Slacker 2011

'Slacker 2011' Delivers the Weirdest Red Carpet in Austin

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Slacker 2011 red carpet

I've worked a number of local red carpets since that fateful first one with Kevin Smith for Clerks 2 in 2008. Sometimes celebrities sneak past, jam up into mobs, or bring family and friends who block the cameras' view and start taking their own pictures. At the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards, everyone entering the event walks on the red carpet and it's often difficult to figure out whom to photograph. (I take pictures of everyone and sort it out later. That handsome unfamiliar gent might turn out to be Adam Yauch.)

The red carpet for the Slacker 2011 premiere at the Paramount last week was one of the strangest I've encountered so far. The movie was divided into 24 scenes, each of which had its own separate cast and crew. That's a lot of people. And about 80 percent of them walked the red carpet that night, sometimes in groups, sometimes straggling behind. I have no idea who the kids are in the above photo, although I did spot them when I saw Slacker 2011 later that evening.

'Slacker 2011' Premieres at the Paramount

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Slacker 2011 marquee

The movie Slacker 2011 premiered last week to a sold-out crowd at the historic Paramount Theatre. The festivities included a red carpet set out front for the many filmmakers and actors involved in the remake. The screening was set to start at 7 pm, but the introduction by two of the movie's producers, Alamo Drafthouse programmer Daniel Metz and Brian Poyser from Austin Film Society, actually began closer to 7:30.  

The duo thanked all the people who helped make the film. Austin's mayor Lee Leffingwell made a proclamation, then Richard Linklater came onstage to express his excitement to see the remake of his film Slacker, as well as introduce cast members from the original 1991 film who were in attendance.  

You can read Don's review of the film here; the audience at the Paramount loved the movie. There were a couple of spots where the film projection paused and stuttered. Still, this couldn't ruin the feeling of bonhomie in the room. There was a general burst of excitement as the last scene popped up on the screen.

Review: Slacker 2011

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Slacker 2011

To Austin indie film fans, remaking the iconic Slacker may be the Austin equivalent of remaking Citizen Kane.

Producing a new version of what is arguably the most important and cult-worshiped film in Austin cinematic history is a herculean and potentially thankless task. The danger, of course, is that the end result might be at best a ho-hum imitation of the original film or at worst a widely scorned mess of a movie that pleases no one and embarrasses everyone attached to the project. ("What Were They Thinking?" the Austin Chronicle cover would read.) Like Citizen Kane, Slacker may be best left alone.

I am happy to report, then, that Slacker 2011 is neither a ho-hum imitation of Slacker nor a mess of a movie. It is an entertaining and generally well executed update of and tribute to Richard Linklater's classic. If you like Slacker, you'll probably like Slacker 2011.

Of course, given Austin's deep pool of filmmaking talent, Slacker 2011 may have been destined for success. A co-production of the Austin Film Society and the Alamo Drafthouse, Slacker 2011 was in the capable hands of no less than 24 teams of local directors and film crews, one for each scene in the original movie. The result is essentially two dozen seamlessly connected short films in diverse styles, each an interesting new take on the original scene.

Slacker 2011: Paul Gordon Finds the Comedy

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Slacker 2011 from Paul Gordon

In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (TFPF). As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the filmmakers participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project -- check out our interviews so far.

Today's interview is with Paul Gordon, whom you can see partially on the right edge of the above photo. Gordon is a local filmmaker whose features include Motorcycle (2006) and SXSW 2010 selection The Happy Poet (Jenn's review), in which he also starred. Gordon has also appeared in Mars and An Ordinary Family.

Slackerwood: Which scene from the film did you reshoot?

Paul Gordon: I did Scene 8, in which a reclusive guy and his girlfriend discuss whether or not to go outside and do something fun -- such as go to the lake, or play frisbee.

Slacker 2011 Filmmaker Interviews

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Here's a list of all our Slacker 2011 filmmaker and related interviews in one handy spot -- in the order in which their scenes appear in the movie.

Slacker 2011: Spencer Parsons Introduces an iPhone to the Fingerhut

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Slacker 2011 from Spencer Parsons

In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (TFPF). As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the filmmakers participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project -- check out our interviews so far.

