UWeekly Austin October 5, 2011

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caSH giveaWayS every Week P7 the independent voice of ut Austin

sept 28, 2011

WWW.uWeekLyAustin.com

voL. 3 issue 7

PHOTO: COURTESY MICHAEL IAN BLACK

read the interview on page 26

Photo: david Hill

OctOBer 5, 2011

005

What you missed

010

road trip

019

the good and the very dirty

022

growing Pains

austin restaurant Week

Where to go if you’re going to dallas for Ou Weekend

on the e-Bus

coldtowne theater is trying to expand

sponsored by UW eekly at

the Broke student’s guide to couponing

yOur guide TO geTTing free sTuff and Quit

living off of ramen

not eveRyone can get a full ride scholarship to college, making college a very expensive experience for most students. From tuition and school supplies to bolstering your social life by buying rounds at bars for yourself and friends, students can quickly find themselves in a heap of debt before midterms even begin.

In order to get more bang for your buck, students should take a cue from TLC’s “Extreme Couponing” television show and pull out those scissors and get to snipping. Couponing is a college student’s best friend and there are several ways to do it.

The following are a few steps you can take to lessen the burden of the cost of college.

Get to cutting and scouring the internet Since the debut of “Extreme Couponing,” blogs about couponing are popping up all over the internet. Sites like bargainbriana.com, couponmom.com and campusspecial.com are a few excellent resources where you can find coupon databases that conveniently list for you what coupons are available and where you can find them. Manufacturer’s websites are also a good place to find coupons.

10.6.11 for more details visit:

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October 5, 2011 | UWeeklyAustin.com

asking never hurTs; besides, yOu’re a poor college student. lOse The egO and grOw a pair.

Physical coupons and mail-in-rebates can be found in newspapers, mailers, on-campus, on store shelves and on receipts.

Here’s a big hint: print or cut out multiple copies of coupons. Anytime you find a great coupons,

you should use it to its full extent by purchasing as many of the same item as possible for future use.

Like or follow social media accounts to get free stuff Last month Clinique held a sweepstakes on their Facebook page where people who liked their page could win at a gift pack of make-up and other Clinque products for a retail value of $40. Clinique hosts these kind of sweepstakes all the time and so do other companies. Take advantage of these kind of offers and search for free samples of new products and you can amass a plethora of free make-up, toothpaste, tampons, cereal bars, and more.

There’s more than just Groupon Groupon has become a popular tool that people everywhere have taken advantage of, but they aren’t the only deal websites in existence.

There is Living Social, Google Offers and Tippr out there, but thedealmap.com is the

best resource for finding deals online. Through their website, you can use their map feature to find deals near you that have been allocated from all major deal websites like Groupon. The Dealmap is a one-stop spot where you can gift certificates to local restaurants, discounts to classes, and more.

You’re a college student; take advantage of that ID they gave you One of the simplest ways to save money is to flash your student ID. Some movie theatres, airlines, restaurants (yes, even bars), and even large companies like Apple offer student discounts. The best way to find out if a business offers student discounts is to simply ask.

Asking never hurts; besides, you’re a poor college student. Lose the ego and grow a pair.

Saving money isn’t a social stigma and you shouldn’t feel ashamed of it so get out there and get couponing so you can actually afford that next round of shots.

kariSSa rOdrigueZ

Photo: dallas Swindle

a Three-day evenT fOr arT lOvers and hippies alike the ARt outside festivAL began where most outdoor, creative, hippy-esque ventures begin in Austin, the Enchanted Forest. Having had a few seasons under its belt at the Forest, the annual event grew out of its britches and moved out to Apache Pass a few years ago. For those who don’t know, Apache Pass is approximately an hour’s drive outside of Austin. It’s also the perfect place for a few thousand people to gather, celebrate and experience the uniquely creative event.

Markus Swagger, the media liaison for Art Outside and fourth year economics student at UT describes Art Outside as a worldclass event that invites the artists as well as the audience to create an artistic experience together.

“This went from hippies in the woods to a large event,” said Swagger. “There are no headlining acts, but instead world-class musicians, performers and artists.”

As Swagger stands in the corner of the secret warehouse where the Art Outside production takes place, he is surrounded by towering steel rods, wood saws, electric hula-hoops and hanging solar charging stations. It is then that you begin to get a sense that the Art Seen Alliance, who sponsors Art Outside, is trying to create something much larger than itself.

An effort that is 6-8 months in the making, Art Outside is much different than ACL or SXSW in the sense that you won’t have music blasted at you, but instead will participate in a “sensory experience that is unique, different and interactive,” said Swagger.

If you’re wondering exactly how this festival is any different than the other festivals held in Austin each year, one major dif-

ference is that the festival will feature many live art installations.

Swagger describes one musician that plays instruments live on the stage while recording it. The musician then takes what he recorded and makes electronic music with it on the spot. Another artist will take various film clips and edit them all together live, in front of the audience to see what kind of story or visual argument

“ausTin is grOwing OuT Of the starving

artist mantra.

arTisTs dOn’T have TO sTarve TO be creaTive.” they can come up with.

There will also be live paintings in which large canvasses will be painted by artists throughout the three-day festival. Each canvass will have a different motif, one might be spray paint, another might be acrylic. In addition, there will be multitudes of craftsmen and women, performers, musicians and food vendors.

pick up a freaking copy

The point of Art Outside is to “leave inspired by what people made and to consider how art affects others,” said Swagger.

In addition, Swagger wants people to reconsider the notion of what a “community event” really is. As Swagger points out, the creative art scene is shifting in Austin and more artists and musicians are becoming aware of the fact that the starving-artist model just isn’t working.

“Austin is growing out of the starving artist mantra,” said Swagger. “Artists don’t have to starve to be creative.”

Swagger believes that events like Art Outside should be seen as a contrast to larger actions.

“You’re going there and knowing that the money goes back into the community.”

As a town that touts itself on being a creative Mecca, as well as a town filled with low-paid artists and musicians, perhaps it is time to reconsider the business model behind much of Austin’s creative scene. Either way, it’s a no-brainer that it would be well worth the drive out to Apache Pass and the price of an admissions ticket to be a part of such a large and unique creative outpouring.

amanda cHaPPeL Date: October 7-9 Location: Apache Pass, TX Cost: $40-80

Blessings and curses at $25 a plate The curious state of the Austin restaurant week Austin Restaurant Week is awesome in some fairly predictable ways. Take about 70 of the city’s best dining options, have them devise a killer three-course menu, generalize the prices into a flat $25 or $35 total, and run the reservation process from the internet.

“We wanted to make it like the South by Southwest of restaurants,” said festival founder Taylor Perkins. It’s a theory so obvious it’s surprising to think it’s only been in practice for the last couple of years.

Restaurant Week seems to be something that could have only originated in a city like Austin.

Bigger restaurant capitals like New York lack the same centralized community, while the smaller towns are short on original concepts. Austin has the creativity and the convenience for a relevant place in the hierarchy.

“Generally in the smaller cities you just see a lot of copying from L.A. or Chicago,” said Perkins, “but I think Austin has reached the tipping point of defining our own unique perspective.”

It also helps that there’s a concrete community. Something like Restaurant Week requires a certain lack of rivalry between businesses, and Austin tends to thrive on that brand of laxness.

“Over the past few years, the restaurants have really started working together,” said Perkins. Unity isn’t something you’d expect from an entity as notoriously competitive as the food industry.

“I think Austin has reached the tipping point of defining our own unique perspective, we have our own perspective these days.”

Maybe that’s because they all feel like they’re in it together.

The past couple years saw the shuttering of a disconcerting number of destinations. The lovable Mother Egan’s was lost

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October 5, 2011 | UWeeklyAustin.com

after a 10-year run back in 2010, same with Katz’s Deli and plenty of other seemingly bulletproof locations.

Unfortunately, no amount of battling or weird-keeping can defend against the sputtering economy, and, more importantly, the heat. Perkins, dismayed by the closings, pointed towards the weather, likening the city’s outdoorsy, patio seating as an obvious hurdle.

“People just don’t want to sit out in the heat, and when your patio constitutes as three-quarters of your seating, you’re going to run into problems.” It’s strange to think something as tangential as a bad summer could dry up business.

It’s also fair to say that things are getting a little crowded.

Austin has a remarkable number of independent stores per capita, and they tend to file in and out at amazing rates. The drag seems to go through a lineup change every month. A lot of people are in love with the idea of cashing in on a concept and an independent voice, but Austinites might have too many choices for their own good. Perkins particularly points out the low barrier of entry to the food trailer scene, but the

sheer number of diverse dining options in Austin might be a little self-sabotaging.

“It’s sad, we lost a lot of cool spots,” said Perkins, “and I don’t think we’re at the end of it either. Chances are you’ll see some more places close in the next couple of months.”

But despite all that, there’s still plenty to be excited about with Austin food, and Restaurant Week is a direct celebration of that.

“I think in competition with other comparable cities, we’ve got the best scene in the country” said Perkins. “When you look at the dynamic of the steakhouses, the Tex-Mex, the new American, the Asian and the Indian, we have an absolutely incredible restaurant scene.”

To Perkins, that eclecticism is rare, even in other proclaimed food cities. It all comes together as something distinctly Austin, which generally perseveres through its spirit. The last couple of years may have proven that independence may not thrive in the face of relentless heat and a down-turned economy, but we should certainly be happy that our chefs are still willing to try.

Luke Winkie

in texas, perry’s stance on in-state tuition isn’t news rick perry’s TuiTiOn TrOubles have a lOT TO dO wiTh The difference beTween pOliTics in Texas and pOliTics everywhere else. his suppoRt foR in-stAte tuition for the children of illegal immigrants — and the fact that he’s sticking with it — started a political tornado. It was enough to make Herman Cain say he would vote for Mitt Romney for president but not for Perry.

In Texas, there was almost no controversy when the law passed in 2001 with nearly unanimous support from lawmakers of both parties, and it hasn’t been much of an issue since — or wasn’t, until that twister touched ground. Earlier this year, an effort to undo it died in the halls of the Capitol.

