Raise a glass and celebrate Repeal Day

It's Repeal Day! On December 5, 1933, the Prohibition on selling and consuming alcohol in the United States was repealed. Needless to say, there was a big party. On 74 years later, December 5, we are keeping the party going with two great "Repeal Day" events:

First is a "prohibition" themed Dionysium, the premiere "thinkin' man's" drinking club in Austin. The night will feature toasts, readings, a debate on whether prohibition should be reinstated, live music and plenty of complimentary "toasting" throughout the show. Read more on the Dionysium here or get tickets here.

After the Dionysium, we are featuring a live music set by Austin's own White Ghost Shivers, self-described as smorgasbord of Cab Calloway, circus sideshow, KISS, cabaret, Hee Haw and Robert Johnson served up at Andy Kaufman's bat-mitzvah. A joyous mixture of the absurd and sublime, the eight-piece ensemble gracefully blends a musical amalgam of Hokum Blues, Hillbilly Swing, Country and Hot Jazz.

Following the music, we move on to the James Cagney Original Gangster Classic THE PUBLIC ENEMY, depicting the dread horror of Prohibition, and perhaps more importantly how to be Mr. Super Cool 1931-style. If you can't learn how to put some gangster in your lean watching Jimmy Cagney, there's no hope for you.

Then the party moves over to Mugshots, where they will roll out the barrels and we will all have a barrel of fun together at the afterparty, sponsored in part by Dewar's.

Won't you join us? Click here for more info on this show and to buy tickets.

Tickets are available separately for these two events (see links above).

WHOLE SHOOTIN' MATCH Opens At The Ritz! Chuck Norris fans DO NOT READ THIS.

We're very excited and honored to be able to present the all-time Austin outlaw classic THE WHOLE SHOOTIN' MATCH, made in 1979 and thought to be lost for many years, at the Alamo Ritz this weekend.

Reading Marc Savlov's hilarious interview with Lou Perryman and Sonny Carl Davis will give you an idea of why we're so excited. In The Onion there's an even longer interview, in which Lou and Sonny go OFF, in great detail and with more profanity than I've ever seen in print before. It's one of the greatest things I've ever read.

Sample quote: "Chuck Norris is a pussy! I'd flush that cocksucker down the toilet!"

Pick up The Onion right now. The story is not online yet so you'll need to pick up the street edition. Page 32. Do it now!

We can't wait to see the film again. The fact that anybody is able to see it at all is a minor miracle. Up until a couple of years ago it was thought to be a lost film. But now a High Def presentation has been completed using a rescued 16mm print and sound elements.

But what is THE WHOLE SHOOTIN' MATCH and why do we care? First of all, the film is completely and utterly fascinating. It provides a window into an earlier time in Austin. Many, many things have changed. But something fundamental is the same. The late writer-director Eagle Pennell had a poet's ear for dialogue and an artist's eye for the beauty of the commonplace. The story of two proto-slackers, kind of a cosmic cowboy take on Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, is humorous, moving and utterly of its place and time even as it feels timeless. We witness Loyd and Frank, two goodhearted Austinites who pursue get-rich quick schemes, deal with family issues, get drunk and deliver some of the most sublime lines you'll ever hear. Whether they were scripted or improvised we do not know, but they are music to our ears. The story feels less like a novel than a story told in a bar over a couple of Lone Stars by a great liar with a heart of gold.

If the film seems modern now in many ways, consider the fact that the film influenced not only Robert Redford's creation of the Sundance Foundation (so he could give films like THE WHOLE SHOOTIN' MATCH a chance to be seen), but also Richard Linklater. It's easy to see the roots of SLACKER in TWSM's loose yet comprehensive approach to narrative. But the problem with discussing any work of art (sorry Eagle) in terms of other works of art is that you can only sketch the parameters and suggest the power of the work. In the case of THE WHOLE SHOOTIN' MATCH we don't need to suggest anything other than we suggest you see it on the big screen while you have a chance. And that chance lasts through next Thursday December 6.

We are honored to welcome Lou Perryman and Sonny Carl Davis to our Sunday 4pm screening. We will have a comprehensive Q&A featuring Lou, Sonny and some other members of the cast and crew. Buy tickets to the Sunday screening or any of the others HERE.

Here's Louis Black's appreciation of the film also from the Chronicle.

