Mystic River

Clint Eastwood's newest is a dark, lachrymose tale of slowly snaking evil.

"...on Dennis Lehane’s novel, adapted here by Brian Helgeland, Mystic River is the type of film I imagine you..."

Oct. 17, 2003 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

The Mystic Western Game Jam Looks to the Stars

Local game collective Juegos Rancheros needs you to pick your favorite

"...such faraway lands as France, Japan, and Russia. The mystical appeal of the desert knows no national borders, as..."

July 5, 2016 Screens Post by Tucker Whatley

Torch of the Mystic

Sir Richard Bishop, keeper of the flame

"...in India, does the music still seem foreign or mystical?..."

May 26, 2009 Music Post by Audra Schroeder

Gone Baby Gone

Ben Affleck's feature directing debut is strong on atmospherics and moral quandaries.

"...novel by Dennis Lehane, the novelist who also penned Mystic River, Affleck's film is a companion in dark mood..."

Oct. 19, 2007 Movie Review by Marjorie Baumgarten

Page Two

Critical response to Kill Bill ignores the current cultural resonance of cinematic vengeance.

"...compare the reception of Kill Bill to that of Mystic River...."

Oct. 31, 2003 Column by Louis Black

Gilded Palace of Sin

Downtown Mystic isn't only the title of Lomita's second disc

"...in his hometown of Victoria, overlooks the San Marcos River on the outskirts of Guadalupe County, 15 minutes from..."

April 27, 2007 Music Feature by Austin Powell

Prisoners

Jake Gyllenhaal is a detective working a troubling case, and Hugh Jackman's wound-up father of the victim is just one of his problems.

"...uplifting downer of a film along the lines of Mystic River, David Fincher's Zodiac, and Gone Baby Gone. Those..."

Sept. 27, 2013 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Green Zone

With Matt Damon's Bourne director at the helm, the actor plays an officer in Iraq who's mystified by why he's unable to uncover any WMDs.

"...from a breathless and fine script by Brian Helgeland (Mystic River) based on Rajiv Chandrasekaran's equally riveting book Imperial..."

March 19, 2010 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

ACL 2008!

The lineup has arrived, calm down.

"...is personally stoked to see Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band, M. Ward, and Gillian Welch on the..."

April 15, 2008 Music Post by Austin Powell

Page Two: Downward Spiral

Aesthetically, we have gone insane and dull

"...social criticisms found in films like American Beauty and Mystic River are painfully obvious. It is especially sad that..."

Aug. 10, 2007 Column by Louis Black

Million Dollar Baby

Glorious performances and Eastwood's confident direction result in a film that transcends the rules of its genre and shows us, with an unvarnished simplicity, how human beings struggle to come to terms with the unthinkable.

"...directorial work in Unforgiven, The Bridges of Madison County, Mystic River, and now Million Dollar Baby to appreciate the..."

Jan. 28, 2005 Movie Review by Steve Davis

Bouchercon 2002

The world's premier mystery convention awards its premier authors.

"...Best Novel Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (William Morrow)Best First Novel Open..."

Oct. 25, 2002 Books Feature

Austin Film Fest: Brian Helgeland Honored, More Panelists Announced

Annual fest spotlighting writers teases out a few more names

"...Or perhaps it was his adaptation of Dennis Lehane's Mystic River that caught your attention. Regardless, writer/director Brian Helgeland..."

Sept. 2, 2015 Screens Post by Josh Kupecki

Mr. Smarty Pants Knows

"...in 1961 with Eli Wallach, who also appeared in Mystic River in 2003 with Bacon...."

Nov. 23, 2012 Column by Mr. Smarty Pants

Fantastic Fest: 'Bedevilled' Premiere

Director Jang Cheol-so gets an education in US audiences

"...The director also admitted to some American influences, citing Mystic River, Psycho and No Country For Old Men as..."

