Austin360 blogs > Austin Movie Blog > Archives > 2006 > June > 16
Friday, June 16, 2006
Fat tax on theaters?
Are movies making you fat?
In an article from the Associated Press, experts say our society needs to be redesigned to battle obesity.
James Sallis, a San Diego State University psychology professor, “contends change will come only when the public demands walkable development, more federal money for parks and bike paths and even a tax on industries that promote sedentary lifestyles (he pointed to video game makers, movie theater chains and even electric Segway scooters).”“
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Don’t take candy from ‘Strangers’
It’s such a bummer that the combined talents of Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert and several alums from Comedy Central’s cult TV comedy “Strangers With Candy” can’t make the movie version work that you almost wish the long-delayed movie had stayed on the shelf, the object of speculation and hope instead of the shambling mess that limps along on the big screen.
The movie, which is set to open in Austin on July 21, has more dead spots than a cemetery, and despite the obvious comedic genius of Sedaris, she’s funnier on David Letterman’s couch than in this movie. Colbert sparks the movie back to life whenever he appears, but flat, minuscule set-pieces and even flatter directing sink the film. Cameos from Sarah Jessica Parker (looking like she crammed her appearance in between In Style photo shoots), Matthew Broderick, Iam Holm (!), Philip Seymour Hoffman (!!) and Allison Janney don’t help much.
The only real bits of amusement are throwaway lines of absurdist dialogue (mostly delivered by the spot-on Colbert). You know your ironic, smarter-than-the-mainstream movie is in big trouble when the biggest laugh is a grown man running down a school hallway in a thong.
Given its talent pool, it’s a pretty major disappointment.
Fantastic Friday
— Some titles are in for Fantastic Fest this fall. (Via Matt Dentler)
— A couple of news bits from the Austin Film Festival: If you want to submit a film, your entry must be postmarked by July 15. The festival is Oct. 19-26. Also, kids 9-17 can still sign up for Summer Film School.
— The Austin Film Society presents Jean-Luc Godard’s “Weekend” at 7 p.m. June 28 at the Alamo Downtown. It’s free for AFS members, and $4 for everyone else.
— Yesterday, we wrote about the Samsung Fresh Films project. The team shooting a movie locally includes Nathaniel Sowell of Stafford, Tommy Harrington of San Antonio, Eric Ludzenski of Seguin, Ashton Kennedy of Coppell, Alex Hux of Sachse and Catherine Maverick, Claire Taylor, Elena Garcia and Jordan Wehr, all of Austin.
— A look ahead to “Only Human”, scheduled to open in Austin on July 21.
— Via Best Week Ever, we find an eloquent defense of Keanu Reeves.
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