If you’ve been to the Alamo S. Lamar this week and you’re not a part of SXSW, you probably thought to yourself, “WTF are all of these people doing here?!” Well, they’re watching a lot of movies! Now that the opening weekend of the festival has passed, the crowds will be dying down a bit and you, yes you, non-badgeholder, will be able to see these great SXSW films that are surely generating lots of buzz.

Individual tickets will be available for purchase in the box office throughout the week. Films will be screening until next Saturday and as each day passes, it will be easier to get into these screenings.

Also, be sure to check out the SX Fantastic Fest screenings. All at midnight at S. Lamar, these screenings will totally give you the heebie jeebies (in the best way possible). Here’s a few screenings you might be interested in:

A NY THING (Narrative Feature) - Tuesday, March 16th @ 9:45

A comic and melancholy tale following a French dreamer as he spends three days in NYC attempting to convince the object of his desire that his love is indeed authentic. A loving ode to NYC and the things we find peculiar in love and the big city. Starring Greta Gerwig, Jonathan Zaccai, Fanny Valette and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.  French/USA co- production in association with ARTE. One of the small gems at SXSW.

SERBIAN FILM (SX Fantastic Fest) - Monday, March 15th at Midnight

Facing financial difficulties, a retired porn star is lured back for one final film by a wealthy, eccentric producer. This experience, however, will be vastly more taxing than his previous shoots.

MONSTERS (SX Fantastic Fest) – Thursday, March 18th at Midnight

Six years after a NASA probe crashes, bringing alien life forms to Earth, a journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through an infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.

HIGANJIMA (SX Fantastic Fest) – Friday, March 19th at Midnight

Two years after losing contact, Akira discovers that his long-lost brother may be found on Higanjima Island. He may also find on Higanjima an army of blood-sucking vampires.

COLD WEATHER (Narrative Feature) - Thursday, March 18th at 9pm

A former forensic science major and avid reader of detective fiction, who, after making a mess of his life in Chicago, returns to his hometown of Portland, Oregon. There, he, his sister Gail, and new friend Carlos become embroiled in something unexpected.

MARWENCOL (Documentary Feature) - Friday, March 19th at 1:15pm

After a vicious attack leaves him brain damaged and broke, Mark Hogancamp seeks recovery in “Marwencol,” a 1/6th-scale World War II-era town he creates in his backyard.

Saw a movie at SXSW that you absolutely loved? Put it in the comments here and recommend it to others! We’ll see you at the theater!

Whether or not you’re a religious or spiritual person, sometimes you’ve just got to believe that that God/Fate/the Great Bird of the Galaxy is smiling down upon you.

The Deschutes brewery in Bend, Oregon only started shipping its beers to Texas about two years ago. They make some excellent brews: their Christmas seasonal, Jubelale, was a big hit at South Lamar in 2008 and 2009, and we’ve had both Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter on the menu.

This year they’ve released their ‘once-a-decade’ beer and the timing couldn’t have been better for Texas. Although brewed every year for Deschutes’ own pubs in Bend and Portland as Super Jubel, this is a beer that’s only bottled and put on general sale once every ten years, and in limited amounts.

The (almost certainly apocryphal) story goes that a burglar was hauling a keg of Jubelale out of the brewery about 20 years ago. He didn’t quite figure on it being so heavy and left it behind in the snow, where it partially froze. It was discovered the following morning, the ice was removed and a new beer was born. The Deschutes brewmasters set about recreating it, although they decided to brew it conventionally rather than freeze-distil it like an eisbock (Tactical Nuclear Penguin, anyone?), and mature it on oak. For the 2010 release it was aged for 13 months in Oregon wine barrels. The result is a unique, complex, rich, smooth and delicious American Strong Ale with a 10% ABV.

