Austin360 blogs > Austin Movie Blog > Archives > 2009 > January
January 2009
Bujalski’s latest plays Berlin, then Austin
Austin filmmaker Andrew Bujalski — the most gifted and humble figure in the so-called and ill-named “mumblecore” movement (“Funny Ha Ha,” “Mutual Appreciation”) — shot his third uber-indie movie in Austin in the blistering summer of 2007. It didn’t have a title at the time of its creation. Now it does: “Beeswax.”
And it’s finally ready for the big screen. “Beeswax” has its world premiere in February at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival, following that with its U.S. premiere in March at SXSW.
Here’s the description of the film, which was shot on location in town: “Beeswax” revolves primarily around a pair of identical twin sisters — Jeannie, who has been paraplegic since youth and gets around in a wheelchair, and Lauren — “same face, different bodies.” Bujalski wrote the lead parts for real life twin sisters Tilly and Maggie Hatcher, envisioning their particular charisma and how he might transpose that to the screen. … “It’s something like a legal thriller for anyone who finds ‘legal thriller’ to be an oxymoron,” says Bujalski. “‘Beeswax’ is also a story about families, real and imagined, people taking care of each other when they want to, when they need to, when they ought to.”
Read our 2007 interview with Bujalski, days after he wrapped “Beeswax,” HERE.
More about the movie HERE.
‘Beeswax’
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Miyazaki festival at local book house
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Script reading and so much more
A reading of “From Here to Nowhere” — an original script about the powerful effect of Hurricane Katrina on a personal level by filmmaker and UT lecturer Ya’Ke Smith — happens at 7 p.m. Feb. 8 at Cap City Comedy Club as part of the Austin Film Festival’s Conversations in Film series. It’s free and open to all.
Smith’s work has been nominated for a Student Academy Award and aired on HBO, Showtime and BET. More about Smith HERE.
World renown music producer David Franco has joined the local production of the biographical drama “Castro’s Daughter.” He will supervise the music, package and produce the soundtrack, say producers.
Franco has worked as Director of International Production at labels such as RCA, Columbia and Warner-Elektra-Atlantic Records and has worked on over 150 Feature films and TV movies.
More about “Castro’s Daughter” HERE.
Another low-budget feature film is shooting in Austin. Amazing!
This one’s a crime comedy called “Proper Villains” and it began shooting Jan. 5, with plans to wrap March 1.
LGM Productions is producing and William J. Orendorff is the writer, director and co-star. It also stars Spencer Gibb, Cilton J. Beard III and Chelsea Roach.
It’s back and we’re glad. The sixth annual Scandinavian Film Fest will run from 1:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Bullock Museum’s Spirit of Texas Theater.
A centerpiece film is Sweden’s “You, the Living,” which was nominated for best foreign language film at the 2008 Academy Awards.
All you need HERE.
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Really? I mean, REALLY?
So this is what America wants to see: “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” was number one at the box office for the second weekend in a row. It’s actually “overperformed,” writes Variety.
And some of us wonder why so many movies are so bad. Viewers have voted and crap wins. Expect more of the same.
Some critics, like the esteemed Ben Lyons, actually liked “Mall Cop,” though it only earned a 27% rating at Rotten Tomatoes (see HERE).
Kill. Me. Now.
The Texas Motion Picture Association is rallying the troops for its Lobby Day at 8 a.m. March 4 on the steps of the Capitol.
Say they: “Teams of film-friendly bigwigs will take meetings with our state legislators, convincing them of the importance of having a competitive film incentive program in Texas.”
And they invite y’all: “While they are inside, let’s gather on the steps of the Capitol to voice our support as well! We want to show our lawmakers how plentiful and vocal we are! In addition to writing letters and attending meetings in support of the bill, physically showing up on their doorstep will have a huge impact!”
Sign up HERE.
And UT alum Robert Rodriguez will be the speaker at the 126th Spring Commencement at UT on May 23 on the Main Mall. Pretty cool, no?
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‘Zombie Girl’ scores at Slamdance
Austin-made documentary “Zombie Girl” knocked ‘em out at the Slamdance Film Festival this week, nabbing the coveted Spirit of Slamdance Award alongside a film titled “Vapid Lovelies.” (In other words, they tied.)
Directed by current and former Austinites Aaron Marshall, Erik Mauck and Justin Johnson, “Zombie Girl” chronicles 12-year-old Austin filmmaker Emily Hagins as she shoots her debut feature, the shoe-string zombie thriller “Pathogen.”
