Short Cuts

"Thanks for nothing" might be another way of getting across the idea behind the Film Feast hosted this Friday and Saturday at the Texas Union Theater by KVRX, KVR-TV, and The Daily Texan. However, that wouldn't be in keeping with the positive holiday spirit of the season. But the fact of the matter is that it's been almost a whole year since the Union Theater dimmed the lights and folded the entire film-programming operation under direct orders from university management. So this weekend as the vast array of the Austin filmmaking community gathers to present a variety of homegrown programs and a B-movie triple bill -- all as a show of "thanks to the Student Union" -- we think we detect a note of irony in the invitation. Film groups and programming organizations that will be presenting works throughout the evening on Friday, Nov. 20 include (in no particular order): Funhouse Cinema, F3 Films (new work by Bob Sherman, Aaron Valdez, Dietmar Post, and Vincent O'Brien's slaughterhouse documentary "Slaughter"), CinemaTexas,Austin Cinemaker Co-op, Alamo Drafthouse (a presentation of classic film trailers), Reel Women, the Austin Film Society, and others. On Saturday, Nov. 21 the Film Feast continues with its "3-B Movie Spectacular" showcasing Herschell Gordon Lewis' true-gore masterpiece Blood Feast, Massacre at Central High, and Pot, Parents, and Police.Festivities begin on both nights at 5:30. For more info call 471-5106...

quot;Writing for the Motion Picture, TV, and Movies of the Week" is the title of a course to be taught this spring through the University Extension by Robert Foshko, head of screenwriting at UT Austin and on the faculty of the Michener Center for Writers. Registration has begun for the class (which is limited to 15). It will meet on Tuesdays, 6-9pm and is available for course credit or not. See http://www.utexas.edu/dce/univext or call 471-2900 for more info...

J. Casey Kucera is compiling a database of film-related Web sites in the Austin area and has asked for info and addresses to be submitted to him at caseykucera@usa.net...

The Austin Film Society is bracing for a burst of December activities that are still in the planning stages but seem to be more than just popular rumors. Austin could be looking at Quentin Tarantino Fest III, Dec. 9-13, in which the filmmaker will once again present several nights of programming from his own movie collection. Tarantino will also host a Jack Hill tribute with both filmmakers in attendance on Dec. 7. (You remember that Tarantino's distribution company re-released Hill's Switchblade Sisters last year.) Also rumored is a premiere screening of Robert Rodriguez's The Faculty on Dec. 16. In all likelihood, it will be another couple of weeks before tickets to these events go on sale and we'll have that information here as it becomes available...

The SXSW Film Festival folks have taken their act on the road this week and hosted a party in Los Angeles Wednesday night at El Carmen, hoping to lure industry types to Texas with County Line barbecue. Expected to attend were reps from 20th Century Fox, Paramount Classics, Next Wave Films, New LineCinema, October Films, The Hollywood Reporter,Variety, and the LA Weekly, filmmakers Kevin Williamson (Scream, The Faculty), George Huang (Swimming with Sharks), Rana Joy Glickman (Full Tilt Boogie), Lance Mungia (Six-String Samarai), Dan Mirvish (omaha: the movie), Guillermo del Toro (Cronos), and others...

If you can't wait for Gus Van Sant's Psycho remake dueout Dec. 4 you might wantto sate your Hitchcockjones with Christopher Reeve'sRear Window TV remake on ABC Sunday, Nov. 22, 8-10pm.