Roger Ebert's review.

The New York Times loved it too.

Get a sneak peek at Golden Compass 12/1!

It's no secret at this point that living very close to the surface of my 37 year old skin is a super-geeky 12 year old boy. And when that boy senses a new world with rampaging polar bears, fighting monkeys, marauding pirates, flying witches and fantastical airships is about to hit the screen, he commands my limbs to be first in line on opening day to check it out.

Just such a film is THE GOLDEN COMPASS, based on Phillip Pullmans amazing series, HIS DARK MATERIALS, which up until yesterday I was going to have to wait until December 7 to check out.

New Line, however, has announced a special sneak preview screening of THE GOLDEN COMPASS at the Alamo Drafthouse Village on Saturday night. This show is definitely going to sell out, so if you, like me, want to appease your hungry inner 12 year old, get your tickets soon!

See you on Saturday!

2008 Fantastic Fest submissions are now active!

As of today, we have activated submissions for the 2008 Fantastic Fest, and I for one can't wait! We use Without A Box to collect submissions, and it's an easy form for filmmakers to fill out. Have an awesome new short or feature that fits into the loosely defined programming web of Fantastic Fest? By all means, send it our way. In the first couple of years, we were predominantly a horror, sci-fi and fantasy festival. While that's still our core, we've expanded a bit to include films with magic realism, crime and action movies, and really any movie that is we would succinctly define as "badass." We program a good chunk of the festival through direct submissions. So, if you've finished a "badass" movie or know someone who has, then please, send that film our way.

Check out the festival website for more information on Fantastic Fest and the submission process.

What's the best wisecrack in Army of Darkness?

As we are preparing the quote-along extravaganza for our beloved Army of Darkness, it begins to sink in that there are WAY too many great lines packed into this lean barnburner of a movie. Virtually every time Bruce Campbell opens his mouth he delivers phrases so perfect they ought to be stamped on currency or included in a patriotic declaration.

Our pal Matt Kiernan over at AMC Monsterfest has quantified the discussion of "What is the best Bruce Campbell wisecrack in Army of Darkness" in their latest poll. Cast your ballot today on what may very well be the most important democratic decision of the new millennium. "This... is my BOOMSTICK!" or "Hail to the king, baby," only you can decide. I feelm however, that there should be some sort of petition to get "Honey, you got real ugly" onto the list of ten.

Fantastic Fest 2007 Press links archive online!

We have waded through the vast world wide web to compile a non-comprehensive (but yet still not to shabby) listing of all of the press links from the 2007 festival.

Highlights include of course the great coverage from the AICN gang, the brouhaha at bigger/bossier festival about the world premiere screening of THERE WILL BE BLOOD, the extensive coverage by Peter, Jette and Scott at Cinematical, AMC Monsterfest coverage by Matt Kiernan, the festival coverage by Blake, Todd and Peter at Twitchfilm, Michael Lerman's Indiewire posts, the video archives at Texas Geek and the ever expanding video footage over at Dell Lounge.

Check out the complete list of links for Fantastic Fest 2007.

If anyone has any further press links not on this list, please feel free to drop us an email and we will update the list.

Thanks again to all the journalists who attended the festival this year. We hope you had a great time and look forward to seeing you in 2008. We are already... on the hunt for the best of the best of all films cool, weird, wonderful and/or bloody.

RRIICCEE - Vincent Gallo's new music project comes to the Ritz!

Vincent Gallo may very well be the most polarizing figure in American…art? Film? Music? The award-winning director/actor/writer/composer/producer has spread a thin layer of his icing over all of it. He has been hailed as a visionary by many, but reviled as vainglorious by some. My guess is he’s not really concerned which side you’re on- love or hate, it’s all about the art.

His new music project, started with Eric Erlandson of Hole, is called RRIICCEE. They have been described (by Gallo) as ‘a gesture of composing and performing at the same time.’

‘To make recordings,’ Gallo waxes on, ‘to cut them up, dub on them, fine tune and mix them, and then go on tour, pantomiming those recordings over and over each night as a form of cabaret…we've chosen to remain open, to grow and change more naturally, and when we play live, the music is often created during the performance.’

This December, RRIICCEE kicks off their first ever tour, and the Alamo Ritz is their second stop. Whatever happens during that December 3rd show is guaranteed to never happen again.


