The Screening Room

October is over, but thank you Blood Bath folks for understanding that doesn't mean we need to put horror films to bed till next Halloween. Oak Cliff's historic Texas Theatre gets a little gory November 13-14 when Blood Bath 2: The Film Festival puts on two days of "a celebration of independent horror cinema showcasing feature and short films from around the world." The festival is the world premiere for the feature films Kodie, filmed locally in Dallas by Abel Berry and Jennifer Stone, and The Super. It's also the American premiere of feature film Fell.

There's an after party Saturday night at the Muddy Waters (4314 Live Oak St.) with special musical guests Jack O'Hara Harris, The Lash Outs, and The Whiskey Folk Ramblers starting at 10 p.m. Tickets to the fest are $7 per feature-length film, $15 per day, or $25 for the weekend.

Get amped with the fest's trailer below, and click through to the jump for details on what Kodie, The Super and Fell are all about.

Studio Movie Grill harbors a concept that a lot of folks enjoy -- watch a movie on a big screen, with Dolby Digital sound and order a meal and/or drinks (as in alcohol) at the same time. Beats the heck out of popcorn and sugary, sticky soda. Taking it one step further, Studio Movie Grill is making its big-screen, big-sound alternative available to Texas Rangers fans starting tonight. It's offering free admission to anyone wanting to see the World Series. They're hoping, of course, that fans order food and drink, and duh, I'm sure they will. Catch the details here via this Web link. Just "choose your location" and go from there. Tonight's telecast starts at 6:30, with the first pitch at 6:57.

Photo: Josh Hamilton waits his turn during batting practice in San Francisco

If you happened to be driving by the north end of downtown Dallas between 7 p.m. and midnight Saturday night, you might have see this. Confused at all?

Well, you can stop scratching your head now. It's not meant to put to text that the Winspear Opera House is still a big red drum alongside the highway. The spotlight "RED in theaters 10/15" is promoting the action film Red, starring Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis, John Malkovich and Morgan Freeman as retired CIA agents who are firing up the guns again.

Had you heard of the film before seeing this?
Photo by David C. Harrison

Both the Dallas and Plano Angelika Film Centers have started up their "Hitchcocktober" celebration in honor of the master of mystery himself, Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock.

This file picture taken in 1963 shows the British film director during the shooting of The Birds. Hitckcock directed his first film in 1925 and rose to become the master of suspense, internationally recognized for his intricate plots and novel camera technique.

A classic Hitchcock film will be featured every week throughout October: each Thursday night at Dallas location, and each Tuesday night in Plano.

Angelika - Dallas
The Birds (1963) - 8 p.m. tonight
Rear Window (1954) - 8 p.m. 10/14
Strangers on a Train (1951) - 8 p.m. 10/21
North by Northwest (1959) - 8 p.m. 10/28

Angelika - Plano
Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - 7:30 p.m. 10/12
Notorious (1946) - 7:30 p.m. 10/19
Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) - 7:30 p.m. 10/26

The Dallas screenings will be shown in the outside atrium of Mockingbird Station and are free to the public. There is a special admission fee of only $5 for all films at the Plano location.

What's your favorite Hitchcock film?

Actress Glenn Close and producer Bonnie Curtis talk to students at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts about the entertainment business. (DMN-Video/editing: Ron Baselice)

Give it a watch to hear her evil Cruella de Vil laugh.

For film lovers, one of the best events Dallas offers each year is the Jewish Film Festival, sponsored by the Jewish Community Center. Last year's films were amazing, some of the best I've seen in years. This year's collection is also quite good. The best of the bunch in my view is the Israeli film Seven Minutes in Heaven, a riveting drama that's so poignant and so topical when it comes to what's happening right now in the Middle East. It's a psychological thriller with a memorable, eerily unusual love story running through it. Galla is a young woman struggling to reclaim her memory of the events surrounding a suicide bombing, in which, say the liner notes supplied by the festival, she was left clinically dead for seven minutes. The same attack fatally wounded her fiance. A mysterious stranger appears to be stalking her, and I will tell you no more than that. After Tuesday's 7 p.m. showing of Seven Minutes in Heaven at the Dallas Studio Movie Grill (Royal Lane at North Central Expressway), the festival continues Saturday night at the Angelika Plano, with A Matter of Size, and Sunday night at Angelika Plano with a fantastic German film Among Farmers: Saviors in the Night, before finishing Tuesday, Sept. 28, at Angelika Plano with Nora's Will (a Mexican film). But Seven Minutes in Heaven is one that figures to stay with you for a good long while. Like last year's festival gem, Lemon Tree, which got wider commercial release, this one is easily worthy of the same. For festival details, click here.

Photo: A scene from Seven Minutes in Heaven

Last week, I got to sit down with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Brandon Routh, who star in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (which is a beyond excellent movie, you should definitely check it out.) I got to pick their brain about their involvement in the project and what the future holds for them - and, lucky for you, I recorded it all on tape.

To hear the whole interview, you can listen to it here, or you can get the CliffNotes version and read the article here.

Photo by Courtney Perry/The Dallas Morning News

The lineup for the Austin Film Festival gets better and better. The fest just announced that David Peoples (Blade Runner, Unforgiven) will be on hand to receive the festival's Distinguished Screenwriter award. That's a good get, especially when paired with David Simon (The Wire, Treme) who will be honored as Outstanding Television Writer. AFF is the most writerly festival around, with copious writing panels to go with the screenings. This year's event runs Oct. 21-28. Added bonus:The Texas Book Festival runs Oct. 16-17. Make a week of it. I plan to.

This is one of the most random (and highly entertaining) publicity stunts I've seen in a long time.

To promote their new movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (which wasn't even mentioned,) Michael Cera and Jason Schwartzman came on air during FOX 5 Atlanta's weather report yesterday morning and pretty much goofed off on camera for about 2 minutes. Witness the hilarity:

Since its release July 23, the new Angelina Jolie movie Salt has grossed more than $71 million in the U.S. alone. It's even a hit in Russia, which brings us to a rather curious local connection. Less than 15 minutes after its dramatic opening, Salt takes us into an interview room, where a recently apprehended Russian spy is filling us in on some startling Cold War details. He calls it "a plan to destroy America," saying: "It had all started with an American named Lee Harvey Oswald. In 1959, he immigrated to Russia. Three years later, he returned home, but the man who came back to America was, in fact, a Russian spy named Alek. On Nov. 22, 1963, Alek became the first success of the new program and a hero of the Soviet Union" -- for, according to Salt, masterminding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Elm Street in Dallas. Turns out that this is actually a recycled -- and dramatically disproved -- conspiracy theory.

Photo: Angelina Jolie

Back from a recharge week in my adopted hometown of Cambridge, which also happens to be one of the best movie watching cities in the country. I didn't make it to the Brattle, where they were spinning film noir goodies. Instead I parked it back-to-back nights at Harvard Film Archive so I could soak up some of the Nicholas Ray retrospective.

That's right. Check out the TV blog for daily reports, live tweets and more on the biggest pop culture convention in existence.

