Movies This Week

This week Austin moviegoers can choose from an unusually large number of new releases and special screenings offering everything from horror to slapstick. (Here's an intriguing mashup idea: The Cabin in the Woods and The Three Stooges.)

If the nine new releases simply won't do -- and if so, perhaps you're being a bit too picky -- the Austin Film Society is screening The Trap on Tuesday at the Alamo Lamar. This Serbian drama is the story of a father caught in a moral quandary: To afford life-saving heart surgery for his son, he must commit a terrible crime. The screening is part of the AFS Essential Cinema "Seefest Austin: Films of Southeast Europe" series.

My special screening pick of the week will surprise no one: the Blazing Saddles (pictured above -- and I swear this is the only available photo) Quote-Along on Thursday evening in Republic Park. What's better than Blazing Saddles? Blazing Saddles with beer ... and pie! This Alamo Drafthouse Off-Centered Film Fest event features a wide array of Central Texas craft beers, and the brewers will be on hand to tell you about their tasty beverages. The pies, alas, are not for eating -- but you can throw them at the brewers to raise funds for the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. I cannot imagine a more refined cinematic event. And remember: It's Hedley Lamarr.

Movies We've Seen

Blue Like Jazz -- In this fish-out-of water comedy, a Southern Baptist college student from Texas expands his horizons at a liberal campus in Oregon. J.C. reviewed the film at this year's SXSW festival, saying Blue Like Jazz is "filled with incredibly funny and really heartfelt moments that make it the kind of film anyone can really enjoy." (Gateway, Tinseltown North)

Bully -- I'm less impressed than many critics with this much-hyped documentary about bullying. As I said in my review, "Bully is very effective at generating great sympathy for its subjects; we certainly feel the kids' pain and share the grief of parents whose children were driven to suicide. What the film lacks, however, is any real journalistic depth." (Alamo Lamar, Arbor, Barton Creek)

The Cabin in the Woods -- Despite this horror film's seemingly tired concept (five friends get more than they bargained for while staying at the titular cabin), critics are raving about it. Based on his review, Rod is raving also: "This horror movie has the power to change your worldview of what a horror movie is and should be -- The Cabin in the Woods is a genre game-changer." (wide)

Footnote -- This Israeli import follows a father and son who are rival professors in Talmudic Studies. Debbie is impressed, saying in her review that she "found this film to be rather engaging -- I thoroughly embraced the humor and never felt isolated from the story or its characters." (Arbor, Violet Crown)

The Austin Film Society begins a new Essential Cinema series Tuesday, featuring films from South East Europe. This year AFS welcomes Vera Mijojlic, director of the annual South East European Film Festival of Los Angeles (SEEFest) as curator of SEEFest: Austin. Her knowledge and experience of this multi-ethnic melting pot fuels her ability to educate and promote cultural diversity amongst film audiences. This year six films return along with one "TBA mystery film."

The first film in this series, Fuse (Gori Vatra) screens on Tuesday, April 10 at 7 pm at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. General admission tickets are $8 and AFS members pay just $5. Fuse is a satire that focuses on the tension in a rural town when U.S. President Bill Clinton is set to visit to witness the results of the peace accords. Bosnians and Serbs must be able to work together to convince the President as well as one another that they can truly live in peace.

Movies We've Seen:

Boy -- This bittersweet comedy is a timeless and often imaginative while brutally honest tale of a young boy desperate for a father. I highly recommend seeing this film -- read my review for details. (Regal Arbor)

Undefeated -- Elizabeth says in her review that she "started Undefeated as a skeptic, but as the film progressed, the story of these four guys and their football program drew me in. I don't watch many sports movies, but Undefeated is definitely one of the best I've seen." (Regal Arbor)

Austin offers the usual eclectic mix of options for filmgoers this week. If the half-dozen new film openings don't interest you, check out the The Reconstruction of Asa Carter, which screens on Wednesday at the Violet Crown Cinema. This documentary tells the story of the notorious white supremacist Carter, who authored the critically acclaimed The Education of Little Tree, a "true story" (actually, a complete fabrication) about a Native American child. The event includes a reception and Q&A with filmmakers Douglas Newman and Laura Browder.

If you're looking for something lighter, try the Algerian comedy Masquerades. The story of an Algerian gardener who dreams of improving his family's fortune by marrying off his narcoleptic sister to a wealthy "real gentleman," Masquerades screens on Tuesday at the Alamo Drafthouse on Lamar as part of the Austin Film Society's Essential Cinema series "Children of Abraham/Ibrahim 6: Films of the Middle East and Beyond."

