Calendar
Posted by Austin Cinephile
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 7/5, 7/6, and 7/7
Alamo Ritz – CROPSEY
Like a real-life Blair Witch Project, this documentary focuses on an urban legend about a boogeyman-esque escaped psychopath who kidnapped and murdered children. Unlike Blair Witch, there genuinely was a mentally disturbed man who was arrested for the deaths of three children, all of whom had mental disabilities themselves. The problem was, this man was convicted without much in the way of conclusive evidence, so the filmmakers explore the case that was made against the suspect and the mysterious Willowbrook campus, an abandoned mental institution where many of the crimes, and satanic rituals, were supposed to have taken place. All sounds too crazy to be true. Isn’t it?
Tuesday 7/6, 7:00pm
The Paramount – Douglas Sirk Double Feature: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS and IMITATION OF LIFE
At first glance, these Technicolor confections from Douglas Sirk might seem outdated; the participation of such 50s luminaries as Rock Hudson and Sandra Dee certainly won’t ease those concerns. And yet, with each generation, these films continue to gain a strong fan following among film scholars and moviegoers alike. Why? Sirk was a master of the melodrama, a genre of storytelling that will never age as long people have the capacity to cry a little. The women in these films are confronted with problems that may sound like the stuff of daytime soaps, but Sirk and his crew elevate the material through their ingenious use of lighting and framing, isolating these characters both literally and visually. The Paramount will be handing out free Kleenex tissues for a reason.
Wednesday 7/7, 11:55pm
Alamo Ritz – Weird Wednesday: GONE WITH THE POPE
Frequent attendees of Weird Wednesday will probably remember the trailer for MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE. Well, the director of that film made another, which was once thought lost. The Alamo has found it, though, and director Duke Mitchell’s can now be seen by an audience! We saw the trailer for it last week, and it looks like a lot of fun. With a premise that features a con man who kidnaps the pope and demands one dollar from every single Catholic in the world, how can you go wrong?
Friday 7/2-Thursday 7/8
Regal Arbor – I AM LOVE
Starring the striking Tilda Swinton and featuring the music of one of the great contemporary composers John Adams, this film promises to be a real treat for two of the five senses. I think the trailer gets that point across.