Check it out here.

Will you find ENCHANTED to be all enchanting?

This Wednesday, ENCHANTED opens at the Alamo South Lamar. For some reason this Disney film has stirred up more conversation and controversy in our programming offices than any of the other new release movies. Is it a good fit for us? Do we want to see this movie? It's got some of the stuff we hate - overly cutesy animation - but then it seems that it turns that stuff on its head and dances on its upside-down shell.

I'm curious enough to check it out, but still a little wary. Tim is all about it. Zack is ALL about it, trumping Tim's all with way more capitalization. Check out the video below to hear what the Alamo office and some of the South Lamar staff have to say about their plans on being ENCHANTED.

How do you feel? Are you going to check it out? Give us some comments before and after and we'll figure it out together.

Want to see it before Wednesday night? Ain't Cool News and Fantastic Fest are teaming up to present a special sneak preview screening Tuesday, November 20th, here at the Alamo South Lamar. Check out info on that special 7:30 premiere here, and we'll see you at the show.

Fantastic Fest badges go on sale NOV 23, noon!

We have expanded the badge offerings for 2008. We still have our VIP and Regular Badges, but we now also have discounted "2nd-half-of-the-fest" badges and "day-only" badges. VIP Badges sold out in 2 days when they went on sale during the 2007 festival, and we expect the remainder of badges to be sold-out quickly. The following describes the badge options for 2008:

V.I.P. BADGES:
V.I.P. Badges are available for $250 and include an exclusive limited-edition t-shirt and poster, plus a souvenir Fantastic Fest shoulder bag filled with seriously fun schwag. The main benefit of the V.I.P. badge, however, is guaranteed admission to the movie of your choice at any given showtime. VIP Badgeholders must arrive 20 minutes before showtime or else your seats may be given up. V.I.P. badge holders will also receive guaranteed admission to all panels and parties.

FILM BADGES:
Film Badges are available for $120 and guarantee you a seat at all time slots during Fantastic Fest (just not necessarily your first choice film in each time slot. Most films screen more than once, so you should be able to see everything you want, with the exception of the high profile opening and closing films. We are attempting in 2008, however, to open up the high profile films to more timeslots/screens so that more regular badge holders will be able to attend. The Film Badges also includes access to all of the Fantastic Fest parties, including the opening and closing night parties.

2ND-HALF FESTIVAL BADGES:
This is the first year we will be offering discount 2nd-half festival badges, the price is $65. The busiest time of the festival is always the 1st half. The majority of the industry folks, distributors and buyers are in town for opening weekend and then leave on Monday morning or Sunday night. The way the festival is programmed, we try to play almost all of the films in the first 4 days and then again in the second 4 days, so if you purchase a 2nd-half festival badge, you will still get the chance to see just about everything from the festival line-up. If you purchase the 2nd-half badge, you can check out the BSide feedback to see which movies are getting the biggest buzz. Also, with fewer folks in attendance, the lines will not be nearly as bad. 2nd-half festival badges are good for any screening Monday-Thursday, September 22-25. 2nd-half festival badge-holders will be seated at the same time as the regular badge holders for the second half of the fest. The 2nd-half festival badge also includes access to all of the Fantastic Fest parties in the 2nd-half of the fest, including the closing night party.

DAY-ONLY BADGE:
The cheapest badge option, also a new badge for 2008, is the "day-only" badge, that we are offering for $40. This badge allows you access to any screening starting before 6:00 PM, any day of the festival. This is the perfect badge option if you have limited funds, but want to sample and get a taste of some of the movies of the festival. We will be offering approximagely 50 screenings at these early timeslots, and each and every film in the 2008 line-up will be something special. This badge does not include access to the evening parties.

INDIVIDUAL SHOW TICKETS:
Due to increased sales of festival badges, individual show tickets will mainly be available day of show in person at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. It is unlikely that individual show tickets will be available for high profile screenings such as our opening and closing night films. These shows will likely be limited to badge holders only. Closer to the festival, limited number of individual tickets to select shows may become availalbe online, particularly for daytime screenings and screenings in the second half of the festival. Check back here or subscribe to the festival Blog for more details.

Orphaned on Thanksgiving? Hit THE RITZ!!

The Alamo is many things: a movie theater, a restaurant, a place to buy t-shirts and so much more. But above all else, The Alamo is your family.

