Yes, yes, I'm still in Austin. I'm like that annoying loser who refuses to leave the party even though your girlfriend is clearly vacuuming and it's slowly getting sunny outside. (I actually stayed a few days longer so I could visit with some good friends, if you must know!) Anyway, it just dawned on me that even though we've brought you tons of SXSW coverage, you're still missing out on one very important component: The intro shorts! Every festival has 'em. They're brief mini-flicks that introduce the festival, credit the sponsors, and basically set the tone for the screening. (Sometimes.)

SXSW has always had some good "intro shorts" (my favorite is an old, strange one with Jeff Goldblum), but this year they were particularly amusing. They were put together by Mike Mitchell, Kent Osborne, Dan Brown, and Charlie Sotelo (among others) -- and through the magical power of "embedding," you can enjoy them without visiting some grungy other website. We'll start with my favorite:


Obviously this is a spoof of good ol' Glengarry Glen Ross, but by the time the film festival was winding down, me and my movie-geek posse were quoting this short non-stop and chuckling like morons. ("Brass balls!" Ha!) Check out the rest of the promos right after the jump!

I distinctly remember running out to Best Buy the day this rather slick 2-disc Special Edition of Close Encounters of the Third Kind hit the shelves. I also remember thinking it was a rather stocked DVD set -- but really all I cared about was getting a pretty widescreen version of the (very excellent) flick in digitally-alluring sound. I watched everything the DVD had to offer in two nights -- and it's been sitting on my self ever since! (And I've only seen CE3K about six times!)

Well now here's an excuse to devote a few more nights of my life to Steven Spielberg's third feature film: According to DVDActive.com, a three-disc 30th Anniversary of this wonderfully cool sci-fi movie is scheduled to hit stores on November 13. Wondering if it's worth the upgrade from the Special Edition you already own? Well so am I. Let's take a look at the specs:

For the first time ever, all three versions of CE3K will be available in one set. You'll get the original 1977 theatrical cut, the 1980 "special edition" (eh), and the 1998 Director's Cut, which is probably sitting on a shelf in your house right now. Supplement-wise, here's what you'll get: an all-new interview with writer/director Steven Spielberg (nope, still no commentary track from the master), a retrospective documentary called (cleverly enough) The Making of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, some new storyboard comparisons, the original 1977 piece "Watch the Skies," and the film's theatrical trailer -- although those last three goodies will be available only on the Blu-Ray release. And that's a trend I'm really starting to get sick of.

Come to think of it, I may just stick with my current DVD. The movie rocks, the transfer is solid, and the extras are fine. Much as I love this film, I'm getting a little tired of the "HD-only" bait & switch that's becoming an annoying new trend in the DVD marketplace.

   • Big Momma's House 2 - In Martin Lawrence's desperate minstrel show, the comedian reprises his role as undercover FBI agent Malcolm Turner, again donning a fat suit to become the sassy, black Southern matron Big Momma. He has to stop a potentially destructive computer hacker, and the movie is broad, shameless and pandering in most every respect. Lawrence appears to assume that we automatically like him and Big Momma, and does little to endear them to us any further. Incessant mugging, weak slapstick and Teflon catchphrases fill in the many cracks of its already shaky foundation, leaving a hammy house of horrors that should have been condemned when it was still a half-baked pitch.
    • Grandma's Boy - Adam Sandler's longtime second-banana, Allen Covert, gets his shot at a lead in this stoner comedy, but despite his appealing, aw-shucks demeanor, the movie, about a 36-year-old video game tester who moves in with his grandmother and her two roommates, is just irredeemably stupid. It is sad to see three lovely ladies like Doris Roberts, Shirley Jones and Shirley Knight stooping for laughs like this, though based on the fact that practically no one saw it in theaters (or will go out of their way to rent the DVD), it is a very minor tragedy.