Barbarella
Based on a French comic strip, Fonda and her then-husband Roger Vadim had a good time with this outrageous movie about the adventures of a 41st century sexual explorer. It makes virtually no sense, but the costumes are fetishistic gems and the set design trips the light fantastic.
Look at Our Shorts
Look at Our Shorts NR, 123 min. Directed by , Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Look at Our Shorts is a collection of shorts culled from past festivals. You can count on them being provocative, funny and sexy. For more info see http://www.agliff.org or call 302-9889.
Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads
Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads NR, 60 min. Directed by Spike Lee, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Monty Ross, Donna Bailey, Stuart Smith, Tommy Redmond Hicks. Spike Lee’s Student Academy Award-winning thesis film from NYU is a focused and entertaining story about black urban life. The film uses the barbershop as as…
Chèvre (The Goat), La
Chèvre (The Goat), La NR, 91 min. Directed by Francis Veber, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Pierre Richard, Gerard Depardieu, Michel Robin, Pedro Armendariz Jr. This French box-office hit is a comedy about a detective (Depardieu), whose work is hampered by his employer’s accountant The movie was remade in America in 1991 as…
They Come at Night
They Come at Night NR, 96 min. Directed by Lindy Laub, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Elpidia Carrillo, Barbara Williams. Terror and tragedy onscreen can frequently cause the audience to detach emotionally and view the suffering characters as two-dimensional objects. Preventing this detachment is the primary role of a filmmaker who attempts to…
Still Hazy After All These Years
The Seventies may be long gone, but counterculture comedian Tommy Chong is still here and still doing what he loves: smoking dope, playing music, and making people laugh.
After a Fashion
Remembering Halston on the 10th anniversary of his death.
Slimed!
The waters of Barton Springs Pool are still cool and inviting, but they are rarely clear. The worst algae bloom in modern history regularly turns the pool’s once crystal-clear waters into a turbid vat of pea-colored soup. Ten years after Barton Springs became the foremost symbol of Austin’s environmental movement, the pool has been overrun…
Between Worlds
Split Decision: A Dream Deferred At one point in Austinite Marcy Garriott’s Split Decision, a banner appears that reads: “Decisions Determine Destiny.” It’s sound advice, but in the context of Garriott’s documentary on boxer Gabriel Jesus Sandoval Chavez, these words are a harshly ironic flip side to the banner’s otherwise sensible message. Born in 1972…
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Live Shots
D’AngeloParamount Theater, Oakland, Calif., April 5 Believe the hype. Believe the word when it’s delivered in a magnificent, neon-emblazoned Thirties show palace in the heart of a decaying downtown. (Sound familiar?) Oaktown, homey to the Raiders, Jerry Brown (for president), and a predominantly black population hungry for a hot, steaming slice of D’Angelo. On the…
U-571
U-571 2000, PG-13, 124 min. Directed by Jonathan Mostow, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, Jon Bon Jovi, Jake Weber, Matthew Settle, Erik Palladino, David Keith, Thomas Kretschmann. The most exciting, visceral submarine sequence I’ve yet to see in a motion picure to this day remains the opening…
Articulations
The sale of an art collection at UT and the return of a grand hotel.
Day Trips
Explore the Texas Underground — literally — with the help of Blair Pittman’s new travel guide, Texas Caves.
