As blizzard conditions set in for northerners,  we in Austin live with the fortune of being in a region that maintains an almost-perpetual summer. Though we are still months away from cultivating fruits and vegetables, the mild and beautiful Austin winters allow residents to prepare for their home gardens. Composting not only reduces landfill-space by reclaiming leftover foodstuffs that would otherwise be left to forever sit in garbage bags, it greatly reduces the cost of using store-bought fertilizer and bagged soil, and can be garden-ready by planting season.
Commercial composting bins can get pricey, ranging well up into the hundreds of dollars. Making a composting bin at home is both simple and inexpensive and require only a screw driver, a trashcan with a locking lid, and a wooden pallet.

Using a plastic trashcan is both inexpensive and optimal, as plastic trashcans are much easier to put holes into.  Avoid flying messes of decomposing fruit and rotting leaves, as well as animals accessing your compost by using a locking lid. Using a dark-colored trash can allows for better insulation to encourage the composting of the contents inside.

Put several holes into the sides, bottom, and lid of your new compost bin. Adding holes allows ventilation. Ventilation allows oxygen to reach the material inside the bin and assist with decomposition, and also helps curb the odor expected with composting. The holes also allow proper drainage. It is important to have adequate drainage as water buildup can drown helpful bacteria and attract racoons and other animals, as well as mosquitoes.
*Please note, a drill is adequate for adding holes.

     Using your screwdriver (which, hopefully is the tool you chose for putting holes in your compost bin) attach the bin to a wooden pallet. The wooden pallet is necessary for drainage, and also saves the grass underneath your compost bin. DO NOT FILL ALL THE HOLES WITH SCREWS. Leave some holes open for drainage through the bottom.

Finally, you are ready to fill your brand-new, homemade compost bin.

*HINT: If it says Nickelback, it’s garbage.

What you place into your compost bin is as important as the structure of the compost bin itself. It is important to differentiate compost-safe materials with non-compost-safe materials. For example, while scraps of food such as vegetable peels and fruit rinds are acceptable, it is not recommended that you dispose of meat into the compost bin. For more information on what can and cannot be composted, see the EPA’s list of what should or should not be composted.

Helpful tips for maintaining proper moisture:

•  If your compost becomes to dry, open the lid during a light rain or add water from your garden hose.
• Stir regularly to thoroughly mix the contents.
• If your compost becomes too wet, open the lid on a sunny day to let some of the moisture evaporate.
• Being as Austin is currently under drought conditions, be sure to leave your compost in a shady spot during the ungodly hot months.

Your compost will soon turn into nutrient-rich soil perfect for fertilizing your garden, potted plants,  or thrown directly onto your yard, ensuring the quality of your food, the contents of your wallet, and a little less landfill space.

DAMN IT TAKES ME SO   LONG TO  FOCUS. HERE ARE MY PICKS from what i  saw. SOME OF ThEM MATCH THE  CRITIC’S picks  & SOME  DO NOT. THESE ARE THE FILMS    THAT  I  REMEMBER  DIGGING. EACH   OF  THESE I  WILL  RE-WATCH  OVER  AND OVER. I  SEE  many   FILMs A  YEAR BECAuSE OF   THE PAPER. THANKS   TO   TIM  AND   HARRY(fantastic  fest),  I HAVE  LEARNED  A  GREAT  WAY   TO  EXPERIENCE   FILMS,  and  that  is to  do no  research, thereby to make  every screening a “secret  screening.” I   see some  bombs this way but when I see something  great it is  an electrifying jolt of awesomeness.  This usually only works in the festival  setting. Here we go, in  no   order (if here I liked it.)
1. SUPER -   i had a  great  time with    this one at  sxsw. the  crimson bolt! i was sure  this    was   gonna  be huge. It  died  quickly.   it  is  extreme,  brutal  and  very  harsh.    I  dig it
2. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS -  My favorite  film  of year.   Woody  is  back.    this is a  love letter to Paris.   very similar    to   MANHATTAN,   which is probably my favorite  film.
3 TREE OF  LIFE -  floored  by  this  film i  was. The imagery  was in my mind   for  weeks. Mallick  has created the   feeling of a memory  here.  it is  affecting
4 THE DESCENDANTS -  blown   away  by   this..  everything worked.  Clooney  deserves    the  best  actor  oscar.  The  screenplay  was  so   well    done
5 HUGO – Scorsese fills me with     wonder
6 EXTRATERRESTRIAL -  Nacho  blends genres  here in  a  wonderful  way.  awesome
7  I  SAW THE DEVIL -  the hunter becomes  the hunted
8  SUPER 8 -  movie magic made me feel 12 years old  again
9.  13  ASSASSINS -  well  done   remake of ” 7  samurai”
10. BRIDESMAIDS -  avoided  this  forever.

