Movies This Week

Movies This Week: May 30-June 5, 2014

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 Chinese Puzzle

This weekend, the Austin Film Society has booked a 35mm print of Douglas Sirk's striking melodrama All That Heaven Allows for their new "Rebel Rebel" series at the Marchesa. One of my all-time favorites, the film screens tonight and Sunday afternoon. It is being released on Blu-ray next month from the fine folks at The Criterion Collection, but it's genuinely exciting to finally have a chance to finally see it projected on the big screen. On Monday evening, AFS is teaming up with The Nature Conservancy for a screening of Hanna Ranch, a documentary about a fourth-generation cattle ranch. Emily Hanna will be in attendance for the film. Powell and Pressburger's 1943 feature The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp is screening Thursday evening at the Marchesa. The screening kicks off a new Essential Cinema series in June, "Films Of World War I."

The Paramount Summer Classic Film Series is delivering special sing-along engagements of The Sound Of Music this weekend. Saturday night's evening screening is a special benefit for the AIDS Services of Austin and will be hosted by Rebecca Havemeyer! This screening is intended for an adult audience and will include a "fancy dress costume parade at intermission." Family-friendly sing-alongs will be on hand Sunday afternoon and evening. Tickets for all three showtimes are $15 and there are no passes or flix-tix accepted. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the Paramount brings us a double feature of films set during the Great Depression: The Grapes Of Wrath and Sullivan's Travels will both screen in 35mm prints. 

Movies This Week: May 23-29, 2014

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Belle 

Memorial Day weekend used to always usher in the official start of the summer movie season, but over the last few years the blockbusters have been sneaking into multiplexes earlier and earlier in May. Now that we've finally made it to the holiday weekend, the multiplexes are already exploding with big-budget tentpoles and sequels. Luckily for you, Austin theaters offer some legitmately interesting counterprogramming.

The Austin Film Society is starting a brand new series tonight called "Rebel Rebel." Earlier this week, we chatted with Lars Nilsen to find out more about the films being featured over the next few weekends. The first selection is Gillo Pontecorvo's 1969 film Burn! starring Marlon Brando. The movie features a score by Ennio Morricone and will be screening in 35mm at the Marchesa.

You'll want to head over to the AFS Screening Room on Tuesday night for the Avant Cinema presentation of Your Day Is My Night. Co-presented with the Austin Asian American Film Festival, the AFS notes for the film reveal that this "provocative hybrid documentary addresses issues of privacy, intimacy and urban life." Out Of The Blue is the final film in Richard Linklater's current Jewels In The Wasteland series and it screens in 35mm at the Marchesa on Wednesday night. Dennis Hopper transitioned from star to director during the shooting of this 1982 film.

Movies This Week: May 16-22, 2014

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The German Doctor 

Austin Film Society has another installment of their "That's Genius" series on Sunday night at the Marchesa. They've invited local filmmaker Yen Tan (Pit Stop) to present a favorite film and he chose Parking. The 2008 film from Taiwan is directed by Chung Mong-Hong and will be screened in 35mm. I'm also incredibly excited about Thursday night's Essential Cinema presentation of Bob Fosse's All That Jazz. This month's theme is "After 8 1/2: The Creative In Crisis" and this film tells the story of a Broadway producer who overworks himself right into a heart attack. 

The Austin Youth Film Festival is happening on Saturday at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz. Local filmmakers will be on hand to judge short films from area students who have a chance to win prizes up to $1000! Standard tickets are available for just $10 and you also have the option to buy a $25 ticket that includes a t-shirt or a $45 ticket that includes a t-shirt and pre-order of a DVD collection of the short films that are screening. 

Also at the Ritz this weekend, the Marx Brothers retrospective continues with Room Service in 35mm on Saturday morning. This 1938 comedy also features a wonderful early performance from a young Lucille Ball. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, the Ritz is screening a documentary called Vanishing Pearls: The Oystermen of Pointe A La Hache that focuses on the aftermath in a small community dependant on oyster fishing in the wake of 2010's BP oil spill. There are still tickets available for The Matrix trilogy marathon Sunday afternoon. All three films are screening in 35mm, as is the animated rocker Heavy Metal for Music Monday this week. 

