WILCO: ASHES OF AMERICAN FLAGS

WILCO: ASHES OF AMERICAN FLAGS
Weds, Apr 15, 9:50pm at the Ritz
Grab your advance tix here!

It’s entirely possible that Wilco is the most filmed band of its generation: There was the 1997 HBO special, its part in the 1999 Billy Bragg/Woody Guthrie documentary MAN IN THE SAND, its own 2002 documentary I AM TRYING TO BREAK YOUR HEART and three appearances on AUSTIN CITY LIMITS.

Taken together, they are a chronicle of the band’s evolution from ragged roots-rockers to what Old 97’s singer Rhett Miller once called “German noise machine.” Each incarnation of Wilco has had its charms, but the current lineup is easily the tightest and most technically adept version of the band, as deftly shown on ASHES OF AMERICAN FLAGS (Nonesuch), a new film by Brendan Canty and Christoph Green.

Part concert film, part documentary, ASHES captures one of America’s best bands at its absolute height. The movie is lovingly shot, with intimate close-ups while the band performs interspersed with shots framing skeletal trees stark against the gloaming sky as Wilco’s tour bus rolls through empty expanses of America.

There’s plenty of interaction with the band, with the musicians talking about the musical qualities of one another and offering insights into themselves: Pat Sansone talks about taking Polaroids of fading pieces of American cities, John Stirratt recounts growing up outside New Orleans, Nels Cline talks about giving himself whiplash on stage and Jeff Tweedy muses philosophically over the role of music in modern life. There’s evidence here of a tighter bond in this group than there has been at any other time in Wilco’s 15-year history.

The most electrifying moments, though, come when the band is on stage, as Cline rips into his guitar solo on “Impossible Germany,” or Glenn Kotche furiously attacks his drums in the noisy middle part of “Via Chicago,” or, perhaps best of all, the whole band tears through “Shot in the Arm” with white-hot intensity.

It’s the next best thing to actually seeing Wilco in concert. (listendammit.com)

Girlie Night: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Girlie Night presents
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Tues, Apr 14, 7:45pm at the Ritz
Grab your tickets here

Two words: Mr. Darcy.

Seriously, this description should just end there because WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED? What more does ANY woman need than the brooding, handsome, totally swoon-worthy Mr. Darcy?

Ok, well, Pemberly doesn't hurt. Nor do all of the fancy balls and gorgeous dresses and romantic intrigue and GAH I want to hate Elizabeth Bennet for being such a lucky bitch but I can't. She's too awesome.

Now, you may be one of those Austen purists who will only watch the BBC version with Colin Firth (which is, admittedly, a masterpiece). If so, I feel the need to point out that hello, did you miss the POINT of the story? It's not good to be prideful OR prejudiced! Give this 2005 version a chance, and within minutes you'll be enchanted by the new interpretation of the characters (although Keira is still way too skinny) and even the non-Colin Firth Mr. Darcy (not, it turns out, an oxymoron!).

Oh you guys, I'm getting so excited just writing about it! Like when they almost kiss in the rain and when Judi Dench shows up and Lizzy realizes she still has a chance and OMG! I can't wait for Girlie Night so we can all swoon together! (Sarah Pitre)

HARVEY (Wallbanger) comes to the Ritz!

Cinema Cocktails: HARVEY
Saturday, April 11 & Sunday, April 12 (Easter!) at the Ritz
Get you tickets here

Jimmy Stewart was never more enchanting, lovable or drunk as he is in the whimsical-but-realist tale of Elwood Dowd, a man who's either terminally insane or has a giant invisible rabbit friend named Harvey.

At cinema cocktails we love to have fun with specialty drinks. For those of you who know the storyline, the martini drinking Jimmy Stewart and his seemingly martini-induced friend makes HARVEY a shoe-in for the cocktail series. It also happens to be a great film, and we happen to have a beautiful 35mm print!

In crafting the special cocktail for this one, the name “Harvey” naturally led us to the Harvey Wallbanger, which was invented in 1952 by three-time world champion mixologist Donato 'Duke' Antone, the brother-in-law of New York state Senator Carlo Lanzillotti... (We don't just pour booze into glasses at the Ritz, we really do our homework.)

The Harvey Wallbanger is a three part drink made with vodka, Galliano, and orange juice. Never had one? Here’s your chance!

But that’s not all. We couldn’t let the martini reference from the movie escape us, so we’ve crafted the Wallbanger Martini from orange vodka, Galliano, a touch of Amaretto and a muddled orange ring. For the purist, our regular martinis will be available as well.

Show up with a stuffed bunny and get 5% off of your bill!

Come dressed as a bunny, we'll assume you've been over-served!

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE at the Village!

Okay, to be fair, Justin isn't going to be at the Village in person. If he was, I wouldn't be writing this and would just be hanging out there, standing by the front door, never falling asleep, and waiting, just... waiting.

