Before the symmetrical dollhouses, Anderson made this: a loose, sunburned Texas comedy about three friends who plan a burglary with a yellow legal pad and no criminal instincts whatsoever. Owen Wilson's Dignan is still the purest thing he has ever played, and James Caan turns up as a landscaping-magnate crime boss. Nitehawk runs it after midnight with table service, which is the correct way to watch it.
What to expect
You are seated before the film starts and order off a menu at your seat, with servers ducking low through the aisles all night. The Williamsburg house is small and the midnight crowd is chatty in the good way — this is a laughing-out-loud room, not a reverent one. The presentation is a DCP running 91 minutes.
Good to know
- Nitehawk Williamsburg is on Metropolitan Avenue near Wythe — the L at Bedford Avenue and the G at Metropolitan-Lorimer are both close.
- Late shows are 21+, so bring ID if you plan to order from the bar.
- Food and drink are ordered at your seat and settled on a card left at the table; leave a few minutes at the end to close out.
- Nitehawk asks Midnite audiences to be in their seats before the film starts, so do not cut the arrival fine.
- Seating is reserved when you book, so choose your row rather than showing up early to camp.
- Rated R for language, but otherwise a very mild watch.
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Common questions
Is this screening on 35mm?
No. Nitehawk lists Bottle Rocket as a DCP presentation rather than a film print for this Midnite run.
Can I eat a full meal during the movie?
Yes. In-seat dining is Nitehawk's whole model, and the kitchen keeps running through the screening.
Is this the short film or the feature?
The 1996 feature. Anderson expanded his earlier black-and-white short of the same name into this 91-minute version starring the Wilson brothers.
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