Alamo Guide - July August

wed july 1

TONY MANERO (Ritz) pg.26 AFS Doc Tour: AFGHAN STAR (Ritz) pg.30 PUBLIC ENEMIES opens pg.09 Weird Wednesday: LADY IN RED (Ritz) pg.20

thu july 2

TEAM AMERICA Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.22 In Da Club Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.22

fri july 3

Master Pancake: INDEPENDENCE DAY (Ritz) pg.24

sat july 4

Master Pancake: INDEPENDENCE DAY (Ritz) pg.24 TEAM AMERICA Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.22 ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Village) pg.11

sun july 5

mon july 6

AGLIFF Presents: WERE THE WORLD MINE (Ritz) pg.26 Master Pancake: INDEPENDENCE DAY (Ritz) pg.24 TONY MANERO (Ritz) pg.26 AIGA presents: OBJECTIFIED (Ritz) pg.26 TONY MANERO (Ritz) pg.26 Music Monday: 200 MOTELS (Ritz) pg.16 Summer Kids’ Camp: THE CAT FROM OUTER SPACE opens pg.28

wed July 22

Weird Wednesday: O.C. & STIGGS (Ritz) pg.21

thu July 23

SPACEBALLS Quote-Along (Ritz) pg.23 We Will Rock You: the QUEEN Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.23

fri July 24

Master Pancake: ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES (Ritz) pg.24 Free Kung Fu Theater: POLICE STORY 2 (Village) pg.10

July 25

Master Pancake: ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES (Ritz) pg.24 Kids’ Club: THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR (Lamar) pg.28

sat

sun

mon

tue

July 26 July 27

Big Screen Classics: ALIEN (Ritz) pg.11 Master Pancake: ChooseYour Own Master Pancake! (Ritz) pg.24 Big Screen Classics: ALIEN (Ritz) pg.11 Summer Kids’ Camp: HAPPY FEET opens pg.28 Music Monday: SLEEPWALKING THROUGH THE MEKONG (Ritz) pg.16

July 28 Hey Homo!: ELVIRA’S HAUNTED HILLS with Elvira Live! (Ritz) pg.26 July 29

ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK with Elvira Live! (Ritz) pg.13 Weird Wednesday: UP YOUR TEDDY BEAR (Ritz) pg.x22

thu

july 30

SPACEBALLS Quote-Along (Ritz) pg.23 We Will Rock You: the QUEEN Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.23

fri

july 31

Master Pancake: ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES (Lamar) pg.24 FUNNY PEOPLE opens pg.09

sat

aug 1

Master Pancake: ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES (Lamar) pg.24 THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Village) pg.11

tue July 7

OBJECTIFIED (Ritz) pg.26 AFS Essential Cinema: IN LOVE WE TRUST (Lamar) pg.30 Terror Tuesday: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (Ritz) pg.18

wed july 8

AIGA Design Series: OBJECTIFIED (Ritz) pg.26 Weird Wednesday: PSYCH OUT (Ritz) pg.20

sun

aug 2

AGLIFF Presents: READY? OK! (Ritz) pg.27 World’s Best TV Commercials (Ritz) pg.27

thu july 9

SPACEBALLS Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.23 In Da Club Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.22

mon

aug 3

Big Screen Classics: INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (Ritz) pg.11 Summer Kids’ Camp: PRINCESS BRIDE opens pg.28 Music Monday: DFW PUNK (Ritz) pg.17

tue

aug 4

Big Screen Classics: INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (Ritz) pg.11 Terror Tuesday: DEATHDREAM (Ritz) pg.19

wed

aug 5

Big Screen Classics: INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (Ritz) pg.11 Weird Wednesday: THE MUTHERS (Ritz) pg.22

fri July 10

BRÜNO opens pg.09 ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Village) pg.11

sun July 12

THE GARDEN w/ Director Live (Lamar) pg.31

mon July 13

THE GARDEN w/ Director Live (Lamar) pg.31 Summer Kids’ Camp: SKY HIGH opens pg.28 Music Monday: 200 MOTELS (Ritz) pg.16

tue July 14

THE GARDEN (Lamar) pg.31 AFS Essential Cinema: STOLEN LIFE (Lamar) pg.30 Terror Tuesday: DEADTIME STORIES (Ritz) pg.18

wed July 15

HARRY POTTER & THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE opens pg.09 Weird Wednesday: SWEDISH WILDCATS (Ritz) pg.20

thu July 16

In Da Club Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.22

sat July 18

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Village) pg.11 THE ROOM (Ritz) pg.10

sun July 19

Hey Homo! Brunch: SAVED! (Ritz) pg.26

mon July 20

Summer Kids’ Camp: SPIRITED AWAY opens pg.28 Music Monday: BJöRK VOLTAIC (Ritz) pg.16

tue

July 21

HARRY POTTER Feast! pg.32 AFS Essential Cinema: LUXURY CAR (Lamar) pg.30 Girlie Night: SAY ANYTHING (Ritz) pg.10 Terror Tuesday: REANIMATOR (Ritz) pg.18

aug 12

NOLLYWOOD BABYLON (Ritz) pg.31 AIGA Design Series: MILTON GLASER (Ritz) pg.27 Weird Wednesday: SNAKE IN EAGLE’S SHADOW (Ritz) pg.21

thu

aug 13

THIS IS SPINAL TAP Quote-Along (Ritz) pg.23 THE 80s ONE-HIT WONDERS Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.23

fri

aug 14

Cinemapocalypse! (Ritz) pg.13 FINAL DESTINATION 4 in 3D opens (Village) pg.09

sat

aug 15

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Village) pg.11

sun

aug 16

Big Screen Classics: THE DIRTY DOZEN (Ritz) pg.11

mon

aug 17

Big Screen Classics: THE DIRTY DOZEN (Ritz) pg.11 Summer Kids’ Camp: THE WITCHES opens pg.28 Music Monday: DUSTY SPRINGFIELD Tribute Night (Ritz) pg.17

tue

aug 18

AFS Essential Cinema: ELECTRIC SHADOWS (Lamar) pg.30 Terror Tuesday: HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW w/ Elvira Live (Ritz) pg.19

wed

sat July 11

wed

thu aug 6

THIS IS SPINAL TAP Quote-Along (Ritz) pg.23 THE 80s ONE-HIT WONDERS Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.23 fri

aug 7

Master Pancake: ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES (Lamar) pg.24 G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA opens pg.09 JULIE & JULIA opens pg.09 SHORTS opens pg.09

sat

aug 8

Master Pancake: ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES (Lamar) pg.24 THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Village) pg.11

sun

aug 9

NOLLYWOOD BABYLON (Ritz) pg.31 World’s Best TV Commercials (Ritz) pg.27

mon

aug 10

NOLLYWOOD BABYLON (Ritz) pg.31 Summer Kids’ Camp: SPEED RACER opens pg.28 Music Monday: THROW DOWN YOUR HEART (Ritz) pg.17

tue

aug 11

Hey Homo! Presents: WOMEN ON THE VERGE (Ritz) pg.27 JULIE & JULIA Feast (Lamar) pg.32 Terror Tuesday: KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (Ritz) pg.19

thu

aug 20

fri

aug 21

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS opens pg.09 Free Kung Fu Theater: THE REAL BRUCE LEE (Village) og.11 sat

aug 22

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Village) pg.11

mon

aug 24

Music Monday: DOWNTOWN 81 (Ritz) pg.17

tue

aug 25

Terror Tuesday: 976-EVIL (Ritz) pg.19

wed

aug 26

Choose Your Own Weird Wednesday! (Ritz) pg.21

thu

aug 27

OLD SCHOOL Quote-Along (Ritz) pg.37 THE 80s ONE-HIT WONDERS Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.23

fri

aug 28

Master Pancake Theatre: THE BREAKFAST CLUB (Ritz) pg.24

sat

aug 29

Master Pancake Theatre: THE BREAKFAST CLUB (Ritz) pg.24 Kids’ Club: ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (Lamar) pg.x28 THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Village) pg.11

mon

aug 31

Music Monday: ROCK ‘N TOKYO (Ritz) pg.17

Girlie Night: DROP DEAD GORGEOUS (Ritz) pg.11 Terror Tuesday: KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS (Ritz) pg.19 wed

aug 19

Big Screen Classics: THE DIRTY DOZEN (Ritz) pg.11 Weird Wednesday: LADY TERMINATOR (Ritz) pg.21

THIS IS SPINAL TAP Quote-Along (Ritz) pg.23 THE 80s ONE-HIT WONDERS Sing-Along (Ritz) pg.23

BODY BUSINESS PRESENTS: Parents’ AFTERNOON OUT

THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT THE ALAMO VILLAGE

There’s no denying it...you deserve some quality mom and/or pop time. And a day at the movies without the rigors of child-handling is just the ticket! The 3rd Saturday of each month, parents can purchase an extremely affordable voucher for child care service at Body Business - located just across from the front doors of the theater - to last between 2:30 and 6:30 so they can watch a Saturday matinee and not worry about getting a babysitter. Now you can entertain your kids, love movies and give yourself a much-needed break all at once. Whew!

FIRST RUN FILMS

NEW RELEASES YOU WON’T WANNA MISS

PUBLIC ENEMIES

Dir. Michael Mann, Opens July 1

FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) sets his sights on American gangster John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and others in an attempt to curb a rampant Chicago crime spree during the 1930s. Mafia junkies rejoice! Not since The Sopranos said goodbye have fans of the crime genre had a reason to get so excited. Bale and Depp teaming up with Mann to tell one of the most famous 1930s gangland tales has easily created one of the most anticipated movies of the year and will generate enough fireworks to ventilate audiences for months!

Toe Thompson’s discovery of a colorful, wish-granting rock causes a stir in the suburban town of Black Falls, and grand-scale chaos occurs when the object falls into the hands of local adults. Can Toe and his two newfound friends save the residents of their small community from themselves? A candy-colored, hypersaturated family movie from Austin’s own adventure factory, Troublemaker Studios.

BRüNO

Dir. Nora Ephron, Opens Aug 7

Dir. Larry Charles, Opens July 10

Featuring a special Fashion Don’ts live show presented by Austin Fashion Week on opening weekend! Flamboyant Austrian fashion reporter Brüno travels the world in search of the latest style trends, never letting on for a moment that he’s actually chameleon humorist Sacha Baron Cohen a.k.a. Borat. In his trek across the most gay-unfriendly corners of America, Brüno will learn very little and educate a whole lot, from the adoption of his very first “gay-bee” to dildo self-defense. The film is barely finished and the lawsuits have already started rolling in, so sit back, hold tight and watch everyone else in the theater be mortally offended!

