Fantastic Fest 2008

Brief Summary: A squadron of trained gunmen lay siege to a supermarket at closing time. What first appears to be a robbery soon takes on other worldly dimensions. Full Description: It's the end of yet another night at Hastings Supermarket, an idyllic family grocery store in Buck Lake, Arizona. But the normal closing-time monotony is broken when a group of masked and armed-to-the-teeth militants invade the store, immediately killing several of the employees and shoppers and holding the rest hostage. Though the hostage-takers at first appear to be robbers or terrorists, they reveal themselves to be a cadre of rogue scientists that have discovered and tracked an alien infestation to THIS STORE on THIS NIGHT, and they are determined to find out which of the survivors are extraterrestrials and end the invasion at any cost. ALIEN RAIDERS is a throwback to what we consider the golden age of creature features, the 1980's. This one falls somewhere between the seriousness level of THE THING or TREMORS. Nostalgic without being stale, ALIEN RAIDERS draws strong performances from a young ensemble cast composed of mostly working character actors that you've seen in a million small parts. You might recognize the monster hunting team: Carlos Bernard from his recurring role as Tony Almeida on "24" and Matthew St. Patrick who played Keith Charles on SIX FEET UNDER. The plot explores what happens when you have one of those MEN IN BLACK jobs that you can't really explain to people. When you start invading public spaces to blow shit up, the bystanders naturally think that you're the bad guy, and there's not a lot you can do to convince them otherwise. So you don't bother, and you do your job and damn the consequences. But sometimes those bystanders can b e pretty tough and wily, and some of them ARE the monsters. But which? For a modern alien creature movie, the filmmakers refreshingly rely on practical effects for the punctuations of gore. The carnage happens in the blink of an eye by a monster that you only see in glimpses. This serves to heighten the tension, as you experience the uncertainty of the hostages, who aren't quite sure what just happened, but it's very very bad. You can see them weighing in their minds the present danger of these masked terrorists who are "testing/torturing" them against the mysterious glimpses of a threat that they don't understand. (Karrie League) Director Ben Rock will be live in person to present the film. Check out the trailer here .

Brief Summary: A cross-country manhunt searchers for an abducted woman and a marauding Indian tribe, but the real villains don't ride horses...they burrow from beneath the ground. Full Description: I appreciate it when horror elements are thrown into an unconventional scenario. This year SAUNA flips a horror body slam on Finnish Spa culture, and THE BURROWERS does the same to the American old west. The story opens with a young man named Coffey (Karl Geary) rehearsing and fumbling with his words. He has a wedding band in his hand and intends to propose to his sweetheart that very night. We cut to the scene of her house where domestic tranquility is interrupted by the all too familiar sound on the desolate prairie, the thundering hooves and whooping calls of an Indian attack. The women and children cloister themselves in a locked barn while the men try to ward off the attack. We catch fragments of the battle only through the sounds audible from inside the barn, but can soon tell that something is different about this attack, something foreign. No bodies are found, and Coffey sets out to follow the trail of the Indians in the seemingly desperate hope that his fiancee is still alive. He joins a scouting mission set on exterminating the tribe, but as they close on the trail, odd sounds are emanating from the perimeter of their camp and members of the party go missing in the middle of the night. Victims' bodies are later found, still twitching and half-alive, buried in shallow graves in the prairie. The search party's only information is filtered through a shifty Indian interpreter who - through a mix of willful manipulation and outright ignorance - informs the party that the "tribe" they are seeking is called "the burrowers", but he fails to warn of the deadly consequences of continuing the hunt. Compared by many to TREMORS (and there are similarities), THE BURROWERS creates an original and elaborate mythology of "the burrowers", steeped in Native American folklore with a subtle dash of environmentalist agenda. J.T. Petty paints a lush, classically western portrait with strong characters, both good and bad, and effectively evokes the hopelessness of the most famous wild west manhunt in film history, THE SEARCHERS. Since his first feature, SOFT FOR DIGGING, (which played the Alamo Drafthouse as part of Kier-la Janisse's Cinemuerte Film Festival) J.T. Petty has steered clear of the pitfalls of the modern horror film: booming musical cues, superficial characters and music-video inspired editing. His films are rooted in the classics with sure camera work, rich characters and stories and plenty of good old-fashioned gothic horror creepiness. THE BURROWERS delivers plenty of chills and thrills, but they are produced with a respect and an understanding of the western and film history in general. (Tim League) With director J.T. Petty live in person.