And there’s a way to sell it. John Sharp, the new chancellor of the Texas A&M University System and an on-again, off-again buddy of the governor’s, fielded a question about it at a Texas Tribune event last week. He made it sound easy, blaming the federal government for leaving the gate open and then turning the result into an issue of education and economic development that the state was forced to address. It looked, in that version, as if the governor had no choice. The audience — a Texas audience — appeared to swallow

it whole. Maybe Sharp should join Perry’s debate prep team.

“Here’s what you’ve got,” Sharp, a Democrat, said in response to a question from the audience. “The federal government is allowing folks to come in — granted, allowing folks to come in that ought not be allowed to come in. Okay?”

He said lawmakers had to react to that, sounding as if he were writing a new chapter for Perry’s book Fed Up! “The governor, the Legislature, the 174 members who voted for that piece of legislation did not get the choice of whether or not those kids were there,” Sharp said.

“Their choice is whether or not those kids are going to become productive citizens or become one hell of a drag on the Texas economy, and that’s it. It seems that common sense dictates that maybe, from a Texas point of view, we need to make sure they’re not that kind of a drag on the Texas economy.”

He’s echoing Steve Murdock, the former director of the U.S. Census Bureau, who is now teaching at Rice University in Houston.

Murdock said illegal immigrants made up 6.7 percent of the state’s population and that leaving them uneducated would devastate the state economy by 2040.

Judging from the number of nodding heads in the audience, Sharp’s line worked in Austin. It might well have fallen flat on the presidential debate stage, though it could hardly have gone worse than the reaction Perry received.

The tuition-immigrant thing isn’t a new issue in Texas and doesn’t seem to sound the same alarms here that it sounds at national political debates. Eddie Aldrete, an executive with IBC Bank of Laredo, was recently speaking to a student at the University of Texas whose friend had graduated and was having a hard time becoming a United States citizen. Aldrete, with a hat tip to Bill Gates, suggested we staple visas to diplomas, the better to keep graduates of Texas universities here, working in this economy, rather than sending them home to compete with us.

The argument that sells in Texas — or has

sold, up to now — has to do with the state’s relative comfort with immigrants, legal and illegal. People get riled, and legislators file bills and all that, but there is also a political recognition that this is a well-established part of the Texas population and culture.

Maybe that’s an outmoded idea that won’t survive the election cycle. State Rep. Will Hartnett, R-Dallas, announced this week that he wouldn’t seek a 12th term in the Texas House next year. He cited his reasons, and he listed his accomplishments, including this one: “In 2001, Hartnett was the only House member who voted against passage of the now controversial HB1403, which provides in-state college tuition for undocumented immigrants.”

Maybe it’s just a local flavor that doesn’t travel too far from the Mexican border. With the exception of a minority that includes Hartnett and others, people here don’t seem to mind.

rOSS ramSey This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune

dayplanner

amanda cHaPPeL

eventS On Or arOund camPuS

Publisher Michael Huereque

oCCuPy AuSTin October 6, 2011- December 6, 2011

ArT ouTSidE October 7-9

Even if you aren’t a news junkie, you should be well aware of the protests currently happening on Wall Street. If you’re feeling left out of the revolution, Austin will be holding its own occupation on the steps of city hall. While this will be going on all day, every day for the next two month you should still come out and kick it off with a kick in the ass to the man.

Check out this hippie/artsy/folksy/creativesy fest out at Apache Pass. One-, two- and three-day passes are still available. Bring your sunscreen, your camera and your willingness to be inspired.

BAd TEACHEr October 6

Grease up those bike chains for this year’s bike ride around campus. You’ll be touring around and stopping at all the public art landmarks found on west campus.

Find out more: www.mellowjohnnys.com

Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second Street, 3 PM

We’ve all had them- shitty teachers and professors. Now see it from their point of view in this comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake.

Texas Union Theatre (UNB), 6 PM & 9 PM, Free with student ID

Apache Pass, 7 PM

ArT ridE WiTH MElloW JoHnny October 8

Blanton Museum of Art (EAS) Cafe, 9-11 AM

Account Executive John Martin Art Director Jessica Caraway Ad Designer Terry Kennedy Editor–in–Chief Sarah Neve Photographers Elijah Watson Shannon Grant Copy Editor Daniel J. Frimpter

MiCHAEl iAn BlACK October 6 Quick-witted, twisted and funny as hell, Michael Ian Black will be gracing UT with his presence for one night only!

Come watch this master of comedy take jabs at politics and pop culture.

Campus Writers John Jarzemsky Amanda Chappel Luke Winkie

Texas Union Theatre (UNB), 7 PM-9 PM, Free with student ID

Sports Writers Ryan Betori Brian Bogart Entertainment Writers William M. Bass Devon Tincknell Sarah Vasquez Karissa Rodriguez Brett Thorne

the schedule yOur guide tO aLL tHingS Burnt Orange.

WEDnESDAY, OCTOBEr 5

Men’s Tennis

Men’s Tennis

Texas A&M, Austin Texas, 6:30

ITA All-American Championships, Tulsa, Oklahoma, All Day

ITA All-American Championships, Tulsa, Oklahoma, All Day

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis

ITA All-American Championships, Tulsa Oklahoma, All Day

ITA All-American Championships, Los Angeles, California, All Day

ITA All-American Championships, Los Angeles, California, All Day

Women’s Volleyball

THUrSDAY, OCTOBEr 6

SATUrDAY, OCTOBEr 8

MOnDAY, OCTOBEr 10

Women’s Tennis

Football

Men’s Golf

ITA All-America Championships, Los Angeles California, All Day

Oklahoma, Dallas, Texas, 11:00 AM

Jack Nicklaus Invitational, Columbus, Ohio, All Day

Men’s Tennis

ITA All-American Championships, Tulsa, Oklahoma, All Day

ITA All-American Championships, Tulsa Oklahoma, All Day

FrIDAY, OCTOBEr 7

Women’s Soccer

Oklahoma, Austin, Texas, 11:30 AM

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis ITA All-American Championships, Los Angeles, California, All Day

SUnDAY, OCTOBEr 9

Women’s Swimming & diving

Women’s Soccer

Orange-White, Austin, Texas, 4:00 PM

San Diego State, Austin, Texas, 1:00 PM

TUESDAY, OCTOBEr 11

Men’s Golf

Jack Nicklaus Invitational, Columbus, Ohio, All Day BRIAN BOGART

Circulation Jeremey Tooker Intern Arryn Zech COnTACT 2608 East Sixth Street, Unit 3 Austin, TX 78749 O: 512–358–4149 uweeklyaustin.com info@uweeklyaustin.com PUBLISHEr Highbrow LLC ABOUT UWeekly Austin

UWeekly Austin is an independent publication and is not affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin. One free copy per person. Additional copies may be picked up at our office for .50 each.

Opinions expressed are those of the writers/authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff or publishers of UWeekly. Not liable for omissions, misprints, or typographical errors.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. © Copyright 2011 Highbrow, LLC

Opinion

That’s what she said.

What’s your favorite thing about the fall?

Photos and Interviews by Brian Bogart

Air It Out

Dear attractive, indecisive roommate,

“I guess my favorite thing about the changing of the seasons is getting to change out my wardrobe.”

Look I get it, college is difficult. All these girls desperately wanting to have sex with you, all the waitresses leaving their numbers on the bill, that Puerto Rican T.A. who keeps “accidentally” giving you extra credit, sometimes I don’t know how you manage. But please, could you at least cut your suitors a little slack? Sure, it’s all rosy at the start, you constantly rattling off all the things you love about the latest girl in your lap, how this time you finally “feel something,” but then two weeks go by and she’s strung out on the curb smoking cigarettes and drying tears with you locked in the bedroom pretending to be asleep. I get that breaking hearts is kind of your thing, but at least do the girl the honor of not blaming her for getting clingy. Having a girl put out after 4 dates isn’t casual or slutty, that’s normal fucking progressive relationship behavior; if you must run away you could at least do the right thing and make her breakfast.

Look I’m not trying to salt your game, but if you have to be a man-whore, at least do it with the girls that deserve it. I’m tired of seeing all the nice girls get screwed, and screwed over.

Emily Haueisen

“The weather feels like the taste of chai tea, Halloweentown 1 and 2 Disney Channel original movies, triple-fold increase in wardrobe possibilities, bonfires, toasted pumpkin seeds, and hot baths.”

Aly Talley

Sincerely, Probably-just-jealous-he-doesn’t-get-laid-more-often How to get us to actually print what you write.

1. Everything Anonymous – Not only are we giving you an opportunity to publicly air your grievances, we’re allowing you to hide behind the cowardly mask of anonymity to do it. So we don’t want your name. But we’re also extending that same courtesy to whomever you’re complaining about. If a wasted girl spilled food on you at Kerbey Lane, then call her “a girl.” We don’t need her name, date of birth, or UTEID. 2. Be Brief – Sorry would–be Unabombers, we’re not going to publish your entire manifesto.

Short and not–so–sweet is key. If you can’t say what you need in less than 250 words, than you’re rambling, not ranting.

3. Stay Specific – There’s a lot to be annoyed about on campus. We know. But please pick one issue, not seven, and avoid digressing. An open letter to whoever keeps shaving their pubes in the communal sink is good; a list of things you don’t like about living in the dorms is less so.

4. Powerful Language – At UWeekly, we write our own rules. We’re down to say a naughty word now and again. But there is a huge difference between the rare, well–placed profanity and a barely literate Youtube comment. Your critiques should be at least a little bit more cutting than “blah blah blah is a *@#&!!!”

5. To Whom It May Concern – Air It Out is publishing your open letters, so don’t forget to address them as such. Did some douche lose his lunch the last time you rode the E–Bus? Then open with “Dear Dude Who Barfed on the Bus.” And just because we’re not giving out your name doesn’t mean you can’t let him know who it’s from. Just sign it, “Sincerely, Everyone Else on the Bus.” Please send all Air It Out submissions to AirItOut@uweeklyaustin.com UWeekly reserves the right to edit submissions for content, anonymity, and space.

“At the moment, the best thing about the changing of seasons is what it brings food wise. Fall wouldn’t be fall with out pumpkin lattes.”

“The thing that I like most about seasons changing in Texas is that when summer turns to fall, the scool air is so refreshing after a long, hot summer.”

Amaris Chang

Becca Sefarian

“When the air outside is cool and crisp and walking to class is a pleasant experience, drinking hot coffee and wearing sweaters!

