Freeze Me
Freeze Me 2000, NR, 101 min. Directed by Takashi Ishii, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Harumi Inoue, Shingo Tsurumi, Kazuki Kitamura, Shunsuke Matsuoka, Naoto Takenaka. A low-budget Japanese revenge movie, Freeze Me tells the story a woman who retaliates against the three gangbangers who won’t leave her alone. After gang-raping her in her…
Centerfold Girls
Centerfold Girls 1974, R, 91 min. Directed by Andrew Peyser, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Andrew Prine, Tiffany Bolling, Aldo Ray, Ray Danton, Mike Mazurki. A serial killer offs pinup girls.
Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein (Aka Flesh for Frankenstein)
Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein (Aka Flesh for Frankenstein) 1974, R, 94 min. Directed by Antonio Margheriti, Paul Morrissey, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Udo Kier, Monique Van Vooren, Joe Dallesandro. Udo Kier plays the famous mad baron, who’s deep into his cloning experiments while his wife is making time with Joe Dallesandro’s handsome peasant…
The American Astronaut
Scripted and directed by the frontman of the musical group the Billy Nayer Show, American Astronaut is an imaginative and resourceful spectacle.
Fall Semester Student Screening
Fall Semester Student Screening NR. Directed by Various, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring . Austin FilmWorks presents an end-of-the-semester screening of its Production One and Production Two final film projects. For more info call 467-0731 or see www.austinfilmworks.com.
Exhibitionism
Mexic-Arte Museum’s exhibition of “Tesoros de la Cathedral de Saltillo — Treasures of the Cathedral of Saltillo” displays repositories not only of spiritual meaning and practice, but of the intertwining history of the Catholic Church and the indigenous peoples of Mexico.
Phases and Stages
Billy Joe Shaver Freedom’s Child (Compadre) Freedom’s Child is Billy Joe Shaver’s first true solo album since he joined forces with his son, guitarist Eddy, and formed their band Shaver in 1987. It finds him reunited with R.S. Field, who produced what’s arguably Shaver’s best album, 1993’s Tramp On Your Street. With Eddy gone, some…
Futrell: Seton Wouldn’t Wait
The city tried and failed to stop Seton’s plan to build a separate children’s hospital.
Austin @ Large: How Weird Is That?
Austin’s new recipe for economic vitality collides with the reigning quality-of-life agenda
Second Helpings: Thanksgiving, home away from home
Can’t get home for the holidays? Neither can “Second Helpings.”
Exhibitionism
Playwright Liz Lochhead brings Euripides’ tale of Medea and her hideous yet compelling vengeance into the present day, but delivers a surprisingly staid and familiar rendition of the tragedy, and while the this Vortex Repertory Company production offers some striking dramatic tableaux, it suffers from pacing problems, a lack of dramatic tension, and little effective…
Phases and Stages
Willie Nelson & Friends Stars & Guitars (Lost Highway) Over the years, Willie Nelson has cut his share of duets, most of them successful. Stars & Guitars, recorded live at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville as a television special, takes the idea of Nelson harmonizing with (insert name here) to an extreme. While it sounds…
Yet More King Wrangling
Lawyers for the city and the Austin Police Association were back in court Nov. 25 in the ongoing dispute over an independent investigation into the June 11 shooting death of Sophia King. Last week District Judge Suzanne Covington granted the APA’s request for a temporary restraining order, halting the planned probe by Dallas lawyer Stephen…
The Hightower Report
Thank your local family farmer; and the military sets up camp in our schools.
On the Border’s Edge
Drug war reporter Charles Bowden is telling El Paso-Juárez’s secrets, one murder at a time.
Phases and Stages
Almost You: The Songs of Elvis Costello (Glurp) If London-born Declan MacManus — aka Elvis Costello — could take lyrics from Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, and the Flying Burrito Brothers and come up with something more than a gimmick, maybe the masterminds behind Almost You should be lauded for their Austintatious attempt to return the…
Smell of Victory Eludes Northeast Landfill Neighbors
Northeast Travis County residents decry slow pace of enforcement, regulation of their neighbor landfills
A Different Kind of Player
As far as nightclub concepts go, LAN parties aren’t exactly thought of as pickup hotspots. Well, think again.
Page Two
If the City Council approves a proposed noise ordinance, Austin will have to stay weird quietly, and possibly without many nightclubs.
