Nosferatu With Live Musical Accompaniment by Brown Whörnet
Nosferatu With Live Musical Accompaniment by Brown Whörnet 1922, NR, 84 min. Directed by F.W. Murnau, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Max Schreck, Alexander Granach, Greta Schroeder, Gustav Von Wagenheim. In the realm of vampire films, this 1922 silent is the original motherlode. No one since has matched vampire Max Schreck’s creepy loathsomeness.…
Realtworeel Festival
Realtworeel Festival NR. Directed by Various, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Real2Reel Festival is presented by the Grassroots Media Network and is dedicated to presenting progressive film works. All films screen at the Mexican American Cultural Center (600 River St.). For more information call 452-9856.
Oscar Chavez: Concert in Chiapas
Oscar Chavez: Concert in Chiapas NR. Directed by Grassroots Media Network, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Oscar Chavez: Concert in Chiapas will be highlighted by a personal appearance by the singer and composer.
Evelyn Williams
Evelyn Williams NR. Directed by Anne Lewis, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Evelyn Williams, a biographical documentary of the African-American activist daughter of a coal miner, and Justice in the Coalfields, about the Pittston strike, will be highlighted by a personal appearance by the film director, Anne Lewis.
Poetic Healings”
Poetic Healings” NR, 42 min. Directed by Chinwe Odeluga, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Poetic Healings by Chinwe Odeluga is a documentary of the poetry of lesbian and bisexual women of color who tackle abuse, biphobia, breast cancer, lesbianphobia, and racism
Jailbait Babysitter
Jailbait Babysitter 1978, R, 74 min. Directed by John Hayes, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Therese Pare, Roscoe Born, Lydia Wagner, John Goodman. She’s 17 but she won’t put out in this movie that provided John Goodman with his first film role.
Andy Warhol’s Dracula
Andy Warhol’s Dracula 1973, R, 103 min. Directed by Antonio Margheriti, Paul Morrissey, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Arno Juerging, Vittorio De Sica, Maxime McKendry, Roman Polanski, Monique Van Vooren. This companion piece to Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein emphasizes the sexual component of the vampire myth. As the Count, Udo…
Cinemaker Co-op M.A.F.I.A
Cinemaker Co-op M.A.F.I.A NR. Directed by Various, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Make a Film in a Weekend (M.A.F.I.A.) Festival consists of screenings of the film projects that were sponsored two weekends ago by the Cinemaker Co-op in which more than 50 participants had a two-day deadline in which to make three-minute-long,…
Gary Baum: Friend or FoE?
Any fan of Dave Eggers would find it unsurprising, apropos even, to find out that Gary Baum, the meticulous curator of “Eggersiana” behind www.aphrodigitaliac.com, is just another one of the author’s pseudonyms. We all know that the guy is smart enough — and enough of a control freak — to conjure this Harry Knowles-like figure…
Naturaltown
East Side Cafe 2113 Manor Road, 476-5858 Mon-Thu, 11am-10pm; Fri, 11am-11pm; Sat, 10-am-11pm; Sun, 10am-10pm East Side Cafe is a bona fide Austin treasure, a charming cafe in a 1920s vintage cottage, nestled in front of an acre of lovingly tended organic gardens. Diners can relax in one of the cozy dining rooms or request…
Wednesday Picks & Sleepers
Did someone say that last week’s South by Southwest “Picks to Click,” local bands showcasing at SXSW 2001, was only the beginning? Sorry, our mistake. That would be this week’s “Picks & Sleepers” for the Wednesday night showcases. “Recommended”-style blurbs for acts playing the music festival, “Pick & Sleepers” have become the Chronicle franchise in…
Naked City
The House considers a Top 10% law to address inequities at magnet high schools, and UT is embroiled in a free speech debate after a scuffle between faculty and university police.
In the Mood for Love
Because the two lovers at the heart of this lush period piece never verbalize or consummate their feelings, “mood” is the right word to characterize this stunningly evocative Chinese love story.
SXSW Film Picks
Staff picks for SXSW Film
Postscripts
Upcoming literary events in Austin.