Movies This Week: May 9-15, 2014

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 Jodorowsky's Dune

The Austin Film Society has one last screening this evening of the new IFC Films release Hateship Loveship over at the MarchesaKristen Wiig and Guy Pearce star in this adaptation of Alice Munro's story. On Sunday, AFS is celebrating the Hubley Centennial with an afternoon of animated shorts screening from the husband and wife team of John and Faith Hubley. The shorts will screen at 2 pm, followed by an AFS Moviemaker Dialogue with their daughter Emily Hubley at 4.

On Tuesday, LaDonna Harris Indian 101 is playing for Doc Nights. Julianna Brannum's film explores the life of Comanche activist LaDonna Harris, who works to this day on educating emerging indigenous leaders. On Wednesday night, Richard Linklater will present a 35mm print of Louis Malle's 1981 drama Atlantic City and on Thursday evening, Essential Cinema will screen Woody Allen's Stardust Memories

The Alamo Drafthouse has a few Mother's Day events happening this weekend. A special brunch feast of The Sound Of Music is happening at the Lakeline and Slaughter Lane locations Sunday morning. You can check out the menu here. Not to be outdone, Ritz will open up Theater 1 to Ms. Rebecca Havemeyer, who will present her annual Mother's Day screening of Mommie Dearest on Sunday night.

Movies This Week: May 2-8, 2014

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 The Retrieval

If you're a member of Austin Film Society, tonight marks the first event in a new monthly series called FREE Member Fridays! Actor Thomas Haden Church and director Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais will be at the Marchesa for a special screening of their new film Whitewash. It is free for AFS members and general admission tickets will also be available for $15 at the door subject to capacity. AFS also is presenting the new release Hateship Loveship on Sunday afternoon. While this IFC Films release is available on VOD, this (along with a second showing next Friday) is your only chance to catch it locally on the big screen. The movie stars Kristen Wiig and Guy Pearce and is an adaptation of a story by Alice Munro. Richard Linklater's Jewels In The Wasteland series returns on Wednesday night with a 35mm print of Coppola's 1983 feature Rumble Fish. Finally, the week in movies at the Marchesa wraps up on Thursday with Essential Cinema presenting Paul Mazursky's 1970 film Alex In Wonderland.

Violet Crown Cinema continues their Criterion Presents series this week with Steven Soderbergh's beautiful depression-era drama King Of The Hill on Tuesday night while the Paramount 100 series heads next door to the Stateside for a double feature of Renoir's Grand Illusion and Jean Vigo's L'Atalante

If you've never seen it on the big screen, William Wyler's 1959 epic Ben-Hur is debuting in a brand new 4K digital restoration at the Alamo Lakeline tomorrow and Sunday afternoon. The Alamo Drafthouse Ritz is delivering more Marx Brothers for you this weekend with A Night At The Opera from 1935. It plays tomorrow afternoon only. There are some great 35mm rep screenings at the Ritz this week including Arthur Penn's Night Moves on Monday, Bachelor Party with Tom Hanks on Tuesday and a Cinema Club screening of David O. Russell's truly hysterical Flirting With Disaster on Wednesday.

Movies This Week: April 25 - May 1, 2014

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Only Lovers Left Alive

Some specialty festival events started this week that should be on your radar. The 17th annual Cine Las Americas festival runs through Sunday. Movies are playing at four venues, including the Marchesa and the Alamo Drafthouse Village. If you didn't get a film pass, you can buy individual tickets at the venues if the films aren't at capacity. The seventh annual Off-Centered Film Fest is also going on through the weekend. Special events include a 35mm screening of Jackie Chan's Drunken Master and Harold Lloyd's 1923 silent classic Safety Last

The Marchesa will be tied up with Cine Las Americas screenings through the weekend, but Austin Film Society has a few other tricks up its sleeve. Richard Linklater returns on Wednesday night for his Jewels In The Wasteland series. He'll be presenting Ingmar Bergman's Fanny And Alexander in a 35mm print of the original 188-minute theatrical version. This screening will wrap up part two of the series and we look forward to an announcement with what films the third wave will bring. In the meantime, another great series is about to begin as part of Essential Cinema programming. "After 8 1/2: The Creative In Crisis" will begin with Fellini's 1963 masterpiece 8 1/2 on Thursday night.

