June 2010

That's right. The most popular photo I have ever posted to Flickr is a bottle of beer -- Duff Beer, to be precise. Admittedly you can't pick up a frosty Duff Beer at any convenience store, unless you are a character on The Simpsons.

The photo is from the Alamo Drafthouse feast-and-screening of The Simpsons Movie, nearly three years ago. I still remember that feast with fondness, even though the combination of heavy food and beer pairings made me late to work the next day, and not that productive when I got there. (I don't work there anymore so I can confess that now.) Check out the above-linked entry for more photos, most of which I find more entertaining than the beer bottle, myself.

My husband picked up a Blu-ray of The Simpsons Movie and we watched it again a month or so ago. Yes, we did miss some amusing little visual details because we were trying to dine on Blinky and Moe's birthday fries. However, the movie is not nearly as good as, say, Season Four of The Simpsons, and I think we did the right thing by watching it during the feast. Besides, how often do you get to enjoy a feast with Duff beer pairings? I admit I'd probably go to more Alamo feasts if they offered beer pairings instead of wine. Yep, that's a hint.

As I'm preparing this, you'd think there was some nepotism going on, but honestly, it's not. It just so happens that Don got to review several limited release films over the last few weeks and they all seem to be opening today. And me, well, one of my reviews has been embargoed since March. But it's all good ... you get to read about what we've been seeing below. 

Cyrus -- Mark and Jay Duplass (The Puffy Chair) hit the mainstream with name stars in their latest relationship twister, but they maintain their offbeat roots as John (John C. Reilly) finds new love with Molly (Marisa Tomei), then meets her son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill). The Duplass brothers' deft touch for making uncomfortably realistic comedy continues. Read Don's review for more. (Arbor, Alamo Lamar)

Grown Ups -- Adam Sandler, David Spade and Rob Schneider cancel out Steve Buscemi, Selma Hayek and Maria Bello in this infantile reunion comedy. And it's directed by Richie Brockleman, err, Dennis Dugan. Um. Yeah. Don sacrificed his dignity to watch this one, so read his review for more to see if my analysis is on target. (wide)

Filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet has finally returned to the darkly whimsical form that won him a place in the heart of many a cineaste with Micmacs (Micmacs à tire-larigot), a hit at both Butt-Numb-a-Thon 2009 and SXSW 2010. The film opens today at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar and the Arbor.

Through improbable circumstances, Bazil (Dany Boon) loses everything after a bullet gets lodged in his skull. Homeless, he's taken in by a motley crew of salvaging outcasts making a living off Paris' discarded junk. When Bazil happens upon the weapons/munitions companies that cost him his old life, he and his new friends embark on a series of capers to shut both companies down and bring their chairmen to justice.

If you're unfamiliar with Jeunet's peculiar brand of cinema magic, then imagine Chaplin's Little Tramp in a contemporary ensemble caper film. Dialogue is limited, relying heavily on the gestures and expressions of the actors that helps Micmacs transcend language barriers. In fact, many scenes in the film rely on classic street theater techniques similar to silent film comedy devices.

Independent filmmakers sometimes fall victim to their own success. If they're talented and lucky enough to strike critical and box-office gold a couple of times, they may find themselves working on larger films with respectable budgets and household-name talent, if not bona fide stars. But often as not, their art suffers when it moves uptown. Higher financial stakes come with strings attached, and these once fiercely independent writers and directors are forced to make concessions to commercial viability.

Fortunately, I'm happy to report that there are no such concessions with Cyrus, the latest film from mumblecore heroes Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass. The writing and directing team that brought us The Puffy Chair and Baghead have indeed gone uptown – but they've delivered another fine comedy that is true to the talky, quirky, naturalistic form, if not other mumblecore hallmarks like a shoestring budget and unknown actors.

