Fantastic Fest 2010 Prep: Introduction

Sundance, Toronto International Film Festival, FrightFest, Fantasia, all of these film festivals are known for showing some of the most buzzed about horror and cult films in the past 10 years and counting.  The Blair Witch Project had success not only based on their marketing but the buzz that came out of Sundance.  Toronto’s International Film Festival (TIFF) has a dedicated program to horror and cult cinema called Midnight Madness.  TIFF’s Midnight Madness has been the launching pad for films that couldn’t have been shown at Sundance – like Cabin Fever.  However, one festival that will be celebrating it’s 6th year is Austin TX’s Fantastic Fest.  It has been a festival that I have wanted to attend since it’s inception and now it is becoming true.  Read beyond the break for what I am considering as a crash course in preparation for Fantastic Fest 2010.

Fantastic Fest 2010 will not only be my first Fantastic Fest, but it will be my first film festival outside of St. Louis that I will be attending.  Peter Sciretta from /Film wrote up a great article on the behind the scenes of blogging reviews and what not of a film festival.  It’s a great read and should give you a peek behind the curtain of what I will be getting myself into.

This will be my first venture to Austin, TX.  Austin is known as a film friendly town.  Not to mention that the Alamo Drafthouse theatres in Austin are known to be some of the best theatres to see a film in the world.  Now, granted this is all what I have been told.  Out of towners that attend SXSW or Fantastic Fest that see films at the Alamo Drafthouse (Usually the S. Lamar Location) have told their personal stories like film lover fairy tales.

Beginning tomorrow and through the 30th, I will be covering not only the festival, but the experience of the 13 hour car ride from St. Louis to Austin – we will be driving through the night to add some extra creepiness, the atmosphere of Fantastic Fest and the personal feelings I have.  My point is not only to give you the “business” side of attending a festival, but to let you in on how it is to experience a festival.  I’m going in with virgin eyes, so for those of you who have attended a film festival in it’s entirety before, you may be reminded of what I will be reporting and I hope it will recall fond memories.

I don’t know about you but when I travel to somewhere I haven’t been, I like to study up on it.  When I travelled to Toronto alone for Rue Morgue’s Festival of Fear back in 2005, not only was I flying all by my lonesome, but it was the first time travelling outside of America.  I familiarized myself with the public transportation – TTC – and used it for the 3 days I was there.  I never did do the tourist thing and go up to the CN Tower – still haven’t done this and I have been there in 2005, 2006, 2008, & 2009.  I like to see the inhabitants of a city as those are the people that make it a city.  I love to try to be aware of the cultures and habits of an event.

Last year, some of you may remember Fantastic Fest 2009 showing the film Antichrist and the phrase “Chaos Reigns” becoming the unofficial saying at the festival – actually it even hit Variety a week after the end of the festival.  It is little characteristics like that that are getting me excited for the festival.  Not only do I get to see some kick ass movies, but I get to hang out with like minded people and party with them.

Here are the things I’m looking forward to for Fantastic Fest:

• Finally meeting some people that I have only known and talked to online – Sean “The Butcher” Smithson, I’m talking about you.
• Seeing my friend Damon Swindall (ex-Pickled Embryo fame) again.
• Hanging out with movie critics and bloggers
• Finally having a $5 Milkshake, “Royale with Cheese” burger and enjoying Shiner Bock in Draft form.
• Attending what has been called as the best movie theatre in the world.
• Seeing Stake Land as I was a huge fan of Mulberry St.
• Karaoke.

I can’t wait to get there and I really can’t wait to bring you all sorts of content for the festival.  So, be sure to visit every day for the next week starting tomorrow.  It is sure to be a blast!

One last thing I would like to say is I have to thank every reader, every page view & hit on this website as you are the ones that are making this all possible.  I also want to thank my new staff for holding down the fort while I’m away.