Glory
Glory 1989, R, 122 min. Directed by Edward Zwick, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, Jihmi Kennedy, Andre Braugher. This stirring historical re-creation depicts the experiences of America’s first unit of black soldiers in the Civil War and the young Northerner who leads them. Glory won…
Stunt Woman
Stunt Woman 1996, NR. Directed by Ann Hui, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Michelle Yeoh, Sammo Hung. Part of Dobie’s six-week-long series of midnight movies celebrating kung-fu king and queen Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh, Stunt Woman is Michelle Yeoh’s all the way. The story is divided into three parts. The first details…
Accattone
Accattone 1961, NR, 120 min. Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Franco Citti. I hadn’t seen either of the Pasolini films on this program before, and I must say that they, and especially Accattone, come as a considerable revelation missing links, as it were, between the postwar period…
The Decalogue: Vol. One (Parts Three & Four)
Undoubtedly his masterpiece, these next episodes of Kieslowski’s examination of the Ten Commandments concern keeping it holy, not committing adultery, and honoring your mom and dad.
Dispatches From the Edge
Le Petomane: Anatomy of a Fartiste by Tongue and Groove Theatre The Hideout Running Time: 45 min Opinions, they say, are like assholes: Everybody has one. The value of an opinion may vary, of course, depending on the opiner’s knowledge of the subject, the consideration and effort brought to bear in relating that opinion, and…
Public Notice
This week’s “Public Notice” is all about that animal urge. Woof!
Second Helpings
Si Bon 801 S. Lamar, 326-8323 Tue-Thu, 5:30-10:30pm; Fri-Sat, 5:30-11pm; Sun, 5:30-10pm Owners Peter and Cara O’Brien welcome guests to this charming hilltop cottage where the convivial bar is a favorite among South Austin twenty- and thirtysomethings. Chef O’Brien is known for bold strokes in his eclectic cuisine. Look for interesting prix-fixe and degustation menu…
Record Reviews
Rod MoagAh-Haa! Goes Grass: A Bluegrass Tribute to Bob Wills (Textracs) The obvious question, right off the bat: Why do an album of Bob Wills music in bluegrass? In fact, Moag himself asks this question (and answers it) in the liner notes, with an explanation just as detailed as you’d expect from a UT professor.…
Naked City
Step right up! Everyone’s doing it! Test your ability to fill Kirk Watson’s soon-to-be-empty shoes with the Austin Chronicle’s Mayor-o-Meter! This miraculous machine was designed in the laboratories of the Austin Chronicle Institute by famous European scientists in touch with the latest expert advice, media savvy, and restroom chatter at Las Manitas and Little City.…
Dispatches From the Edge
JUDGES 19 (Black Lung Exhaling) by Undermain Theatre The Off Center Running time: 40 min Ruth Margraff’s album-length play, or proletariat operetta, uses song to convey practically all of her highly poetic and lyricized language, offering a vague tale of the rough, difficult life among West Virginia coal miners — Margraff’s family. Starting with the…
After a Fashion
One of the family passed on this week. The Style Avatar’s sister remembers the Houston Chronicle’s Maxine Mesinger.
Second Helpings
Castle Hill Cafe 1101 W. Fifth, 476-0726 Mon-Fri, 11am-2:30pm; Mon-Sat, 6-10pm A perennial choice as Austin’s favorite restaurant in the annual Chronicle Restaurant poll, Castle Hill fuses exquisite tastes from the American Southwest, southern Europe, and Asia. The menu changes frequently and they offer an extensive list of affordable wines to match just about any…
Record Reviews
The James Hyland Band Place I Call Home This is a country record about country music and country artists — twice removed from life in most instances, a mirror held up to a mirror, but it’s a position almost necessary for a songwriter doing what Corpus Christi native James Hyland does. It helps that Hyland…
The Hightower Lowdown
Hardcore Corporate Action; Hardwired Fashion
Dispatches From the Edge
Going Public by Austin TheatreWorks The Hideout Running Time: 50 min So what if you and two of your friends started a company together, swearing to each other that it would always be about the three of you and your common goal? So what if you achieved your goal and found yourselves surrounded by investors…
Mr. Smarty Pants
A little meat for your cerebral sandwich.