Endorsements
In Kirk Watson’s New Austin, where few things seem permanent except for change, it’s easy to be tempted not to vote at all. With Watson’s re-election a certainty, and another green, Smart Growth-friendly council a virtual inevitability, the Watson Way — for better and worse — will probably be Austin’s way for some time to…
Between Worlds
Loaves and Fishes: On the Fringes Before South Congress’ San José Motel was renovated, it served as the backdrop for Nancy Schiesari’s delicately realized short film, “Loaves and Fishes.” Written by Austin actress, writer, and director Amparo Garcia Crow (who also stars in the film), the 30-minute narrative features strong performances from Garcia Crow, St.…
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Live Shots
Iris DementCactus Cafe, April 11 It was just before Iris Dement hit the stage that the audience at the sold-out Cactus Cafe hit its peak. The crowd, mostly composed of graying folkies and urban hipsters, created a deafening buzz. It was a response fueled by the liberal flow of alcohol, but also by the anticipation…
Mifune
Mifune 1999, R, 99 min. Directed by Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Emil Tarding, Sofie Gräbol, Jesper Asholt, Iben Hjejle, Anders W. Berthelsen. This Danish movie, which won top prize at last year’s Berlin Film Festival, is also recognized as the third product of the Dogma 95 Collective. What does that…
Exhibitionism
Bach’s St. Matthew Passion is a behemoth of a choral piece, but Craig Hella Johnson and his New Texas Music Works Conspirare Symphonic Choir achieved a near-flawless evening of graceful, sometimes powerful song.
Coach’s Corner
The San Antonio Spurs, left for dead around mid-season, are still very much alive, and a good underdog bet for the upcoming NBA playoffs.
Naked City
Brigid Shea resigns from the Save Our Springs pac over the board’s refusal to endorse Kirk Watson for mayor; Millennium March on Washington is April 30.
Between Worlds
Other Notable Films Santitos Santitos is the 1999 winner of The Latin American Award from the Sundance Film Festival and Best Picture Award from the 1999 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. Alejandro Springall’s film has been described as a “magical, humorous, and passion-filled odyssey about a beautiful widow’s search for her missing child, a…
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Live Shots
The Ranchero BrothersStubb’s, April 12 It’s probably sin around these parts to confess to never having been that crazy about the Old 97’s. The band’s intentions were always clear enough, but the execution seemed to fall a bit short. To these admittedly jaded and volume-damaged ears, the band’s country stuff never had quite enough twang…
Exhibitionism
In Steven Tomlinson’s Curb Appeal, Austin’s best monologist builds on a basic foundation : the inherent similarities of dating and house-hunting : and constructs room by well-appointed room a more stately mansion of the soul.
About AIDS
Some new delivery techniques are easing testosterone replacement therapy.
Naked City
A frat house plans a basketball court for its property in the Eastwoods neighborhood, where a single-family house now stands.
Between Worlds
Film Schedule Fri, Apr 21-Sat, Apr 29. Films are $6 each, available in advance by calling 454-TIXS. For more information, visit http://www.cinelasamericas.org. Films at the Center for Mexican American Cultural Arts, 600 River:FRIDAY, APRIL 21 7pmBaja, California: El Limite del Tiempo (The Limit of Time) D: Carlos Bolado. Mexico, narrative, 97 min. 9:30pm”The Manhatitlan Chronicles”…
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Live Shots
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street BandFrank Erwin Center, April 17 Life is good here in the promised land. If Bruce Springsteen’s themes — rivers, cars, highways, girls, work, freedom — have always been quintessentially American, the fundamentalist zeal of his music is outright Lincolnesque. There really is no retreat, no surrender. He may have…
Exhibitionism
In Dracula, Houston Ballet and artistic director Ben Stevenson take the familiar story of vampire and victim into the world of ballet and create a masterpiece of theatrics, dancing, and choreography.
True to Their (New) Roots
The Loiacono family, who own Bellagio Italian Bistro, apparently believe in two cornerstones of traditional cuisine — fresh ingredients and sizable portions. They pride themselves in making upward of 30 different pastas on the premises : from bright spinach fettucine to rippled radiatore and ribbon-edged tagliatelle.
Naked City
On May 6, voters will choose how AISDwill send tax dollars to property-poor school districts under Chapter 41 of the state education code.
