Popeye
Popeye 1980, PG, 114 min. Directed by Robert Altman, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall, Ray Walston, Paul Dooley, Paul L. Smith. Critically drubbed at the time of its release, Altman’s Popeye is faithful to the spirit of the old comic strip and animated cartoons. Robin Williams plays the mumbling…
Cauleen Smith Presents Short Films
Cauleen Smith Presents Short Films NR. Directed by Cauleen Smith, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Cinemaker’s regular open screening of local filmworks will be followed by a presentation by Cauleen Smith of her short films. Smith is among the newest faculty members of UT’s RTF Department. Director of the award-winning film Drylongso,…
La Naissance De L’Amour (The Birth of Love)
La Naissance De L’Amour (The Birth of Love) 1993, NR, 94 min. Directed by Philippe Garrel, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Lou Castel, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Johanna Ter Steege, Dominique Reymond, Marie-Paule Laval. French cinema stalwart Philippe Garrel has been making films since the Sixities, usually examining issues os male intimacy and existence. In…
Therese
Therese 1986, NR, 90 min. Directed by Alain Cavalier, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Catherine Mouchet, Hélène Alexandridis, Aurore Prieto. Therese Martin was a middle-class French girl who became a Carmelite nun and died of tuberculosis in 1897 at the age of 24. The “Little Flower of Jesus” was canonized by the pope…
Kill Squad
Kill Squad 1981, R, 89 min. Directed by Patrick G. Donahue, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Cameron Mitchell, Jerry Johnson, Jeff Risk, Jean Glaudé. A Vietnam vet assembles a martial arts vigilante squad to murder the thugs who killed his wife.
Raw, Uncensored and Totally Nude
Raw, Uncensored and Totally Nude NR. Directed by Various, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . The popular access TV show, The Show With No Name, is putting on a live program with clips and other material that surpass all standards of taste set by both the FCC and common decency. This adults-only show…
The Latest in Paper
Kathy Acker’s “work cut a swath of influence through literary and pop culture so wide that she might have entered the strange, paradoxical state to which all cultural goliaths are prey: waning visibility by virtue of social penetration,” writes Cindy Widner. “Two new publications could help keep that from happening.”
The Smell of Success
Austin’s poster art scene is back, and it’s better than ever.
Austin Makes Federal Case Over New Courthouse
Austin leaders try to influence the feds’ new U.S. courthouse project.
The Producers
The fourth annual National Association of Latino Independent Producers conference met in San Antonio Nov. 7-10 to talk shop and fête its most promising players.
In Person
Roger Gathman, Belinda Acosta, and Maria Hong recap three of the Texas Book Festival’s finest panels.
Austintatious Art
“More murals!” Kerry Awn is elated. The noted artist-comedian got the word from the University Co-op that the Renaissance Market block of 23rd Street will eventually be covered with art. That’s good news, considering the mural there is almost 30 years old. Awn, along with artists Tom Bauman, Rick Turner, and a few friends, designed…
Danziger and Ochoa: Why Did Freedom Take So Long?
The federal suits filed by exonerated convicts Richard Danziger and Christopher Ochoa on Nov. 6, which together seek nearly $200 million in damages, circle a basic set of questions: What did law enforcement officers know, and when did they know it? And why didn’t they do anything with what they knew? Danziger and Ochoa, who…
In Print
UT professor Charles Ramírez Berg has crafted an academic dissection of film stereotypes. Moreover, it’s an enormously readable and instructive volume.
Page Two
Seton Healthcare Network’s undermining of a proposed hospital district — combined with the city’s consistent lack of long-term planning — may have tragic, real-world consequences.
