Kind of a slow week for new releases here in Austin. You can either bro out and get amped on some new Die Hard, or submit to the CGI summer blockbuster force that is Ratatouille. Oh, and Michael Moore wanted to talk to you about some things.

Live Free or Die Hard: John McClane is back! Now shorn bald (and resembling a very stern penis), he must jump off careening jets and donkey-punch the Internet to save the country from some convoluted techno-armageddon orchestrated by a pissy Timothy Olyphant. Justin Long from the Mac commercials plays cub to Bruce Willis' leatherdaddy.

Evening: Can we call this genre "WASP Weeper"? Look, who among us hasn't fallen in love with a strapping young doctor on a New England shore, only to let him slip away, and then reminisced about it half a century later in misty memories starring Claire Danes? Based on a Susan Minot novel, Evening features at least one scene with titans Vanessa Redgrave and Meryl Streep confiding to each other on a fluffy white bed. Ladies, this movie has "Mom date" engraved on it. Get your cry on. And maybe also a pedi while you're at it!

Ratatouille: Patton Oswalt stars as the voice of Remy, a CGI rat with gourmet culinary aspirations. Oscar-winning Brad Bird (The Incredibles) directs. A bevy of foodie jokes will surely commence. Afterwards, the whole family can deconstruct the movie over a delightful amuse-bouche at Whole Foods.

Sicko: Can you handle Michael Moore's loose moments of forceful nerdiness and irritatingly self-satisfied gimmickry? Can you look past the shudder-inducing image of a gleeful Moore pointedly pulling on a rubber glove (ew) in the poster? If so, you probably owe it to yourself to check out Moore's indictment of the pitiful American healthcare system. Whether you're employed by a company that offers decent insurance (we've heard stories indicating they exist) or keeping it street with a MAP card, it's worth finding out exactly how tightly the pharmaceutical lobbyists have us by the balls.

Paris Je T'Aime: Starring such effervescent sprites as Natalie Portman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Steve Buscemi, Paris Je T'Aime is a series of Parisian slices-of-life by, like, twenty different directors. Ohnoes. Can Paris, as a setting, rescue this movie from the same "vignettes" genre that brought us other tired dogs like Four Rooms and Coffee and Cigarettes?

[Showtimes]

Programmer Lars Nilsen and owner Tim League raise one final toast to the original Alamo.

Alamo patrons don hardhats in preparation for the Earthquake screening.

As everyone knows by now, today is (sniffle) the Alamo Downtown's last day in operation--at its current location, at least. And they're going out with a bang, offering a fabulous feast to accompany Big Night, shaking things up with Earthquake, and freaking you out with Night Warning featuring Susan Tyrrell live. Everything's mad sold out, of course, but there "may" be standby tickets available for Earthquake and Night Warning ($30 for each film, $75 for the pair) if you want to head downtown and try your luck tonight. And some people are using futuristic scenarios involving capri pants and iPhones to try and sell extra tix on craigslist, so you might just be able to get a seat tonight.

We're all super excited to see the Alamo's snazzy new digs at the Ritz, but for now, we'd like to mourn the passing of the Alamo Downtown by remembering the fun, freaky, fearsome, and other assorted times we've had there. From all-night movie fests to celebrity appearances to Mr. Sinus to singalongs to air guitar sex to amazing feasts, the Alamo Downtown has always been there to entertain us (and enrage us--when our favorite events are sold out, that is). Read our nostalgic stories, view some awesome entries from the Alamo Blog-a-Thon, and add your own Alamo experiences in the comments!

Providing intricate details on creating a pretty simple food item, Austin director Robert Rodriguez takes the viewer through a ten-minute tutorial on making the perfect breakfast taco.

While working on DVD material for Sin City, late nights created mean cravings, and what does every Austinite crave when it's not quite dinner, not quite breakfast? That's right.

Using a recipe borrowed from his grandmother, Rodriquez doesn't just throw eggs on a tortilla with one measly strip of bacon (Taco Shack we're looking at you.)

Watch the video and gain a good lesson on an Austin favorite. It's done so well, it's practically Food Network-ready. He may not be as fun to watch as Giada De Laurentiis, but he seems to have championed the art and as fellow breakfast taco nerds, we approve.

Thanks to Taco Journalism for the tip!

Forget all those overhyped inventions like "language", "the printing press" and "insulin"--humankind's greatest achievement, both technically and spiritually, is a car-crushing, fire-breathing, 40-foot-tall robot named Robosaurus. And next week, Austinites will get a chance to see the great metallic beast do its thing firsthand as the Alamo Drafthouse and AT&T present The Ultimate Transformers Experience.

Basically, Robosaurus will roll menacingly into the parking lot at the Alamo South Lamar (possibly causing some mayhem along the way, we're not completely sure), where they'll be showing Michael Bay's brand new, thrill-packed live-action remake of the Transformers movie on every single screen in the house. Popcorn will be eaten, beer will be guzzled, and fists will be thrust triumphantly skyward as the Transformers once again save our sorry asses from the evil Decepticons. Is there any better way to see this movie?

There are two ways you can get into this event for free. First, the fine folks at AT&T have been kind enough to give us a whole bunch of tickets to give away, so you can enter your name below for a chance to win a pair. OR, if you are one of the hordes of people planning on switching to AT&T and buying a fancy new iPhone when they hit the Austin-area shelves this Friday, you'll already be eligible for two free tickets*! But please, even though it's pretty cool, do not talk on your new iPhone during the movie.

*Fine print! AT&T is a sponsor of The Ultimate Transformers Experience. You have the opportunity to receive up to two free tickets when you "transform" your communications and entertainment services (voice, data, or video), upgrade your existing services or switch from cable to AT&T. To qualify, orders must be placed in person this Friday, June 29th at an Austin area AT&T store (formerly Cingular). You may want to call your nearest store first to be sure it's an AT&T store and not a reseller.

WIN TICKETS to the Ultimate Transformers Experience. Fill out the form!
This contest is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered!

The Ultimate Transformers Experience
Monday, July 2nd
Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
7pm, 8:45pm / $25
[Tickets]

Today sucks. Our house is quickly being annexed by Waller Creek, all of the tickets are sold out to the last night at the Alamo and our ‘Stros can’t buy a win. We could use a stiff drink* and a good laugh. Lucky for us, and you, the Onion AV Club and Rio Rita have prescribed a sweet salve to cure our burning wounds as they present Robert Altman’s satirical snarkfest OC & Stiggs.

