Movies This Week: Warrior Contagion Ground
With aGLIFF going strong through Sunday, and it being Pride weekend, there are a lot of film options this weekend that by for and about LGBTQIA friendly topics. If you're up for a sing-along tonight, Alamo Drafthouse is screening all of the best divas, gay icons, and camp classics they're titling Way Gay, which promises to be a lot of fun. But I personally recommend the aGLIFF Centerpiece Film Mangus! (pictured above), which happens to have been filmed near Dallas, and also happens to be followed by the Majestic Dance Party at the Paramount.
Former aGLIFF Programming Director Lisa Kaselak's documentary about the "Texas Cupcake Controversy" is kicking of the Reel Policy film series Thursday at the Center for Health and Social Policy (part of UT's Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs). Let Them Eat Cake follows the implementation of a Texas policy initiative to ban junk food in public schools. More information about the screening is available on Facebook. Kaselak will be in attendance for a discussion following the film.
If you haven't had a chance to see Slacker 2011 yet, it's playing on Sunday at Alamo Drafthouse Village. Later this week you can also see the comedy classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on Thursday at Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-in. And oh yeah, there are new releases in town, too.
Movies We've Seen:
Contagion -- Steven Soderbergh, the director behind The Girlfriend Experience and Ocean's Thirteen now brings us up close and personal with a deadly pandemic ... and a stellar cast. Elizabeth says in her review, "No one is going to contest the pedigree of the cast in this thriller. However, such a large number of actors creates a challenge to get too invested." (wide)
Echotone -- Austin as the "Live Music Capital of the World" is captured through musicians' eyes by Austin filmmaker Nathan Christ. The documentary has a special run at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar Sunday through Tuesday. Read Debbie's AFF 2010 review for more.
Higher Ground -- Vera Farmiga's directorial debut embodies the faltering journey of someone trying to embrace faith despite undergoing a spiritual crisis. It may not top your best of the year list, but it will get you talking and thinking. Read my review for more. (Regal Arbor, Violet Crown)
Warrior -- Perhaps the most anticipated film of the year, starring Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte and Joel Edgerton, broke my Twitter feed with high praise from film geeks. Mike's review will run tomorrow, but in the meantime he says, "Warrior includes more than just incredible MMA fighting action; it's an amazing character piece that tells two very different stories about brothers from a broken family and smashes their worlds back together." (wide)
Other Movies Opening in Austin:
5 Days of War -- The latest film from Renny Harlin looks at a Russian-Georgian conflict from the view of an American journalist trapped in the middle. Former Austin film critic John DeFore, reviewing for The Washington Post, says it "suffers all the failings of Hollywoodization without capturing the compelling pathos its subject deserves." (Arbor)
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star -- Tom Brady previously brought us The Hot Chick, now he brings us this movie with a screenplay co-written by Adam Sandler. (wide)
Creature -- Austin-born Mechad Brooks (Necessary Roughness, True Blood) stars in this creature feature about a monster unearthed in a Louisiana swamp. (Regal Gateway, Regal Metropolitan)
Shaolin -- The story of the legendary monks/martial artists spawned countless movie plots for a reason. This take on their history includes Jackie Chan among the cast. But if you want to see the movie, it only plays on Saturday. (Alamo Lake Creek)