Courtesy of Paramount Pictures The opening night slot at the South by Southwest Film and Television Festival has often celebrated movies that balance spectacle and story equally: films like Jordan Peele's  Us  and the Daniels'  Everything Everywhere All at Once , movies that earned awards and box office in equal measure. That trend seems sure to continue with  , the new film from writers/directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Equal parts ensemble comedy and fantasy adventure,  Dungeons & Dragons  is poised to be a celebration of the roleplaying franchise for fans and newcomers alike.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2023-03-10/reinventing-the-fantasy-movie-with-sxsw-opening-nights-dungeons-and-dragons-honor-among-thieves/

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Emiliano Rigoni (photo by Jana Birchum) On paper, it looks gorgeous. Sebastián Driussi , perhaps the most skilled and lethal goalscorer in Major League Soccer , penned in as the central figure in Austin FC's attack. To his left, Austin's adopted favorite son, Diego Fagúndez . To his right, Driussi's countryman, fellow Designated Player and theoretical creative equal Emiliano Rigoni . And front and center, a proven goal-sniffing striker in Gyasi Zardes . In the words of legendary Greek manager Thanos, "Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/sports/2023-03-24/the-verde-report-austin-fcs-attacking-blueprint-hits-early-season-snag/

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Illustration by Zeke Barbaro / Getty Images It was a rare moment of solidarity at the Texas Education Agency headquarters on Congress Avenue on April 1, as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick cleared his throat into a microphone. "I am proud to be standing here before you tonight," he said, gesturing to a table beside him where something of an indeterminable shape sat cloaked by a red cloth. The audience of invited educators from across the state had only an inkling of what was to come. Amid a crisis of teacher retention in the state's public schools, companion bills passed both chambers of the Legislature last week, ensuring a $1.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2023-03-31/state-offers-exciting-new-incentives-package-to-retain-public-school-teachers/

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Texas Comptroller Glen Hegar has been, bit by bit, releasing the names of blacklisted green firms (photo by John Anderson) The repercussions of Texas' new laws targeting "woke" financial firms that seek to limit investments in fossil fuels, firearms, and the like are starting to be felt. Senate Bill 13, adopted in 2021, prohibits state retirement and investment funds, estimated to be worth about $300 billion, from doing business with financial firms that consider environmental impact in their investments.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2022-09-09/texas-feels-ripple-effects-from-green-investment-ban/

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Tawa Threads founder Tabria Williford (Photo by Jinni J.) Boy, who doesn't love the outdoors? I'll admit I'm a little bit of an indoor kid (check our "Indoor Queers Club" series for further evidence) but with September ushering in those nice 80-something temps, being outside sort of slaps. Great news for all LGBTQ hikers, bikers, and walker-arounders of parks: You were right. We should all touch as much grass as possible. For those nature lovers among us, local textile brand Tawa Threads will be hosting "When Our Sun Rises," an art exhibition on Sept.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2022-09-09/qmmunity-the-gay-outdoors/

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The City Theatre Co.'s The Fantasticks (Photo by Andy Berkovsky) "The Fantasticks ... attracts you, settles back a bit limply, wakes you up again and averages out a little less than satisfactory," concluded Walter Kerr in his New York Herald Tribune review after the show's 1960 off-Broadway premiere. "Perhaps," said Brooks Atkinson in The New York Times, "[it] is by nature the sort of thing that loses magic the longer it endures." Sure, after watching grand and glamorous musicals like My Fair Lady, The Music Man, and Gypsy (all on Broadway at the time), Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's minimalistic, melancholic, commedia dell'arte-style parable about two neighboring parents tricking their children into falling in love with one another must have seemed underwhelming to critics.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2022-09-09/review-the-city-theatres-the-fantasticks/

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City Council decided on Sept. 1 to once again postpone a vote on allowing the Austin Police Department to reinstate use of its automated license plate reader program. The department already owns 20 ALPR cameras and previously contracted with Vigilant Solutions to manage the software side – primarily the database of license plate images captured by ALPR cameras, which officers query if they suspect a vehicle is connected to a criminal investigation. APD describes the technology as a "force multiplier" to help expedite criminal investigations amid its staffing shortage, but privacy advocates describe it as enabling mass state surveillance.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2022-09-09/council-recap-no-deal-on-license-plate-readers/

