Action Pack Theater presents
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY
in glorious 35mm with live explosions and gunfire
Sundays, Jan 24 & 31
Advance tickets available here

Take the most badass action movies of all time, bring some new pyrotechnics into the theater that are capable of bringing the explosions onscreen out into the real world, and hand out a few cap guns so select audience members can help the gunfire in the movie come through in a new definition of surround sound, and what do you say? Fuck yeah!

Fuck yeah, you do. For this inaugural screening of Action Pack Theater we’re breaking out the big guns with a full on 35mm film print of TERMINATOR 2 and a whole bevy of new pyro devices we haven’t used at any of our other shows.

And while we’re showing the 35mm print and can’t put any subtitles up on the screen, we’re still gonna bring in some of the Action Pack mainstays by inviting the audience to quote-along to the super key lines, shoot-along to the super key gun battles, and Fuck-Yeah-along to all of the awesomest moments. And no, we don’t know exactly what that means yet, because the first show is this Sunday. But we’re sure it’s going to be incredible.

God damn, I’m excited. When I first saw TERMINATOR 2 in the theater, my brain melted like the T-1000. “Hasta la vista, baby” made its way into my regular vocabulary (hey, I was 14 that year, so lay off!), and the image of the wasteland after Judgment Day was seared into my memories forever. The latest attempt to salvage the Terminator franchise wasn’t the coolest movie ever, but T2 IS the coolest movie ever, and we’re excited to start off ACTION PACK THEATER with the loudest bang possible.
(Henri Mazza)

Get your advance tickets to T2 here, and keep up to date on Action Pack Theater and all of their other shows and parties by following them on Twitter: @theactionpack.

The Action Pack: THE PULP FICTION QUOTE-ALONG
Wednesday, January 13th at the Village – TICKETS
Thursday, January 14th at the Ritz – TICKETS

We will have BIG KAHUNA BURGERS ($9.99 – comes with a free sprite to wash it down!), $5 MILKSHAKES ($5.. duh), and ROYALE WITH CHEESEs at all screenings!

Everybody knows what Marcellus Wallace looks like, and he does not look like a bitch. So we’re not gonna try to f*ck him like a bitch. Instead, we’re gonna sit and watch Samuel Jackson in one of his most badass roles, and we’re gonna drink some $5 milkshakes and quote-along with one of Tarantino’s best films.

We’re going to yell out all of our favorite lines along with the characters, then we’re gonna give EVERYONE in the audience a cap gun of their very own, so when Sammy J. says, “And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee!” we can turn the show into a Shoot-Along as well.

And of course we’ll have plenty of Royale With Cheese burgers available all night long, and you can walk into a movie theater in Austin and buy a beer. But if you put mayonnaise on your French fries we’re still gonna make fun of you, because we’re in America. Our names don’t mean shit, but we might accidentally shoot you in the face anyway.

TICKETS FOR THE VILLAGE SCREENING TONIGHT (Jan. 13th) CAN BE PURCHASED HERE.

TICKETS FOR THE RITZ SCREENING THURSDAY (Jan. 14th) CAN BE PURCHASED HERE.

It’s Thanksgiving week, meaning the holidays are actually here now, in all their actualness. But even more exciting – the new holiday menus are in at all of our theaters! We’ve got turkey burgers, fried brie, samosas, and apple pecan turnovers on the holiday special menu, but it doesn’t stop there. The innovations keep on going on the inside of the menu, too, with the return of this summer’s batwings as well as brand new fried pork chops. And… Christmas beers are in! Oh, and of course we’ve got all sorts of Thanksgiving menu specials this Thursday, too, including complete turkey dinners at all of our theaters. In other words – don’t fill up with your family meal, because that’s sooooo just the beginning.

:: FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO RITZ ::

- JIGGY CRUNK: 90s POP RAP SING-ALONG -
: Alamo Ritz : Fri, Nov 28 & Thurs, Dec 4:

The old school rap was great, and the realism of Common and Mos Def can’t be appreciated enough, but god damn it, the pop rap of the 1990s was just so incredibly catchy. It feels bad to admit how much we love it, but it feels good to go with it. So grow your facial hair out, then shave it to ridiculously thin lines, because there’s a good chance Color Me Badd will make an experience. And grow your dreadlocks out, then give them to someone else and let them pretend to be you, because I’ve been WAITING for a show to include Milli Vanilli in!

- NERDCORE RISING with MC FRONTALOT Live! -
: Alamo Ritz : Fri, Nov 28 :

This hilarious and all-too-real music documentary follows MC Frontalot – the “Godfather of Nerdcore” – on his first national tour to reveal the roots of the genre, the dorky complexities of its artists, and one MC’s fight for nerd stardom. Featuring Weird Al Yankovic, Prince Paul, Jello Biafra, Tycho & Gabe, Brian Posehn, MC Frontalot, MC Chris, MC Lars and a slew of other nerdcore artists and commentators. The mighty MC FRONTALOT himself (who’ll be performing downtown after this screening) will be in attendance as well as the woman behind this historical document: Negin Farsad.

- Master Pancake Theatre CHRISTMAS SHOW -
: Alamo Ritz : Sat, Nov 29 :

After a 2-year absence, it’s the return of the famous Alamo Christmas Clip Show featuring Master Pancake Theater! Join us as we channel surf A.D.D.-style through a blizzard of clips from your favorite holiday TV specials and some weird holiday programs you never dreamed existed. Owen Egerton returns to team up with regulars John Erler and Joe Parsons for all the fun. We’ll also have an audience sing-along, some holiday snacks, and who knows, maybe even a little pudding and butter! Come join us at the Alamo this December as THE HOLIDAYS GET SLEIGHED!!

- Rudy Ray Moore Tributes: THE HUMAN TORNADO & DOLEMITE! -
: Alamo Ritz : HUMAN TORNADO – Tues, Dec 2 : DOLEMITE! – Wed, Dec 3 :

We’ll have forties of Schlitz Malt Liquor available for this very special screening. No bull! The great Rudy Ray Moore, nightclub comedian extraoridinaire, Godfather Of Rap and a friend of the Alamo, has died. We were sad for a while and now we’re ready to celebrate his life and work. Rudy Ray Moore’s films are cheap, quickly made and technically disastrous. But they have something that Hollywood can’t buy – they are really, really funny. Be sure to catch both HUMAN TORNADO and DOLEMITE! this week!

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: PIZZA PARTY! -
: Alamo Ritz : Wed, Dec 3 :

Easily the most pulse-pounding film ever made about sewer-dwelling mutants, TMNT wowed kids of all nations. But it also taught them a very important lesson; to respect nature’s perfect food: PIZZA!! So, in true radical ninja party fashion, the Alamo Drafthouse is pleased to present ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT PIZZA for this screening! So bring your little dudes, do a flying roundhouse into your seats and chow down! COWABUNGA!!!

- The LABYRINTH SING-ALONG -
: Alamo Ritz : Thurs, Dec 4 :

Come on people – do I really need to say anything more than that to convince you that this LABYRINTH SING & QUOTE-ALONG is not to be missed, no matter what the goblins tell you that they’re going to do to your little brother? David Bowie, Jim Henson, and Jennifer Connely created an unsurpassed work of young adult cinema in the 1980s, and somehow it’s never been properly celebrated until now. We’ll have props for the crowd and a wig and tight pants for the host. If you miss this show, you most definitely have no power over me. YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!

:: FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO SOUTH LAMAR ::

- UT vs A&M + THANKSGIVING at the ALAMO -
: Alamo South Lamar : Thurs, Nov 27 :

We always do a little something special for Thanksgiving at the Alamo, but usually, that little something special means we have to miss the big game. Well, not this year, because Thanksgiving at the Alamo and UT Football are one in the same! We’ve got a giant inflatable screen and we’re going to set it up outdoors at the Alamo South Lamar, roll out some kegs of beer and set ‘em down next to a truckload of Thanksgiving delights, sit back and cheer. God, it’s a beautiful country.

- Kids’ Club: THE LABYRINTH -
: Alamo South Lamar : Sat, Nov 29 :

All right, so we play a whole lot of Jim Henson stuff at the Kids Club. But it’s not our fault…it just so happens that he was responsible for 99.9% of the magic in the 20th century. And one of his most ambitious and most sorcerocious adventures was the David Bowie-infused otherworldly epic LABYRINTH! This film was made when ’80s lunacy was at its peak, and through the miracle of real special effects (none of that computer business here, buster!), Henson managed to create something truly bizarre and deeply exciting.

- BOLT -
: Alamo South Lamar : Now Playing :

Kids age 3 and up will be allowed at all screenings of this show. For super-dog BOLT, every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue – at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet, a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny.

- AUSTRALIA -
: Alamo South Lamar : Now Playing :

After seven years since MOULIN ROUGE! body-slammed our eyes and ears into delightful submission, Aussie auteur Baz Luhrmann is back with another epic love story bound with his own brand of unrestrained style. Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat (Kidman) who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a cattle driver (Jackman) in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot.

:: FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO VILLAGE ::

- THANKSGIVING at the ALAMO -
: Alamo Village : Thurs, Nov 27, ALL VILLAGE SCREENINGS! :

Not everybody makes a pilgrimage back to Paducah to have Turkey Day, but it’s a lot of work to make Thanksgiving dinner. So this year leave the cooking to us. Our award winning chefs will be making turkey and stuffing with cranberries and the whole nine yards. Plus the portions will be huge, big enough to take home leftovers! Get tickets for TWILIGHT, FOUR CHRISTMASES, MADAGASCAR 2 or QUANTUM OF SOLACE and enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner without all that family BS!

- FOUR CHRISTMASES -
: Alamo Village : Now Playing :

Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn pair up for this Christmas comedy about a couple who has to visit four different sets of parents as a result of divorce. Trying to leave town like they do every year for the holidays, they’re busted when they wind up on a local news report at the airport about all the flights, including theirs, were canceled. The premise, we’ll admit, isn’t mindblowing, but this is: THIS WAS MADE BY THE GUY WHO MADE KING OF KONG: FISTFUL OF QUARTERS!!!!!

- TV at the Alamo: GOSSIP GIRL -
: Alamo Village : Mon, Dec 1:

OMG you guys did you SEE the promo for this weeks Gossip Girl?! Everyone’s dancin’ and Blair and Chuck are all flirty and that annoying Aaron guy is still around! Oh, and SOMEONE IS IN AN ACCIDENT!! I don’t know who it is but this is the stuff good tv is made of, people! Lots and lots of ridiculous drama! Please please please let Aaron die soon!

- TV at the Alamo: HEROES -
: Alamo Village : Mon, Dec 1 :

Hiro has gone back in time, and then Papa P made him think he was all young again. Then there was an eclipse, and everything got… well, we’re going to show that episode again this week, so we don’t want to spoil anything. Let’s just say… it’s coming!

- TV at the Alamo: THE OFFICE & 30 ROCK -
: Alamo Village : Thurs, Dec 4 :

The Office and 30 Rock are keeping Thursday nights very exciting lately. Sure they both took a week off for Thanksgiving, but Steve Martin was on 30 Rock last week! And he had a crush on Liz! And Jim bought Pam a house! And it was really cute! I love these shows, so you should come out to the Village and watch them with me.

We generally don’t like to get all political here, because TEAM AMERICA’s skewering of entertainment types thinking they should butt in and try to change the world is too perfect. But without delving into the whole sexism versus racism thing that the pundits are turning this year’s presidential race into, we do have one issue that we’ve been supporting – the movement to Stop the Domain Subsidies. This is a local issue, and one that people on both sides of our city’s aisle can look at objectively, so that’s all we’re going to ask you to do. Check out the video and information available at StopDomainSubsidies.com, and whatever you decide is best for the version of the city you want to live in, vote for it one way or another this fall. Okay, enough soap boxing. Let’s get to the fun!

::FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO RITZ::

- Big Screen Sci-Fi Classics: TRON -
: Alamo Ritz : Sept 8, 9 & 11

Attention all Users! Follow us back to a beautiful page in history, before computer games required a two-week vacation from work and digitally-generated special effects were the new star of Hollywood. When the visual magic of TRON hit the screen in 1982, every jaw in the world hit the theater floors. And for our money, CGI hasn’t been this good since.

- Fantastic Fest and aGLIFF present ROOM OF DEATH -
: Alamo Ritz : Mon, Sept 8 :

“I saw ROOM OF DEATH at the Berlin Film Market and REALLY liked it. Strange, tense, gruesome, occasionally funny and containing a sexually-charged lesbian taxidermy plot thread, ROOM OF DEATH was PERFECT for Fantastic Fest. The timing just didn’t work out, however, so we opted for the next best thing. We have partnered with our pals at the Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival to bring the film to Austin early.” – Tim League

- Cinema Cocktails: LEGEND OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER -
: Alamo Ritz : Sept 9 & 10

Easily at the peak of relentless kung fu cinematic intensity, DRUNKEN MASTER is considered by many action enthusiasts to be the shining star of the kickin’-and-punchin’ genres, and with good reason. Whether he’s doing a triple flip onto actual flaming coals or wobbling into battle against an entire army, Jackie is 200-proof and 100% UNSTOPPABLE! So raise a drink to the Drunken Master at this boozed-up black-belt battlethon!!

- The BILLY MADISON Back-To-School Quote-Along -
: Alamo Ritz : Weds, Sept 10 :

It may be too damned hot for a penguin to just be walking around, but as long as it’s soooooo hot, we’ll want to touch the heiny, and then everything will be good. We’ll have Snack Packs for everyone, a special Nudey Magazine Day game before the movie, and tons of subtitled lines from this golden gem of Sandler’s past.

- The DISCO INFERNO Sing-Along -
: Alamo Ritz :Thurs, Sept 11 :

We’ve collected all the best videos and live performances of disco superstars from the true era of excess, then mixed them up with the dance jams of the ’80s and ’90s and just a taste of the ’00s as well, so this evening will be a little bit like a history lesson, tracing the samples from songs in Jiggy Crunk back to their original source, then seeing how they inspired dances later. But it’s a history lesson fueled by singing and dancing and drinking, so it’s not like that other school stuff AT ALL. It’s just old school.

Plus! Winners of our costume and dance contest will receive tickets to this year’s Fun Fun Fun fest!

::FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO SOUTH LAMAR::

- Free Outdoor Screening : MAD MAX -
: Alamo South Lamar Parking Lot : Fri, Sept 12 :

Not content to just earn the title of Most Important Action Film in Australian History, MAD MAX is flat-out responsible for kick-starting an entire unstoppable genre of pedal-to-the-metal mayhem! Following its release, celluloid documentations of a near-future world gone wild have appeared in countless languages, starring hundreds of international actors and cluttering video shelves with gasoline-hungry sunburnt desert warriors.

- Master Pancake Theater mocks JURASSIC PARK -
: Alamo South Lamar : Sat, Sept 6 :

Just in time for the end of summer, Master Pancake mocks everyone’s favorite Spielberg dinosaur movie: JURASSIC PARK. OK, let’s be honest: we know we’re supposed to be mocking BAD movies and JURASSIC PARK is mostly pretty GOOD, but we’ve discovered that when people are really scared it makes them laugh harder at our jokes.

- AFS presents: YELLA -
: Alamo South Lamar : Tues, Sept 9 :

Narrowly escaping her volatile ex-husband, Yella flees her small hometown in former East Germany for a new life in the West. She finds a promising job with Philipp, a handsome business executive with whom an unlikely romance soon blossoms. But just as Yella seems poised to realize her dreams, she finds herself haunted by buried truths that threaten to destroy her newfound happiness.

::FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO VILLAGE::

- BANGKOK DANGEROUS -
: Alamo Village : Opens Fri :

The life of an anonymous assassin takes an unexpected turn when he travels to Thailand to complete a series of contract killings. Joe (Nicolas Cage), a remorseless hitman, is in Bangkok to execute four enemies of ruthless crime boss Surat. Directors Oxide and Danny Pang (THE EYE) paint an explosive picture of the Bangkok underworld, illuminated with neon and saturated in violence. Based on the Pang Brothers’ wildly popular Hong Kong action film of the same name.

- GOSSIP GIRL -
: Alamo Village : Mon, Sept 1 :

OMG. Last week’s episode was everything we could have hoped for in a season premiere. I won’t give anything away in case you’re behind on your DVR watching, but we WILL be starting this week’s show with an encore presentation of that episode, then moving straight into the new ep for this Monday. Seating is free, but you can reserve your space by purchasing a $5 food and beverage card online. You know you love me. xoxo.

- JOIN OUR KIDS CLUB FACEBOOK GROUP! -

Our weekly summer series of family-friendly free matinees has come to a close as the school system tries to pretend that it’s actually autumn outside, but we’ve still got all sorts of great children’s programming in the coming months. To ensure that your family doesn’t miss out on any of it, join our Facebook community devoted to the Alamo Kids Club. We’ll send you updates on upcoming programming, listen to suggestions for things we might not have thought of, and more. Don’t worry if you’ve never used Facebook before, either; your kids can bring you up to speed.

Date: Thursday, August 7, 2008

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Subject: Second Wave of Fantastic Fest content announced

Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar, Austin, TX

Fantastic Fest, September 18-25, 2008

Contact:
Tim League
(512) 912-0529
info@fantasticfest.com
www.fantasticfest.com

We are proud to announce the second wave of our feature film programming for the 2008 edition of Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. For the past 9 months, we have been scouring the globe for the strangest, the most heart-pounding and the most challenging new genre films. With over 100 films representing over 30 countries, Fantastic Fest is the largest festival of its kind in the United States. We are proud to announce our second announcement of 15 confirmed feature films as well as our first announcement of official short film selections and details on special “fantastic-fest-themed” Alamo signature events.

ROUND 2: FANTASTIC FEATURES:

SANTOS
World Premiere / dir. Nicolás López / Chile / 2008 / 100 min.
Three years after his SXSW debut feature PROMEDIO ROJO, Chilean prodigy director Nicolás López returns with SANTOS, a wild, sweeping tale of comic book nerds versus superheroes in a battle for the future of mankind. Think Ultraman with a Latin American brain transplant. From the producers of SIN CITY and THE ORPHANAGE, visual effects by Troublemaker Studios. Director Nicolás López will be live in person to present the film and conduct a Q&A.

SEVENTH MOON
World Premiere / dir. Edward Sanchez / USA / 2008 / 90 min
While honeymooning in rural China during the “Hungry Ghost” Festival, newlyweds Melissa (Amy Smart) and Yul (Tim Chiou) find themselves stranded at night in the middle of a superstitious ritual that may be more real than folk legend. From the director of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Director Edward Sanchez and Producers Gregg Hale, Matt Compton and Robin Cowie will be live in person to present the film and conduct a Q&A.

ACOLYTES
US Premiere / dir. Jon Hewitt / Australia / 2008 / 91 min.
Three teens blackmail a killer into taking down the violent bully who has been making their lives hell. An explosive first feature from Australian Jon Hewitt who will be in attendance to present the film.

CHOCOLATE
US Premiere / dir. Prachya Pinkaew / Thailand / 2008 / 110 min.
The director of ONG BAK returns with his new protégé, who was in training for five years for this role. Ammara Siripong portrays an autistic girl who learns martial arts from watching Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee films so as to exact revenge on those who bankrupted her mother.

DEADGIRL
US Premiere / dir. Gadi Harel and Marcel Sarmiento / USA / 2008 / 99 min.
Exploring an abandoned sanatorium while ditching school, two high school burnouts discover a girl strapped to a gurney in a secluded chamber. Debut directors Gadi Harel and Marcel Sarmiento craft a new breed of teen angst drama set against a backdrop of humor black enough to make John Hughes retreat to a fetal state. Both directors will be in attendance to present the film.

FEAR(S) OF THE DARK
Austin Premiere / dir. Various / France / 2007 / 85 min.
An animated anthology of films by six of the world’s hottest graphic artists and cartoonists. All films are rendered in black and white, and all are based on their creators’ own nightmares and fears.

FEAST 2
World Premiere / dir. John Gulager / USA / 2008 / 90 min.
John Gulager returns to the Alamo to premiere the second installment in his FEAST franchise. The original crowd-pleasing splatterfest FEAST world-premiered at Fantastic Fest in our first year.

JCVD
US Premiere / dir. Mabrouk El Mechri / France / 2008 / 96 min.
Jean-Claude Van Damme portrays an aging action star whose career in Hollywood is all but washed up. Returning to his homeland in Brussels, he lands in the middle of a bank heist and may have to actually save the day.

LA CRÈME (THE CREME)
Regional Premiere / dir. Reynald Bertrand / France / 2007 / 83 min.
Under the Christmas tree, unemployed loser François Margin mysteriously finds a jar of face cream that once applied, temporarily turns him into the most famous celebrity in France.

NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD
US Premiere / dir. Mark Hartley / Australia / 2008 / 102 min.
Probably the biggest concentration of explosions, nudity and blood at Fantastic Fest this year. A documentary that traces the secret and not so secret history of Ozploitation, Australian exploitation cinema.

RULE OF THREE
US Premiere / dir. Eric Shapiro / USA / 2007 / 85 min.
Set in one night in a seedy hotel, cult Novelist Eric Shapiro’s debut feature intertwines two stories of sexual encounters gone horribly awry.

SURVEILLANCE
North American Premiere / dir. Jennifer Lynch / USA / 2008 / 98 min.
Jennifer Lynch (BOXING HELENA) helms a crime thriller with overtones of RASHOMON. None of the eyewitness accounts in a roadside serial killer massacre seem to match up. The FBI is called in to cut through the confusion before the killer can strike again.

