Gentlemen’s Agreement
Gentlemen’s Agreement 1947, NR, 118 min. Directed by Elia Kazan, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm. Peck plays a reporter who poses as a Jew in order to write a first-hand exposé about anti-Semitism. Quite daring for its time, the film won Oscars for Best Picture,…
Hawaii
Hawaii 1966, NR, 171 min. Directed by George Roy Hill, Starring Max von Sydow, Julie Andrews, Richard Harris, Gene Hackman, Carroll O’Connor. James Michener’s epic novel maintains its epic scope on the screen as it tells its story about the conquest and Westernization of Hawaii during the 1800s as seen through the eyes of a…
Letter From an Unknown Woman
Letter From an Unknown Woman 1948, NR, 90 min. Directed by Max Ophuls, Starring Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan. The “unknown woman” of the title is a Viennese woman at the turn of the century who bears the child of her unrequited love – a concert pianist who doesn’t even know she exists. In the hands…
Phases and Stages
Los Curanderos Y Mary WelchCurame (Gulf) Danceable, Latin-flavored tunes dominate Curame, Mary Welch’s debut with her band Los Curanderos, and a better backup band a singer couldn’t ask for. Playing with blazing energy, Los Curanderos include Mat Temple, Roberto Godinez, Jay Bolsega, Ernie Durawa, and Jeff Huckabee. Unfortunately, Welch’s petal-light voice often struggles to keep…
Naked City
Tomorrow (Friday) is the deadline to apply for a slot on the nine-member Community Advisory Group that will be created by the city and Capital Metro to provide input to the consultants charged with developing the 11-acre Saltillo District, just east of I-35 between Fourth and Fifth streets. Cap Metro’s board of directors will choose…
Readings
“Sherman Alexie might be going soft,” writes Jessa Crispin of the author’s new collection, Ten Little Indians. “Underneath the humor and adept storytelling of his previous novels and short story collections was always a thin line of rage. But now he’s working with hope and redemption.”
Second Helpings: Snow Cones
“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 info about Austin eateries, check here. Jim-Jim’s Waterice 615 E. Sixth, 708-8285 Sunday-Tuesday, noon-8pm; Wednesday-Thursday, noon-9pm; Friday-Saturday, noon-10pm More sorbet than snow cone, the texture of a…
Phases and Stages
Blue OctoberHistory for Sale (Brando) Justin Furstenfeld, frontman for San Marcos’ Blue October, has no problem wearing his broken heart on his sleeve. In fact, it’s what has made this atypical modern rock group such a dynamic force within the usually whiny frequencies of post-grunge. It’s also what has made History for Sale, the band’s…
Naked City
Fed up with odors, flyaway debris, birds, and other nuisances, a group of Northeast Travis Co. residents have filed suit against the two landfills in their midst, located off U.S. 290 East and owned by trash multinationals Waste Management Inc. and Browning-Ferris Industries. Represented by the personal-injury law firm Slack & Davis LLP, the residents’…
TCB
Austin from A to Z
Phases and Stages
The Riverboat GamblersSomething to Crow About (Gearhead) You need to knock ’em back pretty briskly to keep up with the Riverboat Gamblers, which as anyone who’s seen their live melees will attest, is precisely the point. The Denton fivepiece gives new meaning to the word “unhinged.” Even so, their second album, Something to Crow About,…
Naked City
There was cake, music, and praise Monday night for Maria Martin, founder and executive producer of Latino USA, National Public Radio’s “journal of news and culture,” broadcast locally on KUT in Austin on Friday afternoons at 4pm. The occasion was a celebration of the program’s 10-year anniversary, held in conjunction with last week’s National Council…
Bad Boys II
Bay does it bigger and badder than ever.
Page Two
Republicans’ special-session maneuvering shows contempt for Texans and mischaracterizes Texas’ political history; the same party asks for the same kind of blind allegiance on foreign policy.
Phases and Stages
JetscreamerStarhead (Bella Union) This is the kind of twisted, high-density rock tsunami Austin was once known for. Denton’s Jetscreamer may be camped up I-35 a ways, but they subscribe to the same methods of sabotage that Ed Hall displayed at last month’s sweaty Room 710 reunion. It’s a shame it takes the support of the…
Capitol Chronicle
Republican Bill Ratliff throws a monkeywrench into his own party’s redistricting plans
Swimming Pool
Ozon’s film is like Eric Rohmer meets Brian DePalma – questions of identity and perception come to the fore, but slowly.
