FF: Why I can't wait.

There's a great big meteor storm fulla goodtimes that's about to strike our fair city. Sure there are some meteorites I'm watching for less closely than others, but -- to continue my analogy beyond all reason -- the bulk of this impending assault has me running in circles with an enormous target on my head.

What I'm trying to say here is: I'm very happy about Fantastic Fest 2008.

Yes, for 2008, we've upped the ante on parties and crazy events, but the main reason for my incessant drooling is of course THE MOVIES. Here are a few titles that I'm painfully impatient to ingest:

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN - I've heard nothing but raging praise for this Swedish coming-of-age vampire romance. Apparently it boasts the best child actors since NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. That's big talk. But even the haters I know swear up and down the block that this is the one that simply cannot be missed.

LATE BLOOMER - A little-known Japanese release about a disabled serial killer. Something avbout this one just looks like it might be the best and most unique film of the entire fest.

THE TINGLER in PERCEPTO! - This is arguably the true masterpiece from late, great horror producer William Castle, and we're going to be presenting it the way he did upon its initial release: with the jolting, jarring miracle of PERCEPTO! The audience will be terrified and electrified as Vincent Price battles an evil force of horror incarnate. Not for the squeamish, or pacemakered! A perfect companion film to the stunning William Castle documentary SPINE TINGLER!, also playing the fest.

I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW - The most chilling film of the FF line-up is...a documentary? Well, that appears to be the case, as everyone who's seen this chronicle of two rampaging stalkers of '80s pop icon Tiffany says it's the most harrowing movie of the year, if not millennium.

Last but not least, all three of our shorts programs are in severely high gear: the blood-n-gristle-fueled SHORT FUSE, the ANIMATED SHORTS and the amazing SHORTS OF NACHO VIGALONDO (with the Spanish dancing machine himself in attendance!) are kicking beautiful new holes in art's face.

...as far as the extra stuff goes, it's a fact that the 100 BEST KILLS PARTY, the face-shattering FANTASTIC DEBATES and (of course) the triumphant return of FANTASTIC FEUD are gonna blow the roof of this motherfuck.

Once things kick off on Thursday, my Alamo programming cohorts and I will be keeping a daily log of the rampant ridiculousness and rapturousness brought on by this year's FF. Stay tuned for made-up words and/or late night ramblings from the entire crew.

Until then, STAY POWERFUL.

- Z