Second Helpings
Emilia’s 600 E. Third, 469-9722 Mon-Sat, bar opens at 5pm Mon-Thu, 6-10:30pm; Fri-Sat, 6-11pm Lovely, elegant Emilia’s is Austin’s newest fine dining establishment and should not be missed. Proprietor Denis Tracey assembled a stellar team of Austin talents to restore and renovate the historic Waterloo Compound and create a restaurant par excellence. Relax in the…
Record Reviews
DIRK HAMILTON SEXspringEVERYTHING (Acoustic Rock) Dirk Hamilton has had an interesting career. He’s been making records for 25 years — stopping once for almost a decade — and has developed a cult following, especially in Italy. Originally from California, he’s made Austin his home since the early part of the Nineties. SEXspringEVERYTHING is his 10th…
Capitol Chronicle
The New Governor opens his campaign for re-election.
Dispatches From the Edge
The Conduct of Life by Nushank Theater Collective The Off Center Running Time: 1 hr, 5 min Sometimes reviewing plays is unpleasant. After a recent performance, an old friend of mine and often-times actor in town advised me that I should be “kind” when writing reviews. I found the advice to be incongruous. I’m all…
Day Trips
Houston’s Museum of Printing History reconstructs Gutenberg and more.
Mini-Review
The Hali’imaile General Store Cookbook: Home Cooking From Maui by Beverly Gannon with Bonnie Friedman photographs by Laurie Smith Ten Speed Press, 240 pp., $35 The scenery of Hawaii has gone through a dazzling transformation over the past decade and a Texas gal is behind it all. No, she didn’t wave a magic wand over…
Record Reviews
AARON CALHOUN Smoke & Ash Aaron Calhoun conjures up a bit of Chris Isaak’s mystique on his new release, a set of 10 dreamlike songs that showcase his somewhat oblique lyrics and moody voice. “Sunny Rays” settles into a subdued, bluesy groove, while “Safe in My Arms” is a melancholy crooner. Calhoun’s voice is plain…
What the Governor Didn’t Talk About
In his Jan. 24 State of the State address, Gov. Rick Perry in fact spent little time describing the state of the state. Citizens interested in the details of the subject would do well to consult “The State of the Lone Star State,” a handy compendium compiled last fall by Paul Robbins and Andrew Wheat…
Dispatches From the Edge
The Grid (or: Beyond the Wishing Well) Diverse Space Dance Theatre The Off Center Running Time: 45 min Toni Bravo is not the most imposing creature on the planet. But dancing — or even standing still — she is monumental. Her movement isn’t so much assured as it is impeccable; her artistry and attention to…
Letters at 3AM
If you want to understand the legacy of Bill Clinton forget the Elvis analogies and remember Orson Welles, who created film characters marked by their own self-corruption.
Liquid Assets
Under $101999 Clos du Bois Sonoma Chardonnay, $9 Score: 86 A fascinating Chardonnay from winemaker Margaret Davenport. Clos du Bois is a huge operation, releasing more than 12 million bottles of Sonoma county wine per year. Based on the size of their operation, you might expect a bland, made-by-committee style. Yet somehow, even in their…
Record Reviews
JEFF KLEIN You’ll Never Get to Heaven If You Break My Heart (India) Originally from New York, Jeff Klein has been quietly honing his craft in Austin for three years. You’ll Never Get to Heaven If You Break My Heart may be his second release, but it sounds like the work of a grizzled veteran.…
Thou Shalt Not …
Each one of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s 10-part Decalogue is constructed carefully enough to be seen on its own. But together, they are a jigsaw puzzle of color, texture, emotion, and meaning. We take a look at this extraordinary series, which the Austin Film Society will screen at the Alamo Drafthouse on Saturdays through March 3.
Dispatches From the Edge
The Vessel by the High Performance Arts Foundation The Off Center Running Time: 1 hr, 30 min As presented by the High Performance Arts Foundation and directed by Jeffrey Johnson, The Vessel is an “epic fantasy” focusing on four characters who are searching for a mythic object that will protect them from a mysterious and…
About AIDS
How Papilloma accelerates HIV.
Fear & Loathing on the Inaugural Trail
One man’s journey to the Bush inauguration confirms more than it denies.