O.C. & Stiggs is adapted from the National Lampoon magazine’s October 1982 special issue “The Utterly Monstrous, Mind-Roasting Summer of O.C. and Stiggs.” It follows the immature pranks and pratfalls of two fairly typical teenage boys. When they are not tormenting the “useless, bungling, annoying goofball” Schwab family, O.C. Oglevey and Mark Stiggs spend their time bedding as many ladies as possible and trying to glean priceless wisdom from their friend “Wino Bob.”

Needless to say this is a departure for Altman, whose films McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Brewster McCloud are also screening this evening at the Paramount Theatre. MGM wanted a straightforward teen comedy, a genre that was enjoying great success at the time with films like Porky's and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but Altman disliked the teen comedy genre. He decided instead to make a mockery of these types of films and the end result was a film that the studio shelved for three years before a limited release in 1987. Apparently, unlovable, racist, homophobic characters were not exactly what MGM had in mind, but thanks to the DVD release of the film this year, we can forget all of our flooded worries and enjoy on-screen hijinks with a tasty adult beverage.

*Rio Rita now has Liquor!

The Onion AV Club Movie Night presents OC & Stiggs
Wednesday, June 27th
Rio Rita 1308 E. 6th St
9pm, Free!

Never mind that it's not that hot outside right now (though we would argue that the wet-dishrag humidity more than makes up for what the thermometer's not showing). Climate change is still happening/still scary, and the movie at the Alamo tonight, the next installment in the AFS' global scifi series, is all about that possible future heated terrasphere.

The Day The Earth Caught Fire, having been birthed in 1961, is more worried about nuclear war (remember that?) than long-term, grinding human effects on the atmosphere. In the British-made film, nuclear explosions at the American and Soviet ends of the globe tilt the entire shebang closer to the sun. But the effects are the same as the possible consequences of global warming: "heat, hurricane-force winds, rampant earthquakes, sudden snow, all-enveloping heat mist, thunderstorms, and flooding." ("All-enveloping heat mist"? "Thunderstorms"? "Flooding"? Are we in the future already?)

Anyway, sexy British men try to save the earth from this new climate order, while sweltering under their clothes, is the general gist.

AFS Essentials: The Day The Earth Caught Fire
Tuesday, June 26th
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown
7pm, $4 / Free for AFS Members
[Tickets]

Mel Brooks strings together one liners the way that Pete Doherty strings together lines. And that's no joke. The famed writer and director from Brooklyn presents as a classic comedic triple threat: brash, brilliant and more than a little Jew-y. (Mel, it's good to be the king!)

If you're a fan, you'll want to free up your Wednesday evenings for the next month or so, because Texas Hillel, located just off the UT campus, is sponsoring a free Mel Brooks film festival. Here's a peek at the schedule:

Silent Movie (1976) w/remixed score - June 27th
High Anxiety (1977) - July 11th
History of the World Part 1 (1981) - July 18th
To Be or Not to Be (1983) - July 25th
SpaceBalls (1987) - August 1st

With their plentiful 46" televisions, 12' digital projection screen and surround sound "loft theatre," Hillel's AV hookup answers to a higher authority -- and so does their food. From the official website, "Viewers are invited to dine before the film on the beautiful outdoor patio beginning at 6 PM...and the dinner grill is only $5.95 per person."

That's right, folks: 100% kosher goodness up in the area. Get it while it's hot.

Mel Brooks Film Series
Wednesdays This Summer
Texas Hillel, 2105 San Antonio [Map]
Free
[Info]

Unless you have been under a very large boulder, you are well aware that the Original Alamo Drafthouse is closing its Colorado Street doors this Wednesday night. Soon you will see people wandering the downtown streets, suffering from celluloid withdrawal and desperately looking for their next film reel hit. We know it’s hard, we’re suffering too, but the Paramount Theatre knows what you want and they’ve got what you need, as they continue their 32nd annual Summer Classic Film Series.

This week’s lineup is both scorching and precious, so rest assured that there is fun in store for everyone. And remember, if you show up for the early show, you get the second one for free. Double-features totally own! Or better yet, if you'd like to WIN TICKETS to the Mean Streets / Taxi Driver double feature this Friday, or the Breakfast at Tiffany's / Funny Face double feature this Saturday, follow the jump and enter the contests.

McCABE & MRS. MILLER

Tuesday, June 26 @ 7 pm
Wednesday, June 27 @ 9:05 pm

Seriously, if you like movies and consider yourself a cinephile, you must see this movie. Bathed in brown and orange hues, Robert Altman has created a truly different western. Not different in that it thumbs its nose at the salty-hot-desert westerns that most of us are used to, but that it is a quiet, moody tale, where the battles are not between Cowboys and Indians, but between businessmen who do not see eye to eye. It is the tale of a pimp and a whore, who become a brothel owner and a madam. There is a distinction, and as with all Altman films, you must read between the lines to absorb the full scope of the story. Paired with a knockout soundtrack of Leonard Cohen tunes, this one will leave you a little bit chilly inside, but the lingering thoughts of Julie Christie (who received an Oscar nomination for her turn as Constance Miller) and hot hot hot Warren Beatty will warm you back up.

It's been a week of "lasts" at the original Alamo Drafthouse, including the last Terror Thursday, Master Pancake Theater, A/V Geeks and Butt-numb-a-thons ever to happen at the venerable Colorado St. location. And tonight marks another sad Alamo last--one that we're particularly bummed about--the last Music Monday.

Though the series is slated to continue at the Alamo's fancy new 6th Street location sometime in the fall, tonight will probably be the last installment programmed by Music Mondays founder and all-around awesome person Kier-La Janisse. So even though we ambled out of the Alamo at 5am this morning (just in time to catch two hours sleep), we're heading back downtown tonight for one last music movie with the regular Monday night crew. You should come!

Tonight's film, Nashville Girl, is a country exploitation classic about a young girl who runs away from home to become a country-western star. But when she reaches Nashville, she finds out that life in the music biz isn't all it's cracked up to be. And (of course) along the way she meets some sleazy truckers, lesbian prison guards and corrupt music execs.

Vancouver disco comedy duo Canned Hamm will play a set before the movie, and there'll be all kinds of prize giveaways, so don’t miss out.