“Seeing how the student atmosphere develops is really interesting to me. How people change and how our campus looks seems to create a different world every couple of months.”

Victoria Goss

Kate Kislingbury

UWeeklyAustin.com | October 5, 2011

9

The best bars and foods to celebrate OU weekend The beauty of the Red River Rivalry is that it’s about more than a football game. It’s a celebration of the rich histories and traditions of two eminent scholastic institutions. And what does this really mean? The TX-OU game offers the perfect reason to elope to Dallas for a weekend to indulge in all the things that make college the best four (or six) years of your life. Beer? Check.

Beautiful (Texas) women? Check. The opportunity to be as outrageous as you want while representing Texas and belittling Oklahoma? Check.

Foot-Long Corn Dogs? Check. Boy is it good to be in Dallas from the 7th-9th. Here’s a guide to making the most of the best weekend of the year.

Bars Bert and Ernie. Jordan and Pippen. Men and women. These are some of the great tandems of all-time. But with all due respect, none of them can even hold a bottle opener to the brilliance of the matrimony that is beer and football. Without some spirits, TX-OU weekend would be flat. But visit these bars, and the good times will be as robust as the women of Oklahoma.

Across the Street Bar

Uptown Bar and Grill

Caters to: Bros of all shapes and sizes Longhorn Friendly Location: 5625 Yale BLVD Across the Street Bar is a college dude’s oasis. The place is big enough to accommodate your whole crew plus all the girls you could possibly delude yourself into thinking will go home with you and your crew. But seriously, the place is huge. It’s also not very fancy (think brick barn) so you don’t have to feel too guilty if your stomach rejects the onethat-was-justtoo-much. A little birdie told me it’s also a haven for those with shady, bordering-on-illegal identification.

In sum, the bar is a lot like the Cotton Bowl: overcrowded, under-renovated, understaffed, and, of course, extra rowdy. And did I mention $5 pitchers? For all the dude’s dudes out there, need I say more?

Caters to: The Everyman (The Refined Bro) Longhorn Friendly/Sooner Accommodating Location: 2523 McKinney Ave Uptown Bar and Grill is a more sophisticated version of Across the Street Bar. It’s nice and not wholly appropriate for projectile vomiting.

But it’s still a burger and beer joint meant for collegiate clientele. And with the new 800-square-foot patio Uptown just installed, there’s ample room for this clientele. There also 14 big HDTVs to watch the game and everything leading up to it. But the bar’s best amenity is its location. It’s right in the heart of the action.

But with the superb location also come long lines and, most lamentably, no $5 pitchers.

Says general manager Dunagin Gaines, “I’d be a damn fool to offer any specials. It’s guaranteed business. I’m expecting to have the busiest day

The thought of fried beer is like the thought of a hot stepsister: I’m attracted, yet paradoxically appalled by my attraction.

we’ve ever had.” Gaines seems just like his bar: intelligently to-the-point.

Lee Harvey’s Caters to: The culturally inclined fan (The Alt Bro) Very Longhorn Friendly Location: 1807 Gould Street Lee Harvey’s feels a lot like Austin. It fits somewhere between the drunken accessibility of 6th Street bars and the hip aesthetic of the artistic East Austin. In fact, as an old house that’s been converted into a bar, it probably leans towards the latter. Maybe that’s why the patrons of Lee Harvey’s seem to be explicitly Longhorn supporters. And that’s just fine; this place is too cool a place for you to be losing your cool with Sooners fans. On Friday, Harvey’s will be hosting the UT cheerleaders and some ex-players. There will also be live music. The weather is likely to be cool, making the abundance of park benches and outdoor ambiance all the more enticing. Exchange your Wranglers for some black Levi’s and head over.

Lizard Lounge Caters to: The Fist-pumping Bro Dancing Longhorn Friendly/Dancing Sooner Friendly

You have to pass through the State Fair of Texas to get to the Cotton Bowl. That’s not a bad thing. In some senses, the fair eclipses the game it leads to. Which senses am I referring to? Taste and Smell. The Fair is considered the fried food Mecca. Here are some noteworthy delicacies to check out on your pilgrimage.

Texas Fried Fritos Pie Mouth-watering chili + Fritos + deep fryer.

Foot-Long Corn Dogs: The godfather of fried foods is a staple at the Texas State Fair. It’s reliable, filling, and consistently delectable. It’s also one of the better-priced items for the punch it delivers at $6. The key to corn dog success? Don’t go crazy with the condiments. Let the dog speak for itself.

The Deep-Fried Twinkie: Like Lawrence Taylor at DE, the Fried Twinkie was a real game-changer. It completely redefined what fried food could be. However, since its inception in the early 2000s, there now may be fried foods that have usurped the Twinkie in terms of ingenuity and trans fat. Nonetheless, the Fried Twinkie is a legend. Legends never die. That is, until you stuff them down your face.

Texas Fried Cookie Dough: It’s as excessive as an ’80s hair metal band and every bit as appealing as a guilty pleasure.

The Fried Cookie Dough is the creation of Abel Gonzales, the Picasso of fried food who also popularized the Fried Twinkie, so it’d be hardpressed to disappoint. Cookie dough is a great

TUESDAYS 9AM + WEDNESDAY 7PM {45MINS}

the fair

I know that seems like a lot to handle, but it’s condensed into a fried shell that makes it as manageable (and dipable) as a chicken nugget.

It’s just way more delicious and way manlier. For $8 your stomach will hate you all day. However, your taste buds have never been more elated.

Photo: university of texas at austin athletics

LOCATIOn: 2424 Swiss Avenue There is nothing about Lizard Lounge that is even remotely related to football. It’s not a sports bar at all. But with three stories that are all dedicated to the sport of dancing, it’s a damn good place to get down. And that’s why it’s on this list. By the time Saturday night rolls around you might be a little exhausted with football. Lizard Lounge is the perfect place to forget about the game and just let loose. It’s garnered a national reputation as an electronic music haven, so if you’ve never been to Dallas and fancy the combination of flashing lights and exorbitant bass, it’s worth checking out.

Saturday night the club will be holding an after party with Johnny Funk vs DJ Titan vs Snowhite.

Just leave your Longhorn polo behind and grab something you can comfortably sweat in.

thing. So is deep-fried. You do the math. Just don’t let your girlfriend see you eating the sum.

Fried Beer: The thought of fried beer is like the thought of a hot stepsister: I’m attracted, yet paradoxically appalled by my attraction. But

when push comes to shove.... Never mind, we’re not going there. Few are man enough to indulge in the depraved glut that is Fried Beer. But you should. It will ensure instant dude-cred and the worst hangover you could imagine. It was also invented in Texas. Righteous.

ryan BetOri

horns ready for first true test

State. That would also take some pressure off of McCoy and Ash, he said.

“In the games we’ve lost around here, we didn’t run the ball very well,” Mack said.

Defensively - Stopping the run. Mack said there’s so much movement on defense before the snap that, at times, guys are getting out of their gaps and losing their leverage on the inside zone running plays UT continues to face.

Manny Diaz is concerned about the tempo of the OU offense. He said OU is hard enough to beat after the snap. He doesn’t want the Sooners beating UT before the snap (with

mAck bRoWn sAid todAy he has allowed Bryan Harsin to make all decisions regarding the quarterback: Who starts, when one goes in and when one goes out, etc.

Harsin said the rotation at QB is likely to continue on Saturday vs. Oklahoma.

“That’s who we are right now,” Harsin said.

Mack said the rotation takes some of the pressure off both players, knowing they don’t have to shoulder the entire load. Mack also said Harsin has a good feel for when to use each player.

Mack’s biggest concerns on offense and defense right now are: Offensively - Running the ball better. Mack feels like that helped contribute to the 4-of-14 performance on third down against Iowa

“i never ThOughT The big 12 was gOing away.” their tempo and not allowing the Horns to get their calls in on defense).

Blake Gideon said the defense has been locked in the last two games - forcing six combined turnovers in the first quarter against UCLA and Iowa State.

But Gideon said the defense may need the offense to help carry things at some point this season.

Blaine Irby said David Ash has more of a stoic demeanor in games, whereas Case

McCoy is more of a vocal, impassioned leader.

Irby said he thinks both can handle a rotation amid the hysteria of the RRS. Emmanuel Acho said he told Ash to expect a big hit the first time he takes contact in the RRS. “I told him to bounce right up, so that OU doesn’t think they’ve gotten to you,” Acho said.

Jaxon Shipley, who was named the offensive MVP for the Horns for the third straight week, said this week’s practice needs to be all about business. “No jacking around,” Jaxon said.

Mack Brown said Landry Jones is starting to look like Sam Bradford.

On facing Ryan Broyles this week and Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon next week, Mack Brown said, “Our cornerbacks over the next two weeks are going to see the best receivers in the country.”

When asked if he ever thought Texas and OU would end up in different conferences during realignment, Mack said, no.

“I never thought the Big 12 was going away,” he said.

Mack looked back on last year and said, “It’s my job to give every ounce I have to the University of Texas, and last year I thought I did, but I didn’t.”

Several Longhorns seemed to embrace the role of underdog. (Texas is an early 9-point underdog.)

cHiP BrOWn

The highlighT reel This just in: the Detroit Lions are actually a good football team. Not just a football team that’s winning games because of circumstance (I’m looking at you, 2010 Kansas City Chiefs), but an honest-togoodness football team with an identity that, for once, isn’t synonymous with losing all but one game a year. The plain truth is, bad teams don’t come back from a 20-plus point deficit to win two weeks in a row, bad teams don’t get the kind of outstanding leadership from their quarterbacks Matthew Stafford has been providing for Detroit, and most importantly, bad teams don’t have unselfish players. Right now, the Lions are the epitome of all these characteristics, and it has

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served them well on their way to a 4-0 record that no one ever thought was possible coming from this group of chronic losers.

Why can’t the Cowboys win a damn game with a healthy Tony Romo? It’s like the poor dude has to be hanging from life support for the team to actually do anything on the field. Last Sunday’s meltdown against the Lions, at the Cowboys’ stadium mind you, was a microcosm of the kind of luck Dallas has had for longer than many fans would probably want to admit.

Yet another painful loss, yet another opportunity for Cowboys fans (myself included) to engage in their ritualistic cycle of reflection and self-mutilation. I will,

however, still put it out there that I am a believer in the 2011 Dallas Cowboys.