It was first bottled in 2000 to mark the millennium. Ten years later it’s being bottled again as Jubel 2010 and we’re very happy to have secured a keg or two for the Badass Tap. I haven’t even had a chance to sample this brew myself yet because Austin only got it on draft this time, so I’m looking forward to tapping the keg every bit as much as you probably are.

Now, when I say that we have one or two kegs, there’s a very good chance that I’m being economical with the truth. We might have three or four, and you might find the others being tapped in subsequent years. After all, this is a beer that has a ‘Best after’ date printed on the bottle.

It doesn’t get much more Badass than that!

Jim Hughes, Head Beer Nerd, Alamo South Lamar
“If I had all the money I’ve spent on drink… I’d spend it on drink.” ~ Sir Henry Rawlinson

Edit: Now that I’ve tried it I have to say that this is my favourite of all the beers we’ve had on the Badass Tap so far; yes, even more than (512) Whiskey Barrel Pecan Porter (sorry, Kevin and Nate), and it’s without a doubt the biggest. This beer is a monster! I can’t wait for this time next year when we tap another one after 12 months of ageing.

Last year, we got a hold of a documentary called REFORMAT THE PLANET and caught wind of the 8-Bit music craze. Because of that documentary, and friends of ours who were part of this movement, we put together a showcase of great 8-Bit musicians in the abandoned Salvation Army space that was later converted into The Highball. We’re doing another screening of this fantastic documentary to prep our minds for another Datapop show. A show that is bigger, better and has twenty different artists performing for two nights! It’s going to be an epic party, and we would love for you to join us! We’re doing a FREE SCREENING of REFORMAT THE PLANET on Monday, and then the Alamo, along with New York City’s 8bitpeoples, 2 Player productions, and the people behind the Blip Festival have joined forces to create DATAPOP 3.0!

ABOUT REFORMAT THE PLANET: Monday, March 15 at Alamo S. Lamar

“…one of the best music documentaries I have seen in years.”
Brian C. Gibson, Filmschoolrejects.com

“…if you’re a fan of the music or a videogame enthusiast in general, than this movie is a must see.”
Eric Moro, IGN.com

“…a perfectly entertaining and legitimate look at a new musical trend…”
Scott Weinberg, Cinematical.com

BLIP FESTIVAL: REFORMAT THE PLANET is a feature length documentary which delves into the movement known as chiptunes, a vibrant underground scene based around creating new, original music using old video game hardware. Familiar devices such as the Nintendo Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System are pushed in new directions with startling results.

Using New York as a microcosm for a larger global movement, “…Reformat the Planet” maps out the genesis of the first annual Blip Festival, a four day celebration of over 30 international artists exploring the untapped potential of low-bit video game consoles. With floor-stomping rhythms and fist-waving melodies, trailblazers of the chiptune idiom descend upon Manhattan to pen a new chapter in the history of electronic music.

Check out the artists that will be joining us for this craziness! Keep in mind, this show is FREE so it will get crowded quickly each night! Be sure to get there early to catch all the awesome. Tuesday & Wednesday, March 16 & 17 at The Highball.

TUESDAY, MARCH 16 :: HIGHBALL BALLROOM

8PM :: The Mysterious H :: Austin, TX :: Website
The Mysterious H hails from Austin. He plays the keytar and rocks as hard as possible. Little else is known.

8:45PM :: Sievert :: Houston, TX :: Website
Space Captain Sievert is optimistic, epic, in-your-face space adventure on a deadly collision course with upbeat, fast-paced punk-ska! Equipped only with space goggles, dual gameboys, and a heroic sense of justice, Captain Sievert dives into danger headfirst for the good of mankind!  In the first installation of Earth’s Data Pop Party, Captain Sievert fought off the Communist cosmonaut Vlad Vidmar, whose insane plot to play Tetris on loop and ruin the show was utterly defeated.  What vile villainy lies in store for our hero this year?  Stay tuned, cadets!

