He got Sandra Bullock's German maid costume from "Miss Congeniality" and the shirt James Dean wore when his character hits a Texas gusher in "Giant." He even acquired a sparkly low-cut dress worn by J. Lo in her breakout film "Selena," when the actress simply went by Jennifer Lopez.

What he couldn't get was the stapler, the rudimentary desk fixture from the 1999 Mike Judge comedy "Office Space."

"That just kills me," says Frank Thompson, curator of the Texas Movies exhibit opening today at the Bob Bullock Museum. "It was the very first thing I wanted. I love the movie, and it's one of those props that's so central to a film. That's what you look for when you do an exhibit like this, something that really represents the movie."

The museum located the owner of the fabled stapler — an object of nerdy obsession and endless aggravation for whimpering loser Milton (Stephen Root) in the Austin-made cult classic — but the person "never delivered," says Thompson, with heavy heart.

But others did deliver. Clips, artifacts, posters, clothing and even corpses — two of 'em — plucked from more than 80 movies made in Texas surely compensate for the absent office supply in this film lover's feast, which runs through Sept. 4. For the exhibit, Thompson assembled cine-stuff from numerous filmmakers and collectors, including himself.

(Thompson, by the way, is not from Texas, nor has he ever lived here. But the author, filmmaker and historian has written several books about Texas movies and the Alamo. He even has a small part in the 2004 version of "The Alamo.")

From the first documentary footage of the Galveston hurricane shot in 1900 and original post cards from 1911's "The Immortal Alamo," to the bullet-riddled blouse worn by Faye Dunaway in "Bonnie and Clyde" and the worm-eaten corpse of Grandma from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," the show crisscrosses genres, eras and, well, taste. (No worries. It's all family-friendly.)

Texas Movies even smells like the movies. A buttery popcorn fragrance will be pumped quietly into the exhibit for an almost subliminal sensation, transporting visitors further into the reel world.

'Texas Movies'
When: Today through Sept. 4 (today includes special opening-day activities)
Where: Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave.
Tickets: $3-$5.50
Information: 936-4649; www.TheStoryofTexas.com

Events in conjunction with the 'Texas Movies' exhibit at the Bullock museum:

'Funny Family Flicks — Texas Style,' a hands-on presentation, including rare footage of families and kids
When: 4:30 to 6 p.m. July 23
Tickets: $3-$10.50; reservations required
Information: 936-4649; www.TheStoryofTexas.com

'Shooting Texas Film Series'
When: Aug. 22-27
Tickets: $39-$45 for series; $8-$10 for single tickets
Information: 936-4649; www.TheStoryofTexas.com

Schedule:
•7 p.m. Aug. 22 — 'Indies in Texas': Director Robert Rodriguez chats about and shows clips from independent movies.
•7 p.m. Aug. 23 — 'Filmmaking on the Border': Clips from films by director Rogelio Agrasanchez Sr. and a discussion with Rogelio Agrasanchez Jr. and documentary filmmaker Hector Galán.
•7 p.m. Aug. 24 — 'Preserving the Heritage of African American Filmmakers': Screening of the 1947 'race' comedy 'Juke Joint,' with discussion.
•7 p.m. Aug. 25 — 'Documenting Lost Texas': Fun archival documentaries about Texas presented by film historian Caroline Frick and filmmaker Paul Stekler.
•7 p.m. Aug. 26 — James Dean melodrama 'Giant' shows on the huge IMAX screen to mark the 50th anniversary of the filming of this movie.
•4 p.m. Aug. 27 — Director Chris Elley screens his documentary 'A Projection of History: The Texas Theatre.'