The revenge tour just keeps on rolling for Texas, as the Horns went to Ames, Iowa and took it to the then-undefeated Iowa State Cyclones. This should keep the Longhorn’s mojo rolling into the most important game of the year against Oklahoma, as more players staked their claim as to why they belong on the field heading into the Red River Rivalry. David Ash had a very nice showing, completing 7 of 11 with 145 yards and 2 crucial TDs, as did Jaxon Shipley, who had a season high 141 yards and a touchdown to go with it. Mike Davis even got his own touchdown at the end of a beautifully thrown deep ball from Ash.

While it was certainly an interesting notion to entertain, no, the Buffalo Bills will sadly not be going 16-0 this season fresh off the heels of a 23-20 defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals, of all teams. Now that Buffalo has had a chance to come back to earth a little bit, they should use the opportunity to prepare for the murderer’s row stretch of their season, starting with Philadelphia next Sunday and ending with the Cowboys at Week 10.

Brian BOgart

Adams: Five on Texas football 1. It’s working right now but I hate it I just don’t like Texas playing two quarterbacks. I do understand the rational that we hear from the staff about leveraging the different skill sets of each player. There is a novelty that exists at the start of the shuffling of quarterbacks.

After a while, novelty gives way to selfishness which will eventually give way to resentment.

It will not be the result of anything that David Ash or Case McCoy does or does not do. It is a product of competition, desire and the game of football’s need to have ONE leader.

Depending on which ranking you like, Texas is playing the No. 1-ranked team and the No. 6-ranked team in the country over the next two weeks in Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

As the games get tougher, having two quarterbacks will not be an advantage for Texas. Momentum and rhythm are needed in tough games. The games against the Cowboys and Sooners will be tough. While the Texas offense has experienced some levels of success with shuffling the quarterbacks, there will come a time sooner rather than later when one leader is needed.

It will not be during the good times when this will present itself as a problem for Texas. It will come at a time when Texas is down, desperately in need of leadership and the Longhorns will not have the calming effect of being able to look to one guy.

The “whichever guy in the huddle” concept only works when times are good. There will be times over the next couple of weeks when times will not be good. If we are to assume that there will not be one leader at the quarterback position then we can also assume that at some point you should prepare yourself for frustration.

2. I move to the front of my seat when the offense takes the field With all respect to Greg Davis, who put together the top nine offensive seasons in the history of the University of Texas football program, I cannot get enough of this Bryan Harsin and Major Applewhite Texas offense.

When there was some creativity in the Davis era

of offense at Texas it stood out so much because it was so different that the standard offense. We heard about trick plays more than we saw them because for some reason, the plays that were worked on could not be implemented during the course of the game for one reason or another.

The trick plays put together by Harsin seem much more in the flow of the offense and much more intricate in design. They are so well conceived that they do not appear to be trick plays anymore. These plays just appear to be a normal portion of the offense. When a coordinator makes the complex game of football look easy, that is when it is fun.

Each defense that faces this Texas offense must study everything that Texas has done up to now but also must somehow prepare for the anticipated changes and additions.

In the end, what every Longhorn fan wants is to have a shot at winning and being successful. There has been a paradigm shift now when Texas runs onto the field. I used to think, “Aiight, now don’t screw it up,” and now I think, “Aiight what you got Harsin?”

I’m excited to the see the Texas offense run on to the field. Does that last through the day on Saturday? Who knows? But I’m excited enough to remain excited and not be nervous. That is a welcome change to previous years.

3. The Texas staff pulled a fast one It still amazes me that the Texas staff has fooled national media into thinking that David Ash is a running QB that is not a passer and that Case McCoy is the passing quarterback and not a runner.

Ash was a prolific passer at Belton and McCoy ran his way all the way through high school.

There are PR firms around the country that could not spin the result that the Texas coaching staff did with Ash and McCoy. The perception is still alive and well. The only group of people that seem to know the reality of the skill sets are those close to the program or that follow recruiting.

We have to assume that through recruiting, the staffs at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State know exactly what they are dealing with,

especially with the way Ash spun the ball against Iowa State.

Kudos to the Texas staff for messaging exactly what they wanted to message. In the age of controlling information getting tougher and tougher, Texas has done a masterful job of managing the national media and its perception of the Texas quarterbacks.

4. I saw a little Mack Brown in the second half I did not like the attitude of the team in the second half of the Iowa State game. I know Mack Brown is trying to control the score and respect the opponent, but as Marianne Williamson said, “Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.” In Reader’s Digest talk - Texas playing small in the second half against Iowa State does not serve the Cyclones and more importantly, does not serve Texas.

Texas is playing too many young players to waste reps trying to save the esteem of Iowa State. Texas cannot worry about playing dodgeball at school because the fat kid might get singled out.

When you pull the foot off the gas on offense, the whole team relaxes. It was not a good second half for Texas going into Oklahoma next week. Trying to play small and not being who you want to be makes the whole team lazy and careless.

That is why the mistakes were multiplied in the second half of the game. This is the compassionate Mack Brown that everyone loves and while every fan is forced to deal with it in this negative light, we can hope that this young team has enough real reps to be ready for the biggest game of the season against Oklahoma.

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5. Is Texas good enough to win in Dallas?

Oklahoma will easily be the best team that Texas will have played in the 2011 season. It is debatable and probably doubtful that Texas is better than the healthy Florida State team that the Sooners beat in September.

Oklahoma planned on being here undefeated and Texas hoped to be here undefeated. The level of excitement and energy will be unrivaled by any previous games with both teams in the Top 10, ESPN College Gameday on the fair grounds and this being Texas vs. Oklahoma.

There are still questions about the quarterback position for Texas. The offensive line will have to play its best game by far in order to have success against Oklahoma. The defensive line and its ability to apply pressure without blitzing will be one of the keys to this game. With a bend but don’t break philosophy based on pressure, the defensive backfield will have to play a nearly flawless game to prevent big plays and try to control Ryan Brolyes and Kenny Stills.

While Texas comes in with more questions, Oklahoma comes in with questions of its own.

What are the Sooners going to do to solidify the middle of the offensive line? Is Tom Wort the answer to the middle of the Oklahoma defense? How are they going to handle the mobility and playmaking ability of the young but mobile Texas quarterbacks?

I don’t know that Texas has enough to win in Dallas but it has enough to make it interesting. The Longhorns will make it interesting with a great game plan and that has to be looked at as a good start.

Sean Adams Orangebloods.com Columnist

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Take me out to the playoffs Who’s who in this year’s delicious goody-bag of World Series contenders Honestly, people, why are we acting like we didn’t just witness one of the greatest baseball seasons of all time? Okay, maybe not that many people care about baseball these days, but last time I checked, we still care about championships, and October is the month of champions, dammit. In the last month alone, we’ve witnessed the Red Sox take an enormous fall from grace, the Braves collapse in the face of adversity, and a host of new teams stake a legitimate claim as to why they belong in the postseason. With this batch of new blood entering the mix, one of the most exciting regular seasons of all time could very well give way to one of the most exciting playoffs all time. So if you’re an MLB die-hard looking for some analysis, or if you’re just a casual fan in need of a refresher, this breakdown should hopefully help you out.

Texas Rangers vs.

Tampa Bay Rays That’s right. Major League Baseball’s love affair with the Texas Rangers has only strengthened since last year’s World Series run a year ago, and folks in Arlington couldn’t be happier with the consistent level of success their Rangers have been playing with. Heading into October, the Rangers were the hottest team in baseball, winning 10 of their last 11 games and 14 of their last 16. That is by no means meant to discredit the Rays, who single-handedly ruined Boston’s (tea) party after destroying their postseason hopes by snatching the AL Wildcard in the final game of the regular season. Next to the Rangers, the Rays were baseball’s hottest team in September, finishing the regular season with an 18-8 record.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals I gotta say, I like this match-up because I always like seeing Albert Pujols in the postseason, the guy simply deserves whatever level of success he reaches for everything he’s

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done for his team (barring any future steroid scandal, of course). That being said, it was pretty much mathematically impossible for Philly not to end up in the post-season this year, given the ridiculously stacked pitching rotation they managed to put together last off-season, but this series should be anything but a gimme. Very much like the Rays, the Cardinals came back from a similar situation to steal the NL Wildcard from the Atlanta Braves, and very much like the Rays, they are a very dangerous team to deal with right now.

Milwaukee Brewers vs.

Arizona Diamondbacks People in Milwaukee have been talking all season that this could be “their year,” and all season long, it’s hard to argue with that notion given the way the Brewers have been able to consistently deliver month after month.

Ranked 11th or better in runs, batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage, the Brewers have hit the ball with authority all year long with Prince Fielder leading the helm.

While the D-Backs are less touted, though, they’ve been a surprisingly consistent club this season themselves, finishing only two games behind the Brewers to narrowly lose out on home field advantage. With so many clubs seemingly labeled as “team of destinies” this year, this series has not garnered as much publicity as it likely deserves.

New York Yankees vs.

Detroit Tigers Justin Verlander is having himself a year, but so is just about every member of the New York Yankees. CC Sabathia? Another Cy Young-like season and consistent big game performer.

Curtis Granderson? Having the best year of his career coming into this series against his former team. Mark Teixeira? Third in the AL in home runs and fourth in RBIs. I’m not saying Detroit doesn’t have performers on the other side of the ball, however; after all, they have Miguel Cabrera producing for them and they rank top

five in the AL’s four major offensive categories.

But it will definitely be interesting to see how they hold up against New York’s depth on the

mound and in the box. I’m calling this one to be a very entertaining series to watch.

Brian Bogart

Photo: University of Texas at Austin Athletics

Cooking an upset

How Texas can topple the best Sooners team in years

Because it features perennial powers, the Red River Rivalry is always a big game.

But this year, the stakes are even bigger.

Oklahoma has very tangible national championships expectations on the line and Texas is in the midst of its “revenge tour,” attempting to reassert itself as a premier power. If Texas pulls off the win Saturday, the paradigm could shift from rebuilding year to major BCS bowl bid hopes. Considering that Texas hung with Oklahoma last year despite its struggles and that this year, Texas seems to be a new, revitalized team, an upset should not inspire any incredulity. Here’s what Texas will have to do to make that a reality.

