Slackery News Tidbits: August 11, 2014

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Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar

Here's the latest Austin and Texas news (and boy, is there a lot of it this week).

  • Fantastic Fest announced its first wave of films in the 2014 lineup. Kevin Smith's horror film Tusk will open the fest (a 180 degree turn from the Kevin Smith film that opened Fantastic Fest in 2010, Zack and Miri Make a Porno), followed by the Tim League-produced anthology ABCs of Death 2. The festival also announced that movie critic/film historian Leonard Maltin will be in Austin for the fest, heading up the comedy film jury and hosting events. Also, take a look at the gorgeous 2014 poster for the fest.
  • Fantastic Fest will take place Sept. 18-25 at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar -- and check out the photo above for a preview of what the renovated theater looks like right now. No word yet on the grand opening, although aGLIFF will also take place there the weekend before Fantastic Fest (yes, Slackerwood will certainly be on its toes in September).
  • Austin filmmaker Richard Linklater is no longer working on the remake of The Incredible Mr. Limpet (!!), according to Hollywood Reporter. Instead, "sources say" he's working on a movie about college freshmen called That's What I'm Talking About, which is supposed to be semi-autobiographical and in the same tone as Dazed and Confused. This makes sense considering the box-office success of Boyhood.
  • Backing up the "sources" in the previous article is a casting notice from Vicky Boone Casting that was posted to a local email list for casting opportunities. Included in the notice: "All of us over at Vicky Boone Casting are working hard on the upcoming untitled Richard Linklater Project and wanted to shoot out a friendly suggestion that if you are interested in being a part of this film in any capacity (we’re talking principles, background, etc.), you should start growing out your hair now! This is a period film based in the early '80s, and it always helps to look the part if you have big dreams of making it onscreen! While this suggestion applies for all ages/ethnicities/genders, a special note goes out to those of you in your 20s, as there will be lots of principles and extras needed in that age range."
  • I feel like it's Linklater Week in the news tidbits. Nickelodeon announced it is teaming up with the Austin filmmaker and producer Scott Rudin for a live-action TV series based on the movie School of Rock (via Hollywood Reporter, again). Linklater will be an executive producer for the series, planned to premiere with a 13-episode season in Spring 2015. (Also, apparently there's an upcoming Andrew Lloyd Weber stage musical based on the film, too? *blink*)
  • Moving right along, SXSW 2014 drama Before I Disappear has found North American distribution through IFC (which is also distributing Boyhood). The film won the audience award for Best Narrative Feature at SXSW, and Don says in his review, "When not being tragic, it's hilariously sarcastic." A November release is planned.
  • The Paramount Theatre has started a fundraising campaign to rebuild the lighted "green blade" that adorned the theater back in the 1930s (and hopefully renovate the State's marquee as well).
  • Austin Film Festival wraps up its series on 1968 on Tuesday night with 2001: A Space Odyssey. See it tomorrow at 7 pm at the Texas Spirit Theater in the Texas State History Museum.
  • Other Worlds Austin, the brand-new science-fiction themed film festival, has announced it will host a sneak preview of the movie Dead Within on Sept. 4 at 9 pm at Alamo Drafthouse Village. The festival itself takes place from Dec. 4-6.
  • Finally, Texas actress Marilyn Burns died last week in Houston at age 65. She is best known for her role as Sally Hardesty in the 1974 Central Texas-shot horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Screen Crush contributor Jacob Hall talked to her shortly before her death about the movie and the Austin/Round Rock locations where it was shot -- go read the interview, it is well worth your time. (I wish I could also refer you to Joe Bob Briggs' excellent essay about the film, which I think was in Texas Monthly originally, but I can't find it online. Post a comment if you have a link.)

[Photo of Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar used with permission from Alamo Drafthouse.]