Alamo Guide: July-Sept 2001
Content
CALENDAR INFO - ALAMO DOWNTOWN - CALENDAR INFO - ALAMO DOWNTOWN - CALENDAR INFO - ALAMO DOWNTOWN - CALENDAR INFO - ALAMO DOWNTOWN
JULY 5- SEPT 30 2001
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
(1996, d. Doug Liman, 96 min, $5) Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn are together again on the big screen this month in Made, which makes us nostalgic for their original pairing in their freshman team effort Swingers: the honest look at the real twenty-something male psyche: insecure, lonely and hormonal on the inside, trash-talking mysoginst hipster on the outside. Swingers was made for absolutely nothing and scores on many levels, great characters and dialoge, cool settings and fresh direction (Director Doug Liman went on to direct GO) . Swingers is a milestone film for the twenty-somthing set, and it's a hell of a lot of fun to watch with a couple of drinks.
SWINGERS FRIDAY, JULY 19-21 MIDNIGHT
No, not the one about the whales. This is the one where they kill God. The crew of the Enterprise are older, plumper and chop full of quick quips that fall startleling short of witty. So the Sinus boys have come to rescue! It's almost too easy-- cheap effects, awful acting and a plot that is plain silly featuring a self-help therapist who wants to steal a Starship and find God. The finest scene has to be Kirk, Spock and Bones singing Row Row Row Your Boat around a campfire ("Captain, life is not just a dream," Spock argues.) Even fans agree-- this movie is crap. Most Trekkies pretend it was never made. Directed by Shatner; Cowritten by Shatner; Starring Shatner; It is ultimate Shat! So if you love Star Trek; you'll laugh. If you hate Star Trek; you'll laugh. If you've never heard of Star Trek; you'll laugh. The movie is that bad and the comedy is that good.
STAR TREK 5 AUGUST 3 7:00 & 9:30
(d. Brian Trenchard Smith, 1983, 88 min, free admission) Aussie kids sell stolen walkie talkies to finance rad new bikes but get in trouble with a gang of thugs. Reminiscent of the Disney kids action movies of the 70's, BMX Bandits is a overlooked nostalgia masterpeice. Nicole Kidman is radiant (but 16, keep pasions in check) in her motion picture debut. The director uses an obviously stockier male stunt double every time Kidman dons her BMX helmet.
SEPT 5 - MIDNIGHT BMX BANDITS
The Austin Film Society and Broadjump Presents Ten days of insane films hosted by Quentin Tarantino
At long last the time has come again for the single coolest film event in Austin: The Tarantino Film Fest in its fifth incarnation. Each year, Quentin takes time out from his schedule to hang out in Austin with friends and watch movies, and you are invited to join in on the fun. Quentin is one of the foremost collectors of forgotten, lost, unsung and underrated film treasures of the past 40 years. This August he is tooling into town with a cargo van full of feature films, over 30 in all, all capable of blowing your mind. The films are organized by theme each night. You may or may not know the actual film titles before you sit in your seat, and there are always a host of fabulous surprises. Themes of years past range from pom poms gone awry to neglected 70's crime to Italian Gore to Exploitation. You'll have to have faith and trust in Mr. Tarantino to be your guide to some of the best films ever forgotten. Tickets are on sale now for this year's QT Fest. Advance tickets are available ONLINE ONLY! 9 day festival badges are $125, 5 day passes are $75, single night tickets are $30 on Friday and Saturday and $20 during the week. Each Saturday the movies run all night long, Fridays are triple features and all other nights are double bills. Quentin Tarantino will guest host two Saturday Morning Film Club SINUS screenings at noon on Saturday, August 26 and again on September 1. These screenings are free for kids and their accompanying adults only (kid-less adult fanboys will only be allowed in if the event does not sell out!) for exhaustive coverage on previous year's events, check our website www.drafthouse.com
QT V
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
1n 1979, four documentary filmmakers disappeared in the jungles of south America while shooting a film about cannibalism. 6 months later, their footage was found.
CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST
This is not an imitation. This is the original. The one that goes all the way.
AUGUST 17-26
THE BIG LEBOWSKI
(1998, d. Joel Coen, $5) The Coen Brothers go for broke in The Big Lebowski, and we the viewers are the winners. With The Big Lebowski they take their now-familiar brand of absurdist mystery/crime/thriller -- writ visually large -- and turn the whole mélange into a fresh new affair. It's paved with delightfully irregular and unanticipated bits of business that stimulate the viewer to stay fully alert, while renewing our faith in the sheer joy of watching movies. In its wonderful title sequence, The Big Lebowski quite literally announces itself as a tumbling tumbleweed of a movie, a go-with-the-flow yarn that intends to drift toward cohesion. And who better to star in a tall tale such as this than a go-with-the-flow character like the Dude (Bridges)? The Dude is a lazy, crumpled leftover from the Sixties whose laid-back daily routine has been pared down to the essentials: weed, White Russians, and bowling with his pals Walter (Goodman), a hotheaded and hazily militaristic vet full of half-baked ideas and an ability to bring any discussion back to 'Nam, and Donny (Buscemi), a dim but good-hearted schlub who always lags a beat or two behind any conversation. ... Some viewers have criticized the movie for being too much of a shaggy dog story, lacking a cohesive point or purpose. Yet to look for the point is to miss it entirely. Coen-heads hop aboard for the ride. Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
SEPT 6-8 MIDNIGHT
3RD ANNUAL CANNIBAL FILM FESTIVAL
The cinematic event for which generations young and old have been waiting, nay praying, has finally returned. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is proud to present the 3ND ANNUAL CANNIBAL FILM FESTIVAL. Our crack research staff has scoured the globe to bring you the finest cannibal film offerings ever produced. This year's festival selections showcase the many facets of the film genre that dares not speak it's name: cannibalism. Everyone knows, however, that at the Alamo, movies are just the beginning. During the entire run of the Cannibal Film Festival, the Alamo will be serving dishes made with actual human flesh. From an ingredient pool of volunteers and the recently deceased, the Alamo will be offering such delectable oddities as handburgersTM, Texas Chili with Cowboy, German sausages, and more! Vegetarians can enjoy the festivities as well; we will serve veggie handburgersTM, made from free-range, corn fed vegetarians. Buy a pass for all four screenings and receive a limited edition cannibal film fest goodie bag, complete with cannibal news items, cannibal history, cannibal trivia, cannibal recipes, a CD of cannibal tunes, a cannibal film fest T-Shirt, and coupons and special offers from Austin Cannibal-friendly merchants. Festival passes are on sale on the internet only, order today while you still have the chance!
SEPT 20-27
JULY 25 - MIDNIGHT BURIAL GROUND
(1980, d. Andrea Bianchi, a.k.a. Zombie Terror, a.k.a. Notti del terrore, free admission) blatant rip-off of Fulci's Zombie, itself a blatant rip-off of Dawn of the Dead, Burial Ground, nonetheless delivers the goods, gobs of straight-ahead italian gore, nipplenibbling incestuous dwarves and a mad professor with a bathmat glued to his face.
