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AGLIFF review –‘Bright Shadow’
Ana Egge (lower right) performs in “Bright Shadow” I suspect that many Austinites are familiar with having a favorite local band or artist who you...
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AGLIFF review –‘Kiki’
Chi Chi Mizrahi and Twiggy Pucci Garcon star in “Kiki” It’s been 25 years since audiences were first introduced to the Ballroom scene in New York City thanks to...
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Studio Ghibli’s “The Red Turtle” is a melancholy tale of survival
Dutch director Michael Dudok de Wit takes a very minimalist approach with his new feature, the first ever international co-production from legendary Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli. It’s a fairy...
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Post-apocalyptic “The Bad Batch” bites off more than it can chew
In her second full-length film, writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour throws us into a fairly specific post-apocalyptic world of her own creation and provides viewers very few details. In this (possibly)...
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Terrifying thriller “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” is not for the squeamish
For three generations in Grantham, Virginia, the Tildens have owned and operated the local morgue and crematorium. Tony (Brian Cox) has been showing his son Austin (Emile Hirsch) the ropes, but he’s...
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“Buster’s Mal Heart” examines Y2K paranoia with the help of “Mr. Robot” star...
In the post-film Q&A for her second feature, Sarah Adina Smith referred to “Buster’s Mal Heart” as “an atheist’s lament.” It’s a story not so much of dual personalities, but of how a person...
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Paul Verhoeven returns to the big screen with controversial “Elle”
For his first feature film in a decade, Paul Verhoeven (“Basic Instinct”) originally intended to shoot in Boston and had a long list of famous actresses (including Nicole Kidman) he wanted to star....
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Julia Ducournau’s “Raw” is an unforgettable debut film
While introducing the U.S. Premiere of Julia Ducournau’s “Raw,” Fantastic Fest programmer Evrim Ersoy declared it “the most audacious genre film of 2016.” After viewing, it’s hard to argue with the...
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“Re: Born” is a brutally violent comeback for Tak Sakaguchi
“Re: Born” is a title that makes sense once you watch the latest film from Yuji Shimomura (“Death Trance”), but it might as well have been called “One Man Army.” Tak Sakaguchi (“Versus”) has come out...
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SXSW Film: “Unrest” examines pain-riddled life with chronic fatigue
“Unrest.” Contributed by Shella Films Once upon a time, Jen Brea seemingly had a perfect life. She was pursuing her doctorate at Harvard, where she had also fallen in love and met her future husband....
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SXSW Film: “The Transfiguration” is a refreshingly original take on vampire lore
Eric Ruffin as Milo in “The Transfiguration.” Contributed by Sung Rae Cho Michael O’Shea’s directorial debut manages to deliver a story that effortlessly floats between the life of a troubled loner and...
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Melanie Lynskey talks bad auditions and how a sitcom helped her stay indie...
Melanie Lynskey interviewed by director Megan Griffiths during SXSW. Photo by Matt Shiverdecker. I was a senior in high school when Peter Jackson’s “Heavenly Creatures” rolled into my local art house...
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SXSW Film: “Sylvio” graduates from Vine to the big screen
“Sylvio.” Contributed by Eric LaPlante The character of Sylvio, an “ordinary gorilla,” originally launched on Vine. By the time the 6-second video service shut down last year, the account had over half...
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‘Infinity Baby’ mines futuristic concept for sharply observed laughs
Kieran Culkin and Noël Wells in “Infinity Baby.” Contributed by Matthias Grunsky Austin-based filmmaker Bob Byington is no stranger to South by Southwest. The festival screened his previous two...
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Joe Swanberg’s ‘Win It All’ won over SXSW, heads for Netflix
“Win It All.” Contributed by Mitch Buss After toiling away for over a decade making incredibly low-budget independent films, director Joe Swanberg has fallen into a groove with Netflix that seems to...
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‘Muppet Guys Talking’ is like hanging out with old friends at SXSW
From left, Dave Goelz, Fran Brill, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson and Bill Barretta in “Muppet Guys Talking.” Contributed by 2017 Vibrant Mud LLC Janet Pierson, the head of SXSW Film, has said that they never...
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‘Walking Out’ is a bold and unexpectedly emotional tale of survival
David (Josh Wiggins) and Cal (Matt Bomer) in “Walking Out.” Contributed by Standa Honzik Twin brothers Alex and Andrew Smith were both Austin residents until somewhat recently. Alex continues to live...
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‘The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin’ is essential viewing
Armistead Maupin at the San Francisco Chronicle. Contributed by KQED I’m not a gay writer. I’m a writer who happens to be gay. That quote, from an archival interview in the 1970s, is one of the first...
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Familial deception is at the heart of Austin-based film ‘La Barracuda’
Sinaloa (Sophie Reid) and Merle (Allison Tolman) in “La Barracuda.” Contributed by Patrick Rusk This new thriller from Austin-based directors Julia Halperin and Jason Cortlund (“Now, Forager”) is built...
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Sundance smash ‘Patti Cake$’ busts a rhyme at SXSW
“Patti Cake$.” Contributed by Jeong Park 23-year-old Patricia (newcomer Danielle Macdonald) lives in New Jersey with her mother, Barb (Bridget Everett), and ailing grandmother (Cathy Moriarty). Her...
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