For four decades, the world, characters and mythology of Alien have permeated the minds (and nightmares) of film fans across the globe. In his latest doc, director Alexandre O. Philippe looks at all the titles that influenced young Dan O’Bannon, scribe of the 1979 horro classic, and how the film forever captured and changed the mindset of the public. The documentary takes fans on an exploration of the mythical underpinnings of Alien. It is supported by exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, unearthing the largely untold origin story behind Ridley Scott‘s cinematic masterpiece, and reveals a treasure trove of never-before-seen materials from the archives of “Alien” creators Dan O’Bannon and H.R. Giger – including original story notes, rejected designs…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…’WYRM’ Director and Producer on the Awkward Quirkiness of Adolescence
It’s not easy growing up. If it’s not someone telling you what to do and how to do it, there’s plenty of stress we can put on ourselves that are only exacerbated by the insecurities we have trying to “fit in”. So enter technology to that mix and you can easily identify (or empathize) with Wyrm. Yes, that is his real name, and in Christopher Winterbauer‘s coming-of-age film, the titular character navigates the societal norms as well as the loss of a family member. In this strangely futuristic yet analog alternate universe, the above pictured lonely, dinosaur-obsessed youth struggles to complete a unique school requirement or risk being held back…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman and Michael C. Hall on ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’
Fantastic Fest 2019 was packed to the gills with insane films, hotly anticipated titles, and legendary actors in large and small scale pictures. There were also a trio of Netflix titles from some pretty big directors making their premiere at the Fest. One of those is In the Shadow of the Moon which is directed by Jim Mickle (We Are What We Are, Stake Land, and Cold in July). Mickle’s latest is a brilliant hybrid of science fiction and a detective yarn. It’s also headlined by some very accomplished thespians, and we got to chat with them about the themes and concepts in this high-concept familial drama. Enjoy our time…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…Director Jim Mickle on Filming ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’
Director Jim Mickle is no stranger to genre filmmaking. He’s made films about cannibals, vampires, and psychopaths and won plenty of fans along the way with We Are What We Are, Stake Land, and Cold in July. In his latest, the upcoming Netflix title, In the Shadow of the Moon, he explores the concept of obsession in a multi-generational familial drama. It’s also a murder mystery detective story that has an element of time-travel. So, yes, it’s ambitious to say the least, and it’s also Mickle’s largest production to date. The film stars Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman and Michael C. Hall who all play a part in this massive story line. We…
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[Fantastic Fest Review]…The Death of Dick Long
After Swiss Army Man, there was only one way director Daniel Scheinert could go, and The Death of Dick Long film is the next logical step. Ok, ok, get it out of your system. Actually, that title lets you know what you’re walking into – word play from guys who probably can’t spell – and trust me, we’re just getting warmed up. This is an absurdly funny and honest character film. When three friends’ late night outing goes horribly wrong, one of them ends up dead, and we the audience are left grasping for details. Similarly, the put upon Alabama sheriff’s department – who are not exactly the southern state’s…
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[Fantastic Fest Review]…The Antenna
Turkish dystopian horror film, The Antenna, really has a lot to offer up front. It’s a dark spin on the idea of big brother, and drapes a hyper-realism blanket over themes about privacy, and paranoid ideas about technology being our downfall. Really, though, it’s not paranoia. It is actually happening. And technology is tearing us apart when it’s soul purpose was to bring us together. This takes a turn without explanation or a road map. If that sounds good to you, then hop on in. The film is beautifully shot even though it comes across incredibly bleak. Each scene and setting are expertly crafted and staged, and the entire shoot…
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[Fantastic Fest Review]…Takashi Miike’s First Love
To the genre film community, very few directors have the longevity of Japanese icon Takashi Miike. Known for seminal yakuza and samurai films plenty, Miike’s latest is a crazy, go-for-broke gang war film that is an all-out blast. Weaving multiple characters and plot lines injected with a lot of unexpected humor, First Love is far a far cry from Audition or Ichi the Killer. It’s more in line with Edgar Wright and Guy Ritchie type films, yet somehow still feels relatively grounded. The film follows Leo (Masataka Kubota), an up-and-coming boxer who is diagnosed with cancer. While he is reeling from the news, he, by dumb luck, gets thrust into an adrenaline-fueled, running, gunning, and slashing adventure.…
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[Fantastic Fest Review]…Taikia Waititi’s JoJo Rabbit
When it comes to a film by Taika Waititi, there’s a nebulous and unique aspect to his productions that people just love. Why? Well, everything he does has incredible heart to it. Jojo Rabbit is a film about a small boy growing up in a big world, and experiencing it during World War II, and from the German side. The fact that he is extremely fond of Adolf Hitler goes without saying. Sounds like a real knee slapper, right? Good news is that it is a side-splitting, howling funny knee slapper. The film is incredibly poignant and well-balanced look at how and why, even from a young age, we should ask question…
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Final Wave of Feature Programming for FANTASTIC FEST 2019
This weekend, I was hard at work trying to determine the list of films I want to see this year at Fantastic Fest. I thought I had a good plan laid out…then came this third and final wave of titles playing this year. Well, I guess it’s back to the drawing board. While I figure out what to cram in my eye sockets during the first half of the fest, I hope you get to enjoy the titles that the Alamo team have lined up. There really isn’t a bad one in the bunch. Aside from huge titles (like JoJo Rabbit, Knives Out, Parasite and In the Shadow of the…
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Second Wave of Feature Programming for FANTASTIC FEST 2019
Hot on the heels of the first wave announcement, the organizers dropped their next batch of awesome genre titles. Not every film is a new release or a world premiere. Several curated titles are being shown (resurrected, really) to tie into this year’s theme. The festival will show repertory titles from the AFGA (American Film Genre Archive) to help celebrate obscure cerebral and campy titles that help define genre filmmaking. One of the big league standouts this year will be the new film, Knives Out, from Rian Johnson. Before he brought the world Episode VIII, he wowed festival attendees with Looper. Can’t wait to see what he does with his…
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First Wave of Feature Programming for FANTASTIC FEST 2019
Hey, film fans! We’re less that 48 hours from our favorite time of year. The 15th annual Fantastic Fest (Austin’s own world-famous genre film festival) kicks off on September 19 and this year the team is really going all out to celebrate. I’m headed down there to cover the Fest for a 5th time, it never gets old. Why? Because of the plethora of screenings, events, world premieres, guests, and awesome fans, that’s why. Trust me, you’ll never have the same experience twice, and you’ll never imagine the things you’ll see or the people you’ll meet. Check out my recap from last year, and others in our Festival tab. Below,…
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Interview…Film Music Composer Andrew Morgan Smith on the Score of ‘You Might Be the Killer’
Andrew Morgan Smith is a veteran film music composer who has scored over twenty feature film and television projects. In the last five years, he has scored more than forty-five projects across all media. He has also worked with and provided additional music for Nathan Furst, the composer of Act of Valor and Need for Speed. Smith studied film composition under composer David Newman (Tarzan, Ice Age, Galaxy Quest, The Sandlot), and orchestrator Jack Smalley (Last of the Mohicans, The Mothman Prophecies, The Limey) at the 2010 Aspen Music Festival. As a multi-instrumentalist, he was classically trained in both composition and music media at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Smith…