Offense: Although the quarterback situation is much better than it has been, it’s still far from resolved. Granted, we’ve looked good so far, but the Oklahoma defense is not UCLA or Iowa State. Although one could argue the two-quarterback scheme is part of the game plan, it also inhibits either quarterback from getting fully in the groove. Against an Oklahoma secondary that is already disrupting in its own right (7 INTs this year) that could be a problem. If Texas wins Saturday, a victory will be borne from a game that is down to the wire. In the 4th quarter, Texas will have to choose a quarterback. Although Case has shown real heart, the sentiment in the locker room is that Davis Ash is the future. In order to test that, Ash gets the nod in crunch time.

What needs to happen: Case throws for 100+ yards with no INTs; Ash gets 2 TDs and 150 passing yards.

While Texas feels out the way its QB situation works against a marquee team, it will have a dynamite rushing game to lean on. This wasn’t the case last year. Malcolm Brown has lived up to his billing as the next great Longhorn rusher. What’s been the real surprise is the play of Fozzy Whittaker.

Whittaker looks faster and more elusive than

he ever has. He’s a senior, and come Saturday he’ll be looking for one last taste of Sooner blood. Brown is also a gamer and he’ll be anxious to get his first taste of the Red River Rivalry. What needs to happen: Brown and Whittaker combine for 150 yards and 2 TDs. Our receiving corps is kind of like America in the Revolutionary War: young but deadly.

That may be a bit of a stretch, but in order for Texas to fend off the intruding Sooners,

more dangerous. This year, the Texas defense has been overlooked. But Saturday could be a huge coming out party for Manny Diaz’s crew.

In fact, to get the W, it will have to be.

Landry Jones was in the early season Heisman watch for good reason. And when it’s all said and done, he may even be the most prolific quarterback in Sooners history. He’s a threat in the air as well as on the ground.

It’s going to be up to defensive ends Jackson

Our receiving corps is kind of like America in the Revolutionary War: young but deadly. OR To put it simply: the Sooners receivers are a nightmare. OR Although Case has shown real heart, the sentiment in the locker room is that Davis Ash is the future. In order to test that, Ash gets the nod in crunch time. our receivers are going to have to ball. The receiving strength so far has been the balance: Jaxon Shipley is the go-to guy, Mike Davis is the deep threat, and D.J. Grant is a great target when things get down to the nitty-gritty.

What needs to happen: Shipley goes for 100+ yards with a TD, Davis grabs a game-breaking long ball for a TD with no dropped balls, and D.J. Grant goes for four receptions.

Defense: This is one of the more explosive Oklahoma offenses in years. We all knew Landry Jones and his receiving corps could put up points, but with the recent emergence of running back Justin Whaley, the Sooners have become even

Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor to contain Landry while still applying pressure. Jeffcoat and Okafor are two of the better athletes on the defense and, although they haven’t amazed with an abundance of sacks, they have been very solid. What needs to be done: Three sacks between the two DEs to rattle Jones.

They also need to hold him to no rushing TDs. Justin Whaley, the walk-on turned No. 1 running back for the Sooners is the feel-good story of the Big 12. That’s all fine and dandy but Texas needs to put a serious halt to this fairy tale. Senior Keenan Robinson is one of the country’s top linebackers and come Saturday, he’ll have to play like it. Jordan Hicks is turning into a beast in his own and

Kheeston Randall is a brick wall at nose. What needs to happen: Hold Whaley to under 100 yards rushing and to only one TD. To put it simply: the Sooners receivers are a nightmare. Senior Ryan Broyles is arguably the best Big 12 receiver of all time (he owns 10 Sooner records heading into this season). Broyles has always been a threat, but what’s worrisome is the recent emergence of sophomores Jazz Reynolds and Kenny Stills. Reynolds had over 100 receiving yards last week to complement Broyles’ two TDs. Stills has been no slouch either; he has two TDs on the season. For this reason, the Texas D won’t be able to hone in on Broyles because there are other threats. It’s bad timing for Texas to be facing one of the most formidable passing attacks in the country.

Nolan Brewster, a reliable safety, is out for the season and reserve safety Christian Scott is out for the game. That means Blake Gideon and Kenny Vacarro will both have to have the best games of their careers. Both have been hot this season, so it’s possible. Cornerbacks Adrian Phillips and Carrington Bynum are only sophomores but they’re solid. However, they’ll need to be more than solid Saturday.

What needs to happen: Hold the Oklahoma receiving corps to 3 TDs. We also need either two INTs or one pick six.

Bottom Line: Oklahoma is a better team.

Period. In fact, this is one of the best Sooner teams of the past decade. Nonetheless, all bets go out the window when helmets collide at the Cotton Bowl. Texas will have to play perfect. If we’re going to win it will be 31-28.

Ryan Betori UWeeklyAustin.com | October 5, 2011

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Photo: David Hill

The break-out hits from Austin’s buzziest film festival

Over the past seven years, Austin’s Fantastic Fest has earned a reputation as one of the wildest and weirdest film festivals in the world. By focusing more on awesome films than potential Academy Awards, Fantastic Fest’s all-you-can-eat cinematic buffet of zombies, tense thrillers, genital violence, and Japanese madness has launched some of the biggest word-of-mouth hits in recent memory. Did you hear about that movie where three people get

sewn together ass-to-mouth? Yeah, Human Centipede premiered at Fantastic Fest in 2009.

What about Rubber, the one about the headexploding killer tire? Yup, it played last year.

Though the Fantastic Fest experience is about more than just watching movies (activities also include drinking Shiner, singing karaoke, and trying to spot Elijah Wood), those that didn’t attend the 2011 edition shouldn’t feel too overwhelmed by regret. As Hollywood pays

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more attention to nerd buzz, Netflix offers more indie genre films distribution deals, and the Alamo Drafthouse screens the fest’s most hyped hits, film-loving Austinites will have plenty of opportunities to catch the movies that wowed audiences last week. For those that weren’t willing to sacrifice their health, social life, and GPA to watch nearly two dozen movies at this year’s festival, UWeekly presents this handy guide to the best and buzziest at Fantastic Fest 2011.

Human Centipede II (Full Sequence): How do you top the word-of-mouth, ass-to-mouth sensation that was the original Human Centipede?

Well, you could start by making it a lot fucking grosser. Dutch director Tom Six returned to Fantastic Fest with his much-hyped, “medically inaccurate” follow-up to the infamous original film about unnecessary butt surgery. While the blackand-white cinematography, novel meta-concept, and Oscar-worthy performance by Laurence R.

Harvey are all worth mentioning, most audiences won’t get past the film’s gruesome violence and scatological horror. Where as the actual onscreen violence of the first film was tame in comparison to its grotesque titular concept, the sequel is nothing but shock value. There is a 12person centipede, brutal dental violence, genital mutilation, rape, and a technicolor homage to “2 Girls, 1 Cup.” Here’s hoping Six stops reaching the bottom of the barrel and makes the final film of his Human Centipede trilogy a light-hearted romantic comedy.

Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan’s Hope: Previously in danger of becoming his generation’s Michael Moore, documentarian Morgan Spurlock wisely remained behind the camera for this touching look at the San Diego Comic-Con. In the past decade, Comic-Con has grown beyond its roots as an annual celebration of comic books to being the nerd equivalent of Burning Man, Bonaroo, and Sundance all rolled into one. Adding a much-needed human element to talking head commentary from geek gods like Kevin Smith and Stan Lee, Spurlock follows a half-dozen festival attendees as they prepare to make their pilgrimage to Mecca.

Wanna-be comic artists, a veteran comic dealer, a costume maker, and an adult toy collector all provide unique perspectives as they pursue different routes through Comic-Con’s orgy of nerd culture, consumerism, and Hollywood pandering. The end result gives a lot of love to the nerd culture, while also presenting just enough of the dark side to keep audiences interested.

New Kids Turbo: Apparently a mega-hit in its native Netherlands, New Kids Turbo was by far the dumbest movie playing at Fantastic Fest this year. However, it was also the funniest. Based on a Dutch TV series, New Kids Turbo is about five mulleted and mustachioed friends who get fired thanks to the economic crisis, decide they don’t want to pay for things anymore, and start a riot. That’s pretty much it for the plot. But the film’s frantic pace and genius comic timing makes it one of the most breakneck comedies ever made where barely 10 seconds can go by without a gut-busting laugh. Often playing like a cruder, faster, meaner “Trailer Park Boys,” the New Kids are bound to become a cult hit as soon as Comedy Central releases a subtitled DVD. Milocrorze: A Love Story: Given how often Fantastic Fest’s films are bleak, violent, shocking affairs, it always comes as a surprise when one of the fest’s best films is also its most upbeat and imaginative. Like a raspberry iced LSD cupcake, Milocrorze is a sugary, optical treat that mixes funky visual effects with an unrestrained sense of wonder and fun. The plot is broken into three separate strands vaguely concerned with love,

but all are united by Japanese director Yoshimasa Ishibashi’s singular, psychedelic vision. Like a samurai-infused Scott Pilgrim, Milocrorze clearly demonstrates how much better CGI is when it’s deployed with style and substance.

El Narco: Also known by the title El Infierno, this south of the border Scarface tale gave personality to the violent crisis many Mexican communities currently face. Deported after working for nearly two decades in the United States, Benny Garcia (Damian Alcazar) returns to his Mexican village to find it ravaged by cartel violence. It’s not long before he too is employed by the cartel, rising through the ranks as the bloodshed around him escalates. While certainly not a comedy, the film manages to find an enjoyable tone that avoids the brutality and darkness that marks the third act of so many other drug epics. The excellent border fashion and a soundtrack full of narcoriddos—Mexican folk ballads about drug lords—also give El Narco a distinct Mexican flavor that makes you want to head to Fiesta as soon as the film finishes.

A Boy and His Samurai: One of the most praised films at the festival, A Boy and His Samurai was the third Fanastic Fest film from Japanese director Yoshihiro Nakamura. Like a less schmaltzy Spielburg, Nakamura spins an incredibly entertaining film out of feudal honor, competitive cake baking, and Terminator 2.

As the title indicates, the film is about an Edoperiod samurai who mysteriously ends up in modern Tokyo, only to befriend a young boy and his single working mother. In an era where family films are either patronizingly stupid, or filled with adult jokes by slumming celebrity voice actors, A Boy and His Samurai is so eager and sincere that it’s impossible not to fall for the culinary warrior and his young ward.