Brief Summary: A serial killer is preying on call-girls from various escort agencies. In the midst of police indifference and incompetence, Jung-Ho (Yun-Seok Kim), an ex-cop-turned-pimp must dust off his old flatfoot skills to find the killer and save the life of one of his girls who has gone missing. Full Description: I sat on the Asian Features Jury at the Puncheon International Fantasy Film Festival this year. Of the 32 films in competition, our jury unanimously decided THE CHASER to be the grand prize winner. This is a return to form for the Korean crime film after a string of fairly disappointing efforts. The story is gritty and intense, the pacing taut, and the performance of lead actor Yun-seok Kim is phenomenal. Korean genre films sometimes manage to pack in a much wider array of emotional notes and complex character interaction than their American counterparts. In much the same way that THE HOST was a dysfunctional family drama that happened to have a monster running a muck, THE CHASER is a tender portrait of a jaded, hard-boiled ex-cop who realizes that he still has deep pathos and compassion beneath his stony veneer. And there's bloody rampage serial killer on the loose. THE CHASER was a box-office hit in Korea this year, topping the charts until the blockbuster THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE WEIRD took top honors. Look for the American remake, by the same production team behind Scorcese's award winning film THE DEPARTED, to begin production soon. (Tim League) Plot Summary The debut feature from award winning short film director Na Jong-Jin, THE CHASER, tells the story of Jung-Ho, a former cop turned pimp. Think for a moment about what sort of cop would choose to become a pimp in his post-law enforcement career and you have an immediate grasp of Jung-Ho. He is a surly, foul tempered, hard talking man driven by the pursuit of easy profits. And Jung-Ho is in a bad mood because a number of his girls - girls who he effectively owns, having bought out their bad debts - have recently gone missing. Jun-Ho believes a rival pimp is simply stealing his girls and reselling them for profit but the truth is far worse. There is a serial killer on the prowl, one that has not been detected because he preys exclusively on call girls hired from a variety of escort agencies. When the call comes in for a girl one night, Jung-Ho realizes too late that the client's phone number matches the number used to book sessions with a pair of his missing girls, and he rushes off to protect his investment. The rival must be captured and taken out of the picture. But while a chance encounter leads Jung-Ho to the correct man, his girl Mi-Jin is nowhere to be found, and the client - Young Min - is spouting nonsenses about having killed a dozen women. It's enough to bring Young-Min to the police but the killer is smart enough to give them only enough to taunt but not enough to actually charge him or even hold him for an extended period of time. And so the chase is on. It is not a chase to find the killer - he has already been found - it is a chase to find the girl. If they can't find her - or other significant evidence - within twelve hours, Young-Min must be set free. (Todd Brown) Check out the Korean trailer here .