Cyrus is very much a boy-meets-girl romantic comedy, but I really liked it anyway. It's the story of John (John C. Reilly), an eternally sad sack who still hasn't come to terms with his seven-year-old divorce. His ex-wife Jamie (the ubiquitous Catherine Keener) invites him to a party, where his ham-fisted attempts to chat up attractive women reveal exactly why he's spent so many evenings eating take-out for one. But for once, it's John's lucky night: He meets Molly (Marisa Tomei), a friendly free spirit who finds his awkwardness appealing and ends up going home with him.

The Paramount is hosting a Tod Browning double-feature:the 1936 horror film The Devil-Doll, starring Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivan, and the well-known 1932 cult classic Freaks ("one of us ... one of us ...").

The Paramount is hosting a Tod Browning double-feature: the well-known 1932 cult classic Freaks ("one of us ... one of us ...") and the 1936 horror film The Devil-Doll, starring Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivan.

Enjoy a Western double-feature at the Paramount on Tuesday night, with the 1956 iconic classic John Ford film The Searchers, starring John Wayne, followed by the 1953 George Stevens film Shane, starring Alan Ladd. Before The Searchers, the "Spoiled Doves of Texas" will present "saloon gals, cowboys, trick ropers and more."

This week's Weird Wednesday selection is the 1971 drive-in classic Preacherman. Let's take it to Lars for the kind of vivid description that always tempts me to stay up late to catch these unearthed films:

"One of the biggest regional drive-in hits ever, a movie that played the Carolinas and Georgia summer after summer for the better part of a decade. It’s a hicksploitation classic that deserves to be better known outside the stock-car circuit. Writer/Director Albert Viola plays Amos Huxley, a traveling preacher whose hankering for womenfolk, moonshine, and gambling (hereafter referred to as 'the finer things in life') keeps him on the move from one tiny dogwater hamlet to another, usually at the point of a double-barreled shotgun. This is pretty old-school stuff – Viola knows his Boccaccio, his Chaucer and especially his Moliere – but it works. It’s a very funny, very well made film, loaded with sex, sacrilege and good-natured depravity."

I feel divided even adding Psycho II to the Slackerwood event calendar, it's such a mediocre film. I remember seeing it on TV a few years after its 1983 release, hoping for something thrilling, and feeling terribly disillusioned. In fact, I think Psycho II is one of the movies that made me realize that most sequels are crap (Arthur 2 was another). Nevertheless, it is a Terror Tuesday selection, and to present an entirely different viewpoint on the film, here's Alamo programmer Zack Carlson:

"Hundreds of years ago, a fat person made a movie where a guy in a dress stabs a lady in the shower. Cinephiles in sweaters uniformly declared it The Best Horror Film of All Time. When this sequel surfaced, critics roundly dismissed it as an opportunistic swipe at the engorged slasher market...which may be true, but it's also a masterpiece.

"Anthony Perkins returns as Norman the one-man family circus, though the Bates Motel may have developed some murderous secrets of its own in his absence. Suddenly, Hollywood's favorite psychopath is thrust into the hero role, charged with uncovering the force behind the latest round of butcherings, and fighting to clear his good name before he's lynched by the locals. Unfortunately, he's not entirely sure he's innocent ('I don't kill people...anymore.') Though it's unlikely to appear on some boring white jerk's Top Ten list, PSYCHO II is an intelligent, perfectly paced and impossibly entertaining achievement, tipping its hat to the preceding classic and breaking new ground of its own. Believe it: that ol' shower scene's got nothing on this film's final minute-and-a-half."

Harmony Korine's latest film, Trash Humpers, created a lot of talk at SXSW 2010. Some people thought it was thrillingly original; some people fell asleep. Judge for yourself during this three-night revival run at Alamo Ritz.

