Fantastic Fest News and Interview with Tim League
Fantastic Fest kicks off tonight at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. The big events lined up for opening night include:
- an advance screening of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning attended by the director and cast-members, including R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket)
- The Full Moon Travelling Roadshow hosted by Puppetmaster creator Charles Band, who promises a “live” decapitation
- a 3-D screening of Parasite 3-D, one of the worst movies ever made about an angry flying worm
- a festival kick-off party and meat-feast prepared by Alamo Chef John Bullington
And these are just the big events. There are lots of smaller movies that you probably have never heard of playing, as well. We decided to ask Alamo Drafthouse owner and Fantastic Fest founder Tim League about what we can expect at this year's festival.
Are there any movies flying under the radar that you would highly recommend?
Under the radar would be....
The Ram Gopal Varma retrospective. This guy is a freaking amazing director. He's been called the Indian Martin Scorsese by some press and the Indian Quentin Tarantino by others. He makes really gritty crime movies with great dialogue and amazingly rich characters. He's one to watch for sure. We're showing three of his old films and the premiere of his new one, Shiva. He's set to make his first U.S. picture next year, so look out for his name if the American studios don't destroy his aesthetic. Our executive chef John Bullington is preparing a special Indian menu for these shows.
Hamster Cage. It's a deep, dark, black comedy from legendary Canadian director Larry Kent. He'll be live in person for the screenings.
And two really weird Japanese Movies: The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai - A lunatic romp the likes of which can only come from Japan. A call girl experiences a life-altering intellectual awakening from a bullet lodged in her brain and becomes embroiled in a plot to capture the cloned finger of George Bush which was designed to trigger a nuclear war, thus bringing about the reunification of North and South Korea. It's a sex comedy.
Naisu No Mori (Funky Forest): The First Contact
Funky Forest's daringly disjointed narrative is a mish-mash of blackouts, non-sequiturs, flashbacks, lucid dreams, magical moments and so much more. Awkward stumbles on the path to romance, and others of life's little disappointments, are woven together with all sorts of extraterrestrial freaks and incomprehensible biological curiosities, music-video mayhem and mindbending theatrics, and psychedelic surrealism of the finest grade, delivered with a deadpan shrug. - (Rupert Bottenberg, Fantasia Film Festival)
If Fantastic Fest wasn't awesome enough, it's also being held at the Drafthouse. That means great beer and great food. Do you have any interesting culinary experiences planned for this years fest?
Some screenings will have secret culinary surprises; plus, executive chef John Bullington has cooked up a full Indian menu for the Varma films. He's also catering the opening night party with lots of fun meaty treats for the post Texas Chainsaw Massacre crowd.
The Drafthouse is obviously a huge reason that Austin is such a great place to watch movies. But, in your opinion, why is Austin such an awesome city to make and watch movies?
I think it's the combination of a lot of those factors. The Austin Film Society, SXSW, the film productions that go on here, the great film program at UT...Film lovers just seem to gravitate to this town.
People are coming to Austin from all over the world for this years FF. Could you recommend a few of your favorite Austin places that out-of-towners might want to visit between movies?
You bet. I differ from Harry, by the way, on barbeque joints...
I posted my lists of attractions and restaurants with directions and google maps to each on the Fantastic Fest website.