Between Worlds
Panels All panels are open to the public and occur prior to Alamo Drafthouse screenings. Tickets to Cine las Americas screenings will be sold at all panel discussions.Tue, Apr 25, 5pm, Miguel’s la Bodega, 415 Colorado: “Young Filmmakers From Coast-to-Coast”Panelists: Kinan and Anahuac Valdez, director and producer (Ballad of a Soldier), Laura Collyer (Nuyorican Dream),…
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Winds of Change
As electric industry restructuring opens utilities up to competition, some, including Austin’s municipally-owned utility, are looking to renewable energy sources to win customers and meet the requirements of a 1999 law.
Habits of Mind
Texas has a wealth of universities and colleges that offer creative writing classes, but four of them — the University of Texas at Austin, Southwest Texas State University, University of Texas at El Paso, and the University of Houston — offer Masters of Fine Arts degrees in creative writing. Here’s all the information about each…
Two Texas Menus With a Gallic Twist
“What is a good substitute for hanger steak?” “There is no substitute for hanger steak!” This exchange, quoted verbatim, is indicative of the many pronouncements made by chef Pascal Beric of the French Culinary Institute in New York City as he taught a class of enthusiasts at the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival…
Naked City
George W. Bush is named as a defendant in Texas Funeral Services Commission whistleblower Eliza May’s lawsuit against the state.
Short Cuts
Upcoming events and workshops of interest to the Austin film community
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The Waiting Game
The Waiting Game 1999, NR, 85 min. Directed by Ken Liotti, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Daniel Riordan, Michael Raynor, Terumi Matthews, Eddie Malavarca, Dwight Ewell, Debbon Ayer, Will Arnett. Films about actors waiting for their big break ought to be subject to some sort of legal tariff: The more whining about “my…
The Michener Center for Writers
Writers write. Plain and simple, right? You wish. Writing is hard, lonely work that isn’t known for its high percentage of success stories. Writers are constantly seeking avenues to increase their potential for professional recognition and a living wage. Some writers might try a writers’ colony or circle for inspiration, company, and feedback. And others…
A Flurry of Fowl
There was a quiet little buzz moving in the air amongst my food-savvy colleagues at the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference I recently attended in Providence, Rhode Island. I would catch snippets of conversation like, “Can you believe they actually butcher the chickens?” “Did you see the eggs?” Finally, my friend Cathy said, “Beth…
Naked City
Gov. Bush presents a new plan to clean up “brownfields,” or abandoned industrial sites, across Texas, but environmental leaders say the plan greenwashes his poor environmental record.
Video Reviews
Yellow Submarine D: George Dunning (1968); with the voices of the Beatles, John Clive, Geoffrey Hughes, Peter Batten, Paul Angelis, Dick Emery, Lance Percival. The late 1960s were a low point in the production of animated feature films. Walt Disney was dead, and although his company released The Jungle Book in 1967, it would be…
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
Dennis McGee 4
Cotton Mary
Cotton Mary 1999, R, 125 min. Directed by Ismail Merchant, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Prayag Raj, Sakina Jaffrey, James Wilby, Greta Scacchi, Madhur Jaffrey. Like a premium Courvoisier label slapped on a 40 of Olde English 800, Cotton Mary’s tastefully burnished Merchant-Ivory packaging adds a patina of class without really improving the…
University of Texas at El Paso
Ask the students and faculty of the University of Texas at El Paso what makes their M.F.A. creative writing program so special and the answer is often the same: location, location, location. “We live at the edge of America, and it doesn’t look like the rest of America,” says professor, poet, and fiction writer Benjamin…
Food-o-File
Cuisines editor Virginia B. Wood explains why Austin is home away from home for several French chefs and updates readers on local restaurant changes.
