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Fantastic Fest Third Wave! 'Bunraku,' 'Mother's Day,' 'Red' and Bill Pullman Awesomeness!!
Filed under: Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest 2010 is only fifteen days away. I can't believe I just typed those words.
If the number of posts around Cinematical and the Squad Sites concerning America's largest genre film festival has yet to tip you off, we kind of love Fantastic Fest around here. It's like a religious mecca for many of us and we can't help but just spread its gospel. We've shared all of the previous programming announcements (if you missed any just browse our Fantastic Fest category to catch up) and now it is our pleasure to bring you the third wave of titles that will be playing in Austin, TX from September 23 to October 1st.
The complete third wave film list can be found below, but the premiere highlights are: Agnosia, a new film from the producers of Pan's Labyrinth and The Orphanage and director Eugenio Mira; Bunraku, whose plot description and cast sounds almost too good to be true; Mother's Day, Darren Lynn Bousman's remake of the '80s horror flick of the same name starring none other than Rebecca De Mornay; and RED, Robert Schwentke's adaptation of D.C. Comics' graphic novel series starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren.
That's not all, of course. FF is as much about cultivating a can't-get-it-anywhere-else experience as it is the films, and to that end they're also bringing in Bill Pullman to participate in a very, very special Master Pancake of Independence Day. Don't know what Master Pancake is? Think of it as a live-action Mystery Science Theater. Yep, that's right. Bill Pullman will be making fun of his own movie. Live. In a movie theater that serves hard liquor. Only at Fantastic Fest can something that awesome happen.
Greg Nicotero, Don Hertzfeldt and Many More Featured in Fantastic Fest 2010's Short Film Slate
Filed under: Fantastic Fest
I have a confession to make: I'm kind of a film festival newbie. As such, I've spent most of my time at the few festivals I've been to almost exclusively watching their feature film programming whilst completely neglecting the short films. Not that I have anything against shorts, I love them, in fact, it was just that in my noob brain the equation was: Me + Finally at a Film Festival = Watch Feature Films Like They're Going Out of Style. I recently realized how stupid that equation is.
Over the summer I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to lend a hand to the Fantastic Fest programmers in going through the legion of short films that were submitted to the fest. Around the second time I finished watching a submission and thought, "Those 14 minutes were better than half of the theatrical films I've seen this year", I realized just how neglectful I had been. Needless to say, it was an eye-opening experience and I can absolutely attest that the slate of short films selected for this year's FF are phenomenal.
In true FF fashion, the selected films range from shocking to weird to hilarious to 'what in God's name am I watching?'. And while there are recognizable filmmakers among the names below, like make-up effects maestro Greg Nictorero and animation genius Don Hertzfeldt, the best part of the shorts slate will of course be discovering new filmmakers for the first time.
Legendary Fight Choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Fantastic Fest
Filed under: Action, Foreign Language, Fantastic Fest
With each new press release, Fantastic Fest - which is no longer just Austin's premiere genre film festival since it is now the largest of its kind in the entire US - keeps getting better and better. FF have already announced a host of drool-worthy action, horror, sci-fi and just plain oddball films from around the world as part of its programming slate (there are around 30 known titles thus far with even more to come), but the fest isn't just about screenings. No, in true Alamo Drafthouse fashion, it's also about the special events.
So far we've heard about: Fantastic Arcade, a spotlight on indie game developers that will be set up at The Highball, a bar next to the main theater owned and operated by Drafthouse founder Tim League; Nevermore... An Evening With Edgar Allen Poe, a special presentation of Jeffrey Combs' one-man stage play directed by Stuart Gordon; a party featuring the culinary delights of an entire cow cooked Argentinian-style over an open fire by the Drafthouse's executive chef; and Buried with Buried, an event wherein four brave souls will watch the Ryan-Reynolds-Buried-Alive flick while they are themselves are buried alive.
Now joining that already-awesome list of special events will be a ceremony honoring the legendary fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping (Drunken Master, Kill Bill, The Matrix, Fist of Legend, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kung Fu Hustle-- the list goes on). Not only will FF be presenting the man who defined ass kicking for generations with a special Lifetime Achievement Award, but they'll also be world premiering his latest martial arts film, True Legend, as well as a screening of Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (AKA the film that put Jackie Chan on the map).
Hop below to check out the full details.