The prize is “awarded by the Class of 2009 filmmakers to the film teams that best exhibit passion and talent, commitment to the independent community, and enthusiastically embrace all Slamdance has to offer,” say organizers. Winners get a Michael Collins Gift Basket. We don’t know what that is, but it must be good.
Read our interview with the filmmakers and Emily HERE.
Emily Hagins, the subject of ‘Zombie Girl’ (photo by Brian K. Diggs, American-Statesman)
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AGLIFF’s new prez
The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival has a new president. He’s Calvin Williams, described as a long-time supporter and board member of AGLIFF. Williams replaces outgoing three-term president Alisa Weldon.
His mini-bio, courtesy of AGLIFF: Calvin, a fan of gay films since he saw two men kiss in “Making Love” when he was 17, has avidly supported aGLIFF as a festival participant since 1989 and jumped headfirst onto the board only one week before the 2006 festival. He is thrilled to channel his experience as an educator and administrator into his role as President of an organization that brings the LGBTQI community together through film.
Read more HERE.
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Austin’s Oscar connection
One of the movies nominated this morning for the best documentary Oscar is “Trouble the Water,” a raw portrait of survival during Hurricane Katrina that was shot by Austin cinematographer and filmmaker PJ Raval. The movie took top honors at the Sundance Film Festival last year and is also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
So mighty congrats to our home boy.
More about PJ and the movie HERE.
Mr. Raval
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Director
Big surprises in the director nominees: No Clint Eastwood, no Nolan for “The Dark Knight.” Wow.
Here are the nominees:
David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”; Gus Van Sant, “Milk”; Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”; Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Fincher, Van Sant and Boyle should be the leading contenders here. All are deserving, and a win by any one of these would be hunky-dory in my book.
I can’t say the same for Howard and Daldry. Both are good directors, but neither movie is an overall success in my book. “Frost/Nixon” has fine performances, but I can’t see any Oscar-worthy nomination for direction. And “The Reader” is not a fine movie. So I don’t get that one at all. Obviously, the Academy disagrees.
Charlie Kaufman should have been in this group for “Synecdoche.” Mike Leigh should also have been included for “Happy-Go-Lucky.”
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Supporting actress
And the nominess for supporting actress are:
Amy Adams, “Doubt”; Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”; Viola Davis, “Doubt”; Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler.”
All of these women are deserving, and the Academy made good choices in this category.
Adams and Davis will probably split the voters who support “Doubt.” So both face an uphill battle in winning.
Henson was the heart of “Curious Case,” and I wouldn’t mind seeing her win the prize. Shortly before filming the movie, she lost her father. And her husband died earlier, so she knows about loss and brought a lot of emotion to the role. She gets the sympathy vote.
Cruz, however, is such a professional that a victory by her wouldn’t be unwarranted. In Cannes this year, she was a trooper for “Vicky Cristina,” staying out late to promote the film and getting up extremely early to chat about it with critics. And with only a few hours’ sleep, she still looked drop-dead gorgeous, sitting down in a perky white Chanel. Her conduct was in stark contrast with that of Scarlett Johansson, her co-star, who didn’t even show up for Cannes because the studio wouldn’t pay for her demands for accommodations for a huge entourage.
Then there’s Marisa Tomei for “The Wrestler.” She has won before, for “My Cousin Vinny,” and many critics thought she wasn’t deserving. But she proves them wrong with her performance in “The Wrestler.” She plays a stripper on her last legs, and the role requires a lot of nudity — a brave movie for a 40-year-old. She’s a gutsy gal, and a victory by her wouldn’t be surprising either.
This one is a good race.
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Supporting actor
This category is probably the most fun of all:
Here are the nominees: Josh Brolin, “Milk”; Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”; Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”; Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road.”
It’s probably a sure bet that Ledger will win this category for his performance as the Joker. But the others are deserving.
Two surprises: Downey and Shannon. I was rooting for both, but didn’t think they’d make it. “Tropic Thunder” isn’t an Oscar-type movie, so I thought it would be a long shot for Downey to be nominated. But he really was hilarious. Then again, comic performances rarely get an Oscar nod.
And Shannon was stunning in “Revolutionary Road.” He had only a few minutes on screen, but he blew away DiCaprio and Winslet.
I’m happy to see Hoffman get a nomination for “Doubt,” especially since “Synecdoche,” his other big role of the year, was snubbed by the Academy.
And Brolin is one of the most underrated actors ever. He’s also one of the easiest to interview. And that’s a big plus in my book.
