| Fantastic Fest Film Festival Focuses on the Fringe |
| Written by Ryan E. Johnson | |
 Gachi Boy Calling all gore hounds, adrenaline junkies, fantasy fans, horror aficionados, sci-fi snobs, geeks, freaks, weirdos, and plain old film buffs. Fantastic Fest is back with a full of week (September 18-25) of genre films, parties, and special events ripe with the maniacal weirdness that has quickly made this Alamo Drafthouse curated event a landmark on the national film festival circuit. If you’re a horror, action, Asian, or fantasy fan, you’ll be kicking yourself for weeks if you miss this one. The film festival was started in 2005 by Alamo owner Tim League, with the help of his Drafthouse crew and Harry Knowles, the celebrated critic from Ain’t It Cool News. But in reality, the idea first percolated in League’s mind a few years earlier when he and Knowles attended the Sitges International Film Festival in Spain in 2002.  Kingz short film The international draw continues to grow, and directors are coming in the droves to hype their new films, many of which are debuting at this year’s festival. League and company also seem to be upping the ante on the star factor for 2008. On opening night (Thursday, 9/18), Kevin Smith will be screening his upcoming comedy, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, followed by a Q&A with the director. Later that night Kyle Newman will be in attendance for questions on his highly anticipated comedy, Fanboys. The next day you can find Disturbia director D.J. Caruso presenting his new, Steven Spielberg-produced film, Eagle Eye, followed at midnight by “Project Greenlight” winner John Gulager and the sequel to his cult hit, Feast 2. Numerous other directors will be presenting films throughout the festival, so if you go to any of the screenings, there’s a good chance you’ll run into some.  Chocolate Horror fans are in for a special treat, with plenty of highly anticipated films playing the festival. Whether you’re a gore hound, or if you prefer things a bit more gothic, there is plenty in store. A few highlights include Jon Hewitt’s Acolytes, an Australian horror hit about two boys blackmailing a killer, which has garnered great scores from the worldwide horror experts at Bloody Disgusting. Repo! The Genetic Opera has cult hit written all over it, driven by director Darren Lynn Bousman, famous for his work in the Saw series; Repo combines horrifying sci-fi horror with a gothic soundtrack to create one of the most unique cinematic experience you’re likely to come across this year. Swedish director Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In is based upon the cult-famous novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, combining a coming-of-age story with a horrific vampire tale; the film has already garnered acclaim, winning the award for best narrative feature at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.  Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer Fans of Asian films will find plenty of picks from the Far East for your viewing pleasure. If Asian horror’s your bag, you’ve got plenty of options, including Art of the Devil 3, prequel to one of the most shocking and original films in horror history. Hong-jin Na’s The Chaser tells the tale of a ex-detective pimp searching out the man who has been killing his prostitutes. Go Shibata’s shocking film, Late Bloomer, is about a disabled mute who is driven mad by his isolation. Other Asian films getting attention include Tokyo!, a film in the vein of 2006's Paris Je T’aime and the upcoming New York, I Love You, in which foreign directors write their own stories about life in Tokyo; the Tokyo! viewpoints include directors Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Bong Joohn-Ho, (The Host, Memories of a Murder), and acclaimed director Leos Carax. Another big draw will be The Good, the Bad and the Weird, (a film by Tale of Two Sisters director Ji-Woon Kim), an action-packed homage to the Sergio Leone classic The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Setting a different tone is Gachi Boy, a hilarious sports comedy by Norihiro Koizumi.  South of Heaven Fantastic Fest also gives fans of short films a great way to experience the art, with several short collections playing throughout the festival, ranging from the moving, to the horrifying, to the thrilling, both animated and live action. Most of the short film blocks take place during the day, so it gives you a good chance to check out the shorts before moving on to the big dogs later that night.  Muay Thai Chaiya The number of great films playing at this festival is staggering, making it clear to see how the festival based on wildly imaginative sci-fi, horror, and Asian flicks wound up with the relatively simple name. Badges for the festival range from $40-$120 depending on the package. More info is here.  Tokyo! |