So why waste the Thanksgiving holiday cooped up with a bunch of people that share your DNA when you could spend it with those that truly love you? Here at The Ritz downtown, we not only await you with open arms and entertaining movies, but we've created a Thanksgiving meal that will kick your dear old Aunt Gertrude's secret turkey recipe to the damn curb. So if you're in town without the relatives, we've got a spot waiting for you. And heck, if they are around, bring the whole crew along and enjoy the holiday together at our theater!

Here's the deal: come see any movie at The Ritz on Thanksgiving Day and get a Thanksgiving spread with all the fixin's PLUS, when it's time to go, we'll even give you a Leftovers Sack containing turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce for that all-important late night Thanksgiving turkey sandwich!

For just $13.99 a plate, all this can be yours...
Turkey and gravy
Stuffing
Cranberry sauce
Green bean casserole
Sweet potatoes (yes, with the marshmallows on top)
Yeast roll
Pumpkin and pecan pie
- and last but not least, that goo-oo-ood to-go box with turkey, stuffin' and cranberry sauce.

Yes, it's a bona fide holiday miracle, and we hope to see you there.

Now give Auntie Alamo a kiss.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is here!

Click here to buy Tickets to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN at the RITZ!

Finally, after months of anticipation, the Coen Brothers' new film NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is here. I've seen it twice and I'm going to see it again. It's that good. For a while there it seemed like the Coens' were going to fall off my radar. I wasn't a fan of their last few movies but this one is every bit as classic as RAISING ARIZONA, MILLER'S CROSSING and FARGO.

To maximize the experience, our chef Trish Eichelberger has created an old-school West Texas Blue Plate Special with a delectable Chicken Fried Steak. Menu here. We also have the Texas brews iced down and ready to sling. It will be a theatrical experience you'll be proud to share with your friends.

And while I know some people feel like they can wait for the Criterion Collection DVD of this - I humbly submit that you must see NO COUNTRY... in the theater, waiting until it's on DVD won't do. The photography and sound design must be experienced in the theater. And no theater has better projection and sound equipment than the Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz. Unlike other theaters, who skimp on light to save a dollar here and there, we give it as much light as it needs and we tune up our audio for crystal clarity. We worship movies and the theater is our church. Please join us at the altar of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN at the Ritz.

Here's a video of Josh Brolin at the Alamo South Lamar talking about working with a "vicious killer dog" named Scooby and the Coen Brothers:

Enchanted will rock... or my ass is grass.

I've been taking a little heat in the office this week. We had a choice of several movies to open at South Lamar on Thanksgiving weekend, and other than my like-minded pal Zack, everyone recommended that we choose something other than Enchanted. I like to get input from lots of folks and make a wise decision based on all the factors. In this case, I flipped-off the stick-in-the-mud naysayers, and listened only to Zack and the little princess in my heart. Damn it all, we're playing Enchanted, end of discussion.

I just revised the web listing for Enchanted from the stock Disney synopsis and have replaced it with a heartfelt call to action. I have this gut-level feeling (as well as hearing it from reliable snooping spies) that Enchanted is going to be this season's rager! The frat-boy equivalent of a keg party for your eyes.

"A lot of you folks might at first glance scoff at this movie, writing it off as silly kids stuff. The first time I actually watched the trailer, however, I fell in love with this movie (please, please turn off your cynicism and watch it, it's embedded just to the right on this page). Early reports are coming back that ENCHANTED is genius; fun for kids, but amazingly fun for adults. The normally heavily-starched Disney is poking fun at itself, tearing through it's cliches and it's long legacy of schmaltzy fairy tales. Turning conventions on end, ENCHANTED delivers not only a straight ahead comfort-food-for-the-eyes storybook fantasy, but it set within the crazy construct that animated fantasy characters have ripped through a time-space portal into our world and have a really hard time fitting in. And Susan Sarandon plays an evil wicked witch who turns into a dragon that terrorizes Manhattan. I'm not sure if there is a casting agent prize at the Oscars, but someone should trump something up and deliver a statue to whoever was responsible for that.

Mark my word, this is going to be a crazy, old-fashioned romp of a good time at the Alamo. If you can't let yourself slide in and enjoy this silliness, you need to stop working so hard, let down your guard, and drink a couple pints with us (adults only please). Let's have some fun, ENCHANTED style." (Tim League, founder, Alamo Drafthouse)

Tickets are on sale now for the first couple of days of Enchanted. I for one plan to be there on opening night, maybe dressed as a princess. Zack and I will see you there.

