Fantastic Fest 2008

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: 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)

A trio of surreal takes on the Spaghetti Western genre by three of Spain’s hottest young gun directors. Appearing as part of the SHORT FILMS OF NACHO VIGALONDO program. CLICK HERE for details.

Brief Summary: Allegedly based on actual events, THE WILDMAN OF THE NAVIDAD tells the story of a small Texas community along the banks of the Navidad river who were terrorized for years by a mysterious creature. Full Description: 34 years ago, Kim Henkel produced arguably the single most influential horror movie of the modern age: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Now he has teamed up with the young and talented Justin Meeks and Duane Graves for another frightening rural Texas tale. We've seen plenty of low-budget period films cross our desk in the years of doing the festival, and very few get it spot-on correct. THE WILD MAN nails it, down to every last detail. The look, feel, style and even the pacing of the film gives the impression that you are actually watching a forgotten classic from the Dixie drive-in circuit. Allegedly based on the diaries of Dale S. Rogers, the Wildman of the Navidad centers on a quiet, bookish man in a small Texas town. He keeps to himself, doesn't socialize much with his neighbors, and with the help of a Mexican handyman cares for his severely invalid wife. When he unexpectedly loses his job as a welder, he has no choice but to open up his virgin ranch land to deer hunters for the first time in decades. This seemingly innocent decision has dire, bloody consequences, however, as his property is also home to creatures who don't take kindly to the disruption of their way of life. With THE WILD MAN OF THE NAVIDAD, you have to attune yourself to a certain level of, let's call it, "naive" acting. I personally forgave that pretty quickly, chalking it up to the charm of this film. Clearly the filmmakers are using a LOT of non-actors and colorful Texas good-ol-boys, probably regulars of the actual watering hole in the actual town in which they shot. The makers of southern exploitation classics PSYCHO FROM TEXAS and POLK COUNTY POT PLANE followed the same philosophy. It worked for them, and it works for WILD MAN. A lot of it's cinematic texture actually comes from these guys despite their stiff delivery. Lines of dialogue, like a father showing his son how to make a "cactus pussy," feel genuine and almost improvised. It's the other end of the spectrum for co-director, co-writer and lead actor Justin Meeks. The range of emotions with which his character has to deal is vast and you read every nuance through subtle variations in his very reserved and introverted personality. Is he a monster himself, or simply an honest man backed in to a corner who will do anything to preserve his family? Watch WILD MAN OF THE NAVIDAD and judge for yourself. This one stuck with me for a while after watching, and I think you will enjoy it. (Tim League) Filmmakers Duane Graves and Justin Meeks plus members of the cast will be in attendance at the screening and will conduct a Q&A after the film.