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

Dir. David Yates, Opens July 15

Opening festivities coordinated with our friends at BookPeople! In his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter discovers even more about the evil Lord Voldemort’s past, thanks to his mentor Dumbledore and mysterious textbook marked “This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince.” By the end of the year, nothing will ever be the same. If the book is any indication, this installment trods into decidedly grown-up territory -- we have left Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans far behind. You will probably need a hug by the time the credits roll -- darkness, death and despair loom highly for our hero. We’ll also have a Harry Potter feast on Tues, July 21. See page 32 for details.

FUNNY PEOPLE

Dir. Judd Apatow, Opens July 31

When seasoned comedian George Simmons (Adam Sandler) learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship inspires him to take a relatively green performer (Seth Rogen) under his wing as his opening act. Judd Apatow is possibly looking to crack his mold and usher in a different kind of, ummm, maleness for his third go-round behind the camera. Also, with Sarah Silverman cast in a minor role, we can look forward to some extra funniness.

8

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

SHORTS

Dir. Robert Rodriguez, Opens Aug 7

JULIE & JULIA

WITH ALAMO MENU SPECIALS! Frustrated secretary Julie Powell (Amy Adams) tries to shake up her life by chronicling her attempt to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in a year’s time. An actual blogger gets a chance to turn her internet archive into a motion picture, after her autobiographical cooking challenge became a 2005 bestseller.

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA

Dir. Stephen Sommers, Opens Aug 7

An elite military unit comprised of operatives known as the Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity look to dismantle Cobra, an organization headed by a Scottish arms dealer. But all we really care about is seeing Snake Eyes unload some martial arts wildness on all those dang enemies of justice. Let’s hope Destro takes a few roundhouse kicks to his aluminum schnozz!

THE FINAL DESTINATION in 3D!

Dir. David R. Ellis, Opens Aug 14

After a young man’s premonition of a deadly race-car crash helps saves the lives of his peers, Death sets out to collect those who evaded their fate. Yep, the Grim Reaper is back again, this time to pull some outrageously complex life-snuffing antics in 4K DIGITAL 3D! And we couldn’t be more excited. Just make sure to turn off the oven before you leave for the theater...

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Dir. Quentin Tarantino, Opens Aug 21

An American-led killing squad known as “The Basterds” terrorize the Nazis in German-occupied France during World War II. This is movie maniac Tarantino’s ten-years-in-the-making tribute to Italian director Enzo Castellari’s INGLORIOUS BASTARDS, and looks to serve up all possible goods in the name of violent, macho warfare, with Brad Pitt in the swastika-hatin’ lead. Yo, Hitler...SIT ON IT!!!

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

9

Big Screen Sci-Fi Classics: ALIEN

July 26 - 29, Ritz, BRAND NEW 35mm PRINT! Dir. Ridley Scott, 1979, 117 min, R

THE DIRTY DOZEN : Aug 16 - 19 at The Ritz

This is the movie that defines why we love doing these Big Screen Sci-Fi classics at the Alamo. At home, ALIEN is still a fine movie and worth a few good jolts, but on a big screen it is unquestionably one of the most nerve-wrackingly fun experiences you’ll ever have. The use of massive, cluttered, lived-in sets and utterly brilliant widescreen photography creates a unique vision of horror that only the theatrical experience can do justice to, while the superb Jerry Goldsmith score creates nonstop fear and dread that turns ALIEN into as much of an audio nightmare as it is a visual one. So many of the film’s classic moments that you know and love take on a terrifying immedicacy on the big screen, while the creature itself has never appeared more frightening than it will here. We’re running a brand new print of the original theatrical version for its 30th anniversary, so you’ll never have seen ALIEN looking or sounding this good before. (Matthew Kiernan)

The ORIGINAL INglorious bastards

Aug 3 - 5, Ritz, Dir. Enzo Castellari, 1978, 99 min

THE DIRTY DOZEN may have spawned several dozen imitators, but few were as much fun (or as outright looney) as this glorious action epic. One of the last of the numerous Italian WWII films, BASTARDS doesn’t really care about being anything other than big entertainment, and Castellari and crew prove that they knew how to deliver as well as any big Hollywood production of the era. Also known as DEADLY MISSION and G.I. BRO, the film stars Bo Svenson and Fred Williamson as inmates on their way to the stockade when their convoy is hit by Nazi fire, setting them and the other prisoners free but also putting them behind enemy lines. They end up back in service to help execute a deadly secret mission to kill a lot of Nazis. A hell of a lot of Nazis. Of course, there’s another movie with a similar title that’s opening at the Alamo on August 22, but no doubt the people behind that one would encourage you to see this one first and this is a rare opportunity to see it in a BEAUTIFUL NEW 35mm PRINT courtesy of our friends at Severin Films. (Matthew Kiernan)

GIRLIE NIGHT: DROP DEAD GORGEOUS

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS

FROM BATTLING BASTARDS TO girlie night... ALL loud & proud on the bigGEST screen DOWNTOWN!

GIRLIE NIGHT: SAY ANYTHING

TUES July 21, RITZ, dir. CAMERON CROWE, 1989 with special prizes from birds barbershop!

In the land of 80s crushes, amidst the Kirk Camerons and the Jake Ryans, one man stands alone. And that man (not a guy, a man!) is Lloyd Dobler. Sure, he might not have the preppy looks of Andrew McCarthy or the real genius of Val Kilmer, but Lloyd Dobler is special. He wears a trench coat! He drives a blue Chevy Malibu! He kickboxes, which everyone knows is the sport of the future! He’s great with kids! He watches COCOON with old people, for goodness sake! And, as if all of those amazing qualities weren’t enough, here’s the kicker (literally!): he will always, without fail, protect you from broken glass on the street. In other words, Lloyd Dobler is perfect, and for July’s Girlie Night, we’ll give him the celebration he deserves. Join me for a night of love, heartache and, of course, songs about Joe. Keys will be collected, and if you’ve got a boom box lying around, well... you know what to do. (Sarah Pitre)

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CLASSIC: The ROOM

July 18, Ritz, Dir. Tommy Wiseau, 2003, 35mm

Recently, Tommy Wiseau came down to Austin to treat us to some of his homespun filmmaking outrageousness. The enigmatic writer/director/actor Wiseau just appeared one night in 2003, seemingly out of thin air, toting two film-cans labeled in bold lines drawn with tender care: “THE ROOM.” And everything in Hollywood and the rest of the world was forever changed. His cockeyed masterpiece is one of the most unforgettable films ever made - for better or worse. Quickly climbing its way up to ROCKY HORROR status on the midnight circuit, THE ROOM is one not to let slip away quietly, but rather kicking and screaming - to chug it down with a liter of beer and a grain of salt. See it once and then ten more times. You still won’t believe it.

TUES Aug 18, RITZ, dir. Michael Patrick Jann, 1999 with special prizes from birds barbershop!

Forget Miss America. Carrie Prejean who? There is not a beauty contest in the world that can hold a candle to the glamor, the mayhem and, yes, the murder that makes up the Sarah Rose American Teen Princess Pageant! Where else can you find girls sporting such talents as dog barking and dancing with Jesus? What other competition features the superb judging skills of a pervert and a mentally disabled dude in overalls? What other award ceremony features a GIANT SWAN FLOAT, I ask you?!! DROP DEAD GORGEOUS is one of my favorite movies that (practically) no one has ever seen, and I’m still trying to figure out why it never won an Oscar in the AWESOME category. I mean, look at this list of ingredients and tell me this film isn’t a cinematic masterpiece: exaggerated Minnesota accents, an exploding tractor, an exploding trailer, Allison Janney, morgue make-up tips, and an anorexic girl in a permed wig singing “Don’t Cry Out Loud.” Honestly, this movie is so good, it justifies Denise Richards’ existence (and that’s, uh, saying a lot). If you’re a fan of the movie like me, then I hope you’ll show up with some serious Mount Rose pride (GO MUSKIES!), because we are most definitely having a talent show before the film. And, if you’ve never seen it, trust me: after the first ten minutes, you’ll be proudly shouting, “Amer... I CAN!” with the rest of us. (Sarah Pitre)

Big Screen classics: The Dirty Dozen

Aug 16 - 19, Ritz, Dir. Robert Aldrich, 1967, 35mm, 150 min

If THE DIRTY DOZEN were a lesser movie, it would merely be about Lee Marvin, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland and Charles Bronson killing a bunch of Nazis, and that would be okay. But THE DIRTY DOZEN was directed by Robert Aldrich, not only Hollywood’s supreme master of intelligent genre films, but a huge liberal who managed to make one of the most subversive films of its time. In 1967, in the middle of the Vietnam war, he shot one the biggest anti-war films ever made in Hollywood, fiercely critical of the military, authority figures of all kinds and the barbaric nature of war. All of this was done in the guise of a supposedly gung-ho action film that definitely gave audiences what they were looking for, but sure as hell didn’t make them feel good about it. Not that THE DIRTY DOZEN is a downer - it’s a hell of a lot of fun - but the director made sure it was understood that war itself is a criminal act that degrades us all. The fact that it was a huge hit (#1 film of 1967!) spoke well of the intelligence of audiences, but the fact that it’s a big screen classic is proof positive that Aldrich was a one-of-a-kind cinematic master whose films will resonate forever. (Matthew Kiernan)

KUNG FU MIDNIGHTS: THE REAL BRUCE LEE

FRI Aug 21, VILLAGE, Dir. Larry Dolgin, 35mm, 1973

KUNG FU MIDNIGHTS: POLICE STORY 2

FRI July 24, VILLAGE, Dir. Jackie Chan, 35mm, 1988

It just may be that no one else in history has made better sequels than Jackie Chan. Look at ARMOUR OF GOD II: OPERATION CONDOR, with it’s breathless wind tunnel finale, or the brilliant DRUNKEN MASTER II, and you know that this is a filmmaker who knows how important it is to up the ante for a second installment. POLICE STORY II is an excellent example of this; it continues only a portion of the original film’s plot - mob boss keeps trying to take Jackie down - and also establishes its own storyline involving a mad bomber. In the midst of all this is the astonishing action that you expect from Jackie Chan, including some of the most painful stunts of his career, and a truly explosive action finale between Jackie and a deaf mute wacko that proves Jackie’s greatness. It’s incredibly easy to follow if you haven’t seen the original, and to see it for free on the big Alamo Village screen - in glorious 35mm - is pretty much what makes life worth living. Like all of Jackie’s ‘80s hits, POLICE STORY II is an essential film and you rarely get an opportunity to see it like this. (Matthew Kiernan)