Record Reviews
Speedy SparksOK, Let’s Play (Dynamic) If you have any recordings on the Dynamic label (Roky Erickson singles and such), you already know more or less how this is gonna sound. As the insert states, supreme Austin sideman Speedy Sparks’ solo effort was made “the Dynamic way — no over production, no over arrangements.” It’s a…
Alive and Kicking
Just when a heavy cynicism about the future of independent film has overtaken the industry and most of its observers, the Sundance Film Festival came along during the early weeks of 2001 and, almost unexpectedly, brightened the downcast mood shared by its most dour participants.
Dispatches From the Edge
Short Fringe Special “This is Not Japan, God Dammit” by Julia, Otis, Paul, and Eric Wednesday, January 24 As the lights come up, the tapping begins, like rain on a window or an old typewriter. In fact, it is a sex toy hopping madly around the stage like some horny jumping jack. At center stage,…
Coach’s Corner
Well, the bad guys won the Super Bowl — led by genuine bad guy Ray Lewis — but Jennifer Capriati made her own good news down in Australia.
Born on Highway 61
Famed superharpist James Cotton settles into Austin.
Record Reviews
Will Taylor and Strings Attached The last few years have seen local strings player/composer Will Taylor engaged in numerous musical collaborations, many jazz-based, some pop-oriented, a few highly curious, and all, in the end, responsible for the creation of some wonderful new music. His new release with Strings Attached brings together these collaborations, linking them…
Short Cuts
Back from Sundance and the town of Austin is springing back to life.
Articulations
A new economic report shows the arts in Texas to be fundamental part of the economy, and Austin theatres enjoy a booming beginning to 2001.
Echoes of Excellence
Louie’s signature Mediterranean fare claims a strong spot in the city’s collective gustatory memory, Rebecca Chastenet de Géry writes. Indeed for many Austinites, Louie’s 106 provided initiation into the world of Spanish tapas and introduced the vibrant, if now omnipresent, “Mediterranean” cooking style.
Jazz’s Generational Divide
The IAJE vision of jazz’s future.
Record Reviews
TOSCA TANGO ORCHESTRA La Cuidad del Tango (Nois) Local outfit Tosca sets their sights high on La Cuidad del Tango, using two CDs to tell their peerless tango-plus story. Compared to some of their earlier recorded work — such as the best-of-year Tia Pamelita and elegant, rewarding Amado — the acoustic eightpiece is simultaneously more…
Video Reviews
Michael Wadleigh’s original cut of the three-day peace and music festival, released in 1970, is perhaps the best rock concert documentary ever made. This director’s cut DVD is even better.
Exhibitionism
With blown glass in colors as bright as stained glass in the sunshine and materials from the city dump, Einar and Jamex de la Torre create havoc. Their uncompromising, irreverent mixed-media pieces could adorn an Internet cafe, a 15th-century Spanish altar, or an Aztec household and still be shocking fun.
Food-o-File
Chef news and upcoming culinary events in town.
Dancing About Architecture
The Austin Music Awards lineup starts to trickle out.
Beat Box
Fear of a Pink Planet? The fear is real, according to Ghetto Rainbow’s Straight Outta Castro: Greatest Hits 1998-2000. After this, consider the doors of one of hip-hop’s most insidious taboos blown wide open, as it were, with titles like “U Ain’t Gay Az Me,” “Back Door (Come on In),” and “Serve It Up (Tennis…
Video Reviews
Director Michael Wadleigh’s only narrative effort is a terrific post-George Romero modernist horror film about ancient spirits, deadly animals, and the nightmare landscape of the modern urban city.
Making a Living, Making a Life
Judging from the coverage he has been receiving, the most popular story trailing Robert Reich as he travels around the nation talking about his new book The Future of Success is an entirely personal one. Books Editor Clay Smith interviews the former Clinton administration secretary of labor and finds out a few other stories about…
Second Helpings: Dining Fine
The weekly Chronicle feature “Second Helpings” offers readers the opportunity to sample tasty, bite-sized restaurant listings compiled from new and previous reviews, guides, and poll results. This week’s entries were updated by Chronicle Cuisines Editor Virginia B. Wood from an original publication date of 09/17/99. When you need quick, reliable information about Austin eateries, check…
Record Reviews
StretfordShort Circuit (Plan B) A lot can happen in a decade. A bong-sucking college freshman circa 1990 could be a personal-injury lawyer on the back of some phone book by now. In the case of Austin’s recently departed pop-punk ensemble Stretford, however, 2001 might as well be 1990 for all the lucre they never received.…
Wall of Separation
We wanted to say that it would all be over this week: that finally, after 37 demolished homes, 10 years of legal wrangling, and countless Sunday morning demonstrations, the City Council would decide once and for all whether Hyde Park Baptist Church will be allowed to build a five-story garage in the middle of the…
Video Reviews
Kevin Costner is superb in this sometimes charming coming-of-age / crime caper film directed by Clint Eastwood, but A Perfect World is not a perfect film.
