Shortcuts

If you're picking this issue up just as it hits the streets and you happen to be hungry, your best bet is to hie yourself over to the Alamo Drafthouse where on Thursday, July 30, at 8pm, it's Spaghetti Western/Spaghetti Feast night. Screening will be Sergio Leone's immortal epic Once Upon a Time in the West along with all-you-can-eat meat or veggie spaghetti. Tickets are $15 and additionally include a bottle of wine (for every two persons), Caesar salad, and focaccia. Keep in mind that Leone's movie is nearly three hours long, which is a prodigious amount of time to be sucking up spaghetti. Basta pasta ñ Leone 4ever...

Over on the Dobie screens, Full Tilt Boogie opens this week, a documentary bySarah Kelly that documents life on the set of the Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino vampire romp From Dusk Till Dawn, which stars George Clooney, Tarantino, Juliette LewisHarvey Keitel<Salma Hayek, and Cheech Marin. Although the film premiered a couple of years ago at the SXSW Film Festival, it is just now seeing national release. In fact, Kelly received word while she was in town for the March '97 fest that the big-wigs at Miramax decided to pick up her documentary for distribution. Now, a few dawns later, it's finally in a theatre near you...

Also opening up at the Dobie this week is the indie sensation Piby Darren Aronofsky.(See the "Film Listings" section for new reviews of both these movies.) A weird and creatively audacious debut picture, the film was a hit at this past Sundance where Aronofsky received the prestigious directing award. Distributors Artisan Entertainment and the Sundance Channel have initiated an interesting marketing approach with this film. They are hosting a Pi video contest in which filmmakers are being asked to submit an original short film (10 minutes or less) that gives their interpretation of "the chaos they find in their lives and the answers hidden within." The contest will be judged by Aronofsky and more info about obtaining an entry kit can be found at http://www.sundancechannel.com or by sending an SASE to: Video Contest, c/o Artisan Entertainment, 2700 Colorado Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404. The contest winner's work will be premiered on the channel, and in light of the fact that Time Warner/Austin doesn't even carry the Sundance Channel it would be neat if they received a quantitative show of support from potential Austin viewers...

Over on the other premium indie film network, the Independent Film Channel features a teaser episode of their original indie-film-world program Split Screen, hosted by the legendary John Pierson this Friday, July 31, 11pm on Bravo. (Actually, most of the shows will be repeating on Bravo each Friday at 6:30pm through September. The only problem is that Time Warner/Austin doesn't begin carrying Bravo here until 7pm each night). However, one of the segments on this one differently timed July 31 show that we should receive is called "Selective Service System" and is directed by Funhouse Cinema impresario Bill Daniel and edited by Don Howard"Letter From Waco"). Daniel and Howard seamlessly edit some newly filmed footage with this graphic and passionate anti-draft film made by Warren Haack and Dan Lovejoy at the height of the Vietnam War protests. Both versions of the film are stunning pieces of work...

Women in Film-Austin is hosting a fundraising garage sale, Saturday, August 1, 8am-3pm, at 1422 Broadmoor Drive. Anyone wishing to donate items or needing directions may call 451-3775.