Phases and Stages
Experimental AircraftLove for the Last Time (Rollerderby) Now veterans of a vibrant Austin space rock landscape, Experimental Aircraft finally emerges from Research and Development with a follow-up to their 2000 debut on San Francisco indie label Devil in the Woods. Besides a proclivity for effects pedals and early Nineties Brit pop, ExAir’s chief amenity is…
Concrete Costs
TxDOT’s plans for the next 25 years include mucho pavement, and more money.
Memo
From: John Lee Hancock To: Alamo Casting Dept. Cc: Michael Eisner Re: Alamo Casting Suggestions Howdy y’all! (Ha-ha, just trying to get into the spirit of our project!) Anyhoo, I know we’ve all got some pertinent casting questions at this point — is Russell Crowe in or out? Is Dennis Quaid in or out? Ethan…
Mr. Smarty Pants
Researchers at the Univ. of Toronto have found that eating a lot more mashed potatoes may be a way to help you improve your memory. The reason: Mashed potatoes contain a high amount of glucose, which may help memory because it aids in the production of acetylcholine.A fully ripened cranberry can be dribbled like a…
Phases and Stages
Stars As EyesEnemy of Fun (Tigerbeat6) Electro music isn’t very rock & roll. It’s just a bunch of guys pushing buttons, right? Rhode Island expatriates Stars as Eyes are obviously cognizant of this prevailing attitude as they smash it to pieces with the dirty noise throb of “Important Youth Movement.” Snaps and pops, cracks and…
Commissioner Road Warrior
Under a deep blue sky devoid of clouds — or plumes of diesel exhaust — Gerald Daugherty was sworn in Friday as commissioner for Pct. 3, covering the western half of Travis County. Daugherty beat incumbent Democrat Margaret Moore, who had been appointed last December to fill the unexpired term of Republican Todd Baxter, now…
In Which We Remove Foot From Mouth, Mind From Gutter
A Freudian slip from the one-track mind of Sarah Hepola.
After a Fashion
Jacko sure is Wacko and upcoming holiday fetes.
Phases and Stages
Jerkuleez(Broke-Dick) Bruce Hughes is a fine, funky bassist, as has been seen on the road with Cracker and heard in numerous Bob Schneider-related projects. He loves to jam and has previously put out eclectic material with Teratoma and other oddball projects. Team him up with the likes of an all-star Austin team Scrappy Jud Newcomb,…
Landfills Toss Legal Trash
Last week, locally owned Texas Disposal Systems and international garbage giant Waste Management Inc. met in state district court to dispute whether documents relevant to TDS’s six-year-old defamation suit against WMI should be kept open to the public (as TDS wants) or sealed (as WMI wants). After a three-hour hearing, the two landfill operators agreed…
Short Cuts
No tape, no screen: The Dobie’s new digital projector and the Alamo’s windblown mishap last week.
Day Trips
The Paluxy River Bed Cabins charmed us the moment my wife and I opened the front door to the Cedar House. There was a bottle of good wine chilling in the small refrigerator, the hot tub was warmed up, and the sun was setting. The first two items were compliments of Karen and John Wells,…
Phases and Stages
VictrolaLive as You Like As their name suggests, Victrola is more a cabaret act than your typical Austin band. That makes sense, as vocalist Alice Spencer fronted nouveau cabaret group the Barkers. In Live as You Like, she comes into her own, bolstered by pianist Justin Sherburn (whose tenure in 8 1/2 Souvenirs informs the…
Sewage Happens in G’Town
Big news on the Georgetown sewage front, with the opening of a new wastewater plant and some resolution of the controversy surrounding the old one. On Nov. 13, the city unveiled the new Pecan Branch treatment plant, located three miles east of town and serving residents in northern Georgetown, including Sun City. The plant, city…
Video Reviews
Doris Day, the Sixties’ most popular professional virgin, croons over the opening credits that “there must be a pillow-talkin’ boy for me.” Boy, was there ever, and his name was Rock Hudson.
About AIDS
There has been a flurry of news stories lately about newly available HIV tests that provide a result promptly. Unfortunately, don’t expect to see them in common use anytime soon, and, as for using it as a self-test, faggeddaboudit. The first test slated to be FDA approved is OraQuick from OraSure Technologies in Pennsylvania. It’s…
Phases and Stages
Justin Trevino The Scene of the Crying (Lone Star) The Scene of the Crying is the fourth collection of songs from Justin Trevino, and if you’ve heard the local bassist’s sweet voice before, you’ll recognize his latest almost immediately. If not, this is the perfect place to start. The young Trevino has perfected a sound…
Naked City
Breaking news from Austin, Texas, and elsewhere.
