Trains, Dance, and Lesbionage in This Week’s Recommended Events

Roman Holiday

Thursday 22 - Wednesday 28, AFS Cinema

The title card read “And Introducing Audrey Hepburn.” It was actually her eighth appearance onscreen, but her first American picture (shot entirely on location in Rome), and the whole world went wild for her. With her Continental upbringing – her mother was a Dutch baroness – and trained dancer’s elegance, Hepburn was more than plausible playing a princess; more delightful was her natural impishness. When Princess Ann goes rogue and ignores her royal duties for 24 hours, she falls in love with an American journalist played by Gregory Peck – oh, and gets a killer haircut along the way. Perfectly charming.   – Kimberley Jones

“Chronicles: A Retrospective”

Through October 6, grayDUCK

Owner, director, and master printer of Flatbed Press, Katherine Brimberry wears many hats. On top of all these hats is her artist hat, which you’ll be hard “pressed” to ignore once you’ve enjoyed her newest exhibit of prints and mixed media works. “Chronicles: A Retrospective” shows off Brimberry’s cornerstone status in Texas printmaking, with gorgeous landscapes and intriguing visuals abounding. From her own artist statement: “When I place found objects into visual relationships with landscape details, I intend to create an enigma. The viewer, who without the benefit of the history of the objects, is presented this mystery and can find and assign meaning. My underlying intention is creating images that spark epiphany about time and space, life and death, past and future.” Check out the show’s opening on Sat., Aug. 24, and see a retrospective of Brimberry’s collaborative pieces over at St. Edward’s Fine Arts Gallery on Aug. 30.   – James Scott

The Breakfast Club and 10 Things I Hate About You

Friday 23, Paramount Theatre

As an angsty, freedom-relishing teenager, the phrase “back to school” always sent a shiver down my spine, the same way the Sunday Scaries afflict me now as a member of the U.S. workforce. At least now I have the distance to enjoy this Chronicle-sponsored high school double feature without heartache. Eighties kids get their kicks first with John Hughes’ classic detention kumbaya. Then comes Gil Junger’s 1999 Taming of the Shrew adaptation, a still-perfect flick for anyone with queen Kat Stratford’s interests: peak heartthrob Heath Ledger, plus “Thai food, feminist prose, and angry girl music of the indie rock persuasion.” Class starts at 7pm.   – Carys Anderson

Love Is Love: An Austin Pride Month Celebration

Friday 23, Rivian Showroom

Las Ofrendas teams with electric “adventure” vehicle brand Rivian for a new residency. They’ll be bringing that classic Las Ofrendas flair – like a primo Frida Friday market of local queer makers as well as on-site flash tattoos, community org tabling, and a chance to win tickets to see Big Freedia at Mohawk. Self-described “Queer Cumbiambero” Miguel St. Michael performs live, and Equality Texas offers interactive activations. All this, and it’s free with RSVP? Sheeeeesh. Now that’s a party you’ll really love.   – James Scott

Chungking Express

Saturday 24, Paramount Theatre

First off – if you leave this film without the song “California Dreamin’” stuck in your head for a week, then you are a much stronger person than me and I’m more than a little jealous. Second off, this Wong Kar-wai tone poem shows slips of life full of his typical yearning. Two romantic-ish stories spiral around each other, choppy naturalistic storytelling that inspired filmmakers from Quentin Tarantino to Sofia Coppola. Luxuriate in the incredibly specific and stylish frames created by a master of his craft.   – Cat McCarrey

“My Eyes Are Starving for Beauty”

Through October 5, Big Medium

Utilizing collected materials – recycled clay, lumber, thrift store blankies – queer Texan Anthony Sonnenberg’s new show uses not only installed art pieces but performance. Makes sense, given that the queerness Sonnenberg explores here holds space in both stillness and movement. Consider his acknowledged muses, Divine and André Leon Talley, both of whom were striking in still images and awe-inspiring in motion. The event copy extrapolates: “These, and other creatives like them, stood out for their ability to defy traditional beauty standards, becoming fashion icons for their completely unique, uncompromising style, and their outsized impacts on the worlds of fashion, film, music, and pop culture.” Enjoy the opening reception festivities on Aug. 23, or check in any Saturday through Oct. 5.   – James Scott

