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DOWNTOWN
JULY 5- SEPT 30
2001
SWINGERS
FRIDAY, JULY 19-21 MIDNIGHT
(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.
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, nipple-
nibbling incestuous dwarves and a mad professor with a bathmat
glued to his face.
BARAKA
JULY 26-28, MIDNIGHT
(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.
The Austin Chronicle, Ain't It Cool News
and Big Brothers/Big Sisters present the
SATURDAY MORNING FILM CLUB
20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA
SATURDAY, JULY 28, NOON
(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.
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.
FROM DUSK TIL DAWN
AUGUST 2-4 MIDNIGHT
(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.
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STAR TREK 5
AUGUST 3 7:00 & 9:30
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.
The Austin Chronicle and Vulcan Video present
HONG KONG CINEMA AND CUISINE
LAST HERO IN CHINA
AUGUST 5 7:00 & 9:30
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.
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.
REVENGE OF THE NERDS
AUGUST 9-11 MIDNIGHT
($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!
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FRI, AUG 10 7:00 & 9:30
(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.
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.
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THURS, AUG 16, 9:30 PM
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The Incredibly Strange Film Festival presents:
TRAILERTHON 2001
The greatest exploitation screening ever.
3 hours of non-stop exploitation trailers!
THURS, AUGUST 16 MIDNIGHT
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.
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The Austin Film Society and Broadjump Presents
QT V
Ten days of insane films hosted by Quentin Tarantino
AUGUST 17-26
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
SUMMER SCREENING
SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 3:00 PM
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!
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).
ROLLERBALL
AUGUST 30-SEPT 1 MIDNIGHT
(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.
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The Austin Chronicle and Vulcan Video present
HONK KONG CINEMA AND CUISINE
MILLIONAIRES EXPRESS
SEPTEMBER 2 7:00 & 9:30
(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.
SEPT 5 - MIDNIGHT
BMX BANDITS
(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.
THE BIG LEBOWSKI
SEPT 6-8 MIDNIGHT
(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
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FRI, SEPT 7 7:00 & 9:30
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.
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THURS, SEPT 13 7:00 & 9:30
SEPTEMBER 14-16
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.
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.
1n 1979, four documentary filmmakers disappeared in the jungles
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of south America while shooting a film about cannibalism.
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CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST
This is not an imitation. This is the original.
The one that goes all the way.
SEPT 21-27 9:45 PM
PLAYING AT ALAMO NORTH ONLY!
(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
3RD ANNUAL CANNIBAL FILM FESTIVAL
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
SEPT 20-27 in the film throughout the world.    The film is banned in over 50 countries,
The cinematic event for which generations young and old have which is quite believable in that it is a blatant attack on society and also
been waiting, nay praying, has finally returned. The Alamo very very disturbing.  Sage Stallone (Sylvester's pride and joy) has teamed
Drafthouse Cinema is proud to present the 3ND ANNUAL with Grindhouse releasing to completely remaster and restore this all-time
CANNIBAL FILM FESTIVAL. Our crack research staff has scoured classic cannibal film. We are proud to present the Southern United States
the globe to bring you the finest cannibal film offerings ever premiere of the restored print of Cannibal Holocaust. Absolutely no refunds
produced. This year's festival selections showcase the many facets will be given due to sickness, vomiting, light-headedness, recurring
of the film genre that dares not speak it's name: cannibalism. nightmares, fainting spells, delerium, seizure or death. Noone with
Everyone knows, however, that at the Alamo, movies are just the existing heart conditions will be allowed to view this film. Medical staff
beginning. During the entire run of the Cannibal Film Festival, the 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.
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 SATURDAY, SEPT 22 7:00 & 9:45
Cannibal-friendly merchants. Festival passes are on sale on the
(d. Tony Scott, rated PG, $8, $6.50 student) Very similar in tone to Red
internet only, order today while you still have the chance!
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
JUNGLE
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
HOLOCAUST
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.
