South by Cap Metro

The #1 bus took me down Lamar and Guadalupe to the Dobie for movie #1, High Score, a documentary about a guy trying to break the world record at a standup Missle Command arcade game. This requires him to pass 80 million points, which he estimates will take him over 2 days of non-stop playing on one quarter. This wasn't a bad little film, especially if you played arcade games in the early 80s. Our hero definitely has a case of the obsessives but it's a good case, where he's not weird and you feel for him when bad shit happens.

Then it was on the #1 to the Alamo Downtown for The Notorious Bettie Page, directed by Mary Harron and starring Gretchen Mol. I was all over this like syrup on pancakes and barely got in. My buddy, Josh, and I were #s 6 and 7 of the last 10 people allowed in. What's up front row! A little bit closer to the screen showing the makes-my-jaw-hit-the-floor Ms. Mol? Yes, please. Unfortunately, the film didn't reveal much more than her fully-bared skin. There just wasn't much to the script other than: here's Bettie thru the end of her pin-up career, which she quit due to her feelings about sin and what Jesus would think of her. The religious angle was handled well, but I could have used a bit more about it other than just a scene or two before she gives it all up. Bettie is portrayed as having no real qualms, or shame, about getting naked and tying up her fellow models. So I feel they could have done more with this internal conflict; it's there, but only skin deep.

A drink at the Jackalope and then a ride home on the #15 so I could get my car for the midnight movie at the Alamo South of District 13. This film was written (story for sure, maybe screenplay) and produced by Luc Besson (The Professional, La Femme Nikita) and is a physical-stunt oriented actioner set in the near-future. Some parts of Paris are being abandoned by city services, like the police, and the residents are on their own to defend themselves against the gangs that rule the streets. One local stud ain't having it. But after kicking some ass in the opening, he gets to spend some time in jail while his sister becomes the toy of the local heroin kingpin they tried to turn in to the cops. 6 months later, a super-cop busts him out and enlists his help in retrieving a stolen bomb. They then kick ass together. Great fight choreography and stuntwork, strongly featuring the always-moving parkour. When he goes feet first thru a window above a door, you know that it's on. As Besson's involved in this one, it'll be available on video here for sure. You should find it.