Talking George Lucas, Pop-Up Hanukkah, and More Events

Foxy Brown

Monday 2, Alamo Lakeline and Village

Seventies exploitation movies didn’t make many household name-level stars, and that goes extra for women, who were generally just used as disposable T&A. Yet five decades after her onscreen debut as “partygoer” in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, just the mention of Pam Grier’s name, or her face on a T-shirt, is enough to turn heads. Director Jack Hill knew it when he saw her working the phones at American International Pictures, and she soon eclipsed all her male co-stars with her sheer badassery. Following up her first headlining role in 1973’s Coffy, Foxy Brown pits the queen of Blaxploitation against rapist drug dealers, and you know who’ll come off worse.   – Richard Whittaker

Off the Menu Supper Club: Friendsgiving

Monday 2, Dai Due

Local locavores will be jazzed to hear about this one: Chef Jesse Griffiths and his nationally recognized Dai Due, recent winner of a Michelin Green Star and Bib Gourmand, will play host to Off the Menu Supper Club’s Friendsgiving edition. Guests will be treated to a three-course meal involving fire grilling and Texas ingredients, plus wine pairings by Wine for the People’s Rae Wilson. And it’s for a good cause, as a portion of the proceeds goes to the Food & Wine Alliance’s culinary grant program. VIP guests get in early and are welcomed with a cocktail and a copy of one of Griffiths’ books.   – Kat McNevins

Courtesy of Texas Observer

A Texas Miracle: The Observer Turns 70

Tuesday 3, Scholz Garten

Talk about a comeback kid. Twenty months ago, Texas Observer, that storied progressive publication, was at death’s door. A flurry of fundraising pulled the magazine back from the brink, and the recent promotion of powerhouse investigative reporter and interim Editor-in-Chief Gus Bova to permanent EIC is further cause for celebration. At Tuesday’s Scholz Garten gathering, cheer on their first 70 years with a $25 donation, and give generously above that if you can: In a red state that will only feel more emboldened by a Trump presidency, we’re going to need the Observer now more than ever.   – Kimberley Jones

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Movie Party

Through December 23, Alamo Drafthouse Village, Slaughter Lane, Lakeline, Mueller

Before I even type a single word to describe this film, my mother’s voice is already in my head quoting entire scenes. This is a Scott family classic – so well-worn in its jokes that the whole movie doesn’t read as funny to me anymore so much as it just IS. I’ve never lived in a world without Chevy Chase getting his sap-sticky hand caught in Beverly D’Angelo’s hair; without Randy Quaid telling Chase to get himself something “really nice”; without the Jelly of the Month club. Obviously the folks at Sony’s Box Office Bonkers, aka Alamo Drafthouse, also feel the same, because they’ve programmed screenings across December where you’ll not only watch this movie, but you’ll also be given cheap plastic miscellanea to represent your loyal viewership.   – James Scott

Photo by John Anderson

By the Books: Public Art in the World

Tuesday 3, First Light Books

I like art. I like it even better when it’s just out there: unattached to a museum fee or a big ol’ private property sign. First Light seems on the same page here, as they’re throwing a discussion panel featuring experts in the world of public art: Sharon Maidenberg, Will Bryant, Jamal Hussain, and Emily Eisenhart. These scholars will chat on all matters art, creativity, and collective ownership at this ticketed event, though if you’re not interested in dropping $40 to get a drink ticket and $25 on your next book purchase, there’s a free RSVP option, too.   – James Scott

Courtesy of Kitty Cohen's

Get Lit: A Hanukkah Pop-Up

Through January 2, Kitty Cohen’s

You cut Austin and the city bleeds Christmas bars. And you know what? As the guy who spends most of my work hours scanning for cool events to recommend, I’ll say what needs to be said: That’s so BORING! No more of this mishegoss; we’ve got better shit to show ya. Such as Kitty Cohen’s returning pop-up featuring fantastic drinks, food, and more for the Festival of Lights. Even the most gratuitous of goy will be won over by the Maccabee’s Knees and Oy Fashioned cocktails – although the real star here is the Latke Punch. Made from potato vodka, apple cider, ginger liqueur, and lemon, this splashy sip reminds me of my own grandpa frying up potato pancakes in the kitchen.   – James Scott

Terror Tuesday: Maniac

Tuesday 3, Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar

Porno director William Lustig switched gears a bit for this Christmastime slasher and drew inspiration from 1975’s highest-grossing film, describing Maniac as “Jaws on land ... but with a guy instead of a shark.” And the sea is grimy NYC, and the guy doesn’t really bite anybody, but he does kill a lot of ladies, savagely. Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead) handled the gory effects and Joe Spinell served up an iconic debut as the lead after being known as a character actor (The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Rocky). See the 4K restoration here, and compare/contrast to the 2012 remake starring Austinite Elijah Wood.   – Kat McNevins

Dog-Man 13: Big Jim Begins

Wednesday 4, BookPeople

Dog-Man! Dog-Man! Dog-Man is HERE, people! Maybe you’re not losing your mind over this, but I bet you know a 6-to-12-year-old who is. From the brain behind Captain Underpants, superhero pooch Dog Man, as described by author Dav Pilkey, is a “crime-biting canine who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!” This new addition to the bestselling series sees character origins revealed and the universe threatened by the evil Space Cuties – and this event sees you and your kiddos meeting the real Dog Man for photos! Bark, bark, woof, woof, and a hearty a-woo to you all.   – James Scott

Weird Wednesday: School of the Holy Beast

Wednesday 4, Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar

Once again, I find myself talking nuns in these here pages. This time around, however, Weird Wednesday drifts from that Dutch deviant Verhoeven to Toei journeyman Norifumi Suzuki. Going from the first theatrical depiction of omorashi (don't look it up) in Terrifying Girls’ High School: Lynch Law Classroom, Suzuki digs into hidden identity, dark secrets, and other hallmarks of the "pinky violence" genre – aka violent erotic Japanese cinema. A plot summary tells of new nun Maya trying to unlock her mother's past by joining the same Sacred Heart Convent, only to find herself embroiled in acid vats, rose-thorn whips, and – oh boy – a lesbian mother superior. Sheesh! What's a girl to do but pick up the crucifix...   – James Scott

Courtesy of AFS Cinema

The George Lucas Talk Show

Thursday 5, AFS Cinema

We all have our niche enjoyments, and for me, that’s this talk show/experience featuring the real George Lucas (as played by Connor Ratliff) and the real Toydarian Watto (as played by Griffin Newman). Deep 2020 malaise attacks were defeated when I watched Lucas, Watto, and producer Patrick Cotnoir lose their minds in Zoom windows while they forced actors, directors, and comedian friends to discuss cultural miscellanea such as Lucas’ freakish animated ELO musical Strange Magic. As if knowing the current newscycle had me in a similar spiral to early COVID, GLTS hits Austin on the first Thursday of December. Special guests include filmmaker Andrew Bujalski and critic and author Matt Zoller Seitz.   – James Scott

Falsettos

Through December 21, Ground Floor Theatre

Musicals have been in the news lately due to green-and-pink propaganda machine Wicked, but there’s another Broadway hit making its way through Austin. A Nineties creation whose complex family dynamic feels right at home in our own turbulent 2020s, William Finn and James Lapine’s sung-through play follows a family in the aftermath of a gay father leaving his wife to pursue a new lover. While father Marvin attempts to keep the peace between his son, ex-wife, and boyfriend – named Whizzer, of all things – cultural shake-ups like the AIDS crisis loom overhead. Great to see right before you leave to see your family during the famously chill and easygoing holiday season.   – James Scott

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.