Special Screenings

A Classic Movie Fan's Dream: 2015 Summer Film Classics at the Paramount

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Stills from Pariah, When Harry Met Sally, Singin' in the Rain, Shadow of a Doubt and The Awful Truth

I've compiled a list of my favorites from the Paramount Summer Film Classics schedule for Slackerwood since 2012, so it's with this post that the upcoming end of the blog really hits me. It's been a great run, folks.

This 100th year of the Paramount Theatre means there's quite a schedule in store for us this summer. As in years past, films will screen at both Paramount and Stateside. Tickets are $12, which you can purchase online or at the venue. If you plan to see more than a few of these movies, it's probably worthwile to invest in FlixTix (a pack of 10 tickets for $60) or become a Film Fan.

And don't forget your admission covers double features! Without further ado, my last Paramount Summer Classics roundup for Slackerwood:

  • The Iron Giant (1999) -- The animated science-fiction story of a boy and his giant metal alien friend, which I reviewed last year for Lone Star Cinema, is a lead-in to the theater's Family Film Festival in July. (Sat 5/23 @ Paramount)
  • Female filmmakers -- Pariah played the 2011 Austin Film Festival and the coming-of-age drama was one of the best films I saw that year [Don's review]. The Dee Rees film will be paired with Agnes Varda's Cleo From 5 to 7 (1962) on Thurs-Fri, 6/25-26 at Stateside. It's all Penny Marshall at the Paramount that weekend, as her baseball classic A League of Their Own (1992) and the comedy Big (1988) play Saturday evening, 6/27, and Sunday afternoon, 6/28.

Summer Film Series Updates: Cinema East, Sound and Cinema, Cinema 41

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i believe in unicorns still

The lineup for this year's Cinema East series has been announced, and once again the programmers have selected a solid slate of indie films to fill a few summer Sunday evenings. The outdoor screenings begin around 9 pm at the French Legation, admission is $3-$5, and food and drinks are available to buy. Also important: The BYOB policy is once again in effect this year. 

We've seen a few of the scheduled movies and are excited about the rest, and filmmakers are scheduled to attend five of the seven screenings. If you're not one to let the Texas heat get you down (it's not so bad after the sun sets and you have a beer in your hand), this is the perfect chance to stretch your weekend to the fullest while checking out a few recent independent films.

Here's the schedule:

I Believe in Unicorns (6/22) -- This fantasy-tinged coming-of-age story (pictured above) explores an imaginative young girl's first encounter with troubled love. Director Leah Meyerhoff will be in attendance for a Q&A following the screening. 

Violet Crown Cinema Debuts Texas Spotlight Film Series

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flutter film posterIt makes welcome sense that a locally owned and operated movie theater would present a program that highlights its home state while also supporting one of its own Austin friends. Violet Crown Cinema has announced a new ongoing film series called Texas Spotlight, which will feature the work of Texas filmmakers and Texas-based films.

Three monthly screenings have been announced so far, and all ticket sales from these initial shows will be donated to a fund for Evan West, a Violet Crown employee severely injured in the March 13 hit-and-run on Red River Street. 

This first trio of films features two newer selections and one retrospective screening, and all three directors hail from Texas (either Austin or Dallas). Tickets are available here

Read on for screening details and descriptions (provided by Violet Crown), and stay in touch for updates about future Texas Spotlight screenings. If you'd like to donate directly to the Evan West fund, you can do so here

  • Bob Birdnow's Remarkable Tale of Human Survival and the Transcendence of Self, April 22 -- When invited by an old friend to speak to a struggling sales team at a conference, Bob Birdnow (veteran Dallas actor Barry Nash) reluctantly agrees. Bob's attempt to say something motivational takes an unexpected turn when, forced off script and desperate, he begins the one story he'd hoped he'd never have to tell. This adaptation of a one-man show won the Ron Tibbett Award for Excellence in Filmmaking at the Indie Memphis Film Festival. (Director: Eric Steele, 2013)
  • Flutter, May 13 -- To treat her son, Johnathan, who suffers from a degenerative eye condition, JoLynn must break society's laws. With her husband away indefinitely, JoLynn struggles to nurture her son in the face of poverty, isolation and incarceration. Flutter explores the truest love on earth -- the love of a mother and child. (Director: Eric Hueber, 2014)
    Note: Debbie recently caught this one at the Dallas International Film Festival and highly recommends it.

Blue Starlite Offers Classic Romance for Valentine's Day

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By Charity Lee

When you think of the perfect movie-loving date night, you definitely have a Texas-sized menu of options. You could enjoy the Austin Film Society-sponsored “Goddard vs. Truffaut” series at the Marchesa, a night on the town at the Paramount on Congress, or even woo your date with a melody at one of the famous local Alamo Drafthouse sing-alongs. However, if you want to get retro, the Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In is the perfect classic alternative to an in-house film this Valentine's Day.

On the most romantic night of the year, the Blue Starlite will present a classic double feature of Breakfast at Tiffany's, starring Audrey Hepburn as the sassy and wild young bachelorette, Holly Golightly; and Casablanca, starring the hunky Humphrey Bogart. I’m a big fan of the former with its hilarious featured roles and its non-conventional romantic comedy setup. I also have never been to an outdoor movie so my tickets are printed, my vintage drive-in speaker is ordered and I’m ready to snuggle right from the seat of my little Nissan Sentra. 

AFS Preview: Richard Linklater Programs 'Jewels in the Wasteland'

king of comedy still

This week marks the beginning of a film event that will no doubt turn out to be of lasting importance to many Austin movie lovers and the local film scene in general. The city's own Richard Linklater (if you're reading Slackerwood he needs no introduction) will begin presenting a series of films from the early 80s that, for various reasons, impacted him both as an appreciator and creator of independent cinema.

