| South by Southwest Film Picks |
| Written by Laura Romer | ||||
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Austin, your happy place has arrived. And it’s called SXSW.  Lesbian Vampire Killers Friday, March 13thThe 2 Bobs (World Premiere) – Austin Convention Center at 6:45pm Saturday, March 14thTrue Adolescents – Alamo Ritz 1 at 4:30pmIndie favorite Mark Duplass ( The Puffy Chair ) is featured in director Craig Johnson’s first feature film, True Adolescents. Duplass’ character, a loser in his own right seeing as how he’s a has-been wannabe musician who is jobless and houseless, embarks on a camping trip with two teenagers in this coming of age comedy. (Also screening Sun, 3/15 at Alamo Lamar 2 at 1:30pm and Sat, 3/21 at Alamo Ritz 1 at 4:30pm.) Sons of a Gun (World Premiere) – Austin Convention Center at 5:15pm In Sons of a Gun, a recently evicted group of three men living together and related not by blood, but by a shared disease, battle schizophrenia as they try to find a new place to live in this documentary. (Directed by Rivkah Beth Medow & Greg O'Toole. Also screening Sun, 3/15 at Alamo Lamar 2 at 4pm and Thur, 3/19 at Austin Convention Center at 5pm.) Troll 2 – Alamo Lamar 3 at 11:45pm  Please be advised: this film is not for your enjoyment, but certainly for your entertainment. Often claiming the title of The Worst Movie Ever Made (but with a High School Musical 4 confirmed, it might have some serious competition), Troll 2 involves a country visit, vegetarian goblins, and even poor ol’ Utah. Yep, it’s so bad it’s good. Be sure to check out Best Worst Movie, a feature documentary that chronicles the aftermath and acceptance of the epic failure of cinematic history that is Troll 2 . Screening to be same day at Alamo Lamar 1 at 9:30pm. (Directed by Claudio Fragasso (as Drake Floyd).Sunday, March 15thGarbage Dreams (World Premiere) – Austin Convention Center at 4:45pmYou can’t accuse director Mai Iskander of piggybacking on Slumdog Millionaire’s massive success. Iskander has been filming for this documentary for four years. It follows three teenagers living in the world’s largest garbage village in the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. The three are among the 60,000 Zaballeen (garbage people), and they work in the trash trade. As globalization reaches even their corner of the world, the teenagers are faced with new decisions they hadn’t anticipated. (Also screening Mon, 3/16 at Alamo Lamar 3 at 2:30pm and Thur, 3/19 at Alamo Lamar 3 at 4:30pm.)  Sounds Like Teen Spirit – Hideout at 8pm Following the lives of four pre-teens and teenagers in hopes of achieving world domination through the art of song, the documentary Sounds Like Teen Spirit chronicles contestants and their personal worlds at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. (Directed by Jamie J Johnson.) Monday, March 16thOffice Space – Alamo Lamar 1 at 9pmA special screening of Office Space, or otherwise known as Jennifer Aniston’s only good comedy film, is to celebrate the film’s 10th anniversary. Director Mike Judge will also be present. Lesbian Vampire Killers (World Premiere) – Alamo Lamar 1 at midnight.Everybody wants to be hunted by a vampire these days—at least when they are ridiculously good looking. Something tells us this isn’t one of those films. This outrageous comedy features two losers who come under attack by, you guessed it, lesbian vampire killers. (Directed by Phil Claydon. Also screening Wed, 3/18 at Alamo Lamar 2 at 11:30pm.) Tuesday, March 17thThe Hurt Locker – Paramount at 6:30pmLimits are pushed in The Hurt Locker, as a team of elite army soldiers have the job of disarming bombs in the midst of Iraqi combat. However, when a new sergeant (Jeremy Renner) takes command, he recklessly puts them in the face of danger as the suspense builds to reveal his true nature. Ralph Fiennes (yes, Lord Voldemort), Guy Pearce, and Evangeline Lilly (“Lost”) round out the cast. (Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.) Passing Strange – Paramount at 9:30pm Spike Lee directs this documentary about Passing Strange, a Tony award-winning musical that chronicles the life a young black man in the mid-1970s as he leaves the land of the free