Cinema Scholars looks ahead to Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the U.S. The festival runs from Thursday, September 21 to Thursday, September 28 in Austin, Texas.
Introduction
It’s that time of year again when film fans from around the world unite for the largest genre festival in the U.S., Fantastic Fest. The notorious annual film festival will mark its 19th year with another illustrious list of offbeat and often outrageous titles.
The festival takes place at the flagship Alamo Drafthouse location in Austin, TX from September 21 through September 28. Fantastic Fest boasts high-profile world premieres, signature events where “chaos reigns,” film retrospectives, and, of course, an exclusive entrée to some of the coolest new genre movies.
Here’s a look at some of Cinema Scholar’s most anticipated screenings and events coming up at this year’s Fantastic Fest.
Fantastic Fest Headliners
Over the years Fantastic Fest has heralded the world premieres of films ranging from Zack And Miri Make A Porno (2008) and Frankenweenie (2012) to Apocalypto (2006) and There Will Be Blood (2007). Despite such a wide range, this year’s opening night film stays appropriately on-brand with Macon Blair’s The Toxic Avenger (2023).
Production still from “The Toxic Avenger” (2023), directed by Macon Blair. Photo courtesy of Legendary Pictures and Troma Entertainment.
A re-tread of the Troma Entertainment cult classic of the same name, Blair’s rendition of the unwitting hero tale has been hotly anticipated since the project was first announced pre-COVID. Like its predecessor, The Toxic Avenger follows a wimpy janitor (Peter Dinklage) who transforms into an imposing, albeit deformed, local hero after suffering a terrible accident.
With legendary Troma Entertainment founders Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz as producers plus Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon also starring, fingers are crossed that The Toxic Avenger will wow newbies and cult cinephiles alike.
As for the closing night film, did someone say “time-traveling horror?” This year’s finale features the genre mash-up Totally Killer (2023) to close the ten-day festival. The latest in Blumhouse’s never-ending catalog of horror goodies, Totally Killer follows a young heroine (Kiernan Shipka) who time-travels back to 1987 to stop a serial killer who is menacing her current timeline. In the process, she must confront the psycho killer while also taking on her teenage mom and archaic 80s societal norms.
Directed by Nahnatchka Khan, the film also stars Olivia Holt, Randall Park, and Julie Bowen. Though 80s slasher throwback is a bit tired these days, the juxtaposition of current social commentary in an 80s context sounds intriguing. And with that promising bloody Blumhouse banner, Totally Killer should be a totally killer bookend to the festival.
Kiernan Shipka in “Totally Killer” (2023). Photo courtesy of Prime.
Retrospectives
In addition to all the latest and greatest in genre fun, Fantastic Fest also features a stellar lineup of retrospective films. Past programs include everything from Forbidden Planet (1956) presented by Darren Aronofsky to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) with the hitchhiker himself, Edwin Neal, in attendance.
Other years included a Nakkatsu action film series, an Ozploitation retrospective, the films of Jess Franco, and a screening of Re-Animator (1985) with director Stuart Gordon and star Jeffrey Combs presenting. And this is still just the tip of the iceberg regarding retro programming over the years. Needless to say, the bar is set incredibly high in the classic genre department at Fantastic Fest and this year is certainly no different. Here’s a sample of the gonzo line-up.
Jackie Kong’s direct-to-video splatterfest Blood Diner (1987) will get the big screen treatment at this year’s fest. No better place to behold a scheming brain in a jar that resurrects the goddess Sheetar using a body made of spare parts. Aside from a generous amount of gore, Blood Diner also features zombie clubgoers, ancient rituals, a wrestling champ named Jimmy Hitler, and an oversized vagina dentata. Originally inspired as a sequel to Hershel Gordon Lewis’ cult classic Blood Feast (1963), the demented fringe flick is sure to please the weird tastes at Fantastic Fest.
Tanya Papanicolas as Sheetar in a production still from “Blood Diner” (1987).
Also screening in the retrospective series is the U.S. premiere of the newly restored French genre forefather The Strangler. Originally released in 1970, The Strangler explores both the motivation of a serial killer as well as the drive behind the detective searching for him. With a slice of Avant- Garde among the sleaze, director/icon Paul Vecchiali also incorporates revealing exposition from the victims. Inspiring future cat-and-mouse thrillers for decades on, Vecchiali’s exploration of depraved erotic fantasy set inside a freaky noir is the 70s genre gold standard.