The High Life
Too-often regarded as dull compilations of dusty facts, biographies are rarely bestsellers, Amanda Eyre Ward writes. But Amanda Foreman’s Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire reads like a racy novel, complete with enough rocky relationships, torrid trysts, and illegitimate childbirths to keep Jerry Springer in business for weeks.
Second Helpings
Brio Vista 9400-B Arboretum Blvd., 342-2642 Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm; Mon-Thu, 6-10pm; Fri-Sat, 6-10:30pm; Sun, 11am-2pm, 6-9:30pm Who says all fine dining restaurants have to be downtown? Certainly not chef Stewart Scruggs, who continues to refine the subtle, sophisticated style he began years ago at Zoot. Seasonal menus reflect the chef’s interest in cooking with fresh, local…
Record Reviews
KVRX Local Live Vol.5: Aural Fixation They’ve really outdone themselves this time. In celebration of this fifth Local Live set, in which KVRX annually cobbles together the best of its excellent, long-running Sunday-night live series, the production team has hand-picked a 2-CD, 32-track cross-section of emerging bands, most of them local. Disc one offers a…
Lobbying for Little People
A Profile of Austin’s Center for Public Policy Priorities
TV Eye
For those of you yawning through The Mole and gagging through Temptation Island, Survivor is back, here to remind us what we liked (and loathed) about “reality TV” in the first place.
Postscripts
BookPeople is making it easier than ever to contribute to local nonprofits and other independent businesses on its Web site.
Second Helpings
The Cafe at the Four Seasons 98 San Jacinto, 478-4500 Breakfast: Mon-Fri, 6:30-11am; Sat, 7-11am; Sun, 7-10:30am Lunch: Mon-Sat, 11am-2pm; Brunch: Sun, 10:30am-2pm Light Fare: Daily 2-6pm; Dinner: Sun-Thu, 6-10pm; Fri-Sat, 6-11pm Every aspect of the Cafe lifts it a cut above other hotel restaurants. The lovely dining room that looks out over Town Lake…
Record Reviews
THE REAL HEROES (Rec Center) A bit poncey, but not in a bad way, Austin’s Real Heroes are the newest branch of the Duckhills/Bongo Hate silly tree. Their debut follows in the fine footsteps of bygone real heroes El Flaco and the Adults by balls-out rocking whilst seemingly on the verge of collapsing into uncontrollable…
Naked City
Conservative Federal Judge Edith Jones speaks to Federalist students at the UT School of Law. Will Jones be Bush’s first Supreme Court pick?
Head Over Heels
Head Over Heels 2001, PG-13, 101 min. Directed by Mark Waters, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Monica Potter, Freddie Prinze Jr., Ivana Milicevic, Shalom Harlow, Sarah O’Hare, Tomiko Fraser, China Chow. A nagging refrain kept popping in my head as I watched Head Over Heels: M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. This isn’t a Disney film; there…
Readings
Master of the Crossroads A Novel by Madison Smartt Bell Pantheon, 732 pp., $30 Master of the Crossroads, Madison Smartt Bell’s second installment of his Haitian trilogy begun with All Souls’ Rising in 1996, is the tale of the rise to power of Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint Louventure. But Bell envisions the novel, and the…
Second Helpings
Mirabelle 8127 Mesa Drive, 346-7900 Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm; Mon-Thu, 5:30-9:30pm; Fri-Sat, 5:30-10pm Mirabelle is a joint venture from Castle Hill co-owner Cathe Dailey and partner Michael Vilim, one of the most knowledgeable wine guys around town. Though many of Mirabelle’s menu items hearken back to the early days of Castle Hill, the new restaurant’s cuisine is…
Record Reviews
SchatziDeath of the Alphabet EP (Choosy) Remember when the Toadies went from regional faves to big stars with “Possum Kingdom”? If you heard them at that point, you were scoffing at the re-recorded Rubberneck version that had all the K-NACK/101X kids singing along. Still, you had to be proud of Texas rawk taking the charts…
Naked City
Local news this week in Austin.