10

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

Who doesn’t love the great Bruce Lee? Not only was he the most visible martial artist in the world for a few short years, he really was the best. And not just the best at punching and kicking, he also had a great sense of how to act for the camera. He was truly the most magnetic thing on the screen until his stunning and untimely death. Suddenly the world’s exhibitors had a huge demand for Bruce Lee product with, obviously, none forthcoming. So began the mostly dishonorable period of Bruceploitation. Marquees abounded with Bruce Le and Bruce Li. If there was no Lee lookalike, it was okay; you could just call the movie BRUCE IS LOOSE or BRUCE’S BLOODY KICKS and you’d fool audiences long enough to get their money. This film is a little different from other Brucesploitation films in that it does actually feature Bruce Lee. The first reel consists of documentary footage of Lee and rare black and white clips of films he appeared in as a child, where he was billed as “the little dragon.” But then things take a left turn as we segue into a hilarious kung fu movie that purports to be “the project Bruce Lee was readying for production at the time of his death.” And holy shit. This movie is something else. It stars Dragon Lee, one of the lower tier Bruce Lee-a-likes and is filled with all the clichés the resourceful producers could cram in. You’ll be holding your stomach to keep from throwing up with laughter. A really special experience. (Lars)

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

SATURDAY NIGHTS At the VILLAGE

The rotating cast of QUEERIOS have been performing ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Village since October 2004, and have built the best interactive version of the cult classic in the nation!! Admission is just $5, regulars and virgins welcome!

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

11

ELVIRA Live July 28 and 29

HUGE BIG THINGS

FROM PEOPLE WHO CARE

RAIN ON 4th PRESENTS

ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK with CASSANDRA “ELVIRA” PETERSoN LIVE!!!

July 29, Ritz Dir. James Signorelli, 1988, 35mm, 96 min, PG-13

The ‘80s provided the world with a new brand of human. It was the only decade packed with enough fun to produce unique icons from Max Headroom to PeeWee Herman to Mr. T. And of these titans of pop culture, the most powerful and enduring is female...and HOW! When Cassandra Peterson first donned that deep, deep v-neck and assumed the role of Elvira, she ushered in a whole new era of entertainment (not to mention sexually frustrated horror nerds). And this film is her hilarious testament to her creation, a laugh-a-second rollercoaster written by her and John Paragon, who played Jambi the Genie on PEE-WEE’S PLAYHOUSE! See Elvira blaze into a small town, turning the community upside-down in an innuendo-filled slam-bang comedy that features everything from exploding gas stations to sexed-up church picnics to a poodle with a pink mohawk. 100% insane and 10000000% ELVIRA!!! Also catch Elvira’s Hey Homo screening of ELVIRA’S HAUNTED HILLS on Tuesday July 28 and a very special Terror Tuesday, co-hosted by Elvira on that same night.

FANTASTIC FEST PRESENTS:

CINEMAPOCALYPSE

AUGUST 14, ALL NIGHT LONG

It’s been a while since we had an all night movie marathon. Sure, Ain’t It Cool News has their legendary BUTTNUMBATHON every year, but that’s a tough ticket to get for the average Joe. So Alamo Founder Tim League has decided to brew a pot of coffee, call up his Hollywood friends for some hot advance screenings, raid the vaults of obsessed film collector associates and put on an ALL NIGHT MOVIE MARATHON designed to Kill The Audience with a relentless barrage of cinematic blowtorchery. Maybe you’ve been to an all night movie marathon or two in your time. You think you know how good it can get. Well let me tell you something: You don’t know shit, little man. Because if there’s one guy who knows movies and parties, it’s Tim League. So if he puts on an all-night movie party you probably want to keep that calendar clear. We can’t tell you the names of any of the top secret Skull Hammers we have in store for you but if you’re the kind of movie maniac who buys your Fantastic Fest badge the instant it goes on sale; who loses sleep watching sick films at Terror Tuesday and Weird Wednesday; who keeps an Alamo guide in every room of your house - this one’s for you. And if this thing’s a success - that is, if we actually vaporize a portion of the audience with the general unstoppableness of CINEMAPOCALYPSE, we’re going to make it an annual event. Well how about it - ready to EXPLODE?

TOTALLY AWESOME VIDEO GAMES! The computer was invented in 1936, but the '80s taught it how to PARTY. What was once just a tool for algorithms and manufacturing data suddenly became ground zero for barrel-jumping Italian plumbers, ghost-eating yellow circles and ostrich-riding jousters. Mankind was thrust into an Age of Digital Sorcery...without even having to get off the couch. These games and characters soon became as important to us as food and family. As the '90s dawned, so did a new genre of cinema, ushered in by innovative masterpieces like MORTAL KOMBAT, SUPER MARIO BROS and (of course) Jean-Claude Van Damme's epic, globe-spanning STREET FIGHTER. But shockingly enough, several of the most beloved console classics remain unadapted to the film medium. Where is our long-awaited dramatic re-interpretation of DIG DUG? How long must we wait before Vin Diesel and Paul Walker will get behind the wheel for a big-screen version of FROGGER? It's high time that we, as a community of creators and lifelong Nintendo warriors, rise up to provide a hungry world with the two-fisted, universe-shaking GALAGA adaptation that Hollywood has so foolishly failed to spawn. Filmmakers, grab your camera in one hand and your joystick in the other, assemble your fellow electro-enthusiasts and take aim at your target -- from PONG to GRAND THEFT AUTO -- for the absolute ultimate filmmaking frenzy competition: TOTALLY AWESOME VIDEO GAAAAAAMES!!!! Finalists' films will be judged by none other than our planet's supreme arcade-to-megaplex megamaster UWE BOLL! Game OVER!!! Screenings of TOTALLY AWESOME VIDEO GAMES will happen during Fantastic Fest 2009, and we’ll be accepting registrants at FilmmakingFrenzy.com in early August.

BJORK: VOLTAIC July 20

DFW PUNK

AUG 3, DIR. LAURA TABOR-HUERTA, 2008, 68 MIN

A documentary about the Dallas & Fort Worth, Texas punk and new wave music scene. It covers the early years in the late 1970’s to the middle years in the late 1990’s and gives a tiny glimpse of where those eras have led punk to now. In the documentary, fifty people were interviewed between the ages of 12 and 50 about their opinion of what punk is and isn’t and what place they hold in the punk scene. Some notable people interviewed are: Bobby Soxx, George Gimarc, Barry Cuda and MC 900 Ft Jesus. For old (and young) Big D and Cowtown punk rockers, this screening is likely to be a family reunion. For everyone else it’s an exciting look at the workings of a scene. Featuring a huge amount of stunning rare footage including live performances by The Ralphs, The Nervebreakers, The Telefones, Teenage Queers, Why Am I? and Riot Squad, among many more. Watching DFW PUNK will give you the feeling of photocopied exhilaration you got from finding that new zine that spoke directly to you.

Béla Fleck: THROW DOWN YOUR HEART

AUG 10, DIR. SASCHA PALADINO, 2008, 97 MIN

THROW DOWN YOUR HEART follows American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known African roots of the banjo and record an album. It’s a boundary-breaking musical adventure that celebrates the beauty and complexity of Africa – an Africa that is very different from what is often seen in the media today. Béla’s trip provides a glimpse into the incredibly rich and diverse musical traditions of Africa. In his trailblazing 30-year career, Béla has brought the banjo into jazz, pop, classical, and world music settings, and won eight Grammys along the way (not to mention the 20 nominations, in more distinct categories than anyone else, ever). This documentary follows Béla’s musical adventures through four African countries: Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia, and Mali. Along the way, he works with a wide array of musicians – from local villagers who play a twelvefoot xylophone, to a family that makes and plays the akonting (thought by many to be the original banjo), to international superstars such as the Malian diva Oumou Sangare. As Béla travels across Africa, he forges both musical and personal connections. Using his banjo, he transcends barriers of language and culture, finding common ground with musicians from very different backgrounds and creating some of the most meaningful music of his career.

MUSIC MONDAYS

ONLY $2. EVERY MONDAY NIGHT AT THE RITZ! brought to you in part by end of an ear records and room service vintage!

200 MOTELS: NEW PRINT!

JULY 6 & 13, DIR. TONY PALMER & FRANK ZAPPA, 1971, 35MM, 98 MIN

“Ladies and gentlemen, you can go mad on the road. That is precisely what this film is all about.” “A kind of magical mystery trip through all the motels, concert halls, cities, states and groupies of a road tour of the Mothers of Invention. No attempt is made at documentary accuracy (to make a thunderous understatement). All of the cities are lumped together into Centerville, “a real nice place to raise your kids up,” and the sanity of the film can be gauged by the fact that Ringo Starr plays Frank Zappa as “a very large dwarf.” This assaults the mind with everything on hand. When there are moments of relative calm -- say, during the animated sequence, or during the rare moments when only one image is on the screen we find ourselves actually catching our mental breath. It is a full wall of sight-and-sound input, and the experience of the input -- not its content, is what Zappa’s giving us.” (Roger Ebert)

BJöRK: VOLTAIC

JULY 20, DIR. RUSSELL THOMAS, 2009, 71 MIN

VOLTAIC: THE VOLTA TOUR LIVE IN PARIS AND REYKJAVIK is a remarkable, multi-media document of Björk’s visually dazzling Volta tour. Full of on-your-feet moments, the film features highlights recorded in Paris and Reykjavik, with performances of songs from Volta as well as earlier tracks including Hunter, Joga, Army of Me, and Hyperballad. Björk’s band on the Volta tour included Mark Bell (LFO) on computers and keyboards and Damian Taylor on keyboards and programming. Drums and percussion were played by Chris Corsano (Sonic Youth, etc.); Jónas Sen played piano, harpsichord, and church organ; and Björk’s all female Icelandic 10-piece brass section rounded out the group. A dynamic, grand live experience, the Volta tour has been acclaimed around the world. “Björk delivers a performance as visually spectacular as it is musically innovative. Fifteen years into her solo career, Björk remains the least compromising and most fantastical pop superstar talent.” - The Guardian. Special thanks to Cinema Purgatorio for making this event possible. DVD available at End Of An Ear Records and fine merchants everywhere.