9:30PM :: Nullsleep:: New York, NY :: Website
Nullsleep creates powerful romantic pop using repurposed low-bit electronics in a relentless search for new ways to circumvent their limitations. Bittersweet melodies and driving, rhythmic pulses are coaxed out of small plastic devices to produce a surprisingly intense sound. In 1999 Nullsleep cofounded 8bitpeoples, a collective of artists interested in the audio-visual aesthetics of early home computers and video game consoles. He has since released a number of recordings through 8bitpeoples, Astralwerks, Aniplex and others.

10:15PM :: IAYD :: Corpus Christi, TX :: Website
Corpus Christi’s IAYD (I Am Your Destruction) uses the Nintendo Game Boy and the Nintendo Famicom to smash his way through space and the confines of classical training. Since 2007, he has been living vicariously through his handheld arsenal; making loud, powerful, and hard hitting electronic music, befitting his moniker.

11PM :: Hally :: Tokyo, JP :: Website
Often called the Japanese godfather of chiptune, as he is the first person to introduce this kind of music to Japan. He started the legendary chiptune portal site “VORC” in 2001, and nowadays is also active as a chip musician. His rock’n rolling heavy NES sound was often mentioned as one of the best acts of Blip Festival 2006/2007.

11:45PM :: Random :: Stockholm, SE :: Website
William Rickman (Stockholm, Sweden) started his chipmusic career in 2002 with the joke-band randomshitmotherburger, but quickly discovered that his interest in chip-style sounds was no joke. Branching off as Random, he started making music with the Nintendo Game Boy in 2004, quickly getting global recognition for his melodic and emotional compositions, expressed using minimal technical electronic gear. Since then, Random has performed live in thirteen countries across three continents, and he used to be a co-organizer of one of Europe’s finest chip clubs, Microdisko.

12:30AM :: Bit Shifter :: New York, NY :: Website
Armed only with two 20-year-old handhelds, New York City’s Bit Shifter leaves high-end computer music choking on his exhaust, bringing twice the rock with 0.002% of the processing power. Bit Shifter co-administrates the 8bitpeoples label,  co-curates the annual Blip Festival, has released music on Hymen, 555, Mirex, and Astralwerks, and has performed over 150 shows worldwide.

1:15AM :: nordloef :: Karishamn, SE :: Website
nordloef takes his background in punk rock bands and his love for electronic music to create melodic, upbeat pop songs while at the same time squeezing out as much music as possible from the limited hardware of the Game Boy.

VISUALS :: Jean Y. Kim :: New York, NY :: Website
Jean Y. Kim makes low-bit visuals that try to integrate digital textures and conceptual daydreams using ‘laptop-alternative’ hardwares like the GP2X, Gameboy Advance, and PS2. Her influences include Bas Jan Ader, Clone High, and her VJ ‘big brother’ Paris. She is from Vancouver, BC but is currently based out of New York City.

VISUALS :: Omeros :: Portland, OR :: No Website
A new challenger appears.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17 :: HIGHBALL BALLROOM

8PM :: Talk to Animals :: Baltimore, MD :: Website
Talk to Animals compliments her moody, beat-driven 8-bit & lo-fi soundscapes with a range of vocal styles. The resulting music is alternately frenzied, melodic, fierce and serene, always with an unstoppable energy, as precise as it is punk.

8:45PM :: Starscream:: New York, NY :: Website
Starscream is a two-piece, just-graduated-high-school, hurricane of Game Boy and drums. They make anthems for space, with drums like crushing black holes. They’ve just self-released their latest work, The Space Years and are currently exploring the Commodore 64.

9:30PM :: Henry Homesweet :: Ipswich/Lincoln, UK :: Website
Henry Homesweet takes Nintendo gameboys and drops them straight into a modern context, performing crunchy lo-fi techno and electro straight from the consoles, synced and mixed into one constant assult of mind candy. The listener is invited on a journey through time and space, to a musical void where styles and genres are not seperate entities confined by the performer, they are one. His live sets are assembled on the spot, directionless, unpredictable and effing bonkers.

