Movies This Week

It's January; we know this because the temperature sometimes dips below balmy, but also because great new movies are rarer than a Panhandle Democrat. The esteemed Rust and Bone is required viewing this week*, but skip the other new releases unless you can't resist imported horror, middling crime drama or California's less-than-esteemed former governor.

Fortunately, Austin's ever-bustling film culture offers plenty of alternatives for those seeking escape from our frigid 50-degree winter weather. Austin Film Society's Essential Cinema series continues with the Chinese drama Empire of Silver. Set in 1899 during the waning days of Imperial China, the film focuses on a wealthy banking family trying to survive political upheavals brought on by the Boxer Rebellion and revolutionary outbreaks. Empire of Silver screens on Tuesday at the Alamo Village. (Due to the closure of Alamo South Lamar, AFS screenings are now at Alamo Village. The theater seats only 118 so buy your tickets for all screenings ASAP.)

Fans of Latin American cinema will enjoy Bolívar soy yo! (Bolívar Is Me), a Columbian comedy about an actor revered for portraying Simón Bolívar, a Venezuelan leader who played a key role in freeing Latin America from Spanish rule. The actor is so admired for his portrayal that reality and fiction begin to mix, and eventually he believes he's Bolívar. Cine Las Americas presents Bolívar soy yo! for free on Wednesday at the Mexican American Cultural Center.

Local filmmaker Craig Elrod's feature directorial debut The Man from Orlando premieres locally on Saturday night, and although tickets sold out for the main event, a second screening has been added at 10:30 pm at the Stateside Theatre. This Austin-based comedy features familiar faces including Alan Metoskie, John Merriman, Chris Doubek, Sam Eidson and former Austinite Lee Eddy. Co-writer and lead actor Jason Newman portrays Orlando, a former gangster lifeguard who is stuck in a love triangle. Get your $10 general admission tickets online here before it's too late.

Austin Film Society has quite a bit to offer this week. On Monday night, catch Francine, the "The Narrative Edge: Spotlight on Factory 25" selection screening at the AFS Screening Room. AFS Essential Cinema presents Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale as part of the "Asia: Hot and Cool" series on Tuesday night at Alamo Drafthouse Village. On Wednesday at Alamo Village, AFS Doc Nights will present Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters. Over a period of ten years, Crewdson created "giant format photos of street scenes in disappearing small towns of the American Northeast."

Enjoy a special screening in 35mm of the drag queen-filled comedy To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar presented by nonprofit organization United Court of Austin on Sunday night at Alamo Ritz. The event is a fundraiser for Project Transitions.

Movies We've Seen

Zero Dark Thirty -- This Oscar nominee is a dramatization of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, through his death in 2011. Jessica Chastain stars as Maya, a CIA operative driven by determination to track down bin Laden and bring him and his collaborators to justice. Elizabeth says, "Although Maya's search provides the trajectory for the film, Zero Dark Thirty is far more story-driven than character-driven." Read her review. (wide)

Last night, Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar hosted its final screenings until its remodel this fall with a night jam-packed with fundraisers, special presentations and filmmaker guests including Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep) and former Austinite Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist) -- seen above chatting in the lobby. Coscarelli presented John Dies at the End, which opens later this month in theaters but is available now on Amazon Instant Video. Hooper was on hand for a screening of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre as a double feature with Texas Chainsaw 3D, which opens in theaters today. I chose to watch a 35mm print of Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx, but heard enough audience reaction to know the highlight of the double feature was Hooper's original production.

With the temporary closing of South Lamar, Alamo Village is now home to Austin Film Society's Essential Cinema. The theater reportedly has 80 fewer seats, so buy tickets online early. Coming up this week on Tuesday, January 8, at 7 pm is Untold Scandal, a Korean film based on the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses and set among 18th-century aristocracy. The Housemaid award-winning star Do-yeon Jeon portrays the chaste widow Lady Sook (Jeon Do-Yeaon), who is sought after by one of Chosun's most notorious playboys. Tickets are available for $8 online. Read Elizabeth's preview of the new Essential Cinema series.

Flix Brewhouse in Round Rock hosts Ladies Night Out on Wednesday at 7:30 pm with the classic romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's. Tickets are only $5, and there are drink specials on margaritas, sangria and half-price bottles of select wine.

Quite a few fans of Django Unchained have clamored for a viewing of the 1966 film Django, directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Franco Nero as a man caught between warring factions. The Alamo Drafthouse is offering several screenings from Saturday through Wednesday at various locations and times.