Alamo Drafthouse is hosting a screening of the 1926 silent animated film The Adventures of Prince Achmed in a 35mm print, accompanied live with a score from local band Many Birthdays. From Alamo's description:

"Artist Lotte Reiniger painstakingly created a world in silhouette, inspired by Balinese shadow puppetry, using cardboard cutouts, animated with great skill and care. It's like being carried away by a beautiful dream as we follow Prince Achmed, mounted atop a magical flying horse, who overcomes trial after trial to defeat an evil sorceror and win the hand of a princess. ... The score will be provided by Many Birthdays, who, in their words, encompass 'dance, punk, cinema, noise, beats, words, color and texture using drums, echos, distortion and paint. Their shows are a mixture of voices, instruments, projected video, English and Japanese, chaos and construction.' Join us for an evening of music, light and magic."

This week's entry in the AFS Essential Cinema series "A Summer of Restoration: Selections from Milestone Films" is the 1972 film Siddhartha. Admission is free for AFS members and $6 for everyone else.

This week's entry in the AFS Essential Cinema series "A Summer of Restoration: Selections from Milestone Films" is the 1962 Orson Welles film The Trial, adapted from Franz Kafka's book. Admission is free for AFS members and $6 for everyone else.

This week's entry in the AFS Essential Cinema series "A Summer of Restoration: Selections from Milestone Films" is the 1977 Charles Burnett film Killer of Sheep. Admission is free for AFS members and $6 for everyone else.

From its opening sequence, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work takes a candid, unvarnished approach to its well-known subject. The documentary, opening Friday at the Arbor, opens with an extreme close-up of makeup being applied to Joan Rivers' natural, blemished face. The image is striking -- we're used to seeing this celebrity's famously lifted and heavily made-up public visage, but the face before us is that of an elderly and ordinary-looking woman.

The film presents Rivers' life and career as the venerable comedienne turns 75 years old, a milestone she grudgingly accepts and doesn't quite celebrate. Age, of course, usually spells the end of a show business career, but Rivers' performance dance card remains mostly full. Her busy schedule is a testament to her comedic genius, but even more so to her self-marketing savvy and unstoppable work ethic.

Thanks to extensive clips from Rivers' hilariously vulgar standup routines, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work is often a riot to watch, although viewers who know her only from broadcast television may be a bit shocked at her uncensored, anything-goes brand of humor. Before she found stardom on the Tonight Show and other comedy and variety shows in the mid-1960s, Rivers made a living by pushing the envelope in Greenwich Village clubs with edgy routines about drugs, sex, and other unmentionable truths. Although raunchy comedy is no longer novel, her feisty, bitchy and self-deprecating delivery makes the material fresh and often cringingly funny.

Summer films are generally full of actions and at best light on substance. The latest Tom Cruise vehicle fits the formula; look too closely and the plot falls apart. But if you don't, you just might enjoy the action thriller Knight and Day. 

June Havens (Cameron Diaz) is on her way back home with precious cargo -- vintage car parts needed before her sister’s wedding -- and at the airport, she keeps bumping into Roy (Tom Cruise), an enigmatic charmer. Suddenly June is caught between Roy and his handlers with the federal government, which tells her he's a rogue agent, in a cat-and-mouse game that crosses the globe.

In mostly typical romantic thriller action, June makes some bad choices and Roy keeps saving her, all while keeping to his personal mission, which may or may not be what he says. Things are rarely what they seem within Knight and Day, and mostly it works. There are some clever moments, some of which are diminished by bouts of lazy scripting (or perhaps interference to keep it Hollywood). 

Here's the latest Austin film news:

• Joe O'Connell has the scoop on Richard Linklater's intended next film: Bernie, set in East Texas, perhaps starring Jack Black. Linklater referred to it as his "Fargo in East Texas."
• O'Connell also has some photos to share from the set of Doonby, the John Schneider-starring film currently shooting at local Spiderwood Studios.
• Local teenage filmmaker Emily Hagins (Pathogen, The Retelling), the subject of the documentary Zombie Girl, is trying to raise funds to finish her third feature, My Sucky Teen Romance (it's a vampire movie).
• Speaking of Hagins (and funding), Austin Film Society has just published a video promoting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund, and Hagins is one of the filmmakers interviewed. You also might see TFPF recipients Kyle Henry, Sandra Guardado, Kat Candler, and David and Nathan Zellner, among others. You can find it on YouTube.

