Wow – what’s cooler, the city of Montreal or the fabulous FanTasia Film Festival? I can’t even imagine one without the other now. This was the most amazing time.
Night 1 was a blast. Mitch Davis who runs the fest is like the coolest guy ever – I could talk horror and film in general with him for hours (actually I think I did) and never tire of it. I see why his fest is so popular – I loved every film we saw that weekend – particularly Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl and Orochi
Saturday night was a total blast from the past for me. I hooked up with old friends Ean Murphy and Joe Renz with 
whom we collaborated on Teenage Bikini Vampire. Then we caught Smash Cut, the latest by Lee DeMarbre with whom I hang at Slamdance years ago when their film Harry Knuckles and the Aztec Mummy screened the same year my screenplay The Last Cha-Cha was a top 10 winner. Read all about that experience HERE.
After their super fun screening – a soldout 800-seat auditorium at midnight, we partied like it was Slamdance 2000 all over again. What a blast to see how far Lee and the gang have come. And how wonderful, that despite bigger budgets and higher production values, they still have every bit as much heart and are doing it for the love of it. It was truly inspiring.
Night 2 we saw Buddy Giovinazzo’s Combat Shock, which I just loved and Monday we caught his latest truly inspired, albeit brutal feature Life is Hot in Cracktown . I had the pleasure of hanging with him and his super cool wife the following two evenings and cannot find enough nice things to say about the guy. A true visionary. Go see his stuff if you haven’t already.
The rest of the fest could not have been more idyllic. Awesome films, punk rock zombie concerts, fun FanTasia family dinners, a bar and grille named just for me (see left) – I nearly forgot we’d come to screen a film. And imagine my surprise when by 5pm on Tuesday evening we had a packed 800-seat auditorium! Sweet!
The other films in our block were fabulous. I’d caught Rite at Sundance and was delighted to meet directrix Alicia Conway, who was as impressive as her film. Other highlights were the Baby Shredder Song and My Love Lives in the Sewer - which definitely wins the award for weird. I can’t begin to describe it – just make a point to see it. Kill if you must. It’s that memorable. i also reconnected with fest buddy Jef.X and we put out our very first trippin’ promo postcards – yay!
This was definitely one of those fests I was truly sad to leave – felt like the last day of summer sleepaway camp where you have to hug all your new friends goodbye and promise to stay in touch, all the while knowing it will never be quite like this again.
We stayed up all night, then caught a 5am plane en route back to L.A. – got home in time to unpack, do laundry and repack for a trek down to San Diego’s infamous Comic-Con where we were also screening. Never a dull moment – even when I think I might need one…