Brief Summary: The director of ONG BAK returns with his new protégé, who was in training for five years for this role. Jeeja Vismistananda portrays an autistic girl who learns martial arts from watching Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee films so as to exact revenge on those who bankrupted her mother. Full Description: It's been a looooong time since ONK BAK first clued us in to the awesome new wave of Muay Thai action films. As fun as it was, the quickly-produced Jaa/Prachya follow-up THE PROTECTOR was honestly a bit of a let down. Meanwhile, two years into production on his directorial debut, Tony Jaa is hermiting in mountain caves trying to meditate his way into a grip on his runaway-budget sequel ONG BAK 2. Director Prachya Pinkaew, however, has kept his vision and is back with a vengeance. For five years, he groomed the cherubic Jeeja Vismistananda into a furious hellcat of a Muay Thai action star. While maybe not up to the raw athletic talent of Tony, she more than delivers in agility, speed and raw charm. Perhaps the most buzzed-about feature of this year's lineup, CHOCOLATE lives up to the hype. Watch the trailer and you know that this is action only developing Asian countries with little to no litigation industry can provide. Bone-shattering, painful, brutal and death-defyingly dangerous stunt work with no wires, no stunt doubles, and full, bloody raw-force contact. The plot...sure, it's a bit by the numbers, a classic revenge story with a novel twist. The heroine is autistic, which subtly plays out in her martial arts style. Honestly though, I can't tell you what ONG BAK was about other than some vaguely-explained idol thievery. The first 3 times I watched it was without subtitles, and it didn't matter one lick. CHOCOLATE follows that vein. Once she develops her rib-cracking Muay Thai chops (from absorbing all required combat skills from a Tony Jaa/Bruce Lee TV marathon), the plot turns Zin (Jeeja) from one battle into the next. The action culminates in two final scenes that are worth the price of admission alone. The first is a classic dojo-style battle against what Toronto Midnight Madness director Colin Geddes describes as a "breakdancing crackbaby." The next, an extended brawl fought entirely on four stories worth of narrow, precipitous ledges, all without safety nets, or seemingly any safety concerns at all. The legend of Jackie Chan lives on in Thailand with a whole new crop of fearless athletes charging recklessly ahead with only one concern: not their lives, nay, our sacred amusement. (Tim League) CHOCOLATE is sponsored by Big Top Candy, Austin's ridiculously addictive vintage candy shop, who will be supplying cocoa goodness at both screenings. If you are in from out of town, do not miss a chance to stop by this quickly established Austin landmark.

Brief Summary: A demented gynecologist discovers a cure for all the world’s illnesses and uses it as leverage to become sole dictator of the earth. Jam-packed with monsters, kung fu, battling robots and deviant sexual practices, DR. INFIERNO doesn’t let budget get in the way of executing a mountain of crazy ideas. Full Description: I have yet to meet the talent behind DR. INFIERNO, but in my mind I'm imagining gleeful, spastic, lovable motormouths with attention deficit disorder and raw creative energy exploding out of every orifice. In short, our kind of folks. More unhinged crazy shit is crammed into the 84 minute runtime of DR. INFIERNO than most entire film festival dockets combined. My recommendation: stay focused. It's the eye-on-the-prize time for this one. MAJOR plot developments whiz by like lightening. Summarization is somewhat futile because of the myriad of related and unrelated story tendrils that pop up at every surreal turn. At the core of the story, however, is always the titular Dr. Infierno, a demented gynecologist who discovers a cure for all the world's illnesses and uses it as leverage to become sole dictator of the earth. Is the film coherent? Hell no! How could a gynecologist come up with a single serum that cures all the worlds' illnesses in the first place? Why a gynecologist? And how does this deranged madman also find the time to command robot armies? Does it have polish? Yes and no. This is NOT your typical half-assed camcorder-recorded excuse of a horror movie, something all-too-common in a world of cheap and easy tools for all. Director Paco Limon poured his heart and soul into every frame of this film, creating impressive mutantoid monsters, choreographing tight martial arts battles, crafting ample old-school gore and even producing impressive out-of-left-field CGI sci-fi sequences. It is raw, though. Shot in black and white, DR. INFIERNO has a gritty look and feel, and occasionally the limitations of the thin budget shine through. The sheer outrageous spirit of this film, however, allows you to look past the occasional blemish. Many have compared DR. INFIERNO to the early Peter Jackson films, and I dare say that Paco Limon and his gang are worthy successors. These guys are clearly big genre fans and with time and money could be producing some of the craziest films we've likely to ever see. Keep 'em coming, I want to see a lot more. (Tim League) Actor and associate producer Javier Albarrán will be in attendance.