Dancing About Architecture
Things get so bad in the Live Music Capital of the World that they’re citing the ‘King of Sixth Street,’ Gerry Van King, for busking on the street
King Probe Halted
After hearing nearly an hour of arguments late on Nov. 14, District Judge Suzanne Covington granted a temporary restraining order sought by the Austin Police Association and prevented the city of Austin from proceeding with an independent investigation into the June shooting death of Sophia King. The APA sought the 14-day restraining order to allow…
Open Screen Night
Technically, it’s like an open mic night, only for movies. But we like how the Alamo’s Open Screen organizer Henri Mazza describes it better: “I think the whole thing is going to be a lot like that first kiss I had at the spin-the-bottle game in junior high: a little bit too wet, way too…
Mr. Smarty Pants
The word “irregardless” was first recorded in western Indiana in 1912, and as such was once considered a dialect term.According to Arthur C. Clarke’s predictions for the next century, in 2003 the automobile industry will be given five years to replace fossil fuels.University of California researchers believe there may be a link between babies raised…
Phases and Stages
I Me Mineby George Harrison Chronicle Books, 400 pp., $24.95 Originally published in 1980 in a very expensive limited edition, George Harrison’s autobiography is finally available at an affordable price in the wake of his passing. The book consists of three parts: an “autobiography” as told to Beatles publicist/longtime pal Derek Taylor; a generous series…
Naked City
Quote of the Week: “The court believes things must be better in Mississippi.” — U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks, blasting the Travis and Burnet counties DA’s for their mishandling of the Clyde Durbin case (see Austin Stories). City minority-contracting czar Lino Rivera was reassigned this week after news broke of an ongoing investigation into possible…
Short Cuts
Regal co-CEO Kurt Hall was quoted as saying, “I hope the line between entertainment and advertising will begin to blur.” He says that like it’s a good thing.
Second Helpings: Meat Markets
The meat market is strong, according to this carnivorous “Second Helpings.”
After a Fashion
This week, Stephen goes to a drag ball and gets some Texture in his life.
Phases and Stages
George HarrisonBrainwashed (Capitol/Dark Horse) Despite stiff competition from his former bandmates, it’s George Harrison’s post-Beatles output that’s been the most steadfastly disappointing. Harrison’s final album, Brainwashed, doesn’t stray from the mid-tempo groove worn so deeply over the last quarter century, but thankfully, it veers away from its predecessors in at least one major way. Lyrically,…
Naked City
The University of Texas won approval from the State Board of Education last week to open an elementary charter school in East Austin. The new campus will be the first school formed under 2001 legislation which allows public colleges and universities to receive charters. The school is scheduled to open in August on East Sixth,…
TV Eye
After much off-season media attention, the Emmy Award-winning The Osbournes returns to MTV for its second season on Tuesday.
Day Trips
The GoldenLight Cafe and Cantina in Amarillo sits in a row of post-World War II era nondescript block buildings that disguise the true character within the brick walls. The oldest restaurant in the Panhandle city, and one of the oldest still in existence at the same location on the old Route 66, still serves a…
Phases and Stages
Journalsby Kurt Cobain Riverside Books, 280pp., $29.95 Journals is to rock & roll autobiographies what Nevermind was to alternative rock — revolutionary. And one of a kind, probably. “Kurt Cobain filled dozens of notebooks with lyrics, drawings, and writings about his plans for Nirvana and his thoughts about fame, the state of music, and the…
Naked City
Your Tax Dollars at Work: Among the bills pre-filed for next year’s Lege session is HCR 16, by state Rep. Kino Flores, D-Mission, which designates tortilla chips and salsa as Texas’ official state snack. A second-grade class in Flores’ district came up with the idea. Since you must know, while other states have official foods…
Video Reviews
Fassbinder’s grimy Berliner sensibility coats the bare bones of Sirk’s original tale in a slick sheen of weary cynicism and pits true love against societal mores in a battle to the bitter end.
To Your Health
I have decided that it is prudent to start taking a multivitamin, but it seems like there are hundreds of choices. How do I narrow down the selections?
