Memoir of a Snail with pre-recorded Q&A
Monday 10, Alamo South Lamar
It’s been 20 years since a stop-motion animated feature won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Since Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit there have only been seven nominated features where the hand of the animator has directly imbued the imitation of life into every character, every leaf, every animal. Maybe the speed is because, of all the animate forms, it’s the most laborious, the most demanding, and maybe the most magical. It moves at, well, a snail’s pace, but that’s perfectly fitting for Memoir of a Snail, Adam Benjamin Elliot’s Oscar-nominated first feature in 16 years (told you these things took a while) and the enchanting, heartbreaking tale of Grace Pudel (voiced by Sarah Snook) and her obsession with our little shelled friends. Stick around for a special pre-recorded Q&A with Smith in conversation with Australian film legend George Miller. – Richard Whittaker
The Book Club Was Better: Ghost World
Monday 10, BookPeople
Movies based on English-language graphic novels number in the hundreds, but how many can boast an adaptation written by their original comic creator? Daniel Clowes took up the pen beside director Terry Zwigoff for the film adaptation of his comic, altering scenes but never losing the Gen X ennui at the story’s heart. BookPeople invites its book-clubbers to their page-to-screen discussion group, where y’all can chat about what works, what blows, and what stays the exact same. – James Scott
Crash (1996)
Monday 10, Hyperreal Film Club
Consider, if you please, the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. Francis Ford Coppola is jury president. Director David Cronenberg presents his latest work based on the J.G. Ballard novel of the same name, a film which his CAA agent called a career ender. When audiences see the picture, some jeer and run from the cinema like prudish children – and yet, when awards come out, the non-Coppola jury members work to award Cronenberg a Special Jury Prize for his film’s daring. (In Cronenberg’s retelling, Coppola refused to even hand him the award.) What about this car-crash erotic thriller caused such a stir? See for yourself this Monday, and remember: If you run out of the room, Hyperreal doesn’t issue refunds. – James Scott
Women & Their Work: Collage Storytelling
Monday 10, University Hills Branch Library
As we move through life, we collect objects and images that help us along, that remind us of good or bad times, that can become burdensome or spark joy. These items can all tell your story, but what story do you want them to convey? For this edition of Crafty Adult, Women & Their Work assists with curating compelling compositions made from images, text, and objects that participants bring to be photographed. It’s all inspired by W&TW’s photographic installation exhibit “Don’t Cry for Me When I’m Gone” by Irene Antonia Diane Reece, which runs through March 6 and features Black Southern archival material that evokes a range of emotions. – Kat McNevins
ILY2: a TuezGayz Love Letter
Tuesday 11, Swan Dive & Barbarella
Anyone who has a soul and a soft spot for weeknight ragers has enjoyed their fair share of TuezGayz revelry. Back in 2022, Barbs & Swan Dive co-owner and host the Glitoris told the queer column Qmmunity (hey, that’s my column!) that “TuezGayz is a rite of passage for transplants and queerdos to explore themselves, make lifelong friends, partners, wives, husbands.” Join the party people in celebrating Austin’s wildest weeknight by boppin’ all night long and crawling through work on Wednesday with a well-earned hangover. Plus: themed drag at 10:30pm over at Swan Dive. – James Scott
AEW Dynamite
Tuesday 11, H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
In preparation for the company’s first trip to Australia next week, All Elite Wrestling tapes its flagship program on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. There are currently two big feuds heading into Grand Slam Australia. World-class talent Will Ospreay may make his first local AEW appearance as he’s set to team with Kenny Omega in Brisbane against the Don Callis Family. The other main storyline features the return of “Timeless” Toni Storm as she looks to win back the AEW Women’s World Championship from Mariah May in her home country. – Derek Udensi
Kevin Alter & Casey Dunn: Highland Park
Tuesday 11, First Light Books
This one’s for the lovers of notable Dallas buildings, as Kevin Alter of Alterstudio Architecture, the local studio behind the Highland Park Residence, is joined by photographer Casey Dunn who captures the structure. The two will discuss how a livable piece of art goes from idea to design to construction and the pitfalls of each step. The book is the latest from Oscar Riera Ojeda’s Masterpiece Series. Come on out and try to keep the house envy from being too obvious. – James Renovitch
Knowledge Most Fantastic: Fantasy Trivia Night
Tuesday 11, the Tiny Minotaur
As a child, I was obsessed with vampires to the point that I read many a guidebook on them. This was how I became familiar with psychic vampires and also terrified of them. While I no longer fear the fangs – physical or mental – this month’s fantasy trivia topic at Tiny Minotaur recalls my youthful hyperfixation: vampires. Hosted by Bailey Moore and Yaint, this trivia night asks all teams of five or less to bring their vampy knowledge to win fantastical fare for the low, low price of five bucks. Already a Tavern member or maybe a fwend of one? Y’all get in for free, baybee. – James Scott
Superb Owl Storytime
Tuesday 11, BookPeople