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The Hays County Jail on Sept. 2, 2022 (Photo by Jana Birchum) The first time Hays County Jail officials rushed Melvin Nicholas to the hospital was Feb. 18, 2021. The 59-year-old had been ill for days but, he told the Chronicle, the jail's medical team had provided no care. It wasn't until Nicholas' family came for a visit, saw his condition, and asked for help that jail administrators acted. "They found out I had a high fever and I had COVID-19 and pneumonia," Nicholas said. "But this was after I had been putting in medical requests telling these people I can't eat – I mean, I can't even get out of the bed.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2022-09-09/hays-countys-overwhelmed-jail-system-in-dire-shape-advocates-say/

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Dancers at Pan American Neighborhood Park on Aug. 27 (photo by Jana Birchum) Amid controversy about renaming East Aus­tin's Pan Ameri­can Neighborhood Park, Austin City Council voted last week to honor longtime East Austin teacher and coach Tony Castil­lo with a plaque instead of renaming the park in his honor. The vote concludes a months-long debate that split many Eastside residents and activists over how to most appropriately honor the history of the neighborhood and one of its most well-regarded citizens.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2022-09-09/council-finds-a-compromise-on-renaming-pan-am-park/

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Snapshots from inside John Aielli's home (Photos by John Anderson) John Aielli was all quirks, but one quirk in particular that always delighted me was that he brought his own lamp into Cherrywood Coffeehouse. I don't mean to imply he brought a lamp in once and left it where he liked to sit. He came there frequently and carried a lamp in with him like there was some kind of BYO-lamp situation. Who does that? The most idiosyncratic, most legendary, and longest-serving radio deejay Austin ever had – that's who.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2022-09-09/john-aiellis-eccentric-home-opens-for-an-estate-sale/

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Dolly De Leon at Fantastic Fest (Photo by Heather Kennedy) If Triangle of Sadness were a conventional Hollywood movie, then audiences could expect influencer/model couple Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean) to be the protagonists. But in director Ruben Östlund's savage sociopolitical comedy/commentary, the only proactive figure is kept to the background for much of the mayhem taking place on the luxury yacht on which the duo bob through azure waters. Instead, it's ship's cleaner Abigail, played by Filipino actress Dolly De Leon in her first international production, who puts the pro- into proactive.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2022-10-14/dolly-de-leon-sails-into-the-triangle-of-sadness/

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Austin FC fans disembark from the MetroRail Red Line (photo by Benton Graham) On a steamy Saturday night in September, a group of passengers shirked Capital Metro's code of conduct requiring patrons to wear shirts. Boarding the MetroRail Red Line at Kramer Station, the six young men, two of whom had removed their shirts, bellowed, "Olé olé olé olé, Austin FC!" in honor of their team's come-from-behind draw against Nashville SC. As the packed train forged ahead, their chants became increasingly hoarse but no less passionate.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2022-10-14/austin-fc-fans-prepare-to-pack-the-trains-on-metrorail/

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A packed crowd celebrates another goal at Q2 Stadium (Courtesy of Austin FC) On Sunday, Austin's own Major League Soccer franchise will host a playoff match inside Austin's own soccer-specific stadium while Austin's own rabid fan base watches from the sold-out stands. Imagine that. Just let the thought breathe for a moment. There was a time not too long ago when that concept would have seemed as foreign as the terms "Minister of Culture" or "Pollo FC." That time was, in fact, anytime before October 16, 2017, the day a tweet from soccer journalist Grant Wahl sent the hearts of Central Texas footie fans fluttering into the stratosphere with dreams of what might follow.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/sports/2022-10-14/the-verde-report-austin-fcs-playoff-debut-is-a-moment-five-years-in-the-making/

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Courtesy of Nuclear War Now! Productions Nuclear War Now! Productions, a notable cult metal marque founded in 2001, has relocated to Austin from its longtime Bay Area home. A sizable record label and distribution operation, NWN!'s black metal brand also includes traditional heavy metal, doom, and death metal in an expansive international catalog. Owner Yosuke Konishi announced the company's relocation in July 2021, setting up a warehouse at 3607 San Antonio St., 78734, near Lake Travis. Public-facing vinyl and music shop Eastern Front Records is now open daily.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2022-09-30/crosstalk-metal-record-label-relocates-to-austin-and-the-latest-at-moody-center/

