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Second Wave Of Fantastic Fest Films Is Mind-Blowing
The First wave of films announced for this years Fantastic Fest were already amazing. The announcements ranged from Phantasm: Ravager to The Greasy Strangler. The second wave however, is one that my mind and body were not ready for. The pure awesomeness of this list is sort of like looking into the Arc of the Covenant. It might melt your face off.
Fantastic Fest 2016 unleashes its fury starting Sept. 22 in Austin, TX. Check out the details of the second wave below. For more info on how to attend, go to fantasticfest.com.
Alamo Drafthouse’s Fantastic Fest delivers another dose of cinematic decadence with its second wave of programming. Procured once again from the most curious corners of the genre universe, Fantastic Fest is proud to announce its opening film, Denis Villeneuve’s stunning ARRIVAL. ARRIVAL marks Villeneuve’s Fantastic Fest debut,which has proven to be worth the wait as his spectacular science fiction feature promises to kick off proceedings in explosive fashion.
It wouldn’t be Fantastic Fest without some true heavyweights of world cinema represented and this year is no exception. Park Chan-Wook, legendary South Korean director of OLDBOY and STOKER, attends the festival for the first time to present the US Premiere of his gorgeous erotic drama THE HANDMAIDEN. Dutch defiler Paul Verhoevenhas provided what will prove to be one of the most controversial and provocative films of the year with his dark and deadly comedic rape-revenge thriller ELLE, while Paul Schrader delivers his unique brand of pugilistic raw force with his hyper-violent, crime-at-all-costs thriller DOG EAT DOG.Female directors take center stage for three of Fantastic Fest’s most hotly anticipated titles this year, firmly shattering the myth that game-changing cinema is gender-biased. Ana Lily Amirpour follows up her alt-cult sensation A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT with her sand-blasted, dystopian love story THE BAD BATCH; Maren Ade delivers what will be the most uncomfortable film of the festival, the desert-dry black comedy TONI ERDMANN; and Julia Ducournau’s directorial debut, RAW, takes us on a cannibalistic coming-of-age shock ride that resonates long after its stunning finale.“I’m proud of the creative tension we’ve asserted with this year’s program,” said Fantastic Fest founder Tim League. “Established, award-winning veterans are celebrated on the same stage as first-time filmmakers. This dynamic speaks to the strong diversity and rich body of talent that is challenging cinema today. It’s an honor to share their work with our global audience.”One of last year’s most memorably chaotic and explosive events returns as Itchy-O lay claim to slay Austin and unleash their mayhem once more. A blazing, 32-member aural assault from the darkest depths of Colorado, Itchy-O is a wholly immersive, musical experience on a massive scale that is right at home at Fantastic Fest.Alamo Drafthouse’s American Genre Film Archive plays an important role in this year’s Fantastic Fest with the inclusion of two films prized from its vaults. First up is a watershed moment for AGFA and the culmination of years of work: a brand new digital transfer of THE ZODIAC KILLER, a film made with one goal in mind – to capture the real-life Zodiac Killer. Made possible by the 783 lovable perverts who donated to the AGFA Kickstarter campaign launched at last year’s Fantastic Fest, the World Premiere screening of AGFA’s new transfer, and crown jewel from the Something Weird archive, will feature a Q&A with Lisa Petrucci, the incomparable co-founder of Something Weird!Screening in conjunction with the release and signing of American Cinematheque’s Dennis Bartok’s new book, A Thousand Cuts, is a rarely seen 35mm print of the 1968 low-budget alien invasion gem GOKE: BODY SNATCHER FROM HELL. Courtesy of a print provided by AGFA, director Hajime Satô’s delightfully pulpy and deliriously earnest example of Japanese horror creates a remarkable example of what a filmmaker can do with a few bucks, a model airplane and some silly putty.See below for the full lineup of newly announced film titles for Fantastic Fest 2016. Final wave of titles to be announced shortly.AALAVANDHALANIndia, 2001International Premiere, 178 minDirector – Suresh KrissnaKamal Hassan stars in this ridiculously entertaining tale of an Indian commando pitted against his own serial killer twin brother in a deadly race to save the beautiful Tejaswini from certain death.ARRIVALUnited States, 2016Opening Film, 116 minDirector – Denis VilleneuveWhen mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team – lead by expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) – are brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers – and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM – GRADUATIONJapan, 2016U.S. Premiere, 118 minDirector – Eiichiro HasumiThis conclusion to last year’s hit finds Class-E running out of time in their efforts to assassinate Koro-sensei, their yellow octopus smiley-faced teacher who is about to destroy Earth.THE BAD BATCHUnited States, 2016U.S. Premiere, 115 minDirector – Ana Lily AmirpourAna Lily Amirpour follows up her alt-cult sensation A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE with her highly anticipated dystopian cannibal desert trip.
