FOUR HUGE QUOTE-ALONGS IN ONE LITTLE WEEK
featuring:

EVIL DEAD 2 QUOTE-ALONG
Friday and Saturday, May 1 & 2, Midnights at the Ritz
Advance tix available here

ZOOLANDER QUOTE-ALONG
Sunday, May 3, 7pm at the Ritz
Final Zoolander show! Advance tix available here

THE THREE AMIGOS QUOTE-ALONG
Monday, May 4, 7pm at the Ritz
with a special FEAST-ALONG on Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo, 7pm at the Ritz
Advance tix available here

AIRPLANE! QUOTE-ALONG
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 7pm at the Ritz
Advance tix available here

During most of our screenings at the Alamo, we are pretty vigilant about making sure you shut the f*ck up during the movie. But with the Quote-Along parties we’ve been putting on for the past two years now, we’re just as adamant about making sure you open the f*ck down during the show.

Okay, so that’s not technically the opposite for shutting up, but whatever the phrasing you’d rather use, the idea of a Quote-Along is that you take the movie off the screen, into your heart, and then toss it back out into the air around you with your vocal chords. Simultaneously, everyone else in the theater will be yelling out the same amazing lines of dialogue with you, and before you know it your soul will enter the gates of Nerdvana and you’ll be transported to a new spiritual level of geekdom.

We subtitle our favorite lines and provide props to help you get there, but ultimately it’s the magic of a theater full of fans that turns the ordinary experience of watching one of your favorite movies for the 10,000th time into a thing of absolute beauty.

In fact, we’re such strong fans of the Quote-Along parties that we decided to load this week up to overflowing so fans of all sorts of different movies could come out and see what all the fuss is about for themselves.

First up, we’ve got EVIL DEAD 2. Bruce Campbell solidified his reign as king of the B-movie gods with his role as Ash in this film, and I’ve never looked at the word “groovy” the same way again. With Sam Raimi’s return to horror coming at the end of this month with the hotly anticipated DRAG ME TO HELL, we couldn’t pass up the chance to bring EVIL DEAD 2 back to the Quote-Along world.

We’ll be starting with a My Hand Went Bad contest, and during the movie we’ll have eyeballs flying around the theater and blood gushing up from your seat.

Then on Sunday evening, we’re bringing back one more showing of April’s ridiculously good looking ZOOLANDER QUOTE-ALONG. That one will start with a Walk Off competition, and throughout the movie we’ll have all sorts of fun with Blue Steel. Plus – Orange Mocha Frappucinos!!!!

Monday night we’re starting two nights of THREE AMIGOS, because oh my god Steve Martin makes me happy. Our head chef at the Ritz, Trish Eichelberger, pitched the idea for this show last year because she wanted a chance to put together a fun mini-feast for Cinco de Mayo, and last year she way out did herself. Judging from this year’s menu, she’s set to outdo it all again.

Regardless of whether you’re interested in learning what a plethora is or not, this one is worth the price of admission for the avocado margaritas alone. The feast is only available on Tuesday, but for everyone who wants to enjoy the movie and can’t handle the full four course fun, we’ve got a movie-only screening on Monday just for you.

Thursdays at 7pm is our usual weekly slot for Quote-Alongs at the Ritz, and on May 7 we’re starting our May series of Quote-Alongs with the debut night of AIRPLANE! We always try to go all out with props and special effects that will help bring the action from the screen out into the theater, but we *promise* that we’ll fight our urges to actually throw shit at a fan during the movie. We’ll also be serving up special “Don’t call me Shirley” Temples just for those shows.

You can catch our full line up of upcoming Quote-Alongs on the constantly updated Quote-Along Signature Event page on our website. And if you’re on Facebook, you can stay updated by becoming a fan of our Facebook Page: Alamo Quote-Alongs.

A stunning poster for The Maltese Falcon smoking party. This is our first poster by The Silent Giants, and we couldn’t be happier. 18″ x 24″ handmade screenprint, signed/numbered in an edition of 100.