Phases and Stages
Foo FightersOne by One (RCA) The Foo Fighters may still be most famous for their nightmarish “Everlong” video, but it was drummer Taylor Hawkins’ near-death by OD last winter that scared the shit out of them. Frontman Dave Grohl ditched the flight-attendant outfits, traded his ubiquitous grin for gritted teeth, and got serious about rocking…
Naked City
If you’re looking for holiday gifts that aren’t produced by Chinese children for 12 cents an hour, visit the Fair Trade Holiday Bazaar, Saturday, Nov. 22 at First English Lutheran Church, 3001 Whitis. Colores del Pueblo and the Hebron Embroidery Project offer handcrafted items from Latin American and Palestinian artisans who were paid fairly for…
In Person
Roger Gathman, Belinda Acosta, and Maria Hong recap three of the Texas Book Festival’s finest panels.
About AIDS
Condoms and Needle Exchange in Prison? In a recent state health department/UC-Berkeley poll, almost two-thirds of Californians surveyed approve of distributing condoms and of drug-needle exchange programs in prisons. They recognize that prisons are major epidemic breeding grounds and that these are effective ways to prevent HIV transmission. Two major northern counties already do so…
Phases and Stages
Tori AmosScarlet’s Walk (Epic) Tori Amos has finally managed to synthesize her two musical personas: the quirky-pants, piano-bench humping cornflake girl singing about frogs on her toes named Jethro and the older, wiser, diva in training flirting with a more ethereal electronic sound, with a full band backing her up. (Let’s not even mention the…
Naked City
Lino Rivera, director of the city’s Small and Minority Business Resources office, has been reassigned pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation into alleged bid-rigging and other contract irregularities, City Manager Toby Futrell announced last week. The probe has been under way for several months and involves both local and federal agencies. Futrell says she…
Instant Thanksgiving!
Surely someone somewhere can quote statistics that verify Thanksgiving as the most cooking-intensive holiday on the American culinary calendar. It’s traditionally all about food, family, fellowship, and football, though not necessarily in that order. Late November is the time when folks who don’t put anything substantial in the oven during the other 51 weeks of…
Phases and Stages
RöyksoppMelody A.M. (Astralwerks) If Air is French for space-age electro-pop, then Röyksopp must be Norwegian for snow. Another laptop duo, Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge from Tromso, Norway, are Arctic Circle ice angels flitting about their dreamy confection of powered sugar and sighs. Spare, melodious, Esquilicious opener “So Easy” crystallizes the pair’s debut (a collection…
Naked City
The former president and CEO of the Seton Healthcare Network is returning to his old job after an 18-month stint with Ascension Health, Seton’s parent company. Charles Barnett will reassume the top job on Jan. 1, while Interim President and CEO Patricia Hayes will move back to her post as executive vice president and chief…
Seeing Through Animation Darkly
On paper, artists Trenton Doyle Hancock, Arturo Herrera, Jeremy Blake, and Ellen Gallagher may share little in common, but in the Blanton Museum of Art’s “Cartoon Noir” curator Annette Carlozzi has skillfully grouped works by them to reveal a shared interest in cartoon’s darker underside as a means to explore moral complexities in contemporary life.
Instant Thanksgiving!
