Movies this Week: Ruby Slippers, Bastards and More Aliens

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Wizard of Oz

There are many, many people lamenting not having fast enough fingers to get tickets for Cinemapocalypse yesterday. Thankfully, all three of us Slackerwood gals managed to snag our tickets in the one minute before the dusk-til-dawn festival sold out yesterday (a record time, even by Alamo standards). We'll do our best to make you feel like you were there without feeling left out. Tickets are still available for the VIP feast and Q&A simulcast of just Inglourious Basterds, however.

The Austin film scene has a lot going on this weekend, including Lights! Camera! Help!, a local festival showcasing non-profit efforts through film, which starts tonight. Debbie will be covering the festival for us, so keep an eye open for that.

Opening this Week

Funny People is the subject of our group review this week. Will Adam Sandler fans like this comedy from Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up)? It'll be interesting to see how well it does this weekend.

The Collector is the latest horror flick by the team that brought you Feast, and three of the Saw franchise films. It's a frustrating film, because it plays cat and mouse with brilliance, but falls into predictable convention. For more, read my detailed review.

Aliens in the Attic - Kids + Aliens = not available for advance screenings. 'Nuff said. A similar equation can be made for Street Dreams (substitute aliens with skaters). I don't think the same thing can be said of The Stoning of Soraya M. or Unmistaken Child, but neither was available for screening, either.

And after weeks of waiting, you can finally see the IMAX version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at the Bob Bullock Theatre.

Friday, July 31

Master Pancake continues skewering Robin Hood Prince of Thieves with two shows tonight at Alamo Ritz.

The Paramount Summer Film Series presents Easy Rider and The Wild One. If you wear your biker gear for The Wild One, you can get a free small popcorn.

Saturday, August 1

Ritz is bringing back the director's cut of Alien this weekend ... and then you can watch the sequels at the Paramount a few days later. Great timing.

At the Paramount, you can catch one of two screenings of The Wizard of Oz, Rebel Without A Cause, and East of Eden.

If you want more family fun, the final Splash Party Movie Night is tonight at Deep Eddy pool, with Kung Fu Panda. The regular pool entrance fee covers the movie and pool entrance fee.

Sunday, August 2

Alamo Ritz and AGLIFF present a brunch screening of the 2008 comedy Ready? OK!.

Printed schedules of the Paramount Summer Film Series had Rebel Without A Cause, and East of Eden scheduled, but the Sunday shows have been canceled. However, you can still see The Wizard of Oz and enjoy a happy hour benefiting AIDS Services Austin starting at 6:30 pm. Happy hour/screening tickets include complimentary Ruby Slipper Champagne Cocktails, cupcakes, preferred seating and more. Costumes are encouraged, with prizes to be awarded.

Alamo Lake Creek is showing A Clockwork Orange with two live chamber concerts -- before the film and during intermission.

Monday, August 3

The original Inglorious Bastards starts a three-night run at the Alamo Ritz.

Weird Wednesday presents Austin documentary DFW Punk.

Paramount Summer Film Series has a two-night double-feature with Boris Karloff films The Black Cat and The Mummy (1932). To make this fright night even more fun, you can hear Paramount ghost stories prior to the first film of the double feature.

The Summer Kids Camp movie at Alamo South this week (Mon. through Thurs.) is The Princess Bride. Very tempting to take a long lunch, isn't it?

Tuesday, August 4

Lakeline Starport's family movie this week is the only Dreamworks animated film Jette likes, Kung Fu Panda, playing at 10 am Tuesday through Thursday. And Tinseltown South's movie is another one grownups might like, The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie.

The original Inglorious Bastards continues at the Alamo Ritz.

Terror Tuesday at Alamo Ritz is showing Deathdream, as part of a Bob Clark birthday show. Clark is a recently departed Canadian auteur (Porky's, Black Christmas, A Christmas Story) whom you can hear more about when Zack introduces the show.

Paramount Summer Film Series is showing The Mummy (1932) and The Black Cat and again, you can hear Paramount ghost stories before the first film of the double feature.

Wednesday, August 5

The free outdoor summer film series at Central Market continues tonight at dusk with The Goonies.

Your last chance to see the original Inglorious Bastards at the Alamo Ritz before Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds is released. Unless you're one of the lucky ones going to Cinemapocalypse.

Weird Wednesday presents the blaxploitation film featuring lady pirates in The Muthers. Jette has more to say about this cult film here.

Thursday, August 6

If you caught Alien at Ritz, you can round out the trilogy (the fourth film isn't that worthy, so let's forget it). Tonight, you can see them out of order, with Alien 3 followed by Aliens (the second film) at the Paramount.

I've never heard of the band, but apparently Mastadon is culty enough to be featured in an Alamo Lake Creek Cult Thursday, specifically, Mastodon The Workhorse Chronicles. It's free and they will also be raffling off Mastadon swag.

Will someone please have the

Will someone please have the decency to tape and post the QT intros and Q&A throughout the night? It is always such a shame that these are very rarely captured for the rest of us. Also, please give us detailed coverage of the night (along with trailers shown please).

If we can

We will if we can -- I haven't found out yet whether cameras will be allowed. At QT Fests in the past, recording the intros was discouraged and even photos tended to be taken on the sly. We're planning detailed coverage even if we can't give you recordings or photos.

YouTube is your friend

Many of the Alamo Q&As are posted on YouTube. If you do a search for "Alamo Drafthouse" you can find quite a few gems. I'm not sure of the policies, but that's a question we can hopefully answer for you in the near future.

Thanks

Thanks for the responses. I do check YouTube regularly for Drafthouse clips. I am actually the worst kind of Drafthouse geek - as I live in Dallas and often have to live vicariously through others' reviews/reports (though I tend to get down there on an impressively/embarassingly regular basis to get my Alamo goodness).

Speaking of QT Fests, I recall reading that the festivalgoers were prohibited from videotaping QT intros/etc. but that AFS was taping them all. Do you know what was ever done with this footage? I remember finding some very condensed 1 minute or so montages from QT6 and Best of QT Fest but have always wondered what became of the full footage. It seems a shame if this never gets distributed.

Thanks - as always, I enjoy reading Slackerwood ... and listening to your podcasts.