Headhunters: Last year, Fantastic Fest’s Norwegian spotlight produced many of the festival’s best, and certainly unique, movies. This year, Headhunters held up that proud Norwegian tradition of excellence with an enjoyably tense thriller that is just begging to be remade by the Coen brothers for American audiences (not that the original is flawed, just that Americans refuse to read subtitles). Corporate headhunter by day, art thief by night, Roger Brown (Askel Hennie) runs out of luck when he steals a priceless painting from a CEO who also happens to be an ex-Danish special forces tracking expert. The manhunt that ensues provides some of the most riveting cat and mouse dynamics seen on-screen since Tommy Lee Jones last tracked down Harrison Ford. But then again, Harrison Ford never had to hide himself in a shit-filled outhouse, so maybe the advantage goes to Headhunters.

There is a 12-person centipede, brutal dental violence, genital mutilation, rape, and a technicolor homage to “2 Girls, 1 Cup.”

Devon Tincknell

Netflix Fulfills Your Fantastic Fest Needs Film festivals are a strange and competitive ecosystem. While a lucky few films get picked up by mainstream distributors each year, the majority languish in purgatory until they eventually emerge on DVD, if they’re lucky. Thankfully, in the last few years services like Netflix Instant and OnDemand have been swooping in to offer festival hits digital distribution deals, allowing what once would have been an obscure, impossible-to-find film a new, easily accessible life online. While many of the big hits from this year’s Fantastic Fest will be making their way onto Netlfix sooner than later, here are some of the big players from past years that are already online and ready to watch this instant.

Fish Story:

The first Fantastic Fest hit from A Boy and His Samurai’s Yoshihiro Nakamura, Fish Story is about time travel and the first punk rock record. It was also one of the most talked-about film’s at Fantastic Fest 2009.

Hard Revenge Milly/ Hard Revenge Milly: Bloody Battle: Alongside Japanese family films and Norwegian potboilers, Fantastic Fest attendees generally end up taking a hearty dose or two of the old ultra-violence. Some hyper-bloody Japanese films tend towards the self-aware, silly Troma side of the scale, but both of the Hard Revenge Milly movies are just plain, pure, oldfashioned limb chopping action.

Troll Hunter: The final secret screening of 2010, Troll Hunter fit perfectly into that year’s spotlight on excellent Norwegian cinema. A handheld lo-fi horror film in the tradition of Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity, Troll Hunter has the added bonus of excellent troll effects and genuine suspense.

The Man from Nowhere: One of the toughest action flicks of the last 10 years, the Korean The Man From Nowhere builds slowly to a finger-biting knife fight finale.

If you always find yourself wishing Jason Statham was more dreamy, tortured, and Korean, this is the film for you.

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new AMERICAN PIE film prOmises TO be even more disappointing than last In a turn of events that should surprise no one, Universal is releasing yet another American Pie film, the latest in a string of duds the franchise has cranked out since 2003’s American Wedding. This time, however, the cast members of the original three movies will be returning for the obviously titled American Reunion, presumably to make Eugene Levy feel like he isn’t the only money-grubbing whore left in Hollywood. Online gossip rags have made much of Tara Reid’s low salary for the film (an alleged $250,000), prompting film fans around the world to raise one eyebrow in surprise that the actress is still alive.

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radiOhead shOcks milliOns by nOT shOwing up TO reactionary political event Music fans in the New York City area briefly scrambled on Friday when the organizers (I use that term loosely) of Occupy Wall Street leaked word that Radiohead would be playing at an event scheduled for 4 PM ET in Zuccotti Park. By midday, the New York Times blog had contacted members of the band who flatly denied any plans to show up. By the end of the day, Occupy Wall Street officials were offering apologies, saying via Twitter, “We were hoaxed.” So far, nobody has come up with an answer as to who would possibly benefit from tricking a ton of New Yorkers into believing that Radiohad was playing Occupy Wall Street (besides, you know, Occupy Wall Street), nor has anybody been able to ascertain exactly what Occupy Wall Street is protesting/hoping to change/suggesting. In other news, investment bankers on Wall Street

smiled condescendingly towards protesters as they sipped martinis on their lunch hour, and patchouli oil-bathed trustafarians who have time to attend a vaguely political gathering at 2 PM on a Friday continued being hypocrites.

Further updates as the situation warrants.

if yOu wOuld like TO help the prince of nigeria avoid a wrongful criminal conviction, yOu’re welcOme TO send yOur pay pal infOrmaTiOn TO jOhn_jarzemsky@ uweeklyausTin.cOm.

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nigerian fugiTive hides OuT in kyle, texas U.S. Immigration and Customs officials arrested Ike Romanus Bright, 51, in Kyle on second-degree attempted murder

charges as part of a nation-wide sting operation. The seven-day “Cross Check” operation was part of an initiative to remove criminals who have been living in the United States illegally. Bright was one of over 2,900 individuals who was arrested; however, Bright, being the son of Nigerian royalty, has started a campaign to protect his innocence. If you would like to help the Prince of Nigeria avoid a wrongful criminal conviction, you’re welcome to send your pay pal information to john_ jarzemsky@ uweeklyaustin.com.

bank Of america pisses people off again Bank of America has announced plans to unroll a $5 monthly fee for debit card users in the near future. With certain exceptions, bank customers will be charged a $5 monthly fee for recurring transactions used with their debit accounts (such as cell phone bills, gym membership fees, etc). The changes will not affect ATM transactions.

As a Bank of America customer myself, I’m somewhat motivated to change banks, but honestly, that extra $5 per month would probably pale in comparison to the ATM fees that would pile up once I couldn’t find my Diner’s Club Card ATM anywhere.

The

Battle of the e-bus This week on Versus we’re focusing on a very specific campus ecology: the relationship between the E-Bus and the bro-ish, down-to-party UT population. If you don’t know, the E-Bus is the funnel that takes kids back and forth from the debauchery downtown, usually with some poor, perennially annoyed sap at the steering wheel trying to keep everything from imploding.

That much testosterone in a narrow corridor on wheels is a genuine recipe for disaster. Every kid who’s been on the route understands its legend; myths have been born between the San Jacinto pick-up and the 24th Street drop-off. Here’s what some of you had to say about the elements of the E-Bus.

Luke Winkie

Does the party ever stop on the E-Bus? • The party always stops when my shoes start sticking to the floor.

• Frankly I don’t know if I had a good night or not until I get on the E-Bus.

• Getting on the E-Bus immediately kills my boner.

• The E-Bus is like the last club of the night.

• I once read a book on the E-Bus, people were actually getting offended.

• I’ve said this a number of times, but they really need to install a disco ball in the E-Bus.

What does the ‘E’ in E-Bus stand for?

• It stands for error. It’s the error-bus.

• (in an awful Wayne’s World sneer) Excellent!

• Probably the end-of-humanity bus.

• It stands for… “Eek! I’m so excited!” …no that doesn’t work, that sounds like I saw a mouse.

• The eugh, what’s that smell bus.

I’ve been on the bus during an impromptu “Are You That Somebody” sing-along. We bonded over Aaliyah at the very least.

Is the E-Bus a good place to make friends?

• I can honestly say I’ve seen more people get punched on the E-Bus than anywhere else in my entire life.

• I once saw a bunch of frat guys address the bus driver by his first name, so I guess yes?

• It’s a good place to find, like, date-rape victims, not necessarily friends.

• I’ve been on the bus during an impromptu “Are You That Somebody” sing-along. We bonded over Aaliyah at the very least.

• Nothing positive has ever happened on that fucking bus.

Does the E-Bus foster human kindness?

• I’ve seen an argument come to blows over the pronunciation of the phrase “sausage-fest” on that bus.

• I’m becoming angry just thinking about the E-Bus.

• I mean, all the awkward spooning seems to be pretty kind.

• They’ll carry you out at your stop if it comes to it.

• I learned a lot about Daoism from a bewildered Asian exchange student who clearly wasn’t comfortable with his environment, does that count?

UWeeklyAustin.com | October 5, 2011

19

Photo: Josh Meyer

Surprise your unconscious Annie La Ganga and Rubber Repertory explore the melding of comedy, theater, monologue, and the WTF? You usually have to twist someone’s With the name of the shows being Surprise arm pretty hard in this town to attend the Annie, the element of the spontaneous perperforming arts with you. Thankfully there formance is definitely being emphasized for are a handful of performers in Austin that are La Ganga, pushing her, and the audience, to making some people’s arms hurt a little less. the strange frontiers that only the unconAnnie La Ganga and Rubber Repertory are scious can lead you to. some of the names in this crowd.

“For these show I’m trying to rely on the These two boundary and subconscious unconscious or the irrational that wants to pushers are combining their forces for a speak,” said La Ganga. “I have some beliefs that series of performances called Surprise Annie. everything you need to know is in your body, Rubber Repertory will assist La Ganga in and that the unconscious is where the most performing some improvised monologues at authentic material comes from as an artist.” some quite unorthodox venues.

Helping her explore these unknown and At La Ganga’s shows, you’ll probably find authentic realms of performance are Matt yourself at the intersection of Hislope and Josh Meyer of Rubber comedy, performance art, Repertory theater company. and storytelling.

An Constantly pushing intersection that is a away the walls of what place where a range is and is not theater, “I have some beliefs of emotions collide the Rubber Rep that and mingle, but guys are acting as that will leave the the performance and that the audience inspired midwives to the unconscious is where and glad that they show, arranging the most authentic actually left the for the non-tradihouse. tional venues and material comes from as “I really just want moving La Ganga in an artist.” people coming to my a direction that she show to think that it was has never been in. a good reason to leave the “We are trying to play with house,” said La Ganga. the structure and form of theater Just as The Velvet Underground were and performance,” said Rubber Repertory supposed to have inspired a myriad of youths member Matt Hislope. “We are most often to start their own bands, La Ganga hopes to interested in messing with the structure of do the same for your inner self. things and figuring out the content later.”