DOG EAT DOGUnited States, 2016U.S. Premiere, 93 minDirector – Paul SchraderFrom the brilliant minds of Edward Bunker and Paul Schrader comes this unhinged pulp comedy at a million miles an hour; the story of three hardened criminals and the final, simple crime which will bring them all down.ELLEFrance, 2016US Premiere, 131 minDirector – Paul VerhoevenPaul Verhoeven’s debut in French cinema highlights an incredible Isabelle Huppert in a dramedy that first subverts then transgresses the rape-revenge narrative.EYES OF MY MOTHERUnited States, 2016Regional Premiere, 77 minDirector –Nick PesceAfter a traumatic event, a young girl begins to associate pain and death with love and friendship in increasingly dangerous ways.GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTSUnited Kingdom, United States, 2016US Premiere, 111 minDirector – COLM MCCARTHYIn a dystopian future, young Melanie must go on a trip with the soldier who needs to kill her, the doctor who wants to use her and the teacher who wants to help.GOKE: BODY SNATCHER FROM HELL – PRESENTED BY AGFAJapan, 1968Special Screening, 84 minDirector – Hajime Satô’sAn airplane crashes under mysterious circumstances and the survivors find themselves stalked by an evil blobby presence bent on world domination.THE HANDMAIDENSouth Korea, 2016U.S Premiere, 145 minDirector – Park Chan-WookIn the 1930s, country girl Sook-Hee is hired as a handmaiden to Japanese heiress Lady Hideko, who lives a secluded life with her uncle. However Sook-Hee is not what she seems… and neither is Lady Hideko, Count Fujiwara or Uncle Kouziki.HELMUT BERGER, ACTORAustria, France, Italy, 2015Texas Premiere, 90 minDirector – Andreas HorvathFilmmaker Andreas Horvath (EARTH’S GOLDEN PLAYGROUND) offers a deeply personal and unblinking portrait of Helmut Berger, the Austrian film star of the ’60s and ’70s best known for his work with director Luchino Visconti.THE HIGH FRONTIERPoland, 2016International Premiere, 97 minDirector – Wojciech KasperskiFather/son bonding time takes an extraordinarily dark turn when a former guard and his two teen boys receive an unexpected guest in their remote cabin along the Poland-Ukraine border.KAMMATTIPADAMIndia, 2016North American Premiere, 240 minDirector – Rajeev RajiAging gangster Krishnan returns to his hometown after receiving a distressing phone call from a friend, only to find that he’s picking up the pieces after thirty years of bloody gang war.NOVA SEEDJapan, Canada, 2016U.S. Premiere, 64 minDirector – Nick DiLibertoPainstakingly hand-drawn by a single animator over four years, this saturated slice of lo-fi sci-fi pulp recalls both Moebius and Miyazaki as it ambitiously realizes an eclectic post-apocalyptic future populated by lion-men, brain-leeching slugs and Saturday Morning Cartoon villainy, the latter most memorably personified by the sublimely named Dr. Mindskull.RAWFrance, 2016US Premiere, 98 minDirector – Julia DucournauPart sister bonding, part coming-of-age story, part gross-out horror flick, Julia Ducournau’s debut feature is the terror discovery of 2016.THE RED TURTLEFrance, 2017North American Premiere, 81 minDirector – Michaël Dudok De WitA castaway ekes out an existence on a deserted tropical island guarded by an enigmatic red tortoise in this magnificent animated fable from the imagination of acclaimed Dutch animator Michael Dudok de Wit (FATHER AND DAUGHTER) and produced in part by the legendary Studio Ghibli.SADAKO VS KAYAKOJapan, 2016US Premiere, 98 minDirector – Kôji ShiraishiThe showdown of the century is about to begin and no one in Tokyo will be spared: Ring’sSadako vs The Grudge’s Kayako in a fight to determine the future of humanity.SAFE NEIGHBORHOODAustralia, United States, 2016World Premiere, 85 minDirector – Chris PeckoverChris Peckover, director of 2010’s UNDOCUMENTED, returns to Fantastic Fest with this playfully twisted suburban Christmas thriller in which babysitter Ashley must protect twelve-year-old Luke during an unusual home invasion.SHIMAUMAJapan, 2016International Premiere, 103 minDirector – Hajime HashimotoDora is a lowlife con man who runs a marriage scam with his associates. But a badly timed encounter with a yakuza will plunge Dora into a new, deep world of darkness, both ugly and enticing!SWEET, SWEET LONELY GIRLUnited States, 2016World Premiere, 76 minDirector – A.D. CalvoAdele is a friendless young woman living with her wealthy but agoraphobic aunt. She meets Beth and the two become fast friends, but Adele may be drawn to a darkness within her new companion, a darkness that threatens to overtake everything.TERRY TEONew Zealand, 2016International Premiere, 92 minDirector – Gerard JohnstoneTeenaged cat burglar Terry Teo turns crime fighter when his estranged father is killed by local gangsters in this revival of the classic New Zealand character.TONI ERDMANGermany, 2016
U.S. Premiere, 162 minDirector – Maren AdeA father tries to reconnect with his repressed, career-driven daughter in the funniest movie to ever come out of Germany.THEY CALL ME JEEG ROBOTItaly, 2015Texas Premiere, 118 minDirector – Gabriele MainettiA lowlife thug finds his grimy, pornography-filled existence disrupted when he accidentally acquires superpowers that force him to become a better man against his will.YOUNG OFFENDERSIreland, 2015International Premiere, 84 minDirector – Peter FoottThe day after the largest drug bust in Irish history, with massive packages of cocaine washing up along the shoreline, two go-nowhere teens make a most sensible decision: They will ride to the coast on stolen bicycles and claim a bundle of that wondrous cocaine for themselves.THE ZODIAC KILLER – Presented by AGFA and SOMETHING WEIRDUnited States, 1971World Premiere, 85 minDirector – Tom HansonAGFA and Something Weird present a brand new 4K transfer of this sanity-defying, tabloid-horror vortex that was produced with one goal in mind: to capture the real-life Zodiac Killer.
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Movies
‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt
Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.
In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.
This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.
Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.
“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”
The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”
The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.
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Movies
‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time
It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?
It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.
Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.
Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.
The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.
It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.
The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.
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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween
Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.
The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.
This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.
This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.
“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”
But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.
This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.
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