Slackery News Tidbits: August 24

Let's catch up on the latest Austin film news, shall we? Here we go:

• The Hollywood Reporter has some updates on Robert Rodriguez's upcoming film Spy Kids 4, claiming that Jessica Alba may star in the film as the stepmom of the new spy kids. Whatever happens with casting, the movie may start shooting here in Austin next month. And oh, yeah, it's in 3D (eyeroll).
• Two features from local filmmaker Bob Byington are now available on Netflix Watch Instantly: Harmony and Me (my review, Don's DVD review) and RSO [Registered Sex Offender]. RSO has also just been released on DVD -- look for our review later this week.
• On the way home from dinner last night, I heard an ad on local radio station 101X for Fantastic Fest, urging listeners to buy fest badges as well as a special "gala pass" that will supposedly get you into all the big splashy fest screenings and events at the Paramount. I then got home and found out that the Fantastic Fest film badges (the ones for the whole fest) are now sold out. You can still buy badges for the second half of the fest or for daytime films ... no word yet from the festival on these mysterious "gala passes" but we'll keep you posted.
• Speaking of the Paramount, the historic Austin theater is running a contest this week and next to encourage you to join their "Mobile Film Club," in which you would receive text messages about their Winter Film Series and other movie-related events. You join the Mobile Film Club by texting the word FILMGOER to 70626. In return, if you join by September 1, you receive a free pass to one Paramount Theatre film, and are entered in a drawing to win a Movie Night for yourself and 49 friends.
• All summer long, Jenn Brown and I wondered what happened to the Austin Parks Foundation's great free Movies in the Park series at Republic Square Park, which we wanted to include in the 2010 Guide to Free (and Cheap) Summer Movies. Good news: the series is back for Wednesday evenings in late summer/early fall, and will start on September 1 with Raiders of the Lost Ark. Fantastic Fest is sponsoring two movies this year: The Wizard and The Last Starfighter. Great lineup!
• We all thought Sunday night was the last night at the Dobie, didn't we? Not quite true -- a preview screening for Easy A was actually the last film shown there (so far) on Monday night. Anne Heller has the scoop at Exploitation Cine Digest. Personally, no matter how good Easy A might be, it does seem like exactly the wrong movie to close the Dobie on ... or perhaps it's symbolic of the problems that led to the decline of the theater. Which movie do you wish the Dobie had closed with instead?