[Canned Hamm on Myspace]

Music Mondays Presents Nashville Girl
Monday, June 25th
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown
9:45pm, $2 / $1 Student, Senior, AFS
[Tickets]

Oh hey, have you heard? The Original Alamo Drafthouse is closing. Closing!

Well, closing and, in a few weeks, re-opening mere blocks away, but whatevs: This is the END of a glorious era in Austin movie-going and communitas. Memo to all you bloggy, film nerdish, or just share-a-holic types: It's time to take to the Internets and divulge your fondest memories from the venerable old building at 409 Colorado. Did Harry Knowles' hair brush your arm? Were you inadvertently elbowed by Tarantino's chin? Jette Kernion of ­Slackerwoo­d and Blake Ethridge of Cinema is Dope invite you to spill your Alamo tales into the waiting embrace of the Alamo Blog-a-Thon.

Interested bloggers should post their Alamo anecdotes this weekend or on Monday the 25th, when the Blog-a-Thon officially starts to rip. Send a link to your blog to jette[at]celluloideyes.com, and it'll be included in a master list of Alamo-centric blog posts.

Maybe when it comes to the 'webz, you prefer to let your pictures do the talking? If you have a Flickr account, tag your choicest Alamo pictures with "alamoblogathon" and they, too, will be included in the links list, to be devoured by the hungry eyes of the Blog-A-Thon readers.

And if you think the conceit of "blogging to remind you to blog" might be a little played out, well...so is the Alamo's current location. See you in the Metaverse!

[Alamo Blog-A-Thon Details]

This summer, you have a choice: you can see Johnny Depp as a pirate frolicking across a movie screen, delightfully impersonating a rock star, or you can see rock star David Bowie frolicking across a movie screen, delightfully impersonating a pirate, er fairy king. So, no matter what, there will be frolicking, but with the second instance you will also get singing, dancing, riddle and rhyme in the magical re-release of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. All you need to do is hobble your little goblin self over to the Dobie Theater to catch the sparkling new 35mm print of your favorite childhood dreamscape.

You may be wondering why the film is being re-released in the first place. Well, we’ll tell you! According to Brian Froud's official website, a full-length audio commentary was recorded in February for the brand-new DVD edition of Labyrinth (and The Dark Crystal but we can talk about that later). It has been confirmed that these new fully-loaded DVDs are set to be released by Sony Home Entertainment later this year. Now you’re probably saying, “Who the hell is Brian Froud?” Froud served as creature and conceptual designer for several Henson fantasy films, and is greatly responsible for the look, tone and feel of the characters and worlds seen in Labyrinth. Plus, baby Toby in the film is Froud's baby, and you guessed it, his real name is Toby!

We lurve this film for its contact juggling, its maze of mayhem, its teenage Jennifer Connelly, and of course the effervescently devilish Bowie. We kind of miss the days when puppets were spectacular feats of engineering and it didn’t take CGI wizardry to engage our imaginations. There is an M.C. Escher-esque sequence toward the end that will blow your mind! Dance, magic dance….

Labyrinth - an exclusive engagement featuring a new 35mm print!
Opens Today, Friday June 22nd
The Dobie Theatre
Various Times (see tickets link)
[Tickets]

Want an excuse to toss down yet another of the Alamo's Asian Chicken Salads this weekend? Sample one of these new celluloid delights from Tinseltown. (Hey, Alamo: Bring back the shrimp substitution option! Seriously!)

1408: John Cusack stars as a skeptical debunker of all things haunty who spends the night in a legendary hotel room and finally gets his Western rationality scared right outta him. Made from a Stephen King short story, like all things awesome.

Evan Almighty: Apparently this film, in which poor Steve Carell stars as a modern-day Noah, was one of the most expensive comedies ever made (animals are pricy, and what about all those cubits?) It's still no "40 Year Old Virgin".

Live Free or Die Hard: Not actually opening until Wednesday, but we're really geeked about it, for some reason.

A Mighty Heart: Angelina Jolie stars in this Danny/Mariane Pearl biopic, sporting curly hair that's supposed to indicate "ethnic". Advance reviews are actually pretty positive.

Paris, Je T'Aime: One of those movies made up of a bunch of shorter movies by different filmmakers (one of whom, for some reason, is Wes Craven). Looks romantic in an Atget kind of black-and-white way, and stars a who's-who: Binoche, Portman, Depardieu, the female Gyllenhaal, Nolte, etc etc.

La Vie en Rose: Another Paris-based flick, this one a biopic of the singer Edith Piaf. If you know anything about her life, you know it won't be lite.

Showtimes here.

Marquee image from RedKid.net.

Whether you like Michael Moore or think he's an anti-American nutjob, the guy's coming out with a new movie. Sicko is a study of America's (failing) health care system.

Moore talks to victims (like a man who had to choose which of his two severed fingers to reattach, because he couldn't afford both) and perpetrators (oft-repentant health insurance agents) of the U.S. health care system, then trots (okay, maybe plods) around the globe in search of solutions to our health care problems. Not surprisingly, Moore finds his favorite answers in France (anti-freedom, pro-health), Canada (marijuana solves all health issues!), and Cuba (those commies really know how to treat a patient). While Moore is more concerned with pushing his agenda than telling all sides of the story, many of the issues he exposes are real and do need to be addressed.

Fox News found a lot of problems with Sicko, while the L.A. Times found fewer. Time also interviewed Moore about the difficulties of creating--and insuring--a film about insurance. Check out Sicko for yourself tomorrow at the Regal Arbor Cinema--maybe you'll learn something.

Sicko Sneak Preview
Saturday, June 23rd
Regal Arbor Cinema @ Great Hills [Map]
7:15pm
[Tickets]

Tomorrow, take a trip up I-35 and get your pants scared off at the Texas Frightmare Weekend, a giant horrorfest being held in Dallas at the Omni Dallas Park West Hotel.

George A. Romero will be there, which is, for us, reason enough to brave the hordes of horrorfans (why can't we stop thinking of Comic Book Guy?). But that's not all: you could meet Clint Howard (Ron Howard's weird-ass brother/star of Ice Cream Man); Lloyd Kaufman (director of the Toxic Avenger series); George Kosana (the sheriff on the TV in Night of the Living Dead); and Cerina Vincent (the one who shaves half her leg off in Cabin Fever). And a ton of other horror-people.

Oh, and if you can fit some movies in between all of that meeting and greeting, there are a few (a double feature of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and The Black Cat tomorrow night; Domain of the Damned, a slate of short films, and Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things on Saturday; Texas Road Kill and the unrated Hills Have Eyes 2 on Sunday).

