Getting High at the Ritz

HIGH FOR THE HOLIDAYS at the Alamo Ritz!

Maybe you're stuck in town this Holiday season, or maybe your whole family's in town, but you can't stand to be around them, or maybe your whole family's in town and you're all raging party-people. Whatever the situation, you're in Austin, you're high and you're on the prowl for some good old fashioned Holiday cheer. This is exactly why we started HIGH FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Every year around this time we turn the Alamo downtown into THE place to shed the stress of the season, to sit back, tune in and drop out.

We'll be bringing back popular favs from HftH's past, like DARK SIDE OF THE RAINBOW (WIZARD OF OZ with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon sync'd- it works!), HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE with all-you-can-eat sliders and an eating contest before the movie, BEERFEST with Beer-lympics (beer pong is the reason for the season) and (GOOD) FRIDAY, FRIDAY with all the profanity dubbed over with Buzz Moran's squeaky-clean alternate track rollin' up fatty [tobacco cigarettes].

This year, we're also bringing in the power of POOTIE TANG to lift some spirits, with a danger-infused belt-whipping competition and ice cold Pootie's Malt Liquor. For the more discerning drinker, we'll be serving up White Russians and the immortal classic BIG LEBOWSKI. And for the psychedili-oids, we dare you dive deep into the Flaming Lips' intergalactic trip CHRISTMAS ON MARS or Music Monday Presents WONDERWALL, a surreal '60s mind-blow featuring plenty of free love and even more Jane Birkin.

So pack up Grandma and head to the Ritz this week and next for some grade-A escape.

See the line-up and get your tickets here.

XMAS POPS SING-ALONG at the Ritz!

The XMAS POPS Sing-Along
Thursday, December 19 & Sunday December 21 at the Ritz
Get your tickets here

Please Note: While the holiday season is a magical time for everyone, this show may not be. Some of the videos included in this collection are decidedly PG-13. Which is to say there may be some singing about private parts in boxes...

I've confessed so many embarrassing things about myself in my write ups for shows in the past that adding one more can't really hurt, can it? So here it is - when I was in high school, I was in choir. And yeah, when I was in high school choir, I thought that the caroling trips we took through my suburb every December were loads of fun. But I was wrong. Because what's REALLY fun is taking a group of people from the theater down Sixth Street and into the bars throughout the month of December, with all of us singing from our carol book of modern Christmas Classics, with songs like LAST CHRISTMAS by Wham. Standing in front of the Beauty Bar at 10pm on a Saturday night with a group of people from the Alamo all singing Wham at the hipsters during the middle of December? That kind of moment would make Bill Maher think that Jesus was the son of God, put on the earth just so the beauty of that instant could occur.

Of course, the caroling after the show is only a small part of our annual XMAS POPS show. We'll have trivia, videoke, a host of new videos along with favorites from last year, and so, so much more. Don't be left out of our reindeer games this year; get your tickets early, and come on down to the Ritz for the greatest holiday party of the year. Whether you're Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or Atheist, the XMAS POPS SING-ALONG will have you holding your neighbor's hands, singing in unison, and celebrating Festivus with the rest of us.

Tonight! SANTA VS. SATAN in Foleyvision!

Foleyvision: SANTA VS SATAN
Wednesday, December 17, 7:00pm & 9:45pm, Alamo South Lamar
Get you tickets here

The world's most unique film-viewing experience is returning to tackle jolly old Saint Nick in the most riotously bizarre holiday movie you'll see in this lifetime! This holiday season, Foleyvision takes on an incredibly ludicrous Christmas movie from south of the border that features your favorite laughing fat man in a red suit versus your favorite laughing skinny man in a red suit. And this time, it's personal. But when this turf war is over, the only casualty will be your abdominal muscles, sore from laughing for over an hour an a half straight. Watching this movie at Christmas time with the full Foleyvision treatment is one of the most extravagant joys those of us with hopelessly warped minds can hope to experience.

ROBOCOP!!!!!!!!!!

Big Screen Sci-Fi Classics: ROBOCOP
Monday, Dec 15 & Tuesday, Dec 16 at the Alamo Ritz
Get your tickets here.

Science meets violence when the absolute ultimate crime fighting weapon is unleashed on a world gone wrong: ROBOCOP! The most adrenaline-inducing '80s actionstorm to not star Kurt Russell, this thundering tale of bionic justice vaulted mankind into the 21st Century in a hail of bullets and splintered bone! ROBOCOP!! See a quasi-human officer singlehandedly bring a bloodthirsty crime wave (led by the dad from THAT '70s SHOW) to its knees. The pinnacle of sci-fi urban warfare, filmed in Dallas TX (here called 'Old Detroit?) and bursting with villainy, hostility, firepower and hyperaction taken completely over the edge of all reason! ROBOCOP!!!! I'd buy that for a dollar!!

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE opens this weekend at Lamar

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Opens December 12 at Lamar
Get your tickets here.

"Best Film of the Year" - National Board Of Review

Four Golden Globe Nominations including Best Picture

From director Danny Boyle (28 DAYS LATER, TRAINSPOTTING) comes a surprising and brilliant excursion into Bollywood.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is the story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"

But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions.

Intrigued by Jamal's story, the jaded Police Inspector begins to wonder what a young man with no apparent desire for riches is really doing on this game show?

When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out...

"Driven by fantastic energy and a torrent of vivid images of India old and new, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a blast. As drama and as a look at a country increasingly entering the world spotlight, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a vital piece of work by an outsider who’s clearly connected with the place." - Todd McCarthy, Variety

"Danny Boyle's most ambitious film to date is also his greatest. Simply put, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE in one of the best -- if not the best -- films of 2008, as teeming with life as the slums it depicts." - Boxoffice Magazine

"A sharp, teeming, dark, very romantic film. Despite its elements of brutality, this is a buoyant hymn to life, and a movie to celebrate." - Richard Corliss, Time

"There's never been anything like this densely detailed phantasmagoria -- groundbreaking in substance, damned near earth-shaking in style." - Peter Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

COOL HAND LUKE at the Alamo

Big Screen Classics: COOL HAND LUKE
Get you tickets here.

With a Hard-Boiled Egg Eating Contest before the show!

Everyone knows the line, "What we have here is a failure to communicate". Even if you think it comes from some Guns 'n Roses song and not COOL HAND LUKE, it's burned into your brain. And you may have heard about the hard-boiled egg scene and that George Kennedy won an Oscar. All of those are fine reasons for knowing COOL HAND LUKE, but the real reason to see it again (especially on the big Alamo screen) is because of Paul Newman. The late, great Paul Newman, it pains us to say, to whom this tribute screening is dedicated to. Even though he had a career filled with brilliant work in classic films like HUD and THE HUSTLER, this is - without question - the definitive Paul Newman movie and performance. Most Hollywood movies about anti-authority figures often lack authenticity because, well, they're from Hollywood, but COOL HAND LUKE is the real thing because Newman was the real thing, a guy who gladly and purposefully did things his own way, even at the risk of his career. It became one of his defining features and one of the things that endeared him to audiences, especially when LUKE was released in 1967, and it holds up today as a testament to not only a great actor and humanitarian, but also as a terrific piece of entertainment. It's the one we'll always remember him by.

NEW 35mm Print!!!

MILK: now playing at the Ritz

MILK
Opens Friday at the Alamo Ritz
Purchase your tickets here

"The best live-action mainstream American movie that I have seen this year. MILK is accessible and instructive, an astute chronicle of big-city politics and the portrait of a warrior whose passion was equaled by his generosity and good humor. Mr. Penn, an actor of unmatched emotional intensity and physical discipline, outdoes himself here, playing a character different from any he has portrayed before." - A.O. Scott, New York Times

"Once in a while, a movie arrives at such a perfect moment, its message and meaning so finely tuned to the current zeitgeist, that it seems less a cinematic event than a cosmic convergence, willed into being by a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of the stars." - Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

"A magnificent, career-topping performance by Sean Penn, who disappears into the title role." - Claudia Puig, USA Today

"Penn goes way deep and soulful in a highly ingratiating performance that's the one to beat for the Best Actor Oscar." - Lou, Lumenick, New York Post

In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans.

Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk under the direction of Gus Van Sant in MILK, filmed on location in San Francisco. MILK charts the last eight years of Harvey Milk’s life.

While living in New York City, he turns 40. Looking for more purpose, Milk and his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) relocate to San Francisco, where they found a small business, Castro Camera, in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. With his beloved Castro neighborhood and beautiful city empowering him, Milk surprises Scott and himself by becoming an outspoken agent for change. With vitalizing support from Scott and from new friends like young activist Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), Milk plunges headfirst into the choppy waters of politics.

Bolstering his public profile with humor, Milk’s actions speak even louder than his gift-of-gab words. When Milk is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, he tries to coordinate his efforts with those of another newly elected supervisor, Dan White (Josh Brolin). But as White and Milk’s political agendas increasingly diverge, their personal destinies tragically converge. Milk’s platform was and is one of hope – a hero’s legacy that resonates in the here and now.

MILK Opens at the Ritz this weekend!

MILK
Opens this Friday at the Alamo Ritz
Advance tickets available here

If you're in the mood for a great, inspirational uplifting film, full of great performances - and who isn't? We've got one for you.

"The best live-action mainstream American movie that I have seen this year. MILK is accessible and instructive, an astute chronicle of big-city politics and the portrait of a warrior whose passion was equaled by his generosity and good humor. Mr. Penn, an actor of unmatched emotional intensity and physical discipline, outdoes himself here, playing a character different from any he has portrayed before." - A.O. Scott, New York Times

"Once in a while, a movie arrives at such a perfect moment, its message and meaning so finely tuned to the current zeitgeist, that it seems less a cinematic event than a cosmic convergence, willed into being by a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of the stars." - Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

"A magnificent, career-topping performance by Sean Penn, who disappears into the title role." - Claudia Puig, USA Today

"Penn goes way deep and soulful in a highly ingratiating performance that's the one to beat for the Best Actor Oscar." - Lou, Lumenick, New York Post

In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans.

Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk under the direction of Gus Van Sant in MILK, filmed on location in San Francisco. MILK charts the last eight years of Harvey Milk’s life.

While living in New York City, he turns 40. Looking for more purpose, Milk and his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) relocate to San Francisco, where they found a small business, Castro Camera, in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. With his beloved Castro neighborhood and beautiful city empowering him, Milk surprises Scott and himself by becoming an outspoken agent for change. With vitalizing support from Scott and from new friends like young activist Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), Milk plunges headfirst into the choppy waters of politics.

Bolstering his public profile with humor, Milk’s actions speak even louder than his gift-of-gab words. When Milk is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, he tries to coordinate his efforts with those of another newly elected supervisor, Dan White (Josh Brolin). But as White and Milk’s political agendas increasingly diverge, their personal destinies tragically converge. Milk’s platform was and is one of hope – a hero’s legacy that resonates in the here and now.

Tonight: RUDY RAY MOORE Tribute!

The great Rudy Ray Moore, nightclub comedian extraordinaire, Godfather Of Rap and a friend of the Alamo, has died. We were sad for a while and now we're ready to celebrate his life and work.

Rudy Ray Moore's films are cheap, quickly made and technically disastrous. But they have something that Hollywood can't buy - they are really, really funny.

Tonight DOLEMITE!:

In the original classic DOLEMITE, in which the greatest pimp of them all, Dolemite, comes home from prison only to find the neighborhood under siege as the mob tries to move in on his turf. When they go to far it's up to Dolemite to win back the streets with his (admittedly poor) kung fu and his (sparklingly excellent) verbiage. You'll laugh 400 times at this amazing classic. Watch the trailer now!

With 40 oz. SCHLITZ MALT LIQUORS available for this show only!

Buy tix here for the original DOLEMITE!

MASTER PANCAKE XMAS!

THE MASTER PANCAKE CHRISTMAS SHOW
Sat, 11/29 at the Ritz

After a 2-year absence, it's the return of the famous Alamo Christmas Clip Show featuring Master Pancake Theater! Join us as we channel surf A.D.D.-style through a blizzard of clips from your favorite holiday TV specials and some weird holiday programs you never dreamed existed. We're especially excited about the return of diminutive Santa-fanatic Owen Egerton, who teams up with regulars John Erler and Joe Parsons for all the fun, including some improvised holiday carols during intermission. We'll also have an audience sing-along, some holiday snacks, and who knows, maybe even a little pudding and butter! Come join us at the Alamo this December as THE HOLIDAYS GET SLEIGHED!!

Rap: Nerdy and Old School

We've got a bizarre sort of double feature going on tonight at the Ritz.

Okay, it's technically not a double feature at all, but it's still a happy accident from the programming department: at 7pm, MC Frontalot will be at the theater live in person to introduce a screening of the SXSW fave NERDCORE RISING, a documentary that follows Frontalot on his first ever nerdcore hip hop national tour.

Then at 10:15pm, it's another night of the JIGGY CRUNK POP RAP OF THE 90s SING-ALONG, featuring all the artists who made rap accessible for the whiteys from the suburbs for the first time, inadvertently laying the groundwork for the nerdcore artists of today. Sing and dance along to MC Hammer, Kris Kross, Milli Vanilli (we put some pop R&B in this show, too), and so many others. Come up to the stage and show the fly girls how to do it up right.

Tickets for NERDCORE RISING are available right here.

Tickets for JIGGY CRUNK are here.

Orphaned on Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving at the Alamo!

What's better than spending Thanksgiving Day cooped up with the Family, stuffing your face just to keep from having to carry on a bitter conversation spiked with decades of repressed resentment after you just spent 9 hours in a car with no heater driving to Houston- Houston!- of all the miserable son of a bi... alright Mom, alright, I heard you the first time, Mom, don't, Mom, I can't believe you just, I can't, I'm not wasting my... Dad stay of out of this...

Lots of things are better! But the best way to spend the holiday this year is with us at the Alamo! We've got all the traditional fixin's prepared by our chefs to perfection so you have a real Thanksgiving Feast without all the work, boredom and relentless judgment!

Every movie playing at the Ritz and Village on Thanksgiving Day will offer you an optional Thanksgiving Dinner that includes:

Turkey and gravy
Stuffing
Cranberry sauce
Green bean casserole
Sweet potatoes (yes, the kind with the marshmallows on top!)
Yeast roll
Then finish it all off with a nice big slice of pumpkin pie!

Ummm-um! And you can take home the leftovers!

Plus, at the Ritz, we're showing the UT vs A&M Game, so you can really do Turkey Day the way it was meant to- in a warm room full of friends, being served, eatin' well, drinking beer and watching football on an enormous screen. It's enough to make a Pilgrim cry tears of joy.

And if it's just the big game you're after, head down Alamo South Lamar where we're setting up the giant Roadshow screen outdoors, puttin' on the game, drinking some beer and hot coco, and gorging ourselves on a special menu prepared by Alamo Chef John Bullington!

Stuck in town alone this Thanksgiving- we'll adopt you! Got eight generations in town from all over the world- bring 'em. We've got big open arms and a hot meal waiting.

Now give us hug and let's have a look at you!

Check out all the options and get your ticket now at the Thanksgiving at the Alamo Signature Page. Note: there is limited availability at each location, please check location of your choice or make an advance purchase before arriving hungry for turkey!

VAMPIRE PROM!

In honor of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and TWILIGHT, the Alamo presents our first ever
VAMPIRE PROM
Saturday, Nov 22
in the ABANDONED SALVATION ARMY in the ALAMO SOUTH LAMAR parking lot

Vampires come in all different types, but whether they live in small town Louisiana and drink their blood out of bottles or walk around in the sunlight with a diamond sparkle to their skin, one thing remains constant - they are, by far, the sexiest of all monsters. Something about their eternal life as the undead gives each and every vampire the most amazing smoldering stare possible, and ultimately even the slayer can't resist them.

With LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and TWILIGHT both opening at the Alamo South Lamar this November, we wanted to do something to really celebrate the romance inherent in all vampire stories, and after being inspired by the high school swooniness of TWILIGHT we realized that a prom would be the perfect event. But while the prom in TWILIGHT is more of your average style of teenage glamor, our prom will go above and beyond that, because this is going to be a full on Vampire Prom.