Complete Meals Central Market 4001 N. Lamar, Hotline: 206-1090; 4477 S. Lamar, Hotline: 899-4332 CM will be offering three options, all of which feed six to eight people, and all come with candied pecans. The traditional turkey dinner ($139.99) contains roasted turkey, dressing and gravy, relish, two sides, brioche, and pie. The glazed ham dinner…
Phases and Stages
Johnny CashAmerican IV: The Man Comes Around (Def American) Considering his deteriorating health, it’s amazing Johnny Cash is even able to record these days, which may ultimately explain the elegant, austere beauty of The Man Comes Around. This time around, producer Rick Rubin teams Cash with Benmont Tench on piano, and Randy Travis, Randy Scruggs,…
Naked City
The city’s first draft of a pipeline safety ordinance is a good start, but it needs more teeth to ensure the community’s protection in the event of an accident. That’s the verdict of the city Environmental Board, after a unanimous vote last week, and of the Save Barton Creek Association and Safe Pipeline Coalition in…
The Emperor’s Club
The Emperor’s Club 2002, PG-13, 109 min. Directed by Michael Hoffman, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Kevin Kline, Emile Hirsch, Embeth Davidtz, Edward Herrmann, Steven Culp, Rob Morrow, Patrick Dempsey, Joel Gretsch, Harris Yulin. This boys boarding-school story buries an interesting storyline about morality and the choices we make underneath such a mountain…
‘Bash’ in Your Head
Although best known for films such as In the Company of Men and Your Friends and Neighbors, LaBute began as a playwright, and Austin is about to get its first look at one of his plays, the disturbing Bash, courtesy of the dirigo group.
Instant Thanksgiving!
Appetizers Grapevine Market 7938 Great Northern Blvd., 323-5900 Monday-Saturday, 10am-9pm Deli manager/cheesemonger extraordinaire Ike Johnson can fix you up with an elegant, buttery Stilton, a voluptuous Brillat Savarin triple cream, or a tasty side of perfectly smoked salmon for your guests to nibble on while you finish heating up the meal you’ve purchased around town.…
The Custody Battle at Brackenridge
Seton’s plan to build its own pediatrics facility throws a monkey wrench into the proposed hospital district.
Naked City
On Nov. 15, the State Board of Education considered and rejected a non-binding resolution recommending that local schools stop showing Channel One, a daily news program with commercials broadcast in 1,200 Texas high schools. At the meeting, Channel One was defended by Jim Ritts, the well-coiffed CEO of Primedia, which produces the program. Ritts was…
Sex With Strangers
Sex With Strangers 2002, NR, 105 min. Directed by Harry Gantz, Joe, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Like several of this documentary’s subjects — two young women vacillating between dedication and doubt regarding their swinging lifestyle — Sex With Strangers is conflicted to the core. Filmmakers (and brothers) Joe and Harry Gantz…
Articulations
Austin Musical Theatre survives, the Center for American Music is born at UT, and the Texas Fine Arts Association is renamed Arthouse.
Instant Thanksgiving!
Side Dishes Wheatsville 3101 Guadalupe, 478-2667 Daily, 9am-11pm Austin’s well-established vegan/vegetarian community relies on the Wheatsville deli for an inspired selection of politically correct comestibles and never more so than during the holiday season. They’ll have quantities of vegan stuffing, fresh cranberry relish, plain- and garlic-mashed potatoes, delicious vegan gravy, and green beans almondine as…
What’s Children’s Worth?
Even before Seton assumed management control of the city-owned Brackenridge Hospital in 1995, Children’s Hospital — then a seven-year-old Brack youngster — was already showing strong potential for profit. In the weeks since Seton announced plans to build a new, privately owned children’s hospital, city officials have been trying to determine how the loss (or…
Naked City
U.S. Rep. Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, announced last week that he will resign on May 31 for personal reasons. Combest, 54, was just easily re-elected for the ninth time; his seat will be filled by special election. He was the first Republican to ever be elected in Dist. 19 when he replaced Kent Hance in 1984.…
El Crimen del Padre Amaro
Controversial Mexican film about a priest who struggles with sins of the flesh.
Exhibitionism
In c / o the grove, director J. Ed Araiza has moved Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard to modern Central Texas, where pecans take the part of cherry trees and pop culture references abound, not always to the play’s benefit, but the strong storytelling and focused performances of the young cast make this another success in…
Instant Thanksgiving!
The Main Course Fresh Turkeys Almost all of these establishments will have some fresh turkeys available on the shelves, but calling and reserving one guarantees that you get one in the size range you prefer. Central Market: Free range, $1.49 per pound (also available cooked with a two-day lead-time, 12-14lb. average, for $79.99). get both…
A Match Made in Heaven?