Apples and oranges. You can’t compare’em. Just like you can’t compare Woody Allen’s quaint “Midnight in Paris” with Terence Malick’s sprawling “The Tree of Life.”  So instead of ranking the best films of 2011, I’ll simply list them in alphabetical order. Suffice to say, each in its own way has left an indelible mark on the art of film. My personal criteria for making such a list is as follows:  artistic and technical merit, the likelihood that it will stand the test of time, the number of truly memorable scenes it contained, and the degree to which it achieved its aims in moving the audience.

The Artist – A toe-tapping, heart soaring delight that celebrates the art of silent film.
The Descendants – Alexander Payne’s layered and humanistic comedy/drama about loss and family.
Drive – An exercise in retro cool that solidifies Ryan Gosling’s ever increasing status as a badass.
Hugo – Martin Scorsese’s masterful homage to early cinematic innovation.
Midnight in Paris – Woody returns to form, still making us laugh and think after all these years.
Moneyball – Who’da thunk a movie about baseball statistics could have so much heart?
A Separation – An enthralling drama from Iran about a broken family. Foreign yet painfully familiar.
Take Shelter – An exercise in true suspense that heralds a storm, and the coming of director Jeff Nichols.
Tree of Life – Terrence Malick’s sweeping symphonic masterpiece about God and Man.
War Horse – Steven Spielberg’s old-fashioned epic about  humanity amid the inhumanity of war, and a horse who finds his way home.

“The Artist” is a delightful confection that resurrects the art of silent film for a modern audience. Let’s call it “neo-silent,” if you will, as sound does play a role in the movie, though used only sporadically and to clever effect.

Meet George Valentin. He loves himself, and why shouldn’t he? He’s a huge star, he has a loyal dog who is his constant companion in life and onscreen, audiences adore him and his existence is almost perfect except for his sour-puss wife. Jean Dujardin’s portrayal of Valentin is simply splendid. His remarkably expressive, handsome face calls to mind Gene Kelly in “Singing in the Rain.” That smile could light up the world! And like Kelly, he tempers the character’s ego with an easy charm and gentle wit that makes it impossible to hold his conceit against him.

A cute mishap on the red carpet serendipitously thrusts the unknown Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) into the spotlight alongside Valentin and a star is born. Bejo’s delightful every-girl quality is infused with infectious joy and energy that befits the old-fashioned stage name to perfection.

Problem is, while Peppy’s on the way up, Valentin is on the way down. Silent films are falling out of vogue and talkies are the rage. Peppy is the new poster girl of the now and the wow.  Valentin is a dinosaur. As his life disintegrates into ruins, he’s forced to watch from afar as Peppy’s star rises. What he doesn’t know is that she hasn’t forgotten him, and it is this aspect of the story that gives the film its heart.

Peppy keeps tabs on Valentin. One can attribute her motivation to several factors: 1) She is loyal to the fact that he discovered her, 2) She realizes that her own fame won’t last forever and one day she’ll be in his shoes, and 3) She’s been in love with him ever since they first bumped into each other in front of the flashbulbs.

Peppy becomes a sort of secret guardian angel for Valentin as the life he once knew slips further and further away. Through her, and with some help from his loyal canine companion, Valentin must find salvation. The storyline tips its hat to both “A Star is Born” and “Singing in the Rain.” It’s sweetly and unashamedly old-fashioned; an exercise in anti-cynicism that will open your heart wide if you let it.

