The year was 1999. The Matrix was bending minds, The Mummy was filling theaters, and nobody knew whether their computers would survive Y2K. This summer, the Austin Motel is recapturing a bit of that end-of-century magic with Float Films: Summer of 1999, a poolside movie series dedicated to some of the year's most memorable films. This year, the series is also bringing back themed cocktails to represent each movie.
The South Congress landmark kicks off the series on Friday, June 12, with a screening of Detroit Rock City, a comedy about four teenagers determined to make it to a Kiss concert.
Opening night also serves as a welcome party and preview for the Paradise Road Show, a classic car, hot rod, and and motorcycle gathering scheduled for Saturday. Kiss tribute band Rock and Roll Over will perform and meet fans, and Good Vibrations Pizza Company will serve live-fire pizza.
Guests can watch from lounge chairs surrounding Austin Motel's iconic kidney-shaped pool or float in the water while enjoying the films. The series unfolds on select Friday nights throughout the summer, with doors opening at 5 p.m. and movies beginning at dusk. Additional screenings include:
- June 26:Varsity Blues
- July 10:10 Things I Hate About You
- July 24:The Matrix
- Aug. 14:The Talented Mr. Ripley
- Aug. 28:The Mummy
A representative of the Austin Motel says the film series is all about nostalgia. Putting on a movie and hitting the pool are great reasons to put your phone away and escape. Plus, it brings back some of the feeling's of the motel's historic past. The motor court hotel opened in 1938, and this is its way of continuing the mid-century spirit of a drive-in movie with a summery Austin twist. The year that ties together this crop of films, 1999, was inspired by journalist Brian Raftery's 2019 book Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen.
"It was fun to dig in and realize how many iconic and highly-acclaimed movies, which are widely-known and loved, all came out within the span of one year right before Y2K," the rep says.
Austin Motel's iconic neon sign has welcomed visitors to South Congress since 1938. This summer, the landmark motel is celebrating the movies of 1999 with its Float Films poolside screening series. Photo courtesy of Austin Motel
While the movie series might be stuck in 1999, Austin Motel history goes back to early Austin. The property's history dates to 1888, when German immigrants Leonard and Frances Eck acquired the land, helping to spur development south of the Colorado River. Leonard Eck is credited with opening the area's first business and installing its first telephone. Later, his daughter Jennie Eck Stewart opened Austin Motel as a 16-cabin tourist court, serving motorists traveling the Old San Antonio Highway.
Austin Motel has fully embraced the quirky spirit that made its famously suggestive neon sign a South Congress landmark. Alongside its retro rooms and iconic pool, the property has adopted a "Y'all Means All" ethos, hosting a year-round calendar of events that reflects both old and new Austin. The lineup includes honky-tonk performances, queer mixers, cocktail pop-ups, pool parties, and community gatherings that attract locals as much as overnight guests.
Float Films tickets are $25 per screening and are available through Austin Motel's website. Attendees also can reserve a cabana with sofa seating and a fan for $150.
