I've been anticipating Fantastic Fest for a year (!), ever since the last one concluded, and now that's it's underway my excitement can barely be contained. It's an unreasonable excitement, of course, predicated more on emotion than reason, but that's what produces the best kinds of films -- or at least the ones that I'm most interesting in watching -- so I feel justified.
The "unofficial" kick-off even was actually last Friday (an outdoor screening of Mad Max). Last night felt like the beginning, as the Alamo Drafthouse's weekly "Weird Wednesday" program featured "Oz-ploitation" title Dark Age, one mean little giant croc movie, featuring John Jarrett (Wolf Creek) as a romantic leading man and would-be savior of all things natural and toothy. Lars (the man, the myth, the legend) presented an amazing introduction, joined by authentic Aussie director Mark Hartley (Not Quite Hollywood). A gorgeous, buzzy title that prized energy over exquisitely-rendered CGI (thank goodness), Dark Age jump-started the packed house with a pulpy edge.
As I type this, fellow Twitch-er Andrew Mack sits across from me on the patio at the Alamo's South Lamar, a soft breeze blowing across our faces on a cloudy late afternoon -- aw, who cares, we saw a couple of more buzzy titles at press screenings, met up with Omar (from Twitch) and the guys from Astropia, all the way from Iceland (!), ate cheap Mexican food and drank beeer, and thus properly prepared for tonight's opening salvo of Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno and the gala premiere of Astropia -- and, of course, more midnight movies.
you can watch some of the shorts online
http://fantasticfestonline.bside.com/2008/films
but you have to register. But its frees!
Man, you guys need to put pictures of yourselves up or something. You guys are all over Fantastic Fest and I can't put faces with names. Who was it that introduced Astropia?
Brian Kelley: Go to Blake's facebook page (or Cinema is Dope), he's got pictures with all the regulars.