• Date Movie - Nowhere in the formula "Comedy = Tragedy + Time" does "Cruelty" figure in, something that this caca-palooza -- "from 2 of the 6 writers of Scary Movie" -- sets out to correct from the very first scene. When they introduce us to morbidly obese Julia Jones (Alyson Hannigan), it is with ridicule as they paint her as a hideous beast that makes men vomit and turn gay. Of course, when we remember that 2 of the 6 writers of Scary Movie were Wayans Brothers, whose stock in trade is that kind of cruelty, it makes sense (even if these are another two writers.)

A parody of romantic comedies like Bridget Jones's Diary, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Hitch, this lame spoof goes for the easy laugh almost every time, beating to death with a golf club every gag with the subtlety of, well ... someone who beats someone else to death with a golf club. The "13" in the movie's "PG-13" rating would seem to be either a limit for either I.Q. or emotional age, as the movie's show pieces are either juvenile blue bits or have something to do with either poop, pee, puke or pus (the dreaded "4 P's"). Putting gifted comic actors like Fred Willard and Jennifer Coolidge in this stinky mess makes them both stinky by association, though as time goes by, the whole lot of them will only be guilty of contributing to a vast background of white noise that we will have learned to filter out when we grow up. Presently #64 on the IMDB's Bottom 100 of all time.
 

Austin film lovers are recuperating this morning from the big Austin Film Society (AFS) 20th anniversary party last night. The party was held in the studio where the Rollergirls TV series was shot, and people kept wondering where in the world the tracks had gone. The place was packed ... no one expected such a large crowd, even though free barbecue was involved.

The Austin American-Statesman has been publishing some nice articles this week about Austin Film Society's 20 successful years. Chris Garcia interviews notable people involved with AFS over the years about the way the group has affected Austin. Also, AFS director Rebecca Campbell lists the group's top contributions in the past 20 years.

The film society is certainly busy this week, co-sponsoring or sponsoring films all week long around Austin, as you can see from the list of upcoming screenings and events.