“At the same time, I hope people will be Indeed, this will be the case with the Surmore encouraged or inspired to be more prise Annie shows as La Ganga will be ferried open to their artistic selves after my shows,” into an unexpected venue blindfolded—not a said La Ganga. “If I have any religion, it is that theater or comedy club, but perhaps the trunk of the creative self.” of a car, port-a-potty, or medical waste dumpster—and then be demanded to do her thing.

everything you need to know is in your body,

20

Likewise, La Ganga and the Rubber Rep crew seem to share the same goal: the ideal of life merging with art.

“We’ve always been interested in conflating and combining life and art; Annie does just that.”

William M. Bass

Annie La Ganga’s Philosophy of Life “I’m so happy that I can change, that I can change my mind. In fact, I change my mind all the time because I’m always learning—I’m always learning, because I’m always making tons of ridiculous and often embarrassing mistakes. Likewise, I’m always making tons of mistakes because I’m always exploring lots of new things or trying on new ways of seeing and doing familiar things. I’m perpetually a clumsy beginner, and I’ve become comfortable with imperfection, with the possibility (sometimes probability) of looking like a fool. This is fine with me, because I want to always be stretching and learning and growing. I want to experience as much of myself and the world as I possibly can, no matter what that may look like. I think that’s what being alive is for, experiencing the self and the world. That, and eating lots of candy.”

Show details Surprise Annie runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8p from October 6-29 with a special 7 PM performance on October 27.

Patrons will be notified of the venue 24 hours before the show starts. Visit rubberrep.org for tickets and more information

arryn zech

acTivisiOn geTs greedy For those of you who don’t know, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is set to be released on November 8th. If you’re a fan, this should already be known and written nearly everywhere. But what some of you don’t know is that Activision has teamed up with Pepsi in a new promotion called “Rank Up XP.” That means that if you buy certain Pepsi products—mainly Mountain Dew and Doritos, staples for hardcore gamers everywhere—you get double XP (Experience Points, for those not in the know) for a specific amount of time, depending on what product you buy. So a 20 oz. Mountain Dew will get you 15 minutes of double XP, a 12-pack gets you 90 minutes, so on and so forth. When you start playing the game with other players and you see a high ranker, you won’t know if they’re really just that good or they’ve been chugging that neon liquid cocaine for a week to get the extra XP. For Activision, this is an all-time low. Not only are their sales for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 supposed to exceed Modern Warfare 2’s sales, which went over $360 million in just 24 hours, but now they’re putting in that extra greedy push for money from your Dorito dust-covered fingers.

The concern with this isn’t that it promotes obesity, because people all over the US would buy this junk food regardless of its in-game powers, but it just shows the tacky, money-hungry sides of some videogame CEOs (I’m looking at you, Bob Kotick).

PORTAL 2 dlc Portal 2 fans, it’s not often that I get to call on you, but joyous day, as of printing, the new downloadable content for PC, PS3, and Xbox versions of Portal 2 has been released.

The new set of Portal puzzles is called “Peer Review” and it follows the spunky duo of Atlas and P-Body around in a continuation of the co-operative campaign. The DLC will also include new single and multiplayer challenge modes.

With cameo quips from GLaDOS and the ever-silly dances and high-fives from the ever-quirky robots, this DLC is sure to be just as fun as the original.

But mainly this means, get ready to “accidentally” laser your teammates to death once more.

DEAD ISLAND mOvie?

Lionsgate has announced that it’s making a Dead Island movie.

Didn’t the actual game only just come out like a month ago?

Joe Drake, Lionsgate’s motion picture group president, created an official press release stating that the trailer of the game is what actually inspired the move to create a full-length movie.

“Like the hundreds of journalists and millions of fans who were so passionate and vocal about the Dead Island trailer, we too were awestruck.” He added, “This is exactly the type of property we’re looking to adapt at Lionsgate – it’s sophisticated, edgy, and a true elevation of a genre that we know and love.”

If they really got the inspiration for the movie from the trailer alone, then I’m super stoked. The trailer shows a visually and emotionally stimulating reverse time-line of a little girl and her family while on vacation to a zombie-inhabited island. Gametrailers.com awarded it number 5 best videogame trailers of all time.

With this in mind, I hope they stay true and stick to the trailer for inspiration. The game itself proved to be rather lackluster and emotionally, well, flat. It really is just your average zombie-slaying game. Joy. Lionsgate, it’s up to you. Redeem the name of Dead Island by not releasing another shitty zombie movie into the world and let the Walking Dead fan-boys rejoice.

arryn ZecH

ColdTowne needs cold cash ColdTowne Theater’s quest for a larger room and a full-time job

22

October 5, 2011 | UWeeklyAustin.com

up? We’re still looking for a new place—we’re even talking to the owners of Spider House to see if we could go into business together, but right now it’s up in the air.”

Something like this doesn’t generally happen with a profit-minded business, but ColdTowne, like most independent theaters around the city, aren’t exactly in it for the money. Raising revenue after distinguishing yourself as a free, low-barrier-of-entry establishment doesn’t really go together.

“For me going to ColdTowne is just a solid way to kill a night,” said English major

Luke Winkie

Photo: Julie Patterson

ColdTowne Theater is barely a venue.

Isolated in a basement below an I Luv Video on the far end of campus, it’s dotted with a few couches and whatever chairs someone managed to scrounge up. The stage is slightly elevated over the floor, and you can often hear the footsteps of the patrons stomping around upstairs. Generally the shows are free, it’s always B.Y.O.B., and most of the performers keep temp jobs around the city.

Sure it’s quaint, homely, and pretty idiosyncratic, but it’s not exactly what you’d expect from one of the most revered comedy spaces in Austin, and ColdTowne is trying to fix that. The back exit is marked with a tip jar and a box with a dollar billsized slot, one of the initial steps towards a larger space.

“We actually already had a place lined up,” said Justin York, one of the directors of the theater.

“We had the engineers, we had the plumbers, we had the asbestos checked—all with pretty good faith with the owners. We signed the lease, sent it over to them, and then at the last minute they pulled the rug out from under us.

That was a big letdown.”

All of that happened at the end of July, which has left the theater a little dazed in disappointment.

“Right now we’re just licking our wounds,” said York: “do we pursue legal action, do we suck it

John Boone. “The free shows and the atmo- convenience store across the street makes sphere makes it easy to feel good about my money that we’d like to be making. Maybe wallet.” Any drastic changes to that formula then we’d be able to focus all of our attenmight sink an audience. tion on the theater,” said York.

“It’s been better than I expected, but every Like most Austin comedy collectives, the time you try to raise money it’s a nightmare,” primary goal of a place like ColdTowne is the said York. “We started by raising $27,000 art. To York, upgrading the stage would mean dollars from a thing we put on a lot of little aesthetic boosts, like called Kickstarter, we have a not having cowboy boots tip jar and the donation interrupt through the box, we’re trying to basement’s ceiling. But be as low-pressure profitability is always Sure, the goal of as possible.” York in the back of their making it big might not also mentioned minds, the dream be as prevalent in a that ColdTowne is still there. Sure, place like Austin, but was trying to raise the goal of making making it to the point of money through init big might not be not having to work partvestors, something as prevalent in a that fell apart once place like Austin, but time in a coffee shop is the lease for the new making it to the point pretty desirable. place was thrown out. of not having to work Predictably this sort part-time in a coffee shop of thing comes down to is pretty desirable. money. With the prestige that “I used to live in L.A.,” said ColdTowne has, it could easily ratchet up York, “and people would do whatever they prices and streamline the moving process, could to get the industry crowd in the room, but that isn’t in their ethos. and while we certainly hope that happens, it’s “For one thing it’d be nice to sell liquor, not our goal. People want to just be funny.” we’re B.Y.O.B., which means the The performers at ColdTowne want notoriety, but they’re getting there in the most earnest way possible.

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MICHAEL IAn BLACk,

in addition to being very famous, is a very busy man. Black is gearing up to release his latest comedy album Very Famous which will be accompanied by a television special of the same name. He has two books slated for release in 2012, You’re Not Doing It Right and Stupid For America. The former is a memoir about his experiences growing up and raising a family and the latter is a book co-written by conservative personality Meghan McCain. Before the year is out, he is going to travel across the country on a stand-up comedy tour which will bring him to the Mohawk on October 7. Black found some time to sit down with us and talk about Very Famous, the enduring legacy of Wet Hot American Summer and why Triple H should be our nation’s 45th President.

Tell me about Very Famous.

That’s the name of my hour-long comedy special and comedy album of the same name. That’s what I called it.

Because it’s obviously incredibly true.

When you’ve had my level of fame, everything changes.

How did you start off with “The State”?

We were just a bunch of theater students and film students and we wanted to make sketch comedy. But it was never intended to be a career. It just turned out that way.

And you and your pals from “The State” went on to make Wet Hot American Summer which is enjoying its 10th anniversary.

It’s been non-stop parades. Every city in the world is hosting a parade so it’s been a lot of travel. Once you’ve been the Grand Marshal of one parade, you’ve pretty much been the Grand Marshal of all parades. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. They give you the scepter, they give you the key to the city, then you march.

Why do you think Wet Hot has become such a cult classic?

I honestly have no idea. It just, for whatever reason, struck a chord with people. It’s a funny movie. It’s just so purposefully silly, it resonates with people.

The experience of being at summer camp with people is also kind of relateable.

Maybe. But there’s a lot of movies that have common experience in their setting that don’t resonate. I don’t know. I don’t have a theory about it. Of course I’m happy about it.

It’s a phenomenon.

I don’t know if it’s a phenomenon.

Slow-burning phenomenon?

Yeah. Sure, that’s pretty good.

Do you think there’s a possibility of a Wet Hot II? I think there’s a possibility. I don’t know if it’s a great possibility. But it’s a possibility.

Do you know if there’s any writing going on?

I know that there are some discussions going on but beyond that, I don’t really know.

I saw in an interview you mentioned something about coining the term “American Surrealism” that attempted to describe the totally off-the-wall style of comedy that Wet Hot and “Stella” and some of your other projects have made popular. Have you seen that style adopted by the new generation of comedians?

That’s basically just a pompous term that I made up when I was seventeen.

I don’t know. I think more people are sort of finding that sort of thing funny, but I don’t know if that has much or anything to do with us or what we were doing. I think humor just sort of finds its way. I think it feels fresh for people and so that’s what they’re doing. But I don’t know if people who are doing that are aware of what we did.