DENGUE FEVER: SLEEPWALKING THROUGH THE MEKONG

JULY 27, DIR. JOHN PIROZZI, 2007, 68 MIN

FROM DUSTY WITH LOVE

AUG 17, DIR. VARIOUS, 80 MIN

Dusty Springfield, who was born 70 years ago this year, and died 10 years ago, had a volatile time on this earth. Her personal life was fraught with difficulty. She fought her manic depression with booze and drugs and had to be hospitalized on several occasions. Her love life was confused and unhappy - she had affairs with men and women alike, but preferred the company of her beloved cats. Professionally, her career had its ups and downs. She quit show business for several years because she couldn’t find her passion for performing anymore. When she made her comeback, a lot of her audience didn’t come back to her. It sounds like the sad story of so many great artists. But it wasn’t all in vain. She was able to communicate a level of emotion in her music that few others could even approach. When this blonde Irishwoman sang soul music, she sang it like a woman whose heart had been ripped out, when she sang about love she made you see it the way she did, a beautiful dream forever disappearing over the horizon. This show brings you an assortment of music clips featuring Dusty Springfield at her best - and it goes beyond the hits to show her great versatility and power.

DOWNTOWN 81

AUG 24, DIR. EDO BERTOGLIO, 1981, 35MM, 72 MIN

DOWNTOWN 81 depicts the extreme creative ferment of the Lower Manhattan music and art scenes in the early ‘80s. Jean Michel-Basquiat wanders through Manhattan, mainly the Lower East side, looking for a place to stay. Along the way he skims the surface of what was, in retrospect, a golden age of creativity. As he paints graffiti on the walls, he drops in on a thriving art scene and an especially exciting musical landscape. As Fab 5 Freddy shows him around, Basquiat sees James Chance and The Contortions, DNA, even Kid Creole and the Coconuts. The soundtrack delves even deeper. What other movie score features Liquid Liquid, The Lounge Lizards, Rammellzee, Gray and Tuxedo Moon? It’s a romantic immersion into a world that few took seriously at the time, but which formed a blueprint for bohemianism for years to come. Featuring Vincent Gallo and Debbie Harry.

ROCK ‘N TOKYO

AUG 31, DIR. PAMELA VALENTE, 2007, 90 MIN

Over the course of the past two years, the Los Angeles based band Dengue Fever has become a critical and audience favorite, playing authentic Cambodian garage and psychedelic music a la the legendary and mysterious “Cambodian Rocks” compilations. SLEEPWALKING THROUGH THE MEKONG follows them on their recent journey to Cambodia to perform 60s and 70s Cambodian rock n’ roll in the country where it was created and very nearly destroyed. The odyssey is a homecoming for singer Chhom Nimol and a transformation for the rest of the band as they perform with master musicians and record new songs along the way. More than a rockumentary, the film serves up a portrait of modern Cambodia as the band tours through Phnom Penh and beyond, crossing a great cultural chasm with the same spirit of Cambodia’s original rock pioneers.

Since Austin has practically become a sister city to Tokyo, with Japanese bands making Austin a home away from home and an indispensable stop on any North American tour, we feel we should hold up our end of the cultural exchange program with this exciting documentary. It’s a feverish tour through Tokyo focusing on such “rock and roll aliens” as Guitar Wolf, the 5-6-7-8’s, Jet Boys and Nine. Pamela Valente’s film takes the viewer on a personal journey through the day to day lives of these wild rock animals. Being a 24-hour punk maniac is difficult enough to pull off in the boring ol’ USA, but to live life to the max in a respectable nation like Japan takes some serious dedication to the Art of True Wildness. This isn’t one of those documentaries where a bunch of experts tell you what to think. No way, this is a solid, street-level view of the scene and the people who fearlessly, violently make it happen.

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Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

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HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW WITH ELVIRA LIVE!!

July 28, $5, Dir. Mark Rosman, 1983, 35mm, 91 min, R

KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS : Aug 18

A RARE SCREENING INTRODUCED BY NONE OTHER THAN THE MISTRESS OF THE DARK, CASSANDRA “ELVIRA” PETERSON!! We’re proud to present the unchallenged heavyweight champ of supernatural sorority slasher films, directed by the former assistant to cerebral stabmaster Brian DePalma! A group of fun-lovin’ coeds get a little zany and accidentally assassinate their disabled den mother, leading to a series of mysterious (and graphically portrayed) murdilizations that may or may not be the handiwork of her shambling corpse. And this hate-fueled walking cadaver doesn’t play...expect a golden bounty of blade penetrations, disembowelings, home tracheotomies and -- as the piece de resistance -- a severed head in a toilet bowl! All of this is strangely linked to a horrific birthing experience decades earlier that ended in a frowning uterus and dead fetus, both reminders that the female body is a terrifying and disgusting place. Fortunately, most of us that attend Terror Tuesday each week have had little occasion to spend any time near it. (Zack)

DEATHDREAM - BOB CLARK B-DAY MEMORIAL SCREENING!

Aug 4, $1, Dir. Bob Clark, 1974, 35mm, 88 min, PG

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LATE-NIGHT horror movies everY TUESDAY at the riTz FOR JUST A BUCK!

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Recently departed/dearly missed Canadian auteur Bob Clark was the force behind PORKY’S, BABY GENIUSES 2 and some of the most enduring horror films in cinematic history. No one will argue the innovation and scarepower of the original BLACK CHRISTMAS or the flawless Ed Gein opera DERANGED. But his often overlooked DEATHDREAM aka DEAD OF NIGHT is his most compelling, dramatic achievement. The parents of a reported Vietnam war casualty find their grieving rudely interrupted by their son knocking on the front door. But the joyful reunion is short-lived as his increasingly bloodthirsty behavior begins to hint that he may not have made it home alive after all. Horror effects legend Tom Savini lends some of his earliest work to this perfectly constructed destroyer with teethgrittingly strong performances from all on screen. This is especially true of John Marley, an incredibly talented actor who horror fans will recognize from THE CAR and wine-sipping college students will recall from Cassavetes’ FACES. The other 99.7% of society wouldn’t give a rat’s ass about either film -- or anything else made prior to MATRIX II -- and should be shot in the back of the head. (Zack)

KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE

I don’t like horror movies...I love love LOVE ‘em!! And so do you, so hunker down to the Alamo Drafthouse downtown every Tuesday (check online for showtimes) for that good slash, smash, trash and thrash, all for just one dollar cash!! We’ve scavenged the bowels of the earth for the most shocking and seldom-seen 35mm terrortreasures, guaranteed to leave you gasping for air, thirsting for blood or - at the very least - scratching your head. No foolin’, junior...The Ritz is Ground Zero for decapitation, evisceration, degradation and mutilation!!! Eeaaauuugghhhh!!!! - Zack Carlson, Terror Tuesday host

Aug 11, $1, Dir. Stephen Chiodo, 1988, 35mm, 88 min, PG-13

The most hyperactively forehead-exploding big-budget scifi/horror/comedy of the ‘80s, written and directed by the special effects wizards behind CRITTERS and the Large Marge monsterface scene from PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE. A circus tent-shaped meteor crashlands in the forest, releasing an army of neon-colored, face-painted intergalactic creatures who mummify humans in cotton candy cocoons and slurp their sweetened blood through crazy straws. These diabolical bozos mow through the populace using only the most entertaining means: invisible cars, carnivorous shadow puppets, popcorn bazookas, decapitating boxing matches, hand-to-spinal cord ventriloquism and much, much more. The only people with the guts to stand up to these extraterrestrial sillybones are two kind-hearted teens and some horny ice cream vendors. Watch for thundering man’s-man actor John Vernon as the homophobic small town cop who just isn’t gonna put up with any space clown shit. All this topped off with a theme song by pioneering goofpunk band The Dickies. WARNING!!!: Not to be viewed by anyone with a fear of clowns or enjoying life. (Zack)

A HUGE SALUTE TO OUR SPONSOR - THE MIGHTY VULCAN VIDEO - FOR MAKING THESE SHOWS HAPPEN! VISIT THEM DAILY FOR PURE ENTERTAINMENT! PRINCE OF DARKNESS

July 7, $1, Dir. John Carpenter, 1987, 35mm, 102 min, R

Satan has roamed our world in several forms: white men, white women and -- in this case -- as a cannister of swirling green goop determined to plunge the universe into eternal darkness. Antichrist proponent-turnedfilmmaker John Carpenter followed his flawless BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA with the movie that would prove to be the most wrongly underappreciated cinematic hell-slammer of the ‘80s. Donald Pleasence (who played Doc Loomis in the HALLOWEEN series) is the short, shaky, bald priest facing off against evil incarnate. Good luck. Not content to merely wipe our species off the map, Carpenter’s liquid Lucifer delights in grisly possession suicides, telekinetic skin-flaying, weather/mind control and transmitting deeply haunting television signals from mankind’s inescapable non-future. Relentlessly vicious and bleak, this was also one of the three best movies that year in which a scientist says a swear word before being impaled by a hobo played by Alice Cooper. (Zack)

DEADTIME STORIES aka FREAKY FAIRYTALES

July 14, $1, Dir. Jeffrey Delman, 1986, 35mm, 93 min, R

If you’re both a horror anthology fan and a Mother Goose enthusiast, have I got good news for you. This raucously retarded collection of tainted fables is the type of movie that entertains you against your will. Maybe it’s the fact that Goldilocks is a serial killer with ESP, or that Little Red Riding Hood is pitted against a pill-popping werewolf. Or maybe because each story is told to a wide-eyed, innocent child by a drunk uncle who’s desperately trying to watch The Miss Nude Beauty Pageant. FAMILY TIES’ Scott Valentine is the closest thing this movie has to a star, and if you want him to autograph your VHS copy, his shift at Jack in the Box ends at 8:30. Also, look for White Zombie drummer Ivan DePlume in a one-second cameo as a punk corpse, establishing the only link Rob Zombie would ever have to an entertaining horror film. (Zack)

