Ron Morales’ sobering and unflinching kidnapping film Graceland was a big hit at Fantastic Fest last year. After making the rounds at other festivals and winning fans along the way, this fine addition to the Filipino new wave is gearing up for its official theatrical release. The story of a father’s relentless quest to find and rescue his kidnapped daughter feels so scarily real you’d think you were watching the events in real time. Have a look at the newest trailer that was released on iTunes yesterday… Family man Marlon Villar is the longtime chauffeur of Manuel Chango, a notoriously corrupt Filipino politician. One day as he and his daughter accompany his boss’ preteen…
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Exclusive: Interview…Disney Animator & ‘Paperman’ Director John Kahrs
Editor’s Note: This interview was held following the animated short film sequence back in September at the 2102 Fantastic Fest. We held on to this to coincide with its screening ahead of Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph which opens Friday November 2nd. Part passion project, part experiment, Disney animator John Kahrs‘ short film Paperman is a wonderful combination of traditional 2D animation and CG. This hybrid style (achieved by creating CG animatics and then laying 2D drawings over those polygons) yields something that has the look of traditional hand drawn animation but moves with the fluidly of CG. Sounds simple but apparently it’s a lot of work. However, looking at the end result, it has the potential to be a…
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[Fantastic Fest Review]…Tai Chi Zero
Editor’s Note: To coincide with its limited release staring on October 19th, we’re republishing our Fantastic Fest review of Tai Chi Zero. Have you ever found yourself wondering “what would a film look like if you threw Street Fighter II Turbo, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, Shaolin Soccer and Red Cliff in a blender?” Well if so then you’re in luck because Stephen Fung has just that hybrid combination to offer us at the 2012 Fantastic Fest. A highly stylized period piece it shows its fondness for manga and video games that at times overshadows the story since the gimmick gets old. Still it’s really fun at times and the pick me…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…’Sinister’ Director Scott Derrickson and Writer C. Robert Cargill
It’s been a long standing and understood notion that it is getting tougher and tougher to scare movie goers. Sometimes however, a film comes along which takes us by surprise and really give us chills. Not jump scares mind you, or excess for the sake of excess, but legitimately scary sequences that stay with us long after leaving the theater. One such film that fits the bill is the brainchild of on C. Robert Cargill and director Scott Derrickson. The duo knows their stuff and getting away from purely trite hack/slash horror that populated the 80’s, they offer not only an ultra tense ride that is pure nightmare fuel, but tangible characters…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…’Antiviral’ Writer/Director Brandon Cronenberg & Star Caleb Landry Jones
David Cronenberg…it’s likely you know the name, and if you do then you know what it means. Synonymous with weird, wild and WTF, his films (Scanners, The Fly, Naked Lunch) are incredibly well-crafted, albeit tough to understand at times. Sometimes, in the case of something like Videodrome, his message can be unsettlingly prophetic. But now there’s a new kid in town carrying the wonky torch for the family, oneBrandon Cronenberg and if you’ve seen his film Antiviral (check out our review!) then you know the apple doesn’t fall far from that creatively warped tree. Brandon makes his feature film debut as both writer and director. His film, Antiviral, is a dark and eerie satire on society’s obsession with celebrity that…
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2012 Fantastic Fest Recap (Or How I Learned To Manage My Time At Such An Overwhelmingly Awesome Film Fest)
This year was Go,See,Talk’s first time attending Fantastic Fest and I have to say it was everything they said it would be. Since I was only there for 4 days, I missed out on some later week fun like the secret screening of Cloud Atlas (with a supposedly awesome Q&A with the Wachowskis…UGGGG), but there was still lots to see and do and I got a lot of reviews/coverage under my belt. For such a great festival with a huge draw it’s amazing to see how quaint and laid back everything and everyone is. You can easily bump elbows in such small proximity with both filmmakers and actors but also the film…
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[Fantastic Fest Review]…Bring Me the Head of Machine Gun Woman
Yep. That’s really the title and just another reason why this festival has such a large draw and wide appeal, especially for those film fans who want something outside the norm. With Bring Me the Head of Machine Gun Woman, writer/director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza makes a fine addition to the series of Grindhouse films that have popped up in the last decade or so. While some sub-par releases have diluted this fun throwback sub-genre and B-Movie revival, Espinoza, like he has with Mirageman and Mandrill, gives hope for the movement and an example for those who will follow his footsteps. There’s an authenticity that rises above gimmick or fun solely for inebriates, possibly because it’s…
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[Fantastic Fest Recap]…’Drawn and Quartered: Animated Fantastic Fest Shorts’
One of the many fun and surprising events at the 2012 Fantastic Fest are the three short film sessions. The animated shorts series, humorously titled Drawn & Quartered, was a mixed bag to say the least with wildly diverse mediums and surreal subject matter. Out of the 9 or so shown the following 5 were the real standouts for a variety of reasons…most of which were because they didn’t make the audience feel like they were have a bad acid trip (I’m looking at you Bobby Yeah and Follow the Sun…essh!). ————————————————————————————————————————————————— Attack of the Killer Mutant Chickens – Based in India, Mutant Chickens follows a team of expert chicken hunters dealing with…
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[Fantastic Fest Review]…Sinister
From the production team behind Paranormal Activity comes Sinister, easily one of the scariest films since Insidious (which was also produced by the same people). Less of a jump scare factory, Sinister makes its bones with legitimately scary sequences that are mostly reserved. Add to that a tangible family drama and the result is a full-bodied, entirely creepy and moody thriller. Not for the faint of heart, this film has succeeded in impressing some of the harshest horror fans, many of whom call Fantastic Fest home. Ethan Hawke stars as Ellison, father, husband and famous crime novel author. Modeled similar to Capote’s work with “In Cold Blood”, Ellison is a true-crime…
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[Fantastic Fest Review]…Frankenweenie 3D
Tim Burton has created so many fun and wonderful universes over the years. However, it isn’t until now, in the feature length adaptation of his short film of the same name, that Burton takes us to a place he’s rarely let us see – his childhood. Made purely with kids in mind, and as this is a Disney film, Frankenweenie is a heart-warming kid friendly flick full of Burton’s patented frights, fun and his distinctive look. Still slightly odd-ball, he goes a little esoteric and the result is a playful mash up of two things he’s very familiar with; his love of monster movies and the pressures of being an awkward…