Yeah, we know there's more to SDCC than just the television-show announcements and appearances, but the schedule is pretty TV-heavy this year, and we want to give you only one spot to go to for the latest news. Don't worry, guest blogger Noel Gross, our on-site corespondent, will be sending in the dish on comics, movies, video games and more today through Sunday.

Follow @guidelive for his tweets too! ..... Sooooooo wish I was there. /pout

Marvel Studios has really caught its stride with its' developing Avengers franchise. Iron Man, Spiderman, the Hulk, the X-Men...so many superheros, so little time.

And with Comic-Con beginning in less than 24 hours, Marvel has released images of the posters the company will be distributing at the event on Yahoo! (can't post them here because Yahoo! has exclusive rights. Sorry.) Of course, those who will be at the event will get the glossy hard copy of the print, but, for the rest of us home-bound comic fans, these images are quite enough.

If the concept art is anything like the movie, expect to be impressed when these films hit the big screen. 2011, you cannot come soon enough.

By "exclusive," we mean "you have to be willing to pay for it." Nordstrom's at NorthPark Center will host a meet-and-greet (with photos!) with Twilight Saga: Eclipse cast members Jodelle Ferland (newborn vampire Bree) and Tyson Houseman (Quil, one of the werewolf pack) -- see their photos in the blog item just down from this one -- from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday.

If you spend $75 in Nordstrom's BP department, on the third floor, you'll receive a pass for admittance to the event. Passes are going quickly, though, so you'd best get there today. Like, now. Like, you should be headed to your car this very minute to NorthPark, 8687 N. Central Expressway at Northwest Highway.

Those who don't get passes are welcome to show up for a glimpse, but that's probably all you'll get. Still, you can stock up on Nordstrom's Twilight-inspired clothes and makeup.

By Joy Tipping
Published 6-25-2010 in The Dallas Morning News' Guide

As you no doubt are aware -- provided you haven't been on an extended trip to, say, Siberia -- the third Twilight saga movie, Eclipse, opens Wednesday. Leading up to the opening, lots of folks are providing opportunities for you to jump into the game, if you've somehow escaped the madness thus far, or to simply refresh your fond memories of lovelorn teen Bella (Kristen Stewart) and her two supernatural crushes, Edward (Robert Pattinson) the sparkly vampire ("Ooooh, he glitters!") and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) the hunky werewolf ("Real men don't sparkle."). The Twilight films are based on the book series by Stephenie Meyer.

Continue reading for some of the events planned around town, then click here for more.

Photo: Jodelle Ferland (Bree, a newborn vampire and the subject of Stephenie Meyer's novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner) and Tyson Houseman (Quil, a member of the Wolf Pack) will be the cast members attending Twilight Night this Saturday at the AT&T Plaza at American Airlines Center.

It was quite the festive scene at Cinemark 17 at Webb Chapel Thursday afternoon as Will Smith made a surprise appearance on the red carpet to celebrate his 11-year-old son Jaden's first starring role in The Karate Kid in advance of a free screening at the theater. The 800-plus kid-crowd, courtesy of local schools and organizations like the YMCA and Big Brothers Big Sisters, was already jazzed about Jaden and the great Jackie Chan who plays the wise mentor to Jaden's karate kid role.

Then Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban came by with his daughter Alexis clinging to him and former Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco with his two daughters and their best friends. But when emcee Rickey Smiley started playing Will Smith's "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" theme song it was clear that royalty was in the house. And when Will waxed ecstatic about the "fantastic" new film and introduced his son, it was clear that a new prince, Jaden was being groomed.

PHOTOS: (TOP) Will Smith greeted fans while on stage near the red-carpet before a screening of The Karate Kid at the Cinemark 17 in Dallas, (BOTTOM) Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan on the red carpet, photos by Andy Jacobsohn/The Dallas Morning News
ANDY JACOBSOHN/Staff Photographe

Will Smith, Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan were on hand Thursday for the premiere of The Karate Kid, which opens in theaters June 11, at the Cinemark 17 in Dallas.

Watch the video

Looked like a lot of fun. I'm actually a bit excited about this remake, thinking I might like it better than the 1984 original. What do you think? Is it a film worth remaking?

Photo by ANDY JACOBSOHN/DMN

Alright ladies, get your best girlfriends and get down to the Angelika Film Center and Cafe (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane), where they're celebrating this week's release of Sex and the City 2 with cosmopolitans and pink champagne drink specials. Sounds tasty.

Cafe hours are 10:45am to 10:45pm. Perfect for glass-clinking before AND after the movie.

And check out Tom Maurstad's review of the latest Carrie and Co. film, get showtimes, watch the trailer, and leave your own review on GuideLive.com

Well, okay. It's not the real Freddy Krueger (top right). Turns out, this one is 39-year-old Dallas electrician Bobby Godwin. He got dressed up as the slasher star and brought his mother with him to the fifth annual Texas Frightmare Weekend because she's the one that first took him to see the original Nightmare on Elm Street. (Not to be confused with the remake out this weekend.)

Meanwhile, the 1958 Plymouth Fury (top left) on display nearby from John Carpenter's Christine is very much the real deal. The car is a screen-used original and one of only two known to remain of the 20 or so used in the filming of the 1983 flick.

The festival runs through Sunday at Irving's Sheraton Grand Hotel, tickets and schedule are available online.

Photos: CW

You have to love the plot twist on that location. Anyway, legendary horror film director John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, Escape From New York) greeted fans last night at the red carpet premiere for Texas Frightmare Weekend.

He's currently working on post-production for The Ward, a supernatural thriller about an institutionalized woman being terrorized by a spirit, and jokes that he has enjoyed working with a mostly female cast.

Just don't tell the director he should have barbecue while he's in Texas; he says that's all he's heard since he got here.

Photo: CW

Do you remember lovely actress Alexandra Paul from John Carpenter's Christine (based on the Stephen King novel)? Maybe you know her better from Baywatch. I had a chance to catch up with her at Texas Frightmare Weekend.

On looking back at Christine and being a young actress:
"I was 19 when I shot that and I'm 46 now, so it was 27 years ago. It's painful to watch sometimes. I have like a little voice in that movie, which is kind of what a lot of girls have starting out, and now it's changed. Today, my voice is literally stronger, and it's a metaphor for who I've become now."

On being an actress of a certain age now:
"Just being a woman in America, you feel pressure. I got up 4:30 in the morning to work out before I got on the plane to come here."

What she's working on now:
"I have a Lifetime movie and two independents coming out this year. I'm producing a reality show and an environmental show. But acting is where my heart is. You know, 27 years ago actors did not diversify, but now it's really common for actors to do other things. Just look at my Christine co-star Keith Gordon, he's an accomplished writer and director and has worked on shows like Dexter. Things have change."

Photos: CW

English villain fave Julian Sands (A Room With a View, The Killing Fields, Warlock, Arachnophobia, Boxing Helena) told me he spent the day at Fort Worth's Kimbell Art Museum before coming over to Texas Frightmare Weekend. He's got a couple of new film projects in the works, but what really got my attention was when he revealed his age. I pray I look this fit and great at 52. Who am I kidding? I'm not even there in my 30s.

