Special Screening

I saw The Dry Land during Marfa Film Festival this year -- the movie was shot partially in West Texas, so it was a very appropriate selection. I was a little hesitant at first, because it is about an Iraq War veteran, and I felt like I'd seen more than enough contemporary war movies in the past few years. But The Dry Land is a very good movie and I ended up being pleased that I'd taken the chance to see it. The performances are all first-rate.

The Dry Land writer/director Ryan Piers Williams lived in Austin for awhile, and worked for Austin Film Festival, so it seems perfect that AFF is sponsoring a special screening of the film on Tuesday, August 10 at the Texas Spirit Theater. Williams and actress/producer America Ferrera will participate in an AFF Conversation in Film after the screening.

I can't recommend this event enough -- I heard Williams and Ferrera speak about the film after seeing it at MFF (as pictured above) and they are both excellent speakers. Admission is $8 for AFF and Austin Film Society members, and $12 for everyone else.

The Houston Film Commission annually presents a collection of recent Texas-made short films that they feel are truly excellent and frankly, want to show off to Texas as well as the rest of the world. Tonight, the commission's most recent collection screens here in Austin, thanks to Austin Film Festival, which selected it for the monthly Austin Film Festival Presents series. 

Three Austin films are included in the lineup: Mnemosyne Rising, the science-fiction short from Miguel Alvarez that played SXSW this year; Love Bug, Kat Candler's film about young love that won an audience award at AFF 2009; and Never Do This, a series of shorts from Scott Rice about, well, things you should never do. You might remember Rice's very funny Script Cops bumpers for AFF 2007. You also can see short films from San Antonio, Houston and Fort Worth.

Tickets are available through Alamo Drafthouse at Lake Creek, or at the box office tonight before the screening. Admission is free if you're an AFF member, and a mere $4 for everyone else.

One of the few documentaries from Fantastic Fest 2009, Cropsey, returns to Alamo Ritz for a three-day run this month. Jenn Brown calls this real-life mystery movie a "provocative film that will make you think about guilt and innocence as well as what horrific crime really is, and how elusive facts can be."

One of the few documentaries from Fantastic Fest 2009, Cropsey, returns to Alamo Ritz for a three-day run this month. Jenn Brown calls this real-life mystery movie a "provocative film that will make you think about guilt and innocence as well as what horrific crime really is, and how elusive facts can be."

If you wish you were going to Willie Nelson's July 4 picnic this year -- well, Alamo can help you jump into a virtual time machine, at least. They're showing the 1979 documentary about Willie's picnic that includes music from not only Willie Nelson but also Waylon Jennings, Leon Russell, Ray Wylie Hubbard and others.

TV writer/producer Vernon Chatman brings Final Flesh, a collection of four of his short films, to Alamo Ritz. I can't improve on Alamo's description, so here it is:

"Chatman submitted original, surreal and uncanny scripts to adult video companies that specialize in made-to-measure movies. These companies use a stable of actors and crew to produce specialized, customized movies based on the payee's specific fetish. His scripts are highly cerebral and insane, and the four resulting short films are all riddles, hilarious and dream-like portrayals of one man's twisted sense of humor.

"The films are not really dirty, although they are explicit in many ways, but the convergence of adult technical style and madman dialogue is as thought-provoking as it is way-out."

Harmony Korine's latest film, Trash Humpers, created a lot of talk at SXSW 2010. Some people thought it was thrillingly original; some people fell asleep. Judge for yourself during this three-night revival run at Alamo Ritz.

Harmony Korine's latest film, Trash Humpers, created a lot of talk at SXSW 2010. Some people thought it was thrillingly original; some people fell asleep. Judge for yourself during this three-night revival run at Alamo Ritz.

Harmony Korine's latest film, Trash Humpers, created a lot of talk at SXSW 2010. Some people thought it was thrillingly original; some people fell asleep. Judge for yourself during this three-night revival run at Alamo Ritz.

Alamo Drafthouse is hosting a screening of the 1926 silent animated film The Adventures of Prince Achmed in a 35mm print, accompanied live with a score from local band Many Birthdays. From Alamo's description:

"Artist Lotte Reiniger painstakingly created a world in silhouette, inspired by Balinese shadow puppetry, using cardboard cutouts, animated with great skill and care. It's like being carried away by a beautiful dream as we follow Prince Achmed, mounted atop a magical flying horse, who overcomes trial after trial to defeat an evil sorceror and win the hand of a princess. ... The score will be provided by Many Birthdays, who, in their words, encompass 'dance, punk, cinema, noise, beats, words, color and texture using drums, echos, distortion and paint. Their shows are a mixture of voices, instruments, projected video, English and Japanese, chaos and construction.' Join us for an evening of music, light and magic."