RE-ANIMATOR

July 21, $1, Dir. Stuart Gordon, 1985, 35mm, 95 min, R

Calling RE-ANIMATOR a crucial gore movie is like saying that fire is hot. Vein-bulgingly manic movie nerd Jeffrey Combs plays the equally high-strung Herbert West, a medical student gifted with both extraordinary ability and an absolute lack of conscience. His grave-robbing, vengeance-tinted antics in the field of death reversal inevitably unleash a gargantuan avalanche of severed extremities, spastic torsos, and even a disembodied cunnilingus stunt that would later be referenced in the inferior Oscarwinning film AMERICAN BEAUTY. As with Gordon’s other H.P. Lovecraft adaptation FROM BEYOND, the movie is passionately violent, dazzlingly clever, features almost nothing to do with its source material and is a goddamn motherfucking masterpiece. (Zack)

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Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS

Aug 18, $1, Dir. John “Bud” Cardos, 1977, 35mm, 97 min, PG

FREE SPIDERS FOR EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE! William Shatner battles a million man-eating tarantulas in a movie directed by a guy named Bud. Do I really need to write anything else here? From killer whales to meat-seeking ants, there were plenty of movies made in the late ‘70s about sinister critters, but only a handful of them are as pitch-perfectly crazed as this downhill slide into mankind’s extermination. The octopedal onslaught displayed here is enough to have you standing on a stool in your kitchen and squealing for weeks. And, as expected, the reliably unhinged Shatner gives this arachnoid megawave some stiff competition when it comes to scattering across the screen all willy-nilly with hairy limbs a-flyin’. Failing him in his ever-losing war against fuzzy little dudes is the great Woody Strode (ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST) and THE CANDY SNATCHERS’ Tiffany Bolling. So stop by a spider-phobic friend’s house, take them out for a night at the movies and enjoy never speaking to them again for as long as you live. (Zack)

976-EVIL

Aug 25, $1, Dir. Robert Englund, 1988, 35mm, 92 min, R

Freddy Kreuger’s directorial debut is every bit the virginal nerd’s vengeance fantasy you’d expect from a man who’s spent his entire life working in the horror genre. FRIGHT NIGHT alumnus Stephen Geoffreys plays Hoax, a simple-minded teen who giggles at nude photos in National Geographic, idolizes his bad-boy cousin and lives under the thumb of his overbearingly religious mother. Bereft of friends and dignity, Hoax becomes drawn in to a supernatural phone line that predicts, alters and ultimately cancels the future of its callers. In short time, the mysterious dial-in service empowers the once-timid teenager with all the Powers of Darkness, and he begins a rampage of brutal subhuman reckoning. Geoffreys does an impressive job in the lead role, masterfully playing both a lovable loser and an unstoppable force of demonic retribution. A few years later, this multifaceted young actor would try his luck in a different genre as one of the central performers in LATIN CROTCH ROCKETS and GUYS WHO CRAVE BIG COCKS. (Zack)

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

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O.C. AND STIGGS

THE MUTHERS, AUGUST 5

JULY 22, MIDNIGHT, $1, DIR. ROBERT ALTMAN, 1985, 35MM, 109 MIN, R

It’s hard to imagine a more unlikely pairing of director and project than this Robert Altman ‘80s National Lampoon teen comedy. But then it’s never been said of Altman that he was afraid to take chances. That’s why we love him. And that’s why we love this shaggy dog of a movie. It tells the story of a couple of Phoenix teenagers, O.C. and Stiggs (the O.C. stands for “out of control”), on a dadaist rampage of revenge and terror against an insurance agent named Randall Schwab and his severely dysfunctional family. O.C. and Stiggs spend every second brainstorming, preparing for, or implementing their campaign against the Schwabs. This is a seriously strange film, and the humor may not appeal to everyone - an example: O.C. and Stiggs tell a car dealer they want their car to “combine a really horrifying noise with the ugliness of poverty” - but people who like this movie are REALLY going to like this movie. With a top flight cast including Dennis Hopper, Ray Walston, Melvin Van Peebles, Martin Mull, Cynthia Nixon and of course King Sunny Ade and his African Beats! (Lars)

UP YOUR TEDDY BEAR

JULY 29, MIDNIGHT, $1, DIR. DON JOSLYN, 1970, 35MM, 89 MIN, R

You want weird? Try this one on for size, tough guy. Wally Cox, who provided Underdog’s voice in the ‘60s cartoon series, stars as a mild mannered clerk who has a genius for making toys. Julie “Catwoman” Newmar plays “Mother”, the head of a huge toy conglomerate, who wants to hire Wally. He refuses because the slinky Miss Newmar reminds him so much of his own mother (no wonder he’s got problems). So she orders her assistant Skippy, played by 350pound Victor Buono, to break down his resistance by providing him with an endless succession of prostitutes. That would be unsavory enough even without Wally’s kinky infantile dream sequences featuring Newmar as his mother. Or (Oh no!) elephantine Victor Buono in drag. Some comedies just push everything too far - this is definitely one of those movies. It’s full of big, cartoon-influenced, surreal comedy sequences that sometimes work and sometimes fall flat. But it’s always manic and interesting. (Lars)

THE MUTHERS

AUGUST 5, MIDNIGHT, $1, DIR. CIRIO SANTIAGO, 1976, 35MM, 101 MIN, R

midnight EXPLOITATION CLASSICS everY WEDNESDAY AT THE RITZ ONLY $1 Since the fall of 2001, we’ve been hosting a weekly program of exploitation classics. From Cheerleaders Gone Bad to Blaxploitation to ‘70s Action Cheese and even to Women In Prison, it’s all there - scratches, splices and all. Many of these films are so obscure that little is known or has been written about them. Some of them are bad, most of them are enjoyable, and a rare few are mind-blowingly amazing. Weird Wednesdays is the vanguard of cinema exploration in Austin. Escape the crushing lameness of the real world with us every week. For only a dollar! - Lars Nilsen, Weird Wednesday Programmer and Host Special thanks to I Luv Video for helping to make this series possible. Check out their amazing stores for the best selection of cinematic rarities in town. And see www.iluvvideo.com for news and reviews.

THE LADY IN RED

JULY 1, MIDNIGHT, $1, DIR. LEWIS TEAGUE, 1979, 35MM, 93 MIN, R

Inspired by the success of BONNIE AND CLYDE, Roger Corman’s New World Pictures made a few depression-era crime movies that combined working-class social awareness with a heaping helping of sex and violence to keep the drive-in audiences happy. BIG BAD MAMA is the best known of these but THE LADY IN RED holds up even better today. With the impending release of Michael Mann’s PUBLIC ENEMIES there’s a renewal of interest in Dillinger’s exploits. THE LADY IN RED approaches the story from the novel perspective of the “Lady In Red” who tipped off the FBI to Public Enemy Number One’s whereabouts, though as you’ll see, things are considerably more complex than that in this brilliant script by John Sayles, who sharpened his skills by writing several low-budget films. The story vividly depicts the life and times of an everywoman of her time. She faces poverty, religious intolerance at home, sweatshop labor conditions and sexual exploitation. It’s no wonder she falls like a ton of bricks for sharp, sardonic John Dillinger when he walks into her life. Pamela Sue Martin is excellent, and not hard to look at, as the title character. With Louise Fletcher, Robert Forster, Robert Conrad and Christopher Lloyd as a sadistic mob enforcer named Frog Nose. (Lars)

I won’t try to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes and argue that THE MUTHERS is some kind of neglected masterpiece. It’s not. In fact, it’s pretty silly. There are no spectacular insights to be had here, no moments of profound transcendence. What it is is a cheap, nudity-filled, Filipino action movie about two gorgeous black female pirates (Jeanne Bell and Rosanne Katon) who rob and loot on the China sea until they’re caught, sent to a women’s prison presided over by a sadistic warden who sells the inmates to a flesh trader, and who then revolt and turn the sky black with the smoke from their machine guns. But that kind of movie is good enough for me. As if two beautiful black women in one movie weren’t enough, director Cirio Santiago throws in Jayne Kennedy, who doesn’t act well, but WOW!, and Trina Parks of DARKTOWN STRUTTERS fame (who does act well). Santiago’s films tend to operate on a third or fourth grade level, but they move right along and have a vulgar pulp vitality that’s hard to resist. (Lars)

SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW

AUGUST 12, MIDNIGHT, $1, DIR. YUEN WOO-PING, 1978, 35MM, 90 MIN, PG

As a director and action choreographer, Yuen Woo-Ping is synonymous with the “new school” of kung fu. But just as John Coltrane had to master the standards before he could take off on wild harmonic flights, Yuen had to earn his diploma from the old school before he could tear down the walls. Think of this movie as his graduate thesis. Jackie Chan, at his acrobatic best, stars as an orphan who ekes out a Dickensian existence as the janitor and human punching bag at a kung fu school. When he sees an old beggar (played by the director’s father, Simon Yuen) being roughed up by bill collectors he jumps in to help. The old man, actually a great martial arts master, is touched by the gesture but appalled by his terrible kung fu so he takes the boy on as a disciple, teaching him the Snake Fist style of kung fu. Unfortunately, the master of the Eagle Claw style, played by phenomenal high-kicker Hwang Jang Lee, has vowed to eradicate the Snake Fist style from the Earth, along with all its practitioners, which spices things up a bit. The kung fu fights here are among the best you’ll ever see, with some staggering moves you won’t believe. Best of all, it’s entertaining from beginning to end. Don’t fuck up and miss this one! (Lars)

LADY TERMINATOR

AUGUST 19, MIDNIGHT, $1, DIR. JALIL JACKSON, 1988, 35MM, 82 MIN, R

Get ready for your face to melt entirely off your skull. A vapid anthropology student (Barbara Ann Constable) is drawn undersea and infected with the centuries-old Curse Of The South Sea Queen by a magic sea snake that takes up residence in her vagina. When she emerges from the ocean she acts exactly like Arnold Schwarzenegger in THE TERMINATOR as she pursues a young singer with a magic amulet, signifying that she is the great granddaughter of the South Sea Queen’s nemesis. The Lady Terminator embarks on a hyperbolic killing spree in Jakarta, taking special care to annihilate the genitals of every man she comes into contact with, using either a machine-gun or her sharp-toothed cooch-snake. This Indonesian brain smasher is really something special. The dialogue is top-shelf, the basement-level special effects are sublime - in it’s own inimitable way this is one of the classics of all time. Don’t even dream about missing this. Also known as NASTY HUNTER. (Lars)

PSYCH-OUT

JULY 8, MIDNIGHT, $1, DIR. RICHARD RUSH, 1968, 35MM, 100 MIN, NR

Wildly entertaining portrait of the ‘love children’ of San Francisco’s Summer Of Love. Susan Strasberg stars as a 17 year old deaf runaway who falls in with a band of fun-loving hippies led by Jack Nicholson (as Stoney), who help her find her drug casualty brother (Bruce Dern at his twitchiest). Along the way she learns about living, loving and highly dangerous chemicals. PSYCHOUT, made by Richard Rush for producer Dick Clark, is by far the best hippiesploitation movie. Other movies felt hopelessly square and tin-eared but Rush told the story in a fresh and exciting way. With The Seeds, The Strawberry Alarm Clock and an all-star supporting cast including biker movie king Adam Roarke, Dean Stockwell and Max (THE MACK) Julian. With the best drug freak-out sequences ever (greatly abetted by Austinite Gary Kent’s special effects wizardry) and a surprising amount of violent action. Mind-blowing photography by Laszlo Kovacs.