Photo: CW

HollywoodNews.com reports:

Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau sneak "Iron Man 2″ for Texas crowd

Tuesday night, "Iron Man 2″ screened before a rabid crowd of comic book fans at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Tex. (an amazing venue, and an excellent choice by Favs and the Paramount team).

Lots of plot details are leaking all over the Web this morning, including news (and reported screenshots) of a surprise ending. Don't click on too many movie gossip blogs if you'd like to be surprised when the film finally opens on May 7.

And if that wasn't enough to amp up your excitement, check out this vid Favreau and Downey Jr. made for the Alamo audience. Looked like a lot of fun. Where you there?

As 3-Dot king James Faust just observed the Dallas International Film Festival is about half-way history. And if you want my advice on how to see a good movie in the next few days it's pretty simple: Go to a documentary.

Got back from Austin Sunday after ten days of SXSW-ing. Good times. But now it's time to gear up for Dallas' own big movie shindig - the Dallas International Film Festival.

DIFF runs April 8-18 (here's the full schedule). You may remember it as the AFI Dallas International Film Festival. But the AFI licensing agreement done expired, so Dallas International Film Festival it is.

I've been able to see a few of the featured titles, including City of Life and Death, Thunder Soul (which won the SXSW Lone Star States award) and American:The Bill Hicks Story. Those were stellar, and I'm looking forward to seeing more. We'll be covering DIFF cover to cover (reel to reel?) so keep it right here and look for blow-out-the-budget preview coverage in the very near future.

Chris Vognar is in Austin at the South By Southwest Film Festival, and he got a chance to sit down and interview the stars of Get Low.

Click here to watch the full video.

For more SXSW reports, catch up on Chris' columns, his blog posts on The Screening Room or on our Twitter widget.

I had the pleasure of revisiting one of my favorite stories Monday night. In 2006 I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Conrad O. Johnson, former bandleader of Houston's Kashmere Stage Band. KSB, the pride of Kashmere High School, was a freakish musical anomaly during their '70s heyday: a high school stage band that played like a seasoned funk outfit. They didn't just defeat their stage band competition; they owned it. Johnson, who passed away at age 92 in Feb. 2008, inspired his musicians to become not just crackerjack players but better people. (Here's my KSB story from 2006).

So I was thrilled to discover that Thunder Soul, Mark Landsman's KSB documentary that had its world premiere at SXSW, is a first-rate piece of work.

Here's all the juicy details from the press release. Tell us, which Borders location will you be at Friday night?

Twilight Saga fans are invited to Borders stores in Texas Friday, March 19 to celebrate the release of the highly anticipated The Twilight Saga: New Moon DVD. Borders is offering a collector's edition gift set of "the DVD with more than 90 minutes of exclusive content including never-before-seen extended scenes. After enjoying a host of activities, fans can purchase the special edition DVD when it goes on sale at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20.

The festivities kick off at 10 p.m. when fans will gather to celebrate their passion for Edward, Bella, Jacob. Party attendees will be welcomed with a specially-recorded video message from actors Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and others. Activities include:charades, a movie debate sponsored by fan site TwilightSeriesTheories.com, and a quote contest.

Borders is once again hosting the "Borders Movie Awards," where fans in each Borders store will have the opportunity to cast their votes in award categories such as "Best Shirtless Moment," "Best Fight," "Best Scene," "Best Song" and "Most Reckless Bella Moment." To cast ballots, fans simply download a ballot, complete it and bring it with them to the party (ballots will also be available at the parties). Award category winners will be announced at the end of the evening.

You've been part of our live chat series the past month, and now the big day is almost here! We know you're totally stoked, so here are some fun local events to help you celebrate:

The Angelika Film Center presents Oscars on the Big Screen

Studio Movie Grill's Oscar Night America

The Magnolia features the Best Animated Short Films

The Magnolia features the Best Live Action Short Films at the Magnolia

AMC Theaters showcase the 10 Best Picture nominations

Attend an Oscars watching party

View interactive videos of the nominees and learn Oscar facts

Re-create red-carpet fashions with these expert tips

Hi all. I'll be talking Oscars today at 1 p.m. on Think, Krys Boyd's venerable interview show on KERA (90.1 FM). Christopher Kelly of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Stephen Becker of KERA's Art&Seek will also be participating. Give a listen; the three of us know each other well enough to bust some chops but still keep it fun. Plus you'll get the drop on our Oscar picks.

The Dallas International Film Festival announced 10 selections that will screen during the festival, which is scheduled to run April 8-18.

"These first 10 selections are indicative of the great variety of films we will offer Dallas audiences at this year's film festival," said James Faust, the fest's artistic director, in a press release. "They represent the latest work from Academy Award winners, inspiring films that we have found at the latest film festivals, and a return to Dallas by some of our favorite filmmakers like Alex Gibney, Steve James and Tim McCanlies that we consider to be part of the Dallas Film Festival family."

(Photo from Solitary Man from Dallas International Film Festival)

Get the family out this Saturday and Sunday to the Angelika Film Center on Mockingbird for the 26th annual KidFilm Festival, presented by the USA Film Festival.

For just $3 per movie ($2.50 for USA Film Festival members), you and the kiddies can experience both classics - such as The Muppet Movie and The Wizard of Oz - and newer kid flicks - The Secret of Kells and Barbie and the Three Musketeers - on the big screen.

From the schedule: "This year's program is all about journeys, both earthly and otherwise, and learning that with a positive spirit and a little tenacity, one can accomplish most anything -- Whether climbing a beanstalk, thwarting crime, helping a lost friend find her family, or following dreams of stardom all the way to Hollywood!"

Though organized for children in mind, all ages could find this local fest of interest. Also on the agenda are prize giveaways, a tribute to author and Illustrator Mo Willems, an Aardman Animations tribute (Wallace and Gromit anyone?) and more. Tickets go on sale at the theater at noon Saturday. Call 214-821-3456 for more info.

Word went out today of the South by Southwest Film Festival's opening-night feature: Kick-Ass. I think the title speaks for itself.

"The movie tells the story of average teen Dave (Aaron Johnson), a comic-book fanboy who decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. His life is forever changed as he inspires a subculture of copy cats, is hunted by assorted violent and unpleasant characters, and meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes, including Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage), and another fledgling superhero, Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). But thanks to the scheming of a local mob boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong), that new alliance will be put to the test."

The SXSW Film Festival is March 12-20 in Austin. Register here.

I'll be at the Nasher tonight talking about Christmas movies with Robert Wilonsky, Philip Wuntch, Michael Cain and hopefully you. (Two words: Bad Santa). Here's the schedule for the free event, presented by the Dallas Film Society:

6:30 - Gary Cogill discusses new releases

7 - It's a Wonderful Life

9:15-ish - Christmas movie discussion.

Stop on by.

A lot can change in a week's time.