Jet Li again reprises his role as Wong Fei Hung, legendary hero of China. The tone is more comedic than the Once Upon A Time in China films in which he plays the same character, but the action is equal or better, thanks to choreography by the all-time-greatest fight director Yuen Wu Ping (The Matrix). This time Wong Fei Hung is fighting to save his kung fu school building and at the same time break up a female slavery/prostitution ring. The centipede/rooster fight sequence final is one of the most bizzare spectacles ever captured on film. As always, the Alamo kitchen will be featuring a full Chinese menu to compliment the onscreen action.
HONG KONG CINEMA AND CUISINE LAST HERO IN CHINA AUGUST 5 7:00 & 9:30
The Austin Chronicle and Vulcan Video present
(d. Ruggero Deodato, 1979, rated X, Free admission with Cannibal Film Festival pass, single night admission $7.50) The all-time second-most popular film in Japan (immediately behind E.T.) The director supposedly bragged of the female being impaled on a stick as real. This led to him being fined, serving a small jail sentence, and, in turn, fueling more interest in the film throughout the world. The film is banned in over 50 countries, which is quite believable in that it is a blatant attack on society and also very very disturbing. Sage Stallone (Sylvester's pride and joy) has teamed with Grindhouse releasing to completely remaster and restore this all-time classic cannibal film. We are proud to present the Southern United States premiere of the restored print of Cannibal Holocaust. Absolutely no refunds will be given due to sickness, vomiting, light-headedness, recurring nightmares, fainting spells, delerium, seizure or death. Noone with existing heart conditions will be allowed to view this film. Medical staff will be on hand to assist with those patrons who faint or fall ill due to the content of this film. Barf bags will be provided with every ticket.
SEPT 21-27 9:45 PM PLAYING AT ALAMO NORTH ONLY!
SATURDAY, SEPT 22 7:00 & 9:45
(d. Tony Scott, rated PG, $8, $6.50 student) Very similar in tone to Red Dawn: serious-minded young studs out to squash the Red Menace in the height of cold-war frenzy. This time, however, they mostly hang out in towels in the locker room or in tight jeans with Village People mustaches. Add a slapped on romantic angle, some inventive insult slinging (i.e. "You Stink!"), a cheesy 80's synthesizer beat and some of the best flight action ever filmed, and wha-la: instant 80's classic. In fact, this film is so popular, we had to get down on our knees and beg Paramount Pictures to keep it around for a month for our ridicule.
(d. Ron Fricke, 1992, 96 min, $5) "Watching Baraka, a nonverbal symphony of exquisite images, you experience a feeling of intense empowerment. As one spectacular image follows another, nearly every one lucid and sharp and magnificent, you feel as if you can go anywhere and see anything. Shot in 24 countries on six continents over a stretch of 14 months, this completely wordless, plotless film by director Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson fulfills the "magic carpet" promise of the movies to a previously unimagined degree. Floating high in the air, you peer over the edge of a gurgling volcano in Hawaii, then sweep down to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, or Ryoan-Ji temple in Kyoto, or Lake Natron in Tanzania, or the fire plains of Kuwait. "Baraka" is a Sufi word that has its equivalent in every language around the world: It means essence or breath or, most commonly, blessing. And that's what this stunning, unimaginably beautiful film is -- a blessing." -Washington Post. High Times Magazine gives Baraka it's official stamp of approval.
JULY 26-28, MIDNIGHT
BARAKA
AUG 8 - MIDNIGHT HIGH ROLLIN IN A HOT CORVETTE
(1977, d. Igor Auzins, free admission) "They're wild, outrageous and lovable." Young carefree lovebirds find out why messing with the southern good-old-boy network is a very, very bad idea.
The Center for Young Cinema will present over 12 films from its recent summer movie camp and a selection from past works, produced and directed by kids, ages 13-18. The screening is co-sponsored by the Austin Cinemaker Co-op (as part of Cinemaker's fifth anniversary celebration), the Austin Film Society, and QT 5. Don't miss this unique opportunity to enjoy films made by the youngest and brightest filmmakers in Austin!
SUMMER SCREENING SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 3:00 PM
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
FRI, SEPT 7 7:00 & 9:30
AKA ULTIMO MONDO CANNIBAL AKA Last Cannibal World AKA The Last Survivor AKA Carnivorous PICTURE AKA Cannibal
JUNGLE HOLOCAUST
SEPT 12 - MIDNIGHT FINAL EXAM
(d. Jimmy Huston, 1981) It's a college campus and it's exam time so you know what that means in th 1980's ... a bunch of college kids start dying at the hands of a psycho killer.
($5, d. Jeff Kanew, 1984, 90 min.) Lets face facts. Midnight movies are for nerds; this theater is programmed by a nerd. Deep down inside, we identify with these downtrodden dingleberries, thus making their triumph over the jarhead atheletes and sorority floozies that much sweeter. Even if you disagree, ROTN has enough jock strap and booger jokes to keep any audience happy. Free with every admission, lovely-ladies-of -the-Alamo-Hair-pies!
REVENGE OF THE NERDS AUGUST 9-11 MIDNIGHT
AUG 29 - MIDNIGHT VAMPIRE CIRCUS
(1972, d. Robert William Jones, free admission) The single wierdest Hammer vampire film. A 19th-century European circus travels from town to town for good reason: everyone in it is a vampire--including the animals AND the midgets! Introduction before the film by sci-fi novelist and Hammer expert Jason Henderson (www.jasonhenderson.com).
Ruggero Deodato is definitely best remembered for his two very public sleaze-fests: Cannibal Holocaust and his Last House remake House on the Edge of the Park. Cannibal Holocaust, his most famous and controversial film, didn't just come out of the blue on its own. Many of the set pieces and ideas were basically rehashed out of earlier Italian cannibal romps, such as the poisonous snake mayhem from Man From Deep River or the sexual violence from Sergio Martino's Mountain of the Cannibal God. Cannibal Holocaust was mostly a more stylized documentary rehash of a film Deodato completed barely a year earlier, Jungle Holocaust, an easily confused title due to the rather large amount of pseudonyms it's fallen under. In Jungle Holocaust, Massimo Foschi stars as a business entrepreneur out hobnobbing with his friends inspecting an isolated development in New Guinea. They land their plane in a desolate region of the jungle and spend the night there. Before they know it, the girl in the group has disappeared, leaving the other three obliged to look for her. Big Mistake there... The remainder of the film chronicles the strugle of the white man trying to survive in the land of the savages, a storyline now finely honed by Deodato and his editor Daniele Alabiso. Together they create some of the most dizzying and harrowing sequences ever, most notably during Foschi's many flashbacks and hallucinations. Jungle Holocaust is completely satisfying Italian trash, completely humorless and bleak, while shocking and extravagant enough to make it fun.