So whether you prefer Lestat, Edward, Spike, Dracula or Bill Compton, start gathering your fangs, capes, and hair product, and meet us after dark on Saturday, November 22 for the most magical night of your eternal life. We're working with our friends from MANSION OF TERROR haunted house and We Say So Media to change the abandoned Salvation Army storefront in the South Lamar shopping center into a one night only gothic paradise.

There will be drinking, dancing, the crowning of the king and queen vampire, multiple DJs, live music from The Fatal Attractions, vampiric video projection installations, and your ticket will also include a free bloody spaghetti feast (because even though vampires don't eat, what's a prom without Italian food?).

No one will be allowed entry without being decked out in some sort of vampiric wear, but we're open to all sorts of interpretation of that theme. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS EVENT IS 18 AND UP ONLY, SORRY, NO KIDDOS ALLOWED.

One other important note - your ticket to the prom doesn't include admission to a movie, but if you wanted to start with a 7pm screening of TWILIGHT or LET THE RIGHT ONE IN to get you in the mood, you can grab a ticket to either of those shows by clicking on those links.

And if that's still not enough fang banging for you taste, join us at the Alamo Ritz as we continue our "vampire weekend" with special screenings of THE LOST BOYS and NEAR DARK on Sunday night!

QUANTUM OF SOLACE Casino Party

Get your ticket here

Includes entry to the casino party, chips to play with, a Martini and passed appetizers plus admission to the opening night screening of the film!

The city-wide game of assassin starts today- so start looking over your shoulder because contracts are out. Registration for the game has ended, but tickets are still available to the pre-screening Casino Soiree for all the Bond pacifists who still want to ring in QUANTUM OF SOLACE in true 007 style.

Suave attire and spy gear preferred, but all you really need to have a good time is a love of action, cars, gadgets, sex, gambling, explosions, martinis, boat chases, sophisticated weaponry, evil plots and fun.

Go here for more info and to get your ticket.

DANGER: DIABOLIK tonight at the Ritz

Big Screen Spy Classics: DANGER: DIABOLIK
Monday, November 10, 7:00pm
Wednesday, November 12, 9:30pm
Ritz

Rare 35mm Screening!!!

James Bond's got NOTHING on the world's most unstoppable (and outrageous) superthief! Another great visual piece by Italian genre film pioneer Mario Bava, this De Laurentiis-produced film is a faithful adaptation of the popular European comic about the anti-hero master criminal Diabolik. John Phillip Law (BARBARELLA) stars as the elusive criminal, and luscious euro-babe Marisa Mell as his sidekick Ava Kent who lives with Diabolik in an underground hideout overflowing with futuristic '60s gadgets. Iconic French actor Michel Piccoli plays the flustered police inspector and British comedian Terry Thomas stars as a bumbling government official. Almost overdosing on intense '60s color and style, the film moves through comic-style adventures with considerable European flair and perfectly captures the atmosphere of the original material and the time.

Get your ticker here.

JIGGY CRUNK: The 90s Pop Rap Sing-Along

THE JIGGY CRUNK SING-ALONG
Thursday, Nov 6, 10:30pm at the Ritz
Tickets available here

The old school rap was great, and the realism of Common and Mos Def can't be appreciated enough, but god damn it, the pop rap of the 1990s was just so incredibly catchy. It feels bad to admit how much we love it, but it feels good to go with it.

And so we're back this year with another edition of JIGGY CRUNK: THE 90's Pop-Rap Sing-Along. We're reprising a lot of our favorite songs from last year's show, so don't worry about missing out on your Will Smith, Neneh Cherry, or even Vanilla Ice. But we're expanding our repertoire for this new edition as well, moving beyond the Mace and Puffy aspects (they'll still be there too, though) and into some of the Pop R&B of the '90s as well.

So grow your facial hair out, then shave it to ridiculously thin lines, because there's a good chance Color Me Badd will make an appearance. And grow your dreadlocks out, then give them to someone else and let them pretend to be you, because I've been WAITING for a show to include Milli Vanilli in.

The pop rap of the 1990s is coming back to the Alamo Drafthouse, and this time around there ain't no future in your frontin'.

Just understand I'm the candyman, and I'll melt in your mouth, not in your hand.

So don't - you get fresh with me.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED? only at the Alamo South Lamar

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
South Lamar

Barry Levinson, the director behind classics like THE NATURAL, RAIN MAN, AVALON & WAG THE DOG, has a new film out in theaters right now starring living legends like Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, John Turturro, Stanley Tucci & Sean Penn. If films were dogs, this one's pure bred. And it's only playing at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar.

Based on the memoire of Hollywood producer Art Linson, who also wrote the screenplay, the film follows De Niro as a producer along the outrageous trajectory to what it takes to get his film made- which, in this case, is a boldly 'visionary' work of art starring Sean Penn...which also fiercely looks like an audience-offending flop which draws the ire of iron-gloved studio chief Lou (CATHERINE KEENER), who forces him into tangling with the film's rebellious and drug-addled director Jeremy (MICHAEL WINCOTT). Meanwhile, he's confused and bewitched by his ex Kelly (ROBIN WRIGHT PENN) who can't make up her mind about him; shocked by his daughter Zoe (KRISTEN STEWART), who seems to have grown up overnight; infuriated by his screenwriter friend Scott (STANLEY TUCCI) who's trying to make a deal with him while making moves on his former wife, and horrified by a hirsute Bruce Willis (BRUCE WILLIS) and flummoxed by Willis' nebbishy agent Dick (JOHN TURTURRO), who's scared to death of his own clients.

A wonderful document of the sewage Hollywood dredges through to put magic on the screen.

See it.

GOSSIP GIRL on the big screen at the Village!

TV at the Alamo: GOSSIP GIRL
Monday, November 3, 7:00pm
Alamo Village

Alright, we've heard that there's a lot of you that haven't yet pledged allegiance to the greatest new show on TV, GOSSIP GIRL. Seriously, this show's adding more to the canon of American colloquialisms than CASABLANCA. Whether you're a dude or a dame, no one can resist the claws-out cat fights or the bitter, shallow plate this show dish dish dishes up.

And with the election coming tomorrow which may just body slam our brains and leave us all shaking in the street, GOSSIP GIRL on the big screen is the drug you need to turn on, tune in and drop out. Once you get your first taste...you'll be back for more next week.

It's a free show, but you can reserve a seat be getting a $5 Food & Beverage Voucher here.

HALLLOOOWWWWEEEEEEENNN!!!

It’s the greatest holiday of the year, and we’re celebrating all through the weekend! If you try to celebrate Halloween without checking out at least one of these events, you’re missing the entire point of the holiday, and you may as well just dress up like a Sexy Mustard Bottle and call it a night. For those of you with a frightening amount of awesome, check out all of your options for Halloween Weekend Fun:

MASTER PANCAKE: FRIDAY THE 13TH
Thursday, Oct 30 through Saturday, Nov 1, at the Ritz, Village and South Lamar
Advance Tickets available here

The Pancake boys ambush the slasher classic! The dark entry in the summer-camp boomlet of the late '70s that included MEATBALLS and LITTLE DARLINGS, F13 tells the story of the murders at Camp Crystal Lake and one mother who really made a difference: Pamela Voorhes, founder of M.A.P.C.C. (Mothers against Promiscuous Camp Counselors). This low-budget gem boasts a cast of no-name actors and one future A-lister: everyone's favorite pug-nosed golden-boy and erstwhile horror star Kevin Bacon!

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO
Opens Friday, Oct 31, at the Ritz and Village
Advance Tickets for the Ritz are here, Village Tickets are here

Porno doesn’t initially sound scary, but when Kevin Smith gets involved with Judd Apatow regulars like Seth Rogen, the end result is scary funny. Okay, that’s a bit of a reach, but there is a scene involving some poop going somewhere that poop is not supposed to go that will definitely send chills down your spine.

THRILL THE WORLD: On Sixth Street
Saturday, Nov 1 in front of the Ritz, 6pm

Last weekend, we set the world record for having the most people dance Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance at the same time by having 881 amazingly dedicated dancers show up at the Long Center to shuffle ha slide. This weekend, we’re joining in with Mexic-Arte’s Day of the Dead processional down Sixth Street and unleashing our dancing zombies again. Even if you haven’t learned the dance, come down to watch the parade go by and join us at the block party afterward!

