Get ready to toast Austin, Texas filmmaker Richard Linklater on July 6 with back-to-back viewings of two 90’s-era classics from his canon that best exemplify the “wandering eye,” pre-mumblecore aesthetic for which he is best known. We’re firing up the projector for a double feature that includes both the 1991 indie darling SLACKER (that caught the attention of critics – and Madonna), and a 30th Anniversary screening of DAZED AND CONFUSED (which caught the attention of, well, everyone else).

Austin, Texas, is an Eden for the young and unambitious, from the enthusiastically eccentric to the dangerously apathetic. Here, the nobly lazy can eschew responsibility in favor of nursing their esoteric obsessions. The locals include a backseat philosopher (Linklater) who passionately expounds on his dream theories to a seemingly comatose cabbie (Rudy Basquez), a young woman who tries to hawk Madonna’s Pap test to anyone who will listen and a kindly old anarchist looking for recruits.

“‘Slacker’ rests its shiftless thumb on the pulse of a generation with fresh filmmaking that captures the tenor of its time while establishing a benchmark for 1990s indie cinema.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

“At times, it’s like watching someone else’s home movies, but there’s something oddly compelling about such studied eccentricity.” (Time Out)

“This unconventional film will offend anyone looking for a plot, but Linklater’s smart observations speak volumes.” (Empire Magazine)

“On the whole, this is a fascinating example of apparently fly-on-the-wall film-making, made all the more intriguing when you discover it was all planned like a military exercise.” (Guardian UK)

Thursday, July 6
Doors 6:15 pm | Movie 6:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Single Film Tickets HERE

Alright, alright, alright! Why not make it a Richard Linklater double feature and catch SLACKER at 6:45 pm followed by DAZED AND CONFUSED at 9:00 pm? See them both for one groovy price HERE

SLACKER (Richard Linklater, 1991 / 18A / 97 mins) A day in the life of Austin, Texas as the camera roams from place to place and provides a brief look at the overeducated, the social misfits, the outcasts and the oddballs.

*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and Rio Theatre passes are OK for any single film screening only. Please redeem at the box office.
*Online sales end an hour before showtime; unless otherwise noted, tickets are always available for purchase at the box office prior to showtime. All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale. Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats and time for treats.
*If you are looking to redeem either a Rio Theatre gift certificate or Groupon to any regular Rio Theatre screening: You can either email us in advance <[email protected]> and give us a “heads up,” or do it at the box office prior to showtime. (We seat 400+ people and our regular screenings are very rarely at capacity – you should not have issues being admitted.)