10:15PM :: 8BK-ok :: New York, NY :: Website
8BK-ok (pronounced 8Bit Karaoke) is a power trio from NYC that blends catchy, pulse-pounding beats with songwriting from popular musicals. Raised on a steady diet of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bit Shifter, Gameboy musician Fuckjazzforaminute and vocalists Leah Goldstein and Chris Blessitt have rocked sweaty dance parties all the way from New York to Nice. Joined here by talented vocalist Mr. F, 8BK-ok will raise the roof, lower the floors, and blow the doors off the mother of your puny minds.

11PM :: Sabrepulse :: London, UK :: Website
Sabrepulse is the undisputed godfather of the current 8-bit scene in the UK. Every year he organizes and performs at the Chiptune Alliance Tour where his breakbeats and sugar-coated melodies force kids into a frenzy at every stop.

11:45PM :: Je Deviens DJ en 3 Jours :: Nice, FR :: Website
Je Deviens DJ en 3 Jours (I become a dj in 3 days) gives a french touch approach of the Nintendo Gameboy consisted of heavy beats, distorted basses and girls dancing all over the night. He’s still virgin.

12:35AM :: Anamanaguchi :: New York, NY :: Website
Anamanaguchi is a four-piece melodic, chiptune punk band from New York City. Combining 8-bit synthesized sounds into a soundscape of raw guitars and live drums, they create a powerful, energetic sound that rests somewhere between organic and robotic. The band, started in 2003 by then 15 year old Peter Berkman, released their debut on New York net-label 8bitpeoples in 2006. Anamanaguchi’s new album, Dawn Metropolis was released in March ‘09 by Normative Music Company.

1:20 AM :: Trash80 :: Los Angeles, CA :: Website
Trash80 is a micromusic/bitpop project from Timothy Lamb (born on March 5, 1979), a pioneer of independent Game Boy music. He has published several songs online under the Creative Commons License (Attribution, NoDerivs, NonCommercial) under the Trash80 and Tresk banners. Whereas many Trash80 songs are ambient soundscapes featuring the use of Game Boy sounds, Tresk songs feature simple piano lines. Most prominently, Lamb’s music has been featured on the soundtrack of the Real-time strategy game Darwinia.

VISUALS :: Outpt :: New York, NY :: Website
outpt is Mary Ann Benedetto, a visual savage of the pixel variety. Performing live visuals in and around New York City, she has built a reputation for vibrant graphics and energetic sets. Her weapons of choice are the Game Boy Advance, GP2X, Processing, and her custom app Orbitr.

VISUALS :: Paris :: New York, NY :: Website
Paris (previously known as Voltage Controlled) writes custom software to transform hand held game systems such as the Game Boy Advance and the GP2X into visual performance instruments. His visuals are abstract and influenced by his background and continued interest in mathematics and theoretical physics. He has been creating live visuals for the chip music scene since 2005. During that time he has performed at Blip Festival 06, 07, 08, Blip Europe, at many Pulsewave NYC events, 8Static events in Philadelphia, SxSW, PAX, chip shows across the country and his visuals are featured in the documentary, Reformat the Planet. In addition, he was awarded a residency at the Experimental Television Center and has given talks in the US and Europe (Pixsel Festival) on Open Source Software development for the arts.

Admission to this party is free, but be warned, it will get VERY ROWDY AND CROWDED so we recommend getting there early. Forget wristbands, this is going to be the party you really want to attend! A film and music in one. You can’t go wrong! REFORMAT THE PLANET screens Monday, March 15th at the Alamo South Lamar, and DATAPOP 3.0 is going on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 16th & 17th at The Highball. Be there or be square.