Fantastic Fest to Play '30 Days of Night' Sequel, 'I Spit On Your Grave' and More
Filed under: Action, Animation, Classics, Comedy, Drama, Foreign Language, Horror, Independent, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Mystery & Suspense, Fantastic Fest, Remakes and Sequels
Cannibals, crooks, vampires, aliens and geeks galore are all lined up to invade Austin for Fantastic Fest next month, and if you think that we harp on this particular film festival a bit, A) you're right and B) it totally deserves every effusive word.We've got the whole list of newly announced titles after the jump, but right off the bat, I can tell you that we're looking at the U.S. premiere of crime drama Stone (starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton and Milla Jovovich), the world premiere of 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, North American premieres of Hatchet 2 (which just received a warm reception at Frightfest over in the U.K.) and Ong-Bak 3 (just please have less dancing than 2), and a double bill of a restored print of 1960's The Housemaid and its recent remake.
All of this on top of Opening Night Film Let Me In and a slew of super-secret screenings in the mix? You bet your ass that we're gonna be there covering it from September 23-30.
Fantastic Fest to Literally Bury Moviegoers Alive for Crazy 'Buried' Event
Filed under: Horror, Fantastic Fest
America's biggest genre film festival, Fantastic Fest, is now less than a month away-- and man does it feel great to be able to type those words. In typical FF fashion, the minds behind the fest are keeping details of the cinematic bacchanalia (which spans eight days starting September 23rd!) close to their chest for as long as possible, but they have let a few things slip. A few weeks ago they announced the first thirteen films slated for the fest, just last week they revealed that Matt Reeves' Let Me In would be the opening night film, and now they're keeping the teasingly slow drip of news going with the addition of a single film: Rodrigo Cortes' much-buzzed Buried.
Given that this is a film festival created by the Alamo Drafthouse we're talking about, FF won't simply be playing Buried. That's too easy. No, they've also announced that they're giving the film an unprecedented spot in their Rolling Roadshow series. Normally the RR brings screenings of classic films to the iconic towns and landmarks that helped make them famous (think Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Devil's Tower in Wyoming) for hundreds of people to cherish for free, but for Buried they're doing something a little different.
Yep, they'll be burying four brave souls six feet under to watch the entire film from within the confines of a coffin.
Fantastic Fest Announces 'Let Me In' as Opening Night Film!
Filed under: Horror, Fantastic Fest
I've never programmed a film festival, but it doesn't take a fest insider to know that getting the right opening night film is one of the most crucial aspects of programming. It sets the tone of what to expect from the festival, of what their slate is all about this time around. So what does it say about Fantastic Fest that Matt Reeve's Let Me In will be enjoying its US premiere as the opening night film of the festival this September?
Well, to me it says that they're not fooling around. A year ago ever film geek was gunning for Let Me In. After all, how dare anyone remake the brilliant Let The Right One In? Everyone dreaded the idea of Americanizing it. But then as we learned more about the project, as Reeves started doing interviews, and as the images and trailers began to hit, the tide turned. People began to realize that, hey, maybe this is actually going to be a pretty badass movie.
So not only is Fantastic Fest nabbing Let Me In as its opening night film an endorsement as to how good the film turned out, but it's a sign that they love to champion the underdog. They're passionate about the films that people aren't initially expecting to be good, that may seem like longshots on paper. Obviously that's what FF is about every year, but putting Let Me In front and center also shows that you can probably expect this year's slate to be a bit more ominous and a bit edgier than year's past. And as a fan of dark, weird and wonderful films from all over the world, that has me more excited than ever to be in Austin, TX from September 23rd to the 30th. And if your tastes are anything like mine, you should do your best to try to be here as well.
Exclusive: Poster Premiere for 'Down Terrace'
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Independent, Slamdance, Magnolia, Fantastic Fest, Posters
Cinematical has received the exclusive poster for Ben Wheatley's directorial debut, Down Terrace. It's a terrific black comedy about a family of criminals trying to figure out who sent the recently released Bill and Karl (played by real-life father and son Robert and Robin Hill) off to jail in the first place.
As I wrote in my Fantastic Fest review: "The gentle comedy of short fuses morphs into the gallows humor of sudden outbursts, as hitman pals bring their toddlers along for the job and our family begins to run out of shower curtains in which to wrap up all these loose ends of theirs. From there is where things grow much more personal, and it's at this point that the film reveals the true power of its plainness -- as the laughs subside, we've grown very much immersed in who these people are and what they're bound to do to one another."