THURSDAY, SEPT 20 MIDNIGHT
SEPT 26 - MIDNIGHT JOYSTICKS
From the director of Satan's Cheerleaders and Black Shampoo comes a "comedy masterpeice" starring Joe Don "Walking Tall" Baker as an evil meanie who tries to close down the towns only video arcade. The ragtag band onf customers: Quincy punks, geeks and teenie-bopper strumpets band together to fight the power. If the word Zaxxon sends shivers down your spine, be there.
DARK SIDE OF THE RAINBOW
Every year in September, the Alamo Drafthoue Cinema poses the question: did Pink Floyd intend to synch up the Dark Side of the Moon with the classic the Wizard of Oz? Some say VCRs were $10000 at that time and it would be impossible to synch a phonograph to the film, change sides on the album and keep synch. Others say The album cover to The Dark Side of the Moon begins with a beam of white light which passes through a prism (an upsidedown triangle) and turns into a rainbow of colors then passing through yet another prism (a rightside up triangle) and reverts back to white light . . . Just like the movie which begins in black and white but then passes through the upsidedown triangle of the tornado and becomes coloured beginning in Munchkinland and then goes back to black and white when Dorothy leaves Oz and returns to Kansas. Kind of hard to refute. Regardless, come to the Alamo, get properly stimulated and maybe bring some earplugs, because when the tin man's heart is thumping to the heartbeats in Eclipse (track 9), we like you to feel in in your chest as well.
THURS-SAT SEPT 27-29 MIDNIGHT
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
THURS, SEPT 13 7:00 & 9:30
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
FRI, AUG 10 7:00 & 9:30
SATURDAY MORNING FILM CLUB 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA
(1954, d. Richard Fliescher, 127 min, rated G, free admission for kids and accompanying adults) A long time ago there weren't such things as computer games, movies, TV shows or even comic books. So, children yearning to experience strange new worlds of imagination had to rely on the written word. One of the people who delivered those worlds was Jules Verne, 19th Century French novelist who is often regarded as the father of the science fiction genre. The best known of Verne's novel and one of the classics of the adventure literature is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, mother of all underwater exploration novels. The movie version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is the embodiment of Disney at his best family entertainment that superbly uses brand-new (at the time) wonders of film technology. Special effects, combined with the underwater photography, are still impressive after almost four decades, and the "Oscar" award for them is well deserved. With great visuals and a faithful retelling of a classic tale, this film rates up there with the best.
The Austin Chronicle, Ain't It Cool News and Big Brothers/Big Sisters present the
SATURDAY, JULY 28, NOON
(1984 d. John Milius, 114 mins, $8, $6.50 student) The Mr. Sinus crew (Jerm, John, and Owen) turn their withering gaze on this entertainingly dated Reagan-era action fable. The film answers the burning question: "What if the Russians and Nicaraguans invaded America and only midwestern high-school students cared enough to resist?" A virtual manifesto for the NRA (the invading commies round up all the gun owners) and an amazingly prescient precursor to the survivalist movement, the movie features early performances by brat-packers Charlie Sheen (Spin City), C. Thomas Howell (the Outsiders), and Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City), not to mention the pre-Dirty Dancing pairing of the inestimable Patrick Swayze and the adorable Jennifer Gray. As always, Jerm, John, and Owen provide wise-cracks, skits and songs throughout. Come shout, "Wolverines!" all over again.
At long last the TRUTH about UFO reality will be revealed! Celebrating the 40th anniversary of America's first publicized incidence of alien abduction (the Betty & Barney Hill case), scientists, experiencers, writers and researchers will share with you their conclusions about the true nature of UFOs and related paranormal phenomena.
SEPTEMBER 14-16
AUG 15 - MIDNIGHT KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE
"This movie played at our college and the next day the theater was required by the dean's office to issue an apology in the college paper." Walter Hascott, IMDB Over the top, baudy comedy sketches tied together with fake newscasts; the stuff of comedy legend. Directed by, of all people, John Landis. From Catholic High School Girls in Trouble to Fistful of Yen to Big John Slade, it's all vintage goofy comedy gold.
(1975, d. Norman Jewison, R, $5, min) When I first heard that Rollerball was being remade, I felt a wave of giddy anticipation. The James Caan original is one of my all time favorites, and the subject matter could certainly shine with a modern update. Unfortunately, the internet jury is already in, and Rollerball v2 did not cut the muster. "The film is literally one of the worst conceived series of nonsensical action I’ve ever seen." - Harry Knowles, Aint It Cool News. On the plus side, the new release gives us the perfect opportunity to bring out the original- a brutal, nasty, gutsy picture with great action and fully fleshed out characters. LL Cool J (co star of the new film) is severely retarded for ever daring to boast the remake's superiority. * Note: the Rollerball remake was originally slated for July 2001. Early test reports were so bad, they recently pulled it till Spring 2002 in hopes that they can salvage a film from their footage.
ROLLERBALL AUGUST 30-SEPT 1 MIDNIGHT
The National UFO Conference has been educating the public about UFO reality for 38 years. This year's conference will break new ground by combining the perspectives of the most neglected UFO research findings while also focusing on the phenomenon of Saucer Culture and the media's influence. Learn all there is to know about UFOs and Alien Abductions, including how they relate to consciousness research, government cover-ups, mind control experiments, hyperdimensional realities, psychedelic shamanism and much more. Peer beyond the veil! See what is revealed as we tear away the curtain of secrecy. See the best researchers and film makers converge for 3 days and 3 nights of hard science and informed speculation about where we've been, where we stand now and where we are going as evidenced by the bizarre phenomenon known as UFOs and the paranormal. Whether investigating UFO landing trace cases, alien abduction experiencers or the nature of academia's ridicule for the UFO subject, this collection of specialists will blow your mind! Special panel discussions and workshops will give you a hands on opportunity to learn all you need to know about UFOs and paranormal phenomena. Plus, there will be three nights of UFO Films and LIVE Flying Saucer Rock n Roll with special guests and psychotronic entertainment! Scheduled presenters include: Jenny Randles, Constance Clear, Patrick Huyghe, Karl Pflock, Kenn Thomas, Greg Bishop, Eugenia Macer-Story, James Arthur, David Perkins, James Moseley, Mack White, Russ Dowden, Tom Deuley, Loren Coleman, Diana Hoyt, Pamela Stonebrooke, Bruce Wright, Erik Stearns, Dennis Stacy, Don Webb, Miles Lewis and many more. Film screenings to include: "Whispers From Space" documentary by Ralph Coon on Legendary Saucer Personality Gray Barker and his friend James Moseley. "Mysteries of the Organism" documentary/art film on the FDA suppression of Wilhelm Reich and his Orgone technology, theories and UFO claims. "British UFO Research" documentaries featuring Jenny Randles. "Alien Dreamtime", "Strange Attractor" (featuring Terence McKenna) and alien excerpts from the forthcoming "Mummies Tongue" by Ken Adams and Bob Sherman. Premiere of "Dulce Mysteries: UFOs & Underground Bases" rare video of the"abandoned" town of Dulce, New Mexico from the 1980s. Plus much much more! So register NOW to secure yourself a seat at the best UFO conference ever! See www.NUFOC.net for details.
CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL
Before there was South Park, Baseketball, or Orgazmo, there was this Rocky Mountain freakout from the fevered imaginations of Parker and Stone, a rousingly lowbrow retelling of the legend of Colorado cannibal Alfred Packer and his bizarre culinary gifts. Shot in and around the duo's Denver home base (in 1996), Cannibal! is rife with the same kind of elbow-in-the-groin humor that has made Cartman and his wee pals household names, with Parker not only directing and writing, but also acting the role of the little carnivore nobody loved. Heartwarmingly low-budget, Parker does wonders with the Colorado scenery and the acting chops of a cast of mostly unknown locals. In fact, if you took the gore out, you'd almost have Oklahoma Part Deux! (But then, if you took the gore out -- and there's a lot of it -- what would be the point?) Beginning with a grizzled Packer safely tucked away in his Denver jail cell, the film relates the tragic tale from Packer's point of view. As if the sheer outrageousness of Parker's tale weren't enough for you, the film is peppered with a genuinely warped series of musical numbers that make Rodgers and Hammerstein sound like, ah, Stephen Sondheim. Showstoppers like "A Shpadoinkle Day," "Hang the Bastard!," and "Let's Build a Snowman" crop up when you least expect it, bringing the incessant stream of body parts and their corresponding fluids to a sudden, thankful halt. And surprising as it may seem, the songs aren't half-bad. It's a ridiculous, over-the-top carnival of gore, sophomorically sly humor, and cheese-whiz choreography that manages -- above all odds -- to be cheerily invigorating as well. Here's hoping for an Ed Gein-inspired sequel to show up soon. --Marc Savlov
FRIDAY, SEPT 21 MIDNIGHT
FRIDAY, SEPT 28, 7:00 & 9:30
Ain't It Cool News, The Austin Chronicle & Big Brothers Big Sisters present
SATURDAY MORNING FILM CLUB THE WIZARD OF OZ
SAT, SEPT 29 NOON
AUGUST 1 - MIDNIGHT SUPERFUZZ
(1980, d. Sergio Corbucci, free admission) Legendary Italian cop buddy picture with would-be star Terrence "Watch Out We're Mad" Hill as Dave Speed (Superfuzz) whose encounter with a nuclear reaction garnered him super crime fighting abilities, telekinesis and mind control. Also stars Ernest Borgnine.
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
FRI, AUG 31 7:00 & 9:30
THURS, AUG 16, 9:30 PM
Are there people who don't love The Wizard of Oz? I can't imagine my childhood without this movie. It was always on television around Thanksgiving time when I was a kid, and it's with warm, comfortable, Thanksgiving-y feelings that I remember Oz. The ruby slippers, the yellow brick road, Auntie Em, and Toto -- they all feel like home. Even the bits that freaked me out as a kid -- those creepy trees with the arms! flying monkeys! "Surrender Dorothy"! -- seem like satisfyingly conquered childhood nightmares. Overcoming childhood fears and feelings of inadequacy is, of course, what The Wizard of Oz is all about. Dorothy is running away from the threat of losing her beloved dog when a knock to the head sends her into moviedom's most famous dream sequence. Through her adventures she comes to realize that running away from her problems doesn't do any good.
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
(1996, d. Robert Rodriguez, 108 min, $5) The critics don't get it. Your mom doesn't get it. How then can you explain the critical barometer of a chain of "Dusk Til Dawn"-Theme bars all over Germany and a sea of online fan sites? This film proved for me that young gun filmmaker buddies Tarantino and Rodriquez were not just flash-in-the-pan flukes. They set out to make a cheap, crazy drive-in style flick, and the critics generally panned their efforts as cheap, crazy and reminiscent of a drive-in movie. What Rodriguez and Tarantino created (and should be lauded for) is pure entertainment with more gusto and reverence for the genre than I've ever seen. See rare outtakes and behind the scenes video before the film.
FROM DUSK TIL DAWN AUGUST 2-4 MIDNIGHT
The Incredibly Strange Film Festival presents:
TRAILERTHON 2001
The greatest exploitation screening ever. 3 hours of non-stop exploitation trailers!
Are you ready for the most eye-poppling moments culled from private trailer archives around the globe? Can you take the pressure of mind-blowing scenes from 100+ exploitation movies (that's 9000 minutes of mayhem condensed!) rammed down your throat in the space of 3 hours! THATS EXPLOITATION. A once in a lifetime event never to be repeated, includes trailers from Italian crime, giallo, Softcore, Horror, Science Fiction, Trash, Western, Sword and Sandal, Regional Oddities, Japanese, XXX and more.
THURS, AUGUST 16 MIDNIGHT
(1986, d. Sammo Hung) Sammo plays a conman on the lam who attempts to revive a small sleepy small town by stopping the "Millionaire's Express," a train carrying wealthy chinese, samurai, a few of the "Lucky Stars" gang, and Wong Fei Hung! Throw in a band of outlaws who plan to rob the express and it's a recipe for some great HK comedy and kung-fu. Sammo versus Cynthia Rothrock in one of the most viscious encounters Sammo's ever directed! Also see Yuen Biao perform one of the most unbelieveable stunts of all time! Directed by Sammo Hung.
HONK KONG CINEMA AND CUISINE MILLIONAIRES EXPRESS SEPTEMBER 2 7:00 & 9:30
The Austin Chronicle and Vulcan Video present
a.k.a Welcome to Arrow Beach You Wont Believe What is behind the meat locker door. (d. Lawrence Harvey, 1974, rated R, Free admission with Cannibal Film Festival pass, single night admission $6) Harvey's last film (in which he reportedly help edit by phone from his deathbed) is a twisted, would-be horror film that Warner Bros barely released. (it played in Seattle many years later in one drive-in as Tender Flesh released by Brut). Harvey plays a Korean war vet who ate human flesh to survive in the jungle, but now he has a sickness and not even his sister (who's also his lover) Pettet can stop. Meg Foster plays a hitchhiker that he befriends, who witnesses him doing something evil in the basement and she might be his next victim. An unsettling and unnerving cannibal film that was so bizzare, Warners had no idea what to do with it. They attempted to let it die a death of obscurity. We offer it up for your enjoyment.
TENDER FLESH
SAT, SEPT 22 MIDNIGHT
SPAGHETTI WESTERN SPAGHETTI FEAST FISTFUL OF DYAMITE
Classic Spaghett Western/All you can eat spaghetti "Probably the best unknown movie ever made. I saw this movie as Duck, You Sucker in the theater in 1972 or '73. I still have images burned in my brain from it. It has, for one thing, one of the biggest real explosions ever filmed, an absolutely awesome blast using real high explosives that makes today's fiery spectacles pale. I think the whole production company was stunned by it, certainly Sergio Leone was, because he gives it the full time it took without editing or cutting in the film. If you're not a war veteran, you've never seen anything like this. But this film is much more than its effects. It's a deep, moving story told on the grand scale, with Oscar-class cinematography. It is both a major outdoor adventure and a small, intimate film. It has some of the quirkiest scenes, blackest humor
SUN, SEPT 30 7:00
JULY 5- SEPT 30 2001
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
(1996, d. Doug Liman, 96 min, $5) Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn are together again on the big screen this month in Made, which makes us nostalgic for their original pairing in their freshman team effort Swingers: the honest look at the real twenty-something male psyche: insecure, lonely and hormonal on the inside, trash-talking mysoginst hipster on the outside. Swingers was made for absolutely nothing and scores on many levels, great characters and dialoge, cool settings and fresh direction (Director Doug Liman went on to direct GO) . Swingers is a milestone film for the twenty-somthing set, and it's a hell of a lot of fun to watch with a couple of drinks.