UT FOOTBALL
Saturday, Nov 1, outside at South Lamar

Nothing to be afraid of for us this year, but Texas Tech should be TERRIFIED of the beating they’re about to receive. Join us as we watch the slaughter from the parking lot at the Alamo South Lamar, where we’ll have the Rolling Roadshow screen set up outside for a beautiful fall evening of football.

But seriously, even if you don’t come out to any of these events, please please please don’t go out dressed as Sexy Mustard. And if you’re planning on doing the Sarah Palin/McCain/Obama costume this year, you might want to rethink that one, too. Unless you literally combined all of the candidates into one crazy conglomerate costume that looked like Prince’s half-Batman/half-Joker outfit from the Batdance video. That would be pretty rad.

THE WIZ at the Ritz

Hey Homo! Halloween Presents
THE WIZ
Tuesday, October 28, 9:40pm
Ritz

Come one come all to a show unlike any other on earth. We are your sick and twisted, your strange and creepy. We will make you scream for mercy and pray for death.....No, wait, that was my last relationship! Anyway, HEY HOMO! is coming at you with a show that will start your Halloween week off right: the skull-popping WIZARD OF OZ-inpired disco breakdance magi-musical THE WIZ, starring Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as The Scarecrow and the late, great Nell Carter as The Wicked Witch on her toilet throne! We cordially invite you to the first HEY HOMO HALLOWEEN, with hostess Rebecca Havemeyer waiting to suck the life out of all of you!!! (Rebecca Havemeyer)

Get your tickets here.

Tonight: TRICK OR TREAT and MC CHRIS!

Tonight at the Alamo Ritz, check out the deliciously absurd Heavy Metal Horror TRICK OR TREAT at 9:30 for only $2 and then at midnight MC CHRIS (the dean of nerdcore rap (and voice of MC Peepants) will be here to present HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS in his own inimitable, interactive way - kind of a cross between Master Pancake and a quotealong with a hyper-rapping nerd ticking your funnybone! It's like a magic carpet of Moranis!

Buy your tickets now for the $2 Music Monday Presentation of TRICK OR TREAT at 9:30 and the MC CHRIS Presents show of HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS at Midnight.

Austin Shatters Thriller Dance World Record!

On October 25, 881 people gathered at the Long Center in Austin, Texas to attempt to break the Guinness World record for the largest synchronized Thriller dance. The old record was 140 people. Consider that record to be... shattered.



The record was witnessed by Mayor Will Wynn and Austin City Council Member Sheryl Cole.

Thrill the World Austin was executed by Alamo Drafthouse, Rude Mechanicals, Flash Mob Austin and sponsored by Mosaic | 5619, Mexic-Arte Museum, Ballet Austin, 6th Street Austin, the Long Center and the Capital Area Food Bank.

Check out the encore performace of Austin's Thrill the World Team in the Day of the Dead procession down Sixth Street on November 1st. Complete details on Thrill the World can be found on the official website, www.thrilltheworld.com

THRILL THE WORLD with us!

THRILL THE WORLD
A Worldwide Guinness Record Breaking Attempt
Learn the Dance Friday night in the parking lot at the Alamo South Lamar!
Perform the dance Saturday afternoon at The Long Center!

For the past few months, we've been gearing up for one of the most exciting events this Halloween season has to offer - Thrill the World, Austin. On Saturday afternoon at 1pm, we're going to gather hundreds, possibly thousands, of Austinites on the City Terrace at the Long Center, and then we're all going to do the Thriller dance.

While we're dancing here, there will be simultaneous dancers all over the world - in 92 other cities, to be exact - doing the exact same dance at the exact same time.

There are two records we're going to try to break this year. One of them will be for the most dancers worldwide, and we're pretty sure we'll beat last year's score by a lot. But the other record, the one we really want to smash, is for the most people doing the Thriller dance in one location. All of the other cities will be trying to be part of that record, and we need to make sure it comes home to the Undead Music Capital of the World.

To help us do that, you'll need to learn the official Thrill the World choreography, but it's not too late to do that! You can start by just finding Ines' instructional videos on YouTube. Even better, though, you can come to the Alamo South Lamar Friday night, where we'll be leading a full dance lesson in the parking lot by the theater from 7:30pm to around 10pm. By the end of that one lesson, you'll know the dance well enough to participate on Saturday!

Even if you can't come out and dance with us on Saturday, though, you can still come down to the Long Center and watch!

And because that's not nearly enough Zombie Dancing fun for Austin, we're going to reprise the dance again on Saturday, November 1, as part of Mexic-Arte's Day of the Dead processional down Sixth Street!

You can find all the information at ThrillTheWorldAustin.com.

WE'RE ON A MISSION FROM GOD

THE BLUES BROTHERS FEAST-ALONG
Thurs, 7pm, Alamo Ritz
Tickets Including Feast available here!

Not only will you enjoy all the amenities of an Alamo Quote-Along and Sing-Along, you will also Feast Alongside the Blues Bros with a soul food spread!

In the past few weeks, Tina Fey has made Saturday Night Live relevant and awesome again. But in the very beginning, SNL didn't need anyone to bring it back, because it had never been lame. When John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd were still regulars, the world was perfect and even the feature films based on skits were nothing short of genius. And none of the genius was better than THE BLUES BROTHERS.

The original theatrical release was a little bit before my time, but when I was watching TV late at night and witnessed the genius of THE BLUES BROTHERS for the first time, I knew immediately that adding a room full of singing, dancing, quoting AND EATING people would be awesome. So get ready to follow Jake & Elwood through Chicago as they embark on their "mission from God" to save their old Catholic orphanage, dodge the Illinois Nazis, and avoid every form of the law as they put their old band back together. And with performances by James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles -you'll find it absolutely impossible not to sing and dance! I don't know if we'll have dry white toast and four fried chickens, but we'll suit the crowd up with some shades and drink everytime someone crashes a car (maybe - that might kill someone). So bring somebody to hold, to kiss, to miss, to squeeze, and please, and join us for THE BLUES BROTHERS Sing-Along/Quote-Along/Feast-Along. And remember, they're on a mission from God.
- (Caitlin)

Check out the food and beverages you'll be able to get at this special screening!
Start things off with an orange whip – a cocktail of orange juice, vodka, rum and cream

I
Black eyed pea fritters on baby greens with smoked sausage remoulade

II
Fried chicken, mashed sweet potatoes with café du monde butter, turnip greens, white toast

III “Orange Whip”
Vanilla ice cream with warm orange- spiced rum sauce

A Special Note about Ticket pricing: The movie ticket is $5. By purchasing this ticket, you agree to also purchase the $40 meal which includes all of the above items. You will be charged for this portion of the event in the theater. So grab your ticket here, and enjoy the show!

Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady) live in person tonight at the Ritz

BookPeople Presents: Maureen McCormick Live
Wednesday, October 22, 9:45p
Ritz

There's no denying that Marcia Brady is a true, near universally recognized icon. Her honey-blonde, All-American beauty has made her one of the most referenced totems of twentieth century disposable culture. But she's not a real person. And Maureen McCormick, the actress who played her for five seasons, is not Marcia Brady. She's a talented singer and actress who has now written a book about the harrowing, joyful experience of having enacted such a familiar character. Advance word is that the book, HERE'S THE STORY: SURVIVING MARCIA BRADY AND FINDING MY TRUE VOICE is a terrific, page-turner filled with the inside dirt on a family so omnipresent on television over the past 35 years that they've been granted honorary reality status in American life. For one night only, Marcia Brady, excuse me - Maureen McCormick will join us to tell us a little bit about herself and introduce a program of some of her most famous moments. Books will be for sale at the event and Maureen will gladly sign. Maureen will also greet and sign at BookPeople earlier in the evening.

There are two tickets available to this show: General Admission and one that includes a copy of Maureen McCormick's new book! Get 'em here.