Malèna
Malèna 2000, R, 92 min. Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Pietro Notarianni, Matlilde Piana, Luciano Federico, Gaetano Aronica, Gilberto Idonea. A nostalgia for things past, a kind of dusty sentiment, envelops the films of Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore. Best known stateside for 1989’s Cinema Paradiso,…
Dispatches From the Edge
A roundup of the FronteraFest 2001 Long Fringe.
Readings
Cool for You A Novel by Eileen Myles Soft Skull Press, 270 pp., $14 (paper) Eileen Myles came into my mouth last night. Her words, tinged with a distinct flavor of Northeast, not the Northeast of Smith or Vassar, mind you, but the Northeast of the Boston working class, filled my mouth as I read.…
Second Helpings
Jeffrey’s 1204 West Lynn, 477-5584 Bar opens daily at 5pm Dinner: Mon-Thu, 6-10pm; Fri-Sat, 6-10:30pm; Sun, 6-9:30pm Consistently regarded as Austin’s top restaurant since it opened more than 20 years ago, Jeffrey’s is the dining spot of choice for special occasions, visiting dignitaries, and diners who enjoy an stellar evening out from start to finish.…
Record Reviews
7 STONES (Motorburbia) Immediately obvious from opener “Bottled Inspiration” is that Austin’s veteran hard rock act 7 Stones knows its way around the studio. The tune opens with vocals recorded over the phone, then turns into an angular, upstroke rock anthem about the double-edged sword of recreationals. Part of the studio success goes to Eric…
Naked City
Convicted for a murder he did not commit, Christopher Ochoa was freed in Austin thanks to the efforts of a project all the way in Wisconsin.
Dispatches From the Edge
The Many Loves of Columbina by I Megalomani The Off Center Running Time: 35 min In the mathematics of sex, 1 gal = 3 guys. That’s certainly the way that Aaron Johnson has the equation figured in his new scenario for I Megalomani, the performance arm of the Austin Commedia Society. The Columbina of the…
Local Bestsellers
Local bestsellers are based on recent sales at Austin bookstores selected to reflect varied reading interests.
Second Helpings
Zoot 509 Hearn, 477-6536 Sun-Thu, 5:30-10:30pm; Fri-Sat, 5:30-11pm Twinkling soft outdoor lights illuminate the xeriscaped front garden at this cozy West Austin cottage, inviting diners in for a special evening. Charming ambience, outstanding food, and professional service have made Zoot a reliable choice for fine dining experiences since its inception. The reins of the kitchen…
Record Reviews
The Stingers(Electric Enterprises) Think back a few years to the scourge of One-Tone ska bands that dominated the radio for what seemed like about a month. Their slick production and diluted sound was at best a pale imitation of the thunderous guitar-and-sax bands of riddem’s heyday; at worst it was like musical Cheez-Whiz aimed squarely…
Naked City
The City Council adopts a legislative agenda focused on protecting the city�s right to govern itself.
Dispatches From the Edge
7 Rooms to the Soul by Ariel Dance Theatre The Off Center Running Time: 1 hr, 20 min By the time we arrived to see Ariel Dance Theatre’s 7 Rooms to the Soul, there was no room at the inn, so they squeezed us in on the side of the risers. Some of the dancing…
Page Two
Lost Austin behind us, Smart Growth ahead?
Second Helpings
Hudson’s on the Bend 3509 RR 620, 266-1369 Sun-Thu, 6-9:30pm; Fri-Sat, 5:30-10pm Behind Hudson’s unassuming exterior is a tradition of casual fine dining in a relaxed Hill Country atmosphere. Chef/owner Jeff Blank focuses on the imaginative use of wild game — everything from water buffalo to rattlesnake, alligator to wild boar — in a multifaceted…
Record Reviews
JEFF HUGHES & CHAPARRAL Head for Cover (Sonic One) Now, now, there’s no need, for either listener or band, to dive behind a big rock. Sure, this is one of those albums where an act — a country act, no less — takes a bunch of songs that were never intended to be performed in…
Naked City
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department makes a timely hire: Jeff Francell, formerly of the Nature Conservancy as head of its land acquisition program.