We’ve become huge fans of Gowalla, here at Fantastic Fest. Not only are they local (we always have a special place in our hearts for hometown friends), but they also have a pretty cool thing going on with most of the other local businesses around town. You can collect virtual items, redeem them for real, tangible things, and generally, stalk your friends cause you know where they are at all times (stalk in a very friendly way, mind you). We’ve decided that since Gowalla is so super awesome, we wanted to join in on the fun for SXSW. We’ve put together a trip highlighting some of the cool spots around Austin that have been used as film locations from some of your favorite movies! We’ve pulled 10 of our favorites from movies like Office Space, Death Proof, Slacker, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre and have created Fantastic Fest’s Austin Film Tour.

Now sure, you can just look at this list and check out a couple locations… if you want to be BORING! No way, dude. We set this up for the true cinephiles that don’t even need to look at this map that Gowalla has so painstakingly put together because THEY HAVE BEEN TO THESE LOCATIONS A BAZILLION TIMES ALREADY! Or maybe you haven’t! Maybe you’re so eager beaver to check these places out that you forgot to keep reading to the end of this blog entry to see what the prize is for completing this trip! Either way you wanna do it, we highly recommend you hit every spot on here. And here’s why….

We all saw how fast the Fantastic Fest VIP badges for 2010 sold out. Super, crazy fast. There were a lot of sad people. We’re giving those people a second chance. Starting Thursday, March 11, through Wednesday, March 17th, everyone who visits all 10 spots on the trip and earns the Fantastic Fest’s Austin Film Tour pin will be automatically entered to win a VIP badge to Fantastic Fest 2010. For those of you that have attended Fantastic Fest religiously for the past several years know how awesome having a VIP badge is. You can get in to essentially every film you want to see, not to mention the after parties, shmoozin’ and boozin’ with our celebrity and filmmaker guests, and maybe even get groped by rowdy strangers! These badges sell for about $285 a pop, and we’re handing this suckers over for free.

Get off of your computer, get on your iPhone or Android or magic technology screen and download the Gowalla application (if you don’t have it already). Then grab some buddies (or just yourself if you want fewer people in the raffle… strategy!) and get to trippin’! Check in at all 10 locations, get the pin, and you’ll be entered into the raffle. We’ll randomly pick TWO winners and announce them here and on Gowalla’s blog. Happy trails!

After the fireworks of Dogfish Head 90 Minute (damn, wasn’t that a good beer!) we’re easing off the gas a little before the next big brew goes on, and that one’s gonna be a whopper! Stay tuned for more information, it’s something really special.

In the meantime let’s head off to Belgium again, style-wise at least, with Victory Golden Monkey Tripel. If you cast your mind back a few Badass drafts ago, we had another Victory brew on the tap – Yakima Twilight, a dark IPA.  Golden Monkey is a very different type of beer.

Compared to some of the more heavy-hitting and darker beer styles, the Belgian tripel can be overlooked by drinkers who want their ale to deliver a knockout blow, but, to continue the boxing metaphors, it punches well above its weight in terms of character and ABV. It’s a beer that’s loaded with both hops and pale malts, but both are kept in line by the fruity, spicy Belgian yeast character found in this complex yet subtle style. It’s also a notoriously alcoholic type of beer and Golden Monkey is no exception, coming in at 9.5%.

One ingredient that’s common to many Belgian ales is candi sugar.  This is an invert sugar – one that’s been converted from sucrose by heating it and treating it with an acid to break one of the chemical bonds in the molecule, turning it into fructose and glucose. In brewing it helps to boost the alcohol content because it gives the yeast plenty of easily digested nourishment, and it can impart hints of rum-like sweetness. In the confectionery industry, invert sugar is used to prevent the recrystallisation of sucrose where it’s not wanted.

Ever wondered how chocolate-covered liquid centres are made? An enzyme called invertase, which does the same kind of thing, is added to the mixture that will become the centre, which is poured into moulds and left overnight to harden. This is then covered in chocolate and left alone for a few weeks while the invertase works its magic, breaking all those sucrose bonds and turning the centre to liquid, inside the chocolate shell.

