Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?
Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? 1978, PG, 112 min. Directed by Ted Kotcheff, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring George Segal, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Morley. It’s a deliciously evil idea – kill the great chefs of Europe using their own specialties as the recipes for their murders. One’s head is crushed…
To Have and Have Not
To Have and Have Not 1944, NR, 100 min. Directed by Howard Hawks, Starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan, Hoagy Carmichael. This film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s novel has a script by Jules Furthman and William Faulkner. The film was Bacall’s first movie and the project on which she and Bogart met. Their love…
Ladyfest Documentary Showcase
Ladyfest Documentary Showcase NR. Directed by Various. The Documentary Showcase is a program of film shorts, many of which were made by Austinites. Film topics range from the evolution of riot grrrls and the creation of the first Ladyfest to skateboarding, midwifery, nudism, and feminist pornography. Included works: “Don’t Need You” by Kerri Koch, “Sam,…
Ladyfest Experimental and Narrative Film Showcase
Ladyfest Experimental and Narrative Film Showcase NR. Directed by Various. This program of short films includes the following titles: “Alphabet” by Chelsea Spear; “Beauteous” by Giovanna Chesler; “Even Lovers Have Still Lives” by K.L. Burdette; “The To Do List,” “Incarnation,” and “Yours” by Kirthi Nath; “Up” by Tracie Laymon; “Hallowed” by Kerry Laitala; “Side Show…
Laura
Laura 1944, NR, 88 min. Directed by Otto Preminger, Starring Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson. One of the all-time murder-mystery movie classics, Laura stars the beguiling Gene Tierney in the title role. Also of note are the delightful performances of Clifton Webb as a jaundiced reporter and Vincent Price in…
Day Trips
Rainbow Courts Motel in Rockdale began with America’s love with the automobile, and 85 years later the rows of white cottages are still offering the traveling public a special retreat from the highway. As the oldest continuously operated motel in the South, the Rainbow combines comfortable elegance with historic character. “We’re centrally isolated,” jokes Joan…
Phases and Stages
Reckless KellyUnder the Table & Above the Sun (Sugar Hill) Austin’s Reckless Kelly has long received a bad rap, deservedly or not, as darlings of the Texas frat-boy set, as vapid as Coors Light and just as easy to swallow. Under the Table, however, finds a band that’s starting to sound a lot more mature…
Naked City
Quote of the Week: “Sometimes your work is passing legislation; sometimes, your work is making sure that it stops.” — Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, speaking from the Killer D Home Office in beautiful Ardmore, Okla. While Republicans fumed and sulked, the 51 Killer D’s brought the Capitol to a halt by flying north to Oklahoma,…
Down With Love
Down With Love 2003, PG-13, 100 min. Directed by Peyton Reed, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Paulson, David Hyde Pierce, Rachel Dratch, Tony Randall, Jack Plotnick. There are many fine moments in Down With Love, Peyton Reed’s affectionate homage to the great Rock Hudson/Doris Day sex comedies of…
To Your Health
How do we know if we’re getting the right amount of copper?
Phases and Stages
Willie NelsonStubb’s, May 7-8 Ever since he (allegedly) lit that joint on the roof of the White House, Willie Nelson’s status as folk hero has been neck and neck with his stature as a musician, and with all the recent hoopla surrounding his 70th birthday, the myth finally seems to have eclipsed the man for…
Naked City
Thanks to the work of Reagan High School English teacher Vanessa Connor (see “A Shining Star Goes Dark”), the grounds of RHS will soon feature a special memorial to Ortralla Mosley, who was killed on campus March 28. Connor said she secured donations from two local businesses to make the memorial possible: Ted’s Trees is…
Blind Spot: Hitler’s Secretary
Blind Spot: Hitler’s Secretary 2003, PG, 90 min. Directed by André Heller, Othmar Schmiderer, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . If we are to have any chance of outrunning or outwitting history, we must first stare it in the face. And for 90 minutes, that’s what this German documentary helps us do. The…
About AIDS
Candlelight Memorial Service is May 18 The 2003 International AIDS Candlelight Memorial will take place this Sunday, May 18, from 8-9pm, at Republic Square Park. This is Austin’s fourth year to participate in this Global Health Council event, which will be observed in more than 1,500 communities in 85 countries. Mayor Gus Garcia will light…
A Shining Star Goes Dark
A tragedy at Reagan High School evokes a mother’s courageous response.