The Paramount presents the classic 1938 swashbuckler featuring Errol Flynn.

The Paramount presents a double-feature of quintessentially Texas films with Oscar-winning lead actresses, Terms of Endearment and Places in the Heart. Set in Depression-era Waxahachie, Places in the Heart (1984) is a lyrical, beautifully filmed story of a widow (Sally Field) and her family trying to survive on their cotton farm.

The Paramount presents a double-feature of quintessentially Texas films with Oscar-winning lead actresses, Terms of Endearment and Places in the Heart. Set in Houston, Terms of Endearment (1983) is the story of the love-hate relationship between a mother (Shirley MacLaine) and daughter (Debra Winger), and the mother's oddball romance with a randy astronaut (Jack Nicholson). The film also won the Best Picture Oscar, as well as Oscars for Nicholson and director James L. Brooks.

The Paramount presents a double-feature of dramas about law and order in Texas, Lone Star and Baby, the Rain Must Fall. Baby, the Rain Must Fall (1965), scripted by Horton Foote and filmed in Wharton, is the story of a paroled ex-con (Steve McQueen) who returns to a small Texas town and tries to change his ways.

The Paramount presents a double-feature of dramas about law and order in Texas, Lone Star and Baby, the Rain Must Fall. A terrific film by John Sayles, Lone Star (1996) is the story of a border town sheriff haunted by his lawman father's legacy. The film features great performances by Kris Kristofferson and Chris Cooper.

The Paramount presents this silent classic with an original live score by Austin composer Graham Reynolds commissioned for this screening. Part WWI war drama and part love story, Wings features exciting dogfight scenes and "It Girl" Clara Bow.

Peter Bogdanovich's masterpiece is a poignant and at times devastating look at life in a small Texas town in the early 1950s. No amount of superlatives can do this brilliant film justice; it's arguably the best film ever made in (and about) Texas.

A sprawling epic about a Texas cattle ranch during the state's transition to an oil-based economy, Giant (1956) holds up remarkably well as a study of power, racism and a long-lost way of life. Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean give terrific performances, and director George Stevens won a Best Director Oscar.

After the previous exceptional Toy Story movies, much is expected from Toy Story 3. A rollicking adventure that serves as an homage of sorts to the prison/escape movie genre, the animated movie also packs an emotional punch. You wouldn't expect anything less from a Pixar film.

In this addition to the series, the toys -- much reduced in number over the years -- are suffering from lack of attention from their owner, Andy, now 17 years old and packing for college. A few toys, such as cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack), aren't coping well with possible rejection, while cowboy Woody (Tom Hanks) tries to convince them that the attic will be a nifty place to hang out.  

A mishap occurs and the toys end up at Sunnyside Day Care instead, a place ruled by charismatic, good-ol-boy teddy bear Lotso (Ned Beatty), with a Ken doll (hilariously voiced by Michael Keaton) and a big, doodled-upon baby doll as his minions. While Andy's toys are there, a relationship grows quickly between Molly's donated Barbie (Jodi Benson) and Ken, Woody is taken home by shy, imaginative Bonnie (whose mom works at the day care) and meets her dedicated toys (Kristen Schall, Jeff Garlin, and Roger Dalton), and the Pizza Planet delivery truck makes yet another appearance in the series.

Oh, boy. I will be out of town for Father's Day (visiting my dad) or I would be first in line to see Fantastic Mr. Fox again and enjoy the mouth-watering feast that Alamo has planned. Yes, there are pate-filled doughnuts. YES, there are nutmeg ginger apple snaps. I hope someday they do this feast again because I am feeling so sad I can't be there. They do not mention whether you get your choice of cider or juice box, but the whole point is that one can be happy with either.

This week's entry in the AFS Essential Cinema series "A Summer of Restoration: Selections from Milestone Films" is the 1937 film The Edge of the World, directed by Michael Powell. Admission is free for AFS members and $6 for everyone else.

