Movies This Week: Despicable Grease Cremaster Predators

It's  a surprisingly light weekend for new films in Austin, but there's no holiday and we're smack into the middle of the summer doldrums. But that's not to say there aren't options -- some fun, some mind boggling. 

Cremaster 1-5 and De Lama Lamina  -- When I was looking up the new releases in town, I was a bit gobsmacked. Five films, or is that six? I can't really tell, and the Cremaster website makes it even more confusing.  The Cremaster films by writer-director Matthew Barney seem to be avant garde gone wild, with little dialogue, and are not necessarily numbered in order. Apparently the lengths of the films vary as well.  If any of you see it, do let us know what you think. (Dobie)

Despicable Me -- Pixar doesn't have a monopoly on animated family fare. Universal's latest mixes villains and moppets and minions, and despite the trailer, it's not so fluffy. Read my review for more, and you'll probably want Minion finger puppets, too. (wide)

Grease: The Sing-A-Long -- No, they didn't really censor it to make it more family friendly, they just got creative with some of the lyric animation for this sing-along. Running a special engagement at the Alamo, if you haven't gotten your tickets yet, you're probably out of luck as only one screening isn't sold out. Read more in my review. (Alamo South Lamar)

Predators -- The man behind Kontroll turns to action horror with the latest in the Predator franchise, this time on a hunting preserve in the stars. Filmed at Troublemaker Studios here in town and in the Bastrop area, Predators' producers include Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellan. Predictable, unsubtle, and very loud -- if you need to get some action on, this is the movie for you. Jette can tell you more in her review.  I think I'm still deaf. (wide)

A Town Called Panic (Panique au village) -- Cheval! It's back! One of the most popular features at Fantastic Fest 2009 is back in town for a special three-night run. Now's your chance to see this delightfully ridiculous story of Cowboy, Indian and Horse, three roommates in the Belgian countryside who get in to all sorts of trouble. These toys have more fun than Buzz and Woody ever could. Read Jette's review for more details. (Alamo South Lamar)

Check our event calendar for special film events, and our personal picks below. Don't forget you can always alert us to special screenings, new film series, etc.

Chip -- I don't know if anybody in Austin is as proud of the success of those nice Duplass boys as Jette -- my wife and their hometown neighbor. Me, I found Baghead entertaining enough, but that contemporaneous mumblecore blah blah -- no thanks! Now, Cyrus on the other hand, I'd really like to see. Great cast, and it's nice to see a studio putting resources behind creative, indie-style filmmakers.

Debbie -- Auntie Mame encompasses my life philosophy in my favorite quote: "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!" Rosalind Russell's parting words in this film are how I remember whether Labor Day is the Monday holiday in May or September. If you've not seen the endearing and memorable Auntie Mame yet, now's your chance -- the Paramount is hosting a special screening on Sunday at 2 pm. You can even get your photo taken with the Paramount's own Auntie Mame.

Don --  I'm a sucker for micro-budget Austin indies, at least the good ones. A fine example of the genre, Harmony and Me, is playing on Sunday as part of the Cinema East film series. Harmony and Me is a surprisingly likeable film despite its mostly unlikeable characters, and you can't beat the price (it's free).  Look for my review of the Harmony and Me DVD next week ... in the meantime, you can read Jette's review from AFF.

Elizabeth -- Alamo Lake Creek is showing The Muppet Movie as part of its Summer Kids Camp this weekend (Sat. and Sun., 11 am), but I'm pretty sure you don't have to be a kid or have a kid to attend (just be aware that there will be a lot of children in attendance).  It's free, and it's hard to pass up a chance to see Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy and the gang on the big screen.

Jette -- If you haven't seen Nicholas Ray's amazing 1950 film In a Lonely Place, starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, it is playing at the Paramount on Wednesday and Thursday on a double-bill with Sunset Blvd. Both movies together will be rather downbeat so make sure you have some chocolate handy.