“The Artist” gets everything just right on a technical level, thanks to director Michel Hazanavicius and his entire team. The recreation of film style from that era is phenomenal down to every detail including the saturation in the black and white, the framing and blocking of scenes, the Art Deco environs, and of course the charming fashions. But this film is more than a technical triumph, and more than homage. It’s a rousing escape to another time and place that leaves your heart lighter than when you came in.

Quite simply, it’s the feel-good movie of the year.

5 of 5 stars

George Smiley never smiles. In fact, it’s hard to know what he’s thinking or feeling behind a carefully measured gaze which one must surely learn during the course of a lifetime of service to British intelligence. It’s likely you’re hearing Gary Oldman’s name a lot lately due to richly deserved award nominations. The great challenge in this role is to allow the audience to track Smiley’s arc and thought processes without giving it away to those around him. It’s a complex and sad performance that Oldman wears like an old suit. The furrowed lines on his face tell the unspoken story of the sacrifices that one makes in the personal realm when opting for a life of service to country.

John LeCarre’s classic spy novel has a loyal fan base that will likely be pleased with the film. It doesn’t have the time to explore the complexity of the relationships of the four spies in the same way the British mini-series was able to, but it captures the deeply layered essence of the book as well as can be expected in its 2 hour running time.

“There is a mole.” The words are spoken ominously by John Hurt who plays the character simply named “Control” with the sort of world-weariness one might expect from the head of British intelligence. It’s the 70s. The Cold War is raging. And it seems that someone in the higher echelons of her Majesty’s government is working for the other side. George Smiley is tasked with investigating this convoluted web of double agents and deceit. Read the rest of this entry »

“The Devil Inside” is a crass attempt to cash in on the “found footage/fake documentary” horror craze that requires only a few good moments to be culled for the trailer in order to make millions of dollars on opening weekend. Never mind that the film is actually a stinker with bad acting and every cliché in the book (not the Bible, the other book – The Book of  Better Film Rip-Offs). Once word gets out, Paramount will have made their money. They won’t care that they foisted a sub-par product onto the public. They won’t care about the negative reviews. They got what they wanted. The shame here is not how bad the movie is (it happens), but how small the ambitions are (we’ll make a buck before they know what hit’em). Cue sad film critic shaking her head in disgust.

The film opens promisingly enough. We watch what appears to be police footage of a crime scene in which several people were brutally murdered during an exorcism. The woman is tried, found insane, hospitalized, and then moved to a hospital in Rome. Yeah… that last bit sounded unlikely to me, too. This was the first red flag. See, I’m just not sure the government of either country would agree to such a thing or that it’s even legal, but okay… moving on. Read the rest of this entry »

“Young Adult” feels like revenge, sweet revenge against the popular kids who grew up to be losers and spend their time wallowing in former glories and wondering why the rest of the world doesn’t understand that they are awesome.

Meet Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron). She writes “YA literature” (young adult novels) about catty school girls who relish their popularity, wallow in shallow pursuits, and thrive on gushy romantic foolishness. In short, she writes about herself. Problem is, she’s pushing 40. Mavis is very proud of her success as a novelist – though in truth she’s only the ghost writer of a formerly-successful series that is now being discontinued. Think “Sweet Valley High” for total bitches.

Early on we’re given glimpses into her life which involve lots of alcohol, meaningless sex, a very unkempt apartment, and lonely days of writing insipid dreck for an impatient editor. When she meets a friend for lunch, it’s at McDonalds (hardly fabulous) and the topic of discussion is her high school sweetheart’s recent email announcing the birth of his child. She carries on a lot about how lucky she is to have “gotten out” and how sorry she feels for the folks back home.

Pretty soon, she packs her bags and heads home to win over said high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson), despite his wife and new born baby. Once in town, she heads directly to a bar in order to torture her liver as much as possible. She meets Matt Freehauf, a chubby nerd she went to school with but knew only as “The Hate Crime Guy” due to a gay-bashing incident that rendered him crippled for life (never mind the fact that he isn’t gay.) Matt is played by Patton Oswalt in a performance that almost saves the film. He sees right through Mavis and isn’t shy about telling her so. His dry, comic disdain for Mavis infuses their scenes together with a weird chemistry. For some reason, perhaps boredom and curiosity, he allows himself to be dragged in to her shenanigans. They have one thing in common: their lives have been crippled by the past, but in very different ways. Read the rest of this entry »

“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” is an exercise in style. Either you enjoy Guy Ritchie’s irreverent take on the Arthur Conan Doyle classic or you do not. With the first offering in 2009, it was clear this rendering would be quite different than the more staid versions of the past. This Sherlock is decidedly flamboyant, in more ways than one.