If you’ve watched more than three movies in the last 25 years, odds are that you’ve been entertained by a uniquely engaging, hilarious man that looks like THIS:

…Well, that face belongs to Clint Howard, one of the hardest working entertainers in Hollywood. He’s been in everything from classic TV like the original STAR TREK series to huge studio blockbusters like APOLLO 13 to even more enduring works like LEPRECHAUN 2. And even though he’s played in well over a hundred films, he’s always the most fun and recognizable guy on the screen.

PLUS…some of the movies he’s ended up in are among our very favorites, and we’re showing two of them with Clint Howard in attendance next week!

Monday is the mighty ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGH SCHOOL, the timeless teenage rager that stars The Ramones and a whirlwind bevy of rebellion-crazed party maniacs. Howard plays Eaglebauer, the school’s go-to connection for straight-up wildness, and he’ll be on hand for the campus-annihilating insanity. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE…cheap!

The next night, he’ll be joining us for a very special Terror Tuesday presentation of blood-boiling ’80s horror masterpiece EVILSPEAK! This is unquestionably one of the most shocking, vicious supernatural fright shows of its time, and an exceedingly rare theatrical event, especially with its star on hand. So don’t miss seeing it for a mere five bucks! OH, GRAB A TICKET!

Cinco de mayo promises to be an exhilarating romp at the Ritz.The Three Amigos quote along/ feast along – One part tequila, one part homemade tamales and one part pelvic thrust……the ultimate homage to the movie and all the hilarity it represents.

Last year Chef Trish Eichelberger of the Ritz came up with the brilliant tradition of celebrating Cinco de Mayo with the comedy classic “The Three Amigos”.   If you seen this once you’ve seen it a dozen times but when was the last time it was on the big screen and yelled out your favorite quotes along with Dusty, Lucky and Ned? And surely you haven’t been able to devour some divine Mexican cuisine while figuring out how many pinatas are in a plethora?  I can tell you that the tequila in our stellar avocado margaritas is not “uh, like beer”.  Trish and her crack staff are hand rolling sweet potato and black bean tamales, using local Wateroak farms goat cheese on the chalupas.  Beer pairings and an iced cafe “ole” to wash down your agave nectar drenched handmade sopapillas included.

So come to the Ritz and experience the extra dimensions of taste and smell while celebrating the Cinco de mayo holiday.  Bring your appetite,  thirst and watch El Guapo try to best these unlikely heroes.  You can’t go wrong this cinco de mayo if you remember the ALAMO!!!!

Fire Roasted Veggie Chalupa
With goat cheese, and an Avocado Pico de Gallo

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tamale with Pipian Mole

Flat Iron Steak with a Tequila Mushroom Cream Sauce
With Cilantro Basmati and Tecate and Lime Braised Spinach

Sopapillas with Agave Nectar

“Café Ole”
Iced Mexican Coffee with Cinnamon and a touch of Mexican Vanilla

And every course is paired with a drink to help keep your throat loosened up for all the quoting.

“Can I have your watch when you are dead?

Director Alex Cox has carved his name in the annals  of film history with a switchblade. Although the Liverpool, England-born auteur has supplied his unique gift for filmmaking to major studios in the past, the stuff of his legend rides fast and loose outside the long arm of the suits.  And by doing so, he has given an unyielding voice to the otherwise cacophonic grumble of various counter-cultures throughout his career.

Thanks to The Austin School of Film, Mr. Cox will be at the Ritz for three separate cinema events.  And to give everyone a fair shake, we wanted to let you know that tickets to all of the events will go on sale Friday, May 1 at noon.

Aside from directing, Alex Cox is an expert on the art of European Westerns- the “Spaghetti” Western.  And by his request, we are proud to present a special Cinema Under the Influence presentation of the 1966 Michele Lupo classic ARIZONA COLT with Alex Cox Live for insight and commentary (7pm on Sunday, May 17).  The price of admission will include an all-you-can-eat spaghetti feast!

Immediately following that screening, Mr. Cox will be on hand to personally present his new film SEARCHERS 2.0- an eclectic, laugh-out-loud send-up of the original SEARCHERS steeped in all the elements of an Alex Cox original.

