Fantastic Fest: A Look Back, Part 1

WAKE IN FRIGHT final poster-150dpi

THURSDAY: “Frankenweenie,” “”The Final Member” Consumed: A breaded veal testicle for phallocentric documentary, THE FINAL MEMBER, fed to a dog in honor of FRANKENWEENIE. FRIDAY: Far East/Far Out Films/Events: “The King of Pigs”, “The Warped Forest”, “Miami Connection”, “Doomsday Book” Consumed: Strange juice (durian?) during THE WARPED FOREST, inspired by the opiate-like fruit consumed in… [Continue Reading]

FF2012: “Aww. Ninjas.”

DragonSound.  Photo by David Hill

The fun factor of MIAMI CONNECTION, a horribly entertaining 1987 musical martial-arts film directed by Grandmaster Y.K. Kim, cannot be overstated. Listening to its inane songs and dialogue will kill more of your brain cells than an all-night bender. If you’ve haven’t yet, check out the posted interview with Y.K. Kim for more info. As… [Continue Reading]

FF2012, Day 1: “FRANKENWEENIE” AND OTHER PEENIES

Tim Burton at the Alamo Drafthouse


 Alamo Drafthouse rolled out the black carpet for the world premiere of Tim Burton’s B&W stop-motion marvel, “Frankenweenie 3-D.” Burton, Winona Ryder and Martin Landau were there, and one theater was reserved for a pack of black-and-white lap dogs and their human companions. “Frankenweenie” is the story of a boy named Victor and his… [Continue Reading]

FANTASTIC FEST 2012: THE END IS JUST BEGINNING!

FF 2012 Final art!

Heading east from Albuquerque on my annual drive to Austin’s Fantastic Fest, the sky starts to slap on my skin like a wet T-shirt. As night falls, I hunt for a vacant motel room, prowling through parking lots filled with shirtless men, drinking beer and firing up the BBQ. Sweat and fire and meat —… [Continue Reading]

Getting Short with the 2012 Oscars – by Brennan Foster

From the Oscar nominated A Morning Stroll

If you haven’t had an opportunity to see these 2012 Oscar nominated short films and you’re placing last- minute bets, here are personal picks courtesy of Brennan Foster: BEST SHORT ANIMATION A MORNING STROLL. Winner of the BAFTA, this nominee depicts a chicken walking down a city sidewalk — over a hundred-year time span. Its animation style… [Continue Reading]