Elvira’s Haunted Hills
Elvira’s Haunted Hills 2001, PG-13, 90 min. Directed by Sam Irvin, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Richard O’Brien, Cassandra Peterson. Cassandra Peterson’s Elvira schtick is getting as long in the tooth as the fur-bearing Larry Talbot, but Peterson herself remains remarkably free of the ravages of time, looking for all the world as…
Big Meat Eater
Big Meat Eater 1982, NR, 82 min. Directed by Chris Windsor, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring George Dawson, Andrew Gillies, Clarence ‘Big’ Miller. Chaotic movie features lots of cannibal activity in the guise of a musical comedy, science fiction, horror film.
Cinemakids
Cinemakids 2002, NR. Directed by Various, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . A two-day event of youth filmmaking, including screenings of films, videos, and computer animations created by young people under the age of 18, and workshops in video and filmmaking skills for un-experienced youth between 7 and 12 years old. Screenings and…
Diplomatic Pouch & Love Berry
Diplomatic Pouch & Love Berry NR. Directed by Alexander Dovzhenko, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Dovzhenko’s first film is this 30-minute farce in which the “love berry” is an illegitimate child. His first feature is Diplomatic Pouch, an international spy thriller.
The Ultimate Jaws Experience
The Ultimate Jaws Experience PG, 124 min. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Show, Roy Scheider. Have a hankering to watch the classic water thriller Jaws at the lake with your legs and butt dangling off an inner tube? Turns out that a lot of people have…
Alternative and Independent Video
Alternative and Independent Video NR. Directed by Various, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . The program includes the monthly installment from the global IndyMedia network, “IndyMedia’s August NewsReal” (30 min.), and the shorts “La Bisagra de la Historia” (14 min.) with footage from the Argentinian Uprising in January 2002; “All My Heroes Still…
Safety Last
Safety Last 1923, NR, 78 min. Directed by Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Harold Lloyd. Due to a scheduling conflict, Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last will screen instead of The Navigator. The live musical accompaniment will be performed by the Garreth Broesche Trio, a jazz swing group, who also wrote…
Underground Zero: Part 1
Underground Zero: Part 1 2002, NR, 76 min. Directed by Various, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . One week after the events of September 11, San Francisco-based independent filmmakers Jay Rosenblatt and Caveh Zahedi (the character seeking a “perfect moment” in Waking Life) invited 150 filmmakers to create a short film or video…
The Best of Aurora Picture Show: Vol. 1
The Best of Aurora Picture Show: Vol. 1 NR. Directed by Various, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . This new microcinema series will screen weekly at the Hideout and will be programmed by several organizations, including the Cinemaker Co-op, Blue Screen, the Rude Mechanicals, the Center for Young Cinema, and Houston’s Aurora Picture…
Arsenal
Arsenal 1929, NR, 92 min. Directed by Alexander Dovzhenko, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Semyon Svashenko. The current AFS program is devoted to the films of this great Russian visual stylist. Arsenal is one of Dovshenko’s most famous films. It was a commissioned work that centers on the 1918 battle between the workers…
Minnesota Clay
Minnesota Clay 1965, NR, 95 min. Directed by Sergio Corbucci, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Cameron Mitchell, Georges Riviere, Ethel Rojo. The Alamo’s all-you-can-eat pasta, focaccia, and Caesar salad Spaghetti Western Spaghetti Feast returns with this gunslinging tale about a man whose sight is failing and who escapes from jail in order to…
DJ NickNack
Bavu Blakes turntablist DJ NickNack does his own creating and hustling.
Mum’s the Word
Despite the plenitude of parenting Web sites, there’s a paucity of online destinations offering more than recipes, due-date calculators, and pop-up ads for belly balm. Why? Most breeders don’t check their brains at the delivery-room door (or toss them out after the homebirth). The void grew when Salon.com downgraded “Mothers Who Think,” their parenting section,…
An Artist, a Life, a World
“The Mystical World of Kelly Fearing: A Sixty-Year Retrospective” covers the work of this longtime Texas artist from his days with the Fort Worth Circle, introducing modernism to the Lone Star State in the 1940s, through his 48-year career on the UT-Austin Department of Art faculty, experimenting with form and style.