Heading to Alamo Ritz, a free 35mm screening of Disney's 1986 Flight Of The Navigator takes place Saturday morning for Kid's Club and they've also got the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup screening today, Saturday, Monday and Wednesday afternoons. If you're looking for a big-screen musical, look no further than the Ritz on Sunday night for Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly's It's Always Fair Weather. The Alamo's Slightly Off Cinema Sundays partnership with IFC is happening at the Lakeline location on Sunday night (obviously) with the original Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle. Accept no substitutions. 

The Paramount 100 is serving up a 35mm double feature of blonde bombshells on Wednesday night. First up, 1932's Blonde Venus is a pre-code musical with Marlene Dietrich [Jette: She wears a gorilla suit for one number, you really don't want to miss this]. It's paired with Mae West and Cary Grant starring in 1933's She Done Him Wrong.  

Movies We've Seen

Blue Ruin - Freshlly tagged this week as "Essential Viewing" over at The Dissolve, Jeremy Saulnier's darkly comic thriller was a big hit at Fantastic Fest last year. Jette caught it at the fest and her review said "some parts of Blue Ruin are not for the squeamish but let's face it, I am the squeamish and I would watch this movie again tomorrow. I had to look at the floor for a few seconds in one scene, but it was worth it for such a vivid, energetic movie." (Alamo Slaughter Lane)

Only Lovers Left Alive (pictured above) - The extraordinary Tilda Swinton attended SXSW for the first time earlier this year to promote her role in this new drama from Jim Jarmusch. Not surprisingly, the film's pacing is on the slow side, but many are calling it Jarmusch's best film in years. Marcelena reviewed it for us and says while it may be "quiet and simple," she found the movie "different and refreshing." (Regal Arbor, Violet Crown Cinema) 

The Railway Man - Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman star in this true story of a British Army officer (played by Firth) who became a POW during World War II. Debbie has an in-depth review of the film where she says it's "a touching and thought-provoking tale of suffering, endurance and forgiveness." (Regal Arbor)

Also Opening In Austin

Alan Partridge - Steve Coogan has been portraying his Alan Partridge character on the BBC going back to 1991. This big-screen adapatation was released in the UK last fall where it opened at number one under the longer name Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa. Even though it may not crossover to much stateside success, a sequel is already in the works. (Violet Crown Cinema, also available on VOD)

Brick Mansions - One of Paul Walker's final films, this is an English-language remake of the French thriller District 13 and is produced by Luc Besson, who co-wrote the original film. (wide)

The Other Woman - Nick Cassavetes directs this revenge comedy that stars Cameron Diaz, This Is 40's Leslie Mann and rapper Nicki Minaj. (wide)

The Quiet Ones - Legendary British horror production company Hammer Films was resurrected a few years ago and had a big hit in 2012 with The Woman In Black. Jared Harris plays a college professor who is trying to generate a ghost. (wide)

Watermark - Named "Best Canadian Film" of 2013 by the Toronto Film Critics Association, this environmental documentary examines our dependence on fresh water and the consequences of its use. (Regal Arbor) 

Movies This Week: April 18-24, 2014

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Under The Skin

Austin Film Society is serving up one more screening of Beyond The Hills this evening at the Marchesa as part of their New Romanian Cinema series. AFS is offering its members a special sneak preview of local filmmaker Chris Eska's The Retrieval (Don's review) Sunday afternoon. I caught this haunting Civil War drama at SXSW last year and definitely recommend seeing it on the big screen. It will open in Austin in a few weeks, but AFS members can see it free at the Marchesa this weekend with a post-film Q&A featuring cast and crew. Hang out after The Retrieval for an AFS Auteur Obscure pick: Robert Clouse's 1970 film Darker Than Amber, preseted in 35mm. Jewels In The Wasteland is taking a break this week, but will return next Wednesday with Ingmar Bergman. 

