Spirited Away: 25th Anniversary

The Paramount is screening Spirited Away on Sunday, August 2, as part of the Paramount Summer Classic Film Series. It's the 25th anniversary edition, and the screening will be the English-dubbed version on DCP.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The story follows Chihiro, whose parents undergo a mysterious transformation after they stop to explore an abandoned village on the way to their new house. Whisked into a world of fantastic spirits ruled by the sorceress Yubaba, Chihiro is put to work in a magical bathhouse for spirits and demons and has to use all her wits to survive, free her parents, and return to the normal world. It's one of Miyazaki's most recognized films, and seeing it on the big screen is a different experience than watching it at home.

The venue itself is a bit of an Austin landmark. The Paramount has stood on Congress Avenue in downtown Austin for over 100 years; built in 1915, it's the city's oldest surviving theatre and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a City and State Landmark. It started as a Vaudeville and variety house, and it still stages comedy, drama, music, dance, spoken word, children's programming, and films, drawing more than 200,000 patrons a year. It's also one of the few remaining 'hemp houses' in the country and is home to the Moontower Comedy Festival.

Tickets are $2, so it's a cheap way to spend a Sunday afternoon in downtown Austin. The screening is on Sunday, August 2, at The Paramount and Stateside Theatres.