SWEDISH WILDCATS

CHOOSE YOUR OWN WEIRD WEDNESDAY

AUGUST 26, MIDNIGHT, $1

JULY 15, MIDNIGHT, $1, DIR. JOSEPH SARNO, 1972, 35MM, 85 MIN, R

YOU MUST CHOOSE! Since its inception, the Weird Wednesday Choose Your Own Adventure Night has been a virtual guarantor of cinematic strangeness far beyond even our own Wildest Dreams. Here’s how it works: we pull three movies from the vaults, I’ll fill you in a bit on the details, then you, the audience, will choose the movie by applauding. As always, we have some awesome movies set aside for just such an occasion. Choose Your Own Weird Wednesday is one of the great, though irregularly scheduled, traditions of this series. Some of the best, wrongest and just plain awkward moments in my life (Anybody remember COUNTRY HOOKER?) have been at Choose Your Own Adventure nights. This year make your voice heard! And don’t email me looking for hints about which movies will be in the mix ‘cause I won’t tell you. (Lars)

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Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

Intrepid world traveller Joe Sarno strikes again, with one of his weirdest films. Sarno’s films, with their concentration on the psychological and spiritual aspects of sex, are like no others. SWEDISH WILDCATS takes place in a brothel where every night the girls put on unbelievable stage shows featuring body paint and bizarre allegorical dance numbers. It’s one of the most visually arresting sex films ever. The psychedelic stage sequences are amazing and the women, including Christina Lindberg of THEY CALL HER ONE EYE, are stunning. But the real revelation here is Diana Dors, an over-the-hill British actress who specialized in dumb blonde and nympho roles. Considered a B-grade actress at best in her native country she really gets a chance to demonstrate her talents here as the ringmaster of Sarno’s kinky circus of sleaze. (Lars)

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

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Kanye West rehearses for the IN DA CLUB Sing-Along This July at the Alamo Ritz

SPACEBALLS: the QUOTE-ALONG

thursdays, july 9, 23 & 30, Ritz, DVD, d. mel brooks

Mel Brooks’ STAR WARS parody is soooo much more than just a parody film, and filled with the sorts of jokes that the writers of all the recently (and horribly) made “spoof films” wish they could dream up. If your Schwartz is as big as mine, you’re probably uncomfortably excited with just the prospect of this show happening. Somewhere in space, Dot Matrix’s virgin alarm is ringing loudly. (Henri)

we will rock you: THE queen sing-along

thursdays, July 23 & 30, Ritz, DVD

Okay, I’ll admit it: when they played We Are the Champions as the last song last dance of my senior year in high school and all the seniors made a big circle the middle of the dance floor as we linked up arm-in-arm and swayed, I got teary-eyed. And that summer as we drove around from 7-11 to a coffee shop to some party at a kid’s house with a pool and a trampoline, my friends and I listened to Bohemian Rhapsody and pretended like we were in WAYNE’S WORLD. Why am I confessing to all this? Crying in high school and imitating WAYNE’S WORLD isn’t cool at all. But then, that’s the thing about Queen - as pioneers of arena rock, their hits have a way of making you feel cool no matter what you’re doing, I’m listening to “We Will Rock You” as I’m writing this, so I feel invincible. This is one of our favorite Sing-Along shows to do, partly because we painstakingly took the time to edit live performances and videos together with scenes from some of the movies that have made generous use of Queen songs in the soundtrack, and partly because we like coming up with new prop ideas every time we do it. But mostly it’s because people tend to get dressed up, and we LOVE having an army of Freddie Mercurys come up to the stage to show off their mustaches and microphone poles. (Henri)

The Alamo Sing-Alongs & quote-alongs

THIS IS SPINAL TAP SING-AND-QUOTE-ALONG

hosted by Henri Mazza, CAITLIN STEVENS, AND GREG MACLENNAN

Thursdyas, Aug 6, 13 & 20, Ritz, DVD, d. Rob reiner

In 1984 Rob Reiner created a film that documented the comeback tour of one of the loudest bands of all time: Spinal Tap. Even though the film was clearly a documentary, it has come to our attention that many people still think of the film as a work of fiction and that some of you may believe that Spinal Tap isn’t even a real band. To those haters I ask - do they have songs? Have they appeared on national television? Yes and yes. So Spinal Tap is a real band, this is a real rockumentary, and we know almost every line of dialogue in it. We’re going to subtitle our favorite lines karaoke-style for the audience anyway, and we’ll provide inflatable guitars and every amp in the building will be turned up to 11 the entire time because tonight we will rock you tonight, all night. (Henri)

Sometimes I like it when it’s dead quiet in the movie theater. If you’re sitting next to me during UP, for instance, and you decide to lean over to the person next to you and ask how they felt about that last scene, you’re heading for a beatdown. But sometimes, when it’s done right, I totally love hearing your voice, along with the voices of everyone else in the theater. And that’s what these Sing-and-Quote-Along shows are all about. We let loose in these suckers, yelling out our favorite lines of dialogue, singing at the top of our lungs (and sometimes just screaming when our lungs are giving out), and when the spirit really takes us away, dancing like mad out of our seats. And with the right movies, that is sooo much better than a quiet theater. - Henri Mazza

TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE

thurs, july 2 & SAT, JULY 4, Ritz, DVD, d. trey parker, 2004

Sure, you can celebrate your independence the usual way, with a cookout and then fighting for a good spot to set up your folding chair on the pedestrian bridge where little kids will run past you holding sparklers in their hand all night long and you wait for the 20 minute fireworks show that the city puts on. Or you can join us for a midnight screening of TEAM AMERICA featuring sparklers in the theater, American flags for everyone, all of our favorite lines subtitled for everyone to yell out loud, and a triumphant choral walk down Sixth Street afterward with everyone singing, “America! Fuck yeah!” as loud as we possibly can. That’s how true American heroes will be celebrating this year, but if you want to let the terrorists win and you’re a fan of Kim Jung Il, well then you can just go ahead and skip this show ‘cause we don’t want you in our theater anyway, you damned commie. (Henri)

THE IN DA CLUB SING-ALONG mix tape

thursdays, july 2, 9, 16, Ritz, DVD

We started doing Alamo Sing-Alongs way back at the original Alamo Drafthouse location over on Colorado Street in the space that is currently occupied by the super cheesy African themed bottle service bar Pangaea. Because we’re in Austin, of course, we’ve all had a lot of fun making fun of those fancy bars with their $300 bottles of Tito’s vodka, but because my name is Henri and I’m one of the pop-cheesiest people in this city, I’ve been into pretty much all of those dance clubs that are supported almost exclusively by bachelorette parties, and… the idea of having a table reserved with personal service instead of having to fight through the crowd to get up to the bar actually sounds kind of cool. I mean, I obviously love pop music, and I love dance parties, and I love being able to retreat back to my seat when the DJ switches from my favorite song into some horrific Creed/Eminem mash up. Of course, even getting a private table that’s reserved for just you and your friends can’t really help you get away from everyone else in the club, and when the DJ finally plays another T.I. and Justin hit and you want to go out and dance over the shark tank that’s the only attraction that club even has anyway, you still have to go out and dance with all the silly club kids and guys who just watched VH-1’s The Pick Up Artist and want to try out a new method of hitting on you all night. Not to mention, of course, that the people in the real clubs aren’t nearly as pretty as the people in the clubs in the music videos. And so we hit on the idea of the In Da Club Sing-Along Mix Tape. We’ll take all the club hits that get us up and dancing, but we’ll free them from the confines of the obnoxious crap that passes for a dance club in this city by bringing them all into the Alamo Ritz instead. Because at the Alamo Ritz, every single person at the party has a reserved table, and you don’t have to pay $300 for one bottle to get one. When you want to hang out and chill, just lounge in your seat. Wanna go crazy to Love Sex Magic? Come on up to the stage. Expect to see plenty of Kanye West, T.I., T-Pain, Ciara, the Black Eyed Peas, and beats from every other contender out there vying for the title of 2009’s Ultimate Summer Jam. So crack a bottle, and let your body waddle. Th-th-that that don’t kill you only makes you stronger. (Henri)

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Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

the one-hit wonders of the 80s sing-along

thursdays, aug 6, 13, 20 & 27, Ritz, DVD

In the 1980s, video killed the radio star. In the 2000s, videos took over Thursday night programming at the Alamo Drafthouse, but it hasn’t been until this month that we’ve finally come around and put together a show that will let us play The Buggles and mix them in with everyone’s favorite phone number of all time – 867-5309 (god, if only we knew the area code for Jenny, too…). That’s right, after nearly three separate volumes of One-Hit Wonders of the ‘90s shows, we’re finally coming around and giving the 1980s their One-Hit dues. Because though the decades have changed and the music has evolved, these bands all managed to create at least one song that will be part of our lives forever. And they probably wrote a few other songs, too, but no one really remembers those anymore… For us, though, the future is still so bright that we’ve gotta wear shades, so we’ll have some Timbuk 3 right along side the high pitched screaming of A-Ha and into the monster rock of Twisted Sister. Believe it or not, we’re walking on air! (Henri) It’s not a Sing-Along or Quote-Along, but this August I’m going to be hosting a brand new weekly series. We’re calling it TV Brunch, and the idea is simple: Every Sunday morning (or early afternoon), we’re going to have a Tivo party at the Alamo Ritz where we play an episode or two of the best TV shows that are happening at the time, as chosen by me. Don’t worry, I promise I have great taste in TV.

