By: Paul Farrell
I was told upon my arrival at Fantastic Fest that, at a certain point, the days would begin to blend together. That reality itself would become an unreliable entity, time passing in great chunks as nothing but movies, beer, and brief encounters with those I had previously only known via their Twitter handle float by in scarcely digestible vignettes. Yes, I was warned, I just thought it would take longer than a few days to kick in.
On this Off-Topic episode, Nolan is joined by Kat Adams, Paul Farrell, and Emily von Seele live from this year’s Fantastic Fest to discuss the movies they saw during the first two days of the festival.
By: Paul Farrell
Friday, September 20th, 2019 was an important day. I’ve hit many milestones in my time on this Earth, but until this particular day I had never experienced a full day…of Fantastic Fest. It brought with it a sinister Turkish government satellite dish; the mysterious death of a man due to “getting weird;” an epic cosmic threat from the deepest reaches of outer space (complete with a bourbon-loving, alpaca-milking Nicolas Cage); and a hard-R, Lifetime-esque midnight movie that features the heavy use of a sledgehammer that was formerly wall art. Allow me to explain.
By: Paul Farrell
The water is clear and blue in the bright sunlight, the sandy floor unobscured. There’s something serene about the crystal clear sea, something calming about the lapping waves as they make their way toward the sandy shore. In the wake of the beaming sun, the beauty of the ocean’s vastness and what it holds just beneath the surface is utterly breathtaking, offering a staggering sense of unfathomable possibility — one that can feel as impressive in the light as it does imposing in the dark.
That’s when a girl washes ashore.
On this Off-Topic episode, Nolan is joined by Emily von Seele and special guest Trace Thurman from Bloody Disgusting to discuss the many great new genre movies they caught at this year’s amazing Fantastic Fest.
By: Emily von Seele
One of my favorite films to come out of this year’s Fantastic Fest was the sci-fi tale of friendship and resilience, Level 16. Set in the Vestalis Academy for girls, the film focuses on Vivien (Katie Douglas) and Sophia (Celina Martin), two girls who have spent years living and being trained in the institution. The prison-like school adheres to a strict code of conduct, preparing girls for eventual adoption by wealthy families. The girls are being trained to be perfect daughters and young women — they obey a strict set of rules, striving to be obedient, sweet, and clean.
By: Nolan McBride
Between Worlds is a new supernatural thriller about a trucker named Joe (Nicolas Cage) who falls in with Julie (Franka Potente), a single mother with the ability to send her spirit between the world of the living and the dead. Following an accident, Julie tries to pull her daughter Billie (Penelope Mitchell) from a coma using her abilities, but something (or someone else) intervenes, resulting in a very different Billie waking up and an unexpected love triangle. I don’t want to spoil the plot any further, but the movie only gets weirder from there.
By: Nolan McBride
There are so many movies to see at this year’s Fantastic Fest and only so much time to write about them, so rather than trying to review them all, I am going to cover the movies about which I was most passionate or those I want to make sure everyone puts on their radar. In this edition, it’s the much-anticipated sequel to John Carpenter’s seminal slasher, an unexpected roller coaster of a thriller, and an emotional, fantastical tale about outsiders finding their place in the world.
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