Photo: Kristina Klebe, one of the stars of Rob Zombie's "Halloween", and another guest at this convention. From Frightmare website.

Texas Frightmare Weekend
This Weekend, June 22nd-24th
Omni Dallas Park West Hotel
$25-$50
[Tickets]
[Official Website]

Austin is heaven for food lovers. With all the great barbecue, burgers and beer, it's no wonder we've gained like fifteen pounds over the course of the last six months. It could also be because we don't exercise, and we eat one of these sandwiches every night, right before going to bed. But then again, who can say for sure in this topsy-turvy world of ours?

Anyway, tonight the A/V Geeks will shed some light on our weight situation through a series of films that "attempt to explain or confangle information about nutrition in order to sell products". The program will include titles like The Man Who Missed Breakfast, Your Daily Bread, Eat for Health, More Life In Living, and The Adventures of Chip & Dip, and it promises to be a heck of a lot of fun.

For those of you who don't know, the A/V Geeks are actually just one geek--a fellow named Skip Elsheimer. Skip has a ridiculously large collection of old 16mm educational films (18,000, to be exact!), and every once in a while he selects some of the best, and takes them on the road for events like this. And despite the fact that the Alamo didn't follow up on our suggestion to offer a "burger and a helmet" special for the evening, it's still going to be pretty awesome.

Oh, by the way, you can also check out some of the A/V Geeks' extensive film collection on Youtube.

A/V Geeks Present: Why We're Fat
Wednesday, June 20th
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown
7pm, $8 / $6.50 Student, Senior, AFS
[Tickets]

Brian B. is convinced he's a messiah--but only a "local" messiah, his powers limited to a 100-mile radius. What good is a local messiah, you might ask? Well, Brian's not too sure, either, but he's raising money to help himself--and his town--find out.

The Proper Care and Feeding of an American Messiah follows Brian's quest to prove himself, raise funds, and gain "a posse" of apostles. The film's funnier than a nun on a pogo stick, but also raises a few challenging questions. If Brian's crazy for thinking he's a messiah, are all believers crazy for thinking they're saved? When the "real" messiah comes, how will we know? Won't he just be a regular guy--much like Brian?

We talked to Hansen writer/director Chris Hansen to get his thoughts on religious wackos, Waco, and this film, which you can see tonight at the Salvage Vanguard Theater.

The character of Brian was originally drafted by your co-writer, David Lovic. How did that character change from the original conception in the creation of the fim?

The character was always pretty daffy, but for a while, he existed only on paper. I think what we did in turning the idea into a feature length film was to try to give Brian some "issues" that he was dealing with. In the original conception, he was always angry--so I wanted to at least hint at WHY he was angry. I didn't feel like we had to flesh every detail out, but I wanted to at least give the audience a sense of why this guy turned out the way he did.

How do you think filming in Waco affected the movie? Beyond the religious/prophet connection, do you think it's more authentic to shoot a film about a small-town messiah in a small town?

Shooting in a small town has great advantages. First of all, it is home for the entire crew--so we could all go home at night. Only the lead actors had to go home to a hotel every evening. But the biggest impact it had was that Waco is not at all jaded about having a movie made in town. People and businesses were incredibly helpful and generous with us. When we shot in the local bus station, we pretty much had the run of the place for an entire day. You can't do that in a larger city.

If the Italian name of the vampires-in-space sci-fi movie playing tonight at the Alamo Downtown (that would be "TERRORE NELLO SPAZIO") doesn't give you a thrill of glee, how about this line of the description?

"...the crew soon discovers the crashed Argos—and learns that her crew died fighting each other!"

No? You have a hard and boring heart, my friend. This film, part of the AFS' summer foreign scifi series, "Other Minds, Other Worlds: Global Sci-fi Cinema", follows the story of some astronauts who discover a planet filled with "a race of bloodless aliens who seek to escape from their dying world." Reminds us of John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars—only a good thing. See you there.

AFS Essentials: Planet of the Vampires
Tuesday, June 19th
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown
7pm, $4 / Free for AFS members
[Tickets]

In the first bit of Las Manitas news this year that has nothing to do with small business displacement or forgivable loans, Academy Award winning director Jonathan Demme has announced plans to shoot a new film at the embattled downtown eatery.

The film (mentioned at the tail end of this Washington Post article) will apparently be a concert documentary featuring Austin roots rocker Alejandro Escovedo. No word yet on a timeframe for the shoot, but if it's going to happen, we'd guess it'd have to be, you know, soon.

Oooohhh, wouldn't it be great if Demme got together with Brendan Canty to make this the Austin edition of Burn to Shine? We are officially endorsing that idea, however unlikely it may be.

Demme is probably best known for his 1991 thriller Silence of the Lambs, and his 1993 drama Philadelphia (both of which won Academy Awards). But he's also had some solid experience directing music documentaries, including the 1984 Talking Heads doc Stop Making Sense, and the critically lauded Neil Young doc Heart of Gold.

Joe Bob Briggs, the legendary Texas writer & TV personality, will say goodbye to the Alamo Downtown this Saturday with a special two-part film event.

First, Joe Bob will join noted Texas historian, author and UT Professor Don Graham in hosting The Texas Show, a "snappy overview/history of the image of Texas & Texas in the movies, from prehistoric times to the 1980s". In what is sure to be enlightening/hilarious conversation, Don and Joe Bob will comment on all kinds of Texas-related film clips and still photographs from the early 1900s to the present day.

Then, Joe Bob will host a screening of the infamous 1945 education-sploitation (what?) film Mom and Dad. Disguised as a health education film, Mom and Dad lured curious audiences with graphic medical footage (including an actual birth! eww!) and used an "educational" pretext to circumvent early film censorship rules. The film went on to become the third highest-grossing film of the 1940s, and is now recognized as a classic of exploitation cinema. Joe Bob will provide his own unique brand of commentary for what is already a bizarre and enjoyable film.

Inidividual tickets are avilable for each show, or you can purchase a double-feature ticket and catch both of 'em.

The Texas Show w/ Joe Bob Briggs and Don Graham
Saturday, June 16th
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown
7pm
[Tickets]

Mom and Dad w/ Joe Bob Briggs
Saturday, June 16th
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown
9:45pm
[Tickets]

From big blockbusters to foreign films, there's something for everyone being released today. These overviews should help you choose which movies you'd like to shell out for this weekend.