In preparation for my New Moon coverage I saw the first Twilight movie on Sunday and was not that impressed. Still, I dove head first into the Twilight pandemonium Thursday night thanks to a fan meet-and-greet with actor Charlie Bewley at the AT&T store off of Park Lane and Central Expressway.

Of course I've heard about and covered the Twilight madness for nearly a year now, but with the new movie I figured it was time to investigate more into what's surely a moment in pop culture history. Thankfully, Bewley's sort of new to it all as well, and the fans weren't hesitant to let me know what they loved about it.

New Moon actor Charlie Bewley was at a Dallas screening last night, and we got video!

Also, in case you haven't read it yet, read the movie review.

The Black Academy of Arts and Letters is hosting a 24-hour FilmFeast, starting at 10:30 Saturday morning at the Dallas Convention Center Theatre Complex. The festival features black and white films that showcase the parts of the African-American experience overlooked by Hollywood.

The schedule:

The Devil's Daughter - Muse Café Theatre, 10:30 a.m.
Made in 1939, this film dips into voodoo.
The Big Timers - Room T-314, 10:30
In 1945, a rich man dates a woman that he thinks is as well off as he is. She's not.
Boarding House Blues - Muse Café Theatre, 12:30 p.m.
Landlord, eviction issues in 1948 with "Moms Mabley."
The Black King - Room T-314, 12:30
A shady preacher brings corruption in the church in Mississippi in this film released in 1932.
Warrington Hudlin (House Party, Boomerang) - 2:30
The Girl in Room 20 - Muse Café Theatre, 4
A small-town Texas girl moves to NYC to pursue her (hard) dreams. 1946.
Mark of the Hawk - Room T-314, 4
No, not Avery Brooks, silly. Sidney Poitier is on trial for murder.

Tickets ($5 plus service fees) can be bought at the TBAAL box office or by phone at 214-743-2400.

Texas Frightmare Weekend has steadily announced additions to its appearance roster for their fifth anniversary celebration April 30-May 2.

This week, it's Terry Alexander (right) of Day of the Dead. You remember him: He's the one that's the helicopter pilot.

Earlier, the organizers had announced that George Romero who masterminded The Night of the Living Dead; William Katt (yes, he was the greatest American hero, but he felt bad about duping Carrie a little too late in the game); and Keir Dullea (who will help commemorate the 1974 release of Black Christmas.)

The headliner is John Carpenter, the man, the composer, the filmmaker. Another legend (see Romero above). He's a legend-maker, too, with Halloween's Michael Myers and Escape from New York's Snake Plissken to his credit. Tickets are $20-$65, with a "5th Anniversary Celebration VIP Pass" on sale for $199.

Paramount Pictures is searching North Texas for a young actress to fill the lead role in the upcoming Coen brothers film True Grit, which begins shooting in spring 2010. The open casting call is this Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth (2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth, TX 76164). The release says no experience is necessary and that girls ages 12 to 16 should bring a current photo to leave with the casting directors, and one family member. Parking is available on site for $5. "We are looking for a Caucasian girl who's tough, strong and tells it like it is. We are open to all looks!"

About the role of Mattie Ross:

14 year old Mattie is a simple, tough as nails young woman. Her steely nerves and straightforward manner are a shocking contrast to the way women behaved in the early century. She's possessed of true grit and plenty of determination. Enough so, that she insists on going with 2 marshals to hunt down the killer of her father.

If you make it out there, let us know how it goes!

This is pretty cool. Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell reports on the Arts blog:

Movie music will be featured in a new series of Dallas Symphony Orchestra pops concerts for the next two seasons.

Starting in 2010-11, the concerts will feature music from some of the most popular films of recent years. Each of the six programs, presented with film clips on a big screen, will be devoted to a single composer.

Each composer also will be commissioned by the DSO to create a new concert work for the occasion. In most cases, the composers will also conduct their own music.

For a list of the composers, click here.

Herewith the award winners for this year's VideoFest, with comments from the judges. Congrats, and spoils, to the victors.

Best feature documentary
Glass House
Hamid Rahmanian
With a virtually invisible camera, The Glass House takes us on a never-before-seen tour of the underclass of Iran. This groundbreaking documentary reflects a side of Iran few have access to. It introduces us to a group of courageous women working to instill a sense of empowerment and hope into the lives of otherwise discarded teenage girls.

Best Narrative short
Sleet Snow
Daniel Laabs
Casual acquaintances, Robert and Marian, travel to Odessa, TX to pick up a painting and along the way develop a unique relationship.

Best Comedy short
Start a Band
Daniel Laabs
Charlie and Becca have a boring relationship, so they decide to start a band.
Best Narrative feature
The Toe Tactic

Best experimental film
Dropping Furniture
Paul Horn, Harald Hund
What remains when nothing more remains and life is literally turned upside down? In this film, the furniture of an obviously old-fashioned, middle-class living room is disposed of, smashing on the floor, orchestrated by an echoing sound track synchronized with the decelerated image. Finally, the wreckage fills the room with the spreading waste of its own history.

Meta Media Award
Anders Østergaard
Burma VJ
Armed with video cameras, Burmese reporters expose the repressive regime controlling their country. In 2007, after decades of silence, Burma became headline news when peaceful Buddhist monks led a massive rebellion. Foreign news crews were banned, the Internet was shut down, and Burma was closed to the outside world. So how did we witness these events? Enter the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), aka the Burma VJs.

Movie critic Chris Vognar is at the Austin Film Festival through Oct. 29. Follow him for updates at twitter.com/guidelivemovies.

Want to meet up with some real roller derby vixens before seeing Drew Barrymore's Whip It tonight?

Well, skaters from the Assassination City Roller Derby will be at the Magnolia tonight. They'll be signing autographs and taking pictures.

They will also introduce the film for the 7:15 and the 9:50 shows.

The league is home to three teams -- the Deadly Kennedys, Lone Star Assassins and Bombshell Brigade -- and a travel team. They've named Barrymore "Motley Drew," in honor of the occasion.

(Photo by Darren Michaels/Fox Searchlight)

Critic Stephen Holden wrote in The New York Times that The Age of Stupid, screening at 6:30 p.m. Monday as a one-night engagement in the United States and Canada, is a "frightening jeremiad about the effects of climate change."

The film features British actor Pete Postelthwaite (right) and is set in 2055. Postelthwaite plays an old man, an archivist, who's watching footage from 2008 while bemoaning the preventable damage done to the environment. Thus, it's what he calls "The Age of Stupid." You can see this film all over the Metroplex, including three screenings in Dallas: Cinemark 17; UA Galaxy Stadium 10; AMC NorthPark 15.

The filmmakers are doing their part by sending the movie via satellite from a "solar-powered cinema tent" in downtown New York City.

For more information, go to www.ageofstupid.net.