STARCRASH tonight at the Ritz

Stephen Romano's Shock Festival: STARCRASH
Tuesday, October 21, 9:30pm
Ritz

Acclaimed author/screenwriter Stephen Romano (MASTERS OF HORROR) invites you to the world premiere of his brand new book Shock Festival, a tribute to exploitation film, featuring ONE HUNDRED AND ONE of the most awesome drive-in/grindhouse flicks YOU'VE NEVER SEEN! Why haven't you seen them? Because Stephen made 'em all up! Shock Festival is a wild ride through the twisted back alleys of a Hollywood Babylon that never was (think SPINAL TAP meets GRINDHOUSE), and tonight we're celebrating its arrival with a rare screening of the most awesome outer space drive-in classic of the seventies: STARCRASH! Laser battles! Intergalactic cavemen! A space fortress that looks like a big blue hand! The most beautiful leather babe that ever kicked ass in thigh-high boots! The worst special effects ever seen! All this- and David Hasselhoff!? Yep, you heard us right! DAVID HASSELHOFF. And he's got a lightsaber, too! This Italian schlock classic was the inspiration for Romano's book, and we got our hands on a widescreen 35mm Dolby Stereo print just for the occasion! And to do it up right, we're also presenting TONS of swell drive-in movie trailers from just about every genre of "psychotronic"� film! It's a celebration of fringe exploitation cinema like no other, so come ready to be "blasted beyond the blackness of a hundred million nights!"

Get your ticket here.

WHAT WE DO IS SECRET exclusively at Alamo South Lamar!

WHAT WE DO IS SECRET
Monday, October 20 - Thursday, October 23
Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar

Darby Crash is resurrected in all of his furious glory.
-Eric Campos, Film Threat

Only at the Alamo South Lamar!

A chronicle of the rise of The Germs and their charismatic leader Darby Crash, whose image- the contorted, screaming face and death grip on the microphone- has become an icon of the U.S. punk movement and a rapt influence on bands since. Darby's cultivated punk attitude, resplendent with the hardcore, infamous onstage self-mutilation antics and volatile energy that inspired the band's mesmerized followers to riot, ultimately banned The Germs from playing every venue in the greater Los Angeles area.

Get your ticket here.

Master Pancake: FRIDAY THE 13TH this weekend at Lamar

Master Pancake Presents: The Original FRIDAY THE 13TH
Friday, October 17, 7:20pm & 10:20pm
Saturday, October 18, 7:15pm & 10:15pm
Lamar

Just in time for Halloween, Master Pancake Theater ambush the slasher classic, FRIDAY THE 13th (1980). The dark entry in the summer-camp boomlet of the late '70s that included MEATBALLS and LITTLE DARLINGS, F13 tells the story of the murders at Camp Crystal Lake and one mother who really made a difference: Pamela Voorhes, founder of M.A.P.C.C. (Mothers against Promiscuous Camp Counselors). This low-budget gem boasts a cast of no-name actors and one future A-lister: everyone's favorite pug-nosed golden-boy and erstwhile horror star Kevin Bacon (TREMORS, HOLLOW MAN). Come join the fun as Master Pancake Theater pays its own mocking brand of tribute to this iconic genre classic.

Get your ticket here.

THE OFFICE tonight at Village!

TV at the Alamo: THE OFFICE
Thursday, October 16, 7:15pm
Alamo Village

Another show that it’s just impossible not to love, no matter what you think of Steve Carrell’s recent decisions in film roles. Everyone else in America will be watching with baited breath to see what happens with Jim and Pam - will they get together? Will their relationship ruin the show by becoming the Ross and Rachel plot that never makes any real sense? Will they ruin the show by going all MOONLIGHTING? Or can the writers somehow keep us interested in the romantic entanglements without breaking any of that tension? Personally, I don’t care. I’m in it to find out what happens to Ryan this season. Will he crawl back to Kelly? Will his facial hair stop being so stubbly?

The show is free, but you can reserve a seat by purchasing a $5 Food & Beverage voucher here.

THE LOST BOYS Tonight at the Ritz

Big Screen Horror Classics: THE LOST BOYS
Wednesday, October 15, 9:15pm
The Ritz

Enjoy this 80's Horror classic the way it was meant to be- with BLOODY MARY Cocktail specials and a heaping bowl of Fried Rice or Noodles!

David: How are those maggots?
Michael: Huh?
David: Maggots, Michael. You're eating maggots. How do they taste?

No horror movie captured the excitement, humor and plain weirdness of the '80s like THE LOST BOYS, and its bloodthirsty legacy is still undead and kicking over two decades later! Teen brothers Michael and Sam (Jason Patric and Corey Haim) move in with their grandpa in Santa Carla, 'The Murder Capital of the World.'

Turns out that a pack of leatherclad bad boy vampires led by Kiefer Sutherland is responsible for the body count, and Michael finds himself drawn into a terrifying, nightcrawling transformation. Luckily, local comic shop clerks/monster hunters The Frog Brothers (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander) are up to the task of taking down the venomous threat once and for all! Packed with shocks, laughs, unbelievable '80s fashion and a soundtrack that includes the most ripping sax-rock jam in the history of earholes!

"Come on, be one of us"

Girlie Night Presents:

Girlie Night:
CLUELESS
Tues, 7pm, Alamo Ritz
Tickets available here

The first two nights of Girlie Night were a huge success, and we're all sorts of excited to have the second film in this new series debuting at the Ritz tonight - CLUELESS. There are some people in our society today who try to belittle this film, people who don't recognize the sheer brilliance that Amy Heckerling brought to the screen years before any of us knew that Tina Fey even existed, but those people are so, like, way harsh. As if! The rest of us know that CLUELESS is a total Betty.

To bring the world of Cher's fashion, matchmaking, and overall fabulouslness off of the silver screen and out into the theater, we're not only going to be bringing this classic high school opus back onto the big screen, but we've created a special drink that will only be offered during this movie - the Chertini. It's a blonde and dangerous mix of passion fruit and vanilla vodkas, finished off with passion fruit juice and served with a shot of champagne on the side. If that doesn't get you rollin' with the homies, I don't know what will.

TV at the ALAMO

TV at the Alamo presents
GOSSIP GIRL
Monday at 7

HEROES
Monday at 9:30

I'm not going to take sides in this big crazy KXAN versus Time Warner fight. I've got DirecTV at home, a good Internet connection at the office, and I can pretty much watch NBC shows from wherever I am. But that doesn't change the fact that I love heading up to the Village every week to catch a double header of GOSSIP GIRL and HEROES.

Both shows have been absolutely NUTS so far this season. Will Dan and Serena stay broken up? Will Serena keep being a beeyotch, or will she remember that she wanted to be good friends with Blaire, so she out to stop taking her queen bee status from her?

Why is Noah going along with all this Sylar crap? Will unscarred Peter get scarred this season? Why does the tribal man who paints the future also paint in a comic book style?

Sooooo many questions, and we'll get another dose of answers tonight at the Village. Admission to each show is free, but you can reserve your seat ahead of time by purchasing a $5 food and beverage voucher online. Click here for a GOSSIP GIRL voucher, and here for a HEROES voucher.

WEST SIDE STORY Brunch this Sunday only!

You heard it right! WEST SIDE STORY in magnificent Technicolor with food to match! Buy those tickets here now!

This world-class musical is unarguably among the great classics of the screen, and Alamo chef John Bullington has been preparing for months to match its greatness with his own monumental culinary talents. Get ready to experience the maximum benefits of all your senses when this multicultural melting pot of a movie and menu are presented, all to their greatest effect on our big big screen at the Alamo Ritz! There has never been a feast like this, and like WEST SIDE STORY, it's destined to go down in history as one of the greatest experiences of its kind!

