Most local movie theaters are still offering the same fare that they did at Christmas. A few of the prestige films from 2004 still haven’t hit Austin yet, but they’re not appearing this weekend, either. We’ll just have to keep waiting for Million Dollar Baby and Hotel Rwanda.
Personally, I am thankful of the opportunity to catch up. I mean, I am embarrassed that I haven’t seen certain recent releases. My sister, who hardly ever goes to movies, and usually only for routine romantic comedies, has seen A Very Long Engagement and Sideways and I have not. When my film-apathetic sister is seeing more new movies than I am, it is time to take action. (It’s a weird world when she’s the one who saw arthouse movies and I’m the one who saw the mainstream George Clooney flick.)
So I am hoping that this weekend maybe I finally can see Sideways or Kinsey or something else new in a theater that I’ve forgotten was there, but that I particularly wanted to see when it appeared a month ago. I hope that the good stuff is still there waiting for me to catch up to it.
New movies in Austin this week:
Red Lights—French movie about a bickering couple who argue, separate, and run into all kinds of evil twists of fate on a drive to pick up their kids from summer camp. Sometimes I look back at a sentence I just typed and wonder if I’m on drugs. That was one of those sentences. But apparently that’s really the plot.
White Noise—Oh, Michael Keaton. Please make funny movies again. Please. I didn’t even recognize you when I saw Out of Sight the other day, and that’s the most recent film of yours that I’ve seen. Hackneyed paranormal thrillers, second-rate dramas, and dumb teen comedies don’t suit you. I even liked you as Dogberry. You’ve been telling people you’d love to do a sequel to Beetlejuice, but surely you could find a role in a nice fresh original comedy? Maybe you could talk to the guy who directed Out of Sight and see if he could put you in his next film. I promise I’ll go see it if you do. But White Noise? Pass.
Notable events/revivals in Austin:
8 1/2—Playing at the Paramount Sun. 1/9 and Tues. 1/11. Part of a week-long salute to Fellini. Fellini’s movies tend to either bore me or drive me up the wall, and I have no desire to see this one again.
DiG!—Playing at Alamo Downtown Tues-Thurs. 1/11-13. 2004 documentary that follows two bands, the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols and studies the relationships between the bands’ founders.
Jailhouse Rock and Viva Las Vegas—Playing at the Paramount on Sat. 1/8. Double-feature to celebrate The King’s 70th birthday. (Me, I would prefer to see Bubba Ho-Tep again instead.) Free popcorn if you dress up as Elvis.
The Jerk—Playing at Alamo Downtown on Thurs-Sun. 1/6-9. The Alamo is offering free pizza in a cup to accompany this midnight movie, which is also playing at 7 pm on Sunday (yay! thanks, guys!).
La Dolce Vita—Playing at the Paramount on Fri. 1/7 and Sun. 1/9. A newly restored print, showing as part of the Paramount’s salute to Fellini. This movie bored me endlessly when I saw it in college—I thought the movie was ending and it went on for another solid hour. No, they don’t give you free popcorn if you dress up as Anita Ekberg.
Last Days of the Hotel San Jose—Playing at Alamo Downtown on Wed. 1/12. Part of the Texas Documentary Tour series sponsored by Austin Film Society. This sounds fascinating—a documentary about the old Hotel San Jose in Austin and its last tenants before renovation. Q&A with the filmmaker (who is also the owner of the motel) after the film. I’m hoping to see this one.
Nights of Cabiria and Juliet of the Spirits—Playing at the Paramount on Wed. 1/12 and Thurs. 1/13. Yet more Fellini, this time a double-feature. I am vaguely interested in seeing Nights of Cabiria, but probably not motivated enough to go.
At home, we timed our rental returns badly and don’t have anything to watch this weekend, unless we want to listen to the commentary track of The Stepford Wives (2004) before we have to return the DVD. My boyfriend rented About Schmidt but I think he’s on his own with that one.