KBEAR: Billings' Greatest Hits » SXSW

'Spring Breakers' Review

Matt Singer — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:59:28 +0000

James Franco might not be the best actor working in movies today, but he's almost certainly the most fearless. His choices are as unpredictable as they are gutsy. He'll try just about anything: television dramas ('Freaks & Geeks'), soap operas ('General Hospital'), comedies ('Pineapple Express'), and big blockbusters ('Spider-Man,' 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'). His latest role, in Harmony Korine's 'Spring Breakers,' might be his craziest and most daring to date. He plays Alien -- pronounced "A-Leen" in Franco's South Florida drawl -- a drug dealer and aspiring rapper who likes to boast that he's from another planet. Franco's performance is suitably extraterrestrial: hilarious, disturbing, deranged, poignant and endlessly quotable. In an instant classic scene, Alien shows off all his prized possessions -- machine guns and money and nunchucks and 'Scarface' DVDs on constant repeat -- while screaming "Look at my s---!" Alien's orders are superfluous; any time Franco's onscreen, you can't take your eyes off him.

'Family Guy' Creator Seth MacFarlane Talks 'Flintstones' Reboot at SXSW

Jeremy Taylor — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:00:32 +0000

During a talk Sunday at the South By Southwest Festival, ‘Family Guy’ creator Seth MacFarlane confirmed that he’s working on new episodes of the legendary cartoon series ‘The Flintstones.’ Yabba Dabba Doo! “It’s still in the early stages. I’m finishing a rewrite on the pilot,” MacFarlane explained. “We’re trying to, essentially, stay true to what that [...]

'Homeless Hotspots' Ignite Heated Debate

Shauna Wright — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:00:38 +0000

The annual SXSW interactive conference in Austin is sometimes plagued with snail-slow internet speeds (when you can connect at all). But this year it’s been a little easier to find a wifi hotspot: just look for a homeless person. Yes, homeless people are now being used as wifi spots. The marketing firm BBH has partnered [...]

Bruce Springsteen to Give 2012 SXSW Keynote Speech

Nancy Dunham — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:00:37 +0000

Bruce Springsteen is scheduled to give the keynote address at the annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival (SXSW) on March 15, 2012 in Austin, Texas. Rolling Stone reports the appearance will come as Springsteen and the E Street Band open a new chapter on their career following the June death of [...]