Class of 1984
Special screening to celebrate the debut of new book “DESTROY ALL MOVIES!!! The Complete Guide to Punks on Film” edited by Zack Carlson & Bryan Connolly. More info on the book here.

The year is 1984. A rabid pack of rampaging punk teens run our schools, our drugs and our prostitutes. Brutality and decadence are everywhere. Enter first-year teacher Andrew Norris (Perry King), who’s forced to violently turn the tables on the bloodthirsty gang before their trashwave swallows the town alive. Writer/director Mark L. Lester’s reckless masterpiece debuted at Cannes Film Festival to severely divided reviews.

What detractors and many thrill-seeking fans both sadly overlooked was the fact that the movie had been done exactly right. Each actor turns in a memorable, convincing performance amid knifings and punk slam pits. Beloved ham Roddy McDowall pulls off what may have been his best scene of the decade. The film moves constantly forward at full speed, with humor and intelligent dialogue balancing out the horrors perpetrated by the vicious teens. Class of 1984 is a perfect exploitation film. It’s relentlessly seedy, overflowing with assault, suicide, racism, drug use and crime crime crime, all of which is perpetrated by minors! The tension of victimization and vengeance create some of the most stirring scenes of violent retribution on record. But beyond all this, there’s a bitterly absorbing air of human helplessness and leather-clad heartlessness that makes this movie the flat-out best in its genre.

Roger Corman received an Honorary 2010 Oscar for his contributions to filmmaking, and is the legendary director and producer of numerous cult classics, among them It Conquered the World, Death Race 2000, The Little Shop of Horrors, and a series of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations that starred Vincent Price, including The Masque of the Red Death. Roger also directed X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes, which will screen as his choice on Saturday, September 25, 2010. Roger has produced over 400 films.

Julie Corman, although a much less public figure than Roger, has produced 30 films. In addition, Julie was Chair of NYU’s Graduate Film Department. The Cormans have been instrumental in helping discover now-famous talent, including Jonathan Demme, James Cameron, Ron Howard, Joe Dante, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Charles Bronson, Robert De Niro, and Sylvester Stallone, among many others. Roger and Julie are responsible for fostering the independent, imaginative spirit that Fantastic Fest was founded on.

The Cormans have collaborated with Syfy on a number of projects, such as DinoShark and Dinocroc vs. Supergator, and continue to partner with them to deliver original content and discover new talent, like Sharktopus director Declan O’Brien (with whom they previously worked on Cyclops, another Syfy exclusive). Sharktopus premieres on Syfy Saturday, September 25 at 9pm Eastern and Pacific (8pm Central).

“Roger and Julie Corman have been the single greatest inspiration in the development of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema,” says Fantastic Fest director Tim League.  ”Fostering independent cinema, employing all manner of ballyhoo to accentuate the theatrical experience and trying to make sure audiences have a blast at the cinema every time; these are the cornerstones of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, and my wife and I have drawn inspiration from the very beginning from Roger and Julie Corman. I am deeply humbled and honored to be bringing them to Austin and the Alamo Drafthouse for the first time since we opened.”

Tickets for the Gala Double Feature Screening of Machete Maidens Unleashed! and Sharktopus will go on sale Wednesday, September 8 at NOON CST on the Fantastic Fest official site.

Sharktopus (2010)
World Premiere, director: Declan O’Brien
In Sharktopus, Eric Roberts (The Expendables, The Dark Knight) plays a research scientist who, with his talented daughter (Sara Malakul Lane/Belly of the Beast), develops a secret military weapon — a hybrid shark/octopus that can be controlled by electrical implants. But when the controls break down, the monster goes on a killing rampage at the resort beaches of Mexico. Sharktopus premieres on Syfy Saturday, September 25, 2010.

Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010)
U.S. Premiere, Australia, director: Mark Hartley
From Mark Hartley, who wowed Fantastic Fest audiences with Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! in 2008, comes a new documentary about the even wilder world of Philippine-made exploitation movies. During the classic grindhouse era of the ’60s and ’70s, independent producers began turning out more and more exploitation features for less and less money. The films being discussed and shown in Hartley’s trademark montage style include such wildly entertaining titles as For You Height Only, Mad Doctor of Blood Island, The Twilight People, The Big Doll House and TNT Jackson. Machete Maidens Unleashed! might just be the funniest, fastest, most shocking film you’ll see all year. It features hilarious and informative interviews with Roger Corman, Pam Grier, Sid Haig, John Landis, Joe Dante, Eddie Romero, Cirio Santiago and many more of the people who made the golden age of Filipino exploitation what it was.