DOA: Dead or Alive
We thought DOA meant dead on arrival, but fans of video games and girls in bikinis likely won't quibble with the title of this action movie featuring scantily clad heroines. Babes! Yeah!

Eagle vs. Shark
Nerds kiss while wearing animal costumes, play video games, confront bullies, and do other stuff—all in New Zealand, to boot. Sadly, a real live eagle does not actually fight a real live shark, but the movie does star that guy from the Outback Steakhouse commercials.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Dude, do you have to ask? (If you do, you probably don't want to see the film.) Even if you're not into comics, Jessica Alba + Ioan Gruffudd = eye candy for all. But you might want to boycott the film if you're against firing people for advance reviews.

Fido
Fido's not your typical dog—he's a zombie on a leash, with a security collar designed to keep his flesh-eating impulses in check. This just might be the best movie concept ever.

Golden Door
An Italian immigrant works toward the American dream. Like An American Tail, except with people instead of mice and Italians instead of Russians... okay, maybe not so much like An American Tail. But the film does reveal Ellis Island as a place of ethnic bias rather than unquestioning acceptance, so points for putting historical accuracy over airbrushing.

Gypsy Caravan
Think Buena Vista Social Club, but with gypsies instead of Cubans, and multiple bands instead of one. This documentary follows the musicians and musical groups Fanfare Ciocarlia, Taraf de Haidouks, Maharaja, Antonio El Pipa, and Esma Redzepova in a cross-country journey from New York to Los Angeles, covering cultural and musical differences and similarities.

Macbeth
Because we really needed another film adaptation of Macbeth. This time, it's set in the future, and the characters are gang members instead of royalty, but there's as much blood as ever.

Nancy Drew
Julia Roberts' niece revives the role of the girl detective whose adventures were originally realized in book form in the 1930s. Solving a murder mystery, dealing with a crush, dressing like a Catholic schoolgirl even though she attends a swank public school in L.A.—golly, Nancy sure has her hands full.

Rip Cage
Sounds kind of like Nic Cage, but doesn't star him—it must not have been up to his high standards. With slogans like "In the long run, we are all dead" and "The sooner we die, the longer we shall be immortal," this film is sure to become an instant classic.

The Trials of Darryl Hunt
Imagine spending twenty years in prison for a crime you didn't commit—ten of them after DNA evidence clears you of committing the crime. Actually, since that's pretty much unimaginable, watch a movie about it instead.

You have probably never heard of Larry Weir, but if you grew up in the 80's you have most likely seen or heard his handiwork. This Sunday, he and his brother/writing partner Tom Weir will visit Austin to host a serendipitous screening of the 80's cult cheese classic Teen Witch as part of the Alamo Drafthouse Celebrity Guest Signature Series. Apparently, an Alamo staffer had been bugging the management to play the movie for years and as they were coming up to their last calendar at the original downtown location, they were actually considering including the film in the schedule. Out of the blue they received an email from someone at Larry Weir's company, asking if they'd be interested in screening the film to help promote the new musical based on the movie. Magical!

We recently chatted with Larry about the benefits of having a soap star brother, the salvation of disenfranchised teens and white boy rap.

Well, first off, I have to say that this is a bit of a dream come true. I mean, I can’t even count how many times I have seen Teen Witch.

Well, that is terrible. I feel very sorry for you if this is a dream come true! [laughs]

Okay, great, well from that comment I can rest assured that you are completely aware of just how cheesy and campy this movie is. I mean, it is probably one of the most ridiculous movies ever made.

No, I completely agree. You know, what’s crazy is that we have been to screenings all over the country, in Seattle, San Francisco and even Manhattan, and for every screening there have been lines around the block and packed theaters, which leads me to believe that there are some pretty messed up people out there. In San Francisco it was almost like being at a concert, they cranked the audio up and it was wild

Well, for some reason people have really latched onto the film, myself included, and I think the music and dance sequences played a huge part in that. I read that the songs you composed for Teen Witch actually prompted some rewriting of the script. Is it true that the soundtrack affected the way that the story progressed?

[Via Chris Garcia @ Austin360] According to the Hollywood Reporter, a Memphis projectionist named Jesse Morrison was fired after writing a scathing early review of the new Fantastic Four flick for Austin-based Ain't It Cool News. (Because it's apparently some kind of closely guarded trade secret that Silver Surfer is going to blow.)

In his capacity as a projectionist for the Malco Theater chain, Morrison was able to sneak a peek at quite a few big-name movies, and he'd written several other early reviews for AICN under the nickname "Memflix". Morrison claims that he had not signed a confidentiality agreement with Malco, and therefore had not broken any rules by voicing his opinion online. He also suggests that Fox--upset by the negative review--played a major role in forcing his dismissal. But Malco representatives claim that while Fox did initially alert them to the review, they did not influence the decision to fire the 29-year-old projectionist.

So did Morrison violate a tacit obligation to keep quiet about the films he projected? Or was Fox just pissed because their film was (probably accurately) ripped apart on one of the internet's most popular movie sites?

Austin, Texas: It's not exactly New England here. We don't have the Liberty Bell or historical plaques on every block explaining how the Pilgrims invented the Internet in some old tavern. But we do have history! You just have to look a little harder to find it.

For instance, did you know that in Austin's oldest standing structure, the French Legation, some dude's pigs broke into the bedroom in 1841 and ate the papers and linen (!) of Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, the French chargé d'affaires, thereby severely threatening Franco-Texas relations? That must have been some nice linen!

And how about the fact that due to bickering over whether Austin or Houston should be the capital of the Republic of Texas, Austin's population declined to less than 200 by 1843? Take that, all you hippies whining about how nice and small Austin was in the 1970s.

And did you know that well over a century before bike messengers brought their special brand of strapped-and-packed bromanticism to Jo's coffee downtown, the 2nd Street area was already known as Guy Town?

Tonight, the Alamo Drafthouse and the Austin Film Society's Texas Documentary Tour present Karen Kocher's Austin Past and Present, a comprehensive documentary about the labored birth and fitful growth of our fair city. Bursting with anecdotes and drawing from old maps, photographs, illustrations, paintings and rare film footage, Kocher's doc reveals Austin's history in scintillating detail. Revolving governments, constant flooding, booms and busts, housing segregation and eventual gentrification, suburban development, the voracious growth of UT, and the rise of "the Live Music Capital of the World"--it's all here, lovingly and critically pieced together for your edification. After watching this film, you need never confusedly mumble buzzwords like "gentrification," "Republic of Texas" or "smart growth" again--you may proceed directly to know-it-all-ville.