Naturaltown
Threadgill’s 301 Riverside Drive, 472-9304 6416 N. Lamar , 451-5440 Mon-Thu, 1am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-10:30pm; Sun, 10am-9pm No trip to Austin should be considered complete without a pilgrimage to one or both of the Threadgill’s locations. The original North outlet is arguably the cradle of the Austin music scene, where blue yodeler Kenneth Threadgill pumped gas,…
Wednesday Picks & Sleepers
Wednesday Picks HIP HOP HUMPDAY: Making this SXSW edition of Austin’s best weekly party extra special super duper funky are Austin’s Mr. Resistor, Trio D-Force, and HairyApesBMX, plus Chicago guests the J. Davis Trio. Plans call for Austin’s multifarious Humpday unit to do a one-hour set of knee-deep freestyling, then move on to solo turns…
Naked City
Hold the phone. (And the e-mails, and the visits to City Hall, and the faxes, too.) Representatives of Hyde Park Baptist Church and two Hyde Park neighborhood groups have been prohibited from communicating with City Council members and staff on church-related issues for the past week, while the council attempts to sort out the legal…
Pollock
Pollock 2000, R, 122 min. Directed by Ed Harris, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Ed Harris, Marcia Gay Harden, Amy Madigan, Jennifer Connelly, Jeffrey Tambor, John Heard, Val Kilmer. Calling Pollock a labor of love is like saying Marilyn Monroe was easy on the eyes. The statement does a disservice to all involved.…
Getting Their Due
The Texas Film Hall of Fame Debuts
Readings
Everyday People A Novel by Stewart O’Nan Grove Press, 295 pp., $24 We desperately want to believe our own “feel-good bullshit” about race and progress in America, novelist Stewart O’Nan says in his starkly tender new novel, Everyday People. We speak to ourselves in resonant, hopeful, PBS-station tones of the “dreams of a people that…
Naturaltown
The Garden of Ethnic Delights Tom’s Tabooley, 479-7337 Tom’s has been providing Austin with vegetarian Middle Eastern cuisine for more than 20 years, and doing so with aplomb. They have a full line of falafel, dolmas, tabouleh, babaganoush, and hummus products, available singly, as platters, or in wraps. Thai Passion, 472-1244 Thai Passion serves upscale…
Wednesday Picks & Sleepers
Wednesday Sleepers DON LEADY Y LOS CADILLOS: As an original LeRoi Brother, Leady helped define the strong roots rock scene in Austin. In the Tailgators, he fused Fabulous Thunderbird-style blues with hardscrabble swamp-rock that made the trio enormously popular. In recent years, he’s gone jazzier with Alamo Suite, but retained the big guitar sound he…
Naked City
The Human Rights Campaign throws its annual fundraiser and honors gay-rights leaders.
15 Minutes
15 Minutes 2001, R, 120 min. Directed by John Herzfeld, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Robert De Niro, Edward Burns, Kelsey Grammer, Avery Brooks, Melina Kanakaredes, Karel Roden, Oleg Taktarov, Vera Farmiga, Kim Cattrall. Emil and Oleg are a pair of Eastern European immigrants who just want their shot at the American Dream.…
Mr. Smarty Pants
The farandolae of trivia’s mitochondrion.
Readings
A Whale Hunt Two Years on the Olympic Peninsula With the Makah and Their Canoe by Robert Sullivan Scribner, 285 pp., $25 When it comes to god’s creatures, whales occupy a unique place in the menagerie of the modern mind. These enormous, otherworldly animals generally awaken a sense of transformative mystery (as well as modesty)…
Naturaltown
Vegetarian Fine Dining Good vegetarian meals in Austin are not strictly limited to vegetarian restaurants or little ethic joints with veggie options. Many of Austin’s upscale fine dining outlets are willing and able to satisfy sophisticated vegan and vegetarian tastes. Don’t be shy about asking what the chef can create for your specific needs. Jean…
Dancing About Architecture
One week ’til SXSW and already the music is hitting the fan.