Today's interview is with Spencer Parsons, an Austin filmmaker who is currently working at Northwestern University in Chicago as an Assistant Professor. His work includes the feature I'll Come Running, which received two TFPF grants and played Austin Film Festival in 2008; and the short Once and Future Asshole, which played SXSW 2005 (the cast includes Chris Doubek and Jonny Mars).

An interesting aside: Kyle Henry is another Austinite teaching at Northwestern, and in 1999, Parsons edited Henry's short doc University, Inc., about the corporatization of The University of Texas ... which featured an interview with Linklater.

Slackerwood: Which scene from the film did you reshoot?

Spencer Parsons: Scene 2.

Slacker 2011: Amy Grappell Recaptures The Co-op Vibe

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Slacker 2011: in the Co-op

In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (TFPF). As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the filmmakers participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project -- check out our interviews so far.

Today's interview is with filmmaker Amy Grappell, a native New Yorker who now lives in Austin. Grappell received a Texas Filmmakers Production Fund grant in 2009 for her short film Quadrangle, a personal documentary about her parents' partner-swapping experiences with a neighboring couple in the 1970s. The film won an honorable mention for short filmmaking at Sundance in 2010 and the jury award for Best Documentary Short at SXSW that year. You can currently watch the film on HBO Go.

Slacker 2011: Duane Graves Swelters at the G/M Steakhouse

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Slacker 2011 from Duane Graves

In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (TFPF). As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the filmmakers participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project -- check out our interviews so far.

Today's interview is with San Antonio native Duane Graves. Graves and Justin Meeks have been making films together in Central Texas for about 10 years, starting with the horror short Headcheese in 2002. Their 2008 movie The Wild Man of the Navidad, shot south of San Antonio, played Fantastic Fest 2008 and is now available on DVD. Read on for more not only about their Slacker 2011 sequence but their latest project, the horror feature Boneboys.

Slackerwood: Which scene from the film did you shoot?

Duane Graves: Justin [Meeks] and I did the scene outside/inside the G/M Steakhouse (Counter Cafe) where Happy-Go-Lucky-Guy (played in the remake by Justin himself) has a string of encounters with several nutty patrons.

Slacker 2011: The Zellners Drop Stuff from Bridges

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Slacker 2011 from the Zellners

In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (TFPF). As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the filmmakers participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project -- check out our interviews so far.

Today's interview is with David Zellner. David and Nathan Zellner are an Austin filmmaking team -- they're brothers -- who have brought us such comically twisted short films as Sasquatch Birth Journal 2, Aftermath on Meadowlark Lane and Quasar Hernandez (available online). They also wrote and directed the feature Goliath, which played SXSW in 2008 and is now on DVD.

Slackerwood: Which scene from the film did you reshoot?

David Zellner: The jilted boyfriend throwing his typewriter/tent off a bridge.

Slacker 2011: Mike Dolan Captures It in One Shot

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Slacker 2011

In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (TFPF). As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the filmmakers participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project -- check out our interviews so far.

Today's interview is with Mike Dolan. Dolan is from Oklahoma and started his film career as an actor, appearing in movies such as Biloxi Blues, Courage Under Fire and Lolita. He also had a role in Geoff Marslett's locally shot film Mars. Mars premiered at SXSW 2010 along with Dolan's feature directorial debut, Dance with the One (Debbie's review), shot in Austin with a primarily local cast and crew (and soundtrack).

Slackerwood: Which scene from the film did you reshoot?

Mike Dolan: We shot the scene (#15 -- but who knows that) where the Old Anarchist arrives home with his daughter Delia to find a Burglar in the house. Apparently the Burglar was on a hunt for TVs, but instead gets caught up reading the books he discovers, and then the Anarchist is totally cool with him, in fact invites him to take whatever he wants, and insists he won't call the cops. They have a nice chat about an Anarchist assassin, then go for a walk, and later the Anarchist invites the Burglar to stay for dinner. Basically a typical afternoon in Austin.

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