Illustration courtesy of AustinPostCard.com.

AFS Presents: Austin Past and Present
Live Q &A with producer/director Karen Kocher following screening
Wednesday, June 13th
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown
7:00pm, $6 / $4 for AFS Members
[Tickets]
[Texas Documentary Tour]

Proving once again that newfangled technology is truly the province of the very young, Apple will be offering kids-only iMovie workshops in July. If you hurry up and register now, your favorite 'tween can learn digital movie editing skills (no iMovie experience necessary) at either the Barton Creek or Domain Apple stores. The tot may bring along a computer (Mac OS X or higher, please), digital camcorder or pre-recorded footage if you've got'em, but Apple will provide computers and sample footage for all campers to use. Kids get to take home DVDs of their finished movies, along with a field journal, field guide and "more fun giveaways." It's like a whole internship in one morning!

We're not bitter (at all!) that we're too old to attend this workshop, which promises campers will "learn how to make a movie in the time it takes to watch one." In fact, we sincerely hope you'll send your child or niece to this camp instead of just buying her a Bratz doll; we hear that the filmmaking industry might be growing in this town, and a little experience now could translate into some type of employment a few years down the road. Don't forget to download and sign the Permission Statement, and be aware that all campers under 13 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the duration of the workshop.

*Parents and guardians may not attempt to suck the youthful, techno-savvy life force from campers at any point during the workshop. They are asked instead to please sit quietly in their pleated khakis and practice "texts" messaging.

[Info / Register]

Photo by Domain Barnyard on Flickr.

Slide, slide, slippity-slide, hittin' switches on the block in a '65... oh, sorry, wrong kind of voyage. Anyway, this Cosmic Voyage promises to be pretty much as rad as anything Coolio's ever done. Based on early space travel theorist Konstantin Eduardovitch Tsiolkovsky's novel Beyond the Earth, Cosmic Voyage (Kosmicheskiy reys: Fantasticheskaya novella) portrays humans in space 25 years before Yuri Gagarin's historical journey. It's presented as part of the Austin Film Society's Other Minds, Other Worlds: Global Sci Fi Cinema series running through July 31.

Cosmic Voyage features an elderly scientist, Pavel Sedikh, overcoming the restrictions of the Moscow Institute for Interplanetary Travel to construct his own spaceship (ironically named the Joseph Stalin) and bring his female assistant (as well as a young stowaway) with him to the moon. These early cosmonauts cope with the trauma of liftoff by immersing themselves in liquid, experience freedom from gravity within the spaceship, and leap joyously between craters on the moon. The group even rescues a cat that was stranded on the moon when an earlier rocket journey failed, and uses frozen oxygen found on the moon to save them when the ship's oxygen supply dwindles (hey, like we said, it was made in 1936). The characters' voyage is basically every wannabe astronaut's dream--only in black and white, and from 70 years ago. The special effects are impressive, particularly considering the era, and create a strikingly realistic picture of space flight.

Check out Cosmic Voyage at the Alamo Downtown tonight and experience the magic of a sci fi classic that was amazingly prescient for its day. If, like Coolio, you're just tryin' to find a place where you can live your life, space just might be it. As Tsiolkovsky, the film's inspiration, observed: "The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever." So get on up and go--if not to space, at least to the movie theatre.

AFS Essentials: Cosmic Voyage
Tuesday, June 12th
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown
7pm, Free for members / $4 for non-members
[Tickets]

Go ahead and order that failure bowl at KFC and dig in with your spork of sadness, it might be the only thing that will smother the despair that will come with missing Patton Oswalt present Ratatouille tonight at the Alamo. That’s right kids, it’s sold out. In fact, it was sold out last Thursday. You will just have to wait until June 29th for your yearly dose of Pixar magic and Brad Bird brilliance.

But wait! Don’t give up on your comedic dreams just yet; there are still tickets available for the sneak peek of The Foot Fist Way at the Alamo South Lamar, which is also being presented by none other than Patton Oswalt. Score! Unlike the early evening animated presentation, this screening will NOT feature the family friendly Oswalt (i.e. your little precious ones are not invited.) Also, Oswalt will not be on the screen, in body or voice-over form. He actually had nothing to do with the filming or production of The Foot Fist Way, but wants you to come and geek out with him over this new wacky comedy about a tae kwon do instructor whose life spins radically out of control after his wife cheats on him. Apparently, hundreds of people have already peed in their pants while watching this film after fists of laughter pounded their bladders into defeat, so you may want to bring some extra undies and a plastic cover for your seat (you know, out of respect to the Alamo.)

The Foot Fist Way screened at Sundance last year and has been picked up by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay for release next year, but you can be one of the first to experience this sure-to-be breakout hit a la Napoleon Dynamite, only with more zaniness and less mouth breathing. You can reserve your seat by purchasing a $10 food and beverage ticket, but the screening itself is free, and we know that you were going to spend at least ten bucks on beer tonight anyway, and you might as well make your money count. So, in review, you get to hang out with one of the funniest comedians on the planet and see a kick ass comedy before anyone else gets to see it while drinking beer; what more could you want? Did we mention that the screening is FREE?

Patton Oswalt presents The Foot Fist Way
Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
Monday, June 11
10:00pm
$10 (food and beverage voucher)
[Tickets]


Photo courtesy of Patton Oswalt's myspace page

Today, Governor Rick Perry officially recognized that when it comes to filmmaking, cash does indeed rule everything around us. After months of determined effort from the Texas Motion Picture Alliance, the Texas Film Commission, Rep. Dawnna Dukes and Sen. Bob Duell, Perry signed the dotted line on House Bill 1634, freeing up some $20 million in incentives to lure production crews--and the myriad jobs they generate--to the Lone Star State.

The gaming industry also scores a major boost from the bill, along with television shows and commercials. Any movie, tv show, commercial or video game that completes 80% of production in Texas (and can prove that Texas residents make up 70% of its payroll) will now be eligible to receive grants recouping up to 5% of its total in-state spending.