SWINGERS FRIDAY, JULY 19-21 MIDNIGHT
No, not the one about the whales. This is the one where they kill God. The crew of the Enterprise are older, plumper and chop full of quick quips that fall startleling short of witty. So the Sinus boys have come to rescue! It's almost too easy-- cheap effects, awful acting and a plot that is plain silly featuring a self-help therapist who wants to steal a Starship and find God. The finest scene has to be Kirk, Spock and Bones singing Row Row Row Your Boat around a campfire ("Captain, life is not just a dream," Spock argues.) Even fans agree-- this movie is crap. Most Trekkies pretend it was never made. Directed by Shatner; Cowritten by Shatner; Starring Shatner; It is ultimate Shat! So if you love Star Trek; you'll laugh. If you hate Star Trek; you'll laugh. If you've never heard of Star Trek; you'll laugh. The movie is that bad and the comedy is that good.
STAR TREK 5 AUGUST 3 7:00 & 9:30
(d. Brian Trenchard Smith, 1983, 88 min, free admission) Aussie kids sell stolen walkie talkies to finance rad new bikes but get in trouble with a gang of thugs. Reminiscent of the Disney kids action movies of the 70's, BMX Bandits is a overlooked nostalgia masterpeice. Nicole Kidman is radiant (but 16, keep pasions in check) in her motion picture debut. The director uses an obviously stockier male stunt double every time Kidman dons her BMX helmet.
SEPT 5 - MIDNIGHT BMX BANDITS
The Austin Film Society and Broadjump Presents Ten days of insane films hosted by Quentin Tarantino
At long last the time has come again for the single coolest film event in Austin: The Tarantino Film Fest in its fifth incarnation. Each year, Quentin takes time out from his schedule to hang out in Austin with friends and watch movies, and you are invited to join in on the fun. Quentin is one of the foremost collectors of forgotten, lost, unsung and underrated film treasures of the past 40 years. This August he is tooling into town with a cargo van full of feature films, over 30 in all, all capable of blowing your mind. The films are organized by theme each night. You may or may not know the actual film titles before you sit in your seat, and there are always a host of fabulous surprises. Themes of years past range from pom poms gone awry to neglected 70's crime to Italian Gore to Exploitation. You'll have to have faith and trust in Mr. Tarantino to be your guide to some of the best films ever forgotten. Tickets are on sale now for this year's QT Fest. Advance tickets are available ONLINE ONLY! 9 day festival badges are $125, 5 day passes are $75, single night tickets are $30 on Friday and Saturday and $20 during the week. Each Saturday the movies run all night long, Fridays are triple features and all other nights are double bills. Quentin Tarantino will guest host two Saturday Morning Film Club SINUS screenings at noon on Saturday, August 26 and again on September 1. These screenings are free for kids and their accompanying adults only (kid-less adult fanboys will only be allowed in if the event does not sell out!) for exhaustive coverage on previous year's events, check our website www.drafthouse.com
QT V
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
1n 1979, four documentary filmmakers disappeared in the jungles of south America while shooting a film about cannibalism. 6 months later, their footage was found.
CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST
This is not an imitation. This is the original. The one that goes all the way.
AUGUST 17-26
THE BIG LEBOWSKI
(1998, d. Joel Coen, $5) The Coen Brothers go for broke in The Big Lebowski, and we the viewers are the winners. With The Big Lebowski they take their now-familiar brand of absurdist mystery/crime/thriller -- writ visually large -- and turn the whole mélange into a fresh new affair. It's paved with delightfully irregular and unanticipated bits of business that stimulate the viewer to stay fully alert, while renewing our faith in the sheer joy of watching movies. In its wonderful title sequence, The Big Lebowski quite literally announces itself as a tumbling tumbleweed of a movie, a go-with-the-flow yarn that intends to drift toward cohesion. And who better to star in a tall tale such as this than a go-with-the-flow character like the Dude (Bridges)? The Dude is a lazy, crumpled leftover from the Sixties whose laid-back daily routine has been pared down to the essentials: weed, White Russians, and bowling with his pals Walter (Goodman), a hotheaded and hazily militaristic vet full of half-baked ideas and an ability to bring any discussion back to 'Nam, and Donny (Buscemi), a dim but good-hearted schlub who always lags a beat or two behind any conversation. ... Some viewers have criticized the movie for being too much of a shaggy dog story, lacking a cohesive point or purpose. Yet to look for the point is to miss it entirely. Coen-heads hop aboard for the ride. Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
SEPT 6-8 MIDNIGHT
3RD ANNUAL CANNIBAL FILM FESTIVAL
The cinematic event for which generations young and old have been waiting, nay praying, has finally returned. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is proud to present the 3ND ANNUAL CANNIBAL FILM FESTIVAL. Our crack research staff has scoured the globe to bring you the finest cannibal film offerings ever produced. This year's festival selections showcase the many facets of the film genre that dares not speak it's name: cannibalism. Everyone knows, however, that at the Alamo, movies are just the beginning. During the entire run of the Cannibal Film Festival, the Alamo will be serving dishes made with actual human flesh. From an ingredient pool of volunteers and the recently deceased, the Alamo will be offering such delectable oddities as handburgersTM, Texas Chili with Cowboy, German sausages, and more! Vegetarians can enjoy the festivities as well; we will serve veggie handburgersTM, made from free-range, corn fed vegetarians. Buy a pass for all four screenings and receive a limited edition cannibal film fest goodie bag, complete with cannibal news items, cannibal history, cannibal trivia, cannibal recipes, a CD of cannibal tunes, a cannibal film fest T-Shirt, and coupons and special offers from Austin Cannibal-friendly merchants. Festival passes are on sale on the internet only, order today while you still have the chance!
SEPT 20-27
JULY 25 - MIDNIGHT BURIAL GROUND
(1980, d. Andrea Bianchi, a.k.a. Zombie Terror, a.k.a. Notti del terrore, free admission) blatant rip-off of Fulci's Zombie, itself a blatant rip-off of Dawn of the Dead, Burial Ground, nonetheless delivers the goods, gobs of straight-ahead italian gore, nipplenibbling incestuous dwarves and a mad professor with a bathmat glued to his face.
