You know it's gonna be a good day when Yoko picks you up at the crack of 10:30am to head downtown. We headed to her work headquarters because she has parking and this my friends is a valuable commodity in Austin this week. I had never seen Yoko's work before and was delighted to discover a full kitchen stocked with all the fixings for a Bloody Mary. Do you ever magically get the thing you're most craving? Because having a Bloody Mary at this moment was the closest to kismet I have come in quite a while.
After my unexpected adventure at Yoko's badass work place, we proceeded down to the Frank Frazzetta Gallery hosted by Austin darling Robert Rodriguez. Wow wow wow you guys!! 
This is one of those events that makes me love this town the most. Rodriguez is the benefactor of an amazing collection of art from the inimitable Frazzetta and this year he included works from Drew Steuzan as well as Sebastian Kruger.
Yoko and I were totally Gaga over this collection- get it? 
I also may or may not have screamed, "There's a Predator!!"
As far as cool stuff during SXSW goes, this. Was. The. Coolest.
I asked specifically if I could take photos so I could share with you guys, so I hope you are geeking out right along with me here! Stay tuned for my interview with Robert Rodriguez about this collection and his role in maintaining this incredible legacy.
So after the Frazzetta gallery Yoko and I headed to the Drupal party at Maggie Mae's for some free food! Yes, it's not just all about the free drinks, there is free food everywhere too! We gorged on some bomb ass Mac n cheese with fixin's and paninis.
We also went to another party that was part of the interactive portion of the fest. Believe it or not, we drank iced tea and enjoyed this weird light up room. SX is so strange.
Soon after, we met up with Diva Del Mar and some other crew at the free drink tent where they were giving away some fun pen/flashlight/styluses- I love me some swag!
Before too long, though, I had to head out for my interview with THE GREASY STRANGLER crew- stay tuned for that fun-filled visit that I will hopefully be posting soon! Next, it was time to queue up for Ti West's IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE.
IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE
I am a huge Ti West fan, so it should come as no surprise that I've been looking forward to his first foray into the western genre since it was first announced. The story follows Paul (Ethan Hawke), a loner who rolls into the old west town of Denton. Soon enough, Paul crosses the town baddies whose leader is the hot-headed son of the town Marshal (John Travolta). When the posse tries to show the new guy whose boss by attacking him and his trusty sidekick dog, the crew unwittingly unleashes a classic story of revenge and redemption.
I dug the hell out of West's latest effort. Hawke turns in an aptly gritty performance as the scorned antihero, and Travolta positively owns every frame in which he appears. Though some of the supporting characters veer dangerously toward camp, the over-the-top performances still work within the context of the shoot em up.
In his usual fashion, West takes his time building the story and motivation, plugging along until the film's final crescendo. It is really fun to see the director step away from the horror genre while maintaining that sense of tension in a new universe. Another solid effort from West and company.
After the Q and A for the film was over, I had some downtime for a bit and used it to write up some of the goodness from the day before. Soon enough however, I found myself at the midnight screening for a work-in-progress presentation of Key and Peele's KEANU!
KEANU
Believe the hype you guys because this feature comedy from the incredible duo is positively jam-packed with laughs.
The film follows our two leads as they go on a quest to rescue the kitten, KEANU, from the bad guys who kidnapped the darling feline from his obsessed owner. What transpires is a wild goose chase of epic proportions, complete with strip clubs, gangs, drug deals, and even a run in with Anna Faris. All the while the fellas take on new tough-guy personas, completely opposite from their gentle, George Michael-listening real life personalities. All in the name of getting back the adorable kitten that saved Jordan following a devastating break up.
To say KEANU is over-the-top hilarious is the understatement of the year. The laughs are as big as the ambitious plot line that finds the duo ultimately embracing their new hardcore selves. Do they get what they are after and find their precious kitty? I'm not gonna be the one to spoil this, but I will cop to an unexpected conclusion that brought the Paramount theater to its feet. Pure brilliance here you guys, further solidifying Key and Peele's place among comedy royalty.
Since that screening didn't let out until after 3:00 am due to painful day lights savings time, I rolled in about the crack of 4:00, and needless to say am struggling today to put sentences together. Regardless, I will be back soon with more coverage from SXSW '16!
Rebecca Elliott
Aka Annette Kellerman