And finally, the following day, May 18, Alex Cox will present a rare 35mm screening of REPO MAN!  Considered to be The Ultimate Punk Film, in fact, REPO MAN could be called The Ultimate ’80s Film, with its shipwrecked characters living low beneath the shadows of the crummy Reagan era.

These are events you do not want to miss.  If you don’t want to risk missing out on any or all of these screenings, then mark it down- tickets will go on sale Friday, May 1 at noon.

ARIZONA COLT Spaghetti Western Spaghetti Feast

SEARCHERS 2.0

REPO MAN

Be there.

We are very proud to bring back not one, but two of our favorite films from Fantastic Fest 2008 this week to the Alamo Ritz.

First up is Nicolas Lopez’s SANTOS, which had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest last year and has been burning up the festival circuit ever since.  Though it was shot in Spain and Chile, SANTOS has its roots here in Austin, as it was produced by Austin’s own Elizabeth Avellan, with FX from local FX powerhouse Troublemaker Studios.  Anyone who saw it last year will tell you it was easily one of the highlights of Fantastic Fest 2008, where it won a Special Jury award for originality and vision, and it returns to the Alamo this Tuesday, April 28, as part of the 2009 Cine las Americas festival, showcasing the best in new Latin cinema.  SANTOS will be screening one time only at 7pm, and you can order your tickets here.  Don’t miss it… again!

Another returning favoite is DOCTOR INFIERNO, the truly batshit insane first feature from Paco Limon, who was unable to attend Fantastic Fest last year, but will finally be here along with star and associate producer Javier Albarrán.  There were many great films at Fantastic Fest 2008, but DOCTOR INFIERNO was a true standout, an outrageously ambitious action/comedy/fantasy/horror/sci-fi meltdown that compares to the early work of Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi. Made with an absolute intense dedication by a group of rabid creators with very limited means, the film manages to capture a boiling fervor that is practically unequaled in the annals of entertainment.

The plot: a demented gynecologist discovers a cure for all the world’s illnesses and uses it as leverage to become sole dictator of the earth. Jam-packed with monsters, kung fu, battling robots and deviant sexual practices, DR. INFIERNO doesn’t let anything get in the way of an explosive fountain of impossible ideas.

DOCTOR INFIERNO will be making it’s triumphant return to Austin on Wednesday, April 29 at 9:25pm, and tickets for this show can be ordered here.  Once again, you’re a loser if you miss this.

Austin’s ColdTowne Theater Presents an unforgettable evening with writer/director/star Tommy Wiseau and his unforgettable film, THE ROOM on May 6 at the Ritz!

This insta-cult-classic phenomenon has only been out for 5 years, but in that time has earned legions of head-scratching, spoon-throwing ROOM-heads, who would kill puppies for a chance to see the man himself, Tommy Wiseau, in action.  So be warned.

If you’ve never seen the film, check out the trailer for a taste.  You will be hungry for more.

Tickets are now on sale! Click HERE!

The LA shows were so out of control and great that I admit I was worried about continuing the streak in San Francisco. The first show was at the approximately 700 Billion Dollar Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. We’ve worked with their film curator Joel Shepard on several occasions and I must admit I thought that the Yerba Buena Center was a tiny little place with a coffee pot and a popcorn machine. Turns out it’s fancy-pants central and the crowd there was radically different from the usual band of derelicts and freakbots we’re used to. They looked like the kind of people you’d see at a screening of Hungarian agriculture films.

So how did MR. SCARFACE and CHAINED HEAT go over with Mr. and Ms. Arty Doodles? Like a freight train full of cupcakes! We taught those uptight museum dudes how to have a good time and as we were leaving I heard one on the phone with his dad telling him he didn’t really want to be an architect. Mission accomplished!

I love the Italian crime film MR. SCARFACE so much that I had a twinge of anxiety that my love for the movie wouldn’t translate to normal people. Good news – thay laughed at all the right places and only a few of the wrong ones. After it was over they applauded lustily, not something they do very often I’m told.

But the capper was the Women In Prison classic CHAINED HEAT starring Linda Blair, John Vernon, Henry Silva and Sybil Danning. It’s a brutally funny, mean-spirited as shit black comedy, and once again the funny eyeglass gang ate it up like free cheese cubes and apple slices at an art opening.