Naked City
The council listens for four hours as proponents and opponents of the doomed motion to change Rosewood Avenue to Dorothy Turner Avenue make their case; the motion failed for lack of a second.
About AIDS
Don’t Touch the Monkey.
Readings
War Memorials A Novel by Clint McCown Graywolf Press, 224 pp., $23.95 Nolan Vanní the deadpan narrator of Clint McCown’s second novelí is very much a man in flux. His marriage to his high school sweetheart, Laney, is failing. Not only that, she’s having an affair with — and may be pregnant by — Steve…
Food-o-File
The results of the Seventh Annual Central Market Gumbo Contest, and lots of restaurant news
Record Reviews
Genitallica¿Picas o Platicas? (Epic) Did Tommy come with a libretto? It didn’t really need one. You could understand Roger and Pete just fine. Keith Moon, even (“Uncle Ernie”). Man, but what I wouldn’t give for a lyric sheet (and maybe a translation) on Genitallica’s comic rock opera, ¿Picas o Platicas? Is the suds-imbibing salamanoid who…
Naked City
The Industrial Areas Foundation demonstrates its substantial clout at the Southwest IAF Conference, held in Austin earlier this week.
To Your Health
Are soy foods really good for us or not?
Local Bestsellers
Local bestsellers are based on recent sales at Austin bookstores selected to reflect varied reading interests.
Second Helpings: Austin Barbecue
Austin’s barbecue joints in this week’s Second Helpings.
Record Reviews
HAIRYAPESBMXOut Demons (We Sell Soul) As their name implies, HairyApesBMX is not for those with a low tolerance for weirdness. Rather, Austin’s Apes cater to those who dig the kind of freaky dance grooves that often emanate from the Mercury. Mixing serious chops, naughty humor, Latin lounge, psychedelics, and NY-style jam-band gymnastics, Out Demons finds…
Serious Rock & Roll Anthropology
“Attention: Please be advised that by your entry upon these premises, you are consenting to being photographed and filmed and otherwise having your likeness used in video and for motion pictures and for other purposes. Thank you.” Right up front you knew that The Decline of Western Civilization was not a film that was going…
Coach’s Corner
Juwan Howard’s negative image is almost entirely a media invention; moreover, he could be the key piece in the Dallas Mavericks’ growth into a championship team.
Page Two
SXSW: The glorious onslaught begins with film.
Second Helpings
Sam’s BBQ 2000 E. 12th, 478-0378 Sun-Thu, 10am-2am; Fri-Sat, 10am-3am This East Austin institution has long been an obligatory stop for hungry music fans after the clubs close. Sam’s serves up wonderful slow-smoked brisket, chicken, mutton, and hot sausage (made on the premises) topped with a spicy, tomato-based barbecue sauce that makes the meat sing.…
Record Reviews
JapancakesThe Sleepy Strange (Kindercore) How thin is the line between brilliant and boring? The formula that flirted with the former on Japancakes’ 1999 debut, If I Could See Dallas (as well as follow-up EP Down the Elements), comes much nearer to the latter on The Sleepy Strange. The sprawling, soaring arrangements that previously evoked everything…
Penelope Spheeris Retrospective
The Decline of Western Civilization, 1981 “I had never seen anything like that punk rock movement,” Spheeris says. “It was like night and day from the rest of all music history. And there hasn’t been a change like that since, either.” Alamo, 3/9, 6:45pm; Alamo, 3/17, 7:15pm The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal…
Naturaltown
The Chronicle’s Cuisines writers show you how to eat meatless for weeks without duplication.
Public Notice
This week’s “Public Notice” goes techy and says, ‘Let’s tear down the digital divide and give all these laid-off geeks something to do!’