In this sequel (hopefully one of many), Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes again employs his method of madness to foil a plot by the nefarious Professor Moriarty, played with sinister calm and confidence by Jared Harris (son of Richard) who seems to delight in making pretty boy Holmes squirm. The word “plot” is used loosely here, as it’s really all just an excuse to watch thrilling action sequences, delight in  Downey’s wonderfully bizarre and daffy performance, and enjoy the… let’s call it camaraderie… between Downey and his leading man, Jude Law.

What was hinted at in the first installment is writ much more large in the sequel. Frankly, Holmes loves Watson so much that his jealousy of the fair fiancée cannot be contained. The Holmes/Watson repartee reflects not only a long-time collaboration of clever detecting, but a weary marriage of sorts between a couple who’ve grown accustomed to each other’s peccadilloes. The humor inherent in this situation is played to sublime perfection by these two larger-than-life movie stars who wink at the audience like the good-natured gents we hope they are.

Downey’s demented take on Holmes, the chemistry between our adventuring cohorts, the steampunk look and feel of the era, and a jaw-dropping action sequence in a forest are the film’s highlights. The thin plot is the dubious and forgettable string that ties these delights together. It’s better than the first, and tons of fun.

4 of 5 stars

“Carnage” opens in a park with a group of kids taunting one lone boy who walks ahead, trying to get away from them. He takes their crap for a bit, then picks up a stick and swipes the leader of the pack in the face with it. Cut to:

Four tight-jawed parents are crammed awkwardly in a home office awaiting the final printing of a document they’ve agreed upon, which puts the responsibility of the incident squarely on the stick-bearing boy, and leaves the bully blameless. The elephant in the room being that this is the most expedient way to avoid a lawsuit.

The mother of said stick-bearer is played by Kate Winslet, who is ever so apologetic and says all the right things with such precision and care as to make it abundantly clear they were rehearsed, probably in the car on the way over with her spouse (Christoph Waltz), who has a harder time concealing his contempt for these proceedings. Jodie Foster plays the mother of the boy who was struck in the face, an unbearably strident woman who takes every opportunity to blow the incident out of proportion while her affable husband (John C. Reilly) goes out of his way to smooth things over with his aw-shucks good-natured demeanor.

What follows is an afternoon of tea and crumpets (so to speak) that devolves in ways I wouldn’t dare give away. Suffice to say the following: you’ve never seen Kate Winslet do THAT before. Read the rest of this entry »

SXSW FILM announces Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard’s The Cabin in the Woods as the 2012 SXSW Opening Night Film.  We’re also pleased to mention that Joss Whedon will participate in a key Conversation at the conference, and we will premiere the first three episodes of Lena Dunham’s HBO series GIRLS, along with a GIRLS panel featuring Judd Apatow, Lena and others on the production team. In addition to that, we’re announcing a handful of amazing films that round out a preview of the variety we’ll feature in our program this year, with some notable names as well as great indie discoveries.

Garrett J. Brown: Priorities–Set upon a background full of bluesy harmonicas and quiet guitars Brown’s debut album is his take on his observations of life with a wise twist. The track, “Passerby” is an original built out of Brown’s self taught singer-songwriter ability. It brought him some notoriety for its heartfelt music and lyrics in 2009 putting him on the proverbial singer/songwriter map. And, of course, this album would include this track as a highlight. It is an upbeat tune with rhythm driven by harmonica, backed with infectious percussion and lyrics appealing to a wide audience. “Tuesday” is a more mellow tune, handling the idea of strength in the face of change quite well. The title track, “Priorities” is a tribute to Brown’s native Vermont that speaks to simpler times.

