Fantastic Fest 2009

Filmmaker Jonathan King Live in Person!

Jonathan King, director of the 2006 comedy gore-fest BLACK SHEEP, has struck out in an entirely new direction with the intelligent, surprisingly kid-friendly adventure thriller UNDER THE MOUNTAIN. This is a proud new entry in the annals of memorable "tween" fantasy - films you see when young and continue to love even as an adult - that actually deliver smart and scary thrills with no skimping on cinematography, character development or special effects. Think ESCAPE FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN (the original!) meets THE GOONIES. It's been a good long while since those movies were released, and today's kids are due for some tough, fearless family filmmaking, which King delivers in spades.

Theo and Rachel are twins with an strong -- almost telepathic -- bond. When their mother dies in a car accident their father sends them away to Auckland to live with relatives in a beautiful new home on a gorgeous lake in a fabulous city ringed by seven magnificent volcanoes. But their view is marred by a creepy looking house across the water, and their new lives even more disturbed by the inhabitants of that house - a weird and reclusive family who take an unhealthy interest in their new neighbors. To add to the strain, the twins have different ways of dealing with their grief, which is weakening the link between them. And when the otherworldly Wilberforce family comes a-knocking, they need their closeness more than either of them realizes.

Each Fantastic Fest, there is one movie that I just refuse to miss. Last year's title was LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, which ended up being the festival favorite and is widely considered the best vampire tale in decades (eat it, Pattinson). This year, there's no film I'm more excited to see in the theater than UNDER THE MOUNTAIN. So take a break from exploding intestines and bared genitals, shed off your adult-world skepticism and join us for a few rounds of actual movie magic. (Zack Carlson)