Here's that menu:

I West Side Bagel
Toasted onion bagel with whipped cream cheese and mojito isleno (Puerto Rican olive sauce)

II Shark's Escebeche
Lightly fried and marinated overnight atop baby spinach with grilled chayote

III Egg Riff and Egg Nardo
Fried Egg with irish lamb sausage on a black pepper biscuit with roast garlic gravy topped with fried onions Poached egg on carnival cornbread with pernil al horno (roast pork shoulder) and papaya tarragon sauce

IV Officer Crumpet
Crumpets torn between two rivals, guava-lime jam and strawberry jelly

Plus spice up your brunch with these optional drink specials:

Bloody Maria
Tomato juice livened up with annatto, tamarind and sofrito puree of pickled plantain and fried cilantro

Bloody Antone
Prosecco with blood orange juice and passion fruit

Chaplin's CITY LIGHTS Tonight at the Ritz

Cinema Cocktails: CITY LIGHTS
Tuesday, 10/7, 10:10p
Wednesday, 10/8, 10:30p
Alamo Ritz

Since the Ritz started serving liquor, we've had a the opportunity to highlight some of the great drinkers of the silver screen. And now we celebrate the most lovable souse of them all: Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp! At one time the most recognizable figure on earth, he still opens the door to our heart for blitzed hobos to stumble through. He was the original rambler. The misfit. The vanguard vagabond of the open road, with a bindle on his back, dancing (and sipping) his way through the great depression. But from the very first scene in CITY LIGHTS - which reveals the homeless Tramp passed out in the arms of a 'Prosperity' statue - you know you're in for something even more powerful than gettin' hammered. In the bright lights of his big city, no one has the time or the patience for the little guy. Alcohol, on some pure and perfect level, was Chaplin's great equalizer. Were it not for intoxicating spirits, the penniless Tramp would never have spent the night cavorting about town with a gin-goggled millionaire. But the next morning, sobriety puts the two back in their place, with hilarious and deeply affecting consequences. A timeless masterpiece that has grown even more intoxicating with age, CITY LIGHTS swizzles together the perfect cocktail of love, life and libations.

Drink alongside the Little Tramp with our Charlie Chaplin Martini special!
1oz sloe gin
1oz apricot brandy
lemon juice

Something sweet to wash away the bitter taste of the debate. See you there!

RELIGULOUS - Opens Friday at the Ritz!

RELIGULOUS
Opens Friday, Oct 3 at the Ritz!
Advance tickets available here


Three and a half stars from the Austin Chronicle!

"A film that's destined to make a lot of people mad, but Maher, for all his showy atheistic 'doubt,' isn't just trying to crucify religion -- he truly wants to know what makes it tick. He leaves no stone tablet unturned." - Owen Glieberman, Entertainment Weekly

"Religulous is often brilliant. It's definitely hilarious, sometimes to the point of leaving me wheezing and giggling...9 out of 10..." - Devin Farachi, CHUD.com

Behind all the controversy that has kept RELIGULOUS out of most theaters nationwide there lies a really, really funny movie. It might not be for everyone, but for those of you who don't mind a little doubt, we're certain that a lot of you will enjoy it as much as we intend to. Check out the trailer and see what we're excited by.

No religion is safe from the sharp aim--and still sharper wit--of Bill Maher in this comic look at organized belief systems around the world. This controversial documentary is directed by Larry Charles, who previously made both fans and foes with BORAT.

Local eco-doc THE UNFORESEEN at Barton Springs!

Presented by The City of Austin and The Austin Film Society.

Join the Alamo Rolling Roadshow for a special outdoor screening of Laura Dunn's award-winning, gripping eco-doc THE UNFORESEEN at Barton Springs! This is a must-attend film/event for anyone who considers themselves to be a true Austinite!

The American Dream of owning a house with a white picket fence goes head to head with environmental sustainability in Laura Dunn's lyrical and beautifully crafted documentary THE UNFORESEEN.

Dunn tracks the career of Gary Bradley, a west Texan farm boy who went to Austin and became one of the largest real estate developers in the state. In the '80s, Bradley had plans to transform miles of pristine hill country into large-scale subdivisions. But the development jeopardized Barton Springs, a swimming hole treasured by locals, and served as a lightning rod for mobilizing environmental activism that flourished under Governor Ann Richards. When George W. Bush took the state's executive reins, however, development patterns changed, and the water quality at Barton Springs, as well as the surrounding landscape of Austin, was irreversibly transformed.

Following the screening, stay for an incredible projection installation by artist Luke Savisky, funded by City of Austin and sponsored by the Austin Film Society.


Admission is $3 (in cash) at the door.

Winner: Independent Spirit Truer than Fiction Award

"The kind of transformative viewing experience that has made the current period a golden age for nonfiction film." - VARIETY

"A beautiful, soulful work about real estate development and sprawl, focused on Austin's beloved Barton Springs, and if you think that's impossible you haven't seen it." - SALON

More information on Barton Springs can be found here:

CITY OF AUSTIN : BARTON SPRINGS

THE BLUES BROTHERS Quote-And-Sing-Along!

THE BLUES BROTHERS QUOTE-AND-SING-ALONG
Featuring Free Hats and Shades for Everyone!
Alamo Ritz :: Thursday, Oct 2, 6:15pm

Join the Blues Brothers on their mission from God this Thursday night at the Ritz for our newest Quote-Along movie party, and become a member for a one night only revue by your very own black hat and black sunglasses.

The cops will chase them. The Illinois Nazis will hunt them. And the Good Ole Boys will hate, hate, hate them. But you'll love every moment.

Dancing in the aisles is, of course, a must. Grab your tickets here, and come see us if you want to volunteer to do flips on the stage during James Brown's song.

The Return of OPEN SCREEN NIGHT!

OPEN SCREEN NIGHT
Alamo Ritz - Tuesday, Sept 30, 10pm

We haven’t had an Open Screen Night in well over a year now, so we’re hoping that you’ve had a chance to shoot some new movies, or find some new videos, or have a new favorite oddity that you want to share with the crowd. But because it’s been so long, there could also be some people reading this that have no idea what the heck I’m talking about.

So here’s the gist of the show: we play anything you bring to the theater with you. It’s like open mic night, but for filmmakers, and we don’t censor or prescreen or have any idea what we’re going to be showing until it’s up on the screen. All you have to do is show up, bring a DVD or video of something you want to see up on our screen, and we play it.

Well, we play two minutes of it, anyway.

Because sometimes people bring videos that are kinda… bad, we bring out the gong and allow our gonger the exclusive right of taking videos off the screen. Everyone has to listen and be nice for the first two minutes, but then we’ll have 10 second booing pockets where the audience can say yay or nay to your video. If they say nay loud enough, the gonger will be convinced, and your movie will be taken off screen.

If, however, the audience says only yay, and your movie is their absolute favorite of the night, you’ll not only get to screen the entire thing, bask in the glow of audience love, but you’ll also walk out of the theater with $100 in cash.

So go shoot something, or dig through your video collection, or steal a DVD from the bargain bin at Fry’s, and we’ll all watch it together Tuesday night.

Get your tickets here.

See the BEST OF FANTASTIC FEST!

On Sunday, September 28, Fantastic Fest is hosting the BEST OF FANTASTIC FEST at the Alamo South Lamar, featuring screenings of three of the most popular films of the festival. These screenings are 100% free, first come, first serve. The shows are open to badge holders and the general public alike, badge holders do not get priority seating. They are truly first come, first serve.

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
9/28 4:05 PM
An awkward, introverted boy (Oskar) befriends a new neighbor girl (Eli) who helps him to confront the bullies at school. Eli, however, has a dark secret, and there are bodies piling up at the local morgue.

CHOCOLATE
9/28 7:00 PM
The director of ONG BAK returns with his new protégé, who was in training for five years for this role. Jeeja Vismistananda portrays an autistic girl who learns martial arts from watching Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee films so as to exact revenge on those who bankrupted her mother.

DONKEY PUNCH
9/28 10:00 PM
Seven sexy young Brits are hanging out on a "borrowed" yacht for a day of drugs, debauchery, and ultimately donkey punching. It's the last activity causes everything to unravel.

For details on these screenings, check out www.originalalamo.com. For more information about Fantastic Fest, check out the official website, www.fantasticfest.com. Film Badges are currently on sale for Fantastic Fest 2009.

MASTER PANCAKE ridicules FORREST GUMP!

Master Pancake Theater presents FORREST GUMP
Friday and Saturday at the Ritz
Tickets available here for all four shows

Warning: Despite lovable titular Gump, the content of this show may not be suited for little ones.