The Most Carnivorous Day Of My Life: A BLAZING SADDLES BBQ Run Wrap-Up

In a rare fit of gluttony, my girlfriend Sarah came along with me and the other carnivores for a Saturday afternoon full of non-stop meat and beer. She may have skipped the brisket in Gonzalez after getting too full on sausage at Smitty's, but she still managed to record the entire BLAZING SADDLES BBQ RUN much better than I ever could. She posted about the day on her blog over at PoshDeluxe.com, and I thought I'd share some of that with you guys. But fair warning - for some reason she really, really hates capital letters. Here's Sarah:

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you know how katie holmes just ran the NYC marathon and everyone was shocked cos they’ve never seen her training and she’s got a toddler at home?

oh, you didn’t know that? well, she did.

anyway, on saturday, i did something similarly amazing and unexpected. i got on a bus with thirty other people and traveled to four different small towns to eat bbq and drink beer.

and yes, it did change my life.

as part of the “blazing saddles” quote-a-long, the alamo organized a bbq tour of lockhart, luling and gonzalez. i think the plan came about when tim (the owner) thought, “hmm. blazing saddles reminds me of bbq! i want to get a bus! with a keg! and travel to all of my favorite bbq places!” and when you’re the owner of the alamo drafthouse, you basically get to do whatever you want. and people will pay to join you.

here’s our carnivorous crowd, waiting for the bus outside of the ritz.



you probably noticed that we all have the same black t-shirt on. if you’re going to do something wacky as a group, you HAVE to wear the same shirt. it’s just one of those things. henri designed it (ed. note - based on Zack's awesome slogan), and here is tim (not the owner, but still a v. cool guy) modeling it for you:



i have the feeling that this shirt could kick the arse of a veggie heaven t-shirt.

we all loaded up on the party bus, which was waaaaay better than yr average school bus. first, there was no gum under the seats. second, no boys tried to snap my bra strap.



and third, there was a keg!



for once, i got to be a cool kid and sit in the back. YES! the only problem is that i forgot about how the “cool kids” in the back are also the kids that give each other nosebleeds. check out tim breaking the bus window with bobby’s face.



i bet bobby will never call tim “four eyes” again.

- Read the full post at PoshDeluxe.com

First Big Movie to Hit the Ritz...

The best movie you will see all year is opening at the Alamo Ritz Theatre this Friday, November 16th. This is no exaggeration, because this Friday we're getting NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, the newest film from the Coen Brothers, and the one that all of the critics are saying hearkens back to their glory days of BLOOD SIMPLE and FARGO and delivers the Coen Brothers movie we've wanted to see for years. But don't take my word for it, watch the trailer here, and check out some of the reviews that have come in from advance screenings:

"A return to glory for the Coen Brothers, a revisiting of the formula that worked so well for them in Fargo, but with a darker, more cynical twist." (Cinemablend.com)

"An intense, nihilistic thriller as well as a model of implacable storytelling, this is a film you can't stop watching even though you very much wish you could." (Los Angeles Times)

"For formalists -- those moviegoers sent into raptures by tight editing, nimble camera work and faultless sound design -- No Country for Old Men is pure heaven." (New York Times)

"A brilliant example of how plot devices as simple as murder and money can be used to explore larger sweeping themes of mortality, morality and more -- while still delivering rousing, intelligent pure entertainment." (Cinematical)

This was the first new release film we screened at the Ritz, and for good reason - this is the Real Deal. Not only that, but it's one of those films that you NEED to see as soon as possible, because if you overhear people talking about it there are all sorts of spoilers that will start creeping into your subconscious no matter how much you try to keep yourself protected.

As always, it's more than just movies at the Alamo, and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is no exception. We'll have onscreen Coen Brothers trivia before the show, a barrage of vintage 35mm Coen Brothers trailers and there's even a rumor of a NCFOM-inspired skull-crushing piston, courtesy of the Austin chapter of DorkBot. Check back to the website for more. We'll also be the only theater in the country featuring a new 35mm trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson's THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Unlike the other trailer, this one was cut by the director himself and is only available at Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz.