Dancing About Architecture
Rave chaos part 2, plus Kerrville Kaos brings Direct Events Ghenghis Kahn Tim O’Connor out of retirement.
Short Cuts
Sure, you can call a spade a spade, but the Statesman can’t call a dildo a dildo. Try “female sex toys” instead.
Payne the Town Red
What might be considered the theatrical fringe in other cities is more and more the theatrical mainstream in Austin, an idea that was reinforced with the announcement of the nominations for the 2001-02 B. Iden Payne Theatre Awards.
Three-Headed Dog
Our resident Marshmallow Peep relates the news and hearsay in and around the Live Music Capital…
Video Reviews
Of the more than 30 films directed by neo-realist auteur Vittorio De Sica, this was his own favorite.
Articulations
The Dallas-based Meadows Foundation proves to be a true friend to the Austin arts in hard times with three special grants to Austin Lyric Opera, Zachary Scott Theatre Center, and Mexic-Arte Museum.
Phases and Stages
BeckWestlake High School Fine Arts Center, August 22 No, my high school auditorium didn’t look like a scaled down version of Bass Concert Hall, either. Nevertheless, it was Beck’s white suit and black tie that made the evening. That and his schtick: strolling out stage left to a standing ovation from 1,000 vigilant Beck-site Internet…
Naked City
Computer Science Corporation is cutting another 100 or so jobs from the Austin operation, leaving the company with about 800 local workers. When the CSC complex downtown was planned (and subsidized by the city), it was intended to house 3,200 employees. The five members of the Travis Co. Commissioners Court have decided not to give…
TV Eye
The next few weeks bring numerous 9 / 11 specials.
Exhibitionism
Mulligan Lankwood, the protagonist of Ronnie Karam’s ingenious and consistently entertaining solo show Mulligan’s Jacket, has never had much in life, but we get plenty from his story, as related by a batch of outlandish characters, all portrayed by Karam with an enthusiasm that’s infectious.
Phases and Stages
Norah JonesParamount Theatre, August 21 “Since we’re in Austin, we’re gonna do a song special to Austin,” declared Norah Jones the night before her Austin City Limits taping. “Special to us. I got to sing this song with Willie Nelson. It was sooo cool!” Likewise was the manner in which the 22-year-old Brooklyn-based/ Dallas-taught pianist…
Austin Stories
Light rail won’t reappear on the ballot for at least two years, and in the meantime Capital Metro is rebating to its member jurisdictions their share of the one-quarter-cent of sales tax (out of the full cent Cap Metro collects) it was banking for the A-Train. Over 90% of that money will go to the…
Elling
Elling 2001, R, 89 min. Directed by Peter Naess, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Per Christiansen, Sven Nordin, Per Christian Ellefsen. Mix moderate amounts of sugar and spice and you’ll wind up with something like Norway’s Elling, an odd-couple dramedy about two mentally quirky misfits trying to find their way in the world.…
Exhibitionism
Choreographer Lisa Giobbi seems to have found a way to affect the act of flight with grace and apparent ease, and in the intimacy of the One World Theatre, Giobbi and her company used flying and falling to describe all manner of human interaction with beautiful, hypnotic, and occasionally comedic results.
Phases and Stages
CherFrank Erwin Center, August 24 It was most disappointing that Cyndi Lauper canceled her performance due to an ankle injury, which occurred in Oklahoma City the evening I interviewed her. She was, in fact, the major attraction for me. It’s not that I wasn’t interested in Cher — I knew it’d be a spectacle. Yet…
Beyond City Limits
A new study by the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Justice Policy Institute reports that from 1980 to 2000, nationwide spending on corrections increased at six times the rate of spending on higher education. The study focused on how this funding disparity impacts African-American males. Nationwide, JPI found that over the 20 years, three times as…
Possession
This dual love story spanning two centuries, taken from A.S. Byatt’s Booker Prize-winning novel, is handled with typical LaBute pessimism.
Books String
Illustrative Author Interview/Testimonial No. 1Atlanta’s Jamie Allen (LandofCalpernia.com), The Horrible Humour & Other Stories Austin Chronicle: What kind of refuge does an outfit like So New Media provide for someone with your style and world-view? Jamie Allen: I don’t think style and world-view have all that much to do with it. If I had a…
Page Two
Returning from vacation offers a new appreciation for the city — and for uniquely Austin events like the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival.