After a Fashion
Since those wacky Canadians have legalized gay marriage, you know it’s just a matter of time before Texas … wait, what are we thinking? Also, the “Truth” according to Babs …
Phases and Stages
Meat PuppetsAlive in the Nineties (Cornerstone)Butthole SurfersBlind Eye Sees All Ten hours of The Beatles Anthology, five hours of the Led Zeppelin DVD, and three-plus hours of The Kids Are Alright due from The Who in September all offer classic bang for your bank card, but they’re hardly fresh chapters in music history. When Mike…
Austin @ Large: Austin at Large
The Council should remember the First Rule of Holes: When you’re in one, stop digging.
How to Deal
How to Deal 2003, PG-13, 101 min. Directed by Clare Kilner, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Mandy Moore, Allison Janney, Alexandra Holden, Peter Gallagher, Trent Ford, Mary Catherine Garrison, Connie Ray. How to Deal’s title suggests a solution, a clean course of action, when in fact the most refreshing thing about this teen…
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
The original Buster Brown retired to Fort Worth and was given the title the smallest Odd Fellow (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) in the world.A recent University of Sunderland study reveals that Brazilian men are the most jealous. Swedish men and women are more concerned about sex than those in any other nation, and Japan…
Wanted Man
State Rep. Patrick Rose walks a fine line in a swing district
On the Lege
Issues other than redistricting found space on the guv’s special-session plate — some were even important.
Johnny English
Johnny English 2003, PG, 87 min. Directed by Peter Howitt, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Rowan Atkinson, Natalie Imbruglia, John Malkovich, Ben Miller, Tim Pigott-Smith, Kevin McNally. It’s perhaps not the best idea – at least on this side of the pond – to have soulful British ne’er-do-well-cum-pop-music-phenom Robbie Williams warble the theme…
Day Trips
Two Blue Holes sit on either side of Austin. One is to the north, a few blocks from downtown Georgetown, and the other is to the south of Austin on the edge of Wimberley. Fine swimming holes both, but each different and special in its own way. Which of the Austin-area Blue Holes is best…
An Array of Votes
How Rose voted and whom he crossed
The Hightower Lowdown
Your Pentagon PAL tracks your every move, and the FCC lets media companies redefine “local.”
Fellini: I’m a Born Liar
Fellini: I’m a Born Liar 2003, NR, 105 min. Directed by Damian Pettigrew, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . After sitting for some 10 hours of taped interview with Canadian filmmaker Damian Pettigrew, Fellini declared the experience “the longest and most detailed conversation ever recorded on my personal vision.” That may be, but…
To Your Health
Are organic fruits and vegetables worth the extra expense? When organic varieties are too pricey or out of season, is there any way to minimize the risks besides just rinsing and peeling?
Endangered Species?
The remaining rural Democrats in the Legislature consider their options — and fight back.
The Gospel of ‘Toonage
Does the world really need another animation festival? After all, there are already several permutations of Spike and Mike’s long-running fest, with both the “Sick and Twisted” and “Classic” varieties passing through town every year or so. In the past we’ve also had General Chaos: Uncensored Animation, Nick Park’s Aardman animations, and enough Canadian cartoons…
The Gatekeeper
The Gatekeeper 2003, R, 108 min. Directed by John Carlos Frey, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring John Carlos Frey, Michelle Agnew, Anne Betancourt, J. Patrick McCormack, Joel Brooks, Joe Pasqual. John Carlos Frey pulls off the proverbial hat-trick in his low-budget indie film The Gatekeeper. As the co-producer, writer-director, and star of this…
About AIDS
Food and Water Safety With HIV Food- and water-borne illnesses can be significant problems for HIV-positive people whose immune systems can no longer fight off the ordinary germs we encounter in our daily lives. Whether brief or chronic, some of these common diseases can be fatal, through organ compromise, poor intestinal absorption of the nutrition…
Mold Grows on House of Farmers
California lawsuit thickens the mold plot growing at Farmers Insurance
Austin Gaming Expo
A Borg-like collective of computer-game enthusiasts nears invasion of Texas this month under the cloak of the Austin Gaming Expo. A kind of interactive Smithsonian playroom that will showcase Reagan-era consoles like Atari 2600 and Intellivision, as well as today’s cutting-edge platforms like Xbox and PlayStation2, the expo is coded for Saturday, July 26, from…
Western Zing
With all the right ingredients, has chef Robert McGrath found a trailblazing blend of the robust and bold? Virginia B. Wood finds out.