TOKYO!
Regional Premiere / dir. Joon-ho Bong, Leos Carax, Michel Gondry / 2008 / 90 min.
An anthology of three 30-minute short films, all reflections on Tokyo by three non-Japanese directors. Michel Gondry’s INTERIOR DESIGN, Bong Joon-Ho’s SHAKING TOKYO and Leos Carax’s MERDE.

WICKED LAKE
Regional Premiere / dir. Zack Passero / USA / 2008 / 95 min.
Four buxom ladies head out to the country for some good old-fashioned naked lesbian Wiccan frolicking. The locals who bust in on their retreat quickly regret their imposition when the witching hour arrives.

ZOMBIE GIRL
World Premiere / dir. Aaron Marshall, Justin Johnson, Erik Mauck / USA / 2008 / 91 min.
A documentary covering the two years that it took 12-year-old Austinite Emily Hagins to write and direct the feature-length zombie movie PATHOGEN.

SIGNATURE ALAMO EVENTS
When we’re not producing Fantastic Fest, the Alamo programming team works year-round on a variety of screenings and events at the flagship downtown Alamo Ritz Theater. Recently remodeled in 2007, the historic Ritz Theater is home to all of the Alamo Signature shows. For the first time at Fantastic Fest, your badge grants you access to a sampling of this patented Austin-exclusive programming: Weird Wednesday, Terror Thursday, Sing-Alongs, Quote-Alongs and Master Pancake Theater.

EVIL DEAD 2 QUOTE-ALONG
Part of the Alamo Drafthouse’s patented signature show series, Quote-Alongs heighten the experience of watching your favorite films with props, subtitling of iconic lines of dialogue, pyrotechnics and confetti, always confetti.

MASTER PANCAKE: FRIDAY THE 13TH
Bad movies, live comedy! John Erler and his Master Pancake cohorts have been performing their live comedy stylings over top of Hollywood classics and stinkers alike at the Alamo Drafthouse for nearly 8 years.

MICHAEL JACKSON: THRILL THE WORLD
In preparation for our world-record breaking attempt at the largest synchronized Michael Jackson Thriller dance, the Alamo hosts monthly MJ sing-alongs and dance lessons.

TERROR THURSDAY AND WEIRD WEDNESDAY
Since the fall of 2001, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has been hosting these free weekly series of 35mm screenings of exploitation classics, curated by our own exploitation gurus Lars Nilsen and Zack Carlson: from cheerleaders gone bad to blaxploitation to killer mutant animals to ‘80s slashers to women in prison. Many of these films are so obscure that little is known or has been written about them. Some of them are bad, most of them are enjoyable, and a rare few are mind-blowingly amazing. During Fantastic Fest, both Weird Wednesday and Terror Thursday will be showcasing features from the NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD Ozploitation canon. If you would like to attend any of these screenings with your Fantastic Fest badge, pick up tickets at the Fantastic Fest ticket counter and you will have prime reserve seats held for you at the show.

THE 2008 FANTASTIC SHORTS
Below are the summary descriptions of the Fantastic Shorts currently selected for Fantastic Fest 2008. The final shorts lineup and schedule will be announced in the weeks to come.

ANIMATED SHORTS
A schizophrenically entertaining 90 minute compilation of the best of the best in worldwide genre animated shorts.

SHORT FUSE SHORTS PROGRAM
A veritable cinematic crackpipe, SHORT FUSE compiles the most intense and depraved of the entire Fantastic Fest competition shorts.

L’ACCOUCHEMENT DE WENDY
Dir. Lewis Eizykman / France / 2008 / 3 min.
Even NeverNeverland has its ups and downs, as a slightly older Peter Pan and Wendy learn on the eve of their child’s birth…

AUBURN HILLS BREAKDOWN
Dir. Geoff Redknap / Canada / 2008 / 13 min.
Sure, it’s a fact that psychopaths love to torture and destroy innocent people. But what happens when your average suburban family gets their hands on a pack of sadistic cannibals?

BERNIE’S DOLL
Dir. Yann Jouette / UK, France / 2008 / 12 min.
A self-loathing cat food canner looks for happiness in all the wrong places, especially when he learns that a “female” companion can be ordered by mail. Beautifully animated in a style that proves to be less cute n’ cuddly than first glance would have you believe.

BLOOD WILL TELL
Dir. Andrew McPhillips / Canada / 2007 / 4 min.
A uniquely animated nightmare that follows the beat of your pulse and unweaves the secret link between man and insect. Music by Sigur Ros.

BUTCHERS HILL
Dir. Rory Kindersley / USA / 2007 / 9 min.
This Hansel and Gretel-esque fairytale may seem comfortably familiar at first, but as it unfolds, something unexpected takes over….

BREACH
Dir. Kirk Woller / USA / 2008 / 6 min.
Sometimes there’s just no way to remain safe…even in our secure homes. Quite possibly the most unexpected surprise in the fest!

CAM2CAM
Dir. Davy Sihali / France / 2008 / 26 min.
It’s safe to say that technology and intimacy are at war. This movie is a genuinely creepy exploration of the casualties.

CITY WASP
Dir. Stephan Wicki & Tod Steven / Switzerland, USA / 2007 / 6 min.
A man combs a semi-sentient metropolis to create his own personal symphonic Frankenstein! Live action animation combines with an arguably musical score to create a short that’s guaranteed to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

COSITA LINDA
Dir. Fernando Fidel Urdapilleta Jimenez / Mexico / 2007 / 20 min.
A young girl learns that when your mind and emotions have been pushed beyond their limits, you can count on your body in unexpected ways.

DOG
Dir. Hermann Karlsson / Scotland, Iceland / 2006 / 1 min.
A loving eulogy to man’s best friend. This animated comedy features a canine skeleton and some goofy yet sincerely tearful memories.

EEL GIRL
Dir. Paul Campion / New Zealand / 2007 / 5 min.
A scientist with unusual taste in women learns that it’s probably best to date outside the workplace. A funny and shocking short that whacks you across the skull before you know what happened.

ELECTRIC FENCE
Dir. Matt O’Mahoney / USA, Canada / 2007 / 19 min / 19 min.
A nebbish bachelor loses his penis in an incident involving an epileptic hooker and experiences newfound sexual urges with his freshly transplanted member.

FACTS IN THE CASE OF MR HOLLOW, THE
Dir. Rodrigo Gudino / Canada / 2008 / 6 min.
A simple photograph becomes increasingly sinister upon closer scrutiny, until nearly every evil that lives in mankind’s heart is unleashed upon the viewer. From the fiends at Rue Morgue!

FANTAISIE IN BUBBLEWRAP
Dir. Arthur Metcalf / USA / 2007 / 4 min.
You think it’s hard being a human? Try living your life as a roll of bubble wrap! This semi-animated short follows the lives of several little poppable pals as they fall in love, question their existence and — of course — get fatally pinched by human fingers.

FILM NOIR
Dir. Osbert Parker / UK / 2006 / 4 min.
A senses-shaking tribute to the criminal acts of yesteryear, as traditional film noir elements are transformed through animation and bizarro artistry into a wholly original gripping thrillride.

FISH
Dir. Naoko Masuda and Max Margulies / USA / 2007 / 2 min.
The filmmaking team behind last year’s FF hit THE BIRD, THE MOUSE AND THE SAUSAGE are back with a new stop-motion food tale that reveals the nature of pescatorial reproduction.

