Austin Frownland Screening & Cinematexas "Viking" Funeral

Yesterday, David and I drove down to Austin to check out Ronnie Bronstein's Frownland at the Alamo Drafthouse, courtesy of the Austin Film Society and Cinematexas. As all of you already know, I first saw Frownland at South By Southwest in March and have been a fan ever since; so, I was happy to make the drive down to Austin to see it again on the big screen and hang out with Ronnie and friends.

Arriving several hours before the screening, David and I hooked up with David Redmon and Ashley Sabin (Kamp Katrina, Mardi Gras: Made in China) at Mother's Café & Garden for a late lunch. I had the Spinach Lasagna because of the frank menu description: "Our #1 recommendation for first-time customers." Quite a treat with a glass of red wine, however, it weighed me down a bit--especially after a late night on Saturday seeing Curtis Glenn Heath play at The Ginger Man and then heading over to my favorite Fort Worth haunt, The Chat Room Pub.

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Following the linner or dunch, or whatever you want to call it, we all headed over to Spider House Patio Bar & Café to meet up with Ronnie and Noah Stroehle, a freelance writer. Having never been to Spider House, this was a pleasant experience for me, as it's got to be one of the coolest coffee and beer spots in Austin. Boasting a large patio with sporadic tables and chairs, miscellaneous decorative artifacts and a bluntly honest wait staff, Spider House is certainly a hangout I'll revisit. For some reason--perhaps the tiling--I was really drawn to the urinal:


Discussions ranged from Frownland to The Silent Movie Theater in L.A. to The Marx Brothers until we had to scoot to the screening at the new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

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Before the screening, Bryking Poyser introduced Frownland and the critically acclaimed short Everything Will Be OK to accompany it. The Viking helmet was worn to mark the Viking Funeral of the Cinematexas Film Festival, to follow the screenings at The Moose Lodge.

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Despite the fact that Don Hertzfeldt's Everything Will Be OK has screened at just about every film festival there is, I hadn't had the opportunity to catch it on the big screen, so I was really excited when I found out it would be screening prior to Frownland. As to be expected, I was immediately sutured in to the experience. The short makes you laugh and cry, it's heartfelt and moving; and ultimately, it's somehow banally uplifting.

Hertzfeldt's animation is amazing beyond words and should be experienced by everyone! (Check out Rejected on YouTube, and buy Everything Will Be OK on DVD if you haven't had a chance to see it.)

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If you get a chance to see Frownland when Ronnie is in attendance, it's imperative that you stay for the Q & A session, following the film. Ronnie's got a sincere sense about him that resonates throughout the theater. I don't care if you love or hate the film, you're going to appreciate Ronnie's attitude towards the subject and his attitude towards film, in general. He's also very approachable and genuinely gracious, so have a few words with him, if given the chance.

On a side note, Frownland screens at The Silent Movie Theater in L.A. on December 29th. Oddly enough, along with Garbage Pail Kids.

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After the screening and the Q & A session, everyone mentioned thus far, plus a handful of other local filmmakers all congregated at The Moose Lodge for some drinks and discussion and then for the Viking Funeral of the Cinematexas Film Festival.


David really got into the spirit!
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Friends gather to celebrate Cinematexas
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And then, around 3am, David and I drove back to my place and crashed. Certainly a worthwhile experience--and I'm never against excusing myself to Austin, if only for an evening.