Beginning this September, Master Pancake is going to boil, bake, batter and fry the beloved 90's classic FORREST GUMP. Featuring Tom Hanks (THE MONEY PIT, JOE VS. THE VOLCANO) as a good-hearted shrimp-baron whose hobbies include jogging, playing ping-pong, eating chocolate and telling long boring stories. Also featuring Sally Field (THE FLYING NUN, GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN) as momma Gump, Gary Sinise (CSI, that kidnapping movie with Mel Gibson) as Gump's "bosom buddy" Cap'n Dan and Robin Wright Penn (THE PRINCESS BRIDE) as Gump's baby momma. Come join Master Pancake as they give new meaning to "Run, Forrest, Run" and gleefully pursue this overrated icon.

STREETS OF FIRE with lead cast members LIVE this Monday!

This show is a BIG DEAL. A big, fun, incredible, action-packed, stars-in-attendance for only two dollars-type deal.

Music Mondays were created by former Alamo lead programmer Kier-la Janisse, who is no longer a US resident but will be returning to the Alamo Downtown stage to host the greatest Music Monday EVER!!!

And as if that's enough, it'll be presented by the film's stars MICHAEL PARE and DEBORAH VAN VALKENBURGH live!

How are we getting away with only charging $2 for this show? I DON'T KNOW! But we are, and TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE HERE!

Let's see what Kier-la has to say about this rocking, raging, blazing MASTERPIECE:

"STREETS OF FIRE is quite simply my favourite film of all time. It's been said that Walter Hill is a real 'man's director'; but this is belied by the cross-gender, cross-continental cult appeal of his rock n' roll masterpiece of vigilante justice. Originally intended as a trilogy until American audiences broke Hill's heart with poor box office, STREETS OF FIRE stars heartthrob Michael Pare (notice I didn't say former heartthrob) as Tom Cody, a soldier of fortune who is summoned by his sister (THE WARRIORS' super-tuff Deborah Van Valkenburgh) to rescue his old flame, rock goddess Ellen Aim (a 19-year old Diane Lane) from a pack of PVC-clad bikers from the wrong end of town (who are headed up by Willem Dafoe and Fear's Lee Ving). Add to this mix Rick Moranis as Ellen's current boyfriend/manager Billy Fish, a tough-as nails Amy Madigan as Cody's sidekick McCoy, an early appearance by Bill Paxton, and the always effervescent '80s staple E.G. Daily and you’ve got yourself a movie that can pretty much do no wrong.

The merits of STREETS OF FIRE are many: its stunning production design, its no-fat dialogue, its crew of rotating editors who set the standard for modern editing techniques (for better or for worse), and of course, the music - courtesy of songwriters Jim Steinmann and Stevie Nicks, and amazingly bolstered by The Blasters as the house band at Torchie's Bar (Torchie's itself being a consistent character in Hill's early films). Don't miss this rare big-screen celebration of everything that is good and right about movies. After all, tonight is what it means to be young!" - (Music Monday creator Kier-La Janisse)

...also (and this news is JUST IN), this screening will be followed by a special work-in-progress screening at no extra charge, which also happens to be the WORLD PREMIERE of STREETS OF FIRE's brand new companion film ROAD TO HELL, also starring Michael Pare and Deborah Van Valkenburgh! Be among the first to ever see this film, which will be presented by some very special guests. Visit the official ROAD TO HELL site HERE!

IT HAS BEGUN.

AIR SEX

For the past year, we've been hosting Air Sex Championships at the Alamo Ritz. Thursday night, we're bringing the winning competitors from each of those nights to the historic Paramount Theater for the soon-to-be legendary Air Sex World Championships. Whichever air humping finalists goes home with the crown tomorrow night will also be winning a free trip to Reno and a free gift certificate to the Bunny Ranch for some Flesh Sex - but before we get there, we're giving you one last chance to qualify for the finals.

Tonight at the Ritz, we're holding a "dark horse" last minute, last ditch effort qualifying round to get you into the Air Sex finals. Come on out to watch the action, but plan on joining in yourself, if only for the chance to make sweet love to some of the air at the Paramount tomorrow night.

This is it, people. Your last chance to be part of the first year of Air Sex. Don't miss it.

Tickets to tonight's show are available right here.

Tickets for tomorrow nights finals are SOLD OUT. We're hoping to have a small number of tickets available at the door after Fantastic Fest's screening of ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO, but the only way to guarantee that you'll get into that show is by competing and winning. Now is the time for glory.

To help you in your quest for inspiration, here's a look at the first ever Air Sex USA contest:

Crack some Creme Brulee tonight at the Ritz!!!

Looking around the programming office of the Alamo recently, I noticed that we-re a bit of a sausage fest these days. As I looked around at all the stubble and receding hairlines, I thought that maybe, just maybe, all that testosterone was having an effect on our programming. Then I looked at the line-up of genre films in this year's Fantastic Fest and the sheer number of horror films we're cramming into October, and I knew it to be a total and complete fact. Now, I'm not saying that girls don't like horror. I'm not saying that guys don't like romance. I'm just saying that it's high time we all appreciated the more feminine side of our nature. So from now on we're taking at least one Tuesday night a month and turning it over to the Girlie side of life, to films with relationships, and kissing, and all of those other things that will probably give us cooties. Fortunately, we've got our circle circle dot dots ready, so what better film to launch this series than AMELIE, the charmingly sweet tale of one girl who enjoys the simple things in life, but still dreams of discovering more of the world's complexity?

We'll have free creme brulee for everyone in attendance at these screenings, plus a our bartenders have put together a special French Martini that will ONLY be available for these shows! Enjoy a vodka martini with raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice, served in a chilled glass w/ a sugar rim.

Get your tickets here.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY Free Screening Tonight!

Join us at Lamar for a free screening of HUMBOLDT COUNTY tonight at the Alamo South Lamar at 7pm with directors Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs in person!

It was the toast of SXSW and is poised to break wide as a slacker classic of all time.

Grodsky and Jacobs’ affectionate nod to 1970s American filmmaking brings together an ensemble of established actors including Brad Dourif, Frances Conroy, Peter Bogdanovich, Fairuza Balk; rising stars Jeremy Strong (THE HAPPENING, upcoming on Broadway, “A Man For All Seasons” opposite Frank Langella), Chris Messina (Woody Allen’s VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA) and youngster Madison Davenport (KIT KITTREDGE: AN AMERICAN GIRL).

Located on the far North Coast of California and on the margins of society is a region nicknamed “The Lost Coast” but geographically known as Humboldt County.

It is there, amongst the state’s breathtaking Redwood forests that marijuana farmers co-exist peacefully within the rural community. It is there that Peter Hadley (Jeremy Strong), a promising but tightly-wound UCLA med student, finds himself stranded when he’s deposited at the multi-generational family home of the free-spirited Bogart (Fairuza Balk), following a drunken one-night stand.

Frustrated and disillusioned with his life after his professor/father (Peter Bogdanovich) fails him on an important exam, the unworldly Peter at first rejects the welcoming yet eccentric pot-smoking strangers, along with their eclectic group of friends and fellow farmers, but soon allows himself to be embraced by their ideals and begins to see life a bit clearer: despite the smoke.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY is a story of the human soul in search of happiness and the unexpected places we can sometimes call home.

Opens for a full run at the Alamo South Lamar on September 26.

Tonight - DODGEBALL with Dodgeball!

It's been called the most dangerous game ever played, as players are pushed to the very limits of human endurance. DODGEBALL. That red orb whizzing like a bullet past your temple and honing in on the target, sweat stings your eyes, your teeth grind as you lunge forward to take hold of what's yours: VICTORY.

The Alamo knows the hunger for glory, and that's why we're preceding this modern day sports-comedy masterpiece with an all-out dodgeball showdown, where YOU can participate in the noblest sport ever devised. Muster up your strength in the Alamo Village parking lot, face the Wall of Combat and show that villainous opponent the true meaning of POWER!

Then go inside, knock back a beer and watch Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller do the same damn thing!

Tickets are $10, and available right here. Tournament starts at 5:00 in the parking lot. At around 6:30, we'll start seating in the theater so you can cool down with a few beers and enjoy the movie which will be starting around 7:00.