Movies We've Seen

The Impossible -- A dramatization of one family's horrifying experiences during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. I wouldn't be surprised if Watts receives an Academy Award nomination for her raw portrayal of a mother who struggles to survive injury and more in this tale. Read my review. (Violet Crown, Regal Arbor, Cinemark Tinseltown 20)

I'm not even sure why I'm writing a Movies This Week for a week that has no new movies opening in Austin, so far as I can tell.

Oh, yes, I know why: Because this IS Austin, and there are plenty of special screenings and events. All the ones I could find this week are at Alamo Drafthouse -- feel free to leave a comment or let me know if non-Alamo special screenings are happening within the week.

Alamo Kids' Camp, revived for the winter holidays, is showing the dubbed version of My Neighbor Totoro for free daily at 10 am, from Saturday through Thursday, at the Lake Creek location. And Sunday through Thursday, Alamo South Lamar will screen the dubbed Castle in the Sky, also for free. These movies are first-come, first-served. Hop on the catbus and head over.

For a less family-friendly option, Alamo Ritz has weekend screenings of Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

Like the family members you may be visiting for the holidays, this week's new releases are an odd assortment. Judd Apatow fans can get their comedy fix with This Is 40; Quentin Tarantino fans can get their, uh, Tarantino fix with Django Unchained, perhaps the only Western ever to feature a German dentist. History buffs might check out Hyde Park on Hudson, but are advised to read its tepid reviews first. Also, there is some kind of fancy-pants musical based on an old French novel or something.

Those not interested in the new releases may well stick with DVDs or Netflix; it's not a banner week for special screenings beyond the usual holiday fare. Of course, the usual holiday fare isn't always a bad thing. My favorite Christmas film -- naturally, the snarky A Christmas Story (pictured above) -- screens Friday through Sunday at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz. And Elf fans will enjoy quoting along with Buddy and his friends at screenings at the Ritz on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. To stay on good terms with Jette, I must also plug the Alamo Kids' Camp presentations of The Muppet Christmas Carol, showing all week at the Alamo Lake Creek.

Movies We've Seen

Hyde Park on Hudson -- Bill Murray stars as Franklin Roosevelt in this story about FDR's love affair with his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley. The film focuses on a weekend in 1939 when Queen Elizabeth and King George VI visited the Roosevelt home in upstate New York. Elizabeth isn't impressed -- as she says in her review, "On paper, Hyde Park on Hudson seems bursting with promise, but the lazy screenplay, uncomfortable acting, and other factors ruin it." (Arbor)

The anxiously anticipated prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens today, and moviegoers have a choice of watching in standard 24 frames per second (fps) or 48fps and 3D at a few select theaters in Austin. The Hobbit is the first major studio release shot in 48fps. Supporters claim that the new technology adds sharpness and realism to the film, but I found the projection distracting. Characters with makeup and prosthetics are quite obvious and the movement appears jerky at time. I look forward to seeing the movie again soon at 24fps so I can focus on the epic story itself.

Austin Film Society Essential Cinema presents the 1962 film Only Two Can Play on Tuesday, December 18, 7 pm at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. Peter Sellers plays a henpecked Welsh librarian who is propositioned by the wife of a local councillor. I encourage fellow Sellers fans to check out this rare screening. Tickets are $5 for AFS members and students with ID, and $8 for general admission.

AFS also presents a special screening on Wednesday, December 19, 7 pm at the AFS Screening Room of the 1976 film Unmade Beds, starring Deborah Harry and Duncan Hannah (pictured above), described by director Amos Poe as an "European film made in New York City, a reinvention of the nouvelle vague in the context of New York." Poe will be available for a Q&A via Skype. Tickets are $5 for AFS Make and Watch members, free to AFS Love and Premiere members, and $8 general admission.

The opening of Hitchcock today is not only renewing interest in but also introducing unfamiliar viewers to the groundbreaking 1960 horror film Psycho. In honor of Sacha Gervasi's dramatization of the life, love and challenges of Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma during the making of Psycho, Violet Crown Cinema presents a special one-week engagement of the classic suspense movie in a newly released digital cinema print. In addition, Violet Crown will offer a special lunch and movie combo for just $15 during the noon shows Monday through Thursday. 