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Best actress
This nominees for best actress qualify as one of the biggest horrors in Oscar history.
The nominees: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”; Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”; Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”; Meryl Streep, “Doubt”; Kate Winslet, “The Reader.”
Why so horrible? Well, where on earth is Sally Hawkins in “Happy-Go-Lucky”? She embodied the role in one of the finest performances of the year, by man or woman. The movie would have been lost without her. It’s crazy to leave her out of the bunch. All I can think of is that the Oscar folks are so insular that they can’t bring themselves to nominate an unfamiliar Brit here. Good grief.
As for those who did get nominated: Kate Winslet in “The Reader”? Ugh, ugh, ugh. She won a supporting actress Golden Globe for this role, and now gets a best actress nomination in the Oscars? Plus, the movie was questionable.
Then there’s Angelina Jolie in “Changeling.” The role was absolute Oscar bait, and Jolie is popular. But the movie itself was lacking, and Jolie’s performance sometimes veered on being overwrought.
Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep should be the leading contenders here, and I’m rooting for Hathaway. She was great in “Rachel Getting Married,” and Streep has so many awards that she could retire in peace. But then again, Streep is always deserving. She’s probably the best overall movie actress alive today.
Then there was the big surprise, Melissa Leo for “Frozen River.” It’s nice to see the Academy honor this little movie, and it’s also nice to see Leo get recognition. Ever since the 1980s, she has been toiling away in small movies and small roles, starting with the ABC soap “All My Children.” She’s pulled down stints in lots of regular TV shows as a guest actress, and she has paid her dues. So this nomination mitigates the horror.
It’s surprising, however, that Cate Blanchett didn’t get nominated for “Curious Case.” She’s an Oscar favorite, and she’s the top rival to Streep when it comes to overall acting chops.
And I’m glad that Winslet was snubbed for “Revolutionary Road.” She’s a fine actress, so I have nothing against her. But I do have something against the movie. It’s a poor imitation of “Mad Men.”
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Best actor nominees
For best actor, the Oscar nominees are:
Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”; Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”; Sean Penn, “Milk”; Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler.”
This category was a pleasant surprise, mainly because Richard Jenkins was wonderful in “The Visitor,” but the little movie got very little attention in the days leading up to the nominations.
Jenkins plays a lonely man who comes back to his New York apartment after a lengthy absence, only to find a young couple living there. He decides to let them stay, and a bond emerges than gives Jenkins new life. The performance was understated and beautiful.
He has no chance to win, of course. The two big contenders should be Sean Penn in “Milk” and Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler.” Both were excellent and are deserving nominees.
Frank Langella also was eerily reminiscent of the creepiness of Richard Nixon. So he has a shot.
But a win by Brad Pitt in a “Curious Case” would be almost as big of a surprise as a victory by Jenkins. Pitt was fine, of course. But the role wasn’t nearly showy enough for Oscar tastes.
My pick: either Penn or Rourke. I’m secretly rooting for the incredibly messed-up Rourke, mainly because he gives messed-up people hope.
As for the snubs, many will be surprised that Clint Eastwood didn’t get a nom for “Gran Torino.” The Oscar folks love Clint. But we’ve seen his cranky old-man routine before, so it wasn’t a big stretch.
Others will bemoan the absence of Leonardo DiCaprio for “Revolutionary Road.” I’m not one of those people. Again, ugh.
And, of course, I’m irritated by the absence of Philip Seymour Hoffman for “Synecdoche, New York.” I know many people didn’t like the movie, but it would be nice if the Oscar folks could at least appreciate the performance. Sigh.
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Best pic nominees
The dubious honors known as Oscar nominations were announced this morning, and I’ll be blogging about the main categories to get the conversation going. As usual, the Academy tended to honor a questionable group of movies.
First up: the biggie: best picture:
The nominees: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”
I have no problem with “Milk,” “Curious Case” and “Slumdog.” All three are fine movies. Even “Frost/Nixon” is okay with me. But “The Reader”? Ugh.
Much better choices were available, including “Synecdoche, New York,” “The Dark Knight,” even “Gran Torino,” which was getting good buzz in Hollywood trade publications in advance of the nominations.
The Academy often snubs experimental movies, so the absence of “Synecdoche” shouldn’t be a big surprise. But it still irks.
Many critics also will be surprised to see the snub of “The Dark Night.” After all, it was one of the biggest moneymakers of 2008, and the Academy loves success. But it was a summer release, and the Academy tends to forget about such movies.
