Hey, Longhorn, you looking at me?

For all you film buffs out there, the Robert De Niro Collection, which includes more than 1,500 boxes containing his heavily annotated scripts, film, costumes, props, etc., that document the actor's professional career from the 1960s through 2005 is closer, geographically, than you might think.

It is located at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin and it was opened to researchers and the public this week.

Here's an excerpt from one story written about the collection:

Filling more than 300 archival boxes, the paper portion of the collection includes De Niro's heavily annotated scripts and correspondence, makeup and wardrobe photographs, wardrobe continuity books, costume designs and posters and extensive production, publicity and research material.

"This is an important and incredibly rich collection," said Steve Wilson, associate curator of film at the Ransom Center. "It covers so many aspects of filmmaking, from scripts and screenwriting to costumes and film and video. Scholars and students can follow the development of such films as 'The Deer Hunter' from the printed page to the screen. I simply don't know of another film archive quite like it."

With about 8,500 items filling more than 1,000 boxes, the costumes and props within the collection constitute the center's largest single costume holding and include such iconic items as the leopard-print boxing robe worn by De Niro in "Raging Bull" and the voluminous, body-length coats of the creature in "Frankenstein."

The collection, appraised at more than $5 million, took more than two years to process, organize and catalog.

Another reason to make a pilgrimage to the state capital.