We love a good bit of wordplay around here at the Chronicle, and it’s no surprise that BookPeople does as well. Possibly begun from a simple typo, the phrase “Superb Owl” turned out to be useful in sidestepping trademark violations when talking about The Big Game, and was popularized in 2014 on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show. At this storytime, kiddos will get a hoot out of tales about the wise and mighty owl, which despite a common misconception, can’t actually rotate their heads a full 360 degrees. But that’s OK; they still get around! – Kat McNevins
Books and Breweries: Chester B. Himes’ The Real Cool Killers
Tuesday 11, Batch Craft Beer + Kolaches
Detective media has never lost its shine and for good reason: Who doesn’t want to see a mystery solved? American writer and winner of French crime lit award Grand Prix de Littérature Policière Chester B. Himes sits among the genre’s most accomplished, and this month Austin Public Library asks readers to delve into the second of his Harlem Detective series. The series follows Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson, Black detectives whose brutal methods hit only those who deserve the law’s heavy fist – at least according to their creator, who survived a stint in prison himself through writing. Get ready to discuss marijuana, bar-fight stabbings, and street gangs for this brewery-based book club pick, and snag a kolache if Batch Craft’s still got ’em after breakfast. – James Scott
Duke of Burgundy
Wednesday 12, Alamo South Lamar
The problem with BDSM, as Peter Strickland points out in the surprisingly hilarious sex comedy Duke of Burgundy, is that it’s just such a huge amount of work. On the surface, the aristocratic Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen) is the dom and her maidservant, Evelyn (Chiara D’Anna), is the sub. But the more time the audience gets to observe their power dynamics, the more it’s apparent that Cynthia’s control seems more like a workload. The term “sex comedy” may make it sound far more sophomoric than it is. Instead, Strickland writes a wry and dry doctoral thesis on power dynamics that’s still laugh-out-loud hysterical. – Richard Whittaker
A Summer’s Tale
Sunday 9 & Wednesday 12, AFS Cinema
Sweet solitude: a fitting name for the first solo museum exhibition by Thai artist Jiab Prachakul. Currently on display at the Contemporary Austin at the Jones Center through Aug. 3, her recent work centers on displacement, both physical and emotional. Such themes are apparent in the films she has selected for the ongoing series she’s programmed for AFS Cinema, which continues this month with two selections. The first represents her adopted home, France, with the second of Eric Rohmer’s “Tales of Four Seasons” quartet, A Summer’s Tale (Feb. 9 & 12), while the work of her land of her birth comes to the screen through the breakout movie for her friend, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Feb. 16 & 19). – Richard Whittaker
Adaptations Book Club: If Beale Street Could Talk
Wednesday 12, We Luv Video
Getting in the mood for Valentine’s Day, We Luv Video falls in love with If Beale Street Could Talk, arguably James Baldwin’s most romantic novel. Amid the backdrop of early Seventies Harlem, it follows a young Black woman who, with family support, sets out to prove her fiancé’s innocence for a crime he didn’t commit. Exploring passion and injustice, Barry Jenkins’ 2018 film adaptation received numerous accolades. [Editor’s Note: Such as an EXTREMELY deserved Best Supporting Actress win for the legendary Regina King!] We Luv Video’s monthly book club dares to ask: Is the book or film better? Maybe the answer is, both are great. – Mattea Gallaway
Horror Writing Workshop
Wednesday 12, Terrazas Branch Library
Eek! What could be scarier than a horror story? Writing one, for starters. Luckily, Austin Public Library’s invited local author Tonia Ransom to help buff up y’all’s bone-chilling bona fides. With a novella (Risen) and a Black creator-centric horror-fiction podcast (Nightlight) under her belt, Ransom lays out the basics for beginners and longtime creepers alike, with tips on writing petrifying plots, skin-crawling characters, and eerie environments that’ll have your bones rattling in fear. Happy haunting, y’all! – James Scott
Go Fish
Thursday 13, Hyperreal Film Club
I love when everyone works together. So I’m pleased to inform you readers that Hyperreal Film Club has partnered with local queer social Sapphic Singles for this screening of Rose Troche’s lesbian classic. A groundbreaking piece when it hit in 1994 and still relevant to today’s queer dating scene – well, at least a little bit – this romantic drama features all the gay-issues movie staples: long-distance relationships; haircuts; and someone being kicked out by their parents. Screened in partnership with Cinématographe – the third member of this cinematic throuple – HFC and Sapphic Singles present the lesbians of the Nineties to their 2025 counterparts in hopes of a gay ol’ night to remember. – James Scott
Bridesmaids
Thursday 13, Alamo Village, Slaughter Lane & Lakeline
Alamo Drafthouse boldly calls 2011’s Bridesmaids one of the best comedies of the 21st century, and I have to agree. With an ensemble cast helmed by Kristen Wiig playing lovable fuckup Annie, matched by a breakthrough performance from Melissa McCarthy as the brash but loving Megan, it can’t help but be fun, and funny. But its heart comes from the self-aware script by Groundlings colleagues and old pals Wiig and Annie Mumolo, who explore love in all its forms through the lens of someone trudging through a quarterlife crisis. Grab your Galentine’s crew for this one and treat yourselves to the absurd milkshake the movie inspired Alamo to concoct, topped with a snickerdoodle, a churro, and three donut holes. – Kat McNevins
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.
This article appears in February 7 • 2025.
