Born On This Date: Cinema’s Greatest Magician George Méliès
George Méliès, born on this date in 1861, brought dreams and magic to the cinema, where they have remained ever since in varying quantities. A stage magician by trade who owned his own theater and obsessively tinkered with his illusions, Méliès immediately saw the advantages that the young medium of moving pictures offered. He built […]
Watch This: John Belushi Walks on His SNL Co-stars’ Graves in Tom Schiller’s Short
Tom Schiller will join AFS for a screening of SCHILLER’S REELS, his best short films, and his feature NOTHING LASTS FOREVER on Monday December 21. The show will be cohosted by author and Schiller superfan Zack Carlson. From the earliest days of Saturday Night Live, short films were a part of the show. Albert Brooks […]
Happy 85th Birthday Godard; Huppert & Karina Recount Their First Meetings with J-L.G.
Today is the 85th birthday of a filmmaker who has lived a life of rebellion against the status quo, against safety, against security, against his own “success.” A filmmaker who has angered, alienated and bored many, and also made beautiful films which helped to create a new way of interacting with the moving image. Whether […]
From Grady Hendrix: The Japanese Criterion Classics You Can’t Buy
Masahiro Shinoda’s KILLERS ON PARADE (1961) Our favorite writer on Asian Cinema Grady Hendrix has a Film Comment article here about some of the Japanese titles that Criterion has in its vaults that are not available on DVD but that are available on Hulu. While many people rely on Hulu for repeats of network TV […]
Here’s an Hour of Allison Anders Interviewing Wim Wenders, Enjoy!
AFS has a gigantic Wim Wenders retrospective coming up in January and February. We can’t wait. In the meantime, here’s an appetizer. Writer/director Allison Anders talking at length to her longtime friend Wenders.
Born On This Day: Harpo Marx; Watch Harpo & Chico Play a Piano Duet Like No Other
Harpo Marx, one of the three funniest Marx Brothers, was born on this date in 1888. The Marx Brothers’ family had show biz connections and their mother Minnie had the necessary iron will to serve as their manager during the turn of the century musical variety years. The brothers were all fine musicians and it […]
Watch This: The Life & Times of Don Luis Buñuel; also: His Perfect Martini Recipe
Luis Buñuel’s LOS OLVIDADOS screens Tuesday 11/24 at AFS @ The Marchesa, hosted by Richard Linklater with special guest Professor Charles Ramírez Berg, author of The Classical Mexican Cinema. Has there ever been a great filmmaker with the range and diversity of material shown by Luis Buñuel? It’s staggering to think that the same filmmaker who […]
Watch This: Live from Lisbon – The Austin Panel
Halfway around the world a few days ago, a group of people gathered together at the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival to talk about Austin as a film city success story. The panel, consisting of Louis Black, Sandy Boone, David Gordon Green, Geoff Marslett and Bob Byington talk at length about what makes Austin special […]
Scene Missing: Dennis Hopper, American Dreamer
Dennis Hopper’s THE LAST MOVIE is, as has been recorded by practically everyone who saw it since its release, a flawed film (aren’t they all?), and a deeply self-indulgent exercise. It also carries the potent smoke of its era in every frame, and if Hopper’s final cut of the film makes little linear sense, maybe […]
Born On This Date: René Clair – Watch His 1924 Dada Masterpiece ENTR’ACTE
René Clair (born on this date in 1898) is well known as one of the most important figures in film history, from his early triumphs LE MILLION and À NOUS LA LIBERTÉ to his American period which includes THE GHOST GOES WEST and I MARRIED A WITCH and through to his postwar return to France […]
Watch This: Documentary About AFS At The Marchesa Wins an Emmy!
It was an honor to work with the talented crew of Mario Troncoso and Chelsea Hernandez on their KLRU Arts In Context documentary BEST LITTLE ART HOUSE IN TEXAS last year. The show also covers Michael Moore’s State Theater in Traverse City Michigan. Now they have taken home a Lone Star Emmy for the show! […]
Cool Thing To Do Alert: The Austin Asian American Film Festival is Wilder Than You Think
The stars of ATOMIC HEART, taking a break from being pursued by other-dimensional Saddam Hussein Considering how busy we are in all of our lives and how many film screening opportunities there are going on all the time in Austin, we might occasionally overlook something pretty great. This is pretty great. The Austin Asian American […]