Joy Tipping reports in the Get Out There! calendar that Drew Barrymore will be in town tomorrow, rockin' the new blond bob with black tips, no doubt (I may be in the minority here, but I like the new 'do). Here's the scoop---

Whip It director-actress Drew Barrymore will make an appearance from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 16) at Urban Outfitters in Mockingbird Station. Members of the Dallas Derby Devils roller-derby league will also be on hand, and a DJ from "Kiss FM" KHKS-FM (106.1) will host the event. Wristbands for a meet-and-greet with Barrymore will be given out starting at 5:30. The movie, which opens Oct. 2, stars Barrymore, Ellen Page and Kristen Wiig as competitive skaters. 5331 E. Mockingbird Lane. Free. 214-821-4371. www.urbanoutfitters.com.

(The photo's from the Associated Press)

Dolby 3D has arrived. It made an impressive debut on Friday at Studio Movie Grill -- the only place in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that has Dolby 3D at the moment -- in the form of X Games 3D: The Movie. The film itself is not exactly my vision of cinematic heaven, but it offered a good showcase for an amazing new technology, which is vastly superior to any 3D I've ever seen. Maybe it's the glasses. They're hardly the cheap, roadside-gas-station-like sunglasses you're used to wearing for 3D movies. Each pair of the Dolby 3D glasses costs $28. Brian Schultz, the owner and founder of Studio Movie Grill, told me he purchased 900 pairs for each Studio Movie Grill. That's $25,000 per outlet, and the cost is increasing, since Studio Movie Grill is now available in Dallas (Royal Lane and Central), Addison, Plano, Lewisville, Arlington and at two locations in Houston. It was really cool to watch Dolby 3D previews of A Christmas Carol (starring Jim Carrey) and the Alice in Wonderland movie starring Johnny Depp that won't arrive until 2010. Lynne McQuaker, director of creative affairs at Studio Movie Grill, says one of the boldest examples of Dolby 3D promises to be the highly anticipated Avatar, director James Cameron's first feature film since Titanic. It opens Dec. 18. Studio Movie Grill will also show live concerts in Dolby 3D in the coming months. You can read all about it in this story, which appears in the GuideSunday section of The Dallas Morning News.

Photo: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will make its Dolby 3D debut on Sept. 18

Mockingbird Station continues the Outdoor Summer Movies Series this Thursday with Election, starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick. The free series concludes next month with Sugar & Spice, on Aug. 20.

During the movie, the Angelika will provide runners for concessions.

But hey, it's more than just a movie. Cocktail party and specials begin at 6:30 p.m., with each screening starting at 8:30 p.m.:

• PURE hosts a VIP cocktail party in its lounge for current and new DailyCandy subscribers.


• Movida Boutique will offer a 30% discount on clothing & accessories; when you mention DailyCandy.


• Urban Taco and Vapiano will have dining specials.

I got a text message from a friend that was driving past AMC Firewheel 18 at 8:30 pm telling me that people have already began forming lines anxiously awaiting the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I rushed to the theater and arrived at 9 pm to find the place already packed with excited fans all geared up in their Harry Potter attire.

The Callahan brothers, Kyle, 16, and Tommy, 17, dressed up as Harry Potter and Hagrid. "It's Harry Potter, baby! We're most excited to see the complex, magical battle ending." Though their excitement was cut short as Tommy, who was Hagrid, was told to take off his beard by AMC employees due to security purposes.

Two 14 year-olds, Emily Yount and Ashley Mattingly, dyed their hair orange in honor of their favorite character, Ron Weasley. "We're expecting pure awesomeness and hope there's a scene where Ron takes off his shirt!"

Brace yourself is right. Bruno, Sacha Baron Cohen's latest entry in guerilla filmmaking, arrives in theaters July 10. As I have written about before (in this story), Baron Cohen came here a year ago and filmed scenes at an office park in Carrollton. He lured in the unsuspecting by having his production team recruit audience members for a new TV talk show on family values. What ensued was pretty wild. You can read more about it on Sunday, when I offer my latest on Bruno's escapades (and how he offended a whole bunch of local people). I just got back from Baron Cohen's native London, where he is wildly popular. Mention his name at a pub and they start telling their favorite stories from Da Ali G Show, especially the one where he duped soccer star David Beckham and his wife, ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. As Mike Bell, the colorful owner of Portobello Gold in Notting Hill, London's best pub-hotel, told me, he thinks Baron Cohen is "brilliant." My own favorites were his Da Ali G Show interviews with former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Bruno is apparently so wild that in England, it got an 18 rating, meaning that no one under 18 can get in to see it. Period. You can read about that in this story.

Photo: The one and only Sacha Baron Cohen

It may be Too Darn Hot in the rest of Dallas, but Hawaiian Falls is going to cool way down with two tons of ice dumped into the wave pool for a dive-in screening of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

The screening, presented by 20th Century Fox, KDMX-FM, and McDonald's, is free with admission to Hawaiian Falls at 4400 Paige Road in The Colony. The screening starts at at 8:45 p.m. Also cool: admission after 5 p.m. is only $5.99. The film opens July 1.

Community activist Jason Roberts is doing some cool things at the storied Texas Theatre, and Saturday night promises to be one of the coolest. At 7 p.m. Saturday, he and the Oak Cliff Foundation are showing the legendary movie Bonnie and Clyde at the Jefferson Boulevard theater, where, of course, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested in 1963. The Oak Cliff Foundation has renovated the Texas Theatre and is trying to do more. They have shown the movies Oswald's Ghost and JFK, and the Dallas Summer Musicals would eventually love to use it as one of its venues. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker hailed from West Dallas and undoubtedly spent plenty of time in Oak Cliff, maybe even at the Texas Theatre, which opened in 1931. Saturday marks the 75th anniversary of the ambush that killed the lawbreaking pair, whose exploits are chronicled in the 1967 movie, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. (Please click below to read on.)

Photo: Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde

The final film starring Heath Ledger, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, had its premiere at Cannes.

Director Terry Gilliam, if you remember, thought of canceling the production when his star was found dead from an accidental prescription pill overdose. But three other A-list stars stepped in to play Ledger's character in three different incarnations during the fantastical sequences in the film: Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell. The actors played for peanuts, as the money they would have been making was set aside for Ledger's daughter with actress Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy), Matilda.

Awwww. Right? Well, reviews have been circulating and they're killing the movie softly.

One would have hoped for better as an epitaph for Heath Ledger, one of Hollywood's rising stars but it's early yet. We'll see.

(Photo of Terry Gilliam by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images)

The 13th Annual International Jewish Film Festival of Dallas is coming to a close, and for aficionados of alternative cinema, it has been a venture worth celebrating. Its best offerings were Lemon Tree, which chronicles the struggles in the Middle East as well as any film I've seen; The Debt, a Holocaust thriller that may soon morph into an American version starring Tom Wilkinson and Helen Mirren; and A Touch Away, a terrific serial produced by Israeli television that may soon land on HBO in its own Americanized version, in the same way an Israeli television success story became the HBO hit In Treatment. The crowd loved Beau Jest, a light comedy that could have been called Surely You Jest but which managed to generate a whole bunch of belly laughs. (The other films veered toward the very heavy; Beau Jest was like the whipped cream on top of dessert.) And now the festival closes with Letters for Jenny. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: A scene from Letters for Jenny

If you're planning on seeing Valentino: The Last Emperor, you might want to plan on going this weekend. Director Matt Tymauer will be on hand for question-and-answer sessions following all of the Saturday showings and for the 2:10 and 4:45 p.m. shows on Sunday.