Second Helpings
Ruby’s Barbeque 512 W. 29th, 477-1651 Daily, 11am-midnight Nowhere will you find a better combination of Austin’s latent hippiedom and Texans’ lust for beef. Ruby’s serves a perfectly smoked hormone-free brisket that goes quite nicely with their earthy greens and barbecue beans, hot enough to make you shed tears. Non-beef people can enjoy smoked turkey…
Record Reviews
Adult RodeoLong-Range, Rapid-Fire (Four States Fair) Out in the hinterlands of pop music, at the border between literary lyrics and verbal contortionism, where music-making and play become all but indistinguishable, Austin’s Adult Rodeo continue to mark their territory and shout their claim to a brand of jittery songcraft where most would fear to tread. Long-Range,…
The Luckiest Girl in the World
An interview with Sissy Spacek, inducted into the first annual Texas Film Hall of Fame on March 9.
Naturaltown
Casa de Luz 1701 Toomey Road, 476-2535 Daily, 11:30am-2pm; 6-8pm Meals are $9 (includes beverage, tax, and tip) except for Saturday and Sunday midday brunches, which are $11 If it’s healthy, vegan home cooking you yearn for (or your health and welfare demand), Casa de Luz is for you. Its dining room and meals bear…
After a Fashion
Our Style Avatar’s career in fashion design dons funeral black.
Second Helpings
County Line 5204 RR 2222, 346-3664 Mon-Sat, 11am-2pm, 5-10pm Sun, 11am-3pm, 5-9pm 6500 Bee Caves Road, 327-1742 Sun-Thu, 5-9pm; Fri-Sat, 5-9:30pm Opening for lunch later this spring, call for date & hours If you’ve got the appetite, the all-you-can-eat platter service is the way to go at County Line. They will bring you a big…
Record Reviews
Those Peabodies(Post-Parlo) The untold secret about LPs under 30 minutes: They’re easier to play twice. Twice as easy. At 10 songs in 28 minutes — 28 minutes that blister like Aqua Velva on razor burn — Those Peabodies dares you not to (a) turn it up, and (b) crank it up louder the second time.…
Rip Torn: All in the Family
When Rip Torn takes the stage on Friday, March 9, to induct Sissy Spacek into the first Texas Film Hall of Fame, it won’t be just one Texas actor honoring another; it will be a family reunion. The Emmy-winning Torn is a native of Temple, and it so happens his mother was Thelma — Thelma…
Naturaltown
Wheatsville Deli 3101 Guadalupe, 478-2667 Daily, 9am-9pmwww.wheatsville.com Fresh as the produce on aisle one, Wheatsville’s deli offers sandwiches, spreads, smoothies, salads, and soups perfect for those on the go. The pre-made deli case selections change daily so that they never taste tired. Some dishes are seasonal, others have ascended to legendary status and are usually…
Day Trips
The Painted Churches of Fayette County.
Second Helpings
Iron Works 100 Red River, 478-4855 Mon-Sat, 11am-9pm Iron Works’ historic building on the banks of Waller Creek is about as tranquil as our bustling central business district gets these days. Their huge beef ribs and super-tender brisket have both won accolades nationwide. Other to-go menu items include smoked chicken and spicy sausage. Perhaps the…
Record Reviews
The Holmes BrothersSpeaking in Tongues (Alligator) Speaking in the tongues of Ben Harper, Bob Dylan, and “Love Train” may well be considered blasphemous in some quarters, but not here. That the Holmes Brothers can praise the Lord through music greasy enough for the most low-down Memphis roadhouse is hardly a mark against them. The New…
Transforming Herself
BADLANDS D: Terrence Malick (1973); with Sissy Spacek, Martin Sheen, Warren Oates. Perhaps the most naive Sissy ever — her character, Holly, is a blank slate with no past and no future. Like Bonnie Parker waiting for her Clyde, Holly is swept away by the expansive charms of Kit Carruthers (Sheen), but she could have…
Putting Himself ‘Out Here’
Theatre Arts and English teacher Rick Garcia has put himself “out here,” on Austin’s fringes, n the off-the-map, lost-worldness of Johnston High School, to reach out to some of the poorest kids in one of Austin’s most neglected neighborhoods and make a difference through that rare and vital cocktail: art and education.