Naked City
Directing the EPA to establish standards for brownfields cleanup that will provide more flexibility than current Superfund standards; Protecting redevelopers from federal liability at brownfields under state programs that meet federal standards; Focusing the efforts of the federal government on developing techniques and new technologies for cleanup; Reforming the Brownfield Cleanup and Revolving Loan Program…
Video Reviews
Pokémon: The First Movie D: Kunihiko Yuyama (1999); with the voices of Veronica Taylor, Philip Bartlett, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart, Addie Blaustein, Ikue Ootani. Most adults are probably sick of the whole Pokémon concept. Of course, the ones who complain most about the cartoon and trading card craze are those who have never seen an…
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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The Terrorist
The Terrorist 1998, NR, 95 min. Directed by Santosh Sivan, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Vishwas, Sonu Sisupal, K. Krishna, Bhanu Prakash, Vishnu Vardhan, Ayesha Dharkar. Breathtakingly gorgeous but ultimately thematically unsatisfying, this Indian film is a resolutely non-Bollywood take on the creation of a suicide bomber, a conceit obviously inspired by the…
Southwest Texas State University
The 10-year-old creative writing program at Southwest Texas State University is a secret dying to get out. David Fenza, the executive director of Associated Writing Programs, evaluated the program in 1997. He considers it to be one of the top 20 American writing programs. “They’ve really put together a wonderful program. The region … should…
Mini-Review
Friendly service, great food, and reasonable prices make Crescent City Beignets a quick fix for Cajun cravings.
Naked City
Al Mindiz-Melton, the Johnston High School principal who got busted for marijuana possession last week, was a capable administrator who brought improvements to every school he oversaw.
TV Eye
Looking for something to watch this Easter? Try a little history lesson with George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods on Fire. Also, Antiques Roadshow comes to Austin; Great Writers, Great Cities premieres on PBS; no one takes the flap for Who Wants to Marry a Multi-millionaire.
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Gun Shy
Gun Shy 2000, R, 102 min. Directed by Eric Blakeney, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Liam Neeson, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bullock, Richard Schiff, Mitch Pileggi, Jose Zuniga, Andrew Lauer, Paul Ben-Victor, Michael Mantell. Gun shy is right: This ensemble comedy-drama from first-time director/writer Blakeney is about as interesting as a mayo sandwich on…
The University of Houston
The University of Houston’s graduate program in creative writing is a model for other writing programs across the country. In U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of the nation’s creative writing programs, U of H ranked No. 2, tied with Johns Hopkins University, and just below Iowa. The program’s competitive application process attests to its…
Passion Forward
The Chronicle’s style avatar, Stephen M. Moser, explores the fashion program at the University of Texas.
Naked City
Circle C developer Gary Bradley, who recently made a landmark deal with the city over development regulations on his xouthwest Austin land, will speak at the Real Estate Council of Austin’s lunchtime meeting on Wednesday, April 26. The meeting, aptly titled “War and Peace,” will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel and will start…
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Postscripts
Texas — not just the place, but the idea — is always being celebrated in some way, it seems. But Texas writers are often behind the scenes, which is why last week’s spate of events celebrating Texas writers has seemed so odd, and compelling.
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
Probably just a coincidence that our old friend and jazz scholar Harvey Pekar — pundit of all things great and small — mentions Bruce Springsteen in his and artist Gary Dumm’s “Why I Haven’t Visited the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame”; the Boss certainly put on an HOF- caliber show at the Erwin Center…
Crossing That Bridge
Council approves a separate bike and pedestrian bridge over Town Lake near the existing Lamar Street Bridge, and hears neighborhood concerns about moving central booking to the new criminal justice center downtown.
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Off the Bookshelf
The Devil and Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches Little, Brown, & Co., 268 pp., $24.95 The devil, it turns out, makes a hefty return whenever generosity gets the better of him. But we all know that, and Nick Tosches, the author of this strange and often confounding biography, knows we know it. He just wants…
Green Choice: A Primer
What It Is Green Choice is a new program by Austin Energy, offering customers a choice to help the utility purchase energy from clean, renewable sources for a small monthly premium on their electric bill. How It Works Over the next several months, Austin Energy will contract for new wind turbines, landfill gas recovery plants,…
Media Clips
The Internet offers new opportunities for newspapers to expand their coverage, but so far, Texas dailies have yet to heed the call.
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Local Bestsellers
Local bestsellers are based on recent sales at Austin bookstores selected to reflect varied reading interests.