Read an interview by former DMN fashion writer David Ninh with the director: Behind the scenes on Matt Tyrnauer's documentary, 'Valentino: The Last Emperor'

If your taste in movies runs more to the Magnolia or the Angelika than to the popcorn-littered aisles of your local multiplex, the 13th Annual International Jewish Film Festival of Dallas offers a treasure trove of superb foreign films. It doesn't take much, of course, to top the mainstream drivel that shows up in commercial theaters these days. And yet, these have been extraordinary films, from Lemon Tree to the terrific Israeli television series A Touch Away to -- OK, I'll admit it -- the crowd-pleasing juggernaut Beau Jest. Lost Islands is the latest entry, screening at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Angelika Plano (which, for my money, is the coolest theater in the Dallas-Fort Worth area). Lost Islands is a coming-of-age story set in 1980, with the Levis living in Israel. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: A scene from Lost Islands

Jason Roberts is doing some cool things at the Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff. I wrote about Jason last September; you can read all about him and his efforts to revitalize the aging theater right here. This Friday night, the theater will show the 1923 silent classic, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with a live orchestra led by KERA's Paul Slaven. It's the version of the film that catapulted Lon Chaney to stardom for his role as Quasimodo. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $4 for children under 12 and are available at the door or online at this Web site. Those who arrive on bicycle get a $2 discount. The theater's address is 231 W. Jefferson Boulevard in Oak Cliff. For those who don't know, the Texas Theatre was where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested after allegedly killing both President Kennedy and Dallas police officer J.D. Tippit.

Photo: Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff

OK, so it won't win any Oscars, and it often feels like the Jewish version of Rhoda, but Beau Jest, the latest entry in the 13th Annual Jewish Film Festival of Dallas, is the token entry in the Comic Relief category. It's a feel-good yarn about a young Jewish woman who's nervous about having her parents meet her Gentile boyfriend, whose name is -- and I'm not making this up -- Chris Kringle. So, she hires an unemployed actor (who also happens to be a goy) to masquerade as a Jewish doctor and have dinner with her and her parents. You can only imagine the kind of oy gevalt shenanigans that ensue from there. Robyn Cohen is quite fetching as Sarah Goldman, the young woman whose stories have more holes in them than a baker's dozen of bagels.

Photo: A scene from Beau Jest

Filmmakers Channing Godfrey-Peoples and Reginald T. Dorsey will be at the Black Academy of Arts & Letters' 24-Hour FilmFeast on Saturday from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the Clarence Muse Cafe Theater (corner of Canton and Akard streets). The best part: It costs only $5 for the screenings and the panel discussion.

The "feast" starts with a screening of Jeanette McDuffie's short, Darkness, and ends with Dorsey's King of the Evening.

When it comes to art films, Dallas is truly blessed. We have not one but two Angelika theaters, plus the Magnolia, plus the Inwood. Truly an embarrassment of riches. At the risk of offending those of you who dig such commercial fare as Miss March, I contend that art houses offer the best cinema by far. We're also in a cool position these days when it comes to film festivals. We have the AFI Dallas International Film Festival, the Dallas Video Festival and the Jewish Film Festival of Dallas, whose season opens at 9 p.m. Saturday at Studio Movie Grill Dallas. I have seen all eight movies in this year's festival, and they're terrific. More than that, however, I want to commend the 18 people who screen the movies under the direction of Trace Ordiway, who, along with his wife, Lori, volunteers his services to the Jewish Community Center of Dallas. They also deserve credit for their artistic bravery. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: Secular Jewish boy from Moscow falls in love with Orthodox Jewish girl in the Romeo-and-Juliet-like story at the heart of A Touch Away

The architect of shock rock--Alice Cooper--will be there. So will Linda Blair of The Exorcist fame. They are just two horror film artists scheduled to attend Texas Frightmare Weekend, set for May 1 to 3 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Irving. Organizer and founder Loyd Cryer said he's proud to bring in Cooper, who has "not only defined theatrical rock performances and has many classic songs, but also has had roles in films such as Prince of Darkness and Freddy's Dead.
Others scheduled to attend include Fairuza Balk of The Craft and Marc Price of Trick or Treat. Franchises represented by celebrities include Halloween, Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Howling and House of 1,000 Corpses.
"This is going to be our best convention yet," said Cryer. Visit www.texasfrightmareweekend.com.

It was December 1971. I was spending the holidays in New York City, where I decided to go to the opening night of a new movie set in Texas, titled The Last Picture Show. As a native Texan, it blew me away. I had no idea what a national sensation it would become, launching the careers of Cybill Shepherd, Timothy Bottoms and Jeff Bridges and giving director Peter Bogdanovich his best film ever. And no one, of course, can underestimate the genius of author Larry McMurtry, who wrote the novel in 1966. It was "lovingly dedicated" to McMurtry's hometown, Archer City, where the movie was filmed. He co-wrote the screenplay with Bogdanovich, earning the pair one of the film's eight Oscar nominations. And that's why Thursday night's screening of The Last Picture Show, and post-film discussion with Bogdanovich at the Nasher Sculpture Center, was so memorable. It proved to be one of the highlights of the AFI Dallas International Film Festival and served as a sublime beginning to the Nasher's new series, Free Films on First Thursdays. (See previous Playlist item for further details on the series and click below to read on!)

Photo: Peter Bogdanovich

This just in: Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke (right) will be ringside for Wrestlemania XXIV, this Sunday at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

Rourke received several awards nominations for his role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler, putting the actor back in the limelight decades after he first came onto the scene in Hollywood. Never one these days to turn up his nose at a good thing, Rourke will continue his feud with WWE Superstar Chris Jericho during the event celebrating Wrestlemania's 25th anniversary. Rourke called Jericho out from the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January, challenging him to a fight. Jericho rose to the challenge, confronting Rourke on Larry King Live.

Who knows? Maybe Rourke will channel "Randy" and climb into the ring. For now, though, he'll be ringside in support of some of my favorites, including Ric "Nature Boy" Flair, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (remember the cartoon Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling with Roddy, Junkyard Dog, Iron Sheik, etc.?) and Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat, all Hall of Famers. The legends will all fight Jericho, and according to a press release, "Jericho will not only be looking to defeat the Legends, but also to show Rourke the difference between being a movie actor and a real WWE Superstar."

You can watch the whole thing live on pay-per-view. Or you can wait for the inevitable blog report.

(Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP)

You only have a few more hours to get over to the Nasher Sculpture Center to see the Hollywood classic The Last Picture Show, filmed in Archer City, Texas, the hometown of author Larry McMurtry, who wrote the novel from which the movie was made. He also co-authored the screenplay with director Peter Bogdanovich, who will be at the Nasher. Actor Timothy Bottoms was supposed to be there, but I'm told he won't be able to make it. It's all part of a new program, in which a Hollywood classic will be screened at the Nasher on the first Thursday of each month. Upcoming movies include The Graduate (May 7); M*A*S*H* (June 4), Jaws (July 2), The Grapes of Wrath (Aug. 6), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Sept. 3), The Maltese Falcon (Oct. 1), All the President's Men (Nov. 5) and It's a Wonderful Life (Dec. 3). Tonight's presentation will include dining and cocktails at the Nasher Cafe by Wolfgang Puck beginning at 5 p.m., followed by a "film chat" with WFAA-TV (Channel 8) movie critic Gary Cogill from 6:30 to 7. The "movie introduction" takes place at 7, followed by the screening from 7 to 9. From 9 to 9:30, there will be a post-film discussion with the special guest, Bogdanovich. Wonder how many people will ask not about The Last Picture Show but about his recurring role on The Sopranos as Dr. Melfi's psychiatrist.

Photo: Cybill Shepherd in a scene from The Last Picture Show

Sure, you've probably got the Twilight DVD by now, but just in case you haven't, or it would be more fun to see it with a whole bunch of other fans, Parr Library in Plano is offering a free screaming -- I mean screening -- of your favorite vampires April 1 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Parr Library, 6200 Windhaven Parkway, Plano. 972-769-4300.

Just heard that it was director Catherine Hardwicke who made a surprise appearance at the Borders in Allen for the store's Twilight release party. Anyone see her there? How amazing was that?

Evidently the Borders bookstore in Allen and the Blockbuster in Frisco were on an official list for a visit from Twilight cast members according to Access Hollywood. Can't wait to find out if it all happened as planned and who came...Any details anyone?

There was a crazy rumor going around at the party at the Borders in Plano that the cast from Twilight was going to pop into the Borders in Allen for the midnight release of the DVD. Don't know if there's any truth to that -- seems kind of out there -- but some teens were so convinced that they left Plano to head to Allen, with a patient parent in tow. Well, it's 9 minutes to midnight, so I guess we'll know soon enough!

Just got back from the Twilight DVD release party at the Borders at Park and Preston in Plano and it was fun. It wasn't packed like the Harry Potter parties, but the fans -- about fifty in all -- were fervent and having a blast.

I saw a LOT of Team Edwards shirts along with an Alice and a Twilight Mom shirt (no Bella shirts, although there were shirts with Edward and Bella together). They had a vampire baseball game in which they had to say which things happened in the book vs. the movie (they knew it). Then there was the scavenger hunt where they had to hunt for books like the book on the science class that Bella and Edward had together. (They found it.)

My favorite part was the Twilight Movie Awards (along with the warm cookies and the red drinks -- blood, get it?), where the winners will vary from store to store. Somehow it seemed as if the winner in most categories was Edward or something to do with Edward (as in best quote: "Your mood swings are kinda giving me whiplash," as Bella says to Edward). About the only category Edward DIDN'T win was Best Baseball Player. That was Alice. But Edward did score for Best Vampire and Best Hair.

Did you go? Did you vote? What did you pick?

Craving a Cullen-ary fix? You can wait until midnight on March 20 for the release of the Twilight DVD. OR you can start partying at 10 p.m. at a Vampire Ball at Hastings in Denton or at 10 p.m. at any Borders bookstore with the wild and wacky variety of vampire-themed activities they've cooked up. OR you can start voting now for the Borders Twilight Movie Awards to determine the "Best Bella-Edward Moment," "Best Vampire" and Best OME" (Oh My Edward) moment. Download ballots at www.bordersmedia.com/twilight, complete them and bring them to Borders, where fans can also view a videotaped message from the Twilight cast.

Just note: if you want the exclusive two-disc, limited-edition copy of the DVD for $29.99 with cast interviews, red-carpet footage and photo cards, you'd better make your reservations now. Some stories have sold out and are taking reservations for a second release that will be available in April. Of course you can always get the single disc version, available everywhere, for $22.99.

Read on for party details. And tell us, which party are you going to and why?

Okay, this? Is cool. My geeky little fangirl heart just went all a'flutter.

The cool kids at UTA's Planetarium are showing science fiction movies on their big screen, er, dome. And? It's only $2! Of course, you'll probably make up for that cheapness with the long haul from whatever parking lot you can find. (Seriously, it's been a while since I was a UTA student, but parking was a nightmare even then.)

Wednesday and Friday screenings are at 6 p.m. Saturday show is at 2:30 p.m.

The Fifth Element! Hitchhiker's Guide! (Can I cast my vote now for Flash Gordon and Sunshine? Seriously - how cool would Sunshine be at the planetarium?)

The Fifth Element
Wednesday, March 4
Friday, March 6
Saturday, March 7

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Wednesday, March 11
Friday, March 13
Saturday, March 14

Men in Black
Wednesday, March 18
Friday, March 20
Saturday, March 21 - No show due to a scheduled private event

Official site is here.

It wasn't quite Waiting for Godot, but it sure felt that way as 10:30 p.m., the announced arrival time, morphed into 1:16 a.m., and the temperature kept dropping into the low 30s. But there we were, on the red carpet, in front of the sprawling Main Event entertainment center near the Cinemark Grapevine, waiting for the Jonas Brothers to jet in from Atlanta Saturday night (er, Sunday morning) and talk to the news media and, of course, a horde of screaming fans about their new movie, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: Fans in Atlanta scream for the Jonas Brothers, who then flew to Dallas, where they would not arrive until after 1 a.m. Sunday

Tickets go on sale at noon Friday for AMC Theatres Best Picture Showcase of the 2009 Oscar Nominees. Blogger Mary Gladstone fills you in on the details:

Oscar night (Feb. 22) will soon be upon us, and if you haven't had a chance yet to see this year's nominees for best picture, AMC Theatres has a deal for you.

On Feb. 21, the chain is offering a $30 all-day pass ($25 if you're an AMC MovieWatcher member), with back-to-back screenings of the five nominees: Milk, The Reader, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon.

That's a lot o' sittin'. But AMC is sweetening the deal with a large popcorn (and free refills!) for each pass holder.

And no, you don't have to watch them all if you don't want to. The souvenir lanyard will give you the right to come and go as you like.

Click here for locations and schedules.

Tyler's Perry's Madea Goes to Jail opens Friday. As if there wasn't enough talk surrounding the film, Lionsgate and 97.9 The Beat are sponsoring rallies around the country to free Madea. Dallasites can join with the Friends of Madea Foundation on Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. at the Colbert Ball Tax Service location at 3936 Polk Street to protest the very active grandmother's "wrongful incarceration." To quote Madea, "Hallelujer."

Bonus: The first 100 people will get a free T-shirt and complimentary membership in the foundation.

O.K., not all all the offerings from the SMU Japan Club's Film Festival 2009 are for kids, but this weekend's films are, and they're all free and in Japanese, with English subtitles. Here's the line-up:

Love Com The Movie (2006) Friday. Based on the comic by Aya Nakahara, it's the story of Risa Koizumi, the tallest girl in class, who develops an unexpected friendship with Atsushi Otani, the shortest guy.
My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) Saturday. Episodes about the life of the Yamadas, a middle class Japanese family in Tokyo.