Jet Li again reprises his role as Wong Fei Hung, legendary hero of China. The tone is more comedic than the Once Upon A Time in China films in which he plays the same character, but the action is equal or better, thanks to choreography by the all-time-greatest fight director Yuen Wu Ping (The Matrix). This time Wong Fei Hung is fighting to save his kung fu school building and at the same time break up a female slavery/prostitution ring. The centipede/rooster fight sequence final is one of the most bizzare spectacles ever captured on film. As always, the Alamo kitchen will be featuring a full Chinese menu to compliment the onscreen action.
HONG KONG CINEMA AND CUISINE LAST HERO IN CHINA AUGUST 5 7:00 & 9:30
The Austin Chronicle and Vulcan Video present
(d. Ruggero Deodato, 1979, rated X, Free admission with Cannibal Film Festival pass, single night admission $7.50) The all-time second-most popular film in Japan (immediately behind E.T.) The director supposedly bragged of the female being impaled on a stick as real. This led to him being fined, serving a small jail sentence, and, in turn, fueling more interest in the film throughout the world. The film is banned in over 50 countries, which is quite believable in that it is a blatant attack on society and also very very disturbing. Sage Stallone (Sylvester's pride and joy) has teamed with Grindhouse releasing to completely remaster and restore this all-time classic cannibal film. We are proud to present the Southern United States premiere of the restored print of Cannibal Holocaust. Absolutely no refunds will be given due to sickness, vomiting, light-headedness, recurring nightmares, fainting spells, delerium, seizure or death. Noone with existing heart conditions will be allowed to view this film. Medical staff will be on hand to assist with those patrons who faint or fall ill due to the content of this film. Barf bags will be provided with every ticket.
SEPT 21-27 9:45 PM PLAYING AT ALAMO NORTH ONLY!
SATURDAY, SEPT 22 7:00 & 9:45
(d. Tony Scott, rated PG, $8, $6.50 student) Very similar in tone to Red Dawn: serious-minded young studs out to squash the Red Menace in the height of cold-war frenzy. This time, however, they mostly hang out in towels in the locker room or in tight jeans with Village People mustaches. Add a slapped on romantic angle, some inventive insult slinging (i.e. "You Stink!"), a cheesy 80's synthesizer beat and some of the best flight action ever filmed, and wha-la: instant 80's classic. In fact, this film is so popular, we had to get down on our knees and beg Paramount Pictures to keep it around for a month for our ridicule.
(d. Ron Fricke, 1992, 96 min, $5) "Watching Baraka, a nonverbal symphony of exquisite images, you experience a feeling of intense empowerment. As one spectacular image follows another, nearly every one lucid and sharp and magnificent, you feel as if you can go anywhere and see anything. Shot in 24 countries on six continents over a stretch of 14 months, this completely wordless, plotless film by director Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson fulfills the "magic carpet" promise of the movies to a previously unimagined degree. Floating high in the air, you peer over the edge of a gurgling volcano in Hawaii, then sweep down to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, or Ryoan-Ji temple in Kyoto, or Lake Natron in Tanzania, or the fire plains of Kuwait. "Baraka" is a Sufi word that has its equivalent in every language around the world: It means essence or breath or, most commonly, blessing. And that's what this stunning, unimaginably beautiful film is -- a blessing." -Washington Post. High Times Magazine gives Baraka it's official stamp of approval.
JULY 26-28, MIDNIGHT
BARAKA
AUG 8 - MIDNIGHT HIGH ROLLIN IN A HOT CORVETTE
(1977, d. Igor Auzins, free admission) "They're wild, outrageous and lovable." Young carefree lovebirds find out why messing with the southern good-old-boy network is a very, very bad idea.
The Center for Young Cinema will present over 12 films from its recent summer movie camp and a selection from past works, produced and directed by kids, ages 13-18. The screening is co-sponsored by the Austin Cinemaker Co-op (as part of Cinemaker's fifth anniversary celebration), the Austin Film Society, and QT 5. Don't miss this unique opportunity to enjoy films made by the youngest and brightest filmmakers in Austin!
SUMMER SCREENING SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 3:00 PM
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
FRI, SEPT 7 7:00 & 9:30
AKA ULTIMO MONDO CANNIBAL AKA Last Cannibal World AKA The Last Survivor AKA Carnivorous PICTURE AKA Cannibal
JUNGLE HOLOCAUST
SEPT 12 - MIDNIGHT FINAL EXAM
(d. Jimmy Huston, 1981) It's a college campus and it's exam time so you know what that means in th 1980's ... a bunch of college kids start dying at the hands of a psycho killer.
($5, d. Jeff Kanew, 1984, 90 min.) Lets face facts. Midnight movies are for nerds; this theater is programmed by a nerd. Deep down inside, we identify with these downtrodden dingleberries, thus making their triumph over the jarhead atheletes and sorority floozies that much sweeter. Even if you disagree, ROTN has enough jock strap and booger jokes to keep any audience happy. Free with every admission, lovely-ladies-of -the-Alamo-Hair-pies!
REVENGE OF THE NERDS AUGUST 9-11 MIDNIGHT
AUG 29 - MIDNIGHT VAMPIRE CIRCUS
(1972, d. Robert William Jones, free admission) The single wierdest Hammer vampire film. A 19th-century European circus travels from town to town for good reason: everyone in it is a vampire--including the animals AND the midgets! Introduction before the film by sci-fi novelist and Hammer expert Jason Henderson (www.jasonhenderson.com).
Ruggero Deodato is definitely best remembered for his two very public sleaze-fests: Cannibal Holocaust and his Last House remake House on the Edge of the Park. Cannibal Holocaust, his most famous and controversial film, didn't just come out of the blue on its own. Many of the set pieces and ideas were basically rehashed out of earlier Italian cannibal romps, such as the poisonous snake mayhem from Man From Deep River or the sexual violence from Sergio Martino's Mountain of the Cannibal God. Cannibal Holocaust was mostly a more stylized documentary rehash of a film Deodato completed barely a year earlier, Jungle Holocaust, an easily confused title due to the rather large amount of pseudonyms it's fallen under. In Jungle Holocaust, Massimo Foschi stars as a business entrepreneur out hobnobbing with his friends inspecting an isolated development in New Guinea. They land their plane in a desolate region of the jungle and spend the night there. Before they know it, the girl in the group has disappeared, leaving the other three obliged to look for her. Big Mistake there... The remainder of the film chronicles the strugle of the white man trying to survive in the land of the savages, a storyline now finely honed by Deodato and his editor Daniele Alabiso. Together they create some of the most dizzying and harrowing sequences ever, most notably during Foschi's many flashbacks and hallucinations. Jungle Holocaust is completely satisfying Italian trash, completely humorless and bleak, while shocking and extravagant enough to make it fun.
THURSDAY, SEPT 20 MIDNIGHT
SEPT 26 - MIDNIGHT JOYSTICKS
From the director of Satan's Cheerleaders and Black Shampoo comes a "comedy masterpeice" starring Joe Don "Walking Tall" Baker as an evil meanie who tries to close down the towns only video arcade. The ragtag band onf customers: Quincy punks, geeks and teenie-bopper strumpets band together to fight the power. If the word Zaxxon sends shivers down your spine, be there.