4.0 McRiprock’s

www.garrettjbrown.net

When I hear Emily Gimble play, I can’t help but close my eyes and imagine Billy Holliday or Ella       Fitzgerald. Her voice touches you on a spiritual level, it embodies the depth of her soul and her love for the music. Willie Pipkin has this to say about Emily, “She is a rare and special talent. Her voice and soul are as timeless as music itself. I’m so honored to get to play music with her.” The accolades don’t stop there, Warren Hood says, “Emily is one of the most          talented people I’ve ever known. She is just as amazing tickling the ivories as she is when she sings.”  You’ve got no excuse to miss out on hearing her amazing talents, she plays all over town with some of the greatest we’ve got.

AustinDaze: Tell us what it was like growing up in a family of musicians?

Emily Gimble:  It was great, and definitely prepared me for a life of being a musician.  We did lots of   traveling, singing/playing, and goofing around. And, seeing my Grandpa & Dad’s love for music helped me develop one too.
I don’t really have any elaborate stories about some uber-famous person rocking me on their knee or changing my diapers. Music was just always around. I got used to going to gigs every weekend, meeting different people, listening to lots of music, and     hearing a bunch of elaborate stories about              musicians.

AD: When did you choose the piano as your instrument of choice? Who taught you to play?

EG: Here’s the long answer to that question. My   parents enrolled me in Suzuki, playing violin, when    I was four. I stayed with it until I was eight, and told my parents I would rather play fiddle. But, I never   really got around to doing that, because I knew if         I was going to get involved with that instrument I would have to shit or get off the pot. So, I got off the pot, and took up piano, around age 10. I took   lessons from the local piano teacher in Crawford, Becky Ward, for four years. Then there were a few years of strangling a guitar with power chords, and playing as loud as I possibly could, before I took up the piano again at McLennan Community College.
But, the people who taught me the most about playing piano would be my Dad, Grandpa, and Slim Richey. When I first started playing regular gigs, and they would throw me solos song after song, I had to come up with some sequence of notes to fill in the time that was passing by. Being put on the spot will make you want to go home and learn about your instrument…and it still does.

AD: What does the Austin music scene mean to you? Read the rest of this entry »

I first heard of Alejandro Escovedo about 11 years ago when someone gave me a framed poster of his former punk rock band called the True Believers (that I still have in my kitchen to this day). His name came up again a few years later while I was talking with my friend Jody, it seemed everyone knew him and loved his music. Skip ahead a few years,          Alejandro was playing a gig after Toni Price at the Continental Club and my ride home fell through, so I stayed and caught the show. I was            instantly drawn to the magic that he wields on stage. That was four years ago, and since that time I have only missed one or two of his shows in Austin. Aside from his live shows, his albums are amazing, each is better than the next. I’ve had the pleasure of catching some of the material from the new album at his shows, and I think it’s going to be his best yet. He’s as passionate about music as it comes, and his songwriting skills have the power to just shake you.

AUSTINDAZE:  How long have you been on the scene in Austin?

It was 1980 that I moved to Austin. I played in Austin in late ‘79/early ‘80 on tour with Rank and File.  We went to Houston and these friends with this fanzine Contempo Culture gave us some pot to bring to Austin for Lester Bangs.  It never made it, but we did make it to Austin. I fell in love immediately. I always wanted to come back to Texas, I was born in San Antonio.

AD: Austin Music Scene

When I first got there, I just caught the tail end of Townes, Willie playing smaller venues like The Opry House, Shoal Creek Saloon, places like that. I got to see all those guys Jubal Clark and Pat Mears, Lucinda was busking on the Drag, Joe Ely at the Alamo, do you remember the Alamo Hotel? It was right on the corner on 6th, by the main post office          downtown. Lyndon Johnson’s brother lived there, there was a restaurant in the basement and this beautiful little bar. This guy Martin, and Bobby Nelson, not Willie’s sister, she was a lawyer. They had a bar there that was a listening room, I’d never played in a listening room. In fact the first time I ever sang in public was there, I did a Jimmie Rodgers song. It was just so different back then, there was so much space. I mean when the students would leave in the summertime, the streets were pretty empty. Obviously it’s much larger now, more populated, but I think the soul and spirit of Austin holds true, ya know? Even if we have a different skyline now it’s still my favorite place to live. I love calling Austin home.