"Jewels in the Wasteland: A Trip Through '80s Cinema with Richard Linklater" begins Wednesday and is set to continue through May. The first five films have been announced so far, and aside from the time they were released ('81, '82 or '83), they seem to have little in common. That's the best part. This isn't a series simply curated by Linklater; he'll actually be on hand after each screening and will sit down for a conversation with Austin Film Society Programmer Lars Nilsen to discuss the whys and hows of that night's selection. 

"What makes this such a momentous series to me is that we all get to share the simple joy of talking about movies with Rick," Lars told me in a email. 

Take a look at the initial lineup below and don't wait too long to get your tickets; if the Austin film community is paying attention, these screenings should all be well attended. 

AFS Doc Nights Preview: 'Jamel Shabazz Street Photographer'

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Photo by Jamel Shabazz, seen in Jamel Shabazz Street PhotographerStreet-style photography seems almost pedestrian now, with blogs like The Sartorialist, Humans of New York or (my favorite) What Ali Wore popping up every day, but this wasn't the case when photographer Jamel Shabazz started snapping pics in the '70s.  A friend of the artist says he was "capturing life in its purest form."

Shabazz depicted the history of his NYC borough, documenting the early days of hip-hop culture, the fashion and lifestyle he saw day-to-day in the subway or walking the streets of Brooklyn. 

Jamel Shabazz Street Photographer (2013) delves into the photographer's influential work and follows some of his current-day activities. Director Charlie Ahearn's previous work includes 1983's Wild Style, a hip hop docudrama. In this film, Ahearn includes interviews with cultural figures such as Fab 5 Freddy and KRS-One among others.

Austin Film Society will show the Shabazz documentary this Sunday, Jan. 12 at 4pm [tickets] at AFS at the Marchesa. Watch the trailer below.

APL Invites You to the Return of the Revenge of the Son of the Bad Film Festival

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attack of the crab monsterOn Mondays and Wednesdays starting today (July 22) through August 5, Austin Public Library's Carver Branch invites you to watch some wonderfully terrible movies. The library is calling it the Return of the Revenge of the Son of the Bad Film Festival. These screenings are free and open to the public, showing in the Carver library's meeting rooms [map] at 6:30 pm. Do you dare to partake?

Here's the lineup:

  • Monday, July 22, Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) -- Directed by Roger Corman, this film has folks stuck on an island under the control of giant crabs who happen to eat brains.
  • Wednesday, July 24, The Thing with Two Heads (1972) -- Ray Milland plays a bigot who has to share a body with convict Rosie Grier.  Here's the trailer:

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.

Our Favorite Films in the Paramount Summer Classics Series

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Some selections from the 2013 Paramount Summer Classics Series

It's like Christmas in May for Austin classic film fans. Last week the schedule for the summer classic film series at Paramount and Stateside was announced. Movies from various decades will screen in 35mm at Paramount and digital HD projection at the Stateside from late May through early September. The lineup this year is lighter on the screwball genre than I would prefer, but there is still oh-so-much to choose from. There's sure to be something for everyone.

Tickets for each film are $8 (this covers double features as well) online.  If you expect to see many, buying Flix-Tix or becoming a Film Fan could be a worthwhile investment. [Pro tip from Jette: The higher-level Film Fan memberships include free garage parking during the movies.]

Here are some of the selections we Slackerwood contributors find noteworthy:

  • Bonnie and Clyde (1967) -- Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty rob banks in Arthur Penn's game-changing crime romp that blazes through north Texas [my Lone Star Cinema post]. (Wed 5/29 at 10 pm, Stateside)
  • The Wild Bunch (1969) -- Sam Peckinpah's brutal Western stars William Holden, Ernest Borgnine and Robert Ryan. You all know I'm squeamish about violence and yet this is one of my very favorite films. I refuse to listen to any news about a remake involving Will Smith. (Wed 5/29 at 7:15 pm, Stateside) -- Jette Kernion

Watch 'The Brass Teapot' in Austin

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The Brass TeapotIndie film The Brass Teapot will be making an appearance in Austin on Thursday, May 23. Ramaa Mosley makes her feature directorial debut with the movie, basing it off of her 2007 short of the same name. Tim Macy scripted both the short and the feature.

It stars Michael Angarano (Sky High, Snow Angels), Juno Temple (Dirty Girl, Killer Joe) and Houston native Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls). it originally premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012, and hasn't screened in Austin previously.

The Brass Teapot follows John (Angarano) and Alice (Temple), a young newlywed couple struggling to make ends meet. Feeling down on their luck, they happen upon an antiques store where Alice discovers a unique brass teapot. It appears to be just another junk-store find until the couple discovers that the teapot can give them all the money they desire -- in exchange for hurting themselves.

Vowing to stop once they hit their first million, John and Alice go on a journey of black eyes, burnt hands and any other ailment in between. The story very much follows the theme of "be careful what you wish for." The film also features an all-star cast of Bobby Moynihan, Matt Walsh, Jack McBrayer and Alia Shawkat.

The screening is made possible by Gathr, a new service with the simple goal of bringing films to a city or town that might not otherwise get to screen it (or at least not get to screen it for a while). It's similar to Austin-based Tugg in the sense that it's a screening-on-demand model, in which a minimum number of tickets must be reserved in advance in order for the screening to take place.

The screening starts at 7:30 pm, and tickets are still available for only $10.Be sure to reserve your seat soon if you want the screening to take place. (Who knows when this film will hit Austin theaters!) The screening must meet its ticket quota in a little less than a week.

You can out find more information about The Brass Teapot screening on the Gathr website.

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