Austin Train Show

Saturday 24 - Sunday 25, Palmer Events Center

You want mass transit but make it small? Have I got the event for you and all your train-pilled friends: Over 25,000 square feet of model railroading will cross Palmer Events Center this weekend at the Austin Train Show. Beyond just miniature tracks and cars will be clinics, a child-sized Kiddie Express for youngsters to ride, concession treats, and vendors. But don’t skip those fully operational model and Lego built railroads, which’ll go toot-toot right into your heart. All aboard!   – James Scott

Le Garage Sale

Saturday 24 - Sunday 25, Palmer Events Center

Back-to-school time means you need an entire new wardrobe, or at the very least, a few new pieces to kick off the fall season. And only a fool would pay full price and spend days on end hopping around from shop to shop. Go to where all the boutiques get together in one place, where every rack is a sale rack! Since 2001, Le Garage Sale has made back-to-school a breeze with its curated collection of over 140 vendors offering unique deals and quality items, from accessories to clothing to housewares. A $12 ticket gets you in, but $30 gets you in early for the VIP pre-shop.   – Kat McNevins

Josie and the Pussycats

Sunday 25, Paramount Theatre

Pop music’s always been evil, but never has its candy-colored excess been better shattered than in 2001 comedy/Hanna-Barbera adaptation Josie and the Pussycats. As a fan of the cartoon, I remember being an incredibly snobby 10-year-old who refused to see the movie as there was no reverence for the original material. What a nerd! Like, sorry they didn’t give the band a cat who actually belongs to their evil manager’s evil sister. For the more enlightened among us, the three-hander featuring Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, and Rosario Dawson is a more pleasing pastime. Plus the songs in the movie are actually good! Let’s see TayTay try to knock “Pretend to Be Nice” off the Billboard charts in my heart.   – James Scott

The Emo Alien Presents: I’m Not Okay (I Promise)

Sunday 25, King Bee

Well, if you wanted honesty, that’s all you had to say: This emo-focused drag show’s not just about seeing your fav drag artists perform to MCR classics. This here’s a benefit for queer mental health, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Pride Center of San Antonio’s free LGBTQ counseling services. But, yeah, okay: The show’s also about the emo biz. Enjoy performances by Lilith Von Lips, Tangelo, Franky L’Amour, GatorrGorr, and co-host Solovino; food from Good Vibrations Pizza Company; and a vendor market featuring appropriately gothy folks like All That Raaz, Pushing Up Daisies, Pendulum & Bone, and Smell This Candle. Local graphic designer the Emo Alien co-hosts.   – James Scott

Plants & Pints Market

Sunday 25, Meanwhile Brewing

We are in the crispy crunchy part of summer where the greens scorch and turn to brown if you look away for a moment, so what better time to turn our eyes to the leaves in our lives? Join the Leaf Lovers Club for a plant market featuring houseplants, tropicals, succulents, and cacti so you can get more greenery going at home. Meanwhile Brewing is also releasing a very tasty blue corn lager, made with Hopi blue corn from Barton Springs Mill and with a portion of proceeds going to EarthShare Texas, who’ll be on-site with info about their mission to improve the environment and health of Central Texans.   – Kat McNevins

Ballet Austin’s Come Dance

Sunday 25, Butler Dance Education Center

For the last 17 years, Ballet Austin has spread joy to the entire community at their annual free day of dance inspired by Alvin Ailey, who wrote, “Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.” Ballet Austin already gives us so much, but on this day only, the dance-curious can try one of those classes they’ve always been curious about, from ballet to hip-hop to West African to Bollywood style. It’s all free, even the parking! So bust out those Lycras, dance belts, et al. and get your booty on the floor. See you at Hip Hop Foundations: Popping.   – Kat McNevins

SunGays: Lesbionage

Sunday 25, We Luv Video

A movie so new to the modern audience that We Luv Video’s queer movie curators had to add it to Letterboxd themselves – it’s Lesbionage. Per the WorldCat.org summary, “Blackmail, kidnapping and corruption give two lesbian private detectives their toughest case. Will their relationship survive?” Notable cast member alert: Is that trans man diarist Lou Sullivan as Sammy Reeves and an assistant director? Why yes: It is! Look, if a movie about gay lady detectives hasn’t already got you running to the ticket link, consider the fact that every ticket comes with a free lesbian pulp novel. Considered? Good! Thank you, BookWoman, for making this SunGay even more magical.   – James Scott

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Want to see all of our listings broken down by day? Go to austinchronicle.com/calendar and see what's happening now or in the coming week.