“Dude, Where’s My Oversized Recreational Vehicle?– Dept.: Austin filmmaker Bob Ray and partner Jerry Don “Toe– Clark of Rock Opera infamy took that slack-stoner opus dei on the road two weeks ago and have returned, only just, to tell the tale. Was it fun? Was it hell? According to Clark, it was a lotta both, with various massive disasters scattered from Texas to California to Vancouver to Salt Lake City and back down to Austin, where they’ll be having their triumphal return party/screening this Friday night, 9pm, at the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown (409 Colorado), featuring a live performance by Tia Carrere (the band, not the babe), with an afterparty at Room 710 (710 Red River). So what about the road trip, I hear you ask? Take it from the Toe: “Our RV broke down in Johnson City at five in the morning, and we had to tow it back to Austin and pack everything in Bob’s littered Toyota truck and head back out.” Not an auspicious beginning to a journey that would take the Rockers on a 3,200 mile-plus journey before it was over. Other highlights included having their truck burglarized not once but twice (in San Francisco and Vancouver); the inept thieves managed to steal their laptop’s power cable but missed the laptop itself, as well as made off with such bizarre items as Ray’s dirty laundry and loose change. “They took all the useless stuff,” relates a puzzled Clark. Despite their travails both Ray and Clark agree that the trip, which netted them zero dinero but mucho contacto, was ultimately a success, with generally good attendance at screenings along the way and “tons of totally awesome kind bud all over the place.” Ah, the perks of the road… Austin Film Society Director of Programming Salvatore Botti sends word that tickets to this weekend’s (Sunday, Oct. 14, 8pm, to be specific) benefit screening of Richard Linklater‘s animated masterpiece Waking Life at the Paramount Theatre (713 N. Congress) are still available, lucky you. You can get your hands on some at the Paramount box office through 5:30pm on Saturday, or by calling Star Tickets at 469-SHOW. Call the AFS at 322-0145 for more info… Speaking of the AFF, it’s underway as you read this. Walk-up tickets to individual screenings are still available, as are badges should you desire one (and why not?) — Call 310-3378 or surf by their Web site at www.austinfilmfestival.com for any and all information… Friday, Oct. 12, the Southwestern Writer’s Coalition will present a lecture from famed director/screenwriter/producer Robert Benton (Places in the Heart, Bonnie and Clyde) at 10:30am at Southwest Texas State University’s Wittliff Gallery of Southwestern and Mexican Photography. Admission is free and open to the general public. Call 512/245-2313 for more information… Finally, in the all too familiar “another one bites the dust” coda, Lincoln 6 (6406 I-35) will close its doors for good on Thursday, Oct. 11.
This article appears in October 12 • 2001.