Alamo Drafthouse

Mondo's Most Evil Show Yet: A Rogue's Gallery

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Whose evil eyes are these?

Mondo, the collectible art division of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, will celebrate cinematic villains and monsters for its next gallery show, "A Rogue's Gallery," which runs from August 23 through September 14 here in Austin. The exhibit will include both prints and original works of art from popular Mondo artist Jason Edmiston. The show will feature stunning new work that celebrates all things evil from films like Ghostbusters, Robocop, They Live, The Terminator and many more.

The opening will take place Friday, August 23 from 7 to 10 pm with regular hours to follow for the show's duration. The Mondo Gallery is located at 4115 Guadalupe.

Check out some preview images and details from the artist after the jump (and find out who those evil eyes in the teaser image above belong to).

Alamo Spotlights Women in Westerns

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Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden in Johnny Guitar

Alamo Drafthouse Ritz will showcase kick-ass women in Westerns in August, under the theme "She Died with Her Boots On: Women and the West." While my favorite female-led Western Cat Ballou didn't make the cut, the four films chosen look like a good blend of the slightly unusual, the bizarre and the more traditional, all featuring tough broads.

The movies will screen at Alamo Ritz at 7 pm on Wednesday nights:

Westward the Women (1951) -- Wednesday, August 14
Robert Taylor leads a large group of women from Chicago to meet their new husbands in California. The typical trail problems (rivers to cross, illness) beset them, along with other difficulties they must face as women (such as having a baby during the journey or being sexually assaulted).

Photo Essay: A Peek at Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline

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I was lucky enough to take a tour of the newest addition to the Drafthouse family: Alamo Lakeline, just past where the old Alamo Lake Creek used to live. The theatre itself opened its doors on Monday, July 22, but a few members of the press got to walk around the building last week with Tim League, CEO and founder of the Drafthouse franchise. Tim let us know that this will be the largest Drafthouse in the country: The building is just shy of 36,000 square feet, will have 250 employees, 944 seats, 10 screens, 2 micro theatres, stadium seating -- the list truly goes on.

The interior theme of the new location is based on the original 1968 Planet of the Apes film. Film posters and foreign artwork from the movie line the halls of the lobby, giving it a modern sci-fi feel. Tim and General Manager Stephen Mason were most excited to reveal a piece of film history that Drafthouse moviegoers will appreciate: an exact replica of the Great Lawgiver statue, created and cast by Hollywood special effects creator Greg Nicotero. League and Mason said they think it will be a great photo opportunity for guests at the theatre (so get ready to see a lot of "POTA selfies" on social media).

AFS Presents 'The New Voice: Drafthouse Films' Series

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The Act of Killing

[Editor's note: Please welcome new contributor Caitlin Moore to Slackerwood.]

It's clear that Drafthouse Films, the distribution arm of Alamo Drafthouse launched in 2010, is serious about being a major player in the film world. More specifically, the world of film that many of us are particularly interested in -- the one filled with movies that are smart and a little off-kilter, or in their own words, "provocative, visionary, and artfully unusual."

Drafthouse Films has a few hits behind them and they show no sign of slowing down, so now would be a good time to catch up if you're a little behind. Beginning next week, Austin Film Society will offer some assistance when they present The New Voice: Drafthouse Films series, which consists of three of the distributor's most acclaimed titles thus far as well as an advance screening of The Act of Killing, a much buzzed-about documentary that will be more widely released later this summer. All four movies are worth your time, so take a look at the schedule if you're interested in watching, or rewatching, some of the more challenging film releases of the past couple years. 

Bullhead -- Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012, Michael R. Roskam's Bullhead (Don's reviewDebbie's review) is a dark Belgian drama that explores the corrupt world of cattle farming. The narrative rests on the hulking, steroid-dependent shoulders of anti-hero Jacky (played by the incredible Matthias Schoenaerts), whose personal pain brings delicacy to what would otherwise be a traditional crime story. Tragic, gritty and intense, this memorable film showed early on that Drafthouse Films was serious about bringing strangeness of the highest quality to its audiences. (Wednesday, July 24 , 7:30 pm at the Marchesa Hall & Theatre)

Alamo Lakeline Ready to Host Grand Opening -- and 'Machete Kills'

Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline under construction

Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline has announced its grand opening for the week of July 22. The new location, near Lakeline Mall on 183 North, is the largest Drafthouse so far with ten screens and seating for almost a thousand attendees.

Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek shows its last movie on Sunday, July 21, with programming at Lakeline set to start Monday, July 22. About the closing of the Lake Creek location, founder and Alamo Drafthouse CEO Tim League says, "I built the original Lake Creek Alamo with my own two hands... I am excited that more skilled craftsmen than myself have replaced it with a brand new state-of-the-art cinema for the neighborhood."

The special programming for Lakeline's grand opening includes a screening of Planet of the Apes on Friday, July 26 [info], with moviegoers encouraged to wear primate-inspired clothing in honor of the ape-themed lobby in the new facility. A Girlie Night advance screening of The Spectacular Now will take place Thursday, July 25 [info], a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed pizza party on Saturday, July 27 [info], and a Curious George family red-carpet event co-sponsored by KLRU [info] late Saturday morning.

