Akash G

Review of Houston Cinema Arts Society

If I may flatter myself, I think I know a decent a...

If I may flatter myself, I think I know a decent amount about Houston, cinema, the arts, and society (as a concept, not so much in practice). This organization and the wonderful staff and volunteers behind it have found the greatest way to put it all together. Their Cinema Arts Festival is amazing, and there's a nice variety in everything they do.

I'll share an anecdote about how I came to realise that this group is what makes the Houston film scene great. I had been walking up and down the coast on Galveston Island for a number of days. The first few days, it was unbearably cloudy. The clouds felt imposing. They haunted my every step as I sauntered slowly through the sand in search of the Greatest Donuts On The Island.* On the third day, the sun burst through its hazy confinement, and I was temporarily blinded by the intensity (because it's the sun). Upon regaining my vision, I found myself in a warehouse southwest of The Strand. My dog had vanished, and I presumed that she had left me for a taller, darker, and more handsome man. I spaced out, distracted by the mental focus it took to tell myself that I should not be so affected by my dog's preferences. The foghorn of a nearby Royal Caribbean Cruise ship sharply brought me back to reality. I immediately called an Island Breeze Shuttle, my preferred mode of transportation between Houston and Galveston because of the 10% discounts for seniors (65+) and for military. They dropped me off at Hobby Airport, and I began to run home, eager to hop on my favourite Minecraft server and have a "chill sesh" with the boys. After running for 10 miles, I realised I was hopelessly out of water. By chance, I happened to glance to my left and saw a set of steel beams used as columns, which reminded me of the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. You know what they say: where there's a Ludwig, there's a wave! Excited at the prospect of water in wave form, I sprinted into the Caroline Wiess Law Building at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. The docent at the entrance informed me that they don't have waves but they do have water fountains. I told her that anything would do and tried to continue on, but she grabbed my arm. Her eyes turned a frightening shade of Dartmouth green, and, in a commanding voice, she boomed, "YOUR THIRST FOR WATER MAY NOT BE QUENCHED HERE IN FULL, BUT YOUR THIRST FOR WELL-DONE CINEMA WILL BE, THANKS TO THE HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY AND THEIR PRESENTATION OF THE DOCUMENTARY 'BLACK RODEO' AND PANEL AFTERWARDS." I was sold. I went downstairs, purchased a ticket from a friendly staff member, and went on to have the greatest cinematic experience of my life, punctuated only by a short bathroom break because I had consumed a lot of water at the water fountain prior to the show.

*I found them. See my review of Home Cut Donuts on Google Reviews.