Then there was the Hollywood provincialism. The notion that “The Class,” which won the Palme d’Or in Cannes, isn’t one of the top movies is ridiculous. So is the oversight of the British production “Happy-Go-Lucky.” And the oversight of Sally Hawkins’ performance in that fine film is horrible. But more about that later.
On to best actor…
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Back in (Shane) Black
Once branded Hollywood’s screenwriting wunderkind du jour, Shane Black has enjoyed — and suffered — a tumultuous career in the trenches, from hero (“Lethal Weapon”) to chump (“The Last Boy Scout”).
But he beautifully boomed back with smarts and style with 2005’s biting noir comedy “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” starring Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, which he will screen and discuss at 7 p.m. Jan 29 at the Alamo Lake Creek (13729 Research Blvd.).
The writer-director appears as part of the Austin Film Festival’s Conversations in Film. Black has been a regular panelist at the fest for at least a decade.
Tickets are $12 general, $10 for AFF members, and available HERE.
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More Austin-related news out of Sundance
This blip from Variety tip-toed across our radar. It has to do with IFC Films, South by Southwest and aspiring filmmaker Joe Swanberg. We serve it up whole here (but we’ve corrected the spelling of Swanberg’s surname, which Variety mauled):
IFC Films and the SXSW Film Conference and Festival will simultaneously world preem Joe Swanberg’s “Alexander the Last” on March 14 at the fest and on the channel’s “Festival Direct” VOD platform.
Produced by Noah Baumbach [say what? — Ed.], pic explores the highs and lows of a young marriage.
Steven Soderbergh, who’s pic “Che” will be released on Wednesday via VOD, joined IFC prexy Jonathan Sehring, SXSW Film producer Janet Pierson, and Swanberg to announce the partnership Monday at the Sundance Film Festival.
Soderbergh explained that since theater chains have locked out movies like “Che,” VOD becomes a natural option. He also stressed that filmmakers have to give up the idea of a purely theatrical release and “change their thinking in the way they expect revenue to be generated.”
“It’s our job to connect talent with audiences,” said SXSW’s Pierson. “Conversations are getting louder about how festivals can and should aggressively help filmmakers.”
“It’s a smarter way to make the release an event,” added Swanberg. “Better than just sitting in a theater, waiting on people to come.”
Swanberg’s previous film, “Nights and Weekends,” also went out on IFC’s VOD after a theatrical run. “More people saw it on VOD than ever saw it in the theater,” he explained.
Other upcoming SXSW films are also involved in the deal. Javor Gardev’s neo-noir “Zift” and Matthew Newton’s dark comedy “Three Blind Mice” will have their simul-preem on the channel and fest. And in a fest rewind, IFC will offer the 2008 SXSW pics “Medicine for Melancholy” and “Paper Covers Rock.”
Sehring said they will look to expand the program to other festivals, “It’s a natural leap for us.”
“At a time when the U.S. marketplace for truly American independent and foreign films is rapidly changing, and many films are having difficulty getting exposure, IFC Films has created opportunities for a wide range of films to find an audience,” said Sehring.
While IFC was guarded about the actual numbers, Sehring said 250 VOD transactions equals $1.8 million. “It’s been a big success,” he said.
- Even more Sundance/Austin-ties news:
Magnolia Pictures has spent mid-six figures for worldwide rights to Lynn Shelton’s “Humpday,” a lo-fi buddy comedy that attracted six offers and a protracted bidding war.
Film stars former Austinite and UT alum Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard as two straight best friends who decide to film themselves having sex for an art project. Pic preemed Friday in the Sundance Film Festival’s competition section.
An unorthodox release plan will see Magnolia launch the pic on VOD before an August theatrical opening, much like their release of the crime pic “Flawless” starring Demi Moore.
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Austin Studios’ big, big bash!
We like it when the flyer says it all:
Tickets and more HERE
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Interview with Adam Rifkin: ‘Stoned Age’
A couple years ago, writer-director Adam Rifkin (“Detroit Rock City”) shot the crude low-brow comedy “Homo Erectus” in Austin with the University of Texas Film Institute and the now-defunct Burnt Orange Productions.
Starring Rifkin, Ali Larter, David Carradine, Tom Arnold and many Austin extras, the movie employed Hollywood pros, assisted by about 50 UT students, who earned class credit as part of the film institute model. Its budget was in the “single-digit millions,” Rifkin says.
“Homo Erectus” played the Slamdance Film Festival in 2007 and was picked up by National Lampoon, which then sat on the film for almost two years. It played — and died — a tiny run. And now, renamed “Stoned Age,” it arrives on DVD today.
