Opening and Closing night PARTIES !!!

Holy smoke. We're practically just 24 hours from the gargantuan blast-off of Fantastic Fest 2007! Things here at festival headquarters are in an unremitting frenzy as we continue to piece together even more outrageous events and experiences that'll intensify what promises to be the most white-knuckle movie adventure of the year.

Our opening night party on Thursday, September 20 at Alamo South Lamar will be packed with enough insanity to choke a maniac. We're going to have the Austin chapter of mad technomachinobionic geniuses DORKBOT presenting unlikely inventions and post-apocalyptic electronic miracles including (but not limited to):
SINGING TESLA COILS and the much anticipated GUT CANNON, which shoots ENTRAILS up to 50 FEET at LIVE HUMAN TARGETS! Can you think of a better invention? Me neither.

Here's just a sample of their handiwork...THE LASER SURGENATOR:



For more info on the amazing DORKBOT-ters, visit their site HERE.





The opening night party will also give you the opportunity to participate in the wanton destruction of half a dozen MALFORMED CELEBRITY PINATAS (identities to be revealed only on site), fill your stomach with the magic of Mexican style crucifixionesque CABRITO GOAT SMOKING, and -- last but not least -- take part in a nigh-nuclear EXTREME HOT SAUCE CHALLENGE that will allow you to sample Texas' hottest offerings from Mild to MegaMaliciousMeltdown! Never fear, to clear your scalded palate, we will have passed appetizers and beer available.

Badge pickup will take place at the opening night party, which will be in a fenced area behind Alamo South Lamar. The festivities begin at 4:00 PM and run until 6:30 PM, when we'll all hustle inside to kick off the first round of screenings, including our Opening Night Film DIARY OF THE DEAD. After the shows, we'll be hanging out in the lobby bar and formulating our plans of film nerd attack for the coming week. Join us!

ALSO...be sure to bring your fun to the closing night party! After the official Fantastic Fest 2007 Awards Ceremony, we're all heading over to one of our favorite bars in Austin: Donn's Depot. Donn played piano in Elvis Presley's band back in the 1970s and now holds court three nights a week at his railroad-car-turned-piano-bar. Join us to toast the winners, console the also-rans and, from 11:30 to 2:00 AM, revel in the wake of an action-packed week of movie bedlam!

See you there!!!