It doesn't seem that long since my SXSW Film 2010 wrap-up, but SXSW staff are already preparing for 2011. The SXSW PanelPicker went live today, and you can add your ideas here for next year's Film, Interactive and Music conferences.

Per the PanelPicker press release, the SXSW Film Conference is "most interested in proposals geared towards creating, marketing, and finding audiences for films in this new digital age, as well as hands-on workshop ideas."

I really enjoyed this year's "How to Rawk SXSW Film," moderated by Agnes Varnum of Austin Film Society. Questions from the audience included where attendees could find screenwriting tips -- not in panels, but mentor sessions are good places -- to how and where to meet with Interactive Conference attendees. I recommended the "crossover" panels and special events as good locations to intermingle.

SXSW welcomes crossover panels, which focus on the areas where film, music, and interactive meet. Bear that in mind when you're planning to submit panel ideas for 2011. I mentioned some of these panels in my "SXSW 2010 Guide: Balancing Film and Interactive," but how cool would it be to have a film and music panel about film scores from local composers Graham Reynolds, who scored The Lost World screening at SXSW 2010, and/or Brian Satterwhite (Artois the Goat, Man on a Mission)?

Weird Wednesday's selection this week is the 1974 Spanish film Grasp of the Lorelei, also known as When the Screaming Stops. Let's go to Lars for the play-by-play:

"These European sexy horror movies of the '70s were sort of like a gift from God: an endless supply of beautiful actresses, healthy portions of surrealism and kitsch, all sewn up with an audacious sense of style and color. Logic went out the window (good riddance) and kinky cinephilia was the order of the day. THE LORELEI'S GRASP takes place in one of those ubiquitous 'hot chicks only' boarding schools that seemed to pepper Europe in the '70s. Naked schoolgirls are being killed off at an alarming rate by a hideous beast with claws and green scales. The headmistress hires a greasy, polyester-clad macho man named Sigurd to track and kill the beast. Only the tiniest children and people with head injuries won't be able to figure out the identity of the monster. Could it be sexy Helga Line who wears a shiny green bikini and lives in an underground cave with her army of immortal bathing beauties? Yes. This movie has cheap gore, gratuitous nudity, great music, bad dubbing, and even a 'fear flasher' to warn unusually sensitive audience members of impending unpleasantness. In other words: this movie is better than a crack milkshake. Don't miss!"

Admission is $1, but it's best to buy tickets online for $2 in case the screening sells out.

I have no idea why Adventures in Babysitting would be a "Girlie Night" selection -- most of the movie's fans that I know are guys, who loooove Elisabeth Shue. My husband has a special place in his heart for this 1987 film by Chris Columbus, mainly because musician Albert Collins is in one scene. As for me ... if you know me, you know how I feel about Chris Columbus movies. But Girlie Night programmer Sarah Pitre has an entirely different opinion of the film, which I'll quote below:

"To be honest with you, I think I learned more vital life lessons from ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING than I did from three years of junior high school. What's the best song to listen to while preparing for a hot date? And Then He Kissed Me. Should I accept help from a trucker with a claw hand? Absolutely! Is it a good idea to date guys with a license plate that reads 'So Cool'? Definitely not. Should I ever venture into a New York City bus station? HELL NO. Is it creepy for a college guy to hit on a high school girl? Not in a movie! And the greatest lesson of all? Say it with me now: Don't f*ck with the babysitter!!! Seriously, you have no idea how much this film raised my expectations of babysitting. Chris Parker gets to sing at a blues club, fight off a gang AND meet a hot car thief (does anyone else wish she'd ended up with Joe?). Meanwhile the craziest thing that happened to me while watching kids was The Case Of The Missing Land Before Time DVD. Sigh. So if you need a refresher on important life lessons, or if you're just craving some adventure, I hope you'll join me for Girlie Night, where we can collectively roll our eyes at Brad, drool over Thor (Vincent D'Onofrio what?!!) and pump our fists when Daryl kicks Mike McDouchebag straight into a table. SO COOL!"