TV for Fans of TV
After much off-season media attention, the Emmy Award-winning The Osbournes returns to MTV for its second season on Tuesday.
Letters at 3AM
In the days following 9/11, George W. Bush began speaking of “homeland security.” Even then, some of us thought the phrase had a sinister, Orwellian ring. Bush proposed a White House Office of Homeland Security subject to no will but the president’s — no congressional oversight, no balance of constitutional powers, no accountability to the…
Phases and Stages
Mike BarfieldLiving Stereo (Tater Tot) Mike Barfield’s longtime band the Hollisters always had a dash of R&B in with their Texas twang. On this solo outing, Barfield goes whole-hog in the direction of Memphis and Muscle Shoals, and not surprisingly, he’s a pretty fair contender in the blue-eyed soul category. Backed by Dave Biller, Nick…
Naked City
With council members Daryl Slusher and Raul Alvarez dissenting, the City Council last week approved zoning for another 300-plus apartments over the recharge zone of the Edwards Aquifer. The council voted 4-2 for MF-4 zoning (“moderate high-density”) multifamily at 3226 W. Slaughter. Mayor Pro Tem Jackie Goodman, who had previously voted against the zoning change,…
Farm Aid
This fall, Kim Wilson has been making a lot of zucchini stuffed with tomato and goat cheese. It’s been a big hit not only with her family, but also at parties. Gloria Lee can’t get enough of the crisp green peppers sautéed with chicken and fermented black beans. Chris Labuski loves to eat fresh arugula…
Phases and Stages
Hotrod HillbilliesLet’s Alcoholass (HRHB) Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. And you have heard this one before. Like a Fox police-chase special, Let’s Alcoholass offers both lowest-common-denominator cheap thrills and no surprises whatsoever. See if you can guess which message is not contained in this half-hour of rote psychobilly: A.) Drinking is fun.…
Naked City
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller earned the ire of the state’s largest defense attorney group Nov. 20 after the Statesman reported she had awarded nearly $200,000 in state grant funds to a small local nonprofit, Dave’s Bar Association, started by attorney David Schulman. The money is earmarked for training for lawyers…
Food-o-File
Bragging rights and the latest flavors round out this week’s “Food-o-File.”
Phases and Stages
Sixpence None The RicherDivine Discontent (Squint/Curb/Reprise) Sixpence None the Richer first appeared amid the Cardigans-Sundays-Mazzy Star spate of lush, Nineties pop-rock bands featuring breathy girl singers. The San Marcos-based band’s appeal came courtesy of lead singer Leigh Nash, whose doll-like sweetness fit her fey vocals. That said, it was Matt Slocum who was responsible for…
Naked City
On his march toward sainthood, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani will be signing his new book Leadership at Borders South at Westgate Plaza, 4477 S. Lamar, 1 to 3pm on Monday, Dec. 2. Expect a big crowd. The city of Austin and Hays Co. are hosting a summit for elected and government officials to…
Managed Health Care
The SIMS Foundation helps local musicians, and finally, itself.
Phases and Stages
Bill HicksFlying Saucer Tour Vol. 1 (Rykodisc)Bill HicksLove Laughter and Truth (Rykodisc) For the first time since Rykodisc’s 1997 mass reissue of Dangerous, Relentless, and the posthumously completed Arizona Bay and Rant in E Minor, there’s more sanctioned material from the late great Austin comedian/social commentator Bill Hicks. Reason for dancing in the streets, right?…
Naked City
A weighty matter influencing the birth of a countywide hospital district: Can the city of Austin and Travis Co. get along? The odd couple, which seldom agrees on anything, still has to reach consensus on, among other things, the number of members each would appoint to a district governing board — assuming a hospital district…
Broadcasts Vol. 10 Reviewed
Broadcasts Vol. 10(107.1 KGSR Radio Austin) Radio stations all over the country have annual compilations similar to KGSR’s institutional Broadcasts series, culled from live, in-studio recordings by local and national music acts. A few educated assumptions about the others: a) They’re rarely 2-CD sets, like KGSR’s have been since Vol. 2 (Vol. 8 was three…
Phases and Stages
The Rolling StonesSBC Center, San Antonio, November 23 On paper, green paper, it’s totally fucked up. Touring in support of four new songs, in a depressed economy, with the highest ticket prices since a shuttle to the moon. The worst seat in the house, behind the stage: $95. Triple that for a decent one. Corporate…
Naked City
At the Lege, all bills are born equal — but some are a good deal more equal than others. Several legislators — including Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth and Rep. Gene Seaman, R-Corpus Christi — filed early bills addressing various aspects of the homeowners insurance crisis. But the headlines leapt last week when Sen. Troy…
An Angel for AMT
The recent fiscal crisis for Austin Musical Theatre threatened to keep the company from mounting any future productions, but producer Charles Duggan has come to AMT’s rescue, offering to produce a week-long retrospective of musical numbers from the company’s first 15 productions.
