Thanks to an AISD rule that campus productions need only be approved by a school's principal, RENT will run this week at the McCallum Fine Arts Academy, where principal Mike Garrison supports the production. McCallum technical theatre director M. Scott Tatum has pulled funds from his 2008-2009 budget to keep the show on target, and the sets and costumes have been scaled back due to the lack of funds, but at the end of the day the students will get to realize their production....

I Know Who Killed Me: Oh LiLo, you are such a desperate mess. Shouldn’t the name of this movie be “I Know Who Killed My Career – Me!” There is a joke here somewhere about Lohan portraying a stripper, but we can’t quite put our finger on it…. No Reservations: Yes, Hollywood has absolutely no reservations about continuing to make trite, cliché rom-coms. This one is about two chefs and (GASP!) one of them......

The AFS retrospective of Michael Haneke's films concludes tonight with Caché (Hidden), a film which was lauded by critics yet went largely unseen during a national release just over a year ago. Haneke's insistence on audience discomfort probably has a lot to do with this, as he calls into question everything from Western abuse of wealth (by the French) to the inherent goodness of children. The film begins with a videotape of a Parisian......

Broadway casting group Telsey + Company (Wicked, Hairspray, Rent is looking for hot new male talent--aren't we all?--for an upcoming production entitled Cry Baby. Based on John Water's campy 1990 flick starring Johnny Depp, Ricki Lake, Iggy Pop, and Stephen Baldwin, Cry Baby told the classic tale of a gentle street thug who falls in love with a totally square chick, but then some bad stuff happens along the way that we can't remember.......

If you survived the Deliverance-esque Ikea parking lot this weekend, and didn't get shot trying to get yourself a PS3, you deserve to spend even more of your hard-earned cash on records. Here's what you can find on the shelves at fine local establishments like End of an Ear or Waterloo today. Sufjan Stevens Songs for Christmas (Asthmatic Kitty) Featuring five discs worth of holiday music spanning the course of five years, tinsel used......

FRIDAY [17] music • Frida Hyvonen, Tacks the Boy Disaster, Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater) at Emo's Lounge music • She Wants Revenge & Pretty Girls Make Graves at Stubb's music • Deftones, Deadsy at Austin Music Hall music • Steve Carter at Waterloo Records music • Grupo Fantasma at Antone's music • Golden Bear, The Lemurs, Glass Family at Continental Club (9:30pm) music • Joe Ely at Cactus Café music • Chin Up Chin Up,......

THURSDAY [16] wine • Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! at Various music • Peter and the Wolf, The Interest Kills at The Mohawk music • The Elected (Members of Rilo Kiley), Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos, Whispertown 2000 at Emo's Lounge music • Jack Ingram & Reckless Kelly at Stubb's music • The Pretenders, Operation:Awesome at Austin Music Hall music • White Ghost Shivers, Dewayn Bros at Beerland music • St. Lawrence......

Ardent Residential's plan to demolish the Stoneridge apartment complex on South Lamar is coming up against opposition from affordable housing advocates. The plan would replace the existing 141 unit complex with a new 300 unit complex. The new complex would make 10% of the units "affordable," as mandated by the city, but even those affordable units would cost nearly double the rent of the existing units. The new complex would comply with the new......

FRIDAY [10] music • Tilly and the Wall, The Tyde, Pony Up at Emo's music • The Places, 4 Hungry Tummies, Ralph White, Ryan Anderson at Emo's Lounge music • Jolie Holland w. Sonny Smith at The Parish Room music • The Alice Rose at Waterloo Records music • CREEPOUT Fest: Chumps, Bulemics, The Ends,The Wolves at Beerland music • Regina Spektor with Only Son at Antone's (Sold Out) music • The Black, Horse......

THURSDAY [9] music • Ice Age Cobra, Maaster Gaiden at The Mohawk music • Crash Gallery, The Last Gasp, Future Clouds and Radar, Red Leaves at Emo's music • 2nd Annual Miracles on 8th Street at Stubb's ($70, 7pm) music • 2006 Hotel Cafe Tour with Cary Brothers, Rachel Yamagata, Tristan Prettyman, Joshua Radin, Jonah Matranga, Jim Bianco, Sara Bareilles at The Parish Room music • Joshua Radin at Waterloo Records music • CREEPOUT......