Austin filmmaker Bryan Poyser will be in attendance for a three-night run of his latest feature, Lovers of Hate, at Alamo Ritz. The film was shot in Austin and in Park City, Utah, and debuted at Sundance before playing SXSW this year.

Lovers of Hate is a comedy about an aspiring novelist whose wife kicks him out and whose brother is a J.K. Rowling-esque successful children's book author. Chris Doubek, Heather Kafka and Alex Karpovsky star in the film. Bring the one you love and order a stiff drink -- Lovers of Hate is the perfect anti-date movie.

The Paramount offers a delightful double-feature of classic Audrey Hepburn films: Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and Roman Holiday (1953). Here's what the Paramount site has to say about Roman Holiday: "Hepburn copped the Best Actress Oscar for her first major screen role as a bored young princess, yearning for a normal life, who escapes from her 'keepers' while in Rome and meets up with reporter [Gregory] Peck.  Adventure and romance ensue -- along with more charm than the law allows.  Simply delightful."

The Paramount offers a delightful double-feature of classic Audrey Hepburn films: Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and Roman Holiday (1953). Here's what the Paramount site has to say about Roman Holiday: "Hepburn copped the Best Actress Oscar for her first major screen role as a bored young princess, yearning for a normal life, who escapes from her 'keepers' while in Rome and meets up with reporter [Gregory] Peck. Adventure and romance ensue -- along with more charm than the law allows. Simply delightful."

What is with this heavy weather? Intense thunderstorms, July's sweltering heat in early June? At least we have plenty of theaters to chill in. Many films are holding their own from the blockbuster wannabees to the indies getting the time to find their audiences. But there are a few new ones to check out.

The A-Team (pictured above)-- Guaranteed to be a man-cave must-have, but with Bradley Cooper shirtless for half the movie, there's plenty for the ladies to look at, too. Joe Carnahan revives the much-beloved 80s TV staple, with an all-star cast and following Hannibal Smith's philosophy: "Overkill is underrated." Read my review for more. (wide)

Karate Kid-- This reimagining has incited protests (including one in Austin tonight). Despite the misnomer (it's now kung fu, not karate), this overlong, over produced story full of cliches isn't as bad as feared. In fact, cast against type Jackie Chan in a serious role and Jaden Smith shine when they can overcome the overpolished dialogue and story. Still, it's at least 20 minutes too long with too many prettified training montages that are a bit creepy considering the star is supposed to be 12 years old. See Debbie's review for more. (wide)

The Paramount offers a delightful double-feature of classic Audrey Hepburn films: Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and Roman Holiday (1953). Here's what the Paramount site has to say about Breakfast at Tiffany's: "Irresistible screen adaptation of Truman Capote's story of life in NYC, starring Hepburn in her most memorable role as romantic gold-digger Holly Golightly. A perfect balance of romance and comedy, featuring Henry Mancini's Oscar-winning score (which includes 'Moon River')."

The Paramount offers a delightful double-feature of classic Audrey Hepburn films: Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and Roman Holiday (1953). Here's what the Paramount site has to say about Breakfast at Tiffany's: "Irresistible screen adaptation of Truman Capote's story of life in NYC, starring Hepburn in her most memorable role as romantic gold-digger Holly Golightly. A perfect balance of romance and comedy, featuring Henry Mancini's Oscar-winning score (which includes 'Moon River')."

What have Kat Candler (Jumping off Bridges filmmaker) and Chris Mass (Chalk writer/actor) been up to lately? They've been collaborating on a screenplay for a feature film, The Spider in the Bathtub. They'll be reading their script (and/or finding friends to help them out), and admission is free. When this movie hits big, you'll be able to say you were there from the start!

This month's aGLIFF-hosted brunch screening is the 1980 Goldie Hawn film Private Benjamin.

The Paramount offers a double-feature of stellar films pairing Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese: Goodfellas (1990) and Raging Bull (1980). DeNiro won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of prizefighter Jake La Motta in Raging Bull, an outstanding biopic that is arguably Scorsese's best film.