In a world of writer and actor strikes, the star power at Fantastic Fest this year is limited to directors and producers. So it feels a bit ironic that one of this year’s biggest names will be representing one of the granddaddies of all cult films. Legendary actor Malcolm McDowell will be on hand to present Caligula: The Ultimate Cut, a reconstruction of the 1980 original. Supplemented with never-before-seen footage of McDowell and costars Helen Mirren, John Gielgud, and Peter O’Toole, the revamped extravaganza is required viewing for cinephiles. Featuring a Q and A with McDowell himself to fill in all the juicy behind-the-scenes details, this special screening is not to be missed.
Signature Events
Provocative programming is the backbone of Fantastic Fest. But the signature events peppered throughout the week have become institutions of the fest as well. There’s the ever-popular Fantastic Feud, a game show-style trivia competition that pits filmmakers and festival luminaries against one another in a display of epic esoteric nerd knowledge.
Perhaps one of the most outrageous perennial fest faves is the Fantastic Debates. This event sees two industry types with opposing views debate at a podium and then take the fight to real fisticuffs in the boxing ring. Alongside the raucous happenings, there are various regulars like the father/daughter duo Leonard and Jessie Maltin’s taping of their Maltin On Movies podcast.
Noel Marshall and Tippi Hedren in “Roar” (1981). Hedren’s’ daughter Melanie Griffith also stars. Photo courtesy of Filmways Pictures.
Another is the Doug Benson Interruption, a screening of cult classics with hilarious live commentary from comedian Doug Benson and friends. While Benson is well-known for hosting tapings (some notoriously smoke-filled) of his popular podcast Doug Loves Movies, his send-up of a variety of films over the years is also a festival fave. And guessing by this year’s selection of the insane Tippi Hedren cult classic Roar (1981), the next installment should be no exception.
Other notable events include the return of Found Footage Festival purveyors Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher. Last year’s doc Chop and Steele (2022) delighted festival audiences with the misadventure of Pickett and Prueher as they pranked regional news outlets as a supposed strongman act. This year the team comes back to the fest with their first love, obscure VHS videos from around the world with Found Footage Festival Vol. 10. Boasting clips that include male stripteases and new age seminars, plus a presentation by Lenora’s Midnight Rental’s Laura Wimbels, this event will fit right in with the Fantastic Fest fray.
One more noteworthy addition to this year’s schedule is a taping of the podcast The Kingcast. Spearheaded by veteran bloggers/Fantastic Festers Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler, each episode features a guest who chooses their favorite Stephen King adaptation to adore and analyze. With King’s prolific career, the vast catalog of screen versions of his stories seems as never-ending as fan’s enthusiasm for them. And the Kingcast is the perfect outlet for those of us who can’t get enough.
The Kingcast Podcast, hosted by Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler, will tape an episode at Fantastic Fest.
Fantastic Fest Must-Sees
Even with the excitement of headlining movies and niche events, the meat and potatoes of Fantastic Fest is always the exhaustive list of up-and-coming genre releases. And this year’s lineup certainly runs the gamut.
Writer/director Michel Gondry goes meta with his first feature-length narrative in 8 years. Riffing on his infamous behavior behind the scenes of the 2013 film Blue Indigo, his latest effort, The BookOf Solutions (2023) centers on a director whose artistic ego gets the best of him. No matter the subtext, Gondry’s return to cinema is much-anticipated.
Bella Thorne in a production still for “Divinity” (2023), premiering at Fantastic Fest. Photo courtesy of Utopia/Sumerian.
Another title turning heads on the Fantastic Fest schedule this year is Eddie Alcazar’s dystopian fantasy Divinity (2023). Starring Stephen Dorff as a mad scientist, Scott Bakula as his medical pioneer father, and Bella Thorne as a revolutionary saving the world from infertility, Divinity sounds bonkers in a good way. In addition, Alcazar shot the film on black and white 16mm and also incorporated a “metascope” technique that melds live-action with stop motion. But really, you had us a Bakula.
Another film at the top of our list is the body-swap horror flick Suitable Flesh (2023). Resurrected from an unproduced script by the late great Stuart Gordon, Suitable Flesh is based on the H.P. Lovecraft novella, “The Thing On The Doorstep.” The film stars Heather Graham and frequent Gordon collaborator Barbara Crampton in roles that challenge and question gender norms, body issues, and middle-aged sexuality.
Also, we haven’t even gotten to the notorious Secret Screenings, the first Vin Diesel mini “film festival in a film festival,” or the horror-themed drag show Drag Me To Hell. Just a few more of the anticipated highlights coming up at Fantastic Fest 2023. The festival runs from Thursday, September 21 through Thursday, September 22 in Austin, Texas. Stay tuned for more coverage of the festival in the coming weeks.