If you share my taste in cinematic guilty pleasures, your week will be incomplete if you miss the Alamo Drafthouse's Cinema Club exploitation double feature of Ed Wood's The Violent Years and James Landis's The Sadist at the Alamo Ritz on Sunday. Exploitation film expert Johnny Legend will be on hand to discuss the finer points of the genre.

Movies We've Seen

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen -- Lasse Hallström directs this romance set in the Republic of Yemen. J.C. says in his review that "the performances from the main three leads carry the film beautifully ... This is the kind of movie you remember after you watch it, and chances are you'll remember it fondly." (Alamo Slaughter, Arbor, Violet Crown)

The Raid: Redemption -- Based on Rod's review of this much-anticipated Indonesian action film, I suspect he's a fan: "Every year there are films that receive a lot of hype. Sometimes these films live up to the hype and sometimes they disappoint. I recently saw one of these highly hyped films, The Raid: Redemption, and let me say it right now this movie lives up every bit of the hype." (Alamo Lamar, Violet Crown)

It's time to stop recuperating from SXSW and venture back into the world of Austin moviegoing. Fortunately, plenty of options are available. The Austin Jewish Film Festival starts tomorrow night -- read Chale's preview for details. And one of my favorite movies is screening at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz this week: catch Harold and Maude nightly Saturday through Tuesday. Or you could head over to the Blue Starlite Drive-In on Saturday night for a double feature of Back to the Future and The Goonies.

This is also a good week for indie film-watching. Boston-to-Austin filmmaker Andrew Bujalski will be at Alamo Ritz on Sunday night for a 10th anniversary screening of his film Funny Ha Ha. And on Tuesday night, the Texas Independent Film Network hosts a "beer and bbq" documentary double-feature at Violet Crown Cinema: Chris Elley's Barbecue: A Texas Love Story (narrated by Ann Richards) and Mike Woolf's Something's Brewin' in Shiner. You could walk right over to Lambert's afterward ...

Movies We've Seen:

Being Flynn -- Rod says in his review that this movie starring Robert De Niro and Paul Dano "shines a light on many facets of the human condition: the relationship between fathers and sons, the problem of self-medication in the form of substance abuse, and finally how quickly you can go from being fully employed with a roof over your head to sleeping on a park bench." (Arbor)

The Hunger Games -- Mike, take it away: "Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson run an all-star cast through the gauntlet in Gary Ross' adaptation of the Suzanne Collins young-adult novel The Hunger Games. Fans of the series will enjoy this vivid if somewhat bland adventure. Those new to the story may be left scratching their heads wondering why many characters do what they do, as Ross foregoes any peripheral character-building." Look for his review on Saturday. (wide)

Sound of Noise (pictured at top) -- The Fantastic Fest 2010 award winner returns to Austin for a weeklong run. Mike says in his review that it's "fun, but not GREAT fun." Mike is wrong. (Sorry, dude.) This noir-ish comedy about "musical terrorism" is great fun and I encourage everyone to see it. (Alamo Ritz, Alamo Slaughter)

It's a great weekend for free films with your kids. The Family Movies series at the Southeast Austin Community Branch of Austin Public Library is showing Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules at 1 pm Saturday. Alamo Kids Camp at the Slaughter Lane location has free screenings on Satruday and Sunday of the classic Wizard of Oz and my favorite 2010 animated film, How to Train Your Dragon. What better reason to take your kids to the movies?

Alamo Drafthouse also has a special run of the 2000 film Battle Royale at Lake Creek and Slaughter. In addition, remember that Village and Slaughter are satellite venues for SXSW through Saturday night, and nearly all screenings have had room if you want to buy tickets. No excuse to miss checking out the new Slaughter venue.

Movies We've Seen:

21 Jump Street -- The trailers for the reboot of the popular TV series look terrible, but I've heard they're nothing like the movie. "Channing Tatum is easily the most fantastic part of the film," J.C. says in his review, which will run this weekend. (wide)

Casa De Mi Padre (pictured at top) -- Not so much a Will Ferrell helmer as a send-up of pulp Mexican cinema. Many recognizable faces including Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna and Efren Ramirez. Debbie says in her review that it's "mildly amusing, but not entertaining enough to recommend that you rush out to see it at theaters." (wide)

I was all set to tell you to get out of town and see the benefit screening of Dirt! The Movie out in Wimberley, but it's postponed due to much needed rain. So make plans to see it April; wel'll let you know when it's rescheduled. In the meantime, can I interest you in five free movie opportunities? 

