At The Movies: Indie Picks This Weekend
If you need help planning a trip to the movies, here are some of the weekend's highlights across town:
Get Low (Alamo South Lamar, Regal Arbor)
Aaron Schneider started his career as a cinematographer, but he's been winning rave reviews for his directorial debut which stars Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek and Robert Duvall as a man in rural Tennessee who decides to throw himself a "living funeral party." Inspired by a true story, there's already early Oscar buzz on this one thanks to Duvall's performance.
The Dry Land (Regal Arbor)
UT grad Ryan Piers Williams wrote and directed this drama about an Iraq War Veteran returning home to Texas and his struggle to return to civilian life. It stars Ugly Betty's America Ferrera, Jason Ritter, and Academy Award nominee from Frozen River, Melissa Leo.
Peepli Live (Cinemark Tinseltown 17)
This controversial black comedy was the first Indian feature in history to compete at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. This one serves up a strange compliment to Get Low. Here, a farmer publicly announces a date several months in the future when he plans to commit suicide.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (wide release at most local multiplexes and Alamo South Lamar)
Hardly an independent release, but Edgar Wright's adaptation of the popular graphic novel series is definitely some of the most fun we've had at the movies all year (and, for the record, this writer's not a gamer or comic book nerd).
The Last Dragon (Alamo Ritz)
Joe Bob Briggs is coming to this 25th Anniversary screening of Berry Gordy's bizarre martial arts flick for the Alamo's Zzang!!! series. Not only will you get to hear Debarge's "Rhythm Of The Night" cranking through the Drafthouse sound system, but this gives you a chance to see it before the proposed remake that has been long-rumored to be an upcoming project for Samuel L. Jackson.
The Thin Man (Alamo Ritz)
In case you missed the screenings earlier this week, the Cinema Cocktails series at the Alamo has a Saturday matinee of this 1934 classic which features its own special drink menu. If you've never had the chance to see Nick and Nora in action, we highly recommend doing it with a Vodka Gimlet (or three).
Additionally, the Summer Film Series at the Paramount has some heavy hitters for this Saturday and Sunday. You can catch a newly restored version of the 1948 Powell & Pressburger classic The Red Shoes and also Kurosawa's epic Ran on the big screen.
