Time travel.  Murderous children.  Swedish zaniness.  Sprawling epics.  Bloody deaths.  Communicable diseases.  Conspiracies.  Drugs.  Kidnapping.  Absurdist adventures.  Check.  Check.  And check.

All this is standard fare at Fantastic Fest and this year it was no different.  I chose to watch 26 films this time around from many countries and 75% of them were awesome! It was a week full of meeting geeks like me and sharing our thoughts about film and all things geeky.  That is what makes FF so cool–everyone there is like minded and you find yourself making friends easily.

Now for the movies…most of these will not have mainstream releases but you may want to keep an eye out for release on Netflix or in small indie houses.  I graded each movie and added a link to a trailer and/or description on the Fantastic Fest website.

The ABCs of Death  C

Aftershock   C

Antiviral   B

Besties   A

Come Out and Play   C

The Conspiracy   A

Dom–A Russian Family   A

Flicker   A++

Frankenweenie  A++

Fuck Up   A+

Graceland   A+

Here Comes The Devil   B

Holy Motors   A++

I Declare War  B

The King of Pigs   B

Lee’s Adventure   A

Looper    A+++  (review coming soon)

Memory of the Dead   D

No Rest for the Wicked   A

Outrage Beyond    B

Room 237   A

Secret Screening…  Cloud Atlas  A+++   (will preview soon)

Tai Chi Zero    B

Tower Block   A+

Vanishing Waves   B+

Wrong   B

Well, that was 2012!  I am already getting excited about next year–can’t wait to see what they program for 2013!  And by then Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar will have been demolished (kind of bittersweet) and then rebuilt into a new complex…yeah…it’s going to be extra awesome!