We interviewed Rifkin what feels like eons ago, when the film was still titled “Homo Erectus.” It went like this:
How did you get to UT and Burnt Orange?
It was actually the only place we submitted the script to. And they went for it. Brad Weiman, one of the producers, and I were trying to get another project off the ground with a major star in the lead. That star became unavailable and the movie fell through. Brad made a joke, “Why don’t you become a big star and just attach yourself to our movies so it’s easier to get them made.” And I told him not to tempt me because I’d write a script for myself to star in. But if I did, he’d have to find us funding. He said, “Of course.” So I wrote “Homo Erectus,” handed it to him, and he said, “Yeah, right. Who’s going to finance a movie starring you?” On a lark, he and my manager submitted it to Burnt Orange, because my manager went to UT and knew about it. And they said yes.
Were you nervous about having to carry the movie as the lead?
Yes. I’ve never pursued acting. I’ve hammed it up here and there in small roles. That said, my idols are Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and these guys always wrote, directed and starred in their movies. I always had fantasies about pursuing that kind of career. But, yeah, I was terrified taking the lead in my film. Still, we were working so fast and hard — it was a very ambitious shoot, because it was a small film that we wanted to look like a big film — that I didn’t really have time to stay nervous. I just had too much to do.
Did you come with any reservations about using unpaid students on your crew?
No, I thought that was kind of cool. Now, if they had said you had to have a film student as your cinematographer I would have said no way. In the key positions we had to have seasoned professionals, especially when working fast. … Just like on any movie, some people work really hard and some people slack off and get fired. It’s weird firing someone who’s working for free, but every once in a while you have to do it. It’s no different than any movie I’ve ever made.
And it looks like you employed lots of local extras, like the (barely clad) Amazonian tribe women.
Yeah, they were all local. We recruited some from the Austin roller derby league. We had great local talent and character actors for small roles and background.
Your debt to Woody Allen’s “Love and Death” in the movie is palpable. I noted whole scenes and lines of dialogue taken from Woody’s film.
I’m so glad you brought that up. “Love and Death” is one of my favorite Woody Allen films. It was, without question, the number one influence on the film. I totally stole lines. I totally took “Love and Death” and twisted it into a caveman movie. I’m so glad you recoginzed that. Thank you.
How exciting is it that National Lampoon bought the movie?
It’s awesome. They saw it at Slamdance (in 2007) and picked it up. Their brand is an internationally recognized stamp of top comedy. So having their logo on this movie puts it in a pantheon of other classic comedies.
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Austin doc praised at Sundance
Variety has reviewed the documentary “Over the Hills And Far Away,” by Austin filmmakers Michel O. Scott and Rupert Isaacson, at Sundance this week, and the trade mag likes it.
The film will play South by Southwest in March.
We’ve provided the review, which happens to be written by Variety staffer Peter DeBruge, a UT alum who wrote movie reviews for The Daily Texan in the late ’90s.
When Western medicine fails to cure 5-year-old Rowan Isaacson’s autism, his parents travel halfway across the world to seek assistance from Mongolian shamans in “Over the Hills and Far Away.” Narrated by journalist father Rupert (whose companion book, “The Horse Boy,” will be published in April), this compelling docu presents its story via multiple access points: the subject of autism, the notion of alternative healing and the simple travelogue appeal of an excursion to remote, untamed Mongolia. Pic has the nerve to be spiritual without entering the minefield of faith, and through careful handling, could resonate strongly with underserved auds.
Enlisted to document the Isaacsons’ highly unusual trip, director Michel Orion Scott has the good sense not to suggest their extreme solution will work for others. No typical family would deal with autism in such a way, though even before Rowan was diagnosed, the Isaacsons’ life was far from normal: Rupert and his wife Kristin Neff met in India. She works as a psychology professor; he champions the rights of bushmen in Botswana.
Their son’s birth grounded their world-traveling ways, while the autism itself demanded even more of their attention: Rowan withdrew around others, refused to be toilet trained and suffered painful, extended fits. His only comfort seemed to be an uncanny connection with animals, so Rupert devised a plan to visit Mongolia, where they would travel on horseback across the country in search of shamans who might heal Rowan.
Because Scott’s involvement began at this late stage, he efficiently lays out what background auds need through interviews and homemovie footage of scenes both good (Rowan bonding with an old mare named Betsy) and bad (“Exorcist”-worthy fits of screaming and convulsions). He then manages to maintain that same level of intimacy and access in Mongolia, capturing moments of extreme emotional and physical strain as well as rare breakthroughs when Rowan’s condition appears to retreat. The first shamanistic ceremony appears downright brutal, but the “results” are striking, motivating the Isaacsons to continue their journey deep into Siberia.