AD: On the Sensitive Boys name Read the rest of this entry »

The Sahara Lounge is the new club in town. It is located in the spot that went by the name of TC’s, 1413 Webberville Rd. 78721 (512) 927-0700. Some things have changed, but not  much. On any given night you could find yourself at the bar next to the guitar player that left you in shreds the night before, or the guy that plays drums in three of your favorite bands. There is a reason so many musicians flock to this watering hole, and it’s not because of the sexy Austin Daze sign. (That’s good enough reason for me!) The reason they hang out there is because it’s a real place, ya know? Topaz is a real musician who is doing it right, trying to get the club up and going. He’s done a lot of work on the inside and the outside, making it a comfortable place for everyone to hang out. He built a new doorway to a beer garden in the back and new bathrooms, while still maintaining the original vibe. Austin is lucky to have Topaz, a real Austin musician,           invested in preserving the music scene and creating a cool environment for all of us to take part in. He’s one of us, he’s a hard working musician keeping the scene alive in East Austin.

AustinDaze:  First things first, let’s clear the air. Let’s get some      history. Tell me how you came to acquire the former TC’s.

T: A friend told me TC’s was for sale and I was already working with my mother and her husband looking for a place to start a music venue.             I suggested we check it out – so we went and talked to TC to find out what the deal was, and he said he was ready to retire.  We decided to go for it.

AD: Tell us the process of re-opening the club and how the name, The Sahara came to be.

T: It was a ridiculous amount of work! The name came about because we serve West African BBQ and I thought it also lent itself to the seedy loungy vibe of the place.

AD: What have you changed and what has stayed the same? Read the rest of this entry »

MARSHALL HOOD

Marshall Hood comes from a long line of amazing musicians, and is an   incredible singer and guitar player in his own right. He’s got big shoes to fill, and he doesn’t disappoint. I see him weekly with Toni Price and he’s always bringing something new to the show. I never get bored of seeing him play. His great melodies really flesh out the music. He writes songs in a way that speaks so closely to my personal experience, it’s uncanny. He’s playing with a new band, Marshall Hood and The Bads, and I can’t wait to see what they’ve been working on.

AustinDaze: What’s it like to play music with such a loaded last name?

Marshall Hood: Ha, it’s good to be a Hood. I’m really lucky to be a part of a musical family. I’m honored get to play my uncle’s music, and keep that alive. It’s hard work to keep up the family name!

AD: When did you start playing the guitar? Who taught you to play?

MH: Well, I got my first real guitar when I was in the third grade, and took lessons from a local guitarist from my hometown in Spartanburg SC, Randy Foster. I took lessons from him for a couple months got flustered and quit. Then the next year I took lessons from him again and quit.             I didn’t pick it up again until I was about in the 7th grade, and took lessons again for about two years. Now I can’t seem to put the darn thing down.

AD: What’s special about the music scene in Austin to you? Read the rest of this entry »

There is very little one can say to truly capture the visual splendor of Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo.” It is a breathtaking masterpiece, at once homage to early cinema innovation, and at the same time a harbinger of the vast possibilities still ahead of us.

“Hugo” is about an orphan boy (Asa Butterfield) who lives within the walls of a train station, winding the clocks so no one will notice that his alcoholic uncle caretaker is no longer around to do the job. His troubles include a nosy, orphan-hating station captain played with pitch-perfect wit by Sacha Baron Cohen, an angry toy shop clerk played with sad subtext by Ben Kingsley in what should be an Oscar nominated performance, a pretty girl with an affinity for literature played with plucky charm by Chloe Grace Moretz, and a mystery to solve which involves an automaton that Hugo and his father (Jude Law) were repairing before his dad’s untimely death. The mystery that unfolds leads the story into unexpected territory: the genius of a forgotten early cinema pioneer.

In this tale of artistry and craft, Scorsese uses 3D technology to highlight the themes of the film, rather than cheap gimmickry (as is so often the case with 3D.) The beginning sequence is so breathtaking that the audience literally gasped when the title “HUGO” finally appeared in large letters on the screen. One wonders, if that’s just the opening sequence, what can we be in store for next? A lot.