Because Justin Timberlake is pure pop royalty, and if you think that's a joke, or he's a flash in the pan, then you need to get over yourself for just one night and experience everything a Justin Timberlake Sing-Along can be.

Sorry. I get defensive.

The point is, the JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE SING-ALONG is one of our favorite pop music shows of the year, and that's saying something. We're really looking forward to next week's 1987 SING-ALONG PARTY, but we're also definitely sorry to be seeing these past few weeks' worth of JT shows coming to a close.

We've got two more shows left before Justin leaves the Alamo for the year, and they're both happening tonight. The show at the Ritz? It's already sold out. But we've been expanding our Sing-Alongs up to the new beautiful 4k projectors at the Village as well, and because the series is newer up there, as of this writing you can still grab tickets to tonight's show.

But don't wait until the last minute to get yours. The show is tonight, Thursday, April 9, at 10pm at the Alamo Village. Grab your tickets here, and we'll all bring sexy back together.

All-new all-amazing GI JOE Stop Motion Film Festival - Wed at Ritz!

THE 2nd ANNUAL GI JOE STOP MOTION FILM FESTIVAL
Weds, April 8, at the Ritz
Advance tix available here

Inspired by Gio Toninelo's popular internet series POND PATROL, the GI JOE STOP MOTION FILM FESTIVAL is the nation's best (and only) festival dedicated solely to screening the work of stop-motion artists who use GI Joe or similar figures (12", 8" and 3 3/4" sizes) as main characters or actors.

The festival includes films from all over the world, featuring some of the best (and surprisingly smooth) stop-motion animation out there.

Expect excessive violence, twisted humor, boundless creativity and no less than four disturbingly original applications for the Kung-Fu Grip! Brain-quenching action-figure action that will remind us all how much fun it is to play with toys!

Read this hilarious Austin Decider interview with GI JOE Film Festival curator Gio Toninelo!

Last year's sold out and wowed the crowd, so get those tickets now HERE!

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

THE YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN QUOTE-ALONG
Tues, 4/7 at the Alamo Village
click here for tickets to that show
Thurs, 4/9 at the Alamo Ritz
click here for tickets to that show

An affectionate parody that pays homage to the FRANKENSTEIN films (from the novel FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley) directed by James Whale in the 1930s, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is both a zany comedy and a cinematic tour de force.

Written by director Mel Brooks and the film's star, Gene Wilder, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN has all the usual -- and in this case slightly unusual -- suspects: the reluctant scientist Frederick Frankenstein, who is actually the grandson of the infamous creature-creator (pronounced "Fronken-steen" and played by Wilder), his spoiled fiancee (Madeline Kahn), Igor the pop-eyed hunchback (Marty Feldman), his dizzy assistant (Teri Garr), the castle's hideous head housekeeper (Cloris Leachman), and, of course, the Monster (Peter Boyle).

Highlights include the sets, which are the original ones used in the Whale films; the beautiful black-and-white cinematography; and the fine screenplay. Combining noirish elegance with uproarious sight gags and double entendres is a feat Brooks pulls off fabulously, directing the wonderful ensemble to act with sensitivity and humanistic feelings as well as with lunatic abandon. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is a treat from beginning to end.

Of course, as with any Quote-Along, the fun on screen is just the beginning. We'll have all of our favorite lines subtitled and ready to be yelled out in unison, and the props for this show will be some of the best toys we've brought out yet...

DAVE ENGLAND and EMILY HUBLEY: Self-Destruction meets Self-Expression at The Ritz!

Two very exciting (and very different) guests will be joining us at The Alamo Ritz this weekend.

The first is Dave England of JACKASS fame (pictured above eating an omelette made of his own vomit). If self-destruction is an art, Dave England of masochistic comedy adventurers JACKASS is a goddamn Picasso. We've somehow convinced this human wrecking ball/pincushion to join us at the Alamo to host his most brutally agonizing moments from both JACKASS films as well as the relentlessly abusive TV series, and also perform his special brand of one-man annihilation LIVE. Keep in mind that this is a man who has been trampled, railroaded, filleted, burned, concussed...and also has taken a poo in a hardware store display toilet, and you're just starting to scratch the surface of what human endurance really means.

If you delight in the suffering of others - and who doesn't? - we'll see you in the front row to catch some of the shrapnel! Tickets are HERE!

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We'll also be spotlighting the work of innovative filmmaker/animator Emily Hubley with her feature film THE TOE TACTIC. Combining animation and live action, the film tells the story of Mona Peek, a young woman grieving her father's death and hunting for her lost wallet in a world populated by lonely neighbors, animated objects and a songwriting Elevator Man - all of whom are manipulated by a card game played by four capricious dogs, voiced by David Cross, Eli Wallach, Andrea Martin and Marion Seldes. The music score is by Yo La Tengo.

Hubley's animations have delighted audiences for years in the short format, and in her brilliant work in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. Now she has brought her talents and sensibilities to the big screen. Tickets are available HERE!