Despite shooting much of the material either handheld or on horseback, Scott and his skeleton crew get remarkably clear sound and steady footage, which was then expertly edited by Rita K. Sanders. Rather than adopt a strictly linear format, she includes enlightening testimony from autism specialists and doubles back to the Isaacsons’ Texas home throughout, innocuously seeding ideas that mature and bear fruit later (from the family’s “Code Brown” nickname to the legend of a powerful shaman named Ghoste).
The trip itself could easily have gotten tedious, but Scott and Sanders strike a perfect pace, and their skepticism offsets whatever trite or mushy miracle-working Rupert is prone to impose on the experience through his narration (never on-the-nose, Kim Carroll and Lili Haydn’s piano and strings score encourages further introspection from the audience). What we’re left with isn’t whether or not shamanism cures autism but a more allegorical example of what happens when people seek solutions beyond the boundaries of Western thought.
You remember “Mystery Science Theatre 3000.” How can you forget, what with the Austin knockoff Mr. Sinus Theater?
Well the “MST3K” masterminds are back with a touring show, Cinematic Titanic, grounding at the local iceberg the Paramount Theatre on March 7.
Canned description: Cinematic Titanic is the new movie riffing show from the creator and original cast of “Mystery Science Theatre 3000,” live on-stage! Like “MST3K,” the show was created by Joel Hodgson and features the same team that first brought the award winning cult-classic series to life … Cinematic Titanic continues the tradition of riffing on ‘the unfathomable’, ‘the horribly great’, and the just plain ‘cheesy’ movies from the past.
Details HERE and tickets HERE.
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Screening fit for ‘Kings’
Austin-made drama “Kings of the Evening” gets two special showings in honor of Black History Month at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Carver Museum.
Screenings are free and first come-first served. RSVP ASAP to 974-4926.
More about the movie HERE.
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Seth Rogen back at SXSW
Sure, Seth Rogen stars in the centerpiece film at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival, another very Rogen-esque comedy called “Observe and Report.”
But guess what? We’re a little weary of Rogen and his one-note, lovable schlep/stoner routine. We’re more excited (a teeny bit) that the movie’s directed by Jody Hill, who’s half responsible for “The Foot Fist Way.” So there.
They bill it as Rogen’s return to SXSW — yes, he’ll be there — after his and Paul Rudd’s triumph with “Knocked Up” in 2007.
More panelists for the SXSW film conference have also been announced, including Catherine Hardwicke, Robert Rodriguez, Mike Judge and the inexplicably tolerated Joe Swanberg.
For more SXSW film titles and panelists, go HERE.
“Channeling: An Invocation of Spectral Bodies and Queer Spirits,” a cool traveling exhibition of short videos, arrives in Austin, thanks to the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival and Austin Video Bee.
The 68-minute program plays at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Hideout on Congress Avenue, and is described by its curators as “entryway into the spirit realm and the queer body politic: a program of experimental moving image work that calls up the ghosts of the past and the specters of the future.”
Details HERE.
Austin’s movie reviewing wunderkind Cole Dabney passes along this delectably mean survey of 2008’s worst film-critic quote whores. It’s great, and it’s HERE.
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‘Office Space’ turns 10 with flair
Mike Judge’s cult comedy “Office Space” turns 10 this spring. Damn.
And no Austin-made movie worth its Chronicle coverage is going to celebrate its 10th birthday without a sold-out bash/screening at the Paramount Theatre.
Judge and yet-unnamed cast members will host a special showing of “Office Space” at 8 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Paramount. The party’s being thrown by SXSW and Fantastic Fest.
Plus, we’re told, “There will be exclusive giveaways courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment, and co-presenters SXSW and Fantastic Fest have promised special ‘Office Space’ activities before and after the screening.”
Tickets go on sale at noon Thursday. But: Tickets ONLY are available for the first 48 hours to 2009 SXSW and Fantastic Fest badge holders. Tickets will be available to the general public starting at noon on Saturday, January 17 at the Paramount Theater box office or online at gettix.net.
Wanna volunteer at South by Southwest? Calls are Jan. 25 and 26. All you need right HERE.
The Golden Globes are an obscenity, pointless puffery and piffle, wearing a dipped-in-bronze smile and oozing corruption and fraudulence.