X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes (1963)
Repertory Screening, United States, director: Roger Corman
Above all else, the movies of Roger Corman are designed to turn a profit, and in virtually every case they have, but there wouldn’t be a long-lasting, devoted Corman cult if they were merely crass commercial product, devoid of ideas. X tells the story of scientist Dr. James Xavier (Ray Milland) who develops a method for improving eyesight. But without funding for proper research he is compelled to test it on himself. Soon he finds he has such acute vision that he can actually see through things – women’s clothing for instance. When, through an unfortunate chain of events, the doctor is forced to go underground his powers become both his salvation and a kind of torture. He uses his powers to heal the sick but as his power grows stronger he sees into death itself. He goes to Vegas and becomes a wiz at blackjack but his vision now penetrates the darkness of the human soul and he is transformed by the experience. He has seen too much.

For photos of the announced films, visit our 2010 Stills page.
For more photos from Fantastic Fest films, visit our Flickr Collection.

For the latest developments visit Fantastic Fest on Facebook and on Twitter @fantasticfest.

Earlier this week, we posted the following challenge:

“The 2010 icons are here! These icons serve as a visual shorthand for the themes explored in each of our official selection features.  This tradition was started by Ant Timpson and New Zealand’s Incredibly Strange Film Festival more than 15 years ago, and we continue the proud tradition today at Fantastic Fest. Each year, Mike Sheils, the original artist of the Incredibly Strange icons creates a set of eight new icons for new themes in the current festival features.  The first person to correctly identify all eight of this year’s icons will win a $100 gift certificate to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema! Write your guesses as a comment to the original Fantastic Fest Facebook post and we will post the winner there.

Several days have passed and many have entered. Not a soul answered all 8 correctly, so we awarded the prize to David Stuckey who was the only one to get close to #7.

The correct answers are:

1. Clowns
2. Prostitution
3. Decapitation
4. Aliens
5. Extreme Firepower
6. Rape
7. Alcohol Abuse
8. Montage

David’s answer of “alcoholic cock-ups” was pretty damn good and the closest to the right answer. In fact, I’m going to call that icon alcoholic cock-ups in the printed guide!  Thanks for playing everyone and we’ll see you soon at Fantastic Fest!

Please note: the producers of  UNDOCUMENTED would like to inform the Fantastic Fest badgeholders that the screenings of UNDOCUMENTED are for US citizens and English-speakers only.  Anyone attempting to enter the theater without a passport or Visa will be subject to an invasive body cavity search by the producers.

About Undocumented: A small group of documentary filmmakers chronicle the trials and inequities faced by Mexican illegal immigrants. When they join a group of families crossing the border to record the experience firsthand, their truck is pulled over and detained. What happens next plunges the group into unimaginable horror.

Writer/Director Chris Peckover, producers Keith Calder, Jessica Wu, and Josh Finn, and stars Scott Mechlowicz, Alona Tal, and Yancey Arias live in person!

The 2010 icons are here! These icons serve as a visual shorthand for the themes explored in each of our official selection features.

This tradition was started by Ant Timpson and New Zealand’s Incredibly Strange Film Festival  more than 15 years ago, and we continue the proud tradition today at Fantastic Fest. Each year, Mike Sheils, the original artist of the Incredibly Strange icons creates a set of eight new icons for new themes in the current festival features.

You can check out the complete set of festival icons here:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2552/3854825483_c56ff8bdec_o.jpg

The first person to correctly identify all eight of this year’s icons will win a $100 gift certificate to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema! Write your guesses as a comment to the original Fantastic Fest Facebook post and we will post the winner there.

…and here’s the full low-down courtesy of Harry Knowles from Ain’t It Cool News:

FANTASTIC FEST Bumper Competition officially starts now!!! Win a week of Geek Heaven for 2 & more!

