Inside Movies

• David Carradine ('Kung Fu,' 'Kill Bill') and Talia Shire (the 'Rocky' series) are playing prehistoric humanoids — read: cave people — in the cavedude comedy 'Homo Erectus,' which is now shooting at Enchanted Rock, Hamilton Pool and Pedernales Falls (places with a prehistoric vibe). The third feature by the University of Texas Film Institute and Burnt Orange Productions is written and directed by Adam Rifkin, who also plays the lead, a progressive primitive named Ishbo who's had enough with sticks and stones, bones and boneheads. His parents are Carradine and Shire, and his love interest, the comely Fardart, is played by Ali Larter, who filmed 'Varsity Blues' in the area a ways back. The actors have been going in and out of Austin since last week, and will continue for at least a few more. — Chris Garcia

• A reminder: 'Brokeback Mountain' screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana will present a benefit showing of the homosexual-cowboy drama on Dec. 13 at the Arbor. Wowing them at festivals, Ang Lee's rugged love story stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger and is based on Annie Proulx's spectacular short story. The movie opens in Austin on Dec. 16. Proceeds from the screening go to the Austin Film Society's Texas Filmmakers Production Fund. Tickets are $5-$7 and go on sale Monday at www.austin film.org/brokeback. — C.G.

• Austin filmmaker Amy Grappell has taken her acclaimed doc 'Light From the East' to the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam in the Netherlands. For 10 days, Grappell will showcase her movie in the Docs for Sale program, which gives selected filmmakers an official forum in which to offer their work to roving distribution reps. A personal journey bridging cultures, art and a glasnost-infected Ukraine, 'Light From the East' premiered at South by Southwest this year. www.lightfromtheeast.com. — C.G.

• The lead story in Web film journal IndieWire on Monday spotlighted the formerly Austin-based Duplass brothers — Mark and Jay — and their tenacity in keeping alive hopes for their critically-beloved comedy 'The Puffy Chair.' Reads the headline: 'Ten Months After a Sundance '05 Debut, Duplass Brothers Keep Driving "The Puffy Chair." ' Mark tells IndieWire that they are nearing a distribution deal on the low-budget gut-buster, which was also a fave at SXSW this year. Amid a 'handful of worthy features' from Sundance this year that haven't snagged a deal, writes the Web mag, 'The Puffy Chair' is 'probably the best of the bunch.' — C.G.

• It snatched a healthy distribution deal from Palm Pictures more than a year ago at the Toronto International Film Festival and has since garnered effusive praise at festivals from New Zealand to London. (Check out the charitable quote from Jonathan Demme.) Now Austinite Margaret Brown's lyrical doc 'Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt' is ready for a national release, hitting the Alamo South Lamar beginning Dec. 9. After a special premiere screening Dec. 8 at the Alamo, the party moves to Antone's, where an all-star musical tribute to Van Zandt is planned. — C.G.

• Austinite Steve Mims is back behind the digital camera to shoot the feature 'The End That Eats,' a noir mystery about a filmmaker and his lost reel. Mims is an inspiring workhorse, having beat cancer and continuing to teach and shoot in the bruising confines of indie filmmaking. Praised by the New York Times, Mims' work has played several festivals and aired on PBS, USA Network and A&E. 'The Perfect Specimen,' a SXSW favorite, played on Showtime. His filmmaking classes are legendary. Past students include Robert Rodriguez and Kat Candler. See the trailer for 'The End That Eats' at www.meticulouspictures.com. — C.G.

• In the buffed: 'No Pain, No Gain,' UT grad Samuel Turcotte's long-labored bodybuilding drama, plays at the Metropolitan, Gateway, Westgate and Lakeline theaters at 3 p.m. Dec. 3. Actors Sean Corrigan, Ken Thomas and Crystal Calderoni will do the red carpet thing before the Metropolitan show. Mostly made in Austin, the movie is a telling glimpse into the subculture of getting buff, from steroids to fad diets. See the trailer at www.nopainnogainthemovie.com. — C.G.

• Reagan High School students will screen their digital shorts during the Raider Film Fest at 7 p.m. Monday in the RHS Theater, 7104 Berkman Drive. Filmmaking teacher Trent Sharp declares that the festival provides a 'healthy dose of TRUTH through the lenses of' the student filmmakers. You decide. — C.G.