New Line has released info on the DVD for Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (which hits streets on July 29th), and apparently there will be some sorta Choose Your Own Adventure device worked in. The folks over at DVD Active don't mention this aspect of the DVD, but they do give us some specs (on both the DVD and Blu-ray disc): "Extras on the 2-disc will include a commentary with the director and stars, a second commentary with the director, the real "Harold Lee" and the guy who plays George W. Bush, a World of Harold and Kumar featurette, 27 Additional Scenes, and a Bush PSA."

Notice those additional 27 scenes? Yeah, well Slashfilm tells us another feature listed is one called "Dude, Change the Movie!" They say we'll be able "to select from new and alternate scenes to change the course of the film." One can only imagine how many people will get [some] baked [goods] and have a blast messing with the film, swapping scenes out, etc ...

I had a good time with Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay when a bunch of us caught it back at SXSW. Of course, at the time, we saw it at the Alamo (a great theater for munchies) and were all high on excitement. Ya know ... we were excited about being in Austin. Very excited. DVD hits on July 29.

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, the sequel to the modern stoner classic Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, hit theaters last Friday. I sat down with the film's writer/directors -- Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg -- a few days after the release of their film. In the interest of journalistic integrity (and shameless name-dropping), I should tell you that the gentlemen are friends of mine, and all around great dudes.

Cinematical: How did the Hurwitz/Schlossberg magic begin?

Jon Hurwitz: Hayden and I became friends on the Randolph High School debate team and connected over a common love of comedy. We were both obsessed with the movies of the Farrelly Brothers and the Zucker Brothers. We loved Howard Stern. We thought it would be amazing if we could actually make movies one day. But it felt like it was the most unrealistic goal of all time for a couple of dudes hanging out in a basement in New Jersey. What changed everything for us was that in high school we were known for coming up with really funny "Would you rather?" scenarios. We came up with a list of 250 that we were going to try to get published.

Cinematical: What was the best one?

JH: "If you had to be sexually abused, would you rather it be by an android or a Muppet?"

Cinematical: Muppet. It's softer.

Hayden Schlossberg: Exactly. Plain and simple. It would hurt less. That is the correct answer.

Friends keep telling me that Christmas Day is a wonderful day to spend in a movie theater, enjoying a new and popular film, and perhaps going for Chinese food afterwards. (Okay, by "friends" I mostly mean my boyfriend.) I keep saying that some year I'm going to try that. It sounds so lovely and relaxing. Instead, I'm hopping on a plane this afternoon to visit relatives and probably won't go anywhere near a theater.

Most local and chain theaters in Austin are open on Christmas Day, with the exception of the single-screen Alamo Drafthouse Downtown. But the other Alamo theaters in town are open and showing a variety of first-run features. It's a good week for catching up on current releases; not many film-related special events are scheduled.

• The biggest film event next week is the Alamo Downtown annual "High for the Holidays" film series, which takes place between Christmas and New Year's Day. Sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy classic and new stoner films on the big screen: Head (12/26 and 1/1), Up in Smoke (12/27 and 12/29), Deep Blue (12/28 and 12/30), and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (12/28, 12/30, and 1/1). You know Alamo's going to offer little square burgers on the menu with that last film, although I'm not sure I want to speculate on other refreshments during the series. I'm happy they're showing Head on Jan. 1, after I return from my trip (not that kind of trip, silly), because I've never seen this surreal-sounding Monkees film and Alamo has located a rare 35mm print.
• This Land is Your Land, a 2004 documentary about corporate takeovers in America, will screen at Alamo Downtown on Thursday 12/29. The film is sponsored by the Third Coast Activist Resource Center. Producer Virginia Williams will hold a Q&A after the film.
• Free coffeehouse movies: Austin Java on Barton Springs *and* Austin Java on Parkway are showing The Nightmare Before Christmas tonight (Friday) at 8 pm. Cafe Mundi is even more family-friendly tonight, showing Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird at 6 pm. Or maybe Cafe Mundi is just on an avian film-title streak: they're also showing Bird, the 1988 Clint Eastwood-directed biopic of Charlie Parker, on Tuesday 12/27.
• Beerland is showing the crazy 3-D movie from 1981 Comin' at Ya! on Wednesday 12/28 at 7 pm. The movie is free, and Beerland also will provide free 3-D glases, popcorn, and donuts.
  
• Holidays don't keep Alamo Downtown from continuing their long and popular Weird Wednesday series, in which they show free movies at midnight on Wednesday nights, movies that you might not ever want to pay to see. This week's film is Street People, a 1976 Italian race-car buddy movie that stars Stacey Keach and Roger Moore. It helps that Alamo serves beer.

Wait until January, when Austin will be hopping with all kinds of film news and events: a Werner Herzog retrospective, an Austin Film Society series on political thrillers, and The Princess Bride at the Paramount.