BURN AFTER READING Now Playing At Village and Ritz

A new Coen Brothers movie is a drop-everything event. BURN AFTER READING now playing at Ritz and Village.

"A blackly comic illustration of Murphy's Law, set in the Washington world of CIA espionage, and populated with a cast of delusional dunces who are a wonder to behold." - David Ansen, Newsweek

"The new Coen Bros classic that you'll be quoting ad nauseum for the next decade." - Devin Faraci, CHUD

The Coen Bros, fresh off their NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Best Picture/Director/Screenplay sweep at last year's Oscars, take a U-turn back toward LEBOWSKI territory with this new dark crime comedy/thriller.

At the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Arlington, Virginia, analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) arrives for a top-secret meeting. Unfortunately for Cox, the secret is soon out: he is being ousted. Cox does not take the news particularly well and returns to his Georgetown home to work on his memoirs and his drinking, not necessarily in that order. His wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) is dismayed, though not particularly surprised; she is already well into an illicit affair with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), a married federal marshal, and sets about making plans to leave Cox for Harry.

Elsewhere in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, and seemingly worlds apart, Hardbodies Fitness Centers employee Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) can barely concentrate on her work. She is consumed with her life plan for extensive cosmetic surgery, and confides her mission to can-do colleague Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt). Linda is all but oblivious to the fact that the gym's manager Ted Treffon (Richard Jenkins) pines for her even as she arranges dates via the Internet with other men.

When a computer disc containing material for the CIA analyst's memoirs accidentally falls into the hands of Linda and Chad, the duo are intent on exploiting their find. As Ted frets, "No good can come of this," events spiral out of everyone's and anyone's control, in a cascading series of darkly hilarious encounters.

Free Outdoor Screening of Mad Max tonight!

Tonight's (Friday 9/12) free outdoor screening of MAD MAX at the parking lot of the South Lamar Alamo is brought to you by Fantastic Fest - week-long festival featuring the best in new science-fiction, fantasy, horror, animation, crime, Asian, and all around badass cinema. Fantastic Fest 2008 takes place at the Alamo South Lamar from September 18-25. Check out the amazing schedule and buy badges for Fantastic Fest at www.fantasticfest.com.

This year Fantastic Fest takes a look at Australia's cinema of blood and gasoline with our NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD Retrospective series. In addition to MAD MAX on September 12 we will screen the sequel, THE ROAD WARRIOR on Friday September 19, also at the parking lot of the South Lamar Alamo. Both of these screenings will feature authentic Australian food, including delectable Shrimp on the Barby and Australian meat pies. We will also have a Vegemite-eating contest for those who think they can handle it.

Click here for the full slate of "Ozsploitation" titles, including the awesome and unmissable new documentary about the golden age of Aussie mayhem NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD.

The movie starts at sundown (about 8PM). Remember - bring your own folding chair!

Shake Your Booty Down to the Ground

THE DISCO INFERNO SING-ALONG
Thursday, Sept 11, 9:30pm at the Alamo Ritz

The singing part of any Sing-Along show is always a given - we subtitle music videos to pop songs we all know and love, and the entire audience comes together in one voice of ecstatic pop orgasm.

Some of the Sing-Alongs, of course, become more than just a singing party, and there are moments when the force of the beat gets people in the crowd to stand up, leave their seats behind, and start dancing at their table, or in the aisles, or up on the stage. For one night only this month, we're going to take our Sing-Alongs and really turn them into a proper dance party - a Dance-Along, if you will. And you will. Because you won't have any choice.

We're mixing together the best disco dance videos from the 1970s with the dance hits that that era spawned in the 80s and 90s. And we've got disco balls going up just for these shows. Just try to stay in your seat.

PLUS - before the show we're going to have a disco fashion and dance contest, and the winners will receive passes to this year's FUN FUN FUN FEST - so put your boogie shows on and we'll see you at the Ritz.

Get tickets to this Thursday's DISCO INFERNO MIX-TAPE SING-ALONG right here.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE RITZ

We've got three completely different comedy offerings for you this Wednesday night at the Ritz. You like cartoons? Cartoon-like violence? Nudie Magazine Days? You're covered.

At 7 and 9:30, BRAD NEELY returns for another animation showcase featuring the best of The Professor Brothers, George Washington, and more. He'll be at the theater live in person to answer your questions after the show, and maybe you can persuade him to perform one of Baby Cake's songs for you from the stage.

At 7:30pm, martial arts maniac/legend Jackie Chan is at the ultimate peak of self-destructive daredevilism in THE LEGEND OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER, his epic of alcohol-fueled goofball violence.

Or come by at 10pm for some back-to-school quoting with the BILLY MADISON QUOTE-ALONG. It's still too damn hot for a penguin to just be walkin' around, but Adam Sandler has never been better than his initial feature film starring role as a hotel heir who repeats first through twelfth grade to save his father's company. Come for the penguins, but stay for Chris Farley topless.

Big Screen Sci-Fi Classics:

TRON
Sept 8, 9 & 11 at the Ritz

Attention all Users! Follow us back to a beautiful page in history, before computer games required a two-week vacation from work and digitally-generated special effects were the new star of Hollywood. When the visual magic of TRON hit the screen in 1982, every jaw in the world hit the theater floors. And for our money, CGI hasn't been this good since. Join synaptic superwarriors Clu (Jeff Bridges), Tron and Ram as they wage their epic battle against the wicked Master Control Program in the only high-impact/low-tech epic of good versus evil to predict the modern age, kind of.

ALSO!: new local funtime heroes ARCADE UFO will be on hand at both screenings to celebrate the grand opening of Austin's most raging arcade with free tokens for all in attendance!

TV at the ALAMO

GOSSIP GIRL
premieres Monday night at the Village

90210
premieres Tuesday night at the Village

The Hollywood blockbuster season is winding down to a close, but the TV blockbuster season is just beginning. To celebrate, we're bringing back TV at the Alamo screenings of some of our favorite series from last year, as well as trying out a couple of new ones for the new fall season.

Join us Monday nights at the Village for season 2 of Gossip Girl, where we'll find out how the Upper East Siders spent their summer vacations. We'll start with the season finale from last year at 7pm, to help remind us of how crazy things got at the end, then move right into a commercial-free presentation of tonight's episode.

On Tuesday night, we're rolling out the series premiere of 90210, which may prove to be a huge mistake, but damn it - all of the promotional push for that show has gotten to us, and there's no way we can help but to check it out. We're going to start that show with a screening of the first fifteen minutes of the original series premiere, then move into the new series premiere, so we can really do a fair compare and contrast afterward.

Both shows are 100% free, and seating will be done on a first come, first served basis. If you'd like to guarantee yourself a spot at the shows, though, you can purchase a $5 food and beverage gift card, which will serve as your reserved ticket and ensure that no one else takes your spot.

Reserve your seats at Gossip Girl here.

Reserve your seats for 90210 here.

Kevin Smith Live In Person

Fantastic Fest presents
ZACK & MIRI MAKE A PORNO
U.S. Premiere with Kevin Smith Live
Followed by the World Air Sex Championships
Thursday, Sept 18 at the Paramount Theater

Tickets on sale this Saturday, August 30, at Noon at GetTix.net.

***

We're kicking off Fantastic Fest this year with an opening night event that's literally like nothing else we've ever done. That's because for the very first time, we're putting on an event at the Paramount Theater. Why would we leave our own much-beloved homes? Because we're more than just a little excited about the opening night of the festival, and we want as many people as possible to be able to attend.

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO is the new film from Kevin Smith starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as lifelong platonic friends who decide to make an adult film together as a way of resolving their cashflow problems. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought, and things get complicated.

But the U.S. premiere of that film is just where the evening gets started. After the film, we'll of course have an amazing Q&A / storytelling session with Kevin. And before we leave the theater, we'll have crowned the first World Air Sex Champion and seen performances from all of the top competitors of the 2008 season.

If you've already got your Fantastic Fest badge, you've got all you need to get into the Opening Night festivities. If you can't make it out for the entire festival this year, you can purchase tickets and choose which seats you want online at www.GetTix.net - they go on sale this Saturday at noon and are sure to sell out, so don't miss your chance.