Naturaltown
Veggie Heaven 1914-A Guadalupe, 457-1013 Mon-Fri, 11am-9pm; Sat-Sun, noon-9pm Veggie Heaven is a gift from the gods when it comes to vegetarian food in Austin, providing Taiwanese-style vegetarian and vegan food at moderate prices. Dare we say that it is quite possibly the most flavorful and adventurous of the vegan options around town? The visually…
Second Helpings
BBQ World Headquarters 6701 Burnet Road (in the Travis County Farmers Market) 323-9112 Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm BBQ World Headquarters is the only certified Angus beef smokehouse in Austin. They serve a tasty sliced brisket sandwich with equal parts lean and marbled meat as well as sausage, smoked chicken, baby back ribs, and pork roast. Save some…
Record Reviews
KAMRAN HOOSHMAND & JAVIER PALACIOSOjalá (Pardiso) “Ojalá” is a Spanish term that means “God grant,” and is based on the Arabic word “Inshallah,” meaning the same. As a title, Ojalá refers to a new album by two veteran local musicians, Mexican-born Javier Palacios, a member of Austin’s Latin-American music scene since 1986, playing in Grupo…
Brothers at Arms
UT film professor Mitko Panov returned to his homeland, the former Yugoslavia, to interview the men he knew in the Yugoslav Federal Army. “They were no better or worse or more bloodthirsty than any of us — that’s my point. Whatever happened there can very easily happen anywhere.” The film, Comrades, plays at SXSW Film…
Articulations
Big career moves for a couple of Austin playwrights and big parties thrown by a couple of Austin arts organizations.
Naturaltown
Mr. Natural Cafe and Whole Wheat Bakery 1901 E. Cesar Chavez, 477-5228 Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Abandon any preconceptions of Tex-Mex (chili-cheese swamped enchiladas) and treat your tum to a meal at Mr. Natural. Both a health food grocery and 100% vegetarian restaurant, Mr. Natural is not your usual Mexican food restaurant. Their logo on the sign…
Second Helpings
Rudy’s Country Store & Bar-B-Q 11570 Research, 418-9898 Sun-Thu, 10:30am-9:30pm; Fri-Sat, 10:30am-10:30pm 2451 Capital of Texas Hwy. S., 329-5554 Sun-Thu, 10:30am-9pm; Fri-Sat, 10:30am-10pm 2400 North I-35 (Round Rock), 244-2936 Sun-Thu, 10:30am-9:30pm; Fri-Sat, 10:30am-10:30pm Rudy’s handy roadside locations and gas station/convenience store amenities hearken back to the days when most small Texas towns had a gas…
The Future’s So Bright …
Johnston High School has problems with grades, attendance, dropouts, a magnet program resented by the host school, and a high turnover rate among principals. Will new principal Sal Cavazos stay and can he make a difference?
Short Cuts
The SXSW Film Festival begins, Scott Dinger is honored, and other noteworthy items of local film news.
Exhibitionism
In the Public Domain Theatre Company’s production of King Lear, director Robi Polgar and company bring Shakespeare’s play into the present with high tech and high fashion, and the smooth execution of the concept create a novel version of this familiar tragedy with a striking proximity to our lives.
Naturaltown
Gaby & Mo’s 1809 Manor Road, 457-9027 Mon-Fri, 7am-midnight; Sat, 10am-midnight; Sun, 10am-10pm They offer fresh, light fare aimed less at hardened restaurantgoers than consummate coffeehouse denizens seeking an inexpensive, honest meal to supplement that eleventh cup of joe. Crisp green salads, healthy hummus sandwiches, or crusty flatbreads topped with ripe tomatoes and melted provolone…
Austin Confessions
Chris Gray gets laid.
No Commitment Necessary
As the economy takes a dive, many high tech workers find themselves stuck on the temping treadmill
TV Eye
Does KLBJ’s new TV ad using bare-backed women as billboards upset TV Eye’s Belinda Acosta? Not as much as those warm and fuzzy pharmaceutical ads that prey on hypochondria and insult women.
Exhibitionism
After rumbling greatness in the first act, the UT Department of Theatre & Dance production of Caryl Churchill’s Cloud Nine ends thin and foggy.
