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Graphic identity for Banned, Burned, Seized, and Censored exhibition (image courtesy of the Harry Ransom Center)
The “Banned, Burned, Seized, and Censored” exhibit is on now until January 22, 2012 at the Harry Ransom Center. Entry to the Center is always free on Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 AM to 5 PM, with extended hours until 7 PM on Thursdays, and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 PM. The opening gala is tomorrow night (September 9) from 6 to 8 PM. Tickets are $20 at the door, or free for members of the Center. And don’t miss their reading list of banned and censored books, most of which you can find at your local library!
- The City of Austin is offering “Take it to the Next Level” free workshops for creatives, including today’s class, “Protecting Your Work: Intellectual Property Basics for Artists and Creative Types” from 3 to 5:30 PM at the Cultural Arts Division Offices (201 E. 2nd Street). Topics to be covered include legal issues of trademark, copyright, trade secrets and patents; how to enforces your right to protected work; and a guided tour of state and federal trademark applications and copyright registration. Presenter Andrea Beleno Harrington is an attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid’s Legal Assistance to Microenterprises Project (LAMP). Check out the rest of their scheduled classes for 2011 at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/redevelopment/nextlevel_schedule.htm.
The Alamo Drafthouse’s Rolling Roadshow presents a free screening of our favorite 80′s movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, this Sunday, September 11 at 7:30 PM. There’s a $5 suggested donation for entry to the pre-show street party, and lawnchairs are recommended. Movie starts at 9 PM.- A free screening of the award-winning documentary DIVE! will be played at the Blanton Museum of Art as part of the Hungry in America panel discussion presented by the Capital Area Food Bank on Thursday, September 15 at 6 PM. The museum is located at 200 E. MLK Blvd. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned foods for the CAFB food drive to receive $1 off regular admission to the museum. Check out the film’s trailer online here.
Posts Tagged ‘Alamo Drafthouse’
Slackerwood’s done it again: 2011 guide to Austin’s free flicks
2011
06.01
06.01
As bargain hunters and freebie-lovers, we’re always excited when local film blog Slackerwood announces their annual list of free (and cheap) summer movies. This year’s list is no different, including some of the usual suspects like the Alamo’s Rolling Roadshow and Summer Kids Camp, Paramount’s Summer Classics and free movies from the Austin Public Library, but also some newcomers.
What’s hot? Check out Cinema East for free flicks every other Sunday on the lawn of the French Legation Museum. They haven’t yet announced their line-up, but if their past screenings are any indication, these aren’t your usual sleepy summer blockbusters.
And if you love Audrey Hepburn, martinis, manicures or Truman Capote’s brilliant novella, you won’t want to miss the double-feature of Breakfast at Tiffany’s (with optional Martinis & Manicures upgrade) and Charade at the Paramount on Saturday June 25 and Sunday June 26.
Great job, Slackerwood! Be sure to check the rest of their post for plenty of free (and cheap) options to keep you busy this summer.
How to Cinco de Mayo like a true Austinite
2011
05.05
05.05
It’s Cinco de Mayo, and here in Austin we take our 5th of May partying seriously. Okay, so technically this is a Mexican civic holiday and not an American one, but being so close to the border ‘n’ all, Texans have unofficially adopted this reason to booze it up and consume mass quantities of tacos. (Like we don’t do that *every* day?)
If it’s your first time partying Cinco de Mayo style, here’s a quick lesson in what to eat, drink, and where to get your 1862 Mexican defeat of France on.
What to eat:
Via the Culinary School of the Rockies’ home chef newsletter, try this slow-cooker recipe for carnitas (pork tacos), which they’ve adapted from a recipe in Bon Appétit.
Classic carnitas (photo by Flickr user Brandon Doran)
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 4 c (or more) chicken stock
- ½ large onion, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 avocado, sliced
- fresh cilantro sprigs
- salsa
- tortillas
Directions:
- Place pork in slow cooker with salt, black pepper and dried oregano to coat. Place onion pieces atop pork. Cover with chicken stock.
- Cover slow cooker and cook pork on low setting until meat is very tender and falling apart — about 6 hours.
- Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to cutting board. Discard onion pieces. Using fingers or two forks, shred pork.
- Warm tortillas and place a heaping mound of carnitas, a couple slices of avocado, salsa and cilantro atop each tortilla to assemble tacos.
- Enjoy warm.
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If you can’t wait 6 hours for delicious taco goodness, check out our secret recipe for great homemade tacos instead — ready in about 30 minutes!
What to drink:
Obviously, anything Mexican goes. Instead of playing it safe with a boring old Corona, why not take the plunge with a tasty Michelada? You can grab a canned version called the Chelada at your local grocery store (in a tall-boy can), or make one from scratch. DIY it like so:
- 12 oz. Mexican light beer (Corona, Dos XX, etc.)
- 6 oz. Clamato (yes, this is a drink that combines tomato and clam juice)
- 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dashes Tabasco sauce (or more, if you like it spicy!)
- juice from 2 limes
- 1 pinch coarsely ground pepper + 1 pinch sea salt
Michelada (photo by Flickr user Tom Karlo)
Just shake everything but the beer together with a few cubes of ice, then pour the beer and Clamato into a tall glass together simultaneously. Be careful not to overfill, as the beer will foam up. You can rim your glass with celery salt, if desired. (Thanks to Ruben the “real Mexican” who posted this recipe in the comments section at DrinksMixer.com!)