But the real capper was the next night’s show at the historic Castro Theater. I used to live in San Francisco and some of my fondest memories are of the Castro. It’s a huge theater with beautiful frescoes and a frightening chandelier arrangement. Before many of the shows an organ rises from the floor and a guy plays it until his fingers are about to fall off from awesomeness and then he descends into the floor while the audience goes berserk. We got a little of that.

As most people probably know, the Castro is the gay capital of the universe. As Justin and I were heading to the theater we saw a guy walking around naked. Justin said, “that dude is straight nude.” And he was. Just walking down the street butt ass naked. People were waving to him like he was Mr. McFeeley. What?

At the Castro I finally met Jesse Hawthorn Ficks, who runs the Midnites For Maniacs series and is a great ally of ours. He brought us up on stage where I unleashed a joke I thought was going to go to work on the audience like an atom bomb – I said everybody in Texas told us to watch out because San Francisco was full of gays, but we’d been there for two days and hadn’t seen any gays at all. As I stood back to shield my ears from the high-decibel impact of the audience’s laughter I noticed that only 3 or 4 people of the 200 there were laughing at all, and they were in no danger of rupturing anything in the process. So chastened Zack and I introduced VIGILANTE. I said that I feel that William Lustig was like the Sam Fuller of the ’80s and early ’90s, and goddammit he was. The movie destroyed the audience. So great!

Afterwards a guy came up to us and said, “that’s actually a good movie!” in surprise. This happens a lot. Some people can’t believe we’d be showing a well made film. But VIGILANTE is as good as any action film of the ’80s. Check it out.

There was little or no chance of anyone saying that the next film is well-made on any level. RAW FORCE is a mess. But what an incredibly entertaining mess. After seeing it again I was charged up with the desire to write an article titled “The 773 Best Things About RAW FORCE” but there’s no time. Here’s one though: the funny way the Hitler guy jumps into the Piranha infested water from the sea plane. Trust me, it’s amusing. And the crowd had to be coaxed down from the ceiling. They were down with RAW FORCE in a big way. Many cried when it was over.

Next up was the movie the whole audience had at least heard of, if not seen already, John carpenter’s ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. I like the movie but I’ve seen it deveral times so I took the time to go get dinner with my girlfriend. We had Mediterranean food at a sidewalk cafe while an endless parade of funny looking people with normal looking dogs went by. We were back in time for the last reel of ESCAPE FROM NY and I remembered what a fun movie it is.

But not quite as fun as the last film of the night, LADY TERMINATOR. Very few people there had seen LADY T. It’s a pretty special movie. The extreme violence, comical dubbing and simultaneously exotic and derivative plotline makes it one of the most unpredictable and hilarious films ever made. If the comedy film makers of our world could make something half as funny as LADY TERMINATOR on a regular basis, they would all be rolling in money like wild hogs. Needless to say the audience blasted off on a one way trip to planet fun.

After a trip to El Farolito for Agua Frescas and Burritos and a quick stop at the Musee Mecanique to be thwarted by pinball games as old as my parents we were gone like a cool breeze. We had a rare couple of days off to catch up on work and hunt for rare VHS tapes. We did both, but the catching up on work isn’t very interesting so I’ll tell you about the video hunt. The first place we stopped was in a little Northern California town called Red Bluff. Zack, Justin and I found about 20 tapes total at a little Mom and Pop video store and the owner held out the promise of a stash of 17,000 videos he had stored at a house nearby. We connived and conspired to see the 17,000 videos and even stayed at a hotel nearby so we could arrange to see the tapes today. So this morning at the McDonalds near Red Bluff we halped the owner and his buddy unload a camper shell full of roughly 300 videos (not quite 17,000 as promised). The video guy had dollar signs in his eyes but we bought a total of three tapes. Grrr.

Our video adventure continued and had a happy ending but it’s time for me to get my dainties out of the dryer, take a shower and go to bed where I’ll dream about the big trailer war with Dan Halstead at the Hollywood Theater in Portland.

As they say in China – CHOW!

Lars