Imagine a world where Twila Tharp released the Friday the 13th films. That was kind of what happened when Japan's Shochiku studio produced a handful of shocking, daring and bizarre horror films.

This one's for the lovers of 70s and 80s tech. By "lovers" we mean hardcore nerds who get slightly aroused by dot-matrix printers and 5¼-inch floppy disks (or 8-inch disks for you insatiable cads). Monofonus Press – the multimedia purveyors of cool stuff – has partnered with director Andrew Bujalski to produce pre-release buzz for his film, Computer Chess.

Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow’s harrowing drama about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, was named Best Film by the Austin Film Critics Association.

I learned no fewer than three lessons last night from seasoned comedians Louis C.K. and Todd Barry. 1) Although cool, Austin is still Texas. 2) There’s nothing wrong with aging. 3) Never, ever single yourself out in a crowd. EVER.

Just added to the official lineup of the January 2013 Sundance Film Festival is El Mariachi, the debut film by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and his talented producer Elizabeth Avellán. This screening from the Sundance Film Collection follows on the heels of the festival's commemorative screening of Slacker in 2011.

Eugene Mirman’s comedy can be hit or miss, but I think that erraticism is a testament to his willingness to try new things and explore creative boundaries. Still, tonight's Comedy Central special is more misses than hits.

Want to see Peter Jackson's return to Middle-earth in the speedy 48-frames-per-second rate that the director filmed it in – but don't know where to find that version in Austin? The response from viewers and critics to Jackson's latest technological innovation has been mixed so far. But how can you weigh in when you're not even sure where to find it?

Looking at our print issue this week you’d think the Austin gaming scene is all Adam Saltsman all the time. Yes, Saltsman is a badass, but just because there’s limited space on paper doesn’t mean other locals aren’t making waves. Enter the internet and its unending capacity for info.

Brian Savelson’s In Our Nature is about another cabin in the woods, but this one traffics in a different kind of horror – the horror of finding your getaway weekend with your girlfriend upended by the surprise arrival of Dad.