Song of the Sea

From the director of The Secret of Kells comes this lovely work of animation about the Celtic selkies.

by Steve Davis

The Luv Doc: Bonging Molly

Dear Luv Doc, You’re obviously a man of the world, so riddle me this: My friends and I were drinking the other night and somebody asked, “Can you smoke Molly?” Nobody had a definitive answer. Can you help us out here? – Rollin’ Yes, Rollin’, you can smoke Molly. You can cook it up like…

by Chronicle Staff

Fifty Shades of Grey

For all the commotion, it’s just another wish-fulfillment fairy tale about a naive girl and her Prince Charming – but with tame BDSM.

by Josh Kupecki

Good Day, Ramón

This Mexican hit tells a heartwarming story about a teen who’s forced to rely on the kindness of strangers when he travels to Germany to find work.

by Marjorie Baumgarten

The DUFF

Bye-bye bullies and basket cases; enter the DUFF – shorthand for designated ugly fat friend.

by Kimberley Jones

McFarland, USA

Despite heavy sports-underdog cliches, this film with Kevin Costner as the coach of an all-Latino high school track team taps into a lot of modern realities.

by Marc Savlov

Texas Platters

ST 37 I’m Not Good (Cleopatra) The only characteristic that sticks to ST 37 remains inscrutability. Since lifting off 28 years ago from Austin’s short-lived Vietnamese restaurant/avant-punk haven Dong Huong, the Chrome-monikered quintet has dodged convention like it was an errant asteroid. Even so, I’m Not Good bears a back-to-Eden vibe with primitive production recalling…

by Greg Beets

Texas Platters

Knifight V (Knifight Music) “One thing draws us together … the dark.” So looms the spooky sample preceding “A Perfect Way to Die,” which Nickelodeon nerds might recall from Nineties fantasy-horror series Are You Afraid of the Dark? New Wave and goth, the local quintet’s sophomore LP arrives rightfully dark, singer John Gable’s baritone vocals…

by Neph Basedow

Texas Platters

The Zoltars (Happenin Records) Eschewing the sunless melancholy of 2013’s outstanding Walking Through the Dark, garage psych eggheads the Zoltars mine carefree nuggets on their third LP. Blue-ribbon songwriter Jared Zoltar adopts the persona of a peaceful acid casualty on Sixties opener “We Missed Out,” his plainspoken treble-talk penetrating three perfect chords and a primitive…

by Kevin Curtin

Headlines

City Council held its first extended meeting last week, with the next regular meeting Feb. 26. In the meantime, more policy workshops and possibly organizational decisions, including today (Feb. 19): On the workshop agenda are education and neighborhood issues. See “Council: Hello, I Must Be Going,” and “Point Austin,” Feb. 20, 2015. Decker Lake Golf…

by Chronicle Staff

Soccer Watch

Last weekend’s ATX Pro Challenge – three MLS teams hosted by the Austin Aztex at UT’s Mike Myers Stadium – was a pretty big success by most any measure. There was a really nice atmosphere, with soccer balls being dribbled on most of the concourses, and a healthy tailgate party going on just outside the…

by Nick Barbaro

Texas Platters

Parker McCollum The Limestone Kid Every once in a while, a first effort from an unknown comes along and reaffirms that the next generation of musicians might be capable of carrying on the traditions of Texas music without pretension or referring to pickup trucks. Twenty-two-year-old Conroe native Parker McCollum’s The Limestone Kid fits the bill…

by Jim Caligiuri

Texas Platters

Quiet Company Transgressor (Modern Outsider) Quiet Company’s We Are All Where We Belong in 2011 broke out on multiple fronts. The LP stacked up 10 major Austin Music Awards – including Band of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year – which then snowballed into national attention. The disc also chronicled…

by Doug Freeman

Civics 101

Friday 2/20 2015 American Pets Alive! No-Kill Conference Friday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. The Westin, 11301 Domain Dr. $155. www.fb.com/events/773211979394895. Save Texas Schools Con­fer­ence Dinner & Panel Join key education legislators, along with school and city leaders, for a no-holds-barred discussion on public education in the current legislative session. Strategize with other attendees and catch clips from new…

by Chronicle Staff

Texas Platters

Survive HD015LP/540-046/LLR010 (Holodeck/540 Records/Light Lodge) Warm or cold, Survive fires synapses across your cerebral cortex. Bubbling mercury on the former end of the spectrum, then dropping it faster than a rocket coolant system, the Austin foursome initially stored its aural sine wave on this 2012 LP for Berlin’s Mannequin Records. Reissued last month on a…

by Raoul Hernandez

Quote of the Week

“I’m thinking if this Governor thing doesn’t work out, I’m going to [Texas State Technical College in Waco] to get a welder’s certificate.” – Governor Greg Abbott in his State of the State address this week lauding a technical college graduate who earns $140,000 as a welder.

by Chronicle Staff

Misalliance

This G.B. Shaw comedy is typically dense with dialogue, but the student actors at St. Edward’s manage to keep tensions high

by Elissa Russell

Bite Size

• When dining out, split an entrée with a friend. Or, have a rule that “no good food goes to waste”: Make a pact with dining companions that you’ll share or take home everything you order. (Bring your own takeout container to avoid using packaging.) • If you’re planning a conference, wedding, or retreat, ask…

by Chronicle Staff

Help Desk

A business meeting goes well, but there’s no follow-through. “Help Desk” to the rescue.

by Michael Agresta

Oops!

In “The Hero Returns,” Feb. 13, we identified Kevin Robbins as a senior lecturer in the UT School of Journalism and a sportswriter at the Austin American-Statesman; he is in fact a former Statesman sportswriter. Clarification: In “Election Follies,” Feb. 13, the term “tally sheets” was used imprecisely, rather than “voter records” and “voter rolls,”…

by Chronicle Staff

Mr. Smarty Pants Knows

At one point, Henry Ford had 500 birdhouses. According to the Associated Press, the world burns enough oil-derived fuel each hour to empty 240 Olympic-sized swimming pools (2.7 million gallons/minute). Of the 10 most valuable watches ever auctioned, nine are Patek Philippe. Eric Clapton’s Patek Philippe 2499 sold for $3.65 million in 2012. The human…

by Mr. Smarty Pants

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