Naked City
The Hays Co. Commissioners Court both gained and lost ground in another round of courtroom appeals last week, but it was the county’s opponent — the citizens group called the Hays County Water Planning Partnership — that claimed victory in the 3-year-old case. Reversing a lower-court finding, the 3rd Court of Appeals ruled that the…
The Dancer Upstairs
The Dancer Upstairs 2002, R, 124 min. Directed by John Malkovich, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Javier Bardem, Laura Morante, Juan Diego Botto, Elvira Mínguez, Alexandra Lencastre, Oliver Cotton. Overtly political filmmaking wasn’t what I was expecting from John Malkovich’s directorial debut, but somehow his stamp is all over this vaguely Costa-Gavras-like pastiche,…
Letters at 3AM
March 10 passed in a fever — banner headlines, shrill broadcasts, protests, threats, and lies. Everyone knew what was coming and pretty much knew what it meant (whether for or against): This war announced a changed America that would invade where and when it wished, its justifications flimsy, its goal simple — empire. So that…
Leaving the Children Behind
The House and Senate versions of the proposed state budget (House Bill 1) are currently under revision by a conference committee before a final version is put before the Legislature. In all, about $2 billion in education cuts are proposed — mainly to health insurance for active and retired educators and to Texas Education Agency…
Naked City
On Friday, May 16, representatives of BookPeople, Waterloo Records, and other local businesses will join author/columnist/radio commentator Jim Hightower at 5pm for a “Keep Austin Weird” rally in front of Waterloo, at Sixth and Lamar. Hightower will sign copies of his new spoken-word CD, The People Are Revolting! (in the very best sense of the…
Pokémon Heroes
Pokémon Heroes 2003, G, 80 min. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, Jim Malone, Narrated by , Voices by Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart, Addie Blaustein, Starring . Does any kid worth his or her Gameboy Advance SP even care about the Pokémon series anymore? And if so, why? I’ve gone easy on parent company Nintendo’s…
Liquid Assets
Wes Marshall goes Greek for his latest wine roundup.
The Discipline of Numbers
The Austin ISD crime and disciplinary statistics give a partial but confusing picture.
Naked City
Before the roof fell in and the Dems headed for the Red River on Mother’s Day, the House managed to mulch a few more trees on Saturday for major and minor legislation — and killed a few bills as well. The big casualty was HB 2, the “Death Star” government reorganization bill authored by Rep.…
Japón
Japón 2002, NR, 122 min. Directed by Carlos Reygadas, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Alejandro Ferretis, Magdalena Flores, Yolanda Villa, Martín Serrano. First-time Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas is turning heads with his impressive debut feature, Japón. Following an Austin premiere during the Cine Las Americas film festival last month, Japón is now opening…
The Pflugerville Flavor
Eating out … 30 minutes out: MM Pack and Mick Vann review the ethnic fare up north.
Food-o-File
Virginia B. Wood gives you all the gravy on new restaurants and old mansions becoming new restaurants.
Unfinished Business at APD?
A Monday public hearing will review a woman’s “official oppression”
The House Adjourns to Oklahoma
The House Dems may be losing the legislative wars, but they’re finally winning the PR battle.
Second Helpings: Happy-Hour Buffets
Cheap beer and food after a long day. What an idea! Happy-hour buffets in this week’s “Second Helpings.”
Do the Tighten Up
Sometimes you have to cross an ocean to find something good in your own back yard. Such is the case with Texas Funk, released last fall on London-based Jazzman Records. Archiving 20 obscure Lone Star funk sides (and one from nearby Shreveport) from the late Sixties and early Seventies, Texas Funk unearths a largely unknown…
Place 5 ‘Up for Grabs’ as Clarke, McCracken Square Off
Before the May 3 election, a slew of local pundits voluntarily — and accurately — predicted that voters would send Brewster McCracken and Margot Clarke into a run-off for the Place 5 seat on the Austin City Council. But crystal-ball gazing the final outcome of this matchup is an altogether different story. (The run-off will…
Why We are Here — Working to Defend Texas
The “quorum-busting” Democrats defend their actions.
TCB
Schedule of Performances Note: these are only the evening, main-stage performances for each day; a complete schedule is at the festival’s Web site. The New Folk concerts are noon-3pm May 24-25 in the Threadgill Theater. Evening performances begin at 6pm May 22-26 and 7pm May 27-29. Thursday, May 22: Brian Joseph, Bill Oliver, Duluth, Sarah…
Phases and Stages
The Deathray Davies Midnight at the Black Nail Polish Factory (Glurp) Midnight at the Black Nail Polish Factory is the sound of a band hitting its stride, fulfilling the talk of potential that’s followed it from the beginning. The band being the Deathray Davies, the band that’s made Dallas once again safe for rock. But…
Breaking Down the Numbers
Brewster McCracken led Margot Clarke by more than eight points on May 3 — but the run-off June 7 is bound to be much closer. Both candidates showed substantial strength in high-turnout boxes whose voters are more likely to come back for Round 2 — Clarke in Central Austin and McCracken west of MoPac. McCracken’s…
The Hightower Report
The Texas Lege comforts the comfortable and afflicts the afflicted; and Nevada proves to be a poor dumping ground.