Hey folks, Harry here… It is less than 22 days till the start of FANTASTIC FEST 2010. There’s just enough time for you to get involved in the 2010 Fantastic Fest bumper contest.The usual requirements for the Bumpers still apply, that they be 15 seconds long and end with the word FANTASTIC being spoken, however you like. Also in past years – we’ve required people to make use of a kid. That is not a requirement this time. And we usually ask that they adhere to some specific genre.

This time. The genre is a favorite of FANTASTIC FEST. The sub-genre of “INAPPROPRIATE”. We’re asking for you, to create a 15 second bumper that is somehow INAPPROPRIATE. That could be through dialogue, sight gags, sickening imagery, exciting imagery… But we want audiences to actually scream OHMYGOD!!! when they see your bumpers. We want something that leaves an impression. Great filmmakers that have worked in the realm of the INAPPROPRIATE sub-genre include the king, JOHN WATERS, TAKASHI MIIKE, LARRY CLARK, KENNITH ANGER, HARMONY KORINE, TOM SIX, FRANK HENENLOTTER, GASPAR NOE, ABEL FERRARA, early PETER JACKSON, ELI ROTH, RUGGERO DEODATO, SRDJAN SPASOJEVIC and of course SATORU OGURA.

A lot to live up to? Yeah – but I’m telling you – if your brain says, “OH NO, WE CAN’T DO THAT” – “OH YES YOU CAN” – Unless of course it is illegal and results in somebody’s unwilling pain.

It is September 2nd.

No later than September 17th, 2010, a standard definition DVD needs to be received by us. You can send it to:

c/o Tim League
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
1120 South Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704

Austin submissions can be dropped off in person at the Alamo South Lamar. The winner will receive two VIP badges for Fantastic Fest 2011, a $250 gift certificate to Alamo Drafthouse as well as a prize pack from Mondo Tees, not to mention the fabulous fame and honor associated with joining the above list of the “INAPPROPRIATE ELITE” – but we’re encouraging you to fuck the norm, fuck it all and express yourself…

Let’s damage some corneas, let’s spin dry some brains and let’s all be FANTASTIC!

Fantastic Fest announces the full short films lineup, including over 40 genre-bending selections from around the world. The festival has amassed the ultimate array of cool, twisted, beautiful, mind-bending, horrifying and hilarious short films. The best short films can pack in more emotion, laughs adrenaline, creativity and flat-out insanity than a million big-budget blockbusters. Or they can show you something so ambitiously horrendous that you beg for mercy.

FANTASTIC FEST 2010 SHORT FILM LINEUP

5 Minute Dating
Canada, Director: Peter Hatch
A dating service where anyone can find their soul mate.

12 Years
Germany, Director: Daniel Nocke
We’re not the only species that needs to endure the wrenching pain of relationships gone sour.

The Astronomer’s Sun
UK, Director: David Bunting
Lovely animated story about a boy and his bear and the secrets of the universe

Atomic Hubbub
UK, Director: Stephen Irwin
Here’s the newest way to enjoy mankind’s impending self-apocalypse.

Barcelona Venecia
Spain, Director: David Muñoz
When you’ve accidentally slipped through a wormhole, you’d better hope your guide isn’t a jackass.

By Night
Germany, Director: Juan DiazB
A man copes with the pain of life through a very unusual medium: snow globes.

Careful with that Crossbow
New Zealand, Director: Jason Stutter
Two children engage in a seemingly innocent game of William Tell.

Culebra
US, Director: Sean Carter
In the desert between the US and Mexico, there are more terrifying things to watch out for than the border guards.

Deus Irae
Argentina, Director: Pedro Cristiani
Exorcism. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.

Fard
France, Director: David Alapont and Luis Briceño
A civilization built on the idea that “What you don’t see doesn’t exist” is severely disturbed when a man opens a mysterious package.

El Fin Del Mundo
Spain, Director: Alberto Gonzales
President Reagan has an extremely important message for us.

Giant
UK, Director: Yann Benedi
A bittersweet introduction to the not-so-human condition.

The Importance of Awards in Advertising
US, Director: Jim Hosking
A concise, informative, hairy and fairly nude introduction to the world of big business.

Interview
Germany, Director: Sebastian Marka
A journalist scores an interview with a notorious and so far uncaptured serial killer.

It’s Me, Helmut
Switzerland/Germany, Director: N. Steiner
Happy birthday! Your entire life was squandered and you’ll die alone!