Alamo Slaughterhouse is kicking off it's first Kids Camp with The Wizard of Oz. Austin Public Library has four free movies this week: Tuesday you have to choose between Cars 2 at Family Movie Night at Twin Oaks Branch, or Drive at Weeknight Cinema at Milwood Branch. On Thursday, it's Pick Your Flick night at Ruiz Branch, or the Based on Books Movie Series, which is showing Moneyball at Yarborough Branch. And that other film thing is going on this week. You know. SXSW. There are a number of free movies and events if you don't have a badge or pass.

Movies We've Seen:

John Carter -- Andrew Stanton does Edgar Rice Burroughs. with Taylor Kitsch as the title character (of the adaptation, not the source material A Princess of Mars). Mike says it's "a master-class creation" with only one fault: a weak score. Look for his review this weekend. (wide)

Friends with Kids (pictured at top) -- Jennifer Westfeldt's first script was self-consciously charming -- her latest is more self-consciously awkward, as she stars as a woman who chooses to have a baby with her best friend while leaving romance out of the equation. Read my review for more.

We've a week to go before SXSW starts and there's plenty to do in Austin right now. To start, there are two (!) Rolling Roadshows on Saturday, the first of which puts the rolling in roadshow, because to enjoy Pee Wee's Big Adventure you must cycle from Alamo Drafthouse on Slaughter Lane to the Veloway. The other, well, the Funky Chicken Coop Tour is bringing the doc Mad City Chickens to Callahan’s General Store in Bastrop. On Tuesday, the KLRU co-sponsored Community Cinema Series at the APL Windsor Park Branch is showing Revenge Of The Electric Car. This free series features light refreshments and post-film discussions with relevant organizations.

All this week, Violet Crown has added special screenings of Oscar-winning films to its schedule, including Beginners and Tree of Life; check their website for times.  And as Alamo Drafthouse on Slaughter Lane prepares to officially open, it's training up all its staff, which unsurprisingly involves screenings. Many are sold out, but check out the schedule to see if you can be one of the first to test drive the newest Austin cinema.

Finally, to prepare for Meat Loaf being honored at the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards next Thursday night, Austin Film Society is showing the 1980 movie Roadie, partially shot in Austin, on Monday night at Alamo South Lamar. Margaret Moser and Sonny Carl Davis will be hosting the screening.

Movies We've Seen:

Crazy Horse -- Prolific filmmaker Frederick Wiseman (Boxing Gym, Titicut Follies) explores burlesque at the landmark Le Crazy Horse de Paris, a venue that makes a distinction between erotic dancing and strip clubs.  Elizabeth saw it and says, "Crazy Horse truly is a unique vision of form and movement."  Read her review for more. (Violet Crown)

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax -- The filmmakers certainly have the animation feature creds to take on Dr. Seuss, but does it live up to sly charm of Seussian wordplay (especially since the trailers don't)? Chris says it's delightful and "the best of the modern Dr. Seuss movies yet." Read his review for details. (wide)

Normally we focus on Austin theaters for Movies This Week, but we're more than willing to go a little north of town to Pflugerville for Cinemark's Best Shorts Festival 2012, for three screenings only up at Tinseltown 20. On Monday, the Texas Film Hall of Fame presents No Country for Old Men at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar -- the cast includes Barry Corbin, who will be honored at the award ceremony next month.

Wednesday you have three (count 'em!) very different cinematic experiences to choose from. Cine Las Americas is hosting a benefit sneak preview of Oscar-nominated Chico & Rita, a contender for Best Animated Feature, at the Metropolitan. AFS Best of the Fests screens SXSW 2011 selection Better This World at Alamo Village with special guests David McKay and Bradley Crowder, the two young men from Midland, Texas who were arrested on terrorism charges at the 2008 Republican National Convention.  And the Paramount Pub Run series is screening Back to the Future if you're looking for something less provocative; you don't have to participate in the pub run part, but that ticket includes beer and other goodies. Decisions, decisions.