AKA ULTIMO MONDO CANNIBAL
AKA Last Cannibal World
AKA The Last Survivor
AKA Carnivorous
PICTURE AKA Cannibal
SEPT 26 - MIDNIGHT
THURSDAY, SEPT 20 MIDNIGHT JOYSTICKS
Ruggero Deodato is definitely best remembered for his two very
From the director of Satan's Cheerleaders and Black Shampoo comes
public sleaze-fests: Cannibal Holocaust and his Last House remake
a "comedy masterpeice" starring Joe Don "Walking Tall" Baker as
House on the Edge of the Park. Cannibal Holocaust, his most famous
an evil meanie who tries to close down the towns only video
and controversial film, didn't just come out of the blue on its own. 
arcade. The ragtag band onf customers: Quincy punks, geeks
Many of the set pieces and ideas were basically rehashed out of
earlier Italian cannibal romps, such as the poisonous snake mayhem and teenie-bopper strumpets band together to fight the power. If
the word Zaxxon sends shivers down your spine, be there.
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 DARK SIDE OF THE RAINBOW
completely satisfying Italian trash, completely humorless and bleak, THURS-SAT SEPT 27-29 MIDNIGHT
while shocking and extravagant enough to make it fun. 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.
CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL
FRIDAY, SEPT 21 MIDNIGHT
FRIDAY, SEPT 28, 7:00 & 9:30
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
Ain't It Cool News, The Austin Chronicle & Big Brothers Big Sisters present
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 SATURDAY MORNING FILM CLUB
THE WIZARD OF OZ
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 SAT, SEPT 29 NOON
expect it, bringing the incessant stream of body parts and their Are there people who don't love The Wizard of Oz? I can't imagine my
corresponding fluids to a sudden, thankful halt. And surprising as childhood without this movie. It was always on television around
it may seem, the songs aren't half-bad. It's a ridiculous, over-the-top Thanksgiving time when I was a kid, and it's with warm, comfortable,
carnival of gore, sophomorically sly humor, and cheese-whiz Thanksgiving-y feelings that I remember Oz. The ruby slippers, the
choreography that manages -- above all odds -- to be cheerily yellow brick road, Auntie Em, and Toto -- they all feel like home. Even
invigorating as well. Here's hoping for an Ed Gein-inspired sequel the bits that freaked me out as a kid -- those creepy trees with the
to show up soon. arms! flying monkeys! "Surrender Dorothy"! -- seem like satisfyingly
--Marc Savlov 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.
TENDER FLESH SPAGHETTI WESTERN SPAGHETTI FEAST
a.k.a Welcome to Arrow Beach
You Wont Believe What is behind the meat locker door.
SAT, SEPT 22 MIDNIGHT
FISTFUL OF DYAMITE
(d. Lawrence Harvey, 1974, rated R, Free admission with Cannibal
Classic Spaghett Western/All you can eat spaghetti
SUN, SEPT 30 7:00
Film Festival pass, single night admission $6) Harvey's last film (in
which he reportedly help edit by phone from his deathbed) is a "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
twisted, would-be horror film that Warner Bros barely released. (it
played in Seattle many years later in one drive-in as Tender Flesh 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
released by Brut). Harvey plays a Korean war vet who ate human
high explosives that makes today's fiery spectacles pale. I think the
flesh to survive in the jungle, but now he has a sickness and not
whole production company was stunned by it, certainly Sergio
even his sister (who's also his lover) Pettet can stop. Meg Foster
Leone was, because he gives it the full time it took without editing
plays a hitchhiker that he befriends, who witnesses him doing
or cutting in the film. If you're not a war veteran, you've never seen
something evil in the basement and she might be his next victim.
anything like this. But this film is much more than its effects. It's a
An unsettling and unnerving cannibal film that was so bizzare,
deep, moving story told on the grand scale, with Oscar-class
Warners had no idea what to do with it. They attempted to let it die
cinematography. It is both a major outdoor adventure and a small,
a death of obscurity. We offer it up for your enjoyment.
intimate film. It has some of the quirkiest scenes, blackest humor