Magnolia Pictures will release Down Terrace through their Magnet arm on October 8th. You can check out the full poster below.
Fantastic Fest 2010 Trailer Extravaganza (Vol. 1)
Filed under: Foreign Language, Horror, Fantastic Fest, Trailers and Clips
Do you feel that? That electric hum in the air? It's only going to get stronger as September 23rd gets nearer and nearer. What happens on September 23rd, you ask? Fantastic Fest begins. That's right, the coolest genre film festival in the world is a mere 64 days away as of this writing.The festival, which is held almost entirely at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas over the course of seven days, has just released the first wave of titles programmed. And I do mean first wave; only 13 titles have been dished out in this initial press release and if I recall correctly, last year's fest had some 50+ feature films, so the brilliant minds behind the fest (which includes Drafthouse founder Tim League, Ain't It Cool News headgeek Harry Knowles, and Twitch Film honcho Todd Brown) have plenty of tricks still waiting to be unveiled.
Below you can find trailers for all 13 of the feature films just announced for the fest, but before perusing the goods I should also remind everyone about some of the previously-announced coolness. First there's Fantastic Arcade, a showcase for the best independent video games in the industry, and its associated gamer-themed films Joysticks, The Last Starfighter, The Wizard, Nerdcore Rising, Nightmares, Playing Columbine and Red Vs. Blue Revelation. And if that's not fantastic enough for you, FF will also be honoring Stuart Gordon and Jeffrey Combs with screenings of From Beyond and Re-Animator, as well as a special presentation of Combs' one-man stage play, Nevermore... An Evening With Edgar Allen Poe. That last bit alone should have any genre fan waiting for September with baited breath, but it only gets better from there:
SXSW Review: Centurion
Filed under: Action, SXSW, Magnolia, Theatrical Reviews, Fantastic Fest, War
Imagine a flick like Braveheart, 300, Gladiator, or King Arthur, only those films have just been stripped of all those boring scenes about kings and princes, peasants and slaves, taxes and trades, and all that jazz. The result would be a movie that looks a lot like Neil Marshall's Centurion, a fast-paced, visually stunning, and action-heavy period piece that focuses on what matters most in a Saturday afternoon matinee: the good stuff. Boasting nary a subplot or an extraneous character to deal with, Centurion seems fully intent on delivering an old-school action adventure that tickles the eye without taxing the brain. And it succeeds on all counts.
It's the story of Centurion Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender), a trusted officer in the Roman army. Following a brutal attack by the barbaric Picts (ancient Scots are what they are, I do believe), Quintus finds himself stuck deep inside an enemy village -- but not for long. Quintus' escape is aided by the last few survivors of the legendary Ninth Legion, and together the small band of soldiers must make their way to a friendly border. Not only do they have a long way to go, but they also have on their tails a tenacious group of Pict trackers, which is led by the ferociously unwavering Etain (Olga Kurylenko).
Live from SXSW: Tim League Talks International Genre Lunacy
Filed under: Action, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Foreign Language, Horror, Independent, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, SXSW, Mystery & Suspense, Festival Reports, Fantastic Fest, Comic/Superhero/Geek
If you're a hardcore movie geek and you've been to Austin at least once, you're probably familiar with the magical Tim League. Along with his wife/partner Karrie, Mr. League is the man behind not only the sublime Alamo Drafthouse movie theaters, but he also unleashed Fantastic Fest upon the world AND found time to create a karaoke bar/bowling alley called The Highball. Obviously Mr. League does none of these things by himself. But he does captain one hell of a movie shrine.
Anyway, the man loves nothing more than scouring the planet for the finest in lunatic cinema, and if he doesn't track it down, one of his many scouts probably will. Logically, with SXSW 2010 freshly underway, I thought it'd be fun to chat with Tim about his obsession with international genre fare, and the man certainly didn't disappoint. Let's get to it:
How many North America film festivals do you go to each year? And how many outside North America?
Tim: Other than Fantastic Fest, of course, I personally attend about four North American festivals a year and probably four more outside of North America. In addition, the Fantastic Fest scouting team generally hits another four or five international festivals beyond what I attend. My anchors are the European Film Market/Berlin Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. We go to those two every year.
What countries would you say hold the most respect (or reverence) for genre films? More specifically, which countries/festivals love horror flicks the most?
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