On the 40th anniversary of major-league baseball player Dock Ellis's no-hitter that he claims he pitched while on LSD, the makers of a documentary about Ellis are throwing a party/fundraiser. They'll show a trailer for the film, which is still in production, and will have live music. The first 50 people in the door will receive a free commemorative poster. Suggested donation is $15. Proceeds will benefit the Center for Independent Documentary, which is funding No No: A Dockumentary.

The Paramount offers a double-feature of stellar films pairing Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese: Goodfellas (1990) and Raging Bull (1980). Both films are among DeNiro and Scorsese's best. Based on a true story, Goodfellas follows the rise and fall of New York mobster Henry Hill and his friends.

Hollywood has always been green; it's the color of money, and recycling properties is a sure return on investment.  So it's no surprise that the 80s cult classic The A-Team was dusted off and re-imagined for a new audience on the big screen. The A-Team (2010) updates the story with an unlikely team of Army Rangers framed, court-martialed and imprisoned, only to break out to track down the real culprits.

In the mid-80s, Stephen J. Cannell ruled TV. The king of action-filled TV hours (along with co-creator Frank Lupo) is  responsible for many manly hours of TV drama. Watching the renegade Vietnam vets irreverently dole out justice wasn't just a guilty pleasure; it was refreshing from the onslaught of gravitas pigeonholing Vietnam vets as troubled at best, psychotic killers at worst. 

When the news broke about yet another "re-imagining" of a beloved cult classic, skepticism was the polite reaction. With Joe Carnahan helming and co-writing the script with Brian Bloom, one of the co-stars. The director behind Smokin' Aces is more likely to honor the original than most. 

The Paramount offers a double-feature of 1970s thrillers starring Robert Shaw: Black Sunday (1977) and the original The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three (1974). In the implausable but exciting Black Sunday, terrorists use a blimp in a plot to blow up the Super Bowl.

Author Joe R. Lansdale promotes his new book The Complete Drive-In: Three Novels of Aliens, Anarchy and the Popcorn King with a screening of films and TV shows based on his stories. Of course they're showing Bubba Ho-tep, but the lineup also includes the Master of Horrors episode "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" (directed by Bubba Ho-tep filmmaker Don Coscarelli) as well as several Batman: The Animated Series episodes that Lansdale wrote. Admission is free if you buy Lansdale's above-mentioned new book, or $5 otherwise.

Why is Tinseltown South showing Annie Hall at midnight this weekend? Best not to question, just to enjoy one of Woody Allen's best comedies.

Director Harald Zwart and screenwriter Christopher Murphey set their sights high with the newly released The Karate Kid, a remake of the memorable and inspirational 1984 original of The Karate Kid, both based on an original story by Robert Mark Kamen. Ralph Macchio starred as Daniel Larusso in the 1984 version as a New Jersey high schooler who moves to California with his mother. He is bullied by local teens until he meets Mr. Miyagi, a handyman/martial artist played by the late Noriyuki "Pat" Morita. Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel-san that there's more to karate than violence.

In the remake, Jaden Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness) plays Dre Parker, a 12-year-old kid who moves to Beijing, China, after his mother (Taraji P. Henson from Date Night, Hustle & Flow) is transferred for her job with a car company. Bullied by local boys who are trained in the martial arts by a merciless sensei, Dre is rescued from an attack by handyman Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) who then begins teaching him the art of kung fu. Dre must face his attackers one-on-one at a tournament -- who needs qualifying competitions in Hollywood?

I was digging around on Flickr this evening -- I'm working to get permission for a couple of very different sets of very cool photos to hopefully publish here next week -- and came across this picture. I like the use of a fisheye lens, very striking. It also makes the theater look oddly cozy.

Now, who can tell us which Austin theater we're seeing in the photograph? Bonus points if you can tell us which movie is playing, too. Post your guesses in the comments.

[Photo credit: "Movie theater" by Sara Robertson. Found on Flickr, used under Creative Commons license.]

