News from Slackerwood: ballet, beer, and Brando (plus Jack)

It truly is a "something for everyone" week for Austin film events. I think the title of this entry says it all. I will have to put the names of events in a hat and pick one to decide what I'm doing on a couple of nights this week.

• The SXSW film schedule has been posted, and you can buy film passes now at Waterloo Video. The passes put you in the second-tier line for screenings behind the conference badge holders, but I had no trouble getting into all the movies I wanted last year with the film pass. (Admittedly, I stayed away from the crazy-popular stuff, but even a badge doesn't guarantee you a seat then.)
• The Austin Film Society/Dobie Theatre collaboration of AFS@Dobie films this week are Before the Fall  (held over for a third week) and the documentary Ballets Russes, about exiled Russian dancers. These films will play all week at Dobie.
  
• The European cut of The Passenger, Michelangelo Antonioni's 1975 film starring Jack Nicholson, isn't available yet on DVD. However, you can see the European cut of the film at Arbor Great Hills all week long.

• The Black History Month series "Marching On: Independent African American Films from 1935-1950" [] continues this week with the 1941 religious drama The Blood of Jesus, which plays at the Carver Museum theater on Sunday 2/19. On Saturday 2/25, the 1943 film Where's My Man To-Nite?, also known as Marching On!, screens at the museum.
  
• The Outdoorsmen: Blood, Sweat and Beers returns to Alamo South Lamar after a sold-out show last week. The documentary about a weekend of sports-and-beer bonding will screen Monday through Thursday, 2/20-23.
• Alamo Downtown's Music Monday series features the 2004 documentary 930 F Street this week on 2/20. Admission is just $1 to see this movie about the famous Washington D.C. nightclub.
• Free coffeehouse movies: If you haven't seen The Matrix in a while, catch it at Cafe Mundi on Monday 2/20 at 8 pm. On Wednesday 2/22 at 7 pm, Austin Java on Barton Springs will show the documentary Project Censored: Is the Press Really Free?
• More free movies: The Texas Union Theatre is showing free French films as part of a Francophone Film Festival: Look at Me on Monday 2/20 at 7:30 pm, Brodeuses on Tuesday 2/21 at 5:30 pm, and La Promesse on Tuesday 2/21 at 7:30 pm.
• This week's entry in the AFS "Official Evil: Political Thrillers in Cinema" series is a 2002 Russian film, Tycoon: A New Russian. The film plays Tuesday 2/21 at Alamo Downtown.
• Dildo Diaries is a documentary about the sex-toy law in Texas that includes interviews from Molly Ivins and Annie Sprinkle. Alamo Downtown is showing this 2002 film on Tuesday 2/21. Director Laura Barton will hold a Q&A after the film.
  
• This week's Alamo movie-themed feast is a Spaghetti Western Spaghetti Feast at Alamo South Lamar on Tuesday 2/21. Enjoy pasta, wine, tiramisu, and Clint Eastwood ... the film will be For a Few Dollars More, Sergio Leone's 1966 follow-up to A Fistful of Dollars.
• This month's Austin Film Society 20th anniversary screening is In A Lonely Place, the 1950 Nicholas Ray film with Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. It's a dark and unusual role for Bogart. The film screens on Wednesday 2/22 at Alamo Downtown.
• aGLIFF is hosting a screening of local filmmaker P.J. Raval's short films on Thursday 2/23 at the Arbor Great Hills. In addition, Raval will show clips from his upcoming feature-length documentary, Best Kept Secret. Incidentally, two films on which Raval worked as cinematographer will play at SXSW this year: The Cassidy Kids and Gretchen.
  
• The Sinus Show guys are holding a benefit for KOOP radio, since the station caught on fire not once but twice recently. They're performing their shtick to Top Gun on Thursday 2/23 at Alamo South Lamar.
• The documentary Lifers, about prisoners serving time with no parole, will play at Ruta Maya Coffeehouse on Thursday 2/23. The screening is part of a fundraiser for the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, and the event also includes live music from The Weary Boys and Dickie Lee Erwin.
• As part of the Harry Ransom Center's exhibit on acting teacher Stella Adler, the 1954 film On the Waterfront will play at Alamo Downtown on Thursday 2/23. Marlon Brando was one of Adler's students.
• Still more free movies: Austin Chronicle is giving away passes for previews to the films 16 Blocks and Dave Chappelle's Block Party.