You know how sometimes when you are out on the town for a nice dinner, you wish that you could order tiny versions of everything on the menu because all of the dishes sound so delicious? Well, that's how we feel about film sometimes - if only we could watch 20 minutes of splatteriffic gore, 20 minutes of absurdist comedy and round it out with a piquant documentary or two, we would have all of......

The complete schedule for the 14th annual Austin Film Festival has been announced, and it looks pretty amazing. 79 feature films and 98 shorts will screen over the course of eight days at various locations in Austin, beginning on October 11th with Brett Morgen’s much hyped docudrama Chicago 10, starring Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo, Roy Scheider, Liev Schreiber and Jeffrey Wright. Jason Reitman's brilliant new comedy Juno (starring Ellen Page, Michael......

On Tuesday, the American -ists will be celebrating democracy and hitting the polls, letting politicians know what they really think. It just made us wonder: if it were up to the -ist-a-verse, what would we be voting for? Londonist votes for better skincare, alternative spaces for art, cute little birds and the men who keep them, and concrete. Lots of concrete. Shanghaiist votes for one of the Bee Gees and Air Supply (it's a double-ticket),......

From stage performances to her role as Jerri Blank on Strangers with Candy to her guest column, "Sedaratives," in The Believer, Amy Sedaris has made a career out of making people laugh with her absurd brand of wit and charm. With I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, Sedaris has extended her talents to the world of cookbooks. In the informative and entertaining book, she shares some of her favorite recipes along with special tips......

As festivals go, the Texas Book Festival is probably one of the most consistent we have in Austin. For the past couple of years, Clay Smith–the festival’s literary director–has sought out and scored some of the most notable figures on the nation’s book scene. This year is no exception as the festival is sporting some very prominent names. The festival “kicks-off” on Thursday night (7pm) at the Harry Ransom Center where Alan Furst will be......

And in the spirit of slackerdom, today we’re just recommending every new release that doesn’t star a Wilson brother. *Clerks 2 Austinist review As is the case with most sequels, we’re not really sure why this one is necessary. But Joel Siegel walked out of a screening, so that’s just as good of a reason to see it as any. *Lady in the Water Judging by the past, there’s a really good chance this......

Sure, David Sedaris is all the rage. And with good reason. His faux-angry satire always provides us with a hearty laugh. Even more so when we hear him read it. He's one of the great humor writers in the country today. Here's the catch, he's not even the funniest person in his family. We love David but give us Amy Sedaris any day. The absurdly funny Amy has kept us laughing for years with......

Quick, citizens of Austin, to the theatre! This weekend is your last chance to down to the jiggy beat of your favorite theatre company before all those self-important dicks with well-coppered tans come to town. Speaking of San Francisco, (and SXSW, and theatre), that brings us to our Austinist performance pick of the week. Heather Gold is coming all the way from Golden-Gate-Ville to perform at the Vortex on Monday and Tuesday night. Here’s......

For those Amy Sedaris/Strangers With Candy fans who have been holding your breath, waiting for the off-beat comedy to come to the big screen, please exhale. Because it might be a while and we don't want you to die. If you'd like to help the nation see Jerri Blank 20-feet tall, then you can e-mail Warner Independent (press@warnerindependent.com) and share your concern. Also, if you don't already know (and we didn't until today*) Amy......