Who loves Will Smith more than July Fourth filmgoers? That didn’t change this year, as Hancock’s 62 million dollar take proves. But remember what got this whole holiday box office bonanza thing going? Smith has been cranking out bankable Independence Day blockbusters since…well, since Independence Day (AKA ID4), 1996. This kind of big budget movie awful-ness, for which the Devlin-Emmerich creative duo has become so renowned, is exactly what makes this film perfect for the character assassins of the Master Pancake Theater. Catch the madness and ridicule this weekend at the Alamo Downtown....

Oh say can you see Francis Scott Key sitting on a picnic blanket nursing a michelada on the velvet green meadows of Auditorium Shores tonight as the Texas National Guard Salute Battery's 70 millimeter cannons (!) keep time with the Austin Symphony and a fireworks display to rival the decadent aerial ordinance of the Hunan Dynasty explodes overhead? We can. ...

As Independence Day approaches, it's tough not to think of patios, grilling, and fireworks. This weekend will find half the city decamping to visit family and friends elsewhere and the other half of us running around buying meats, beers, wines, and chips for our mid-week July 4th celebration. In the spirit of the holiday, we've selected six American wines from California and Oregon that are each classic examples of both their grape and the......

If you asked us what Richard Kelly’s 2001 sci-fi/thriller/mystery masterpiece Donnie Darko is about, we’d probably answer with something utterly inadequate like, “Um—it’s about a teenager, and a creepy bunny, and the end of the world”. But we’d also suggest that the only way you’ll ever understand what it's about is to watch it. This weekend, you’ll get the chance to do just that as the Alamo Drafthouse presents a special screening of the cult......

South Austin beermeisters Rob and Amy Cartwright of Independence Brewing Company are kicking off a campaign this summer to help out the Barton Springs Greenbelt. Through the Freestyle Summer Fund, they'll donate a buck from every case of Freestyle Wheat Beer sold until mid September to the Austin Parks Foundation, to help out with various greenbelt preservation projects. To launch this effort, they're inviting you out to their Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, where you'll......

We reviewed Not Clown. Hilarious!. So much good music this weekend. You wouldn't have believed it if you didn't read it here. We might be the best blog in town, but there are plenty of other great ones out there. Jason McElwain, hoops legend. The feel-good story of the year (with video). The Texas re-districting battle takes to the Supreme Court. Round Rock Express tickets went on sale. The Great Mundane prepares to bring......

Today is Texas Independence Day, which used to be an official holiday, and now is just a day in Women’s History Month. Seriously though, those of us who have lived in Texas for most of our lives remember March 2 as Texas Independence Day, even if we don’t get the day off. We are not always brimming over with pride for our state, but today we'll think of the things we love about Texas......

As always, Austin is providing a lovely fireworks display with the city skyline in the background for Independence Day, complete with cannon-fire. The H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert & Fireworks When: Monday, July 4, 2002 - 8:30 pm Where: NorthEast Triangle of Zilker Park What: Fireworks with a symphony soundtrack for free! More Info Or, if you’re looking for something different on the 4th, you could head on over to Tambaleo for an......