Movies This Week: The Resurrection

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I know I said I was so happy not to have to write any more weekly columns about movies playing in Austin. I had a couple of blissful weeks of respite -- except they weren't all that blissful, because a voice in my head kept saying, "Look at that movie playing tonight at the Alamo, why didn't you post anything about it? And what about that special screening over at Cafe Mundi?"

More to the point, if I don't write about this stuff, then I forget it and next thing you know, the Tom Waits concert film I wanted to catch is long gone. Damn. (Okay, that happens anyway, but it's happening more often now.) Also, I feel guilty not sharing the news about cool film stuff in town. And finally, someone kept telling me how much they liked the column, and I couldn't disappoint that person.

I'm not promising I'll do this every week, but for your delight and edification, here's some info on Austin's movies this week:
New releases

  • The Queen—After seeing Mrs. Henderson Presents last year, I had just about given up on the formerly edgy director Stephen Frears. And here's another movie with an older woman in the lead, and a mushy-ish title. Not again. But it looks like my instincts are totally wrong, since everyone I know who's seen The Queen has told me that it's unbelievably good and not at all like Mrs. Henderson Presents and I should go.
  • Death of a President—I feel like I ought to be more interested in this movie than I am. I skipped the special Austin Film Festival screening on Sunday to see Rescue Dawn instead and don't regret this one bit. (Rescue Dawn was wonderful, by the way, although I suspect hardcore Herzog fans might not agree.) It strikes me as a gimmick film, and I can wait for DVD.
  • Tideland—Alamo Downtown is showing the latest Terry Gilliam movie periodically all week. I reviewed the film for Cinematical after seeing it at Fantastic Fest. I can't say I recommend it, because it's quite disturbing, but it's very good in a certain way.
  • Mutual Appreciation—Not only is Andrew Bujalski's (Funny Ha Ha) latest film playing this week at the Arbor, the director himself will be around this weekend for Q&A sessions after some of the screenings. I haven't seen it. I should. I know.

Special Screenings/Events

  • I have to mention that Idiocracy is still playing nightly at Alamo on South Lamar. It's been playing there for, what, eight weeks now? I was so surprised to see a relatively large crowd when I watched it again recently that I talked to Tim League about it, and wrote a great column for Cinematical about the film's bizarro release. No one knows when the Mike Judge movie will appear on DVD, so go to Alamo now while it's still there.
  • Alamo Village has been doing this new thing where they show an older movie every night at 9:45 (or thereabouts) and then on weekends at midnight. The film they showed this week is one reason why I regretted not doing Movies This Week anymore: Bubba Ho-Tep, which you can still catch tonight or tomorrow at midnight. Next week's film, in honor of the holiday, is the original Halloween. After that, it looks like Coen brothers films throughout November. Cool.
  • We bought tickets already: Alamo Downtown is screening Animal House on Saturday night with writer Chris Miller in attendance. I'm sure Miller will be interesting, but to be honest, my husband and I just wanted to see the movie again with a big crowd. Even though we own the DVD.
  • Halloween night (Tuesday): Alamo on South Lamar is showing Night of the Living Dead with live scary music. Alamo Downtown is showing Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and then will have a big party featuring Halloween 4, hosted by Owen Egerton (one of the Sinus guys). Alamo Village is showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show at a relatively early time of 9 pm. Alamo Lake Creek is showing Scream, but if that's too scary for you, they've also got a free screening of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown at noon.
  • I had to miss Heaven Can Wait, the first film in Austin Film Society's "Leave Her to Heaven: Iconically Gene Tierney" series, which I really wanted to see. Tuesday night's film (at Alamo Downtown) is Where the Sidewalk Ends and I'd love to go, but it's Halloween and we may have other plans.

If I missed anything you think I should have included, feel free to post the info in the comments.