Phases and Stages
Bow Wow, IMX, B2KFrank Erwin Center, August 23 Cheers, hearts a-pounding, and shrieking decibels could be heard all the way down Red River Friday evening, as UT’s Frank Erwin Center hosted a trio of post-pubescent performers and a crowd of mature middle-school munchkins for the Scream Tour 2. B2K and IMX sizzled the stage first,…
Happenings
The Austin Center for Peace and Justice will hold its second study group on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 7pm. They’ll discuss Soul of a Citizen: How to Live With Conviction in a Cynical Time, a book by Paul Rogat Loeb (see www.soulofacitizen.org/index.html for more info). 5801 Westminster. Call 459-0299 by Sept. 10 to register. Local…
Serving Sara
Serving Sara 2002, PG-13, 100 min. Directed by Reginald Hudlin, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Cedric The Entertainer, Robert Pastore, Bruce Campbell, Elizabeth Hurley, Matthew Perry. Sometimes, movies are so bad that they achieve a perverse artistry in their own right — Mommy Dearest, Showgirls, Plan 9 From Outer Space, The Lonely Lady,…
Second Helping: American Cafes
“Second Helpings” offers tasty, bite-sized restaurant listings compiled from new and previous reviews, guides, and poll results. This week’s entries were updated by Erin Mosow. For quick, reliable information about Austin eateries, check here. Magnolia Cafe 1920 S. Congress, 445-0000 2304 Lake Austin Blvd., 478-8645 24 hours a day, seven days a weekwww.cafemagnolia.com Both Magnolia…
Mr. Smarty Pants
Hamburgers are called such not because they once contained ham but because of the city of their origin, Hamburg, Germany.Looking at food labels? Tuscan olive oil can mean the olives were grown in Greece but pressed in Italy.Small feet were considered desirable among women in 10th-century China. Exotic dancers at the Imperial Court often had…
Road Rage
The Barton Springs Road project has encountered more than few speed bumps
Riding the Vision Bus
Envision Central Texas, the former Regional Vision Project, took its act on the road this week with an all-day bus tour of the five-county Austin metro area to build visibility (and gain media attention) for the regional planning project. “It’s not the first effort to get Central Texas to think about regionalism,” said State Sen.…
Spike & Mike’s Classic Festival of Animation 2002
Spike & Mike’s Classic Festival of Animation 2002 2002, NR. Directed by Various, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Both punk rock and Spike & Mike’s animation festivals (Classic, Sick & Twisted, et al.) are 25 years old this year. On a good day, either one of those cultural signifiers still has the…
After a Fashion
Stephen hobnobs with Cyndi Lauper, but not with Cher.
Yogurt Shop Trial Turns Fiery
Week Two of the capital murder trial of Michael Scott, the second defendant charged in Yogurt Shop Murders.
Insuring a Clash
Organizing efforts are underway on both sides of the insurance reform debate, an issue destined for serious battle in the upcoming Legislature. The newest addition to the lineup is Homeowners of Texas, formed under the leadership of insurance industry nemesis Melinda Ballard, a Dripping Springs resident and former New York PR executive. Last October, Ballard…
My Wife Is an Actress
My Wife Is an Actress 2001, R, 93 min. Directed by Yvan Attal, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Yvan Attal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Terence Stamp, Noemie Lvosky, Laurent Bateau. In his directing debut, French actor-turned-director Yvan Attal turns the camera on himself. It’s tempting to say he turns the camera on himself and his…
Day Trips
Lake Navarro Mills is a secret fishing hole for a number of anglers who would rather I not mention its location. Unfortunately for them, I’m going to tell you anyway: It sits among the rolling hills and farms between Hillsboro and Corsicana. By Texas standards Lake Navarro Mills is a moderate-sized impoundment at 5,070 acres,…
Read the Fine Print
With arbitration clauses, homebuilders are erecting a legal wall to keep themselves out of court.
The Other Guys
The Greens and the Libertarians present alternative candidates for governor
To Your Health
Since heart disease runs in my family I have tried to “eat healthy” for several years. Recently I have been hearing about vitamin supplements that may help prevent heart disease. What are the best ones?