Ignorant Design at the SBOE
There is little Intelligent Design to be found on the State Board of Education
Short Cuts
Dope Floats, AFS revamps its publication, and the Alamo Drafthouse keeps on getting cooler and cooler.
Food-o-File
“Food-o-File” is on the Basil’s case and other big restaurant changes.
La Raza: Waking the Sleeping Giant?
The National Council of La Raza looks to raise the U.S. Latino profile.
TV Eye
Strong words from Edward James Olmos, and what’s on this week.
Mini-Review
“This small restaurant is tucked away in one of these nondescript strip malls in far Southwest Austin, on the way to Oak Hill,” writes Claudia Alarcón. “Cleverly using their prescribed rectangular strip-mall portion, Cypress Grill is a comfortable space with a neighborhood bar atmosphere.”
Naked City
Quote of the Week: “We could be here all summer, we could be here all fall, we could be here all spring, and we would be wasting the taxpayers’ money.” — Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, on the prospects for redistricting gridlock at the Capitol On Monday, former lieutenant governor and current Sen.…
DVD Watch
In their charmingly bizarre manner, Shohei Imamura and his cast of quirky creatures remind us that a woman in heat is a beautiful thing.
The Cult of Ray
Ray Benson steps out from behind the Wheel.
Naked City
Council hounds take note: The City Council’s Thursday meetings now convene two hours earlier, at 10am. Citizens communication opens at noon, not 1:30pm. The live music component remains at 5:30pm, still affording TV watchers the opportunity to make a quick dinner run before the public hearings. The gross or so of items on today’s (Thursday)…
Lucky Seven
For seven years, Pro Arts Collective has consistently drawn an impressive and intriguing lineup of dancers, choreographers, and companies from across the nation for its annual African American Festival of Dance, and the 2003 edition continues that tradition.
Ray Benson Reviewed
Ray BensonBeyond Time (Audium) Very few, if any, have served as an ambassador of Texas music better than Ray Benson has. As leader of Asleep at the Wheel, he’s kept the flame of Western swing alive all over the world for more than 30 years. Surprisingly, Beyond Time is his first “solo” album. What’s not…
Naked City
On July 9, Colorado Co. prosecutors dropped DWI charges against Rep. Gabi Canales, D-Alice, filed in connection with a June 7 speeding stop in Corpus Christi. After reviewing the videotape of the arrest and witness statements, County Attorney Ken Sparks told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times he had determined that “a jury would be unable to…
Articulations
It’s the end of an era for the city of Austin’s Art in Public Places Program as Martha Peters, administrator of the program for 11 of its 18 years, departs to direct a public art program in Fort Worth.
Phases and Stages
Joe ElyStreets of Sin (Rounder) Last year’s Flatlanders reunion was a welcome turn in the Texas time machine, but Joe Ely fans have been jonesing for a solo dose of the Austin firebrand for a good long while now. Well, the wait is over. Was it worth it? That depends on how big a fan…
Naked City
Austin-based peace advocates who can spare the day might consider driving up I-35 to Dallas tomorrow (Friday) for a peaceful picket outside a GOP fundraiser featuring Dubya himself. Sponsored by the North Texas Coalition for a Just Peace, the Dallas Peace Center (directed by state Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth), and other groups, the picket…
Shelf Life Support
As libraries struggle with slashed budgets, communities are asked to take up the slack. Melanie Haupt reports.
Phases and Stages
Wayne HancockSwing Time (Bloodshot) Ol’ Wayne the Train has had the rockabilly crowd in his back pocket like a flask of bourbon for years now, so it’s logical that he’d put out a live CD from the Continental Club. It’s just too bad that there’s not much of interest on Swing Time. More songs about…
Naked City
After more than two years’ service with the Sierra Club’s Lone Star chapter, headquartered in Austin, grassroots outreach coordinator Erin Rogers put in her final day last Friday. Rogers will head to the hallowed halls of Harvard University to pursue a master’s degree in public administration. Replacing her on the Sierra staff will be recent…
How to Help
The Austin Public Library’s annual Monster Book Sale, which usually takes place in September, has been postponed until March (a definite date has not yet been set) due to a lack of volunteer resources for planning. You may still donate your old books to the sale, which directly benefits the library. Other opportunities to support…
Luv Doc Recommends: Texas Rollergirls Roller Derby
If this Sunday is like last Sunday, it’s pretty evident that God wants you to spend it indoors – possibly in a nicely air-conditioned church. His house. Hizzouse if you want to say it like Snoop. The other alternative is to stay outside and watch your skin blister, pop, and sizzle like bacon in a…