FRIDAY [3] party/music • Misprint magazine's latest issue release party, with The Jungle Rockers, Mr. Lewis and the Funeral Five, Chalk Outlines, and the Cave Dwellers at Flamingo Cantina (Doors at 9pm, $5/7, Free beer while it lasts!) art • Aaron Reynolds art opening reception with Music by Peter Wagner of The Mercers & free beer at End of an Ear (6pm) art • Warhol Reception and Lectures at ART on 5th (6-9pm) art......

It's the not-too-distant future—fewer than 1.5 White House Administrations from today—and women have lost all reproductive rights. Sexual deviance is defined in broad terms; lesbianism, promiscuity, and BDSM are right out. Committing such acts leads to incarceration and, ultimately, sterilization. This is the scene set by Ring Rip Rent, a new work penned by local playwright Martha Lynn Coon and currently in production at The Vortex. Featuring several high-spirited performances, the production is an......

THURSDAY [2] film • Austinist, PartyEnds.com, and a bunch of other folks team up to host a free screening of the Vice Guide to Travel at Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek (7:30pm, Free!) fashion/party • Prototype Vintage celebrates their first anniversary on First Thursday, with snacks and beverages, DJ Little Joe, and more at Prototype Vintage (7-10pm) art • Celebrated Skin: Tatoo Art and Artists Opening at Julia C. Butridge Gallery @ DAC (6pm) art......

FRIDAY [27] party/music/awesome • Car Stereo (Wars) and Austinist host a Halloween Bash with Clap!Clap!, carnie games, face painting, fortune tellers, free fangs, "killer" drink specials, a costume contest judged by the fashionistas of Team Fabrication, and more at Beauty Bar (10pm-2am, $3 with, 4 w/o costume) zombies • Zombie Flash Mob at City Hall fashion • Beauty Bar Blowout with complimentary 'dos by Birds Barbershop, makeup applications by MAC artists, DJ Robbie Hardkiss......

THURSDAY [26] music • The Beauty Shop, The Shells, The Drawing Board, Just Guns at Emo's music • Broken Social Scene with Do Make Say Think at Stubb's music • Reunion Show for Clifford Antone's Birthday at Antone's music • Jamie Lidell w. Back Ted N Ted (late show) at The Parish Room music • Juana Molina w. Adem (early show) at The Parish Room music • Pete Yorn, Minibar at La Zona Rosa......

There's an odd little lot of theatre opening this weekend. From screwball comedy to political puppeteering, you've got more than enough to choose from. We particularly like the looks of The Assumption, brought to you by the good folks at Refraction Arts. With a comedy-fusion format that includes Japanese hillbillies and a little Hamlet thrown in for good measure, this show sounds like too good a time to pass up. Plus the performance includes......

Austin - The city's proposal to build $227 million water plant on 30 acres of the Roy G. Guerrero River Park is heading for the scrap heap. A majority of the Austin City Council members who opposed the plan, will now begin to look at other alternatives such as stricter water conservation rules and drawing from other water sources. The city has said that it will need more drinking water by the year 2011.......

If you're in the market for a change of professions, today's your chance! WorkAustin.com is hosting a free job fair over at the Omni Austin Downtown -- bring plenty of resumes if you're serious about schmoozing with the HR folks, as they've brought together over two dozen companies in various industries, from technology to hospitality to insurance. A sampling of the firms represented: Advanced Technologies Burnett Staffing Dell Enterprise Rent-a-Car HCI International Omni Austin Hotel......

Here’s our dilemma: We really want to like Anthony Rapp's Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical “Rent.” In his memoir, Rapp, who originated the role of Mark Cohen in Rent, follows the parallel strands of his rising professional success and his personal struggles, particularly his mother's battle with and death from cancer. Along the way, Rapp touches on themes common to most 20-somethings: finding satisfying work and sometimes compromising to pay......

Through a series of shady dealings and lucky circumstances, Austinist and its posse ended up in the private Napster party last night. As we stood at the bar, we noticed that people were being given little bags as they left. "What could be in those bags?" we wondered. Having seen the freebies given out by the parties at the Interactive festival, we figured it was probably a teeshirt, possibly a sticker, and maybe a......