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Dame Dynamite of Horrorscopes (Photo by Tyler Whitman) In a sequel, the stakes are always higher. Think of Freddy's Revenge aka the gay Nightmare on Elm Street, or Psycho II, the gay "Norman Bates tries to make a cheese sandwich" movie. (Very intense!) That means this second round of homoscopes is even wilder than the last. Maybe that's because we're going through a seasonal change from back-to-school into spooky-ooky. Everyone's in the scary spirit, which is my favorite kind of spirit. Anyway: You know the drill, babes.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2022-09-30/qmmunity-revenge-of-the-homoscopes/

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Different Stages' Shining City (photo by Steve Rogers) Irish playwright Conor McPherson is a master storyteller. His tall tales are as powerful as they are poetic, and though each is a unique and well-crafted creation, they share signature tropes that make them immediately recognizable as his. They tend to take place over a short period of time, which generates a strong sense of immediacy and urgency in their telling. The person telling the story does so with extended monologues that are more confessional than theatrical.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2022-09-30/review-different-stages-theatres-shining-city/

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Tyler Groce (photo by John Anderson) In Rocky's iconic training montage our hero climbs the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, turns to face the city before him, and raises his arms in the air with a sense of victory. On Wednesday, September 21, Tyler Groce emerged victorious as Cap City Comedy Club's Funniest Person in Austin (FPIA). The victory was a shared one. It marked the return of the 30-plus-year annual contest tradition after a two-year hiatus. It marked the return of a sellout crowd eager to see who is among the city's rising stars.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2022-10-07/what-it-means-to-be-funniest-person-in-austin/

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Having a song, perhaps a lovestruck-yet-heartbroken groove, go viral on TikTok comes with pros and cons. Trends pass, interest wanes, or in some cases, the music begins to fade into the background as it circulates to soundtrack banalities like 'get ready with me' videos. Of course, racking up thousands of followers and amassing millions of streams on Spotify as a result certainly doesn't hurt, especially for independent artists crafting beats in their bedrooms. Enter Austin-by-way-of-Dallas indie-pop band Luna Luna, embodying the multiformity of their online fan base while decked out in colorful Eighties garb.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2022-10-07/luna-luna-moves-from-dallas-origins-to-riverside-headquarters-to-acl-fest-debut/

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Taco a Go Go (Photos by Gerald E. McLeod) Tacos or barbecue? Houston is one of the great culinary cities in the world, and yet when I'm returning from a visit to Space City, I usually want the comfort of one of these primary food groups before I make the long drive home. It's not for me to say that Tacos A Go Go and Feges BBQ are the best in a city of such diverse and wonderful food offerings, but they are darn good and I thought you should know about them if you don't already. Part of the pair's appeal to me is their locations.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2022-09-16/day-trips-houston-dining/

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Dear Luv Doc, My boyfriend is habitually late. It doesn't matter what the occasion ... concerts, weddings, funerals, or who is involved, he can never seem to make it on time. He does get there at his own pace and oftentimes with some cute excuse – like having to go find his cat or talking to his mom on the phone. I have tried a lot of different strategies to get him to be more prompt, but all of them have failed. Last week we had a dinner reservation with some friends and he was nearly 30 minutes late.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2022-09-16/the-luv-doc-the-way-they-process-time/

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City Council is deep in the weeds of budget deliberations as we go to press Wed­nes­day, Aug. 17, in the first of a potential three meetings they may need to discuss the fiscal year 2023 budget before voting on it. The first half of Day One included hearing once more from public speakers on their budget priorities. Many spoke in favor of boosting base pay for city workers to $20 per hour and against a resolution that could result in Austin police resuming use of controversial automatic license plate reading software (the latter was postponed to Council's Sept.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2022-08-19/council-puts-finishing-touches-on-new-budget/

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Drip Drop ATX, a staple of Austin's urban LGBTQ music scene (Courtesy of Drip Drop ATX) My first Austin Pride was in 2018 – a year after I moved to this city. My friend Jocelyn and I parked by Texas State Cemetery, then walked down Seventh until we reached the parade route. Next to us was a couple who practically robbed every float of their condoms, while we just grabbed necklaces, rainbow flags, and laughs at the cringey corporate floats. Afterward, Jocelyn and I tried every Fourth Street bar – Rain on 4th, Sellers (R.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2022-08-19/qmmunity-finding-your-pride/

