shown in Hecklevision -- you can text your comments and they will show up on the screen with the movie in real time. A great idea for people who just can't put their phone away during movies!

Tom Ford's directorial debut, A Single Man, opens in Austin on Friday. Ford and David Scearce adapted the script from a novel by Christopher Isherwood, whose "Berlin Stories" were the basis for Cabaret. At times I wondered if I was watching Sally Bowles and her young British friend (the name changes depending on the version) if they had travelled back to London together at the end.

A Single Man is structured on a day in the life of George (Colin Firth), a British professor living and working in 1962 Los Angeles. As he proceeds through his day, he flashes back to memories of Jim (Matthew Goode), his longtime lover, who died suddenly in a car crash. It becomes evident that George is feeling too crushed by his loss of Jim to want to live any longer, and intends to take his own life -- this will be his last day. His friend Charley (Julianne Moore) seems to realize something is amiss and invites him over for evening drinks; his student Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) also is sensitive to his professor's mood.

Today's Austin-related movie news:

• Fantastic Fest 2009 award-winner Down Terrace is having a red-letter week. Magnet has just picked up the British comedy for worldwide distribution, before the film plays Slamdance this month. It may start hitting theaters this summer. Down Terrace won the Best Picture and Best Screenplay awards in the Next Wave category at Fantastic Fest. In addition, last month it took home the Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards.
• The Harry Ransom Center is accepting applications for its Research Fellowship program for 2010-11. The fellowships support scholarly research in the arts, which includes film. The research must include on-site use of the center's collections, but that's a pretty fabulous opportunity, considering the film collections at the HRC. The application deadline is Feb. 1.
• Speaking of deadlines, you have until Friday, Jan. 15 to buy your SXSW 2010 badges at the current price.

There is so much I love about being a member of Austin Film Society, but high on my list is the Essential Cinema film series, which often features films that haven't been made widely available in the United States. The latest series, "Children of Abraham/Ibrahim 4: Films of the Middle East and Beyond" provides insights into Middle Eastern history and culture. From Chale Nafus, AFS Director of Programming:

"Our fourth annual series will continue looking at films from the Middle East and beyond -- an area rich in tumultuous history, wonderful art and literature, but often mired in war and misunderstanding among the three religions which all trace their roots back to Abraham/Ibrahim. This is our local attempt to bring human faces and individual stories to the statistics and overwhelming images seen on TV and computer screens daily throughout the world.

"Our four contemporary films and two classics will take us to Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Turkey, and Pakistan. We will see unrequited love in a train station, struggles over ownership of land, the troubles a father has just getting home to a birthday party, a son struggling with his father over education, the ethnic and religious divisions within an Israeli neighborhood, and the lengths to which a politician will go to avoid responsibility for his actions."

The series starts tonight and runs through February 16, and screenings for this month include:

Information from the AFS web site:

THREE MONKEYS tells a twisty, noirish tale that opens with an ambitious politician fleeing a hit-and-run accident. Afraid of hurting his election chances, he pays off his chauffeur Eyüp to take the rap. More from the AFS web site:

Written by Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and Ercan Kesal
Cinematography by Gokhan Tiryaki
Turkey, 2008, distributed by Zeitgeist Films, 35mm, color, 2.35:1, 109 min.

“Winner of the Best Director prize at Cannes, THREE MONKEYS tells a twisty, noirish tale that opens with an ambitious politician fleeing a hit-and-run accident. Afraid of hurting his election chances, he pays off his chauffeur Eyüp to take the rap. The film concerns the effects of this devil’s bargain on Eyüp’s family as simmering tensions and sexual intrigue wreak havoc in a household already haunted by hidden ghosts. In the spirit of Buñuel’s THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE and Haneke’s CACHE, THREE MONKEYS mounts a caustic critique of the bourgeois family, riddled with hypocrisy, yet stubbornly resilient in its seemingly boundless capacity to sidestep guilt and accountability.” – Zeitgeist Films

"The Essential Cinema: Films of the Middle East and Beyond" series runs from January 12 through February 16, 2010. Information from the AFS web site:

Son of a Lion

Cinematography by Benjamin Gilmour and Haroon John
Edited by Alison Croft
Pakistan/Australia, 2007, distributed by Mara Pictures (UK), color, 92 min.
Cast: Niaz Khan Shinwari, Sher Alam Miskeen Ustad
Pashtu with English subtitles

Eleven-year-old Niaz desperately wants to go to school, but his father refuses and makes him assist in making and repairing guns in his shop in a small town in the Northwestern province of Pakistan, home to Afghan and Pakistani Pashtun and the problematic Taliban refugees. The young boy finds allies in his uncle Baktiyar and a poetry-loving older friend Agha Jaan, but the father’s mind is set against education, since he received none himself. Even though he is very proud of his valiant struggles against the Russian invaders of Afghanistan and certainly wants his only child to grow up to be a brave man, it becomes questionable if he really wants his son to become a warrior back in Afghanistan?  His anti-education motives may be more complicated than what they appear. This rare look into the complex politics and alliances of northwestern Pakistan was accomplished with the assistance (writing and acting) of residents of the region.