Let There Be Light
After a $14 million facelift, UT’s Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center is letting the light in, literally, through new windows across the front of the structure, and philosophically, through a new mission to give the public more opportunities to see and enjoy its astonishing accumulation of cultural treasures.
Phases and Stages
ZykosComedy Horn (Post-Parlo) Make room next to ZZ Top on the CD racks; Zykos has arrived. The young Austin fivepiece’s sound is far-reaching on its debut, the driving piano and lush keyboard tableaus of Catherine Davis setting the mood for a series of tight grooves and gray-sky dynamics that emanate from a meridian halfway between…
Local Landfill Got Trashed by Garbage Giant, Jury Rules
Texas Disposal Systems wins its long-running defamation suit against Waste Management Inc. — but isn’t awarded damages.
Get Your Warblog On
As conventional media stumble, the Web’s armchair war reporters rise to the occasion, to questionable effect.
“In a New Light” Programs
Over the next several months, the Ransom Center will be offering several programs to help show it off “in a new light.” Below is a sampling. Unless otherwise noted, the events take place in the new Prothro Theater, located on the northeast corner of the ground floor of the HRC. Sunday, May 18″In a New…
Phases and Stages
Gentleman CowardChances Are You’re Probably Not Going to Like This (How Could It Be Any Worse) Aggressively poor self-esteem is a longtime hallmark of punk rock. That lesson isn’t lost on Gentleman Coward, a plucky, local fourpiece that wears self-sabotage like a badge of honor from the title on down. This four-song EP blends the…
Remember Sixth + Lamar?
Tensions between BookPeople and Schlosser Development Corp. seem to have simmered down since national chainsters Borders Books and Music dropped out of Schlosser’s Sixth + Lamar office and retail development a few weeks ago. BookPeople owner Steve Bercu says the developer is making concerted efforts to keep him updated about its proposed four-block development, which…
The Gong Show
Anything goes at the Alamo’s Open Screen Night.
Music to Hang On to Life By
Dramatizing the pull of music on a human life is no easy task, but Warren Leight’s Side Man shows jazz players hanging on to their music to keep from giving in to despair, and its Austin premiere will benefit from the skill of Zachary Scott Theatre Center Artistic Director Dave Steakley, who has consistently demonstrated…
Phases and Stages
Opposite DayEconomics for Mr Ugly If there’s one thing Austin needs right now, it’s more bands with songs about 5-year-old superspies, cannibalistic bagels, and monkeys throwing their own feces. This is not sarcasm: In the wake of the capital city’s silent (and now smoke-free) spring, Opposite Day’s freewheeling, absurdist debut is a welcome batch of…
Will The Smoke Clear Before Garcia Leaves Office?
The smoking ban gets preliminary approval but its future remains uncertain.
Rock & Roll All Night …
Ten years gone, and we’re still Dazed and Confused.
Articulations
The unexpected passing of one of Austin’s most generous artists, Tré Arenz, and a teaching honor for UT School of Music professor Judith A. Jellison.
Phases and Stages
The Best of International Artists(Collectables) In the annals of psychedelia, no record company has quite the mystique of Houston’s International Artists. During its existence, 1965-70, IA released 13 albums and 39 singles and passed through the hands of several owners, including Lelan Rogers, brother of country schlock star Kenny Rogers. Litigation has kept IA reissues…
Library Gets Unhooked
Downtowners hanging out at Wooldridge Square Park, across from the Travis Co. Courthouse, no longer need to leave work behind when enjoying an alfresco lunch. The Austin Public Library has partnered with local Internet provider WiFi-Texas to turn Wooldridge Square — along with the neighboring Austin History Center and John Henry Faulk Central Library –…
Short Cuts
Festival news from around the globe, as pertaining to Austin’s little chunk of it.