The beauty of the Paris train station circa 1930s and its quaint shops are captured with such grace and charm that one feels transported. The tracking shots inside the inner workings of the clock tower gears and the gritty walls where Hugo resides juxtapose a darker, less colorful world. The detail with which Scorsese handles scale is mind-boggling. For example, the angles of the Eiffel Tower are spatially accurate according to Hugo’s position in the tower and the city. The loving care given to every detail in the film is enough to bring tears alone. But it’s in Scorsese’s homage to the pioneers of cinema that the film really finds its heart. These sequences are shared with such childlike awe and whimsy, that only the coldest of hearts could remain unmoved.

Mr. Scorsese has some fun with the audience, too, by introducing classic scenes from early cinema and (lest we feel superior in our modern sophistication) recreating them within the story itself using current technology to illustrate how effective those scenes still are. We really aren’t all that different from audiences who were privileged to experience cinema in its infancy, and thanks to Mr. Scorsese, we are now able to experience some of that awe and wonder today, as if watching a movie for the first time.

I’m a purist. An avid 3D hater. And yet I beseech you to see this film in theaters in 3D. Do not wait for the DVD. It will not be the same film. This movie deserves to be seen as the artist(s) intended, in all its fanciful, ambitious glory.

“Hugo” is a spectacular masterpiece for all ages and forever.

5 of 5 stars

“The Descendants” gives us George Clooney’s best performance to date. Let’s just get that out of the way. I had grown weary of Mr. Clooney’s most-frequent on-screen persona of the uber-competent man thrust into a morally compromising dilemma. I had also grown weary of watching those very similar performances gain Oscar nominations. Here, he’s doing something different, and it’s more than just refreshing. There’s something deeply satisfying in the wide-eyed, what-the-hell-am-I-supposed-to-do-now expression he adopts throughout much of the film, particularly in response to his errant daughters. It’s relatable (to be sure), comic (certainly), and touching (most of all.)

It was a smart move to turn himself over to Alexander Payne, a director known for stretching A-list actors (“Sideways,” “About Schmidt,” “Election”). Mr. Payne has a knack for stories which mine life’s awkward moments to find both the comedy and drama in them, and here he’s given us his most accessible film. The Hawaiian views are spectacular, the locale and culture are captured with detail and specificity, the family dynamics feel alive with depth and sincerity, and the emotional catharsis is powerful.

“The Descendants” deals with the inevitable death of a coma patient whose secrets are revealed before she breathes her last, leaving her confused and grieving soon-widower (Matt King, played by Clooney) with a mix of emotions in extreme degrees. She’s also about to leave behind two daughters, Alex (Shailene Woodley) and Scotty (Amara Miller), who are seriously lacking in parental supervision and respect for authority. There’s a mystery of sorts (which I won’t give away) that thrust father and eldest daughter on an adventure together. It is this relationship that flavors the film with delightful surprises. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a pitch for a film:
Americana, desolate small town life, a mom baking cookies, a heinous crime, a honky tonk in a neighboring town called “Cut and Shoot,” a petty criminal who learns to read in prison, an obsession with a red sports car, a chase, a shoot-out, a fleeing felon yelling “balls to the walls!” as the bullets fly, victims left glaze-eyed in the wake of tragedy, an inmate’s wife impregnated in vitro style via contraband, a death house captain’s conversion experience, an incarcerated father who finds a way to save his son’s life.

Sound like too much? No one would believe it.

But this film is not fiction. It is documentary. Lord Byron was right about truth being stranger than fiction. It’s also more fascinating.

To look at the world through Werner Herzog’s eyes is to view human nature with insatiable curiosity. Indeed, the auteur has set his particular genius upon this task more times than we can list here, but some highlights include “Grizzly Man,”, “Aguirre: The Wrath of God,” and “Stroszek.” With “Into the Abyss,” he has wrought something unique and penetrating, yet again.

The documentary explores the aftermath of a tragic and senseless crime that took place in Conroe, Texas in October 2001. Two teenagers murdered three people for the sole purpose of joyriding in a shiny red car. The stupidity and cruelty of this act is impossible to measure (hence: the abyss), but Herzog does a good job of trying by interviewing the family members of the victims, who are heartbreakingly sincere and generous in sharing their pain.

