A Jaw-Dropping Archive of Austin’s Moviegoing Heritage
All around the world Austin is known to be one of the filmgoing (and filmmaking) capitals. We have a long history of critical viewing and adventurous film programming. Now a resource has become available that sheds light on some of the formative years of Austin’s film scene. It’s the CinemaTexas Notes Archive. CinemaTexas was a […]
Wait – Robert Altman Directed Music Videos?
Back during the ’60s in the US and Europe, you might have walked into a bar and come face to face with a video jukebox. The most well-known of these brands was the Scopitone. Just as a standard jukebox is loaded with records of current hits, these video jukeboxes were loaded with 16mm (or 8mm) […]
Orson Welles: The Most Interesting Man in the Universe?
In 1955, the BBC invited Orson Welles to create a series of 15 minute monologues for broadcast. He is a fascinating speaker, of course, and his life experience, even at the relatively tender age of 40, was prodigious. The format of the series is very basic, Welles shows sketches he has made over the years […]
“Where’s the Horizon?!!!” When 15-year-old Steven Spielberg Met John Ford
It’s a story with something of the complexity (and wit) of a Zen koan. Listen to Steven Spielberg recount his childhood meeting with his lifelong hero John Ford. It’s one of the best stories of any kind you’ll ever hear, and if you love Ford, you’ll cherish this story. It’s a moment of tremendous film-historical […]
Please Be Silent: Archival Photos of Silent Screen Performers & Directors
Recently we scanned some silent photos from our library here at the Austin Film Society. Here are some gems from the collection. Clockwise from seated: Josef von Sternberg, Maximilian Fabian, Conrad Nagel, Matthew Betz, Renee Adoree Lillian Gish, circa WAY DOWN EAST (1920) Lillian & Dorothy Gish in ORPHANS OF THE STORM (1921) Clarence […]
These Mysterious, Privately-Produced Diana Rigg Short Films Are Crazy
Dame Diana Rigg is a great actress who has been thrilling audiences for a long time, from her beginnings on the stage through her run on the silly but fun AVENGERS TV series and on through her many excellent performances and now on GAME OF THRONES. In THE AVENGERS she played no-nonsense genius secret agent […]
Selected Shorts: Todd Rohal Presents More Madness from Matthew Silver
Portrait of the artist as a madman Last month, filmmaker Todd Rohal shared the impossible-to-mentally-or-spiritually-digest short SMASHIN’ IT UP with us. As soon as we were out of traction and were peering cautiously out the front door, Rohal threw this at us – another masterpiece of “I no know” called MOTHER & SON, made by […]
Watch this Great Austin-made Horror Short From 1964
The Texas Archive Of The Moving Image was founded in 2002 by the University Of Texas Professor Dr. Caroline Frick with the intention of preserving, archive and educate the public about Texas film. TAMI has rescued hundreds of hours of film from basements, school warehouses & elsewhere. Along the way they have uncovered some special treasures. […]
Jack Benny’s Comic Legacy is Alive & … Well!
To those of you who are fortunate enough to be in Austin on Monday December 8, don’t miss the free-for-all History Of Television show. We do these every other month and this month we pay a long overdue tribute to a man who, pretty much more than anybody else, created the sitcom as we know […]
Happy 90th Birthday to Illustrator Jack Davis
Jack Davis’ caricature style is instantly recognizable. He has been a highly prolific illustrator for most of his 90 years. He has done EC horror comics, Mad Magazine, many magazine covers and also some pretty significant movie posters. Enjoy this small gallery of some of Jack Davis’ poster work.
Watch Maya Deren’s Unfinished 1943 Occult Movie
Maya Deren was an experimental filmmaker probably best known for her dreamlike first film MESHES OF THE AFTERNOON and the unforgettable documentary DIVINE HORSEMEN: THE LIVING GODS OF HAITI. Here are the shots taken for an unfinished film called WITCH’S CRADLE (1943). The silence, repetition of takes, and slates between shots add an element of […]
We’re Thankful for A/V Geeks: Here are 5 Reasons Why
I saw my first A/V Geeks show in the rec room of a Durham church in 1992 or so. Skip Elsheimer had two projectors and was overlaying the two images on one screen as I recall. It was an interesting experiment and Skip was even more interesting to talk to. It turned out that the […]
