Short Cuts

Elvis Has Entered the Building (And He's Kickin' Righteous Zombie Ass) Dept.: Those of you who've been clamoring for a film featuring an Elvis and JFK tag-team zombie beatdown at an old folks home in East Texas (and really, who isn't?) will be delighted to know that the fine folks at South by Southwest Film Festival 2003 have got their sticky mitts on the goods and will be screening it just for you (yes, you!) during the fest's March 7-15 run. Of course, I'm talking about Phantasm director Don Coscarelli's much-anticipated film adaptation of Texas writer Joe R. Lansdale's Bubba Ho-Tep, starring Bruce "God Among Men" Campbell as Elvis (the fat one) and the equally legendary Ossie Davis as JFK (the black one). Coscarelli regular Reggie Bannister (the bald one) is also on board, and advance word from X Machina's Stephen "Saucy Lad" Romano (the other bald one) is that the film is every bit as twisted as it sounds (he should know -- he designed the one-sheet). As ever, the SXSW lineup is packed to the rim with tasty cinematic offerings. Fest wunderkind Matt Dentler says other incoming masterstrokes include Robert Duvall's Assassination Tango (with Duvall in attendance), Christopher Guest's follow-up, A Mighty Wind (with a tentative musical showcase from the film's folky twangsters), as well as opening night film Go Further (from Ron Mann and starring Woody Harrelson), Greg Pritikin's Dummy, with Tori Amos-canoodler Adrien Brody, and the directorial debut from Bob Odenkirk, Melvin Goes to Dinner. There's more info (far too much to go into here) at www.sxsw.com, which looks snazzy enough to merit dinner at Vespaio, thanks to its hip new design, courtesy of webmaster David Rose (the multitalented one). Go. Register. Attend.