That said, we liked a few acceptance speeches at last night’s synthetic ceremony, orations that let something warm and human and real shine through. We tried to find them on YouTube, but failed. Still, note:
- Sally Hawkins for best actress in “Happy-Go-Lucky”: A weepy, warbling shambles, but adorable and charming. And she totally deserved it.
Colin Farrell for supporting actor in “In Bruges”: Poetic, generous, deeply felt, authentic, moving. Who knew?
Mickey Rourke for actor in “The Wrestler”: Humble and sweet, though he about broke our heart with the line about his dogs.
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Anime!
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Two docs examine dire situations
The true story of a plane wreck in the Andes, a rugby team and cannibalism is retold in Gonzalo Arijon’s potent doc “Stranded: I’ve Come From a Plane that Crashed in the Mountains,” which screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Alamo Ritz (320 E. Sixth St.).
It’s part of the Austin Film Society’s Documentary Tour, which says this: “Visually breathtaking and crafted with riveting detail by documentary filmmaker (and childhood friend of the survivors) Gonzalo Arijon with a masterful combination of on-location interviews, archival footage and reenactments, STRANDED is by turns hauntingly powerful and spiritually moving.”
Details and tickets HERE.
Austinite Laura Dunn’s hailed Barton Springs doc “The Unforeseen” plays at 7 p.m. Jan. 23 at St. Edward’s University Ragsdale Center, Jones Auditorium. It’s free.
Presented by Screen Door Films, the special screening will include a discussion with Dunn, S.O.S. director Bill Bunch, Austin rancher and one of the film’s stars Henry Brooks and moderator Dr. Peter Beck, assistant professor of Environmental Science at St. Edward’s University.
Info and directions HERE.
Future Screen Door screenings include: “Happiness Is…” on Feb. 20; “At The Death House Door” on April 17; “The Whole Shootin’ Match” on May 22; and “Body of War” on June 12.
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A pair of epic musicals on Austin screens
Kenneth Branagh’s newish and reportedly eye-popping adaptation of Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” will get its Austin premiere in style at 7 p.m. Monday at the Alamo South.
Presented by the Austin Film Society, Austin Lyric Opera and the Alamo, the show will feature special guest Lyubov Petrova, who plays the Queen of the Night in film and who will be appearing in the Lyric Opera’s upcoming production of “Rigoletto.”
Get $10 tickets HERE.
Watch the film’s trailer HERE.
The great “West Side Story” (one my two favorite musicals, by the by) gets the full, billowing 70mm treatment at the Paramount Theatre for four special showings: 7 p.m. Jan. 21; 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23; and 4 and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24.
Tickets are $8 at the box office.
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Late actor Pat Hingle was a UT alum
You might have heard that familiar character actor of stage and screen Pat Hingle died Saturday at age 84 of a blood disorder. He was memorable as J. Edgar Hoover in the 1992 HBO movie “Citizen Cohn,” as and Warren Beatty’s father in the 1961 film “Splendor in the Grass” and as Police Commissioner Gordon in the pre-Christian Bale Batman movies, beginning in 1989, reports The New York Times.
But did you know he went to the University of Texas? We didn’t either.
Read this from the Times:
Mr. Hingle went to high school in Weslaco, Tex., where he played tuba in the band. He attended the University of Texas, but dropped out during World War II to enlist in the Navy. He served as a fireman aboard a destroyer that saw action in the South Pacific. He liked the ship, later telling interviewers that it was his “first real home anywhere.”
In 1946, following his discharge, he returned to the University of Texas and joined a drama club because, he said, that’s where the prettiest girls were. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1949. When the war in Korea began he was recalled by the Navy, serving as a boilerman technician.
He came to New York in 1952, joined the Actors Studio and began to get parts both onstage and in films. His early movies included “On the Waterfront” (1954) and “No Down Payment” (1957).
Read the Times’ obit HERE.
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Exciting new venues for two local docs
“Inside the Circle,” Austin filmmaker Marcy Garriott’s hit documentary about Texas’ hip-hop subculture, will show on MTV from Sunday through Jan. 15. It’s a great way to check out an important film with deep local ties.
Air times (CST) are: 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, and 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Bob Ray, who needs no intro, and his bodacious CrashToons are heading to Playboy.com, where Ray’s profane and insane cartoon shorts, like “Platypus Rex,” will begin streaming Jan. 20.