These days you can look all that stuff up on Wikipedia… or you can do it old school by spending five years as an apprentice sugar boiler.

Jim Hughes, Head Beer Nerd, Alamo South Lamar
“If I had all the money I’ve spent on drink… I’d spend it on drink.” ~ Sir Henry Rawlinson

Alamo / Filmmaking Frenzy present

THE SXSW “DON’T TALK DURING THE MOVIE” CELEBRITY CHALLENGE!!

In a perfect world, talking during a movie would be an act punishable by death. Until our society reaches that level of intelligence and sophistication, people occasionally need a little reminder to keep their damn traps shut.

The Alamo Drafthouse has a long-standing tradition of running celebrity Don’t Talk bumpers before each show, where familiar faces from George Romero to Danny Devito to Elvira warn people against talking during the film. But there’s a whole great big world of celebrities out there: musicians, actors, filmmakers, YouTube sensations, serial killers…and 90% of them will be in Austin during SXSW 2010!

That’s where YOU come in. Want to win TWO YEAR-LONG PASSES to all regular Alamo shows? Well, we’re looking for the best, funniest, most celebritiest Don’t Talk you can nab at SXSW! Ted Danson threatening bodily harm to movie-going yakkers? Lady Gaga brutally insulting theater-bound loudmouths? Gary Coleman ripping the socially inconsiderate a new one? HELL YES!

- All you need to so is get a celebrity (or celebrities) to say something funny about not talking during a movie. It’s not mandatory, but ideally the Alamo will be mentioned and the Don’t Talk comment will end with the celebrity threatening talkers in some sort of way

- Then, edit together a final video that’s between 30 and 60 seconds and ends with the typical twist on the Don’t Talk language on screen:

Turn off your cell phones and don’t talk during the movie or ____ will (do something akin to taking your ass out)

Is there a loud table near you? Raise an order card to alert your server, and a manager will take care of the problem.

- Throw those videos in an envelope marked “DON’T TALK!” and turn ‘em in at the Alamo South Lamar by the end of March in either Blu-Ray, DVD or AVI data file formats along with your contact info. We’ll pick our favorite during the first week of April, announce on the Alamo website and run the Don’t Talk bumper for eternity on our glorious screens. The top winner will get the Alamo passes, but many of the videos will also enjoy a bit of screen time before movies this year.

For some extra inspiration, check out this montage of some of our favorite celebrity Don’t Talks:

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN – Saturday 3/6 and Sunday 3/7 at the Ritz
Advance tickets available here

There are two types of people in the world:
1. Those who love the classic musical extravaganza SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
2. and those who haven’t got around to seeing it yet.

Hollywood’s last great masterpiece of entertainment, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN is a heartwarming love story, a fabulous comedy, and a loving tribute to Hollywood history that is at once educational and hilarious.

And the songs. You cannot forget about the songs. Even the unlucky few who haven’t been graced with the film know the iconic “Good Morning,” “Broadway Melody,” and “Make ‘Em Laugh.” Even more so, the title song “Singin’ in the Rain” is engraved so deeply in our culture’s musical heritage that I bet you’re singin’ it in your head as you read these words. I know I am.

The dancing sensation Gene Kelly co-directs (with musical legend Stanley Donen) and stars alongside the energetic comic genius Donald O’Connor and the beautiful and talented Debbie Reynolds in this beloved and epic, glorious motion picture.

This Saturday and Sunday March 6 and 7, we’ll be having special brunch screenings of this movie in 35mm, the way the film was meant to be seen, on our biggest screen at the downtown Ritz theatre. In addition to the normal brunch menu, chef John Bullington has prepared some special delights available only at these shows!

Lockwood and Lamont 13.99
Seared T Bone topped with two fried eggs on a quarter Belgian waffle with fresh strawberries

Good Mornin’ 9.99
Strata of sourdough, fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes, wild mushrooms, manchego and asiago soaked in herbed egg cream and baked and a side of strawberries

So, if this film is one of your best loved Hollywood memories and you want to relive it in all of its splendor, or if you have always been meaning to see it but just never found the right chance, come out this weekend for a wonderful early-afternoon at the movies.