Next weekend, the films are aimed at adults:
Zatoichi (2003) Feb. 27. An R-rated move about a 19th century blind master swordsman who travels the country as a gambler and masseur.
Densha Otoko (2005). Feb. 28. A date movie about a geeky computer engineer who saves a young woman and falls for her, then seeks out Internet dating advice on how to pursue her.

All films are held in the Theater of Huggs-Trigg Student Center basement at SMU at 6:30 p.m.

Prognosticate with pros Monday at Magnolia Theatre's annual Oscar Critics' Panel event.

Former Dallas Morning News film critic Philip Wuntch (right), syndicated columnist and radio commentator Candy Havens and Scott Churchill will give their Academy Award predictions and will hear you out, too, since the program encourages audience participation.

Magnolia's general manager, Shawn Mahan, reports there'll be trivia questions and door prizes, as well as a grand prize for the person who ends up having the most correct predictions.

The fun starts at 7 p.m. Monday at the Magnolia Theatre, 3699 N. McKinney Ave. in the West Village. Admission is free, but seating is limited; tickets will be available starting at noon Monday at the theater.

Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga wrote the harrowing story of fate connecting disparate people in the film Babel. He's been nominated for Golden Globe and Academy awards, and received recognition from the Cannes Film Festival and the British Academy of Film and Television. He makes his directorial debut in his latest film, The Burning Plain, which stars Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.
Arriaga comes to Texas to talk about his craft Feb. 12 to 14 at the University of North Texas. He will present three lectures as follows: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in Room 184 of UNT's Radio, Television, Film and Performing Arts Building; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 in the Lyceum of UNT's University Union; and for master's class from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 14 in the ballroom of the Gateway Center. All lectures are free; registration is required for the master's class. Call 940-565-2197.

Oscar night (Feb. 22) will soon be upon us, and if you haven't had a chance yet to see this year's nominees for best picture, AMC Theatres has a deal for you.

On Feb. 21, the chain is offering a $30 all-day pass ($25 if you're an AMC MovieWatcher member), with back-to-back screenings of the five nominees: Milk, The Reader, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon.

That's a lot o' sittin'. But AMC is sweetening the deal with a large popcorn (and free refills!) for each pass holder.

And no, you don't have to watch them all if you don't want to. The souvenir lanyard will give you the right to come and go as you like.

Find out more, including locations and schedules, at AMC's Web site (click on Best Picture Showcase).

Which one of five nominated fims (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, Frost/Nixon, Milk and Slumdog Millionaire) will win a SAG award in the category Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture? Find out Sunday at a viewing party for the 15th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. The party, presented by the area branch of the Screen Actors Guild, will be at the Angelika Film Center. The awards ceremony will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS at 7 p.m. from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Visit the Web site to check out nominations in other categories. Reservations are recommended.

- Staff Writer Bindu Varghese

AFI Dallas announced that its third film festival will go from March 26-April 2 and announced a new presenting sponsor, NorthPark Center.

NorthPark Center has hosted several central films in the first two years of the festival. Now, as a presenting sponsor, they will hold more screenings and it's also where you will find the the AFI DALLAS box office, a film festival lounge, galas. NorthPark will also host some red-carpet and other events.

Victory Park will again serve as the "epicenter" of the festival, with some screenings shown on its big screens.

Looking for a cheap (read: free) way to expand your mind? Check out a free screening of the documentary Albert Alcalay: Self Portraits. The high-definition screening starts at 7 tonight at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Seating is limited so call 214-740-9377 for reservations.

Alcalay, who taught at Harvard for more than twenty years, was a survivor of the Holocaust. The one-hour documentary was created by three of his former students - Rob Eustis, Allen Moore and KERA's Rob Tranchin.

From KERA:

Nearly seventy years ago, Albert Alcalay was living in Belgrade, Yugoslavia when World War II broke out. Like many Yugoslavian Jews, Alcalay was forced by the Nazis into hiding and eventually fled to Italy, where he lived on the run as a refugee hunted by fascist sympathizers. Eventually, Alcalay was captured and sent to a concentration camp, where he was inspired by a fellow prisoner to study painting. Liberated by the Allies in 1945, Alcalay emigrated to the United States where he lived and worked in the Boston area for nearly 60 years.

Albert Alcalay: Self Portraits looks at Alcalay's artistic development and examines how his painting has been shaped by his experiences as a refugee, his fascination with the American landscape, and by his efforts as an older man to come to terms with his past. Among the paintings featured is a series that Alcalay created from memory of the mountainous villages in Italy where he and his family were hidden by peasants who risked their lives to save them from the Gestapo.

The documentary also airs at 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, 2008 on Channel 13.

LIEK OMG! It's almost time for TWILIGHT! But if waiting for the movie's release is like waiting for your very own sparkly vampire to sweep you off your clumsy feet, take comfort. Participating Borders book stores are hosting pre-release parties this Saturday, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Here's what you can expect (besides flailing fangirls):

7-7:30: Twilight Movie Discussion Watch trailers, cast interviews, and Borders-exclusive behind-the-scenes video.

7:30-8 pm: Twilight Quote Contest How well do you know Stephenie Meyer's characters? See how you stack up against other fans.

7:30-8 pm: Twilight Soundtrack Listening Party and Discussion Listen to cuts from the Twilight soundtrack.

8-8:30 pm: Twilight Charades See how well you and your friends can act out the parts.

You can also enter for a chance to win free tickets to the film. Find out more at the Borders Web site.

And if waiting for Saturday is too much for you, why not watch our video of Robert Pattinson signing autographs at Galleria Dallas or the trailer?

You'll have to get up mighty early to catch this vampire...Robert Pattinson, who stars as vampire Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, will be at Galleria Dallas on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
The first 500 people who buy a $30 Twilight tour T-shirt at the mall's Hot Topic store (it opens at 6 a.m.) will get a a chance to meet Mr. Pattinson at the store and get his autograph on a Twilight movie poster during an event that starts at 6 p.m.
No cameras allowed; one signature per person; limit two wristbands per person. The store's been fielding calls from out-of-state, and the fans of the series are dedicated, so you might want to get there early.
(That's an AP photo by Chris Polk.)

Z: A Zombie Musical, billed as "the first zombie musical feature film" (I have a feeling they're right about that), will have its Dallas premiere at Studio Movie Grill on Oct. 29. It was filmed in Austin, and it features some familiar faces.

Austin Mayor Will Wynn (and former Austin mayors Bruce Todd and Jeff Friedman) play zombie highway bums. Mark Zupan, from the Oscar-nominated documentary Murderball, also plays a zombie. Musicians Joe Ely, Michael Fracasso, Jimmy LaFave and Sara Hickman perform as a zombie guitar quartet. (Having trouble picturing this? The Austin Chronicle has a pic.)

According to the release, the plot features "three nuns who are transformed into zombies by a pug dog."