Sept. 30, 2010 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

Page Two: The Art of Surprise

S.R. Bindler's Surfer, Dude continually pulls off the unexpected

"...a way of living. There is a sweet, Zen mysticism accompanying the well-known visual language of surfing that undercuts..."

Aug. 29, 2008 Column by Louis Black

Page Two: Knocked Out, Loaded

On the limits of imagination, the brilliance of ACL Fest, and the purifying power of The Hottest State

"...heavy dramas about the inevitable failures of life (think Mystic River) and have lost most of the interest in..."

Sept. 28, 2007 Column by Louis Black

The Polysyllabic Spree

Unless you're a Hornby completist driven to paroxysms over the man's every quotidian observance, get ready to throw the book at the wall more than once: at the twee (titular) references to the Believer' brass, at a gratuitous excerpt from Great Expectations,' and at Hornby's grousing about having too few chances to read

"...Yet Hornby himself is quite the populist: He praises Mystic River for being both accessible and textually rich, and..."

March 11, 2005 Books Review by Marrit Ingman

Translate This

2003 in Film

Jan. 2, 2004 Screens Feature by Marjorie Baumgarten

Page Two

If you want to cut government spending, legalize pot, plus more pearls on government spending (or lack thereof) and the Austin Film and Green festivals.

"...the business. The festival is equally impressive. Films include Mystic River (presented by scriptwriter Brian Helgeland), Prey for Rock..."

Oct. 10, 2003 Column by Louis Black

Short Cuts

"...at this year's fest (Oct. 9-16), including Clint Eastwood's Mystic River, Peter Hedges' Pieces of April, Prey for Rock..."

Aug. 1, 2003 Screens Column by Marc Savlov

Postscripts

BookPeople is making it easier than ever to contribute to local nonprofits and other independent businesses on its Web site.

"...of the soul," has written his first stand-alone novel, Mystic River (Morrow, $25). Lehane will be at BookPeople on..."

Feb. 2, 2001 Books Column by Clay Smith

Letters at 3AM

Michael Ventura reflects on the gateway of Time.

"...without waking Hannah, and went and sat by the river...."

Oct. 27, 2000 Column by Michael Ventura

Day Trips

"...parks scattered across Texas, Blanco State Park has a mystic feeling all its own. Fifty miles southwest of downtown..."

April 16, 1999 Column by Gerald E. McLeod

30 Rock

Thirty recordings for 30 years of music Chronicling

"...Tom Waits, and Sparklehorse with the Flaming Lips. Okkervil RiverBlack Sheep Boy (2005)..."

Sept. 2, 2011 Music Feature by Margaret Moser

Wincing the Year Away

2007: Bad year for albums (Raoul), a prize-winning 365 for the iPod (Audra Schroeder, Christmas recipient of the same).

"...Austin equivalent, meanwhile – Top 10 best – Okkervil River's The Stage Names put on a show of epic..."

Jan. 4, 2008 Music Feature by Raoul Hernandez

Texas Top 10s

"...2) Lomita, Downtown Mystic (Indierect)..."

Jan. 4, 2008 Music Feature

ACL Fest Sunday Schedule

Sunday's full lineup

"...www.aclfestival.com/schedule/day3.htm 11:15am:Elizabeth Wills (BMI) 11:30am:Big Don (H-E-B Kiddie Limits) River City Christianettes (WaMu) 11:45am:Sybris (AT&T Blue Room) AA Bondy..."

Sept. 26, 2008 Music Feature

Off the Record

Recapping 2007 one list at a time

"...we are on a spinning log going down the river. And give us more vinyl." Wall of Sound..."

Jan. 4, 2008 Music Column by Austin Powell

Journey Into Clarity #83

For years he'd blamed his sister for destroying his comic book, a book worth over two grand today. Looking back at a painful memory brings Wayne Alan Brenner that much closer to understanding why losing that darned comic book at age seven meant so much.

"...camp in the middle of the jungle in Mano River, Liberia, West Africa...."

Dec. 24, 1999 Features Feature by Wayne Alan Brenner

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