Green Choice: The Sources
Wind Whence cometh wind power? Wind energy is produced by wind turbines, which resemble windmills, which in turn generate electricity by harnessing the wind’s kinetic energy with specially designed blades. Austin Energy will buy its wind power from a wind farm in Upton County in West Texas. The power generated by the wind turbines will…
Texas’ News Sites
Here’s a list of the major Texas newspapers, plus their Web sites, and affiliated content sites.The Dallas Morning News, (dallasnews.com, dfw.com) Houston Chronicle, (chron.com, myhouston.com) Fort Worth Star-Telegram, (star-telegram.com, dfw.com) Austin American-Statesman, (austin360.com) San Antonio Express-News, (mysanantonio.com)
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Second Helpings: Free Happy-Hour Buffets
Poor? Hungry? Have we got the restaurants for you!
Page Two
Limousines?!? At Springsteen?
So You Want to Make Your Own Energy…
You Can Install Solar Systems … If you want to generate your own green power, Austin Energy will refer you to contractors who can install solar photovoltaic systems in your home for anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000, depending on just how self-reliant you want to be. The Yellow Pages also provides a list of solar…
Between Worlds
In its third year, Cine las Americas has hit its stride. This year’s festival of new Latin American cinema boasts added venues, more parties, panels, and visiting filmmakers, whose work depicts the Latin American experience in and out of the U.S.
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Life Again in Oz
On the 20th anniversary of the premiere of her play Ozma of Oz, Suzan Zeder revisits Frank Baum’s enchanted land to turn the show into a musical and finds a part of herself there.
Public Notice
Public Notice is noticing that spring is in full swing with so many kid-friendly opportunities to make community spirit grow.
Cost of New Electric Generation (cents/kWh)*
Resource, Fuel Cost, Total Cost Coal, 1.0¢, 4.3¢ Natural Gas, 2.0¢, 3.0¢ Renewables, 0.0¢, 3.4¢ Face it: Power plants — of any kind — are expensive. It’s cheaper for Austin Energy to generate electricity in its existing fossil and nuclear plants than to add power from any new source. But when it comes to adding…
Between Worlds
Introduction They say the third time’s a charm. Not that the first two years of Austin’s Cine las Americas Festival of New Latin American Cinema were not successful. But in its third year, the festival has hit its stride — with an added venue, the expected attendance of filmmakers and performers, panel discussions, parties, and…
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Love and Basketball
A young woman learns to navigate the hoops on and off the court.
Time Again in Oz: Right on Time
Time Again in Oz, a new musical version of Ozma of Oz by Suzan Zeder and Richard Gray, takes Dorothy Gale back over the rainbow to learn the value of time, and based on the production by the UT Department of Theatre and Dance, the creators may have produced a tale that’s timeless.
Mr. Smarty Pants
Texhoma’s pointless Dalmations; dancing about economics; and more fun facts.
Margin of Error
Some Texas high schools may be violating the “top 10%” law, which guarantees admission to UT and other Texas colleges and universities, by exaggerating the number of students in the top 10% of their graduating classes.
Between Worlds
Nuyorican Dream: Family Portrait Riding high on critical praise at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Laurie Collyer comes to Austin for the regional premiere of her documentary, which depicts one family’s struggles and aspirations toward the so-called American Dream. Nuyorican Dream takes an unflinching look at Robert Torres (who co-conceived the project) and his family.…
Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm
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Dancing About Architecture
Doug Sahm returns from beyond, MP3s shake up Austin music, Hip Hop meets R&B, and the Watermelon Saga continues…
Deterrence
Deterrence 2000, R, 101 min. Directed by Rod Lurie, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Ryan Cutrona, Clotilde Courau, Kathryn Morris, Michael Mantell, Mark Thompson, Bajda Djola, Sean Astin, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Timothy Hutton, Kevin Pollack. To bomb or not to bomb? That’s the loaded question in Lurie’s feature debut, and considering the state…
