Joe Gross
Austin 360
Austin, TX, United States
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Past articles by Joe:
Texas forever: Think you know ‘Friday Night Lights’?
Test your knowledge of “Friday Night Lights,” the insanely great show about football, Texas, life, the universe and everything, which ran from 2006 to 2011. Answers are at the bottom of this quiz.1. The 1990 book, about high school football in Odessa/Permian, was made into a 2004 film, and then a TV series. Two actors were in both the movie and the TV show. Who were they? (Yes, there are two… → Read More
SXSW canceled: Now you can stream some of the pilots for free on Vimeo
In the wake of the canceled 2020 SXSW Film Festival, a group of filmmakers from the fest’s Episodic Pilot Competition are launching a "SXSW 2020 Pilot Showcase" on the streaming service Vimeo. The event, which is free to viewers to stream, focuses on diversity led pilots (more than half the content comes from LGBT creators). For many of these filmmakers, SXSW would have been their largest… → Read More
Oscar Cásares, Lisa Olstein among Austin’s 2020 Guggenheim winners
Oscar Cásares has known about his Guggenheim Fellowship for about a month; he just couldn’t tell anyone.“You get an email that tells → Read More
Sixteen music documentaries to watch right now
In the absence of gathering to enjoy live music, now is a good time grab a drink and cheer some excellent music documentaries while you’re social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.In alphabetical order, here are 16 outstanding music docs available to stream right now. If your favorite movie isn’t here, it means I hate you and the band in question. (I’m kidding; I could do another list… → Read More
Think you know ‘King of the Hill’?
Test your knowledge of the world of a man who knows a whole lot about propane and propane accessories: Hank Hill, main character of Mike Judge’s Texas-set "King of the Hill" cartoon, which ran from 1997-2010 on Fox. Answers are at the bottom of this quiz.1. Where does Hank Hill work?A. Strickland FuelsB. Strickland CoalC. Strickland PropaneD. Strickland OilsE. Strickland CBD Oils2. Who owns the… → Read More
Austin’s Vulcan Video closes permanently amid coronavirus losses
Vulcan Video, the esoteric video store that served as a staple of Austin film culture for several generations of movie nerds, has closed permanently. The → Read More
Coronavirus in Austin: Cine Las Americas cancels film festival
The board of directors for Cine Las Americas, home of the Latino and Indigenous People-focused Cine Las Americas Film Festival, has canceled the 23rd annual film festival, scheduled for May 6-10, because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic."I am confident I speak for our board, staff, volunteers, sponsors, venues, vendors and many more who work with us year-round in preparation for what… → Read More
Austin360Stacks: 7 major books it’s finally time to read
We all have them, the major works of literature we’ve always thought about reading but never had time for.Ironically, "Yeah, I’ll get around to that at some point" is a frequent mantra of people who like to read. There’s even a Japanese word, tsundoku (Japanese: ), that describes people who buy a lot of books and let them pile up. (The Wikipedia entry for this word also cross-references… → Read More
Austin Film Society lays off one-third of staff, all hourly workers
The Austin Film Society laid off a third of its permanent staff and all of its hourly workers at the AFS Cinema on March 23, the Austin non-profit said in → Read More
Think you know Texas movies? Try this quiz
Answers a the end for this Texas-centric trivia quiz:1. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” one of the first movies that put Austin and environs on the map, was directed by Tobe Hooper. Which of the following did he also direct?A. “Lifeforce”B. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”C. “Poltergeist”D. All of the above2. Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” was filmed over:A. 9 yearsB. 12 yearsC. 15 yearsD. 18… → Read More
Vulcan Video offering curbside rentals only; I Luv Video’s doors open
Austin remains one of the best cities in the country for access to well-stocked, old-school video stores. One, you can still walk inside. The other, you → Read More
Home for a spell? Here are nine books to keep you occupied
“It looks like we’re gonna have to do a little time,” as Mr. White says to Mr. Orange in “Reservoir Dogs.”Indeed.Which is to say it’s a good time to catch up on reading, so here are nine books to get you through the Great Distancing.If you like: Baseball, sports in general and keeping your sanity in the absence of sports.Check out: “K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches” by Tyler Kepner… → Read More
Texas Film Awards: Kaitlyn Dever, Michael Murphy cancel Austin travel plans
While the 20th Texas Film Awards, the year’s major fundraiser for the Austin Film Society, remains scheduled for March 12 at Austin Studios, the night will not quite be as star-studded.» Related: Texas Film Awards: Michael Murphy, Shelley Duvall on ‘brilliant’ Robert AltmanHonorees Kaitlyn Dever and Michael Murphy will now both join the event via video to accept awards, Austin Film Society… → Read More
SXSW canceled: What’s next for artists and venues
“The festival may be canceled, but the show must go on.”That’s the take from Cody Cowan, executive director of the Red River Cultural District, in response to the city of Austin’s cancellation of this year’s South by Southwest amid growing coronavirus concerns.“That's what we do every day, and that's how everyone keeps their lights on,” Cowan continued Friday evening after news of the… → Read More
SXSW 2020 and coronavirus: WarnerMedia cancels events, including ‘Watchmen’ panel
WarnerMedia — a media giant that includes brands like CNN, HBO, TNT, the CW and TBS — is officially out for South by Southwest Conference and → Read More
Exclusive: Austin Film Festival’s ‘On Story’ to feature ‘Game of Thrones’ creators on Season 10
“Veep”! “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”! “G.L.O.W.”! These are just a few of the shows to be explored in the 10th season of “On Story,” the Austin Film Festival’s original interview series that airs on Austin PBS and public television stations across the country.The festival announced the Season 10 lineup on Tuesday. The new season premieres nationwide in April.“On Story” gives viewers a… → Read More
SXSW 2020: ‘The Green Knight’ with Dev Patel making world premiere at fest
"The Green Knight," a retelling of a legendary medieval story, will makes its world premiere at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival.The film, starring Dev Patel and directed/adapted for the screen by David Lowery, will screen at 5:30 p.m March 16 at the Paramount Theatre, festival organizers announced Monday.Based on Arthurian legend, "The Green Knight" tells the tale of Sir Gawain… → Read More
’Letterkenny Live!’ coming to Austin April 15
So you’re thinking about the genius of "Letterkenny" the other daaaayyy...and you find it’s coming to Austin.The stars of the award-winning, utterly bizarre Canadian comedy "Letterkenny" are bringing "Letterkenny Live!" to the U.S. for the first time this spring.The Austin shows? Seven p.m. and 10 p.m. April 15 at the Paramount Theatre."Letterkenny Live!" is an all-new live comedy show featuring… → Read More
The Contemporary Austin gets a new executive director
Longtime arts executive Sharon Maidenberg has been named executive director and CEO of the Contemporary Austin, the museum announced Friday.Maidenberg → Read More
Nick “Oh, Hello” Kroll completes Moontower lineup
Nick Kroll, he of the "Kroll Show" sketch show, "Oh, Hello on Broadway" with John Mulaney and the animated cult hit "Big Mouth, → Read More