Fantastic Fest 2008

Brief Summary: James Tresswick and Mark Vincent are victims of a brutal bully named Gary Parker who has maltreated both boys, marking their bodies and spoiling their young lives. In their last year of high school, James and Mark find a way to stop being victims. They're going to kill Gary... Full Description: High-Schoolers James Tresswick and Mark Vincent were mercilessly bullied throughout childhood by their nemesis Gary Parker. The torment only ended when Gary was hauled off to prison five years ago. Now back on the streets, he is once again beginning to make their lives a living hell. Their outlook is dim until Mark happens to witness a murder burying his victim deep in the nearby woods. The duo crafts what should be a perfect plan: blackmail the killer in to killing again, this time their mortal enemy Gary Parker. This perfect plan, however, doesn't work out exactly as envisioned, and the boys find themselves in a worse predicament than imaginable. ACOLYTES is a perfect accompaniment to our NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD Aussie Retrospective. Director Jon Hewitt shows that he’s a worthy heir to the Ozsploitation throne, delivering a tight knuckle-biter thriller with enough brutal violence to make the likes of Brian Trenchard-Smith stand up and cheer. The film is so much more than just a horror/thriller, though. Hewitt takes time to develop a fully-developed visual world. The first act establishes an idyllic tableau with rich detail and beautiful cinematography. These are innocent kids in a tranquil town living their lives with only childhood concerns. That is, of course, until they toy around with a murderer hell-bent on obliterating their serenity into a chaos of fear and brutality. (Tim League) Director Jon Hewitt will be live in person to introduce the film and answer questions afterwards. We also expect Jon to rock not only the Ozsploitation category of Fantastic Feud but also the subsequent Karaoke microphone.

Brief Description: Love, sex, jealousy, food and murder in the streets and prisons of Brazil. Full Description: Fantastic Fest co-founder Tim League is fond of saying that the fantastic part of this festival doesn't simply apply to films with fantastic elements, but also to films that are simply fantastic, films that are as cool as hell and that you want to show off to everyone to help spread the word about a movie that's going to impress the hell out of everyone. And have we got one of those films this year in ESTÔMAGO. Remember that scene in GOODFELLAS where we see that even prison can't stop a group of mobsters from enjoying a great meal? ESTÔMAGO takes this even further, recounting how Nonato (Joao Miguel), a simple-minded prisoner with a talent for cooking, moves his way up the jail cell ranks (and bunk beds) through his culinary gifts. But just how Nonato ended up there, and how he got to hone his skills in the kitchen, is the real meat (as it were) of this sensational new film from writer/director Marcos Jorge. ESTÔMAGO is a recipe of all of the primal elements of life - love, sex, jealousy, food and death - that deftly juxtaposes alternate story lines of Nonato's life in and out of prison to show that no matter who or where you are, these basic needs are essential ingredients to everyone's existence. Added to the mix is some wicked black humor, a touch of tragedy, a nice, big juicy helping of murder, and a lot of great food, even if it is found in Brazil's toughest prison. It simply wouldn't be Fantastic Fest without good food and murder, now would it? ESTÔMAGO might not be on your movie radar, but once Fantastic Fest is over, everybody's going to want some. Make your reservations for this one ASAP and don't forget to tip your hard-working wait staff. (Matt Kiernan) Fantastic Fest is also offering an opportunity to enjoy the Estômago Feast, a four-course meal with wine pairings prepared by Alamo executive chef John Bullington. The feast is inspired by the actual dishes from the film and will be delivered to your seat as they appear on screen. This feast is available for an additional charge, but if you plan to order it, we recommend purchasing in advance HERE , as quantities will be prepped and we expect this option to sell out. Badgeholders please note: select the Badgeholder ticket option when you make your advance purchase. Here's Chef John Bullington's menu: Amuse Gorgonzola on ciabatta with rosemary oil First Coxinhas Traditional Brazilian dish of savory sautéed chicken and spices breaded and fried with chile sauce and garlic ants! Second Spagetti Puttanesca Spaghetti tossed in a blend of heirloom tomatoes, anchovies, garlic and capers Third Pork Butt braised in white wine and rosemary with appaloosa beans Fourth Romeo and Juliet Layers of gorgonzola and guava All courses paired with fine Italian wine This film is sponsored by Dark Sky Films.