So you’re not going to claim responsibility for that new trend. Good. You’re humble.

No. Believe me, if I did something I could take credit for, I would. If I could figure out a way to monetize taking credit for something, then I’d be taking credit for everything.

politics as its backdrop. It’s more of a road trip book and our observations about this great country. We decided to go cross-country in an RV for a month and that formed the basis of the book.

Where did you go on this road trip?

Strip clubs and waffle houses. Mostly just strip clubs and waffle houses.

What have your feelings been on the republican debates so far?

I can’t say I’m in love with the Republican party right now. I find myself disagreeing with them on nearly everything. And then the things that occasionally they say that I like are the things that they get attacked by other Republicans for. Like Rick Perry wants to give girls a cervical cancer vaccine. And in my mind, that’s a good thing. But in the Republican

parent have anything to do with that?

It did. I was reading a lot of children’s books to my kids and I thought, “This seems really easy.” And I like easy things.

What most children’s book authors will tell you is that it seems really easy, but if you try it, you’ll see just how incredibly difficult it is. But in my experience it is, in fact, incredibly easy. Children’s book authors want to justify what they do and have people not make fun of them for writing 16-page books. But it’s actually very, very easy.

So other than the fact that you were reading books to your kids, have they influenced the stories at all? Do they ever creep into the characters?

Sure. I have a book coming out called I’m Bored which is what I hear from my children every 3 to 5 minutes.

“mOsTly jusT sTrip clubs and waffle hOuses.”

Who are some of your favorite new comics?

Kumail Nanjiani, who was in Michael and Michael Have Issues, John Mulaney, who’s on SNL, Brendon Walsh, who’s very funny. There’s a ton of great comedians out there right now.

You have a book that’s coming out at the beginning of 2012, right?

I have a book coming out in February called You’re Not Doing It Right, that’s sort of a memoir. Then I have a book with Meghan McCain coming out in July.

Are you and Meghan friends?

We weren’t before the book. We sort of met in passing on a television program.

I just liked her. I’ve always liked her from afar. I like her strong independent voice for a Republican. I’ve always talked to myself and said ‘If I were a Republican, that’s the kind of Republican I would be.’

So it’s a book about politics?

It’s more of a road trip book with

orthodoxy, that’s a horrible, horrible thing. When you have a party that’s anti-cervical cancer vaccine, that’s just something I can’t get behind.

You are quite the Tweeter. How many people do you follow?

I do. I like to do a lot of tweeting.

200-ish I guess.

On the flip side of that, what have you thought of Obama’s first term?

I’m a lot more sympathetic to him than other people. I think he’s done a pretty good job, I would even say a good job, given the circumstances that he finds himself in. Political, financial, international. I don’t know who out there is going to do a better job than him. Maybe Triple H.

It seems like anyone can become a comedian now. Before Twitter, all these snarky remarks would have stayed in our heads but now we can broadcast them out to the world.

What do you think of that?

I think it’s great. I’m glad people can do that. I’ve met, albeit virtually, a lot of very funny people that way. Comedians don’t have the corner on the market of being funny. There are a lot of funny people out there. The difference is that comedians don’t have any other skill sets.

You’ve also written some children’s books. You’re not exactly a dirty comic, but kids don’t seem like your target market.

Well I don’t perform at children’s parties. Nor have I been invited to.

Is that a call for invitations?

No. I guess I’m alright not performing at children’s parties.

So how did you get involved in writing children’s books? Did being a

Unless you’re you, then you can write books and do comedy albums and act.

Well yes. But that’s why I’m very famous.

Well I think we just put a nice little bow on this.

Yes I did. Because I’m a professional comedian.

BRETT THORNE

UWeeklyAustin.com | October 5, 2011

27

Wednesday

Blind Pilot

SpaceBalls Quote-A-Long

@ Parish, 214 E 6th

@ Alamo Ritz, 320 E 6th

These days, breezy, tight-knit harmonies are in while the de rigeur sloppiness that has predominated indie rock is out. No other band than probably Fleet Foxes or The Avett Brothers does this angelic folksiness better than Blind Pilot.

Cherry-picked by NPR as one of the top three bands to see at SXSW, Blind Pilot craft wistfully eclectic folk pop that is as charming as the places that they are probably from.

Will bass 28

Back in the good old days, before the Wayans brothers, movie parodying was a genuinely funny thing. We need look no further than Mel Brooks’s classic spoof on Star Wars, Spaceballs. Quite possibly Rick Moranis’s best movie, even considering Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Spaceballs is an intergalactic send-up for the ages.

You will be provided with noise makers and drink and food specials to help you complete this cosmic spoof. May the Schwartz be with you!

friday

Michael Ian Black: Back is White Tour @ Mohawk, 912 Red River

Tickets: www.originalalamo.com

Michael Ian Black has been cutting his absurd teeth in Comedy since you were a sperm, or an egg, pick your pre-you sex. Black was a star on the pioneering sketch show “The State” along with other “Reno 911!” alums.

Black then went on to helm his own comedic universes on Comedy Central with “Stella” and “Michael and Michael Have Problems.”

Nevertheless, Black’s comedic muscles are stronger than your tongue and more absurd than the McCoy family becoming satanists.

►►Also Worthy

►►Also Worthy

►►Also Worthy

Geeks Who Drink

No Shame Sing-Along

The Highball, 1120 S Lamar

Alamo Ritz, 320 E 6th St.

Lions of Tsavo

The Megaphone Show

Block Party: A Comedy Mixtape!

The New Movement Theater, 1819 Rosewood

The New Movement Theater, 1819 Rosewood

Free Improv Comedy

Portugal the Man

Coldtowne Theater, 4803 Airport

Stubb’s, 601 Red River

Mau Mau Chaplains

Weedeater

Flamingo Cantina, 515 E 6th

Emo’s, 603 Red River

400 Blows

2 Mex

Tickets: c3presents.frontgatetickets.com

The top events & shows in Austin this week

thursday

Mohawk, 912 Red River

October 5, 2011 | UWeeklyAustin.com

Flamingo Cantina, 515 E 6th

Tickets: www.transmissionentertainment.com

Beerland, 711 Red River

’80s Dance Party

The Highball, 1120 S Lamar

Footloose (Dance Party) Barbarella, 615 Red River

Tech N9ne

Emo’s East, 2015 E Riverside

Dale Watson B’day Bash

Continental Club, 1315 S Congress

saturday

sunday

monday

Monday night dance party at Nasty’s @ Nasty’s, 606 Maiden Lane

Tucked away just off Guadalupe on a side street, Nasty’s is the bar you’ve never heard of but will keep coming back to after you’ve been. Dance, shake, and shimmy those Mondays away at their 15-years-and-running dance party.

Toro Y Moi @ Mohawk, 912 Red River

Oh, Science! @ ColdTowne Theater, 4803 Airport

►►Also Worthy

Bleached

Mohawk, 912 Red River

After being tagged with more than his fair share of genres (chillwave, glo-fi, hypnagogic pop) Chazwick Bundick finally managed to cast off those reductive chains on his latest album, Behind the Pines. Ditching his hazed-out hip-hop template of his first record, Bundick opted for a more disco and funky vibe that will uncross even the most reticent hipster’s arms, just a little. Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Bass Drum of Death will get your body moving beforehand.

Didn’t get enough shenanigans in on Friday or Saturday? Out of money from trying to get involved in some expensive shenanigans? Want to know what shenanigans really are? ColdTowne is the place on Sunday for free shenanigans in the form of improv comedy. The house troupe will entertain you and your cheap friends and even invite the audience members to get in on the action at the end.

►►Also Worthy

►►Also Worthy

David Allan Coe

Warren Hood

Mind Spiders

TV at the Alamo: Breaking Bad

Sounds Under Radio

Junior Brown

Kalu James

Warbringer

Emo’s, 603 Red River

Austin Music Hall, 208 Nueces

Renderers

CineSundays (Free Movie)

Rock ’N’ Roll Karaoke

Beerland, 711 Red River Stubb’s, 601 Red River Momo’s, 618 W 6th Emo’s, 603 Red River

Emo’s, 603 Red River

Rika Vista

Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red

tuesday River

The Big Lebowski Quote-A-Long

Tickets: www.transmissionentertainment.com

Antone’s, 213 W 5th

Kevin Devine

Momo’s, 618 W 6th Alamo Drafthouse, 1120 S Lamar

Continental Club, 1315 S Congress

29th Street Ballroom, 2906 Fruth St.

@ Alamo Drafthouse, 1120 S Lamar

Friends always punching you for ruining everyone’s favorite movie when you watch it together? Head down to The Big Lebowski quote along. White Russians will be provided for all you nihilists.

Tickets: www.originalalamo.com

►►Also Worthy

Death Cab for Cutie

Beerland, 711 Red River

UWeeklyAustin.com | October 5, 2011

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► treaSure iSLand

► tHe LOcaL

the local puB and patio you knoW, there’s a reason they call it “The Local.” This bar, located on the edge of west campus, practically right across the street from the Almetrius Duren dormitory, has catered to UT students and faculty alike since its inception. Their specials include a dollar beer night every Wednesday and a “DraftMania” every Sunday that includes discounts on all your favorite draft beers. To top it all off, they even have an outdoor patio with a food cart that serves tacos. Delicious tacos. If that last sentence wasn’t a game-changer then you clearly don’t know what a game-changer is.

Brian BOgart

► cuatrOS

413 e 6th

2610 guadalupe

1004 W 24th

25¢ wells, $1 triples and kamikaze shots, $4 bombs

$2 tx mex beers

$2 tecates and modelo esp. $5 deer and beer

► cuBa LiBre

► BLind Pig

► cHuggin’ mOnkey

409 colorado

317 e 6th

219 e 6th

$2 Wells

$2.50 Wells/domestics

$2 Wells/domestics

► kiSS and FLy

► trudy’S

► maggie mae’S

404 colorado

409 W 30th

323 e 6th

$3 Wells, $3 Any beer

$5 mexican martinis

$2 Wells

307B West 5th Street www.besocantina.com

BY LANE)

(NEXT TO KER 2610 GUADALUPE

NFL TICKET E

WE’VE GOT TH

SEVERAL GAMES WITH SOUND

”

HS T U R T S INTLES

“PO

TRIV

NIGHT Y A D S E Y TU IA EVER