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.

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.

Brief Summary The privatized Tokyo police force led by Audition‘s Eihi Shiina is authorized to execute judgment on the spot. They are threatened, however, by a breed of “engineers,” genetically modified super-villains who grow mutant weapons from their injuries and amputations. Full Description Given the amount of coverage that TOKYO GORE POLICE gets on Twitch, it is easy to forget that the film has not been released on DVD and has only screened a few times in the United States. TOKYO GORE POLICE deserves the attention its been getting because it is a great riff on films such as ROBOCOP but with a unique Japanese flavor. In a future version of Japan, a private company takes over policing functions throughout the country. A special squad known as the Tokyo Gore Police is tasked with handling a breed of mutants ("engineers") who can turn wounds into weapons. Ruka (played by Eihi Shiina) is the star of the squad. She is tormented by the assassination of her father, an officer who spoke out against the privatization of the police. Ruka eventually finds the assassin, and learns the secrets behind both her father's death and the police force to which she has devoted her life. This back story can easily be ignored as the attraction of TOKYO GORE POLICE lies in its over-the-top action and insane visual effects. Nishimura was not working with a big budget but the choices in set design and effects are very resourceful. The film throws everything at the screen, including blood spraying from dismembered torsos in slow-motion, exotic weapons sprouting from injured body parts, and bondage-garbed quadriplegics walking on swords. The ROBOCOP influence is apparent throughout, particularly in a series of tongue-in-cheek television ads for products that make it easier to commit suicide. Tak Sakaguchi, star of VERSUS and AZUMI, choreographed the fight sequences. (Rodney Perkins) Director Yoshihiro Nishimura will be in attendance to introduce the shows and answer questions after the screenings. We have also purchased special Japanese language karaoke tracks for Monday night... This screening is sponsored in part by Media Blasters.