Jaulas
Mexico, Director: Juan Jose Medina
A man treads across a post-apocalyptic landscape carrying a bitter, vengeful burden.

King Chicken
Canada, Director: Nicolas Bolduc
Even the most ridiculous, lonely people can find romance. Wait. No. Probably not.

King Jeff
UK, Director: Phil Dale
Two costumed medieval wannabes are forced to face off against all-too-real foes.

The Legend of Beaver Dam
Canada, Director: Jerome Sable
A bloodthirsty campfire terror legend goes…musical?

Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers
Sweden, Director: Johannes Stjärne Nilsson and Ola Simonsson
Percussion reaches bold new heights in this brilliantly unique tale of urban paradiddles and ratamacues.

My Invisible Friend
Spain, Director: Pablo Larcuen
A semi-catatonic young man is finally able to reach beyond his world of porn and video games thanks to his first and only friend: an alien fish-man.

Ninjas
Brazil, Director:  Dennison Ramalho
Emotionally tortured after accidentally shooting a child, a policeman is offered a brutal shot at redemption.

Off Season
USA/UK, Director: Jacob Jaffke
A burglar and his dog navigate seasonally abandoned houses, and find someone is committing much more terrible crimes.

One Man and His Dog
UK, Director: Jonathan Hopkins
An interstellar would-be savior stumbles across a violent flim-flam man. Hijinks ensue.

Only Son
New Zealand, Director: thedownlowconcept
A young man receives unwanted dating advice from his dead father.

La Petit Mort
Germany, Director: Jan Gallasch
This nurse does not abide by the Hippocratic Oath.

Piano Man
USA, Director: Andrew Wilding
It’s the perfect crime…what could possibly go wrong?

Picnic
Sweden, Director: Henrik Andersson
A happy couple enjoying a gorgeous summer day together is unprepared for the difficulties that attack their peaceful life.

La Piñata
Spain, Director: Manuel Arija
A street performer draws a tremendous crowd, including a young lady who may regret watching.

Pixels
France, Director: Patrick Jean
A full-scale invasion from the 8-bit dimension!!!

Protoparticles
Spain, Director: Chema Garcia Ibarra
Life is hard. Life in a hermetically sealed space suit is nearly impossible.

Renegades
USA, Director: Jim Hosking
Two tragic friends enter a world of weaponry, nudity and cake shaped like a clown’s head.

Le Rescape du Hippocampe
France, Director: Julien Lecat
A woman enters the deepest recesses of her friend’s brain to help him get back on track.

Rise of the Living Corpse
Canada, Director: Chris Walsh
Rotting flesh breaks soil and the fun begins. The shortest short in FF history.

Rosenhill
Sweden, Director: Johan Lundborg and Johan Storm
A lovable grandmother is certain that her nursing home caretakers are murderous maniacs. She’s right.

Sasquatch Birth Journal 2
USA, Director:  The Zellner Brothers
An unprecedented peek at the mysteries of nature.

Seed
Czech Republic/UK/USA, Director: Ben Richardson and Daniel Bird
Birth. Junk. Expansion. Technology. Death. Usually in that order.

Sorry…I Love You
Spain, Director: Leticia Dolera
A shy, possibly non-human man ends up working with a girl who makes his heart — or something else in his chest — go pitter-pat.

St. Christophorus: Roadkill
Germany, Director: Gregor Erler
With the help of some corrupt cops, a man driving through the forest of Germany has the worst goddamn night in history.

Stranger Hero
USA, Director: Stephen Carolan
Prepare to witness the power of the ultimate warrior of the lost world: Stranger Hero!!

Teclópolis
Argentina, Director: Javier Mrad
Impossible landscapes created by everyday objects. Hypnotic and perfect.

To My Mother and Father
UK, Director: Can Evrenol
A nightmarish example of a practical joke gone awry.

Uncle Jack
USA, Director: Jamin Winans
A very special uncle soothes his nephew with a very special bedtime story.

Unholy Night
Iceland, Director: Arni Jonsson
Original Icelandic legend provides for 13 Santa Clauses, each of whom arrive in succession on different nights.  But their Santas aren’t as benevolent as ours, and tonight is the night for the one they call “Meathook.”

United Monster Talent Agency
USA, Director: Greg Nicotero
You’re likely already familiar with the classic monster films of Hollywood’s golden age. Now, learn how tough it was to get those monsters to behave on camera!