Brief Summary: A Danish (?!!) kung fu coming-of-age drama choreographed by and featuring a supporting role by action master Xian Gao (CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, FONG SAI YUK) Full Description: With global martial arts fans all worked into a lather over Prachya Pinkaew’s upcoming female starring fight flick CHOCOLATE, very little attention has been paid to other parts of the world. Case in point: Natasha Arthy’s Danish kung fu oriented drama FIGHTER. And the lack of attention is truly a shame because this is one film that truly deserves it. While CHOCOLATE may win more points for sheer spectacle, FIGHTER is clearly superior in terms of story, character, direction and is itself loaded with hugely impressive – and all the more so for how naturally they are shot – fight scenes. Were you to put FIGHTER’s Semra Turan – a national level kung fu martial artist - into a fair fight with CHOCOLATE’s female star there’s a better than average chance Turan would come out on top. Turan stars as Aicha, a hot blooded Turko-Danish teenaged girl whose one great passion is the martial arts. She watches kung fu films constantly, mimicking the moves of the stars she idolizes as the films play, and trains in martial arts in a casual, girls only after school club. Or, at least she trains there until her hot temper gets her kicked off the club. Her school coach, recognizing Aicha’s natural talent, suggests that she enlist in a local, elite level club – where the Iron Monkey himself, Xian Gao, is the sifu – to further her skills but there is one problem: the club is mixed gender and Aicha’s very conservative Turkish parents will never consent to their daughter training in a space shared with boys. The script is rich and detailed, filled with the complexities of clashing cultures and warring parental instincts, doing justice to the complicated subject matter and resisting ever slipping into easy cliché. This feels like a real family dealing with real issues and that is something seen too seldom. The acting is very strong across the board, particularly from Turan in the lead and her young peers. The fighting? Very impressive thanks to choreography and, reportedly, three months of intensive training supervised by Xian Gao prior to shooting. The choreography is inventive, realistic, very athletic – showcasing the impressive real life skills of Turan to great effect – and flawlessly shot in dominantly wide, long shots designed to let you appreciate the skill on screen. While there is wire work evident in a handful of fantasy tinged sequences the kung fu is generally unassisted with any gadgetry and is very impressive. FIGHTER is simply a hugely impressive piece of work, one that functions simultaneously on a handful of levels and handles each element note-perfectly. (Todd Brown)

Brief Summary: Directed by Ji-woon Kim (A BITTERSWEET LIFE, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS) and setting an all-time Korean box office opening weekend record this year, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE WEIRD, an homage to Leone's similarly named classic, is one of the year's most anticipated genre titles. Full Description: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE WEIRD, at face value, is a Korean remake of THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY. However, updated with eye-popping colors, fast-paced editing, explosive action and a slightly different twist on the story, it stands on its own two feet quite nicely. Set in 1930's Manchuria, the intricate plot pits three outlaws against the entire Japanese army and a mob of Russian gangsters in a race to find the "treasure" that will define the outcome of the Sino-Japanese war. (The story is complex; expect to read lots of complaints that it makes no sense, but trust me, it's all there.) Jung Woo Sung is "The Good". While not quite as iconic as the unforgettable Clint Eastwood, he is nonetheless handsome as hell and unflappably suave. He stands for the Korean resistance, determined to use every weapon at his disposal against the Japanese invaders. Lee Byung Hun is "The Bad". More widely known from JSA, A BITTERSWEET LIFE and HERO, he's as bad as villains come and also icy smooth. Employed by a treacherous warlord to waylay the treasure, he has no intention of sharing any of the profit with his employer. The stand-out is Song Kang Ho, who won my heart irrevocably in THE HOST and is also well known from JSA, SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE, MEMORIES OF MURDER and LADY VENGEANCE. His turn as "The Weird", for my money, outstrips Eli Wallach's Tuco for sheer fun quotient and is a stellar three-dimensional performance that provides most of the buoyancy of the film that sustains the 2-hour plus run time. Apparently just a solo bandit out making a living, he stumbles across the prize and fights off all comers to hold on to it. Last but not least, the desert filming location is a major star. This is a fantastic Wild West location, with an Asian flair. Magnificent scenery and set pieces are beautifully shot and squeezed for every ounce of spectacle. (Karrie League)