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I-35 at Eighth Street in TxDOT's plans, either with or without caps (Courtesy of TxDOT) My old friend and colleague Sinclair Black, a grand duke in the aristocracy of Austin architecture, is the founding father (literally) of Reconnect Austin, the longest-­running community initiative to reimagine I-35 as it runs through Central Austin. It's because of Reconnect's influence and knowledge base that the Texas Department of Transportation felt any need at all to dramatically modify its plans for what it calls the Capital Express Central project – rebuilding I-35 from U.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2022-08-19/austin-at-large-more-land-or-a-big-ditch/

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Ahh, the queer film – always celebrated for its excellence. Austin's All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF) is inspired by that same queer excellence, to which even the great Orson Welles would've raised a glass of champagne. From Aug. 24 to 28, aGLIFF will bring a host of new films, old films, and fun experiences to all those thirsty for LGBTQ+ cinema. After Aug. 29, most festival films will be available to stream until Sept. 5. Here's our recs on what to see. aGLIFF Prism 35, in person Aug.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2022-08-19/five-films-not-to-miss-at-agliff/

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Dear Luv Doc, My husband has always been an unconventional guy, but as he's gotten older, he has become even more adventurous in how he dresses, styles his hair, etc. For the last few years he had shoulder-length hair. Before that he shaved his head for a long while. Most recently, he has been experimenting with facial hair ... first a full beard, then goatee, then a mustache which I didn't mind too much, but now he has shaved into a very thin, above-the-lip, John Waters-style mustache that totally creeps me out.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2022-08-26/the-luv-doc-a-thin-mustache/

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Beyoncé couldn't quite manage it, but Deezie Brown has inspired me to quit my job. Obviously, the job I refer to is not this job (Hi there, Austin Chronicle payroll department!), but a more soul-numbing occupation that I realized, after absorbing the Bastrop artist's total commitment to his own humongous dreams, had to be ditched for the pursuit of art and the quest for truth – even at the risk of poverty-death. How's it going so far? My refrigerator malfunctioned yesterday, liquidating $15 of dairy items, and I collapsed in a puddle of tears.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2022-08-26/behind-the-wheel-with-deezie-brown/

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Vanessa Fuentes on Aug. 3 (photo by John Anderson) After two long days of deliberation, City Council gave final approval late in the evening Thursday, Aug. 18, to a $5 billion "all funds" fiscal year 2023 budget. The General Fund, which is where your sales and property taxes go, accounts for about $1.3 billion of that budget, with more than 60% of that amount earmarked for public safety. Council approved a property tax rate of 46.27 cents per $100 of taxable value, which is right at the 3.5% maximum increase in total property tax revenue (the "revenue cap") allowed under state law and about 8 cents lower than the current year's tax rate.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2022-08-26/city-base-wage-jumps-to-20-hour-for-next-fiscal-year/

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Alejandra Regalado's Sui #5, part of Big Medium's 'Yo Trabajo con la Tierra' exhibition Never mind the differences between a beaver's dam and a human's residential subdivision, yes, but also disregard the similarities. Force a dichotomy: There are humans and their manufactured surroundings, and then there's all the rest of this big blue marvelous rock that we've been spinning on for millennia now. The environment. The wilderness. All the terrestrial flora and fauna that don't walk upright on two legs and buy nacho cheese Hot Pockets from the nearest gas station.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2022-08-26/five-austin-arts-events-that-celebrate-nature/

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Kerry Condon in The Banshees of Inisherin (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures) On the island of Inishmore in Galway Bay, there are drystone walls dividing the fields. That's a common enough sight in Ireland, but not like on the tiny, windswept island: Here, there are fields within fields within fields, some barely a few dozen strides wide. These distinctive boxes are why Martin McDonagh decided to film his follow-up to Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, period drama The Banshees of Inisherin, on Inishmore.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2022-10-28/silence-and-stones-in-the-banshees-of-inisherin/

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James Gray on the set of Armageddon Time (photo by Anne Joyce / Focus Features) After exploring the jungles of the Amazon in The Lost City of Z and the furthest reaches of outer space in Ad Astra, James Gray was beat. "I was anxious to try and rediscover what it is I loved about cinema, why I even wanted to make a film in the first place," Gray said. "I wanted to make something logistically simple. But that doesn't mean it's simple. I wanted to make something emotional." True to his desire, Gray's new film, Armageddon Time (which screened at Austin Film Festival ahead of its Nov.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2022-11-04/the-social-and-personal-turbulence-of-armageddon-time/

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