GAME OVER
Dir. PES / USA / 2006 / 4 min.
We don’t need no fancy arcade…we got an arcade RIGHT HERE! Mysterious innovative stop-motion wizard(s) PES bring the universal excitement of video games into the real world in bold, unnatural ways.

GREEN
Dir. Boris Schaarschmidt / USA / 2007 / 15 min.
An elderly groundskeeper clashes with a football team who just don’t show enough sensitivity to the wonders of their playing field.

HARDCORE
Dir. Alberto Viavattene / Italy / 2008 / 2 min.
An adult film director coaches his new star on the subtleties of succeeding in the porn industry.

HEIST, THE
Dir. Ben Peters / Canada / 2007 / 4 min.
A Ferrari-fixated mad scientist devises the perfect heist. With a mastery of advanced super-technology, what could possibly go wrong?

KARAOKE SHOW
Dir. Karl Tebbe / Germany / 2007 / 5 min.
Here at FF, we’ve always recognized karaoke as a true art. But filmmaker Karl Tebbe succeeds in turning up the karaoke insanity to visually deafening levels in this megashock of musical indulgence.

KINGZ
Dir. Benni Diez and Marinko Spahic / Germany / 2007 / 20 min.
A botched drug deal spirals out of control in a subterranean night club filled with unnameable evils. The action is furious and so are the villains, so be prepared for some whirlwind brutality!

LIMONCELLO
Dir. Luis Berdejo & Borja Cobeaga & Jorge Dorado / Spain / 2007 / 22 min
A trio of surreal takes on the Spaghetti Western genre by three of Spain’s hottest young gun directors.

MUTO
Dir. Blu / Argentina / 2008 / 8 min.
Street art taken to the illogical, beautiful maximum as an urban landscape is transformed into a moving palette of impossible creatures. Is this the most ambitious animation project of the century? Yes.

OBJECT, THE
Dir. Leslie Ali / UK / 2007 / 6 min.
A strange family finds an even stranger singing cube that leads to an epic battle…kinda. In the tradition of FF feature FUNKY FOREST, this film uses brazen flat-out weirdness to mangle your brain into unstoppable confused laughter.

OUTHOUSE, THE
Dir. Jack Truman / USA / 2008 / 5 min.
A sophisticated older woman pontificates on the myriad pleasures of outdoor plumbing and the human digestive system.

OUTSOURCE
Dir. Daniel Trezise / USA / 2007 / 12 min.
In a socially disconnected future, two people feel a spark, but they’ll need to break modern laws to act on their rediscovered humanity.

ROAD
Dir. Daniel Bruce / Netherlands / 2007 / 10 min.
A terrified young woman grips her steering wheel as she’s pursued at high speed on a winding mountain road. A truly intense action mystery that’ll burst at least three veins in your forehead.

ROJO RED
Dir. Juan Manuel Betancourt / Colombia / 2007 / 13 min.
Some people complain about their life unraveling, but it’s rarely as pronounced as in this whimsical, bizarre short from a young Colombian visualist already on par with mighty artists like Michel Gondry.

SENOR PUPPE, EL
Dir. Carlos Crespo / Spain / 2006 / 15 min.
A lonesome, elderly ventriloquist is plagued by his ugly reality and his lil’ wooden friend in this unexpectedly comic view of people at the very last rung of society’s ladder.

SNIP
Dir. Julien Zenier / France, Spain / 2008 / 11 min.
When you can’t strike out against the world, that only leaves one option. This self-punishing short may very well have the audience running for air.

SOME OF AN EQUATION
Dir. Burke Roberts / USA / 2007 / 8 min.
A jarring exploration of how everything you know can go horribly, irreversibly wrong in a matter of seconds.

SPANDEX MAN
Dir. Bobbie Peers / Norway / 2007 / 10 min.
A detached young man finds comfort in his old childhood superhero suit. But the real world isn’t nearly as accepting of the powers it holds.

SQUIRREL NEXT DOOR, THE
Dir. Carla Coma / Canada / 2007 / 2 min.
True love sees no barriers…including species. Taxidermy animation that will make you want to run out, kill things and use them to create great art.

TAP, THE
Dir. John Crye / USA / 2008 / 10 min.
Cheap thrills come with a very high price as a fresh-faced young partygoer learns that there’s more than one side to recreational fun.

TIFFANY PROBLEM, THE
Dir. Adam Green / USA / 2008 / 10 min.
What’s more natural than a 32-year-old man (HATCHET’s Joel David Moore) wanting to go out trick-or-treating with his friends? When the ol’ ball and chain turns him down, things reach a serious boiling point.

TREEVENGE
Dir. Jason Eisener / Canada / 2008 / 15 min
HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN creators Jason Eisener and Rob Cotterill imagine a yuletide season where the Christmas trees finally even the score for decades of living under the axe of mankind.

VINCENT, LE MAGNIFIQUE
Dir. Pascal Forney / Switzerland / 2008 / 22 min.
The tragically hilarious tale of a would-be magician that just can’t seem to perfect his saw-the-lady-in-half illusion. In Vincent’s world, success, dignity and willing female stage assistants are hard to come by.

VIOLETA
Dir. Anna Solana & Marc Riva / Spain / 2007 / 9 min
Violeta makes a new friend and takes him back home to meet the folks. Too bad the depths of depravity of this family is unparalleled in the history of animation.

WELL-FOUNDED CONCERNS
Dir. Timothy Cawley / USA / 2007 / 15 min.
A group of people who live in terror of the world reach out to one another when their greatest fears are realized. A quietly romantic look at the apocalypse.

YOU BETTER WATCH OUT
Dir. Steve Callen / Australia / 2007 / 22 min.
A drunken department store Santa is kidnapped and tortured by two severely delusional hoods in this comedy that takes the magic of the holiday season and kicks its ass off.

IMPORTANT FESTIVAL DATES:
Important dates have been announced for the 4thAnnual Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.

Thursday, August 14, 2008: Retrospective titles Announced
Thursday, August 21, 2008: Guests and juries announced
Thursday, September 4, 2008: Final content and schedule announced
Thursday, September 18, 2008: Festival begins
Saturday, September 20, 2008: 2009 Festival Badges go on sale

For more information about Fantastic Fest, please visit our official website: www.fantasticfest.com

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
Fantastic Fest is an eight-day festival of the best new sci-fi, horror, fantasy and genre films, as well as choice classic and obscure cult titles from all over the world. The festival director and head programmer is Tim League (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema), with additional programming by Harry Knowles (Ain’t It Cool News), Blake Ethridge (Cinema is Dope), Todd Brown (Twitchfilm.net), Zack Carlson (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema) and Lars Nilsen (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema). Fantastic Fest is a supporting member of the prestigious Melies European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation and a founding member of the North American Fantastic Festival Alliance. Fantastic Fest is sponsored in part by Ain’t It Cool News, Twitchfilm, Gamecock, DVD Empire, Best Buy, VIZ Pictures, Embassy Suites, Dark Sky Films, The Texas Film Commission, Room Service Vintage, Rue Morgue Magazine, Fangoria Magazine, The Austin Chronicle, The Onion and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar.

:FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO RITZ:

- AIR SEX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS -
: Alamo Ritz : Friday, Aug 1 :

Whether you’re coming down to compete for your chance at the ultimate in NC-17 air glory or you just want to watch the insanity from the comfort of your seat, this weekend’s AIR SEX competition is not to be missed. Fair warning, though, for those of you planning on only watching – I’m going to try my damndest to get you to compete. And when you come up on stage, you’ll feel true ecstasy like never before.

- MASTER PANCAKE THEATER presents JURASSIC PARK -
: Alamo Ritz : Sat : Aug 2 :

OK, let’s be honest: we know we’re supposed to be mocking BAD movies and JURASSIC PARK is mostly pretty GOOD, but we’ve discovered that when people are really scared it makes them laugh harder at our jokes. Also, we really wanted to play the drinking game with a group of 150 folks shouting “Hello, Newman” every time Wayne Knight’s character appears on screen.

- THE MOMMIE DEAREST BRUNCH -
: Alamo Ritz : Sun, Aug 3 :

Holy Drag Brunch! In the belief that we all want to spend our Sunday mornings sipping delicious mimosas, munching on creme brulee french toast, and judging a Joan Crawford drag competition, 175 Media brings you the world’s first and greatest MOMMIE DEAREST Brunch!

- OKIE NOODLING 2 -
: Alamo Ritz : Sun, Aug 3 – Weds, Aug 6 :

OKIE NOODLING 2 is Bradley Beesley’s new installment in an oddly charming series about real-life fishermen who practice the marginalized (and dangerous) method of bare-handed fishing. Beesley has been quoted as saying ‘eventually I’d like to make a movie that evokes as much emotion as Terry Zwigoff’s CRUMB…but my immediate goal is to catch a 40-pound catfish with my bare hands.”

- THE PRINCESS BRIDE QUOTE-ALONG -
: Alamo Ritz : Thurs, Aug 7 :

Back again for one more night, it’s one of the most popular Quote-Alongs of all time. The first three nights of this show sold out FAST, so grab your tickets now unless you want to spend the whole night in the Pit of Despair.

- The 90s ALTERNATIVE SING-ALONG -
: Alamo Ritz : Thurs, Aug 7 :

Also back again for an encore showing, this year’s version of the 90s ALTERNATIVE Sing-Along. Filled to the brim with angst and Alanis, this show is guaranteed to make you yell, “Fuck you, I won’t do what you told me!” while you’re staring at a Wonderwall and wondering where I was while you were getting high. – And to let you know where I was, I was staring at the beautiful women with Mr. Jones. I’m sorry I missed it, though; it sounds like you had a lot of fun.

:FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO SOUTH LAMAR:

- THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR -
: Alamo South Lamar : Opens Friday :

Brendan Fraser returns as explorer Rick O’Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor (Jet Li) in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China high into the frigid Himalayas. Something tells me that the resurrected Han Emperor will be no match for the resurrected Encino Man, though.

- The MAMMA MIA! Sing-Along -
: Alamo South Lamar : Tues, Aug 5 :

You were humming along to yourself when you watched it last week anyway, so for this special screening we’re going to not only allow, but REQUIRE everyone in the audience to belt out every song at the top of their ABBA-loving lungs.

- The ABBA Sing-Along -
: Alamo South Lamar : Mon, Aug 4 :

One night before the MAMMA MIA! show, Softball Austin is presenting this special encore presentation of our ever-popular ABBA Sing-Along. Warm up for the movie show with the original members of ABBA, and try not to cry during THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL. You will fail.

- The DIONYSIUM -
: Alamo South Lamar : Weds, Aug 6 :

f you’ve never been to a meeting of THE DIONYSIUM, the Salvage Vanguard Theater’s own thinking and drinking debate society, this week’s show is definitely a good one to pop your cherry on. The always lovable Owen Egerton will be debating the resolution, “The US penny should be removed from circulation” against venerable Austin improv icon Les McGehee. Neither of them have spent time in a federal mint, but they’ve both used plenty of pennies in their lifetime, and feel very qualified to present their arguments.

- Free Summer Kids Club: TMNT -
: Alamo South Lamar : Mon – Thurs :

When monsters begin appearing in New York City and are pursued by both the mysterious Foot Clan (another group of crackerjack Ninjas) and some menacing stone statues that have come to life, everyone’s favorite pizza-loving turtles must band together under the tutelage of their sensei, a mutated rat named Master Splinter (Mako), and fight for their city.

:FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO VILLAGE:

- PINEAPPLE EXPRESS -
: Alamo Village and Lamar : Opens Weds, Aug 6 :

Rogan, who co-wrote and stars here, plays nowhere-heading pothead process server Dale Denten and fellow FREAKS AND GEEKS alum James Franco stars as Dale’s perma-high pot-dealer Saul. When Dale witnesses a murder and the murderers witness Dale witnessing them murder, Dale and Saul gets swept up in an epic cat ‘n mouse action/stoner/buddy/gang-warfare riot that never comes down from its high.

Date: Thursday, July 17, 2008

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Subject: First Wave of Fantastic Fest content announced

Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar, Austin, TX

Fantastic Fest, September 18-25, 2008

Contact:
Tim League
(512) 912-0529
info@fantasticfest.com
www.fantasticfest.com

We are proud to announce the first wave of our feature film programming for the 2008 edition of Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. For the past 9 months, we have been scouring the globe for the strangest, the most heart-pounding and the most challenging new genre films. With over 100 films representing over 30 countries, Fantastic Fest is the largest festival of its kind in the United States. We are proud to announce our first slate of 22 confirmed feature films. Also included is information about our signature Fantastic Fest special events and parties.

Feature films:
Art of the Devil 3 (2008, Thailand, director: Ronin Team)
A prequel to one of the most graphic and visually creative horror movies in recent times, ART OF THE DEVIL 3 is a tale of unrequited love set amid the exotic world of rural Thai black magic.

Cargo 200 (2007, Russia, director: Aleksei Balabanov)
Acclaimed Russian director Balabanov’s tale interweaves stories of cowardice, corruption and horror set against the backdrop of the birth of perestroika in the Soviet Union.

Dark Floors (2008, Finland, director: Pete Riski)
Finnish heavy metal legends Lordi (dressed in their actual stage costumes!!!) star as demons from another dimension who torment a band of strangers trapped in a hospital.

Doctor Infierno (2008, Spain, director: Paco Limon)
A demented gynecologist discovers a cure for all the world’s illnesses and uses it as leverage to become sole dictator of the earth. Jam-packed with monsters, kung fu, battling robots and deviant sexual practices, DR. INFIERNO doesn’t let budget get in the way of executing a mountain of crazy ideas. Director Paco Limon live in person!

Donkey Punch (2008, United Kingdom, director: Oliver Blackburn)
Seven sexy young Brits are hanging out on a “borrowed” yacht for a day of drugs, debauchery, and ultimately donkey punching. It’s the last activity that causes everything to unravel. After the screening, follow us to Ladybird Lake for the potentially inappropriate Donkey Punch Boat Party.

Eagle Eye (2008, USA, director: D.J. Caruso)
Two strangers (Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan) become the pawns of a mysterious woman they have never met, but who seems to know their every move. Realizing they are being used to further her evil plans, they must work together to outwit the woman before she has them killed. During the week of the festival, take part in the EAGLE EYE cell phone scavenger hunt. Director D.J. Caruso (DISTURBIA) live in person!

