Movies This Week: Land of Secret Bullhead War
The Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards is gearing up with a special screening of Infamous on Monday night at Alamo Drafthouse Lamar. It's directed by Douglas McGrath, one of this year's Hall of Fame honorees. If you haven't seen this movie because you saw the "other" Capote movie, check it out. Toby Jones is fantastic as Truman Capote, and Sandra Bullock isn't bad herself.
Did you miss Slacker 2011? Texas Independent Film Network is screening the film (Don's review) at Violet Crown on Tuesday. In addition, the provocative documentary Incendiary: The Willingham Case (Jenn's review) is having a DVD release party and special screening with filmmakers Joe Bailey Jr. and Steve Mims, on Wednesday at Violet Crown -- buy a ticket to the screening and get a discount on the DVD as well as a movie poster. A reception for the movie starts at 6 pm and the movie screens at 7 pm.
Bullhead -- This Belgian nominee for a Best Foreign Film Oscar has already had several local screenings -- Drafthouse Films is its distributor -- but now the Fantastic Fest fave is officially in limited release in Austin, LA and NY, and expanding next week. Don says Bullhead is "extraordinarily intense, a gripping and often unpleasant tale of organized crime." Read Don's review and Debbie's Fantastic Fest review for more. (Alamo Lamar, Alamo Village, Alamo Lake Creek)
Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance -- Nicolas Cage is back as Johnny Blaze. Do I really need to explain the motorcycle or the fiery whip? Mike saw the movie at Butt-Numb-a-Thon and says, "Nicolas Cage turns his insanity up to 11 in the sequel to Ghost Rider, a string of over-the-top action sequences by the makers of Crank 2 with no recognizable story connecting them together. This is in the running for my worst movie of the year." (wide)
This Means War -- A "spy versus spy" rom-com couldn't get a better cast with Tom Hardy and Chris Pine as best friends battling for the heart of Reese Witherspoon. Mike says in his review, "Some of the dialogue is quite witty... this was a fun escape from reality for a couple of hours. Not too serious, not too silly." (wide)
Other Movies Opening in Austin:
Deep in the Heart -- Filmed in central Texas, this movie stars Jon Gries as real-life FFA patron Dick Wallrath. Yes, there is a cameo of a certain governor. Check out Debbie's photos from the film's Austin Film Festival 2011 premiere. (Tinseltown 17 and 20, Gateway, Hill Country Galleria)
In the Land of Blood and Honey -- Angelina Jolie's second round in the director's chair. It's also her debut as a screenwriter of a drama centered on a Serbian man and the Bosnian woman now his captive, once something else, and living out a dangerous present in 1992. (Arbor)
Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow -- Ralph and Joseph aren't the only cinematic siblings in the Fiennes family; sister Sophie has made this documentary about German artist Anselm Kiefer. (Violet Crown)
The Secret World of Arrietty (pictured at top) -- Screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki. Enough said. And if you're not familiar with his name or Studio Ghibli, think Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, and go check out the Studio Ghibli Retrospective at Alamo Lamar, stat! (wide)