Dancing About Architecture
Emo’s employees quit over punk rock protest, the Noise Ordinance is back, as will be the Austin City Limits Music Festival, but not Russell Crowe. SIMS news and more.
Double Jeopardy
A long-ago marijuana conviction gets a library staffer fired and raises questions about city employment policies and the war on drugs
Naked City
“We have a situation where we have an entity that walks and quacks like a duck but wants to be treated as something different.” That’s how Public Utilities Commission Chair Rebecca Armendariz Klein described the proposal of Cap Rock Energy, which serves about 17,000 customers in the Midland area, to become the first utility in…
Treasure Planet
Treasure Planet 2002, PG, 90 min. Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker, Narrated by , Voices by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, Emma Thompson, David Hyde Pierce, Martin Short, Patrick McGoohan, Michael Wincott, Roscoe Lee Browne, Laurie Metcalf, Starring . Disney here remakes one of its own with stupendous results that put much of the studio’s…
A Piece of Work
In the Arthouse exhibition “Glow,” Craig Kauffman’s Untitled Donut #14 balloons out from the wall like a benign, lopsided pink inner tube, its sensuous shape and gleaming, flesh-toned color beckoning the viewer with the rounded friendliness of Baby’s bath toy.
Phases and Stages
VallejoStereo (VMG) A classic rock swagger has defined Vallejo since day uno. Snaking through the dual guitar throw down of frontman A.J. Vallejo and Heath Clark on both 1998’s Beautiful Life (TVT) and 2000’s Into the New (Epic), it often sounded lifted straight off Señor Santana’s Abraxas LP. With their latest, the independently released Stereo,…
Mapping the Case Against Enlow
The city’s case against fired APD Officer Tim Enlow remains unconvincing.
Naked City
On Nov. 22, four defeated Democratic state House candidates filed lawsuits in state district court alleging violation of campaign ethics laws by the Texas Association of Business. According to the petition filed by incumbent Reps. Ann Kitchen of Austin and Debra Danburg of Houston and candidate Danny Duncan of Commerce, the lawsuit seeks to enforce…
Solaris
Solaris 2002, PG-13, 99 min. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Ulrich Tukur, Viola Davis, Jeremy Davies, Natascha Mcelhone, George Clooney. “There are no solutions, only choices,” intones the mission commander of the ill-fated space station Prometheus in Steven Soderbergh’s new science fiction love story Solaris. That advice, along with…
Articulations
Austin Script Works has a changing of the bard, Austin officially becomes a capital of culture, and the Texas Fine Arts Association is renamed Arthouse.
Phases and Stages
Shandon SahmGood Thoughts Are Better Than Laxatives (Purocrema) Like his late father, Doug Sahm, Shandon Sahm is a musical chameleon, slithering easily between sonic genres. On his first solo release, bearing the unwieldy title of Good Thoughts Are Better Than Laxatives, the youngest Sahm stays within the comfortable confines of rock. That’s a broad base…
Retooling the Austin Machine
The incorporation of “Keep Austin Weird” into an official city white paper got most of the attention last week when the Mayor’s Task Force on the Economy presented its initial report and recommendations for revving up Austin’s once-hot, now-not business climate. (As former Indianapolis Mayor Bill Hudnut, now a senior fellow at the Urban Land…
Playing Defense
One weathered axiom of legislative politics, particularly in Texas, is that it’s a lot easier to stop bad bills than to pass good ones. That principle should get quite a workout during the 78th Legislature, when progressive legislators will find themselves on their heels even more than usual. “They’ll definitely be ‘playing defense’ — that’s…
The Happiness of the Katakuris
Katakuris is something of a departure for Miike, seeing as how it’s chock-full of robust romance and – we kid you not – musical numbers. While this is ultimately a crazy meditation on family values and the like, it’s still mind-bogglingly goofy filmmaking, at once deeply moving and deeply annoying.