If you haven't caught Joe yet (or would just like to see it again), Violet Crown Cinema is hosting a special benefit screening of the film on Sunday evening. Director David Gordon Green and "select cast members" will be in attendance with complimentary cocktails provided by Shiner and Z Tequila. All proceeds from the screening (tickets are just $20) will be contributed to Violet Crown employee Evan West, who was seriously injured during the tragic Red River accident during SXSW.

Bob Birdnow's Remarkable Tale of Human Survival and the Transcendence of Self also screens at the Violet Crown on Tuesday night as part of their Texas Spotlight, series and all ticket sales for this event will also be donated to Evan's support fund. This is the first time the Dallas movie will screen in Austin.

Movies This Week: April 11-17, 2014

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Joe 

The Austin Film Society has a very special event tonight at the Marchesa to kick off another week of marvelous screenings. The Sound Of Silent Film Festival will feature short films accompanied by musical performances from Chicago's Access Contemporary Music organization. Several Austin musicians will join ACM for this collaborative and unique evening.  

The AFS spotlight on New Romanian Cinema continues this week at the Marchesa with Cristian Mungiu's critically acclaimed Beyond The Hills on Sunday (presented digitally) and his emotionally devastating 2007 feature Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days (presented in 35mm) on Tuesday. On Wednesday night, Richard Linklater will present Cutter's Way starring Jeff Bridges and John Heard. As is the case for his entire Jewels In The Wasteland series, there will be an introduction and post-film group discussion led by Linklater himself. David Pulbrook's 2012 effort Last Dance will be featured on Thursday night as part of this month's Essential Cinema series. 

Jordan recently wrote a great post looking at the upcoming offerings from the Paramount 100 celebration over at the Paramount Theatre. On Monday night, you can catch a Universal Monsters 35mm double feature with Bela Lugosi starring in Dracula and Boris Karloff as Frankenstein.  

Movies This Week: April 4-10, 2014

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Le-Weekend

The Austin Film Society's series on New Romanian Cinema continues this weekend with Corneliu Porumnoiu's When Evening Falls On Bucharest Or Metabolism. It plays this evening and again on Sunday night at The Marchesa. Tuesday night's featured theme is Doc Nights, turning the spotlight on Blood Brother. Steve Hoover's documentary about a young man's trip to India working with HIV-infected children won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at last year's Sundance Film Festival. If you're up for a German WWII epic, Richard Linklater will be presenting a 35mm print of 1981's Das Boot on Wednesday night. Finally, Essential Cinema on Thursday night will be the 2012 Turkish film Watchtower.

Heading over to the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, the theater is bringing us the Marx Bros. starring in Animal Crackers on Saturday and Tuesday afternoon, a few screenings of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 35mm happening from Saturday-Monday, Mark Lester coming for a 35mm screening of Commando on Sunday night and a very interesting project by 'cinematic journalist' Adam Curtis called The Century Of The Self happening on Monday night for just $1!

Movies This Week: March 28-April 3, 2014

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 Nymphomaniac

The Austin Film Society will begin a series this weekend spotlighting the best in New Romanian Cinema with Child's Pose, which won the Golden Bear for best film at last year's Berlin Film Festival. The film stars Luminita Gheorghiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) and plays tonight and again Sunday afternoon at the Marchesa.

Meanwhile, Richard Linklater's incredible Jewels In The Wasteland series continues this week with Godard's Every Man For Himself on Wednesday night. Linklater will introduce the film and lead an audience discussion after the screening.

On Monday night, Tiger Tail In Blue is screening at the Marchesa thanks to AFS. Local filmmaker Andrew Bujalski will moderate a post-film Skype Q&A with director and lead actor Frank Ross. The indie film was nominated for a Gotham Award for "Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You" and we're lucky to have a theater to bring movies like this to town. 

The Alamo Drafthouse Ritz is launching their new Complete Marx Brothers retrospective this weekend with 1929's The Cocoanuts. They'll be doing this every Saturday afternoon for the next few months! They'll also be paying tribute to the late Mike Vraney of Something Weird Video on Saturday with That's Sexploitation! and a marathon of rare 35mm titles they're dubbing The Weird World Of Weird. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Lung Cancer Alliance in Mike's name.

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