"The Essential Cinema: Films of the Middle East and Beyond" series runs from January 12 through February 16, 2010:

The Land (Al-ard)
Tues Jan 19, 7 PM
Considered by many critics to be one of Chahine's finest films, in the classic The Land Chahine focuses his lens on the plight of the peasants in a small village exploited by a powerful local landowner, at a time that Britain and the corrupt Egyptian monarchy still run the country.

From Weird Wednesday programmer Lars Nilsen:

"'12 Hands. 12 Feet. 12 Reasons To Die!' OK, so no prizes for originality in this movie about a group of veterans who get the old platoon back together to come to the aid of their sarge, who's been scammed out of all his money and crippled by bad guy Cameron Mitchell. It's one of the basic templates for shitty action movies. But the whole thing is so cheap and strange that it powers ahead of the pack and becomes really good and even oddly exciting. One of my favorite things about KILL SQUAD is that everybody knows martial arts - a little. They're all probably like green belts, but they're so happy to be in a karate movie that the whole thing has a kind of 'kids playing in the back yard' enthusiasm. So gather up all your friends; the black guy, the Asian guy, the muscleman, the other black guy and the guy with the beard; and come get some KILL SQUAD."

Let's just defer to Terror Tuesday programmer Zack Carlson's inimitable description:

"If you think you've been entertained in the past, here is your white-hot scholarship to FUN SCHOOL!! Blue-skinned undead samurai? Check! Cannibalistic rump-chasing monks? Yes sir!! Drunken kung-fu yacht party? To the max!!! Wall-eyed flesh-trading seaplane pilot with a Hitler moustache? Man ohhh MAN!!! In absolute honesty, all this is just the tip of the trashberg! Blowtorches blaze, teeth fly, bullets zing, dialogue is botched and cages full of virgins are sent to their heartless demise! So packed with action, you'll have to blink every three seconds to keep your eyes from catching on fire! The legendary Cameron Mitchell (THE TOOLBOX MURDERS) semi-stars in this Filipino/American co-production that would have brought the world to its knees if it wasn't 200,000 YEARS AHEAD OF ITS TIME! If you see just one movie in your entire life, it better be here, now, tonight: RAW FORCE! If you're blind, deaf and comatose, only one film will STILL kick your ass through the wall: RAW FORCE!! Look, I don't care if you're reading this at a funeral...scream it out loud right now: RAAWWW FORRRCE!!!"

The Eyes of Me is screening as part of Screen Door Film and UT Documentary Center's 2010 Texas Cinema Series. The documentary will be followed by a panel discussion that includes director Keith Maitland. Read Debbie Cerda's review.

Studio 4D of the Communications B Building (CMB) at UT is occasionally used for public lectures and screenings, such as Screen Door Film's "Texas Cinema Series." CMB is also the home of KUT radio, KLRU-TV, and Austin City Limits. It is located in the grayish building on the corner of Guadalupe and Deen Keaton.

These intros to the news tidbits are always a bit dull, so let's cut to the chase and find out what's going on with Austin film news:

• Over at Cinematical, Eric Snider profiled Sundance 2010 film Skateland. What he didn't mention -- and we found out from austin360movies -- is that Skateland director/co-writer Anthony Burns lives in Austin. Parts of the film were shot in Marshall, Texas.
• We're excited to hear (again through austin360movies, a new Twitter feed you might want to start following) that local writer Alison Macor's book Chainsaws, Slackers, and Spy Kids will become available in March. If you didn't guess from the title, the book is a history of Austin filmmaking.
• The Austin Chronicle has an interview with local musician Ryan Bingham about his big-screen debut in the film Crazy Heart (Debbie's review).
• Just a reminder that Chris Smith's film Collapse is at Alamo Ritz for its last local screening tonight. The documentary from the director of American Movie and The Pool focuses on Michael Ruppert and his often-dire predictions of the future of our country. If you miss the Ritz screening, the movie is also available on Time Warner's VOD here in Austin.

A famous director known by his alias. A strange stranger. A mystery from the past. An Almodóvar film. Things are going to get complicated.

Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos) is Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar's latest romantic thriller, starring his muse Penelope Cruz as the beauty cast in a film and a victim of circumstance. A famous director going by the name Harry Caine, now blind and in seclusion, is approached by an unnerving stranger shortly after a man of some importance passes away. When Harry realizes who the stranger is, secrets start to unravel.

If the last mainstream vampire film in the theaters seemed to lack much bite, then perhaps vampire sci-fi film Daybreakers might fulfill horror fans' appetites. It is the year 2019 and a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Many humans were "turned" against their will by others, and feed off  pig blood. Vampires have regular jobs, but they work reverse hours, live in protected homes and drive UV-protected vehicles. The remaining humans are hunted down so that a constant supply of fresh blood is available for the ruling population of vampires. However, the blood supply is dwindling, as humans are becoming extinct, and so the dominant vampire species are concerned with their survival.

Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) is a hemotologist vampire who is working on a synthetic blood that will substitute for human blood. Charles Bromley (Sam Neill) is the bloodthirsty capitalist vampire who plans to sell the synthetic juice at a premium price to wealthy vampire connoisseurs. Only trouble is that the synthetic blood doesn't work out too well in clinical trials, with some gory effects. Meanwhile, resistance groups of humans are attempting to find and gather survivors. Edward encounters a covert group of human resistance fighters that will bring him closer to the real solution of the vampires' dilemma -- finding a cure for the immortality that relies on human blood.

I'm starting to realize that I probably need to see The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus a second time. The problem with my first viewing was that my expectations were still set very high for Terry Gilliam movies. Yes, my expectations stayed high even after Brothers Grimm and Tideland, although Tideland was one of those odd movies that I thought was very good and yet didn't like.

Imaginarium is not at all bad, and it's certainly more fun to watch than the two previously mentioned Gilliam films, but it's not Brazil. It's not even 12 Monkeys or Time Bandits. Now that I know what I'm getting from this slight but lovely fantasy film, I think I'd enjoy it more if I saw it again.

The title character, Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), runs what looks like an anachronistic worn-down traveling sideshow, along with his friend Percy (Verne Troyer), his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), and young Anton (Andrew Garfield). And yet when passersby enter the Imaginarium, they fall into a world of wonder and horror and lots of CGI. Okay, okay.

Austin filmmaker Bob Byington will attend the Sunday night screening of his latest film, Harmony and Me, which has a five-night run at Alamo on South Lamar. Read my review for more details about this locally made film.

As part of its Winter Film Series, the Paramount is showing a Tim Burton-themed double-bill with Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood.

As part of its Winter Film Series, the Paramount is showing a Tim Burton-themed double-bill with Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood.

As part of its Winter Film Series, the Paramount is showing a Mel Brooks-themed double-bill with Young Frankenstein and History of the World: Part I.

As part of its Winter Film Series, the Paramount is showing a Mel Brooks-themed double-bill with Robin Hood: Men in Tights and History of the World: Part I.

As part of its Winter Film Series, the Paramount is showing the classic comedy Young Frankenstein on a Mel Brooks-themed double-bill with Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

Before I get into the meat of my personal best and worst of 2009, I'd like to reflect on my Slackerwood experiences with a slight tangent. Through my experiences as both an attendee and volunteer at South by Southwest over the years, I've come to appreciate "defining moments" -- an awareness of a synchronicity that represents that event. For SXSW Film Festival, one of these defining moments was my encounter with Jim Jarmusch (pictured after the jump), which I later conveyed in my "first" Slackerwood contribution for the Alamo Downtown Blog-a-thon. Other moments included a conversation with Penelope Spheeris in the ladies room at local bar, or the ultimate -- Louis Black introducing me to Jonathan Demme.

As a film geek, I'm grateful that Slackerwood founder/editor Jette Kernion brought me on in June to share the cool and interesting film happenings and my personal opinions of films. I'm especially grateful to the Slackerwood audience, for supporting us in our love for film, and for allowing me to share my Slackerwood defining moments. There are moments during a conversation with a filmmaker there's a self-awareness -- I'm getting some intimate filmmaking insight that I get to share!

Enough sentiment, on to my personal list:

During the 2007 Austin City Limits Music Festival, I had the pleasure of meeting musician Bela Fleck, star of the 2008 documentary Throw Down Your Heart. He asked me, "Tell me what you like about Austin, and don't say the music -- everyone says that!" Without hesitation, I responded, "The sense of community, whether it's music, film or volunteering."

Several non-profit film-related events of 2009 represented that special quality of Austin, with local theaters and filmmakers showing their support of non-profits in our community. One highlight was the newest event and local non-profit, Lights. Camera. Help.

From July 31 to August 2, Lights. Camera. Help. hosted the first of what it plans to be an annual film festival of non-profit and cause-driven films. Over 140 documentaries, PSAs and short films were submitted, with 20 finalists selected for screening. At the closing party, local filmmaker Layton Blaylock took top honors for his film Art from the Streets. The local program Art from the Streets, the subject of this film, received all the proceeds from the festival. This program provides the opportunity for homeless individuals to explore their painting and drawing skills in open studio art classes at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH).

It's a new year and already the Austin film news is pouring in! This morning we have some news about Austin films, film series and websites as well as a few end-of-decade retrospectives we found and want to share.

• Austinites finally have another chance to check out Bob Byington's latest film, Harmony and Me (my review). The locally shot feature played a number of film fests around the country before hitting Austin Film Festival for one showing in October, and now it's back for a five-night run at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. Byington will be there on Sunday, Jan. 10, but you can catch the movie nightly through Jan. 14.
• Good news for another Austin filmmaker: Emily Hagins's new horror movie The Retelling (pictured at right) will have its world premiere in February in Dallas, at the Pretty Scary Blood Bath Film Festival. Hagins, who is in high school but has made two feature films -- and is also the subject of the documentary Zombie Girl -- will be at the screening. The cast includes local film writer/artist John Gholson and filmmakers Kat Candler and Kristopher Aaron Morgan, with a score by Brian Satterwhite (Artois the Goat).