Brief Description: Horror legend Robert Englund costars in this epic battle of angry plumber vs. the demonic creatures of the night. Packed with fantastic practical effects and spot-on humor, JACK BROOKS is destined to emerge an audience fave. Full Description: Being a plumber just got a whole lot more violent. Jack Brooks has got an anger problem, and why not? His girlfriend’s a nag, he’s stuck taking night classes, his van’s barely running, and there’s also the little matter of witnessing his entire family killed and eaten by some sort of troll monster when he was just a boy. Jack’s got issues, issues that erupt in bursts of violence and rage. Luckily for him he’s about to find an appropriate target ... Jack Brooks has everything you could ask of a creature feature. A memorable antihero, genuinely funny support players, buckets of blood, squishy effects and a career-highlight-reel performance from Robert Englund who shows a surprising gift for physical slapstick comedy. A true crowd pleaser, Jack Brooks has left audiences cheering throughout a successful run around the globe. (Todd Brown) This film is sponsored by Anchor Bay Entertainment. Director Jon Knautz and star Trevor Matthews live in person!

Brief Summary: Jean-Claude Van Damme portrays an aging action star whose career in Hollywood is all but washed up. Returning to his homeland in Brussels, he lands in the middle of a bank heist and may have to actually save the day. Full Description: In JCVD, Jean-Claude Van Damme portrays a washed-up, aging action star. His career is a joke, he loses all of even the meager straight-to-video roles to his nemesis Stephen Segal and he's in a custody battle for his daughter who is too embarrassed of her father to consider living with him. Returning to Brussels, he pops into a post office to send a money order to his divorce lawyer in Los Angeles only to find the facility held siege by robbers. The absurdity of the situation gradually escalates, and our action hero star must decide – cooperate or save the day in true hero fashion! In a word, this role choice for Jean Claude Van Damme is BOLD. He’s faced ninjas, wild animals, space aliens and multiple arenas of death, but in JCVD he’s confronted with the naked truth of his own career: z-grade roles, worldwide ridicule, drug addiction, bad haircuts and some truly inspired wacko TV interviews, many of which are replayed in the film. The wickedly crisp script realistically captures the comedy inherent in the day-to-day life of a superstar: autograph and picture hounds, mocking haters and delusional überfans. Through it all Jean Claude Van Damme delivers with a sly wit and assured demeanor that for much of the film, I forgot I was watching a work of fiction, but was lost in what surely had to be a Jean Claude Van Damme reality show. He understands the humor associated with his career, acknowledges it, pokes more than gentle fun at himself and even waxes philosophic on his past and his future. What emerges is a sophisticated, intelligent and wildly comedic performance. This is the stuff of true career renaissance. Forget about Pam Greer’s potential resurgence after Jackie Brown. After this performance, Jean Claude Van Damme deserves a shot at the best roles in Hollywood! I watched JCVD at this year’s Cannes Market and the excitement in the crowd was palpable. Market screenings are for the industry worker-bees, you can’t gauge an audience because they are either asleep from exhaustion or texting on multiple blackberries trying to seal the next deal. Not so with JCVD. The crowd laughed and cheered and actually stood to applaud at the end. And when the man himself popped up from a seat in the back of the theater, clearly proud of the chops he had just shown on screen, the audience went absolutely nuts. Van Damme? God Damn! This movie is AWESOME! Support this film, write about this film, and most importantly watch this film when it comes out in theaters. If for no other reason, I personally want to see more comedic drama out of, who woulda thunk it, one of the most underrated thespians working in cinema today! (Tim League) JCVD screenings are sponsored by Best Buy.