In 1994, when the city issued a Code Blue on Brackenridge Hospital’s $21 million shortfall, Seton Healthcare Network came to the rescue. Seton agreed to lease the scandal-ridden hospital from the city and manage its day-to-day operations. The two tied the knot, for better or for worse, in the spring of 1995. Jan. 13, 1994:…
Capitol Chronicle
Ideology, not need, shapes the energies of the incoming Legislature.
Friday After Next
Friday After Next 2002, R, 85 min. Directed by Marcus Raboy, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Ice Cube, Mike Epps, John Witherspoon, Don “D.C.” Curry, Anna Maria Horsford, Clifton Powell, Bebe Drake. What’s next — See You Next Shabbat? They could get the Rick Rubin and the Beastie Boys if it weren’t for…
Exhibitionism
Director David Charles Goyette uses an army of actors to stage Brecht’s epic of war, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and his constant movement of them, along with the impressive design work, gives the impression of a huge and hungry populace, but much of the story is lost in the broad acting of much of the…
Instant Thanksgiving!
Breads & Desserts Don’t get us wrong, Austin bakeries all have special creations that delight us during every holiday season. The folks listed below answered our requests for faxed information promptly and offered unique selections that we found appealing. There are plenty of local sweet treats from which to choose. Chez Zee American Bistro &…
What Other Counties Pay*
Total Tax Rates of Counties With Hospital Districts: Tarrant: 1.40827 El Paso: 1.317749 Harris: 1.3105 Bexar: 1.2478 Dallas: 1.1775 Total Tax Rates of Counties Without Hospital Districts: Hidalgo: 1.329 Galveston: 1.3073 Travis: 0.956 * 2001 tax year Source: Citizens for a Travis County Hospital District
Austin @ Large: Austin at Large
The sluggish transportation beat picks up speed and energy after the election.
Die Another Day
Die Another Day 2002, PG-13, 130 min. Directed by Lee Tamahori, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, Judi Dench, John Cleese. Outing No. 20 for Britain’s suavest assassin comes at a price: Mainly, many aspects of Die Another Day seem cribbed from previous Bond…
Exhibitionism
The Paul Taylor Dance Company’s Nov. 16 appearance at Bass Concert Hall allowed Austinites to see how this 72-year-old master molds intricate, enthralling shapes into the space of the stage and to marvel at the remarkable team of dancers that he employs to coax his vision to life.
Food-o-File
Virginia B. Wood’s view from the “rousing success” of the recent Eat, Drink, Watch Movies series.
The Battle of Washington’s Bulge
The textbook wars make a casualty of Washington Crossing the Delaware.
The Hightower Report
HealthSouth’s ethics need rehabilitation.
Half Past Dead
Half Past Dead 2002, PG-13, 98 min. Directed by Don Michael Paul, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Steven Seagal, Morris Chestnut, Ja Rule, Nia Peeples, Tony Plana, Kurupt, Linda Thorson, Bruce Weitz. “This is just like a video game,” observes rapper-cum-actor Ja Rule, taking aim during one of the myriad firefights that comprise…
Authors Who Need Authors
Authors who need authors are the luckiest authors: We assess the harmonies and tumults at the 2002 Texas Book Festival.
Liquid Assets
Thanksgiving is here, and it’s time to pick up some wine for your meal. We’ve been tasting lots of wines to help develop recommendations for your table. We were forced into this tasting task by the complicated food-wine pairing criteria during the holiday season. Walk into any house, and you’re likely to find turkey or…
The MACC: Back on Track, or Under Attack?
The city approves a new board for the Mexican-American Cultural Center — and the center’s previous shepherds cry foul.
‘Heaven’ Sent
Writer / director Todd Haynes resurrects the gloriously overwrought weepies of the Fifties in Far From Heaven.