Eric Schlosser at BookPeople
“When government makes a free-market activity illegal — smoking pot, buying porn, being an illegal alien — it creates a black market that’s untaxed, unregulated, and often dangerous,” observes Nick Barbaro of Eric Schlosser’s follow-up to Fast Food Nation. “And if you want to see where the government is interfering with the workings of the…
Phases and Stages
Daniel JohnstonThe Early Recordings Volume 1: Songs of Pain/More Songs of Pain 1980-83 (Dualtone) Instead of firing off Earthly messages into the void, crammed full of mathematical, pictographical, and tonal information, all NASA ever really had to do was send up a couple of Daniel Johnston’s early cassettes and one of those boxy old tape…
Springs: Dye Flows Downhill
When the Barton Springs/ Edwards Aquifer Conservation District announced the completion of its groundwater dye-tracing study last month, agency officials thought they’d at least get a couple of obligatory questions about the results. That didn’t happen. But had they issued a press release with a headline that screamed, “Shit flows downhill — fast!” they likely…
TV Eye
The end of an era — Buffy takes her final bow.
Page Two
The House Democrats’ walkout was their best option in light of Republicans’ vicious and highly partisan day in the sun; ending The Chronicle Hour quiets the right-wing voices in our head.
Phases and Stages
Kevin BrownCallin’ the Heavens & Closin’ the Bars There are dozens and dozens and dozens of songwriters in Austin. From Alejandro Escovedo and Beaver Nelson to the Robison brothers and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, almost all of them work in that largely indefinable netherworld where twang meets rock. To stand out in that crowd, you either…
Texas Wants Nuke Waste
On May 7 the Texas Senate passed HB 1567, the nuclear-waste dump bill that, if finally permitted, will enable not one but two private nuke-waste storage facilities, most likely at Waste Control Specialists’ sites in Andrews Co. Presuming the House ever returns to session, the revised bill is expected to be quickly approved and sent…
DVD Watch
SMOKEMiramax Home Entertainment, $19.99 Imagine a scaled-down Robert Altman movie, with trademark dovetailing storylines and eclectic ensemble cast, but with the heart of William Saroyan, and you have something akin to Smoke. Brooklyn cigar storeowner Auggie Wren (Harvey Keitel) spends his days contending with petty shoplifters, a creatively blocked writer (William Hurt), a one-eyed ex-girlfriend…
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
The proper term for the ponderous wattles of flesh that make up the saggy jowls of the bloodhound: flews.A Charlotte Russe, said to have been created for the Russian Czar Alexander, is a dish composed of custard or whipped cream enclosed in sponge cake with a cherry on top.Rural states are heavily subsidized by urban…
Phases and Stages
Bill PassalacquaPeace of My Mind (Reckless Pedestrian) Mike Nicolai Rooster Nudes Bill Passalacqua and Mike Nicolai have virtually nothing in common. The exception being that they’re both local singer-songwriters. Otherwise, they work in different musical terrain, and as evidenced by their new albums, both are desperately in need of a producer, or at least someone…
Wind Power Gains ‘Velocity’
Austin filmmaker Michelle Voss isn’t looking to acquire fame and fortune from her new documentary on wind power, which premieres May 17 in Austin. Not that she would mind sitting on a little nest egg while seeing her name up in lights, but Voss’ primary goal is to change the way people think about electricity.…
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Reloaded 2003, R, 138 min. Directed by Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gloria Foster, Monica Bellucci, Lambert Wilson, Randall Duk Kim. Four years ago The Matrix revolutionized – in a very real sense – the politics…
After a Fashion
Oh, it’s spring -fever time in fashion-land, and you know what that means: events, events, events. Also, find out about the Kerrville designer who influenced millions.
Phases and Stages
Bobby PattersonSoul Is My Music: The Best of Bobby Patterson (Sundazed) While Dallas’ Bobby Patterson never had the chart success of Southern soul contemporaries like Joe Tex and Johnnie Taylor, this lovingly assembled 2-CD compilation of his Abnak/Jetstar sides goes a long way toward correcting that slight. Patterson signed with Dallas-based Abnak Records in 1965,…
Try Rehab: It’s Cheaper
Likely thanks to the state’s big old budget woes, it looks like Texas may join a growing number of states making significant drug-policy reforms. Specifically, HB 2668, by Rep. Ray Allen, R-Grand Prairie, has made its way out of the House and over to the Senate where, Lege sources say, it likely has legs. The…
The Shape of Things
The Shape of Things 2003, R, 97 min. Directed by Neil LaBute, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Paul Rudd, Rachel Weisz, Gretchen Mol, Fred Weller. Playwright and filmmaker Neil LaBute describes his latest, The Shape of Things, as a sort of retort to critics who branded him a misogynist for his first feature,…