Better late than never, Texas is finally following in the cheddar-lined footsteps of states like Louisiana and Arizona, whose aggressive incentive programs (offering up to 25% rebates) have helped drain Texas of at least 20% of its film production in the past five years. At least 29 films and an estimated $313 million have been lost to incentivized states since 2003, according to the Texas Film Commision.

"Producers were calling, asking if we offered incentives, hearing 'no' and hanging up the phone," explains the Film Commission's Animation and Gaming Industry liaison Katy Daiger. Perhaps more wounding to Texan pride than the massive financial loss is the sorry fact that "Texas" locations were being filmed in New Orleans and...Ontario? Oh no, they didn't.

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If, like us, you thought that Marie Antoinette might have been a hell of a lot better as a silent movie, consider Orphans of the Storm (1921), screening tonight for free at the Harry Ransom Center as part of the Silent Silver Screens Series.

Starring the lovely and incandescent Gish sisters (that's Lillian on the left and Dorothy there on the right), Orphans follows the odyssey of devoted French sisters Henriette and Louise. When Louise goes blind, Henriette promises to look after her, and the pair travel to Paris hoping to restore Louise's sight. Unfortunately, they picked a really crappy time to travel to Paris, and soon they become separated amid the tumult of the burgeoning French Revolution.

Along the way, they encounter sinister, lustful aristocrats and powdered white wigs aplenty--along with Gypsies, a tyrannical Robespierre, sensitive hero Danton, and, naturally, the guillotine.

Tonight's screening features a live score by Graham Reynolds of Golden Arm Trio fame, so between the Gish sisters, the haunting jams, and the 18th-century-via-1920s visuals, it's sure to be the most coruscating free entertainment available tonight. Also: air conditioning.

Orphans of the Storm with Graham Reynolds and Friends
Thursday, June 7th
Harry Ransom Center
Doors at 6:30, movie at 7:00
Free! (Limited seating)
Golden Arm Trio Myspace

Whenever we hear the word “pinball” all we can think of is drinking suicides in the game room at Mazzio’s Pizza and the lyrical wonderment of “that deaf, dumb and blink kid sure plays a mean pinball” from the Who’s Tommy. You may think of that one time, at Le Fun, when you pinged and flipped and bumpered your way to a tour of the Addams Family mansion, not knowing that you were conquering one of the best selling pinball machines of all time. Whatever it is, we think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn’t shared the joy of pulling back a plunger and letting that little shiny ball rip.

This notion is what makes Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball a universal story, a throwback to childhood shared experience. In 1998 pinball was dying, thanks to a saturated market and shrinking player base. Williams, the world's largest pinball manufacturer (founded by Harry E. Williams, who in 1933 designed the first electric pinball machine) planned to abandon the game in favor of the more lucrative video slot machine business. Tilt tells the story of “Pinball 2000,” the manufacturer’s last attempt to resuscitate the floundering pinball market by integrating video projection with the backglass, which ultimately failed to pull them out of their death spiral. Tilt documents legends of the pinball industry, provides rare photos, as well as films of the best games the industry has produced and recaps the painful process of watching history die at the hands of capitalism.

Today, every Tom, Dick and Harry has their very own game console at home, be it the PS3, the Xbox 360, or in our case, an old school Nintendo (we still love Mario Bros. 3.) Perhaps the newest generation will never experience pounding the buttons on the side of a pinball machine, desperately trying to save that last ball from descending below the flippers, but we know that you can't get an arcade experience with a handheld controller and will always remember having to ask Mom and Dad for more quarters after receiving a tilt penalty.

Want to go see it for free tonight? Score 50,000 points in multiball mode... or just fill out the form to win.
This contest is closed. Thanks to everyone who entered!

AFF Presents Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball
Thursday, June 7th
Alamo Drafthouse Lakecreek
7:30pm
[Tickets]

If your first thought upon hearing of the new movie I'm Reed Fish is "Who's Reed Fish?" you're certainly not alone. Who is Reed Fish? Is that even a real name? How could his (her?) parents be so cruel/awesome? Why don't more people have animal last names (we want to meet a Mr. Platypus)? Shouldn't Reed Fish & Co. be the name of a hedge fund company? And are there real live "reed fish"? (Yes, and they are damn weird-lookin'. Though maybe not quite as weird-looking as Reed Fish himself.)

In addition to being an actual type of fish, Reed Fish is apparently a random slacker with a penchant for taking incredibly blurry photos of restaurants. The guy wrote a movie about his life and somehow convinced Alexis Bledel, Schuyler Fisk, DJ Qualls, Jay Baruchel, and other celebrity-ish types to star in it. How the dream of every hippie Austinite with a screenplay in his or her desk drawer (oh, don't pretend you're not one of 'em) came true for a dude from NorCal remains a bit of a mystery, but apparently this folksy coming-of-age-type tale displays genuine quirkiness and accurately represents the charm and boredom of small-town life. (Then again, the NY Post hated it--maybe New Yorkers just don't get drama if it's not in an urban setting.)

Synopsis: Reed Fish (Jay Baruchel) is a radio personality in the small town of Mud Meadows, where the biggest news story is the village zorse (a zebra/horse cross). Reed seems to have it all: his radio show is relatively popular and he's engaged to his gorgeous high-school sweetheart Kate (Alexis Bledel). The status quo is disturbed when childhood friend Jill (Schuyler Fisk) returns to town after graduating from a big-city college. Jill's radical guitar stylings rock Reed's world and make him wonder if there isn't something more to life than gabbing on the radio and marrying his longtime lady.

So who is Reed Fish, and will he marry Kate or run off with Jill? Find out for yourself tonight, when the Austin Film Festival screens I'm Reed Fish at the Regal Arbor Cinema. Free for AFF members and just $4 for regular people.

I'm Reed Fish
Wednesday, June 6th
Regal Arbor Cinema, 9828 Great Hills Trail
7:30pm, $4 / Free for AFF members

Sugar, you know it annoys your mama when you slam that screen door, so please close it quietly when you head over to Salvage Vanguard Theater to watch the Screen Door Film Festival.

The fest promises to be 101 minutes of clean and dirty fun, with 8 short films ranging from 3 to 26 minutes in length and featuring diverse characters, including soldiers, sniper champions, tadpoles, and angry hookers. We're most excited about seeing "Apocalypse Oz," a mashup of The Wizard of Oz and Apocalypse Now created by Ewan Telford, but work from Austin's own Berndt Mader and Miguel Alvarez promises to be intriguing as well. The guy who wrote the Budweiser lizards ad campaign has a film in the festival, too, and there's even a film narrated in French (no film fest would be complete without un peu de Francais).