This crime and its aftermath, though, serve as the backdrop to a larger discussion about the death penalty. This is not an activist film. It does not seek to exonerate the perpetrators; they are clearly guilty and the film wastes no time arguing otherwise. Instead, the point here seems to be simply to look and listen and learn what we may about a culture that breeds Michael Perrys and Jason Burketts, then kills them in the bizarre ritual known as state executions. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. John at One World Theater, Sunday November 6th

by the MC

Mac Rebennack, also known as Dr. John The Night Tripper, plays a heady gumbo blend of blues, jazz, rock, funk, mysticism and zydeco. The Grammy award winner is one of the most unique voices to ever come out of the Crescent City and was finally inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame just this year. Mac heavily credits Louis Armstrong as an influence for helping him create good music. There are only two kinds of music, according to Mac, good and bad. Sunday night, the persona known as Dr. John showed up at One World Theater to play the good kind.

The lower 911 band, including David Barard on bass and John Fohl on guitar, strolls onto the stage.  A new drummer replaces longtime band mate Herman “Roscoe” Ernest III, who passed away from cancer earlier this year. Mac steps out onto the stage  looking like a pirate magician, adorned with hat, sunglasses and Mardi Gras beads. Mac sits down between the baby grand piano and Hammond organ positioned center stage, both decorated with voodoo skulls.  The older West Austin crowd is a little contained in their enthusiasm and it will take a little while to warm them up. The band starts off the show with the syncopated groove of “Now That You Got Me” from 2001′s Creole Moon.

The good doctor rolls right into Duke Ellington’s “I’m Gonna Go Fishin’”. Then, Mac switches to the organ for the freaky “Black Widow Spider” from his second album Babylon. The song reminds one of a sexy Bourbon Street  seductress that left with both your heart and your wallet. How evil can a woman can be? The band then cranks up the party with “Bruha Bembe”. Although the Creole lyrics are almost impossible to understand, the song’s mojo is like some dark bayou babe dancing you into a trance and then stealing your soul.

When Barard exhorts everyone to get on up for the re-fried confusion of “Right Place, Wrong Time”, you remember why Rebennack’s 1973 record In the Right Place was such a big hit. Everyone knows this one, and the audience chimes in on the suggestive lyric “If I don’t do it, somebody else will…”

People forget that Rebennack was originally a guitarist until he lost part of his left ring finger in a shooting. So when Mac picks up the guitar for “Mama Papa” everything gets real fine and greasy. Next, it’s back to the piano for “Mos ‘Scocious” as Mac sings about love and lust and asks a bodacious babe “Whatchya doin’ to me?”

Mac turns to the organ again for “Mama Roux” from his ground breaking first record Gris-Gris and the guys in the band sing backup like they are The Supremes.  Wham bam, thank you m’am. The famous favorite “Such a Night,” also from In the Right Place, includes a rolling piano solo that proves Mac can really play the keys. The tune brings a standing ovation from the crowd.

The band does barrel house blues cover of “Keep on Going” by New Orleans cornetist Melvin Lastie, which is included on City That Care Forgot. The band then plays “Why Come” from 1998′s Anutha Zone. Yeah, yeah yeah… Mac gets up to do a little dance and lighting seems to strike the organ as the band pumps out “Holding Pattern” from Creole Moon to complete the spell.

The band rolls out a slow, bluesy version of the classic “When the Saints Go Marching In” and we all praise the lord as “Lay My Burden” brings out the glory hallelujah of a church revival. I was expecting St. James Infirmary or Iko Iko, but the closer is a poignant “So Long” from Afterglow. There are no encores and no goodbyes. Mac just slides out into the night. It might be best to see Dr. John in Tipitina’s with the booze flowing and people dancing until 2am, but this little tour brings the feel of the French Quarter to Austin, so that those of us stuck in Texas can pardi hardi like its Mardi.

I can’t wait to see the Night Tripper again. Dr. John’s latest record is titled Tribal. Go get it.

The MC