No Sports, Lots of Spin
When it comes to providing misleading information, Dubya’s flack Ari Fleischer isn’t alone — the left is perfectly capable of it as well. In a press statement released Saturday, Scott Cobb of the Texas Moratorium Network boldly declared, “Unfair Death Penalty Causes Texas to Lose 2007 Pan-American Games.” That morning, the Pan American Sports Organization,…
Austin @ Large: Bulletproofing Betty
Despite being a council freshman, Betty Dunkerley has already taken the lead on health care.
About AIDS
Spermicides Don’t Help Prevent HIV/STDs “Using a spermicide, such as nonoxynol-9, is a good way to help reduce the chance of infection with HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.” WRONG! And yet, this is one of the most frequent misconceptions that pops up, perhaps with good reason. In the urgency of the early AIDS epidemic,…
In Loco Parentis (“Beep-Beep’)
The U. of Texas is boasting its largest freshman class ever, and no doubt every one of the 8,000 or so burnt orange babies has convinced Mommy and Daddy that Austin is the only place to get a college education. So what does The Daily Texan include in its first back-to-school edition? A slick card…
The Hightower Report
Bush’s long vacation benefits America; his Ag Department pick ain’t exactly a family farmer.
Coach’s Corner
Coach’s farewell column, after a 10-year run, laments the bloated, mercenary state of “amateur” athletics in the U.S.
Man Bites Prairie Dogs!
For over 50 years, Lubbock has operated one of the state’s largest wastewater application fields, sprinkling waste from the city’s sewage treatment plant on pastureland outside of town. In the last decade, nitrate has seeped into ground water below the site — contamination that city officials and state regulators say is caused by a community…
In Memoriam
Longtime friends and colleagues of Eagle Pennell remember the filmmaker.
Hotly Anticipated
The 12th annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival Contest results are here!
Conservative Coalition Caught in Anti-Porn Ring!
Legislators vow to crack down on Internet child porn, even where it doesn’t exist.
In Review
“Last Night at the Alamo, an 82-minute import from Texas, photographed on grainy, black-and-white film stock, is a small, unassuming, all-American classic. It’s the kind of low-budget, regional movie that suddenly reminds us that, between New York and Hollywood, there’s a vast, unruly, exuberant continent and filmmakers still capable of seeing and hearing what’s going…
Food-o-File
Virginia B. Wood will get back to the restaurant news and advisories next week; for now, she just has to tell you about Timothy Taylor’s debut novel, which has quite the culinary theme its own self.
Nuts About Needles
Even the normally reticent members of the Statesman’s editorial board are incensed about this month’s lethal-needle frenzy on Texas’ death row, with four inmates executed so far — including a foreigner and a juvenile offender. The execution of juvenile offender Toronto Patterson was scheduled for Aug. 28; Patterson was 17 in 1995 at the time…
Down Mexico Way
I’ve always loved IMAX and the almost sadistic zeal its practitioners bring to their given task of impressing an audience, using that six-story screen and those frightening sonic detonations to send the entire theatre hurtling down a gorge, fleeing from a charging elephant, or soaring over a snowy mountain pass. No film format better captures…
Up South
Austin MC Bavu Blakes takes it to the streets.
Council Does the Money Mambo
The bones of the city — roads, sewers, power lines — took center stage for last Thursday’s installment at City Council of “Budget: How Low Can We Go?” Not as low as we might like.
In Play
Warcraft 3: Reign of ChaosBlizzard Entertainment PC, $49.95 Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft series is to the gaming industry what George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise is to the film world — loaded with eye candy, rooted in mythology, and pre-installed with enough loyal fans to fill the perfectly contoured bowl of an intergalactic senate. But most importantly,…
12th Annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival Contest Winners
Individual Category Red Sauce 1st Place: Ronald Walters 2nd Place: Brent Kirby 3rd Place: Paul Peterson Green Sauce 1st Place: Mark Kobdish 2nd Place: Barry Hoelscher 3rd Place: Shane Pickett Special Variety 1st Place: Burt Friedman 2nd Place: Susan McCartney 3rd Place: Carolyn Bigham (Belton) Restaurant Category Red Sauce 1st Place: Texas Chili Parlor (chef…