Estomago: A Gastronomic Story (2007, Brazil, director: Marcos Jorge)
Love, sex, jealousy, food and murder in the streets and prisons of Brazil. Fantastic Fest is also offering, for an additional charge, an opportunity to enjoy the ESTOMAGO Feast, a four-course meal with wine pairings prepared by Alamo executive chef John Bullington. The feast is inspired by the actual dishes from the film and will be delivered to your seat as they appear on screen.

Ex Drummer (2007, Belgium, director: Koen Mortier)
Three low-life handicapped losers recruit an arrogant and abusive author to play drums in their punk band. Layered with brutality, surrealism and bloody violence, EX DRUMMER is like no music film you’ve ever seen.

Fighter (2008, Denmark, director: Natasha Arthy)
A Danish (?!!) kung fu coming-of-age drama choreographed by and featuring a supporting role by action master Xian Gao (CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, FONG SAI YUK)

Gachi Boy: Wrestling with a Memory (2008, Japan, director: Norihiro Koizumi)
After a car accident renders Igarashi without a short-term memory, he abandons his dreams to become a lawyer in favor of becoming a masked wrestler. Director Norihiro Koizumi live in person!

How to Get Rid of the Others (2007, Denmark, director: Anders Rønnow Klarlund)
When it is discovered that the least productive 5% of Danish society consumes 60% of government spending, the conservative politicians decide to quietly eradicate the problem.

I Think We’re Alone Now (2007, USA, director: Sean Donnelly)
This fascinating and severely disturbing documentary takes you deep into the worlds and obsessions of Kelly McCormick and Jeffery Deane Turner, who have been separately stalking 80s pop icon Tiffany for nearly 20 years. Director Sean Donnelly live in person!

Jack Brooks Monster Slayer (2007, Canada, director: Jon Knautz)
Horror legend Robert Englund costars in this epic battle of angry plumber vs. the demonic creatures of the night. Packed with fantastic practical effects and spot-on humor, JACK BROOKS should prove to be an audience fave. Director Jon Knautz live in person!

Let the Right One In (2008, Sweden, director: Tomas Alfredson)
An awkward, introverted boy (Oskar) befriends a new neighbor girl (Eli) who helps him to confront the bullies at school. Eli, however, has a dark secret, and there are bodies piling up at the local morgue.

Muay Thai Chaiya (2007, Thailand, director: Kongkiat Khomsiri)
An action-packed Muay Thai fighting drama by Kongkiat Khomsiri (ART OF THE DEVIL 2), Cinematography by Wisit Sasanatieng (TEARS OF THE BLACK TIGER).

The Short Films of Nacho Vigalondo (various, Spain, director: Nacho Vigalondo)
Festival darling and last year’s grand prize winner Nacho Vigalondo didn’t just come out of nowhere with his first feature TIMECRIMES. In 2003 he directed academy award-nominated short 7:35 IN THE MORNING and has a large and impressive body of short films. Fantastic Fest is premiering the collected short works of Nacho Vigalondo, many subtitled in English for the first time for this program.

South of Heaven (2007, USA, director: J.L. Vara)
Two brothers on the wrong side of everyone must face an endless array of torture, terrors and indignities in this darkly comic and visually striking noir. Director J.L. Vara live in person!

Spine Tingler – the William Castle Story (2007, USA, director: Jeffrey Schwarz)
William Castle, one of the mighty giants of fantastic film and media manipulation is lauded and explained by the ones who knew him and loved him best.

The Substitute (2007, Denmark, director: Ole Bornedal)
The middle-high school students in a small Danish village have figured out that their abusive new substitute teacher is actually a space alien on a vanguard mission to investigate taking over the earth. They just can’t seem to convince their parents or the administrators.

Terra (2008, Canada, director: Aristomenis Tsirbas)
An Armada of humans arrives on a habitable planet with intentions of colonization, but the seemingly peaceful indigenous creatures turn out to have some unexpected moxie. Beautifully animated with voice talent by David Cross, Brian Cox, Dennis Quaid, Rachael Wood and Luke Wilson.

The Tingler (1959, USA, director: William Castle)
William Castle’s masterpiece, an electrifying celebration of tactile horror that culminates in a shocking climax which audience members may never recover from. For this special presentation, the theater at the Alamo will be wired to recreate Castle’s greatest gimmick: “Percepto!”

Tokyo Gore Police (2008, Japan, director: Yoshihiro Nishimura)
The privatized Tokyo police force led by Audition‘s Eihi Shiina is authorized to execute judgment on the spot. They are threatened, however, by a breed of “engineers,” genetically modified super-villains who grow mutant weapons from their injuries and amputations.

In addition to the features above, we are proud to announce more details about our Fantastic Fest parties and special events:

Parties and Special Events

Opening Night Party: Air Sex World Finals
Following the opening night film (title TBD) join us for the official Fantastic Fest opening night party – the Air Sex World Finals. Badge holders and the general population are invited to the culminating event of a year’s worth of preliminary competitions. It’s a lot like Air Guitar, but a bit spicier.

Closing Night Party: “Get Lit,”
Following the closing night film, we’ll be heading outside of town for what we feel will be the Austin party of the year: “Get Lit,” a subterranean dance party a mile beneath the earth at nearby Longhorn Caverns.

Fantastic Feud and All-Night Karaoke Party
Scott Weinberg, managing editor of Cinematical, brings his 2nd annual trivia challenge that pits festival guests and select badge holders against one another to do battle in the arena of genre film trivia. Following this clash of intellectual titans, we’ll settle in for another tradition – the post trivia all-night Karaoke Party.

Fantastic Debates
We are proud to honor the age-old tradition of over-opinionated verbal nerd combat by introducing FANTASTIC FEST DEBATES at FF 2008! For the first time in genre festival history, the audience will be truly heard…through blazing displays of surefooted, acid-tongued mindpower!

100 Best Kills
Fantastic Fest celebrates the great legacy of stomach-churning, blood-spurting movie magic with this interactive showdown party where YOU THE AUDIENCE are invited to join the FF programmers in providing the all-time greatest on-screen headbursts, rib-rips and gutblasts!

Signature Alamo Special Events
In addition to the traditional fare of Fantastic Fest, this year we’re also offering badge holders a sampling of the Alamo signature shows: sing-alongs, quote-alongs, Master Pancake Theater, Weird Wednesday and Terror Thursday. Badge holders get free admission to these special shows at the new flagship Alamo location, the Ritz. See the live comic stylings of the Master Pancake troupe as they skewer the original FRIDAY THE 13TH, enjoy the communal experience of the EVIL DEAD 2 Quote-Along and check out the movies behind NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD with screenings of Aussie Exploitation classics at Weird Wednesday and Terror Thursday.

Details for all of these shows, parties and more can be found on our website: www.fantasticfest.com

Important dates have been announced for the 4thAnnual Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.

Thursday, August 7, 2008: Second wave of festival content announced
Thursday, September 4, 2008: Final content and schedule announced
Thursday, September 18, 2008: Festival begins
Saturday, September 20, 2008: 2009 Festival Badges go on sale

For more information about Fantastic Fest, please visit our official website: www.fantasticfest.com

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
Fantastic Fest is an eight-day festival of the best new sci-fi, horror, fantasy and genre films, as well as choice classic and obscure cult titles from all over the world. The festival director is Tim League (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema). Programmers include Harry Knowles (Ain’t It Cool News), Blake Ethridge (Cinema is Dope), Todd Brown (Twitchfilm.net), Zack Carlson (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema) and Lars Nilsen (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema). Fantastic Fest is a supporting member of the prestigious Melies European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation and a founding member of the North American Fantastic Festival Alliance. Fantastic Fest is sponsored in part by Ain’t It Cool News, Twitchfilm, Gamecock, DVD Empire, Best Buy, VIZ, Embassy Suites and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar.

FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO RITZ

- TEAM AMERICA SING & QUOTE-ALONG -
: Alamo Ritz : Thursday, July 3:

America! Fuck yeah! Caroling is usually reserved for Christmas time, but we think the whole world should sing about how fucking awesome America is, too. That’s why we’re ending both of our TEAM AMERICA Sing-Alongs with a trip out to Sixth Street where we’ll all light fireworks and sing an acapella version of “America, Fuck Yeah” to all the revelers. We’ve got all sorts of props and games for during the show, too, so if you aren’t a commie or a terrorist, I’ll see you there.

- MASTER PANCAKE mocks INDEPENDENCE DAY -
: Alamo Ritz : Fri & Sat, July 4 & 5 :

In a fit of insane literalness, Master Pancake celebrates Independence Day by mocking the 1996 movie INDEPENDENCE DAY!! For two weeks only, we’ll be skewering the IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD of sci-fi disaster flicks, helmed by Roland Emmerich (THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW), a director who’s never met a Statue-of-Liberty-in-peril scene he didn’t like.

- AIR SEX -
: Alamo Ritz : Saturday, July 5 : Midnight :

If you’ve been to any of the Air Guitar shows, you know a little bit about what to expect, except that competitors in this show won’t pretend to play an instrument that isn’t there; they’ll be pretending to make love with a partner that isn’t there. Unh, double up, uh unh! Smack it up, flip it, rub it down!

- Big Screen Sci Fi Classics: THE TERMINATOR -
: Alamo Ritz : July 6, 8 & 9 :

When it’s summertime and we’re dog tired and hot, few things sound better to us than rounding up a few friends and heading over to the Ritz to drink a few beers, eat a burger and watch the Governor of California kill a bunch of unlucky people, in pursuit of Sarah Connor. A lot of people are down on Schwarzenegger’s acting but seriously, this is how an invincible killing machine should roll.

- The ABBA Sing-Along -
: Alamo Ritz : July 6 & 13 :

With the upcoming release of MAMMA MIA! as a feature film, we realized it was high time we brought back our ABBA Sing-Along for a reprise show or two. Built around the idea of interviewing people like the reporter does in ABBA: THE MOVIE, this show features filmed interviews with Austinites about their favorite ABBA moments as well as every single ABBA song you could ever hope for, with footage culled from movies, concerts and music videos to bring you into a state of orgiastic ecstasy at these two married couples who wrote a lot of million dollar pop songs about breaking up, then decided to get divorces.

- OKIE NOODLING 2 & SUMMER CAMP w/ Director Bradley Beesley live! -
: Alamo Ritz : Thurs, July 7 :

OKIE NOODLING 2 is Beesley’s new installment in an oddly charming series about real-life fishermen who practice the marginalized (and dangerous) method of bare-handed fishing. Beesley has been quoted as saying ‘eventually I’d like to make a movie that evokes as much emotion as Terry Zwigoff’s CRUMB…but my immediate goal is to catch a 40-pound catfish with my bare hands.”

SUMMERCAMP! follows the ebb and flow of a group of young Wisconsin Summercampers and their counselors. Tender and nostalgic on the surface, the film casually examines the life of adolescent rituals, home sickness, counselor mutiny and first love…but a little deeper down reveals priceless sentiments such as ‘I like almost everything except the kids are mean to me’ and ‘death would be sweet relief at this point.’

- BATMAN (1966) -
: Alamo Ritz : July 8 & 16 :

The greatest arch super-criminals ever to plague Gotham City – The Penguin, The Joker, The Riddler and Catwoman – turn their sights on world domination armed with a pre-atomic submarine, an army of pirates, rabid sharks and an arsenal of polaris missiles. Adam West’s deadpan delivery of painfully bad puns and Burt Ward’s colorful adjectives created a whole new superhero dialect that is distinguished in part by the predominance of the word ‘holy’.

- THE PRINCESS BRIDE QUOTE-ALONG -
: Alamo Ritz : July 8 & 16 :

If you have six fingers on your right hand, do NOT come down to the Alamo Ritz for one of these Quote-Alongs. I’m sure you already have plenty of strangers walking up to you on the street and explaining that you killed their father, and now should prepare to die. For these shows, though, ALL of those people will be in the same place, and they’ll be YELLING that at you. So please, six-fingered people, take the night off. Everyone else, it would be inconceivable for you to miss this show.

FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO SOUTH LAMAR

- HANCOCK -
: Alamo South Lamar & Village : Now Playing :

Aw, hell yes! Will Smith is back on the July 4 weekend, where he *always* belongs! HANCOCK is what Summer’s all about- comedy, action, superheros, Will Smith, and overtly-defined character arcs. Smith plays titular hero John Hancock, a rough and drunk piece of street-raff who also processes super strength, invulnerability and the ability to fly. It takes Jason Bateman (JUNO, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, TEEN WOLF 2) to convince him that with great power comes great responsibility. A flashy new super-suit and and a sober take on life will make HANCOCK fly high.

- Free Kids Club: ZATHURA -
: Alamo South Lamar : Mon – Thurs :

When Danny discovers an old board game called Zathura stored in the basement, his excitement is lost on Walter, who has no time for such old, boring toys. Soon, however, the game becomes impossible to ignore, as the boys are transported into space, and one of them must win in order to make it home again. Each turn brings a new, often dangerous, surprise, and the boys are faced with a murderous robot, an explosive meteor shower, and lizard-like aliens, while poor Lisa is cryogenically frozen early in the game.

- HELLBOY II -
: Alamo South Lamar : Opens Fri, July 11 :

The story of HELLBOY is not one that can be easily (let alone elegantly) maneuvered in your average Hollywood Blockbuster- a demon avenger from Hell, his pyrokinetic girlfriend and an ultra-intelligent fish-man work together to save the world from an occult terrorist organization led by a resurrected Rasputin. But put these elements into the hands of visionary director Guillermo Del Toro (THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE, PAN’S LABYRINTH), and the result is not only stunning to watch, but genuinely humane despite its own incredible inhumanity.

- AMERICAN TEEN Sneak Peek -
: Alamo South Lamar : Thurs, July 10 :

AMERICAN TEEN, the touching and hilarious Sundance documentary hit that follows the lives of five teenagers, hits theaters on July 25, but we are offering you a sneak-peak opportunity not only to view the film, but also to meet and hang out with the cast. We’ll be screening the film on Thursday, July 10 at 7:00 PM at the Alamo South Lamar. Following the screening we’ll have a Q&A with all 5 principal cast members from the film.

FEATURED EVENTS AT THE ALAMO VILLAGE:

- THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW -
: Alamo Village : Every Saturday at Midnight :

The rotating cast of QUEERIOS have been performing ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE VILLAGE since October 2004, and have built the best interactive version of the cult classic in the nation!! Admission is just $5, regulars and virgins welcome!