We certainly didn't see this one coming, but if anything, Fantastic Fest is known for sucker punches of awesomeness. Debates include fisticuffs over Tremors, Zack Synder, Rocky 4, and on whether superhero movies are ruining the industry. The new films set to screen at Fantastic Fest include Tokyo-stomper Shin Godzilla, Sarah Adina Smith's Buster's Mal Heart, The Untamed, Nirvana The Band Show, Paanch, Pervert Boy, and Playground.
From the press release:
Alamo Drafthouse's Fantastic Fest is excited to unveil last minute additions to the schedule, adding to one of the most highly diverse lineups in the festival's twelve-year history. And see who will go toe to toe in the fest's highly anticipated yearly event, the Fantastic Debates!
Godzilla returns to the big screen in 2016 with SHIN GODZILLA, the 32nd film in the legendary franchise and currently the 3rd highest grossing film in Japan this year. The King of the Monsters stomps into Fantastic Fest for its North American Premiere before smashing its way through the U.S. and Canada on October 11th.
Fantastic Fest also welcomes Cannes prize-winning director Amat Escalante to the festival for the US Premiere of his provocative and brilliantly intoxicating alien drama, THE UNTAMED. A science fiction stunner, THE UNTAMED is story of sexual obsession that recently wowed audiences at its Toronto premiere.
Female filmmakers have a major presence at this year's fest, and the lineup continues to grow with director Sarah Adina Smith making her FF debut for the US Premiere of her surreal time-twisting thriller BUSTER'S MAL HEART. Smith's follow up to her much-lauded bow THE MIDNIGHT SWIM features a magnificent turn by Mr. Robot's Rami Malek in his first big screen leading role as he attempts to piece together mysterious events surrounding him.
"Our pursuit of the best genre titles doesn't stop until the festival closes," said Fantastic Fest founder Tim League. "This year we've brought in some really great films to beat the buzzer and reflect the truly global nature of the festival."
Without question, the most physically powerful tradition at Fantastic Fest is the FANTASTIC DEBATES, where creatives, journalists and diehard cinema enthusiasts engage in verbal conflict before settling their disputes with their gloved fists!
Past years have included blood-boiling ragewars and a few good-natured bashings between everyone from Elijah Wood to Michelle Rodriguez to Keanu Reeves, and 2016 promises to feature some of the fanciest filmmaker fistwork yet (and a couple big surprises).
Round ONE!
JOSH ETHIER vs JEREMY GARDNER
RESOLVED: Tremors is the best monster movie since... Tremors
Two towering titans of independent horror go chin-to-chin over the earth-moving subject of Graboid superiority!
Round TWO!
JOSH LOBO vs JARROD MURRAY
RESOLVED: Zack Snyder is the most wrongly maligned cinematic visionary of the 21st century
It's filmmaker vs. manager, as indie director Lobo battles Epicenter LA founder Murray to sincerely defend the honor of today's most lauded/disregarded blockbuster-maker!
Round THREE!
BREE ESSRIG vs WHITNEY MOORE
RESOLVED: Superhero movies are destroying the film industry
SourceFed Nerd hosts and pals Moore (who also starred in legendary big-screen stinkbomb Birdemic) and Essrig tear their camaraderie to shreds over the actual burning topic of superheroverload!
FINAL ROUND!
GREG MacLENNAN vs MICHAEL WILCHESTER
RESOLVED: Rocky 4 is the single greatest boxing film of all time
Longtime Fantastic Fest employees (and actual trained fighters) MacLennan and Wilchester settle the smoldering feud between all pugilist cinema maniacs. Was Ivan Drago the ultimate soldier of the ring?!See below for the latest additions to the lineup at Fantastic Fest 2016.
SHIN GODZILLA
Japan, 2016
North American Premiere, 120 min
Directors - Hideaki Anno & Shinji Higuchi
Make way for the ultimate homage to one of the most enduring legends of the big screen: Godzilla! The King of the Monsters is back in Tokyo for a city-crushing crusade that speaks to the very roots of the world-renowned franchise.
THE UNTAMED
Mexico, 2016
North American Premiere, 100 min
Director - Amat Escalante
A meteorite crashes onto an isolated mountain somewhere in Mexico. Meanwhile, Alejandra and Angel are trying to salvage their unhappy marriage. When these two disparate elements collide, there'll be consequences for all.
BUSTER'S MAL HEART
United States, 2016
United States, 2016
U.S.Premiere, 96 min
Director - Sarah Adina Smith
This is the story of a mountain man on the run, surviving the winter by breaking into empty homes. This is also the story of a man lost at sea. The thing is... they're the same man.
NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW
Canada, 2016
U.S. Premiere, 75 min
Directors - Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol
Two friends will go to the most inane, self-destructive lengths to rise to musical fame in this new series from Matt Johnson of THE DIRTIES.
PAANCH
India, 2003
Repertory Screening, 130 min
Director - Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap's notorious first feature focuses on the five members of a rock band who indulge in sex, drugs, rock n' roll, and before long... crime! Their lives will never be the same.
PERVERT BOY
Republic of Korea, 2016
World Premiere, 88 min
Director - Lee Sang-Woo
This is the story of four brothers and the inevitable clash between their lives in modern day Seoul. This is the story of a pervert boy and those who surround him.
PLAYGROUND
Poland, 2016
North American Premiere, 81 min
Director - Bartosz M. Kowalski
It's the last day of school in small town Poland and Gabrysia wants to tell her classmate that she loves him. It will not end well.