If you've never been there before, check out the info section of the website for more details about parking at the Ritz.

Grab your tickets online here and head down to the Ritz this weekend. You'll thank me. You'll thank yourself. You'll thank the Coen Brothers. We'll see you at the Ritz.

Tickets are already starting to go fast and seating is limited at the Ritz, so we highly encourage you to get tickets early.

Where do I park at the Ritz?

Folks who have never spent time on 6th Street or who have gotten out of the habit may be asking: what's the best place to park in the area. The bad news is that the district does get congested after 10PM on the weekends, but with some planning, it's really not too much of a hassle. The good new is that for the 7:00 round of shows, parking is relatively easy, much easier than our old locale in the warehouse district. You can usually find free street parking, either right on 6th Street or in metered parking in the adjacent blocks. The district doesn't really start to get really busy until about 10 PM, and 6th Street doesn't get blocked off until 11 PM, and only on Thursday through Saturday.

Midweek matinees and the 7:00 round of shows:
For these early shows, we recommend street parking. If you can find a spot on 6th Street, which you can most days, do that. It's good for 2 hours and they stop patrolling the streets at 5:30 PM. Same with the meters, make sure you have money in the meter to last until 5:30 PM and after that street parking is free.

Weekend matinees and the 7:00 round of shows:
Parking is even easier for these shows. There is even more street parking and it's free all day.

Sunday Through Wednesday: 9:45 and Midnight
6th Street is not blocked off, so there's not as much of a traffic holdup in the area. If you troll the streets north of 6th, you can usually find some street parking, and I've also had luck in the streets around the convention center. There's a number of paid surface lots and garages if you don't want to hunt for parking; the most convenient of which is the lot directly behind the theater, enter the lot travelling eastbound on 7th between San Jacinto and Trinity on the south side of the street. Also, there's always LOTS of parking on the east side, one block in from I-35 around 8th Street. Even on the weekends it's easy to find a spot, and it's only couple minutes walk to the theater.


Thursday-Saturday: 9:45 and Midnight shows
The only time to be very careful about where you drive is Thursday-Saturday for the 9:45 PM and midnight shows. 6th Street gets blocked off at 11 PM each of these nights, which makes a bit of a traffic mess. Our advice: avoid crossing 6th Street from north to south - you can only do it on Congress, Red River and the I-35 feeder, and they are all congested. We recommend avoiding parking options south of 6th Street and focus on the lots north of the district. You can find surface parking if you are vigilant and are willing to walk a bit. A lot of folks park in the Retired Teachers Association Lot at 313 E 12th St, and there's usually some spots around the adjacent Waterloo Park area.

Wheelchair access
The Ritz is equipped with an elevator to reach the wheelchair/accessible seating in each of the theaters. Even during times when 6th Street is closed to traffic, you can drive through Trinity to drop off passengers in wheelchairs anytime. Just drive to the barricade and tell the police what you are doing and they will assist. there is a sidewalk ramp at 6th and Trinity in front of Iron Cactus.

The Downtown Austin Alliance has a map/listing of the paid lots in the area. If you have any other specific questions about parking, you can always email us.

One last thing to watch out for, don't park in the spots reserved for the 6th Street Police. I can tell you from experience that no one calls a tow truck faster than a policeman with nowhere to park.

FANTASTIC FEUD with Scott Weinberg!

So, Scott Weinberg (eFilmCritic, Cinematical) came to us in the days leading up to Fantastic Fest with an idea for a game show-- a no-holds-barred brain brawl to the death (of self-respect). His idea: reach deep down into the horror genre crevasse to dig out the most obscure, most depraved, most impossibly impossible questions to challenge an all-star roster of contestants. And thus, the Fantastic Feud was born.

This 'game' technically won the Fantastic Fest audience award, despite the fact it wasn't a film. I think free beer had something to do with it.

Enjoy.



Fantastic Feud from erikhorn on Vimeo.

For an extended panorama of obsessive social self-destruction, visit the Fantastic Fest coverage at DELL LOUNGE!!

0 - Putting on the Ritz

Well, it happened. It certainly did. I saw it! We opened the place and people came and they ate and they had a good time. I did too, and I even found the time to take some pictures. Sorry I didn't post them earlier, but it has been a busy couple of days.