Says Ray: “Word is, there’s gonna be a big ol’ re-launching of the Playboy site, and lil’ ol’ CrashToons is gonna be a part of it. Cool, huh? … So, yeah, we’ll be making more CrashToons pretty darn soon.”
Wee-ha!
See Crashtoons HERE. Find Playboy.com HERE.
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Mims’ mammoth new filmmaking course
Steve Mims at Austin FilmWorks is offering an ambitious 16-month feature filmmaking lab, beginning with an orientation meeting Jan. 26 at Studio A-7 (701 Tillery St.).
In Mims’ words:
FEATURE LAB students make two festival-competitive shorts and a feature length finished film in an intense 16-month, four semester program. Divided into three levels, FEATURE LAB includes Production One, Two and Three: introductory, intermediate and advanced courses designed to create an individual short, a group short and a group feature.
All you need to know HERE
Former Austin Film Society intern Lani Golstab gets to present Renoir’s masterpiece “Grand Illusion” on Turner Classic Movies as a guest programmer in April.
It’s part of the cable channel’s 15th birthday celebration, and it goes like this:
TCM has selected some of its biggest fans from around the country to serve as Guest Programmers. Each fan will join TCM host Robert Osborne to introduce a movie chosen from TCM’s unparalleled library of films … Fans include people of all ages, from a 14-year-old who loves classic films and a 27-year-old working for the Austin Film Society to a 51-year-old who works in historical preservation in Las Vegas and a 69-year-old who was chosen because of his frequent contributions to TCM’s online message boards.
Pretty cool. Learn more about it right HERE.
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Hagman, Boothe top-line Texas Film Hall of Fame awards
“Twilight” director and McAllen native Catherine Hardwicke, television icon and Fort Worth native Larry Hagman and veteran character actor and Snyder native Powers Boothe will be inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame during its ninth ceremony March 12 at Austin Studios.
Hagman’s award will be presented by his longtime “Dallas” co-star Linda Gray. The annual bash raises money for the Austin Film Society. Past inductees include Horton Foote, Cyd Charisse, Ethan Hawke and Farrah Fawcett. Tickets and more information HERE.
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Noteworthy DVDs released 1/6/09
PICK OF THE WEEK
“The Films of Michael Powell” (Sony): Though this small box set’s name suggests something far more comprehensive, the two films offered here (in uncensored cuts) are more than welcome: “A Matter of Life and Death,” a Pearly Gates-testing affair starring David Niven, and “Age of Consent,” which will be an eye-opener for anyone who knows Helen Mirren only from “The Queen” or “Prime Suspect.”
OTHER TOP PICKS
“Appaloosa” (New Line) : The second feature directed by actor Ed Harris is a straight-ahead Western most appealing for the relationship between Harris’ icy gun-for-hire and his more human sidekick played by Viggo Mortensen.
“Pineapple Express” (Sony) : Stoner humor by way of the Apatow crew and David Gordon Green, who’s better known for highbrow fare like “All the Real Girls.”
“The Wackness” (Sony) : Another pot-centric flick, this Sundance crowd-pleaser got attention with Ben Kingsley playing a shrink who scores drugs from a patient.
“Blind Mountain” (Kino) : A young Chinese woman gets sold into captivity in this drama by Yang Li, director of the similarly named “Blind Shaft.”
“The Lizard” (Image) : Also known as “Bi hu,” this is the latest installment in Image’s Shaw Brothers kung-fu reissue series.
“Patti Smith: Dream of Life” (Palm Pictures) : Commercial photographer Steven Sebring took over a decade making this documentary portrait of punk icon Smith.
NEW ON BLU-RAY
“Caligula” (Image); “Dexter” Season 1 (Paramount); “Friday Night Lights” (Universal); “The Last Emperor” (Criterion)
FRESH FROM THE MULTIPLEX
“Babylon A.D.” (Fox); “Bangkok Dangerous,” “Disaster Movie” (Lions Gate); “Ping Pong Playa” (Image); “Righteous Kill” (Anchor Bay)
BEST OF TV
“Battlestar Galactica” Season 4 (Universal); “Bob the Builder: Race to the Finish” (Lions Gate); “Duckman” Seasons 3 & 4, “Transformers: Animated” Season 2, “The Tudors” Season 2 (Paramount); “Frisky Dingo” Season 2, “The Waltons” Season 8 (Warner Bros.)
STRAIGHT(ISH) TO VIDEO
“The Alphabet Killer” (Anchor Bay); “Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia” (Fox); “Eden Lake” (Weinstein Co.); “Hard Gun” (BCI Eclipse, also on Blu-ray)
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