Whether you prefer mise en scene or bud wise errr, there will definitely be something for you to enjoy at the Screen Door Film Festival. Just don't let that screen door slam on your way out.

Screen Door Film Festival
Wednesday June 13th
Salvage Vanguard Theatre, 2803 Manor Road
7:30pm
[Official Website]

Tonight, Alamo Music Mondays presents an encore screening of Philippe Puicouyoul's 1980 New Wave love story La Brune Et Moi.

The story revolves around a hot young French girl who's desperate for punk-rock superstardom, and a rich businessman who tries his best to buy it for her. But of course, the underdeveloped plot is just an excuse to showcase a long list of French punk bands, including Ici Paris, Artefact, Astroflash, Edith Nylon, The Questions, The Party, Marquis de Sade, Dogs, Go-Go Pigalles, Taxi Girl and Les Prives.

Loud-as-hell garage rockers The Teeners will play a set before the film, so get there on time.

And while we've got your attention, it's also worth mentioning that Music Mondays and Terror Thursdays will go on hiatus while the Alamo Downtown is relocating—so you've only got three more installments of each until they start up again in late August or early September. But don't worry Weird Wednesday fans, that series will temporarily move to the South Lamar theatre until the new digs are complete (which is cool, but means that you may accidentally brush up against people leaving a late screening of Harry Potter. Eww!).

Music Mondays Presents: La Brune Et Moi
Monday, June 4th
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown
9:45pm, $2 / $1 Student, AFS
[Tickets]
[The Teeners on MySpace]

If there's anyone who typifies traditional Hollywood and all its paradoxes, it's Tab Hunter. Born Arthur Gelien, he was discovered in his teens, renamed by beefcake agent extraordinaire Henry Willson, and molded almost overnight into a smoldering, cornfed leading-man dreamboat. Frequently shirtless, tanned and broad-shouldered in early movies like Battle Cry and Island of Desire, Hunter oozed sex appeal opposite everyone from Natalie Wood to Lana Turner to Sophia Loren. Unbeknownst to millions of Tab-dazzled ladies, however, was that Hunter actually preferred boys--a fact that he scrupulously kept on the downlow for years. When the big studio era finally sputtered to a close, he found work in Spaghetti Westerns and dinner theater until John Waters came calling, which led to a career-rejuvenating role in Polyester (1981) playing Divine's love interest.

Still living in California, Hunter now runs a production company with longtime partner Allan Glaser. In 2005 he published Tab Hunter Confidential, addressing his double life as a secretly gay pin-up and dishing on the stars and moguls of Old Hollywood. He'll be at the Alamo Drafthouse on Sunday night to narrate a montage of his movie clips, followed by a screening of Polyester (in Odorama!) and book signing. Oh yeah, and he's now in his mid-seventies and he's still a total babe. We recently talked with Tab about Hollywood hype, kissing Divine, and why he'd rather be with his horses.

I'm fascinated by your name. It's got that ultra-masculine 50s ring to it. Is it true that [agents] Dick Willson and Dick Clayton just concocted it by saying, "Well, we've got to tab him something"?

That's exactly the way it came about! I used to show horses--I used to show hunters and jumpers, and it became Tab Hunter as opposed to Tab Jumper. Seriously, that's exactly how it came about. In those days, people changed their names an awful lot, but nowadays people just use them no matter how strange the name might be.

Oh, the humanity! Welcome to the one weekend a year where you can see a biker mama on every block sporting a midriff baring halter top and leather chaps; however, this woman will bear a striking resemblance to the woman who birthed you . Pair that with inhaling noxious greenhouse-effect-inducing fumes and having your eardrums wailed on like a red-headed step-child and suddenly paying $8.25 to sit in a cold, dark box doesn't seem so outrageous. Thank you, movie theaters, you have just saved us a bazillion dollars in doctor/therapist fees.

*Adam's Apples
So, a Priest and a Neo-Nazi walk into a bar....Danish black comedy loosely based on the Book of Job, you know, from the Bible. (We are soooo going to hell for wikipedia-ing the Book of Job.)

*Beyond the Gates
Much like Hotel Rwanda, Beyond the Gates is the true story of a run-of-the-mill locale (this time it's a school) becoming a refugee camp for the Tutsi people and ultimately a killing field. There is pretty much nothing funny or snarky to say, and we can only hope that someone, somewhere will finally figure out how to stop the genocide. Until that day, send your prayers, your meditations, your rays of white light towards Darfur.

Bug
People, if you notice something crawling under your skin, please go to the doctor. We don't care if you don't have health insurance, that shit is nasty and you have got to get some medicine.

Fool and Final
A film based on another film. That's right, Fool and Final is a Bollywood remake of Guy Ritchie's Snatch. Only with Mike Tyson. Seriously. We are guessing that he is playing Brad Pitt's part, you know, the guy that you can't understand a word that comes out of his mouth....

Gracie
Apparently Elisabeth Shue was a kick ass soccer player/burgeoning feminist at some point in her life. Yes, that Elisabeth Shue. And yes, we loved Adventures in Babysitting just as much as you.

Jindabyne
Men find dead body. Men leave dead body for two days to go fishing. Men return to town and tell of dead body they found two days ago. Townspeople, wives, authorities outraged. Lives crumble. The End.

*Knocked Up
This movie has been getting more media exposure than Voxtrot. But we are okay with that, because we lurve Judd Apatow and his merry band of marauders. We also personally think that Seth Rogen is kind of adorable, but we admittedly have a shiksa complex.

Mr. Brooks
Kevin Costner is a serial killer! No, wait, William Hurt is a serial killer! No, wait, we're confused.

*Once
This movie is based on our ideal world, a world in which people break into song for no apparent reason other than it is the only way to express how they feel. And these people have Irish accents.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Can we remind everyone that the original concept for this movie was born from a theme park ride? Time to calibrate your expectations. That said, Johnny Depp can do no wrong.

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama
His Holiness visited Austin about a year and a half ago, and we haven't stopped kicking ourselves for missing it. Watching this documentary is a completely different experience than that would have been, but still a worthwhile endeavor.

* Austinist recommends. We also recommend these first runs: Away from Her, Chalk, Hot Fuzz, The Lives of Others, The Page Turner, Waitress, Year of the Dog

Showtimes