TVBRUNCH

We’ll have great mimosa specials for all of these TV Brunch screenings, and as you can probably guess from the graphic, we’re starting them up with the new season of the greatest show ever: MAD MEN, plus one other surprise. To find out the full schedule and suggest other shows we should watch, sign up for our email list on the show page of our website. (Henri)

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

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MASTER PANCAKE annihilates INDEPENDENCE DAY July 4th Weekend

MASTER PANCAKE THEATER

austin’s movie mocking maestros

Master Pancake: INDEPENDENCE DAY

JULY 3, 4, 5 ONLY!

In a fit of insane literalness, Master Pancake celebrates Independence Day by mocking the 1996 movie INDEPENDENCE DAY!! For two weeks only, we’ll be skewering the IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD of sci-fi disaster flicks, helmed by Roland Emmerich (THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW), a director who’s never met a Statue-of-Liberty-in-peril scene he didn’t like. Featuring a massive cast of pretty good A-listers (Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell) and awesome B-listers (Judd Hirsch, Harry Connick, Jr., and Brent Spiner) in the fight of their lives against a horde of invading aliens. Critic Marc Savlov of the Austin Chronicle called ID4: “A gasping, bloated roller-coaster ride that veers from scenes of truly awesome destruction to stretches of numbingly bad melodrama and back again.” A review which translates to an Asian man’s head shouting “ONE FLAG!” We tend to agree more with Internet filmm critic Dragan Antulov of rec. arts.movies.reviews.com who calls the film, “One of the prime guilty pleasures of our time.” Whatever it is, we’ll be mocking the hell out of it on July 3rd, 4th and 5th. (John)

MASTER PANCAKE THEATER: ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES

STARTING JULY 24

Return to the thrilling days of yore, when Kevin Costner was box-office gold and Bryan Adams wrote stirring cinematic prom ballads, as Master Pancake Theater skewers the worst Robin Hood adaptation ever: ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES (1991). Costner plays Robin Hood, a man on a quest to find his missing British accent, and Morgan Freeman is – surprise! – his Magical Black Helping Figure. Together they team up to fight the evil Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman channeling equal parts Hans Gruber and Wile E. Coyote). Director Kevin Reynolds (WATERWORLD) adds visual flair with the pointless yet nauseating P.O.V. technique of Arrow-Cam. You won’t want to miss a single merry minute as Master Pancake buckles the swash out Sherwood and makes much ado about Notting. (John)

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MASTER PANCAKE THEATER: THE BREAKFAST CLUB

SPECIAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOWS AUGUST 28 & 29

The film-talkers of Master Pancake invite you to come join THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985). Perhaps the quintessential John Hughes movie, THE BREAKFAST CLUB features poutylipped fireball Molly Ringwald and fellow brat-packers Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, and Ally Sheedy as a quintet of misfits trapped in detention for one fateful afternoon. While there, these five Jungian archetypes of high school life (the geek, the jock, the princess, the thug, and the Cure fan) learn that they are not in fact so very different after all. Originally titled LIBRARY REVOLUTION, THE BREAKFAST CLUB shows that by banding together you CAN overthrow ‘the man’ -- or at least your douche-bag principal -played perfectly here by the master of assoholitude, Paul Gleason (TRADING PLACES, DIE HARD). Be our guest for some ‘Simple Minded’ fun as Master Pancake’s John, Joe and company give a unique twist to one of the best/worst teen revolution movies of all time! (John)

CHOOSE YOUR OWN MASTER PANCAKE!

JULY 26, RITZ

For one night only this July, we’ll be doing the infamous CHOOSE YOUR OWN PANCAKE, where you, the viewer, get to pick a movie for us to mock, and then we do it right there on the spot! You’ll get to see us mock a movie completely from scratch. No practice, no nets. Here’s how it works: just bring a DVD or VHS of your choice, we’ll narrow it down to our favorites, then the audience will vote on which of those they want to see. But be warned, you must be prepared to give a short speech in defense of your movie. The audience has final say. Past winners have included LOGAN’S RUN, the early ‘90s version of FANTASTIC FOUR, and the awful William Shatner western WHITE COMANCHE.

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

Agliff presents

ready? ok!

aug 2, ritz

AIGA Design Series MILTON GLASER: TO INFORM AND DELIGHT - Aug 11

Don’t break the rules. Change them. Joshua wants nothing more than to join his Catholic school’s cheerleading squad. His aspirations fluster his mother, perplex the Mother Superior, and inspire his gay neighbor, Charlie. Together, they discover that sometimes all it takes to figure things out is a deep breath and the perfect cheer. Presented by the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival. For more information, please visit www.agliff.org.

the world’s best tv commercials

aug 9, ritz

Now fortified with 50% more Harry Egipt! Over the years we’ve become hardcore video junkies, connoisseurs of the strangest and most extreme video oddities we can lay our paws on. And some of the best clips we’ve found have been television commercials from other countries. Before we realized what happened it became our latest obsession, as if we needed another one. So in order to feed the monkey we’ve scoured the planet looking for the greatest, weirdest, most offensive and adrenaline-charged commercials in the world. The result is a kind of large-scale psychoanalysis of Planet Earth. There’s not much we can do for Japan now, except try to make sure it doesn’t pose a threat to itself or others. As we plowed through the mountains of tapes and DVDs the total picture that evolved is of a planet on the brink of madness, sex obsessed, image conscious to the point of mania and very very thirsty.

hey homo! Presents

women on the verge of a nervous breakdown

aug 11, ritz

Picture it, Chickens! Breathe it in, my little lamb-chops! A glorious cornucopia of dazzling colors, pastel skylines, elegant women, and poisoned gazpacho for all my little film queers and cinema freaks in the city of Austin! HEY HOMO! is so very stanked to present our first choice from the unpredictable, delectable spanish gaywad saint, Pedro Almodovar ! .....it’s WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN! Have a hot seat in the pink chair and witness Antonio Banderas and Carmen Maura climb through a script involving burning beds, adulterous pootas, caged chickens and psychopathic broads shooting pistols off the backs of motorcycles! Nobody does it better than Almodovar when it comes to this shit, and to miss this film would be a mistake only an idiot would make! Join your ever lovin’ hostess, REBECCA HAVEMEYER, as I thrill you with a pre-show hotter than Kirstie Alley’s inner thighs! It’s gonna be one hell of a spicy night, ya’ hear! Booya on it and slap my culo! (Rebecca Havemeyer)

alamo grab bag

surprise treats from our friends and partners

tony manero

july 5 & 6, ritz

Chilean director Pablo Lorrain’s film has very few cinematic precedents, if any. Establishing a daringly original tone of its own, it somehow manages to be three things at once: a powerful portrait of life lived under a dictatorship, a bitter critique of an individual who will do anything to reach his goal, and a blackly comic satire of celebrity obsession. Raul Peralta (Alfredo Castro) is a 50-something man who lives in Santiago during the fearful, suffocating days of Augusto Pinochet’s rule. Raul is obsessed with John Travolta’s character (Tony Manero) from SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. He finds purpose when a television station announces that they’re holding a Tony Manero dance-and-look-a-like contest. In a stifling social climate, Raul takes matters into his own hands, doing whatever it takes to make his dream come true.

Agliff presents

conversations, the film documents the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential product designers, and looks at how the things they make impact our lives. What can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves? From the director of HELVETICA. For more information about AIGA, visit www.aigaaustin.org.

hey homo! presents

saved! brunch

july 19, ritz

Have you been “Saved” yet? If you haven’t, then you cannot miss this opportunity to open up your heart and let the good word in. Being raised Catholic, I grew up with the good book down my throat and a hard nun scrutinizing all I did. Now, I am older and wiser, and have realized that no book or any nun would know me better than I know myself. When watching this movie I could see a part of my life projected on the screen. An epiphany occurred that giving people a chance, despite feelings of hesitance, will many times surprise you. So, come on out and testify because aren’t we all just a bunch of Homos any way? In a Christian school, the fanatic Hilary Faye and Mary are best friends. However, their friendship explodes when Mary gets pregnant, after having sex with her gay boy-friend in attempt to “save” him. This inevitably questions the will of Jesus. Enough said. (Chivonn)

were the world mine

hey homo! presents

Cute boys + musical = dream come true. Timothy, the gay outcast at his Catholic prep school, is prone to daydreaming about the handsome rugby jock. But when Timothy wins a part in the school’s production of A Midsummers’ Night Dream, he not only shares the stage with the object of his affection, but turns the whole town’s sexuality upside down. Presented by the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival. For more information, please visit www.agliff.org.

july 28, ritz

july 5, ritz

aiga design series presents

objectified

july 6, 7 & 8, ritz

This feature-length documentary explores our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the designers who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability. Through vérité footage and in-depth

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elvira’s haunted hills with elvira live!

Holy hell, horror-homos! This July, we’ll be celebrating Halloween early, as none other than the Mistress of the Dark herself is going to be joining us for a special screening of her very own magnum epic! See the all-powerful Elvira get wrapped up in a dastardly plot hatched by absolute maniacs, as she and her lady-servant do their best to escape their enemies’ grabby ol’ clutches. Imagine YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN being sideswiped by a haunted jet plane full of the sexiest monsters in the universe. Packed with more jokes and cleavage than a vaudeville troupe in bikinis, and presented by one of the all-time greatest sources of American entertainment: ELVIRA!

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

aiga design series presents

milton glaser: to inform & delight

aug 12, ritz

For many, Milton Glaser is the personification of American graphic design. Best known for co-founding New York Magazine and the enduring I HEART NY campaign, the full breadth of Glaser’s remarkable artistic output is revealed in this documentary portrait, MILTON GLASER: TO INFORM & DELIGHT. From newspapers and magazine designs, to interior spaces, logos, and brand identities, to his celebrated prints, drawings, posters and paintings, the documentary offers audiences a much richer appreciation for one of the great modern renaissance men. Artfully directed by first time filmmaker Wendy Keys, the film glances into everyday moments of Glaser’s personal life and capture his immense warmth, humanity and the boundless depth of his intelligence and creativity.

THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR: July 25

ALAMO KIDS CLUB

FREE FUN FAMILY FILMS done right! Ain’t it Cool News & The Austin Chronicle present Free Saturday Morning Kids Club

THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR

July 25, Lamar, Dir. ROBerT Stevenson, 1961, G

Lovably dopey scientist Ned Brainard (played by the lovably dopey Fred MacMurray) has succeeded in accidentally inventing a flying rubber, which he naturally names “Flubber.” The magical man-made material is capable of making shoes jump to dazzling heights and cars take antigravitational cruises through the sky. It also draws some unwanted attention from villainous businessmen who want to harness the secrets of Flubber for their own rotten-hearted purposes! A riotously funny classic family film with more high-bouncing craziness than a battleship filled with mousetraps and superballs! Boi-yoi-yoi-yoi-yoiiiiinggg!!!

ALAMO SUMMER KIDS CAMP

AT SOUTH LAMAR AND VILLAGE

In these so, so sunny days of summer, what better way to escape the heat than with FREE family-friendly screenings at your neighborhood air-conditioned Alamo?! Each Monday through Thursday, celebrate the schoollessness of the season with the following films. Check at www.originalalamo.com for dates, locations and times!

June 29 - july 9 : HORTON HEARS A WHO July 6 - 16 : THE CAT FROM OUTER SPACE July 13 - 23 : Sky High July 20 - 30 : Spirited Away July 27 - Aug 6 : Happy Feet Aug 3 - 13 : The Princess Bride Aug 10 - 20 : Speed racer Aug 17 - 20 : The witches

Free Saturday Morning Kids Club

ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING

Aug 29, Lamar, Dir. Chris Columbus, 1987, PG

Some moms and dads just have no idea how difficult a job babysitting can be. I mean, you have to cook, clean up the house and go on a madcap all-night adventure through the darkest boroughs of the city where you fight evil car thieves, run from bloodthirty gunmen and sing the babysitter blues at a smoky nightclub. You know what I’m saying? Well, Elizabeth Shue does, as she takes two boneheaded teenagers and a Thor-obsessed little girl on the wildest full-tilt ruckus-ride of their lives, filled with laughs, jolts, surprises and babysitting insanity!

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Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

LUXURY CAR - July 21

THE GARDEN with director live

july 12 & 13, lamar

Director Scott Hamilton Kennedy in attendance! The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community. But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis. The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers. The Garden has the pulse of verité with the narrative pull of fiction, telling the story of the country’s largest urban farm, backroom deals, land developers, green politics, money, poverty, power, and racial discord. The film explores and exposes the fault lines in American society and raises crucial and challenging questions about liberty, equality, and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable among us.

nollywood babylon

aug 9, 10 & 12, ritz

Nigeria’s film industry, Nollywood, is the third-largest in the world--an unstoppable economic and cultural force that has taken the continent by storm and is now bursting beyond the borders of Africa. This film is an intimate look into this exploding international popularity from the perspective of those within the industry. The film drops viewers into the chaos of Lagos’ Idumota market. Here, among the bustling stalls, films are sold and unlikely stars are born. Unfazed by low budgets, enterprising filmmakers create a brash, inventive and wildly popular form of B-Movie that has Nigerians Nollywoodobsessed. In these films, voodoo and magic infuse urban stories, reflecting the collision of traditional mysticism and modern culture that Nigerians experience every day. Propelled by a booming 1970s soundtrack of African underground music, this film presents an electric vision of a modern African metropolis and a revealing look at the powerhouse that is Nigerian cinema.

AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY

essential cinema and MORE

AFS Essential Cinema Presents Love on the Largest Continent

Every year the Austin Film Society presents at least one series devoted to a particular Asian country, region, or director. This summer we are ranging over the entire continent of Asia to look at people, stories, and geography as diverse as anywhere else on our planet. Tickets available at www.austinfilm.org. Free for AFS members or $6 at the door. (Chale Nafus, AFS)

IN LOVE WE TRUST [ZUO YOU]

july 7, DIR. Wang Xiaoshuai, 2007, 120 min, chinA

Mei Zhu and Xiao Lu are heartsick when their daughter Hehe becomes ill with cancer. When the chemotherapy doesn’t work, the child needs a bone marrow transplant, but neither biological parent is a match. The only solution seems to be to have another child, who would be a more likely match, but there are numerous complications – ethical questions, government restrictions on the number of children allowed a couple, and – most of all – the fact that the parents are divorced and have new spouses. What effect would creating a new child have on their present marriages?

STOLEN LIFE [SHENG SI JIE]

july 14, DIR. Li Shaohong, 2005, 35mm, 90 min, china

Yan’ni had been raised by relatives while her mother suffered “re-education” during the Red Guard’s officially sanctioned reign of terror. Now a young adult, Yan’ni unexpectedly leaves home to go to college. There she meets the charming Muyu, with whom she falls in love. Finding herself inconveniently pregnant, she wants to abort the child, but Muyu is very determined for her to have the baby. What could seem like love and a deep sense of responsibility actually hides Muyu’s real intentions regarding this and other babies he has fathered.

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LUXURY CAR [JIANG CHENG XIA RI]

july 28, DIR. Wang Chao, 2006, 35MM, 88 MIN, china

Once the tight control of Maoism began to relax and people were free to seek their fortune in the burgeoning cities and boomtowns of an explosively materialistic China, many families lost contact with their children. In Wang Chao’s contemporary tale a village school teacher (another “reeducated intellectual”) acts upon his dying wife’s final request. He travels to the city of Wuhan to look for their son but instead discovers his daughter, who is working as a karaoke bar “escort.” Silent about his daughter’s relationship with a bar owner, Li Qiming enlists the aid of an aging cop to concentrate on the search for his missing son.

ELECTRIC SHADOWS [MENG YING TONG NIAN]

july 28, DIR. Ziao Jiang & Cheng Qingsong, 2004, 35MM, 94 MIN, china

Echoing the love of movies presented in CINEMA PARADISO, Xiao Jiang’s wonderful ELECTRIC SHADOWS shows how important movies were to a small mining community during the Maoist period, especially to two young children, Mao Xiaobing [“Mao’s Little Soldier”] and Ling Ling. In the outdoor cinema, run by “Uncle” Pan, all the townspeople gather to “breathe together and dream together,” particularly with tales of socialist heroism and self-sacrificing love.

afs documentary tour presents

AFGHAN STAR

july 1, dir. Havana Marking, 2009

In Afghanistan you risk your life to sing. After thirty years of war and five devastating years of Taliban rule, pop culture is beginning to return to the country. Since 2005, millions have been tuning in to Tolo TV’s wildly popular American Idolstyle series Afghan Star. Like its Western predecessors, people compete for a cash prize and record deal. More surprisingly, the contest is open to everyone across the country despite gender, ethnicity or age. Two thousand people audition, including three extremely brave women. And when viewers vote for their favorites via cell phone, it is, for many, their first encounter with the democratic process.

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

SECOND SKIN

aug, ritz (check www.originalalamo.com for dates)

SECOND SKIN, which premiered opening night at SXSW, introduces us to the real people who populate online virtual worlds in games like World of Warcraft and Second Life. Couples who have fallen in love without meeting, disabled players whose lives have been given new purpose, those struggling with addiction, Chinese gold farming sweatshop workers, wealthy entrepreneurs and legendary guild leaders — all living within a world that doesn’t quite exist.

JULIE & JULIA Feast - August 11

food & film events

five-star feasts for five-star films

Mark Todd Bad Ass T-Shirts now available exclusively at

HARRY POTTER Feast!

july 21

The Harry Potter Hogwart Academy Feast has been one of the most popular Film & Food offerings in the history of the Alamo Drafthouse. And while we have rushed to the defense of our chefs John Bullington and Trish Eichelberger when they have been accused of witchcraft by certain intolerant parties, the thought has long lingered in the back of our minds that maybe there was some sort of unholy collusion with the forces of magic at work in their delicious middle English menu. But after a butter-beer, all our cares sort of melt away and we just relax and enjoy the great food and a great movie. If they are immensely powerful wizards, we’re glad they’re on our side. HARRY POTTER opens July 17!

MondoTees.com

Mystery Team

JULIE & JULIA Feast

the first feature from Derrick Comedy

AUG 11, LAMAR

May I please first direct your attention to the picture at the top of this page? Academy-Award winning actress Meryl Streep playing culinary legend Julia Child? Second servings, anyone? Director Nora Ephron (SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, MIXED NUTS) brings us this big screen adaptation of two different books- Julie Powell’s bestselling memoir “Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen,” and Julia Child’s memoir “My Life in France.” Powell (played in the film by Amy Adams, otherwise known as Meryl Streep: The Next Generation) embarks on a year-long culinary quest to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” The film intertwines the lives of the two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends...until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible. For this special Food & Film event, enjoy an exquisite five-course French feast prepared by the extraordinary Alamo chefs!

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“If Encyclopedia Brown, the kids from American Pie, and Nancy Drew all had sex, their baby would probably look something like Mystery Team.” - Sundance

KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS FEAST

JULY 29, RITZ

Inspired by a chance conversation with fellow filmmaker and mushroom buff Jim Jarmusch, director Rom Mann (GRASS, GO FURTHER) sets off to the annual Telluride Mushroom Festival in Colorado. It was there he encountered the unique sub-subsubculture surrounding fungi that includes an unlikely assortment of nerds, nuts, hipsters, tripsters, artists, chefs, musicians, foodies, foragers, and seekers all paying homage to the mighty mushroom. Combining material filmed at the Mushroom Fest with animation and archival footage along with a neo-psychedelic soundtrack by the Flaming Lips, KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS opens the doors to perception, takes the audience on a longer, stranger trip and delivers them to a brave new world where the fungi might well guide humanity to a saner, safer place… with extra cheese…This 2008 SXSW favorite comes back to Alamo for a once-in-a-lifetime mushroom-inspired, consciousness-expanding feast prepared by Alamo executive chef John Bullington. Note: ‘Consciousness Expanding’ used here metaphorically.

Jul - Aug 2009 Schedule of Special Events - for complete calendar and tickets visit www.originalalamo.com

“Watching this movie I couldn't help but think that I was seeing the future of film comedy stretching its legs and warming up." - Devin Faraci, CHUD.com

Premiering at the Alamo Ritz this August with Derrick Comedy live!

This summer, the Alamo Drafthouse is offering more than just a traditional movie-viewing party. Whether you’re looking to create the perfect team-building exercise or just trying to put together the perfect birthday or bachelorette party, give us a call at (512) 407-9531 or visit www.OriginalAlamo.com/VenueRental for more information about Photo Scavenger Hunt!