Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the second wave of events, special guests and film programming. Fantastic Fest 2014 takes place September 18–25th in Austin, Texas at the newly reopened Alamo South Lamar and Highball. Get ready to be blown away by Lionsgate’s latest action-packed thriller, John Wick starring Keanu Reeves, with a red carpet gala screening with Reeves and directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski in attendance. JOHN WICK is the story of a former ex-hitman who comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. With New York City as his bullet-riddled playground, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a fresh and stylized take…
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MondoCon 2014: Panels, Screenings, Exclusives and More!
Looking at the calendar we are less than a month away from the 10th Annual Fantastic Fest. Based in Austin, TX the Alamo Drafthouse will not only be celebrating a decade of genre films but the first ever MondoCon to showcase their amazing artwork, vinyl and other incredible merchandise. The convention is set to coincide with the first weekend of Fantastic Fest on September 20 & 21 at The Marchesa Hall & Theater in Austin, TX. The first wave of films was released earlier this month and recently the Fantastic Fest website just posted tons of info about MondoCon. Panels and screenings will take place in the theater and the…
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Announcing The First Wave Of Fantastic Fest 2014!
The sleepy little town of Austin, TX has been home to lots of businesses and startups but, in the eyes of film fans the world over, the Alamo Drafthouse takes the cake. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Alamo’s film fest aptly named Fantastic Fest. If you ever thought that there’s nothing like the Alamo experience then you better believe a film festival under the same banner would be no different. We attended in 2012 and had our minds blow (check out our coverage here). So as the Fest kicks off next month (it runs September 18th-25th), have a look at the line up of spectacularly wild, weird…
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[USAFF Review]…Finding Neighbors
Director Ron Judkins draws from personal experience in his latest film, Finding Neighbors. His latest effort is a story about an author who has reached the end of his professional career. Caddyshack’s Michael O’Keefe (in the film) has rode out his wave of fame, and, over a period of 30 years, has seen all that the entertainment industry has to offer. Yet, after so much time, as he looks back he feels he’s been sleepwalking through it all. It’s only after waking up – three decades later, and in what feels like a hangover – he’s able to assess where he is in life. Suffice to say she’s not happy.…
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[USAFF Review]…Fading Gigolo
John Turturro writes and directs his fifth film, Fading Gigolo, and weaves an interesting narrative to say the very least. In short, Fading Gigolo is about John Turturro and Woody Allen playing, no joke, “a pimp and a prostitute.” Let that sink in, because you probably won’t believe it until you see it. No, this is not a ’70s revival film, nor is it a wacky Austin Powers inspired narrative. This is quite a sophisticated, upscale, and frank story about people looking for a connection, and a very particular one at that. With ‘Giggilo’ in the title, one might think that connection means sex and all the escapades that go…
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[USA Film Fest Interview]…’Frontera’ Writer/Director Michael Berry
Michael Berry is an actor and director of stage and film and most recently completed production on the feature film Frontera. Directed and co-written by Berry, the film stars Ed Harris, Michael Pena, Eva Longoria and Amy Madigan. Previous to that he directed and co-produced two award winning short films, Mira and Day of the Grackle. As an actor Berry appeared as an original cast member of the Tony Award, Pulitzer Prize winning “Next To Normal”. Other Broadway and national tour appearances include Les Miserables, Sunset Boulevard, Tommy and Mamma Mia. Off Broadway Mr. Berry appeared as Starbuck in a critically acclaimed production of Moby Dick, and was nominated for a…
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[USAFF Review]…Frontera
Michael Berry, an actor and stage performer in a past life, comes out of nowhere with his directorial debut Frontera. A gripping drama, his passion project follows on the heels of just two short films, award winning though they may be. Frontera is an emotionally gripping narrative about a family in Mexico struggling to make it to America, by any means necessary, and it is as taut as it is sobering. Over the course of the film each of the characters deal with extreme hardships – the family of immigrants deal with problems crossing the border (difficulties finding a guide, coming up with the money, putting trust in someone they…
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[USA Film Fest Interview]…’Finding Neighbors’ Writer/Director Ron Judkins
Oscar-winning sound engineer and filmmaker Ron Judkins earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He then began his motion picture career as a sound recordist and editor for public television. In January of 1998 Ron began production on his feature directorial debut, The Hi-Line. The project premiered in the Dramatic Competition at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. It won the “Audience Award” at the Austin Film Festival, the “Best Feature” Award at both the Louisville Film and Video Festival and the Heartland Film Festival, and the “Best Actress” and “Best Cinematography” awards at the Santa Monica Film Festival. His latest film, Finding Neighbors, written and directed by the two time Academy Award winner,…
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[USA Film Fest Interview]…’Fading Gigolo’ Writer/Director/Star John Turturro
The Dallas-based USA Film Festival (which runs 4/22-4/27) kicked off on Thursday, April 22nd. Prior to the opening night ceremonies, John Turturro brought his new film Fading Gigolo to Dallas to open the festival. His latest is narrative is about a NY native who when faced with losing his job enters into the world’s oldest profession, and ends up finding something he didn’t know he was looking for. Fading Gigolo is an oddball film but one that deep down has a heart and a message about the simplest of life’s pursuits – love, relationships and a sense of belonging. Written, directed and starring John Turturro, the film is Turturro’s fifth…
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Second Wave of Film Programming Announced for Fantastic Fest 2013
Fantastic Fest is one of the most fun film festivals you will ever attend. Full stop. Sure it’s not as high profile or sophisticated as say Cannes or Sundance but it’s something extra special. If you like zombies, crazy robot violence, irreverent foreign films, serial killing aliens or absurd animation then you are most certainly a fan of genre films and Fantastic Fest is calling your name. If you’ve been there, you know what to expect. If not, read through of our coverage and experiences from last year, then get off your ass, head down to Austin, Texas next month (September 19-26 at the Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline) and prepare to have your world…