Get your tickets for this great show now

Bob Ray needs dough to fund his newest documentary TOTAL BADASS! Help an Austinite out and take a look at his KICKSTARTER campaign to donate!

Also, check out their fundraiser screening of the film, Thursday, March 18th at Alamo South Lamar. You can purchase tickets HERE!

We celebrate a lot of things at the Alamo Drafthouse. Exploitation cinema, good food, great beer, dance parties, film festivals, but most importantly independent film. We’ve helped a lot of baby films (and I mean that in a very non-patronizing way – I’m talking “baby” versus “gigantor studio films”) get off the ground with screenings, and with our amazing customers and film-junkies spreading news via word-of-mouth. Right now, we’ve got a filmmaker that needs a boost so he can get his documentary off the ground, and we though you’d be the perfect audience to direct this call too.

Bob Ray is trying to launch his newest film, a documentary titled TOTAL BADASS that chronicles the hilarious, crazy-ass writer/publisher/singer/weed-dealer/sex addict/Guinea pig enthusiast/dad/pirate radio host/raconteur and general man-about-town, Chad Holt, as he rides out the last six months of felony probation and subsequently must change his ways when a financial crisis befalls his estranged family.

Here’s the skinny, Bob’s trying to raise $5,000 IN THREE DAYS! He sure as hell can’t do it alone. Take a look at his KICKSTARTER campaign where you can donate, receiver perks, and spread the word. Hell, if you throw in enough cash, you’ll be Bob’s new executive producer!

About the filmmaker: Austin-based filmmaker Bob Ray’s previous work includes the award winning stoner-comedy feature ROCK OPERA, the critically acclaimed roller derby documentary HELL ON WHEELS, music videos for Grammy™ nominees Nashville Pussy, Riverboat Gamblers, Golden Arm Trio, and many more, as well as short films and ‘toons for Playboy and Turner Networks.

About the funding: “At this point, I have received no outside funding for this documentary. I am doing all I can to keep the budget as low as possible and I have a strong history of completing films with limited funds. However, the biggest logistical hurdle in filmmaking is still the cost.

Funding for this type of film is scarce to non-existent. The money-baggers of the filmmaking world show little interest in funding stories off the beaten path, particularly stories about the subculture, the underground and the weirdoes and freaks that keep life interesting.

Over the course of the past two years, we have managed to shoot and edit the film and have spent $7,293 in doing so. We have locked the picture and are now approaching the unavoidable expenses related to finishing the film. We’re currently raising funds to foot the bill for the expenses necessary for preparing a film for exhibition and broadcast, including: color correction, music licensing, audio mixing, printing, shipping, promotion, master to tape and related tasks.”

At Fantastic Fest this past year, only one film kicked our heads right off our shoulders only to then leap from the top of a 15 story building just in time to catch our heads before they hit the ground and then reattach them to our bodies with such ease and tenderness we never knew what hit us- DISTRICT 13: mother-f@#king ULTIMATUM!

Like it’s now cult-legendary predecessor DISTRICT B13, this reunion of writer Luc Besson (THE PROFESSIONAL, FIFTH ELEMENT) and on-screen ass-kickers Leito (David Belle) and Damien (Cyril Raffaelli), DISTRICT 13 ULTIMATUM serves up an endless display of some of the most impossible parkour action ever committed to film. A jaw-dropping spectacle that will leave you finding new, potentially deadly ways to go about your daily routine.

Films this volatile can’t be contained by the festival circuit, otherwise they just get angrier and angrier until they lash out in a violent cultural rage.  So we’re doing out part to keep the beast at bay by releasing the film this Friday at the Alamo Ritz.  See it or parish.

Get tickets here

If you saw it Fantastic Fest fans, tell your friends!