Refn and Martinez Bring 'Only God Forgives' to Austin

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Only God Forgives in Austin

Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Bronson) and composer Cliff Martinez (Drive, Traffic) stopped in Austin briefly last week for what was unofficially the North American premiere of Refn's latest movie, Only God Forgives, at Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter. I was at the first of two evening screenings and enjoyed a very lively post-film Q&A from Martinez and Refn (pictured above).

Tim League brought Refn on stage to introduce the film. The writer-director noted that if his previous film, Drive, was the cinematic equivalent of an all-night cocaine binge, then Only God Forgives would be "a really good old-school acid trip." (He said the same thing at the official premiere at Los Angeles Film Festival the next day, but why not? It's a great intro.) He then left the stage so we could find out exactly what that might mean.

You can read my review when the movie opens on July 19, but I will say that it took at least 12 hours for me to decide what I thought about the movie, and even now I'm not so sure. It is stunning in a very literal sense -- I got the impression I wasn't the only one who felt stunned as the closing credits rolled.

Alamo Previews 'The Silence of the Lambs' Signature Wines and Feast

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Silence of the Lambs Feast Menu

Last year the Alamo Drafthouse inaugurated their signature wine series featuring classic movie themes with the inaugural Princess Bride-inspired "Bottle of Wits" Inconceivable Cab and As You Wish White.

Today, Alamo revealed their second wines in the limited edition series: The Cannibal Chianti and Suit Yourself Pinot Grigio, inspired by Jonathan Demme's Academy award-winning 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs. The wines will  be available at The Silence of the Lambs Feast at select Alamo Drafthouse locations nationwide -- the Austin event will be held June 19 at the Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter. I had the chance to sample the wines as well as the feast at a press preview on Tuesday night at the Slaughter location.

The Cannibal Chianti is an Italian wine (DOCG, for those in the know) from a vineyard located between Sienna and Florence. This dark fruit-forward medium-bodied wine gets its flavor from a blend of 85% Sangiovese with small amounts of Canaiolo and Malvasia del Chianti. Suit Yourself Pinot Grigio is a crisp and light-bodied white wine featuring grapes from California’s Central Coast and inland vineyards. The light citrusy finish makes it suitable for summertime enjoyment.

'Wrong' and 'Rubber': Quentin Dupieux at Alamo Drafthouse

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Quentin DupieuxBy Callie Caywood Schuette

Filmmaker Quentin Dupieux has already acquired a cult following the likes of which is rarely seen so early in a career. Recently he visited Alamo Drafthouse Village in Austin for a double feature of his first feature-length films, Wrong and Rubber. When he asked who in the audience of the sold-out screening had already seen both movies about to be shown, more than a quarter of the theater eagerly raised their hands. This is no doubt in large part due to the fame he's garnered as his experimental-electro alter ego, Mr. Oizo. While Dupieux is still a budding name in film, Oizo has been heard around the techno scene for over 15 years. A history like that is bound to breed some seriously dedicated fans.

Once the closing credits for Wrong rolled, host Eric Vespe (aka "Quint" of Ain't It Cool News) called Dupieux on stage to the sound of enthusiastic applause. Dupieux was completely at home in the spotlight, and immediately took ownership of the Q&A. At once playful and sarcastic, he repeatedly provoked surprised barks of laughter.

When Dupieux was asked if any events depicted in Wrong were based in reality, he shrugged. "I tried to make a film that was half true, and half stupid." In response to probes about the fictional book that appears in the film, Dupieux murmured coyly, "I haven't read it." His answers were all brief, and spiked with a biting wit. Yet despite his bumptiousness, it was hard not to like him. Yes, he's an erratic driver, but damn if it isn't a fun ride. 

In a moment of technical difficulty, the mic Dupieux is holding started to fade in and out of static feedback. He handed it off to a theater manager, and took the interruption as an opportunity to approach a couple of patrons in the front row. "Can I?" he smiled, already plucking pieces of popcorn from their bowl and tossing them into his mouth. Without missing a beat, he jumped right back into goading the audience for more questions. Dupieux proves a master trickster, and we're all at his mercy.

Unraveling Mondo's Mystique at the Stout /Taylor Opening

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Mondo Tyler Stout First Blood

Stallone, Hopkins and Gosling all welcomed visitors on Friday to the latest Mondo gallery event featuring new works by artists Tyler Stout and Ken Taylor. And by "welcomed," I mean their likeness graced the posters on the wall. With this new show, Stout and Taylor have brought Austin a wonderful collection of works that showcases the artists' unique styles that have made them famous. Stout's filled frames were no more prevalent than in his poster for Attack the Block and previously released Django Unchained, while Taylor highlighted his detailed, realistic representations of famous faces in his posters for First Blood and Silence of the Lambs (pictured above). 

Mondo 'Game of Thrones' Gallery Brings King’s Landing To Austin

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Mother of Dragons by Jason Edmiston

Local poster czar Mondo kicked off SXSW in its own style, premiering a new show of original Game of Thrones-themed art at the gallery on Friday. The opening included a special blonde ale created by New York brewery Ommegang that was inspired by the hit television show. The "Iron Throne" beer, as it was called, luckily had a light, non-metal taste, and was a perfect subtle pairing for the art itself, which ranged in styles and subjects.

In the end, the art didn’t need the metaphoric "beer goggles" to ratchet up anticipation for the coming season of the HBO show.  I know I walked away dying to visit Daenerys and her dragons again after seeing Jason Edmiston's sumptuous "Mother of Dragons" painting, pictured above. (Keep reading for more photos.)

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