Flix Brewhouse celebrates the winter holidays with their Holiday Film Series, featuring favorite movies paired with special menus of holiday drinks and desserts. A dollar from every $5 ticket purchased will be donated to the Round Rock Operation Blue Santa Program. Screenings are at 7:20 pm as follows: It's A Wonderful Life on Sunday; Christmas Vacation on Monday; and Gremlins on Tuesday.

If you're really in the festive mood, catch the Alamo Drafthouse Action Pack Xmas Pops Sing-Along at Alamo Drafthouse Village and Slaughter Lane tonight. The evening includes videoke with old favorites and new videos as well as trivia -- don't forget your dancing shoes. Tickets are sold out for the Thursday, December 13 event at the Alamo Ritz, but you can still buy tickets for other upcoming dates so don't delay!

Movies We've Seen

A Royal Affair -- This period piece is not the typical drama of a love affair between two people from different classes -- young queen Caroline Mathilde (Alicia Vikander) and the royal physician Johann Friedrich Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen) -- but also an intriguing history lesson into the pair's pivotal roles in introducing Denmark to the Age of Enlightenment. Abundant with brilliant performances especially by Mikkelsen and Danish actor Mikkel Boe Folsgaard as the mad King Christian VII, this tightly executed film is my personal favorite foreign film of 2012 and rightly Denmark's official submission for the Foreign Language Film category of the Academy Awards. (Regal Arbor)

Hitchcock -- Centered around the making of Psycho, this biopic sheds the spotlight not only on the master of suspense himself but also Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) uncredited formidable partner and wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren).  A refreshing and intimate portrayal strengthened by the genuine performances of Hopkins and Mirren. Rod states in his review, "In all honesty, seeing how Psycho's shower scene was shot is worth the prices of admission alone." (Arbor, Violet Crown)

Five new films open in Austin this week, but all have tepid reviews. But not to worry, film fans: For the rest of the year, terrific special screenings are piling up like presents stacked under a Christmas tree. (Or grievances aired around a Festivus pole, or whatever symbols are part of your holiday tradition, if indeed you have one, and it's fine if you don't. Whatever your holiday tradition -- or lack thereof -- the always-inclusive folks at Slackerwood wish you happiness. Or not, if you prefer unhappiness.)

There is, of course, the expected onslaught of holiday film screenings this week. The Alamo Drafthouse offers its usual eclectic mix of holiday movies, from the traditionally warm and fuzzy (It's a Wonderful Life) to the anti-sentimental (the slasher flick Black Christmas, with a live appearance by Margot Kidder) to Jette and Chip's favorite holiday tradition, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Check the Alamo Drafthouse calendar for locations and showtimes.

Looking for free entertainment? The Austin Public Library offers free film screenings throughout December. This Saturday's screenings include Up and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Arthur Christmas screens on Monday, and on Tuesday the screenings include Trollhunter and the outstanding documentary Beauty Is Embarrassing (Jette's review). Refer to the Austin Public Library site for locations and times.

The election may be over -- but the politics behind it go merrily on. Politics junkies should not miss Koch Brothers Exposed, Robert Greenwald's expose on the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, who financed the conservative super-PAC Americans for Prosperity. Presented by Progress Texas on Monday at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, the screening includes a discussion led by political experts familiar with the Koch brothers' influence on the Texas Legislature.

Climate change is a bummer, but at least it's creating excellent drive-in movie weather in late November. Check out the Road Rage Drive-In screening of Thelma & Louise (pictured above) at the Colorado Chapel Cemetery east of Austin on Saturday. Ridley Scott's classic 1991 road movie stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, and you can enjoy sandwiches from Franklin Barbecue as you watch the two bad-girl outlaws open cans of whoopass on some rather misogynistic men who deserve everything they get.

Speaking of drive-ins, Slackerwood and the Austin Film Society are presenting the Austin premiere of the Central Texas-shot indie comedy Cinema Six tonight at Blue Starlite Urban Drive-In, with filmmaker Mark Potts and actor Kevin M. Brennan in attendance. Refer to this Slackerwood article for details. Tickets are still available for individual seats (bring your own chair) and car slots.

Don't want to deal with cooking or washing dishes on Thanksgiving, or just need a break from the family for a few hours? Stop by any of the Austin Alamo Drafthouse locations for a movie accompanied by a traditional turkey dinner -- my mother never made green bean casserole and my mouth waters imagining Alamo's version of sweet potato casserole. Just select the "Turkey Dinner" option when purchasing any ticket for Thursday, November 22.

