Movies This Week: Ides of Real Restless Hedgehog

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The Sunset Supper Cinema at the Whole Foods flagship on Lamar is showing the 1982 musical Annie tonight as a sing-along. With the cooler weather, it's sure to be crowded, so get there early. And don't forget the free movies at various Austin Public Library locations; check out the August Insider's Guide for details.

Austin Film Society's next Essential Cinema series, "Goin' for Baroque: Ken Russell, Peter Greenaway, Derek Jarman," kicks off Tuesday with Russell's iconic rock opera Tommy. And you know what they say: "That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball." Check the event details on the AFS website for more.

On Wednesday and Thursday, do not miss the SXSW Presents screenings of Where Soldiers Come From (Jette's review) at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. It's one of the incredible documentaries supported by the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund, directed by Austin filmmaker Heather Courtney, with an internationally relevant story. Courtney's on the cover of the Austin Chronicle this week, with a great feature story about the film.

Movies We've Seen:

The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) -- The sequel to the anatomically plausible horror film The Human Centipede was the opening night film at Fantastic Fest, but wasn't a crowd pleaser. Read Rod's fest review. (Alamo South Lamar)

The Ides of March -- A contemporary political thriller with elements of old school, slow-build potboilers sure to please most cyncics regardless of their political affiliation. In fact, Don says to skip it if you're looking to restore your faith in politics; read his review to find out more. (wide)

Machine Gun Preacher -- If you're in the "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition" crowd and don't mind gloryhounding that overshadows very real problems, this is the movie for you. However, Debbie says in her review that it's "a powerful drama that I highly recommend for both [Gerard] Butler's and [Michael] Shannon's performances as well as the subject matter of the welfare of Africa." (Arbor)

Margaret -- Paint drying can be more engaging than this tale of a disaffected teen who's inspired to seek justice only when no one else is moved to histrionics. Read my review, then check out local critic Will Goss' Film.com review for more information about the problematic production. (Arbor)

Reel Steel -- What this fighting robot actioner lacks in substance, it more than makes up for with heart including a scrappy kid who upstages the serious starpower. Mike also saw this crowd pleaser, so check his review on Saturday. (wide)

Restless -- While the boy meets girl at a funeral makes comparisons to Harold and Maude inescapable, Gus Van Sant's latest is a refreshing ghost story wrapped lightly around a sweet romance. Read my review for more. (Regal Arbor, Violet Crown)

Other Movies Opening in Austin:

The Hedgehog (pictured above) -- A solemn young girl bored with life decides to kill herself on her twelfth birthday, only to meet some kindred spirits as her date with death approaches The Chronicle's Mark Savlov describes it as "a light but emotionally heady confection. Read his review for more. (VCC)