DARK SIDE OF THE RAINBOW
Every year in September, the Alamo Drafthoue Cinema poses the question: did Pink Floyd intend to synch up the Dark Side of the Moon with the classic the Wizard of Oz? Some say VCRs were $10000 at that time and it would be impossible to synch a phonograph to the film, change sides on the album and keep synch. Others say The album cover to The Dark Side of the Moon begins with a beam of white light which passes through a prism (an upsidedown triangle) and turns into a rainbow of colors then passing through yet another prism (a rightside up triangle) and reverts back to white light . . . Just like the movie which begins in black and white but then passes through the upsidedown triangle of the tornado and becomes coloured beginning in Munchkinland and then goes back to black and white when Dorothy leaves Oz and returns to Kansas. Kind of hard to refute. Regardless, come to the Alamo, get properly stimulated and maybe bring some earplugs, because when the tin man's heart is thumping to the heartbeats in Eclipse (track 9), we like you to feel in in your chest as well.
THURS-SAT SEPT 27-29 MIDNIGHT
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
THURS, SEPT 13 7:00 & 9:30
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
FRI, AUG 10 7:00 & 9:30
SATURDAY MORNING FILM CLUB 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA
(1954, d. Richard Fliescher, 127 min, rated G, free admission for kids and accompanying adults) A long time ago there weren't such things as computer games, movies, TV shows or even comic books. So, children yearning to experience strange new worlds of imagination had to rely on the written word. One of the people who delivered those worlds was Jules Verne, 19th Century French novelist who is often regarded as the father of the science fiction genre. The best known of Verne's novel and one of the classics of the adventure literature is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, mother of all underwater exploration novels. The movie version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is the embodiment of Disney at his best family entertainment that superbly uses brand-new (at the time) wonders of film technology. Special effects, combined with the underwater photography, are still impressive after almost four decades, and the "Oscar" award for them is well deserved. With great visuals and a faithful retelling of a classic tale, this film rates up there with the best.
The Austin Chronicle, Ain't It Cool News and Big Brothers/Big Sisters present the
SATURDAY, JULY 28, NOON
(1984 d. John Milius, 114 mins, $8, $6.50 student) The Mr. Sinus crew (Jerm, John, and Owen) turn their withering gaze on this entertainingly dated Reagan-era action fable. The film answers the burning question: "What if the Russians and Nicaraguans invaded America and only midwestern high-school students cared enough to resist?" A virtual manifesto for the NRA (the invading commies round up all the gun owners) and an amazingly prescient precursor to the survivalist movement, the movie features early performances by brat-packers Charlie Sheen (Spin City), C. Thomas Howell (the Outsiders), and Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City), not to mention the pre-Dirty Dancing pairing of the inestimable Patrick Swayze and the adorable Jennifer Gray. As always, Jerm, John, and Owen provide wise-cracks, skits and songs throughout. Come shout, "Wolverines!" all over again.
At long last the TRUTH about UFO reality will be revealed! Celebrating the 40th anniversary of America's first publicized incidence of alien abduction (the Betty & Barney Hill case), scientists, experiencers, writers and researchers will share with you their conclusions about the true nature of UFOs and related paranormal phenomena.
SEPTEMBER 14-16
AUG 15 - MIDNIGHT KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE
"This movie played at our college and the next day the theater was required by the dean's office to issue an apology in the college paper." Walter Hascott, IMDB Over the top, baudy comedy sketches tied together with fake newscasts; the stuff of comedy legend. Directed by, of all people, John Landis. From Catholic High School Girls in Trouble to Fistful of Yen to Big John Slade, it's all vintage goofy comedy gold.
(1975, d. Norman Jewison, R, $5, min) When I first heard that Rollerball was being remade, I felt a wave of giddy anticipation. The James Caan original is one of my all time favorites, and the subject matter could certainly shine with a modern update. Unfortunately, the internet jury is already in, and Rollerball v2 did not cut the muster. "The film is literally one of the worst conceived series of nonsensical action I’ve ever seen." - Harry Knowles, Aint It Cool News. On the plus side, the new release gives us the perfect opportunity to bring out the original- a brutal, nasty, gutsy picture with great action and fully fleshed out characters. LL Cool J (co star of the new film) is severely retarded for ever daring to boast the remake's superiority. * Note: the Rollerball remake was originally slated for July 2001. Early test reports were so bad, they recently pulled it till Spring 2002 in hopes that they can salvage a film from their footage.
ROLLERBALL AUGUST 30-SEPT 1 MIDNIGHT
The National UFO Conference has been educating the public about UFO reality for 38 years. This year's conference will break new ground by combining the perspectives of the most neglected UFO research findings while also focusing on the phenomenon of Saucer Culture and the media's influence. Learn all there is to know about UFOs and Alien Abductions, including how they relate to consciousness research, government cover-ups, mind control experiments, hyperdimensional realities, psychedelic shamanism and much more. Peer beyond the veil! See what is revealed as we tear away the curtain of secrecy. See the best researchers and film makers converge for 3 days and 3 nights of hard science and informed speculation about where we've been, where we stand now and where we are going as evidenced by the bizarre phenomenon known as UFOs and the paranormal. Whether investigating UFO landing trace cases, alien abduction experiencers or the nature of academia's ridicule for the UFO subject, this collection of specialists will blow your mind! Special panel discussions and workshops will give you a hands on opportunity to learn all you need to know about UFOs and paranormal phenomena. Plus, there will be three nights of UFO Films and LIVE Flying Saucer Rock n Roll with special guests and psychotronic entertainment! Scheduled presenters include: Jenny Randles, Constance Clear, Patrick Huyghe, Karl Pflock, Kenn Thomas, Greg Bishop, Eugenia Macer-Story, James Arthur, David Perkins, James Moseley, Mack White, Russ Dowden, Tom Deuley, Loren Coleman, Diana Hoyt, Pamela Stonebrooke, Bruce Wright, Erik Stearns, Dennis Stacy, Don Webb, Miles Lewis and many more. Film screenings to include: "Whispers From Space" documentary by Ralph Coon on Legendary Saucer Personality Gray Barker and his friend James Moseley. "Mysteries of the Organism" documentary/art film on the FDA suppression of Wilhelm Reich and his Orgone technology, theories and UFO claims. "British UFO Research" documentaries featuring Jenny Randles. "Alien Dreamtime", "Strange Attractor" (featuring Terence McKenna) and alien excerpts from the forthcoming "Mummies Tongue" by Ken Adams and Bob Sherman. Premiere of "Dulce Mysteries: UFOs & Underground Bases" rare video of the"abandoned" town of Dulce, New Mexico from the 1980s. Plus much much more! So register NOW to secure yourself a seat at the best UFO conference ever! See www.NUFOC.net for details.
CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL
Before there was South Park, Baseketball, or Orgazmo, there was this Rocky Mountain freakout from the fevered imaginations of Parker and Stone, a rousingly lowbrow retelling of the legend of Colorado cannibal Alfred Packer and his bizarre culinary gifts. Shot in and around the duo's Denver home base (in 1996), Cannibal! is rife with the same kind of elbow-in-the-groin humor that has made Cartman and his wee pals household names, with Parker not only directing and writing, but also acting the role of the little carnivore nobody loved. Heartwarmingly low-budget, Parker does wonders with the Colorado scenery and the acting chops of a cast of mostly unknown locals. In fact, if you took the gore out, you'd almost have Oklahoma Part Deux! (But then, if you took the gore out -- and there's a lot of it -- what would be the point?) Beginning with a grizzled Packer safely tucked away in his Denver jail cell, the film relates the tragic tale from Packer's point of view. As if the sheer outrageousness of Parker's tale weren't enough for you, the film is peppered with a genuinely warped series of musical numbers that make Rodgers and Hammerstein sound like, ah, Stephen Sondheim. Showstoppers like "A Shpadoinkle Day," "Hang the Bastard!," and "Let's Build a Snowman" crop up when you least expect it, bringing the incessant stream of body parts and their corresponding fluids to a sudden, thankful halt. And surprising as it may seem, the songs aren't half-bad. It's a ridiculous, over-the-top carnival of gore, sophomorically sly humor, and cheese-whiz choreography that manages -- above all odds -- to be cheerily invigorating as well. Here's hoping for an Ed Gein-inspired sequel to show up soon. --Marc Savlov
FRIDAY, SEPT 21 MIDNIGHT
FRIDAY, SEPT 28, 7:00 & 9:30
Ain't It Cool News, The Austin Chronicle & Big Brothers Big Sisters present
SATURDAY MORNING FILM CLUB THE WIZARD OF OZ
SAT, SEPT 29 NOON
AUGUST 1 - MIDNIGHT SUPERFUZZ
(1980, d. Sergio Corbucci, free admission) Legendary Italian cop buddy picture with would-be star Terrence "Watch Out We're Mad" Hill as Dave Speed (Superfuzz) whose encounter with a nuclear reaction garnered him super crime fighting abilities, telekinesis and mind control. Also stars Ernest Borgnine.
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
FRI, AUG 31 7:00 & 9:30
THURS, AUG 16, 9:30 PM
Are there people who don't love The Wizard of Oz? I can't imagine my childhood without this movie. It was always on television around Thanksgiving time when I was a kid, and it's with warm, comfortable, Thanksgiving-y feelings that I remember Oz. The ruby slippers, the yellow brick road, Auntie Em, and Toto -- they all feel like home. Even the bits that freaked me out as a kid -- those creepy trees with the arms! flying monkeys! "Surrender Dorothy"! -- seem like satisfyingly conquered childhood nightmares. Overcoming childhood fears and feelings of inadequacy is, of course, what The Wizard of Oz is all about. Dorothy is running away from the threat of losing her beloved dog when a knock to the head sends her into moviedom's most famous dream sequence. Through her adventures she comes to realize that running away from her problems doesn't do any good.
TIX ONLINE LE B AVAILA
(1996, d. Robert Rodriguez, 108 min, $5) The critics don't get it. Your mom doesn't get it. How then can you explain the critical barometer of a chain of "Dusk Til Dawn"-Theme bars all over Germany and a sea of online fan sites? This film proved for me that young gun filmmaker buddies Tarantino and Rodriquez were not just flash-in-the-pan flukes. They set out to make a cheap, crazy drive-in style flick, and the critics generally panned their efforts as cheap, crazy and reminiscent of a drive-in movie. What Rodriguez and Tarantino created (and should be lauded for) is pure entertainment with more gusto and reverence for the genre than I've ever seen. See rare outtakes and behind the scenes video before the film.
FROM DUSK TIL DAWN AUGUST 2-4 MIDNIGHT
The Incredibly Strange Film Festival presents:
TRAILERTHON 2001
The greatest exploitation screening ever. 3 hours of non-stop exploitation trailers!
Are you ready for the most eye-poppling moments culled from private trailer archives around the globe? Can you take the pressure of mind-blowing scenes from 100+ exploitation movies (that's 9000 minutes of mayhem condensed!) rammed down your throat in the space of 3 hours! THATS EXPLOITATION. A once in a lifetime event never to be repeated, includes trailers from Italian crime, giallo, Softcore, Horror, Science Fiction, Trash, Western, Sword and Sandal, Regional Oddities, Japanese, XXX and more.
THURS, AUGUST 16 MIDNIGHT
(1986, d. Sammo Hung) Sammo plays a conman on the lam who attempts to revive a small sleepy small town by stopping the "Millionaire's Express," a train carrying wealthy chinese, samurai, a few of the "Lucky Stars" gang, and Wong Fei Hung! Throw in a band of outlaws who plan to rob the express and it's a recipe for some great HK comedy and kung-fu. Sammo versus Cynthia Rothrock in one of the most viscious encounters Sammo's ever directed! Also see Yuen Biao perform one of the most unbelieveable stunts of all time! Directed by Sammo Hung.
HONK KONG CINEMA AND CUISINE MILLIONAIRES EXPRESS SEPTEMBER 2 7:00 & 9:30
The Austin Chronicle and Vulcan Video present
a.k.a Welcome to Arrow Beach You Wont Believe What is behind the meat locker door. (d. Lawrence Harvey, 1974, rated R, Free admission with Cannibal Film Festival pass, single night admission $6) Harvey's last film (in which he reportedly help edit by phone from his deathbed) is a twisted, would-be horror film that Warner Bros barely released. (it played in Seattle many years later in one drive-in as Tender Flesh released by Brut). Harvey plays a Korean war vet who ate human flesh to survive in the jungle, but now he has a sickness and not even his sister (who's also his lover) Pettet can stop. Meg Foster plays a hitchhiker that he befriends, who witnesses him doing something evil in the basement and she might be his next victim. An unsettling and unnerving cannibal film that was so bizzare, Warners had no idea what to do with it. They attempted to let it die a death of obscurity. We offer it up for your enjoyment.
TENDER FLESH
SAT, SEPT 22 MIDNIGHT
SPAGHETTI WESTERN SPAGHETTI FEAST FISTFUL OF DYAMITE
Classic Spaghett Western/All you can eat spaghetti "Probably the best unknown movie ever made. I saw this movie as Duck, You Sucker in the theater in 1972 or '73. I still have images burned in my brain from it. It has, for one thing, one of the biggest real explosions ever filmed, an absolutely awesome blast using real high explosives that makes today's fiery spectacles pale. I think the whole production company was stunned by it, certainly Sergio Leone was, because he gives it the full time it took without editing or cutting in the film. If you're not a war veteran, you've never seen anything like this. But this film is much more than its effects. It's a deep, moving story told on the grand scale, with Oscar-class cinematography. It is both a major outdoor adventure and a small, intimate film. It has some of the quirkiest scenes, blackest humor
SUN, SEPT 30 7:00