I think Lars's post right below this one pretty much sums up the evening, so read it why don't ya. But there is still A LOT that needs to be accomplished before this place is "fully operational." Ninety percent of this work needs to take place in the projection booth. You might not believe me if I told you, but on opening night, only one of our three projectors were in working order. But by gum, we pulled it off. (If you were there and saw "War of the Gargantuas" go out of frame, I apologize for not catching it sooner).

So we're open now. Finishing touches will continue and so will my documentation of them. Don't know how much I'll be making note of it on this blog though, so be sure to check the Alamo Drafthouse collection on my Flickr page for the latest. But then again, you can now just go there and see for yourself.




I had a blast documenting this project and am grateful to work for the best damned theater on the face of the planet.

Photos of Day 0 are HERE.

The Ritz is Open and Awesome! Here's a media roundup.

So last night the Ritz finally opened. I got there at 4pm, two hours before the doors opened and I couldn't believe that we could actually have it up and ready to go in time. The whole lobby was a mess of carpet scraps with workmen everywhere. I ran around trying to help clean up and haul china and silverware. The kitchen folks and servers were there, quietly and earnestly getting everything ready.

As a non-food service guy, I had that moment of wonderment when you look around at the people you regularly laugh and joke with and realize that they are badass, battle hardened PROS at what they do. And man oh man, what the kitchen folks and servers and line managers do is incredible. Watching them work with speed, precision and care made me really proud to work with them.

Ditto for the projection , technical and construction folks. As tight as the schedule was for getting everything together, they managed to put all the pieces together in the right order.

It was a gala night and I knew how much it meant to the folks who had spent the last six months of their lives breathing the construction dust and injuring themselves in dozens of tiny ways day after day. Daniel Osborne, who supervised construction was just leaning against the wall checking things out wearing his Rolling Roadshow shirt with a proud little smile on his face. Few people there could have known how much he put into the Ritz. He earned that little smile with his blood, sweat, loss of sleep, and surely loss of sanity at times. Somebody buy Daniel a drink.

MATANGO was a joyous experience, a very vivid print of the film and a matching mushroom feast prepared by the deceptively easygoing Trish Eichelberger. Trish has a way of creating complex dishes that shock you with their simplicity. There's not a riot of clashing flavors, more like an orchestration of tastes and textures. I had forgotten how much I love mushrooms. Now I'm getting hungry.

The second film was the Coens' NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. I saw it a couple of weeks ago and I thought I might sit it out this time but I got roped into it again. It's really really good. It's also a movie that must be seen in a theater. So much of what makes it go is tiny details, like the sound design, the details of the sets, the beautiful photography, and especially Tommy Lee Jones' performance. Everybody's very good in the film but without Jones' authenticity and gravity it wouldn't have half the impact.

Quentin Tarantino, an old friend of the theater, was our special guest for the evening. He was in peak form introducing the Terror Thursday screening. Quentin has a genius for getting the crowd super pumped up. When Quentin arrived at the beginning of the night I walked a half a block to greet him and in that half a block he was accosted by three seperate parties of autograph and picture seekers. He always handles the situation well. He's kind, patient and polite. I'd go berserk and break cameras if I had to deal with that stuff for three days. He's had like 13 years of it.

Anyway, great night. Good friends, good times. I'm thinking about tons of stuff I wish I had time to write about but I don't.

Here are some news stories:

KEYE did a story where they interviewed me and Zack. We mostly talk about how ridiculously irresponsible and impulsive we are. For some reason it makes us sound like psycho loose cannons. The fact that we look like horrible mutants under the lights doesn't help.

KXAN did a pretty straightforward story with a brief video interview of Quentin.

In addition to a straight story, the Statesman made us an A-list event. We are now socialites, apparently. It's hard being a socialite.

Last but not least is Marc Savlov's story in the Chronicle. It's a very informative and interesting story. There's also a baffling quote from my hair, which I hadn't realized was so candid. To all the shot-bars my hair seemingly denigrated in the story, I am deeply sorry.

Speaking of Marc Savlov, he had a tiny shock of hair at one point, as the picture at left proves. Savlov is the one in the middle, with the passive-aggressive left hand. This photo was taken at the Ritz in 1984. The most alarming thing about this photo is that Savlov looks EXACTLY the same now, only without the hair. There's something very strange going on with him, but I know enough not to ask too many questions.