Naturaltown
Mother’s Cafe & Garden 4215 Duval St., 451-3994 Mon-Fri, 11:15am-10pm; Sat-Sun, 10am-10pm Located in the heart of Hyde Park, Mother’s has been a welcoming vegetarian refuge since 1979, a fact evidenced by the earthy vibe and woody, green atmosphere of this comfort-food restaurant. Priding themselves on the quality of the ingredients, Mother’s is the kind…
2000-01 Austin Music Awards
8:05pm Slaid Cleaves 8:35pm 86ed: Tribute to Austin in the 1980s 9pm Vallejo 9:40pm The Gourds 10:25pm Lucinda Williams 11:05pm James Cotton with Jimmie Vaughan & Lou Ann Barton All times subject to change.
Welcome to Austin. You’re Screwed.
Can you get there from here? In downtown Austin, the answer is no.
Get Over It
Get Over It 2001, PG-13, 95 min. Directed by Tommy O’Haver, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Kirsten Dunst, Ben Foster, Melissa Sagemiller, Zoe Saldano, Shane West, Colin Hanks, Martin Short, Sisqó, Swoosie Kurtz, Ed Begley Jr., Coolio. Hey, get this! It’s another broken hearts & bubblegum teen flick! Based on Shakespeare! Featuring a…
Adventures in the Book Trade
When I read about the conglomeration that is overtaking the publishing industry or the allegation that some major publishers have cut secret sales deals with chain bookstores at the expense of independents, or anything else that depresses me about the book world, I like to think about McSweeney’s Books, and then I feel better. That…
Naturaltown
Bouldin Creek Coffee House and Cafe 1501 S. First, 416-1601 Mon-Thu, 7am (kitchen opens at 7:30am)-10pm; Fri, 7am (kitchen opens at 7:30am)-midnight; Sat, 9am-midnight; Sun, 9am-10pm Bouldin Creek Coffee House and Cafe is located in Mexican food alley (otherwise known as South First Street) in a particularly leafy section within a stone’s throw of Bouldin…
Immaculate Film
Sight lines at the musical portion of South by Southwest 2000 weren’t what they used to be. Getting a clear view of a band meant navigating a field of digital video cameras even more than merely avoiding tall people. And, given the number of raised hands sporting those DV cameras, showcases had an unusual grade-school…
The Hightower Lowdown
Bush’s ‘Real, Live Americans’; Nike’s ‘Freedom to Choose’
Blow Dry
Blow Dry 2001, R, 93 min. Directed by Paddy Breathnach, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Warren Clarke, Bill Nighy, Josh Hartnett, Rachael Leigh Cook, Rachel Griffiths, Rosemary Harris, Heidi Klum. As one whose mane has, frankly, seen better days, this seriocomic romp through the stylist subculture of professional British…
Speaking With the Angel: Original Stories
edited by Nick Hornby Riverhead Books, 231 pp., $12 (paper) “Oh, I am a fast dog. I’m fast-fast.” Steven the dog is telling his story. “It’s true and I love being fast I admit it I love it.” Steven’s story, and it is a magnificent one, is written by Dave Eggers and is titled “After…
Naturaltown
West Lynn Cafe 1100 West Lynn, 482-0950 Mon-Thu, 11:30am-10pm; Fri, 11:30am-10:30pm; Sat, 11:00am-10:30pm; Sun, 11:00am-9:30pm For years, the West Lynn Cafe has been Austin’s premier example of vegetarian cuisine. While lots of Austin restaurants feature a dish or two of vegetarian fare, the West Lynn Cafe is one place where you can be assured that…
What You Won’t See on MTV
Music-related films at the SXSW Film Festival
Tinkering With the Machinery of Death
The Texas Legislature moves slowly to consider alternatives to the death penalty
Carman: The Champion
Carman: The Champion 2001, PG-13, 90 min. Directed by Lee Stanley, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Romeo Fabian, Jed Allan, Jeremy Williams, Patricia Manterola, Michael Nouri, Carman. Talk about your niche marketing … Christian filmmaking seems to be all the rage these days — or at least it looks that way from deep…