Movies We've Seen:

Comin' At Ya! -- This restored 1981 film may not be for everyone, but apparently is the ultimate 3D experience.  Me, I'm intrigued by the fact that one of its stars is Victoria Abril, who costarred with Penelope Cruz in Don't Tempt Me in 2001. Jette saw it at Fantastic Fest and says, "The 3D effects are wonderfully cheesy and eye-popping ... I wish the story had been more engaging. Worth it for the goofy 3D factor."  (Alamo Lamar, Village, Lake Creek)

Rampart -- If you're a fan of dirty cop movies, or Woody Harrelson, this is the film for you. Think The Shield, but less so.  On the other hand, Mike says it "attempts to do with the LAPD what The Wrestler did with wrestling, only poorly. This is not a happy story, and unfortunately it's also not dramatic, funny, gripping, engaging, or even vaguely interesting. Only a week later, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance has competition for worst film I've seen this year." Full details in his review this weekend. (Alamo Lamar, Tinseltown 17)

Wanderlust -- David Wain's latest features Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston as a down-on-their-luck couple who end up at a commune and not a B&B as they travel cross country. Look for J.C.'s review this weekend. He says, "There's a lot for fans of David Wain fans to like in Wanderlust, general audiences might be in for a bit of a surprise though." (wide)

The Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards is gearing up with a special screening of Infamous on Monday night at Alamo Drafthouse Lamar. It's directed by Douglas McGrath, one of this year's Hall of Fame honorees. If you haven't seen this movie because you saw the "other" Capote movie, check it out. Toby Jones is fantastic as Truman Capote, and Sandra Bullock isn't bad herself.

Did you miss Slacker 2011? Texas Independent Film Network is screening the film (Don's review) at Violet Crown on Tuesday. In addition, the provocative documentary Incendiary: The Willingham Case (Jenn's review) is having a DVD release party and special screening with filmmakers Joe Bailey Jr. and Steve Mims, on Wednesday at Violet Crown -- buy a ticket to the screening and get a discount on the DVD as well as a movie poster. A reception for the movie starts at 6 pm and the movie screens at 7 pm.

Bullhead -- This Belgian nominee for a Best Foreign Film Oscar has already had several local screenings -- Drafthouse Films is its distributor -- but now the Fantastic Fest fave is officially in limited release in Austin, LA and NY, and expanding next week. Don says Bullhead is "extraordinarily intense, a gripping and often unpleasant tale of organized crime." Read Don's review and Debbie's Fantastic Fest review for more.  (Alamo Lamar, Alamo Village, Alamo Lake Creek)

Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance -- Nicolas Cage is back as Johnny Blaze. Do I really need to explain the motorcycle or the fiery whip? Mike saw the movie at Butt-Numb-a-Thon and says, "Nicolas Cage turns his insanity up to 11 in the sequel to Ghost Rider, a string of over-the-top action sequences by the makers of Crank 2 with no recognizable story connecting them together. This is in the running for my worst movie of the year." (wide)

This Means War -- A "spy versus spy" rom-com couldn't get a better cast with Tom Hardy and Chris Pine as best friends battling for the heart of Reese Witherspoon. Mike says in his review, "Some of the dialogue is quite witty... this was a fun escape from reality for a couple of hours. Not too serious, not too silly." (wide)

On Saturday night, Blue Starlite is screening a Woody Allen double feature: Annie Hall and Sleeper. Next week, the Big Screen Classics series at the Alamo Drafthouse is pulling out the stops with what's considered one of the most romantic classic movies ever -- Gone with the Wind. You can catch it Monday through Thursday up at Alamo Village.

If you're looking for something a little different, then head over to the Alamo Ritz on Monday for a special screening of Best in Show complete with all-you-can-eat hot dogs. APL's Weeknight Cinema series is playing A.I. Artificial Intelligence at Milwood Branch on Tuesday if you're looking for something a little less romantic. Or you could trek out to Round Rock, where Flix Brewhouse has picked two "romantic" (with the air quotes) movies to show on Feb. 14: War of the Roses and True Romance.

Movies We've Seen:

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island -- It's telling that the big-name star of the first film didn't sign on for this sequel. Mike braved the film and says it's "a story so inept it appears to have been written by members of its target 13-year-old audience." Read his review for more.  (wide)

Pina -- Wim Wenders' 3D documentary of choreographer Pina Bausch, whose work was so influential she inspired Pedro Almodóvar to make Talk to Her. Don says in his review that the film gave him "a newfound appreciation and understanding of modern dance." (Violet Crown)