Gypsies, Buscemis and Corts, oh my.

As Lars posted a couple days back, it's been a crazy, CRAZY time around the Alamo Drafthouse.

As soon as the SXSW cyclone ended, we immediately jumped headfirst into a bunch of fancy shows. I wish I coulda been at the PIED PIPER OF HUTZOVINA show to witness Gogol Bordello frontman's Eugene Hutz' charming banter and antics, but I was at the MILLER'S CROSSING feast over at South Lamar instead. Superhuman local film enthusiast/professor John Pierson was the man responsible for getting Steve Buscemi to come out to surprise the audience as the film's final credits rolled. There really was a thunderous outburst from the crowd, which kinda seemed to overwhelm Buscemi: "Come on, I was only in one scene...don't get excited." Anyway, he was incredibly gracious and seemed like a great fella even though they'd suffered the humiliation of receiving a ticket from a bike cop on the way to the theater.

Tuesday was officially Bud Cort Night at The Ritz, as the star of HAROLD AND MAUDE graced us with not only his presence, but vaudevillian stage bits, several clothing changes and even sing-a-longs with the entire audience! He was here to present his romance classic as well as Robert Altman's BREWSTER McCLOUD and his own directorial debut, TED & VENUS. People were overjoyed to meet the iconic Cort, and he was presented with flowers and gifts from fans like he was the winner of a Mr. Universe pageant!

But there'll be no rest anytime soon, as the Alamo soldiers on! Coming up on Saturday, we have a special daytime benefit for the Austin Girls Rock Camp being MC'ed by country/punk legend Rosie Flores with live performances by local girl-rock luminaries like CODE RAINBOW! and JENNY WOLFE & THE PACK, followed by a screening of the excellent documentary GIRLS ROCK! Proceeds will go to Girls Rock Camp Austin, so have fun, support the camp and get your tickets HERE!

Then on Sunday, we're going to experience the ultimate movie nerd blowout between the forces of I LUV VIDEO and VULCAN VIDEO at the first-ever (and totally free) ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE TRIVIA CHALLENGE, presented by Weird Wednesday and Terror Thursday! Specially selected teams of six soldiers from both warring stores will convene for a Family Feud style face-off where the winners take the golden crown of Film Obsession Superiority! So come for free, get drunk, root for your favorite store or buy beer for your enemies so they slur their answers! Lars and I will be hosting this twenty-fisted knock-down drag-out battlezone with no survivors, and I truly cannot wait.