and goes to Europe to find him and his artistic self. Wednesday, March 18th Iron Maiden: Flight 666 – Paramount at 7pm Iron Maiden: Flight 666 showcases heavy metal-ers Iron Maiden as they decided to hit the skies for their 2008 tour of 23 shows in 45 days all while covering a distance of 40,000 miles. This is only remotely cool because lead singer Bruce Dickinson piloted the customized Boeing 757 and was responsible for the lives of 70+ crew and a dozen tons of equipment. Rock on. (Directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn. Also screening Sat, 3/21 at Austin Convention Center at 2pm.) Creative Nonfiction (World Premiere) – Alamo Lamar 2 at 10 pm Follow college student Ella as reality and fantasy merge as she struggles to separate the two as she tries to finish a screenplay for her creative writing class. (Directed by Lena Dunham. Also screening Sat, 3/14 at Alamo Ritz 2 at 1pm and Fri, 3/20 at Alamo Lamar 2 at 1:30pm.) Thursday, March 19thAlexander the Last (World Premiere) – Alamo Lamar 2 at 11amAn intimate look at a young marriage, Alexander the Last tells the story of the challenges associated with an artistic young couple as they try to adjust to monogamous (i.e. married) life and their encounters with other seductions. (Directed by Joe Swanberg. Also screening Sat, 3/14 at Paramount at 10pm and Sat, 3/21 at Austin Convention Center at 11:30am.)  Along Came Kinky...Texas Jewboy for Governor (World Premiere) – Paramount at 7:30pm Kinky, Kinky, Kinky. Indeed Texas pop culture will never be the same. Along Came Kinky follows Kinky Friedman during his bid for governor in 2006 running as an Independent complete with witty repartee. (Directed by David Harstein.) ExTerminators (World Premiere) – Alamo Lamar 1 at 10pm  Emmy-nominated director John Inwood’s ( Scrubs ) first feature debut, ExTerminators follows a trio of women who are very, very angry with the world and especially, very, very angry with the men in it. Filmed in Austin and features a cast that includes Heather Graham and Jennifer Coolidge, and musician Charlie Robison. (Also screening Fri, 3/13 at Paramount at 9:00pm and Sun, 3/15 Alamo Lamar 3 at noon.)Friday, March 20thBreaking Upwards (World Premiere) – Alamo Ritz 1 at 11:30amReal life couple and filmmakers Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones are placed within a fictional setting where their relationship is in a rut after four years, but are both reluctant to be alone. In Breaking Upwards, the New York couple plots its own breakup and tests new and unconventional dating waters along the way. (Directed by Daryl Wein. Also screening Sat, 3/14 at 9:30pm at Alamo Ritz 1 and Mon, 3/16 at 4:30pm at Alamo Lamar 2.)  Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo (World Premiere) – Austin Convention Center at 4:30pm The title pretty much sums it up. The documentary, Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo, leads a journey to the last remaining prison rodeo to take place on prison grounds at Oklahoma State Prison where convicts compete for cash and attention. (Directed by Bradley Beesley. Also screening Sat, 3/14 at 11am at Paramount and Tue, 3/17 at 1:30pm at Alamo Ritz 1.) Saturday, March 21st Neil Young Trunk Show (World Premiere) – Paramount at 4:30pmCome on. It’s Neil Young. What else do you need to know? Neil Young Trunk Show follows the man himself as he performs a concert in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, in 2007. Director Jonathan Demme captures Young’s concert persona as well as backstage moments using a mix of mostly hand-held video and film cameras.  De Ofrivilliga (Involuntary) – Alamo Lamar 3 at 6:30pmSwedish film offers a humorous, if twisted, look at lessons to learn and lines not to cross. Lessons that should be learned by everyone: Party boys, flirtatious teen girls, and schoolteachers. As summer approaches, indiscretions surface. But how far is too far? (Directed by Ruben Ostlund. Also screening Thur, 3/19 at Alamo Ritz 2 at 1pm.) Interested in the state of the Texas and Austin film industry? Austin Area Directory - add your business
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Blood Trail (U.S. Premiere) – Austin Convention Center at 9:30pm