As I noted last week, filmmaker Eric Byler was in Austin to promote 9500 Liberty, currently playing at the Dobie (Don's review). The documentary depicts the battleground in Virginia and on the Internet over an anti-immigration policy, the "Immigration Resolution," that the Prince William County board of supervisors adopted in 2008. To counteract the racial divisions that occurred in their community, county residents formed a resistance using YouTube videos and virtual town halls. The inflammatory showdown between the groups had profound and devastating social and economic impacts in their community.

Byler and Annabel Park not only co-directed 9500 Liberty, but co-founded the political action group Coffee Party USA in response to the politics that enabled the Virginia anti-immigration law to pass. Byler is the YouTube/Online Media Coordinator for the group, and has created a number of videos about political issues.

As he mentions in his interview, Byler screened two of his feature narrative films at SXSW: Charlotte Sometimes in 2002, which won an audience award; and Americanese in 2006, which won the Best Narrative Feature award and a special jury prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast. I caught up with Byler before last week's 9500 Liberty special screening at the Texas History Museum and asked him a few questions.

It's only the start of June, and it feels like July. What is up with that? Good thing there are plenty of theaters, and new movies coming out. But don't forget to check the listings and there are a lot of smaller releases still holding on around town.  But on to the new films...

9500 Liberty --  A timely doc about fear mongering and anti-immigration law in the web 2.0 era and in a country founded by immigrants. Read Don's review for more, and keep an eye out for Debbie's interview with one of the filmmakers. (Dobie) 

Get him to the Greek -- I am not a fan of Russell Brand, but this anti-buddy comedy looks like it actually might be funny. Record company intern Jonah Hill is teamed with outrageous rocker Brand, who has to be at the titular Greek for a concert. Written and directed by Nicholas Stoller, who penned Yes Man and the latest Fun with Dick and Jane, I'm not quite sold. Jette has a different view of Brand, so check out her review. (wide)

Some movies are hard to dismiss for the overall quality and cheats used during the story because they are simply so brazenly ambitious they deserve acclaim for the chutzpah. Splice has all the chutzpah of groundbreaking science fiction with as much mishugas that often comes with an auteur work.

Vincent Natali isn't new to genre-bending concepts; his first screenplay and directorial debut was Cube. While Cube was not a groundbreaking film, it was a throwback to provocative sci-fi with horror elements that challenge the morality of the characters without taking the safe way out.

Splice focuses on Elsa and Clive, two rock-n-roll geneticists who make the cover of Wired and are riding high on their success of creating a new life form that produces compounds valuable to the pharmaceutical company that gave them free reign -- until now. Their ambitions curbed by corporate reality checks, but both Elsa (Sarah Polley) and Clive (Adrien Brody) chaff at the restrictions in project scope. Playing fast and loose with genetic material, including human samples, Elsa defies the new directives -- and Clive's ethical concerns, an unapproved experiment ultimately leading to nightmarish consequences. 

Every summer night, hundreds of people gather to see the world's largest urban bat colony emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin. Approximately 1.5 million Mexican freetail bats reside in this mostly female colony, until early June when each one gives birth to a single pup. On their nightly flight out from under the bridge, the Austin bats eat from 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of insects, including agricultural pests. Recognizing the benefits of these gentle animals, the City of Austin has adopted the bat as its official animal, and is hosting its first ever city-sponsored family event "Night of the Bat" to celebrate these furry and fanged flyers.

Night of the Bat kicks off on Sunday, June 6 at 2 pm with a matinee screening of the original classic film Batman (1966), featuring the Batmobile and special guest and original Batman Adam West, who will introduce the film and host a Q&A. Batman made its world premiere at the Paramount Theatre forty years ago -- and a few months after the TV series debut. As a child of the '60s I watched re-runs of Batman religiously, although I thought that Batman was overly bossy towards quasi-hearthrob Robin. Hard to believe that Adam West is 81 years old, and still making appearances -- so don't miss this chance!