Vision
UK, Director: Jamie Hooper
A young woman receives a mysterious DVD in the post.  She soon comes to realize that pressing “play” was a bad mistake.

Voltage
Brazil, Director: Filippe Lyra and William Paiva
A crew of robots teaches us lousy humans how it’s really done.

Wisdom Teeth
USA, Director: Don Hertzfeldt
The latest hilarious heart wrecker from unstoppable animation force Don Hertzfeldt!

Yuri
Switzerland, Director: Cécile Brun, Katja Schiendorfer, Immanuel Wagner and Nils Hedinger
An astronaut wanders the spaceways in search of new life. When something shows up…he’s at a loss.

And if you don’t catch these shorts before one of our features, you’ll have a chance to see some of them in our shorts programs:

DRAWN & QUARTERED: Animated Shorts
It’s been said that animation isn’t just for kids anymore. Well, that’s ESPECIALLY the case at Fantastic Fest. We’ll be showcasing all aspects of genre entertainment in animated form, some of which will make you laugh, and some of which will make your bodily functions shut down entirely.
12 YEARS
ATOMIC HUBBUB
THE ASTRONOMERS SUN
FARD
GIANT
JAULAS
PIXELS
RISE OF THE LIVING CORPSE
SEED
TECLOPOLIS
VOLTAGE
WISDOM TEETH
YURI

Short Fuse! Severe Fantastic Fest Shorts
The best short films can pack in more adrenaline, creativity and flat-out insanity than a million big-budget blockbusters. Or they can show you something so ambitiously horrendous that you beg for mercy. Your intrepid Fantastic Fest programmers have scoured the international celluloid goldmines for the most skull-bursting, taste-annihilating and eyeball-destroying shorts in existence, and this program is truly the mother load.
DEUS IRAE
THE LEGEND OF BEAVER DAM
INTERVIEW
NINJAS
OFF SEASON
ROSENHILL
TO MY MOTHER AND FATHER

Fantastic Fest has scoured the globe for the very best in action, horror, science fiction, fantasy to the truly bizarre in contemporary cinema for your viewing pleasure. Look for more announcements in the final weeks before the festival, including information on our gala events, parties and AMD Next Wave filmmakers in attendance.

Fantastic Fest is the film festival with the boring parts cut out. Miss this one and your regrets will agonize you for years to come. You have been warned.

For the latest developments visit Fantastic Fest Facebook & Twitter.

The tutorial:

The entry-level side-to-side technique:

The challenging up and down technique:

The highly technical figure 8 technique:

If you have created an exceptional Shakey Face photo, please post it to the Fantastic Fest Facebook Page. The best shakey face photo of 2010 will win the grand prize, an 8 foot blanket with your slobbering distended face woven into the fabric, awarded at the Fantastic Fest Awards Ceremony on Monday, September 27th.

Yes, it’s true! Fantastic Fest has its very own iPhone app which is now available for free in the iTunes Store. This app is part of the IFP Festival Genius™ product family, and was developed by our friends over at Slated. With hundreds of screenings, parties, and one-of-a-kind events at Fantastic Fest, this app helps you discover films, plan your festival, and share your feedback with the rest of the world.

We have yet to announce our full schedule, but when we do be sure to download the latest schedule from within the app. Also another update is planned before the festival starts so stay tuned for more news. Don’t wait til then though, download it now!

KEY FEATURES:

• Complete schedule, film & event details for Fantastic Fest 2010
• Fully integrated with the official Fantastic Fest web site, powered by IFP Festival Genius™
• Build personal calendar to plan your festival, and rate films after you’ve seen them
• Publish your ratings and personal calendar to the festival web site to share them with the World, and download changes you make on the web site to your phone

APP DETAILS:

• Browse complete film list and event schedule
• Sort by title or by audience rating
• Search by title or director
• Filter by event type, category, and venue
• View film details with stills, synopsis, and cast & crew
• View venue maps
• Build a personal calendar of the films you want to see
• Rate films after you’ve seen them
• View & edit your personal calendar with My Cal
• See what’s playing right now with Now Playing
• Sync your ratings and personal calendar with the festival web site, and download the latest festival schedule & event data
• Get application help with the Festival Genius™ help manual, or contact support