UT fans can also secure a seat at Alamo Lake Creek's broadcast of the UT-TCU game by purchasing a $5 food and beverage voucher or the turkey dinner option. Make note of the revised age policy for the game as stated on their web page --  "Children age 3 and over will be allowed at all screenings of this show. No infants however, and families with loud children will be asked to leave."

As part of the newly launched "Beautiful World Series" covering current and important global topics, the Paramount Theatre and The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation present Last Call at the Oasis (pictured at top) on Wednesday, November 28. Doors open at 6:30 pm for a pre-show lobby event that includes a wine tasting, local farmer booth, Texas Rainwater Catchment Association and Austin Eco Network information. The film, which focuses on the global water crisis, begins at 7:30 pm and is followed by a post-film panel with author Robert Glennon (Unquenchable), Andy Sansom from the Texas Water Institute, Laura Huffman from The Nature Conservancy of Texas, and Marilu Hastings of The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation.

Movies We've Seen

Red Dawn -- This re-imagining of the 1984 classic "better dead than red" film features an invasion of North Korean soldiers instead of Soviet forces. Although the modernization succeeds, the acting and direction of the young cast isn't enough to create excitement for The Wolverines -- too bad Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Brett Cullen couldn't save the day in their brief appearances in this version. Rod says in his review, "The 2012 version of Red Dawn is a hollow remake that completely misses the allegorical nature of its ancestor." (wide)

This weekend brings what may be the year's ultimate clash of cinematic titans: Steven Spielberg's Lincoln battles The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 for the hearts, minds and wallets of America's moviegoers. Which one will take home the box-office gold? I think we all know the answer. Which one will take home the critical acclaim? We all know the answer to this question, too. Which one will your teenage daughter see? Hopefully, Lincoln. (Tell her that those who do not remember the past are condemned to fail their history exams.)

If you don't know Team Edward from Team Jacob and think the Civil War is so 19th century, how about a little French New Wave? On Saturday and Sunday at the Alamo South Lamar, the Austin Film Society presents Jacques Rivette's celebrated 1974 experimental narrative, Celine and Julie Go Boating (pictured above). This surrealistic tale recounts the adventures of two women who, with the help of some magic candy, get plugged into a bizarre drama in a mysterious house. One of the seminal films of the Seventies, Celine and Julie Go Boating is regarded as Rivette's most accomplished film.

Many younger film fans have seen The Godfather, but not so many have seen it on a big screen. You haven't? Then don't miss the film's 40th anniversary screenings this Saturday and Sunday at Alamo Ritz. If any film demands to be seen in a theater, it's Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece.

And Jette has to butt in here briefly because Preston Sturges movies are being shown in Austin and she is extremely Team Preston. Alamo Drafthouse is screening 35mm prints of Sullivan's Travels, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek and (yes!) The Palm Beach Story over the next few weeks.

This week's most unusual film event no doubt is the Alamo Drafthouse Road Rage Drive-In screening of Wild at Heart on Saturday at the Colorado Chapel Cemetery east of Austin. As if David Lynch's critically acclaimed 1990 road movie about a young couple of outcasts isn't enough of a draw, the screening also features sandwiches from Franklin Barbecue.

Movies We've Seen

A Late Quartet -- In this drama structured around a Beethoven opus, members of a renowned string quartet struggle to stay together when the group's cellist receives a life-changing diagnosis. The highbrow A Late Quartet has the noblest of intentions, but it's a bore. As I said in my review, "Even the film's solid performances, occasional humor and confrontational sparks can't overcome the mostly lifeless script and sometimes plodding direction." (Arbor)

Silver Linings Playbook -- In this romantic comedy, a former teacher moves back in with his parents after a stint in a mental institution and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Enter a mysterious girl with her own problems, and things get complicated. Elizabeth really enjoyed the film, saying in her review, "Although it's a movie about a couple dealing with mental health issues, Silver Linings Playbook consistently made me laugh while growing to care for the romantic leads, Pat and Tiffany, as well as the supporting characters." (wide)

This Must Be the Place -- Sean Penn stars in this comedy as a retired rock star who searches for the man who humiliated his deceased father during WWII. Debbie's review praises the performances, but not the rest of the film: "Unfortunately, the meandering narrative makes it difficult to remain engaged in This Must Be the Place, as it's difficult to understand what this film is meant to be." (Metropolitan)