Cover Story
The Austin Chronicle Holiday Gift Guide 2024
The gift of a good time
Sound Unseen Rocks AFS Cinema
Fest screens films on pop fame, a lost guitar, and a legendary metal club
Kyle Mooney on Limp Bizkit and the Death of the Monoculture in Y2K
SNL star takes on the missed apocalypse with writer Evan Winter
Big Freedia, Eurovision Contestant Aiko, and the Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn Are Coming to SXSW 2025
The music festival lineup just got bigger
Running Trails in and Around Austin
Here are some trails if you’re bored of circling Lady Bird Lake
South Congress Books Losing Kerbey Lane Home
Antiquarian specialists closing after 13 years and location shift
Ringo Deathstarr, Geto Gala, Being Dead, and More Slated to Play Free Week 2025
No-cost mini-fest returns Jan. 3-4
Get Away
A family on their summer vacation to a remote Swedish island with a dark past discovers that a serial killer is on the loose
Austin Energy Proposes New Gas Generation as Part of 2035 Resource Plan Update
Critics say it “blows up” climate plans; AE says it improves emissions
Plácido
Plácido 1961, NR, 85 min. Directed by Luis García Berlanga, Starring Cassen, José Luis López Vázquez, Elvira Quintillá, Manuel Alexandre. Christmas-set social satire was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in 1960.
The Longest Yard
The Longest Yard 1974, R, 121 min. Directed by Robert Aldrich, Starring Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, Ed Lauter. A disgraced former pro quarterback (Reynolds) is recruited to lead a behind-bars team in an exhibition game against prison guards in this sports comedy featuring real-life NFL players.
Moontower Comedy Festival Adds Hank Azaria, Tiffany Haddish, Aziz Ansari to 2025 Headliners
The Simpsons star rocks out with his Springsteen tribute
Flow
Tender animated film follows animals on a quest for home
Y2K
On the last night of 1999, high schoolers crash a New Years Eve party
Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties: The Bubbles and the Shitrockers Story
Comedic spinoff of the long-running Canadian show Trailer Park Boys
Werewolves
Frank Grillo battles werewolves
Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl
Grammy-winning Icelandic-Chinese chanteuse performs at the iconic venue
Queer
Gorgeous but superficial adaptation of the William S. Burroughs novel
The Six Triple Eight
Tyler Perry drama about the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to serve overseas in WWII
The Order
Jude Law is an FBI agent tracking a white supremacist terrorist cell
The Return
After 20 years away, Odysseus (Fiennes) returns home.
Council Updates Austin’s 100-Year Water Forward Plan
Amid increasing drought, conservation goals require customers’ help
Benefits, Parties, and All-Around Crucial Concerts for the Week
Graham Reynolds, Big Bill, Urban Heat and more
District 7 Runoff Is a Battle Between Austin’s New and Old Political Generations
Mike Siegel and Gary Bledsoe face off Dec. 14
Increase in Cost of I-35 “Caps” Means Less Money for Other City Projects
New estimates show cost of caps increased by 61%
Free Will Astrology
Your weekly horoscope, December 6-12
Headlines / Quote of the Week
Early Vote: After two full days of early voting, 3,119 voters cast a ballot in Travis County, where runoff races are underway for seats on the Austin City Council and Austin ISD Board of Trustees. Mike Siegel is facing off against Gary Bledsoe for the D7 Council seat (see p.22 for more) and Fernando de…
Opinion: Enough Is Enough – Preserving Austin’s Vanishing Soul
How property rights legislation is decimating Texas heritage
The Luv Doc: The Edge of the Earth
A place previously known only for its stray dogs and meth scabs
Gift Guide: Get Out There and Fall in Love With Austin Again
Fun ways to be a tourist in your own town
Theatre Review: Archive Theater’s The Ghosts of Christmas Past
Pioneer Farms-set production presents ghost stories that are light on scares but full of wintry warmth
Gift Guide: Stuff That Cinephiles Will Swoon For
Make it a movie night (don’t forget the movie-inspired popcorn toppings)
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
Some Sámi in Norway like to add a bit of fat from reindeer jerky to their coffee. Ethiopian wolves are considered by some to be the first carnivores observed pollinating flowers. Sure, they like to eat big-headed rats, but for dessert they enjoy licking nectar from certain flowers and moving pollen from plant to plant…
Gift Guide: Go Trinket Hunting
Finding perfect pieces to give the home real soul (or just make your own!)
Album Review: White Denim, 12
Onetime Austinite conjures Seventies garage rock on dozenth LP
Gift Guide: Embrace the Absurd With These Whimsical Gifts
Prezzies for and about pool sharks, pools, and sharks
Austin Holiday Markets for a More Pleasant Shopping Experience
Local vendor pop-ups worth your seasonal spending money
Gift Guide: De-Stress for the Holidays
From bath salts to cannabis sweets, presents to help you calm the eff out
Day Trips: Larry McMurtry Literary Center, Archer City
Larry McMurtry rides again with a new Literary Center and a book of tributes by friends and fans
A Drag Fest, Nutcracker, and Puppets in This Week’s Events
Lots of weekend events to keep you occupied
The Off Beat: Walker Lukens’ “Good Weird,” Austin-Centric Year-End Revue
Omnipresent producer brings variety show The Last Walt back to Paramount Theatre
It’s Time to Party With Holiday Lights, Gremlins, and More Events
Fill your week with bright and shady things to do
Qmmunity: Splash Into the Season
Trying to stay holly and jolly in spite of the horrors, you know.
The Common Law
The same car has been parked across the street from my house for more than three weeks. It hasn’t moved or been driven and has no license plates. It’s really beat up and three of the car’s windows are open, so the inside gets soaked when it rains. I’m pretty certain the car has been…
Crosstalk: Prizer Arts & Letters Closes, Besame Mucho Returns, and More Culture Headlines
Plus news in film fellowships and SIMS donations
UT Expert Remains “Bullish” on U.S. Democracy as Trump Heads to the White House
Professor says unity can be worse than polarization
Austin ISD Board President Eyes Tutoring Program Expansion to Prevent Illiteracy
One-on-one time may save money on remedial teaching down the road
Chronicle Endorsements for the Travis County Runoff Election
Who we like for the City Council District 7 and AISD at-large Position 8 races
Info for the December 14 Travis County Runoff Election
Early Voting runs Dec. 2 – 10