If you’re not into Clamato, well, I guess there’s always Margaritas, but you’ll have to locate a recipe for those on your own, friendo!
Where to party:
Once you’ve had some tacos, some Micheladas, and located some peeps waving Mexican flags, you probably want to know where the heck you can get out and PAR-TAY, am I right? Here are but a few of the overwhelming options in town this evening:
- Three Amigos Quote-Along at the Alamo Drafthouse (7 PM at both the Ritz and Lake Creek locations) – featuring all-you-can-eat tacos! A classic gringo comedy, featuring Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short getting their asses whupped by banditos.
- Free Cinco de Mayo Dance Party with GOBI and Friends
- La Condesa Downtown Block Party (5-10 PM)
Also happening, like they do every Thursday:
- First Thursdays SoCo
- Social Cycling ATX’s Thursday Night Ride (check their Twitter for more info)
Got more Cinco de Mayo recipes to share? Tweet us @shoestringATX!
Weird Wednesday: Alamo insanity
2011
02.23
02.23
As you may already be intimately familiar with the Alamo Drafthouse’s wild and crazy “Weird Wednesday” programming by Lars Nilsen, I won’t belabor the point. Suffice to say, this week’s offering is entitled Black Cobra which, according to Lars, features Laura Gemser as “a stripper with a python act who has a very strange effect on two brothers — sleazy charmer (and her real life husband) Gabriele Tinti and the late, great Jack Palance, as a bizarre, ranting snake fetishist.”
All we can really say is… it’s $1, it’s weird, and it’s Wednesday in Austin. So why the hell not? (18+, by the way, and all Weird Wednesday shows start at midnight.)
For more deets on upcoming Weird Wednesday offerings, check Lars’ blog, or dig the Austin Chronicle‘s interview with the man himself for insight into some very twisted minds and movies.
But…
Perhaps you’re into a different kind of weirdness?
The Alamo’s Ritz location is also showing the Bette Davis classic All About Eve this Wednesday at 7 PM, hosted by drag queen extraordinaire Rebecca Havemeyer.
Live pre-show antics may or may not include “mystery guests, live animals, live-via-satellite mayhem, and enough song and dance to win a blue ribbon,” so don’t miss this blast from the past if you’re big into Bette, bitches and booze!
Alamo Drafthouse
2009
11.19
11.19
I knew when I moved to Austin that I had to check out the Alamo Drafthouse movie theaters. The concept is simple: it’s a movie theater that also serves up booze. I’d heard Chicago has a similar concept happening, but Austin’s Alamo blows this out of the water. Not only do they serve alcohol and the standard popcorn and Junior Mints, but they’ve also got a full menu for those who like to take dinner and a movie all at the same location.
Alamo Drafthouse Ritz (photo via Alamo Drafthouse)
At first, you might wonder if all this chowing down and ordering during the films might turn a rowdy crowd loose, with NYC-style yelling at the screen encouraged. Luckily, the rules are simple and spelled out for newbies by groovy waitstaff: write your order on the slip of paper and place it standing up in the designated pocket. The waiter will come by to take and deliver your order silently, and will place a bill on the narrow table to pay before you leave. Warnings from Homestar Runner are also played onscreen to remind the audience to shut the heck up, turn off cell phones, and refrain from rowdy behavior. Sweet!
For those who do like to talk back to the screen, there’s another bonus: the Alamo’s Quote-Alongs and Sing-Alongs. Seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off so many times you can quote the whole thing from start to finish? Lucky for you, there’s Quote-Along night, where “you’re *required* to yell out your favorite lines, stand up and dance to the best songs from the soundtrack, and play with a series of props that are handpicked for most movies.” For all those who’ve ever seen (and loved) the cult-classic Grandma’s Boy, there’s an upcoming Quote-Along scheduled for December 24. Even if you’re way too baked to drive to the Devil’s house and have a robot vagina, you won’t want to miss this one, Grey Bush.
As the type of person who likes to comment aloud on movies (especially the really bad ones), I’m pretty stoked about the Quote-Alongs, as well as their Weird Wednesdays (where only $1 gets you in) and monthly Dionysium debates (for those who like to get their think on). If you’re a hard-working member of the service industry, you also get a break on Monday-night movies, pizza and pints. Nice!
The menu varies from one Drafthouse to the next (there are four locations in total), but all feature movie-themed menu items such as “The Breakfast Club” (lettuce, tomato, smoked bacon and a fried egg on sourdough with chipotle mayo) and the “Royale With Cheese Burger” (an Angus patty with lettuce, tomato, onions, cheddar cheese, bacon and chipotle mayo). When I hit up the Alamo’s Village location, I tried one of their white wines during a viewing of Where the Wild Things Are. It was kind of surreal to be watching a kid’s book that had been made into a movie for adults whilst drinking wine as a few rugrats got scared to death a few seats over.
The only negative thing I can really say about the Alamo Drafthouse is that if you drink half a bottle of wine while you watch a movie, you’re probably going to have to use the bathroom about halfway through. This isn’t a big deal when you’re watching flicks at home and can just pause the DVD, but it’s a bit annoying to have to sneak out, pee, and come back to your seat. I guess this is probably why most theaters don’t serve alcohol. But then again, they do serve those giant 48-ounce sodas, so what do I know?
All in all, the Alamo Drafthouse is definitely my favorite cinema in Austin, and one of my top hangouts overall. Check it out and bask in one of the ways locals like to Keep Austin Weird.
