The goal of advancescreenings is not just to get you into blockbuster movies before they come out, but also expose you to some smaller films you may have never heard of. We love going to film festivals and checking out the latest ideas from rising filmmakers and telling you about them. If you’ve been following our posts, you can see that we love going to independent film festivals, international film festivals as well as genre film festivals. So far this year we’ve covered the South By Southwest Film Festival and San Francisco International Film Festival. Last year, for genre films, we visited both the Fantastic Film Festival in Austin, TX and Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival in Seattle, WA. To start off this year, we’re going to Another Hole in the Head, part 8 right here in San Francisco! Here’s a preview of what you can expect and what you can go see yourself at the awesome Roxie Theater.
Prepare yourself for ANOTHER HOLE IN THE HEAD, PART 8! There is no deliverance from the daily grind of life — there is only an escape into the alternate universe that AHITH, PART 8 splashes onto the silver screen. AHITH, PART 8 presents the finest in contemporary horror, horror-comedy, sci-fi and dark fantasy with a collection of films from America and abroad, all the mayhem that movies can provide.
Premieres
Don’t you love seeing something that nobody else has ever seen? Another Hole in the Head has 2 World Premieres as well as 9 US Premieres (Auschwitz, Bloodrayne: The Third Reich, The Craving, Eaters, Haunted Changi, Karate-Robo Zaborgar, Ubaldo Terzani Horror Show, Yakuza Weapon, Zombie Undead) and 4 West Coast Premiers (The Bleeding House, The Book, Grave Encounters, Krackoon).
Apocrypha (USA, 104 mins) World PremiereGriffith enjoys a successful career as senior editor at the San Francisco Chronicle with only one problem: he is plagued with amnesia. With the help of a washed-up psychologist, he reluctantly unearths a number of odd habits which only can be described as unnatural and bizarre. Meanwhile, a strange woman, Maggie awakens in Golden Gate Park with no recollection of how she arrived. Enlisting the aid of a friendly social worker and local gypsy, she slowly begins to recall her true identity. With an increasing and unexpected desire consuming her, it becomes clear that Griffith and Maggie’s new obsessions may be more than just memory loss as they become a dangerous and deadly threat to the city and each other.
Red Ice (USA, 91 mins) World PremiereA rival demon tribe, lead by the she-devil, the Succubus, is poaching human souls in the San Francisco territory, controlled by the demon warlord, Beelzebub. Beelzebub orders his lieutenant, Mr. Wu, to resolve the problem by assassinating the Succubus. Mr. Wu decides to get a mortal to do the killing, and picks Evan, a troubled young man with whom Wu has an old family connection…
Local Filmmakers
It’s always important to support your homegrown filmmakers to capture your surroundings and environment in film. Also, it’s cool to see them in person walking down the street where you live! Other than the 2 movies above, you can also see these 3 from bay area filmmakers.
Breath of Hate (USA, 95 mins) North America PremiereDir: Sean Cain (“Silent Night Zombie Night”) Breath of Hate begins as a simple an utterly twisted love triangle of sorts. A pimp, a hooker and her part time boyfriend. Soon there are three hookers and three escaped mental patients meeting up for what turns out to be a sick-n-twisted evening of sex and violence. The boyfriend wants his girl back and, the pimp wants his money and the mental patients? Let’s just say they have some very curious wants and needs. – Mike Skurko
The Craving (USA, 95 mins) US PremiereLeading a double life, Chef Ronnie spends her days as a charming celebrity chef who thrives and shines as owner of a trendy Spanish tapas restaurant in San Francisco, and spends her nights in ways too gruesome to fathom. As Chef Ronnie’s reputation scorches up the culinary scene, San Francisco’s murder count hits a record high. Haunted by her past in the form a vengeful lover, and caught in the seductive cross fire of an increasingly serious relationship; Chef Ronnie has bitten off more than she can chew.
The Book (USA, 92 mins) West Coast PremiereThey come from another dimension. They have an agenda we are not aware of. They are already here, and they look just like us. How would you react if you met your double, and knew only one of you could survive? In the year 2284, bestselling author Alexis is confronted by look-alike aliens who intend to take over his identity and use it to publish their own book. Known simply as THE BOOK, it is their means of saving humanity. Unpredictable but often playful, these visitors engage Alexis and his family in a wild and provocative chase. The aliens’ book, a potent instrument of alchemy, automatically neutralizes all negative emotions in whoever reads it. No more greed. No more anger. No more fear. No more war. Harmony on the planet. A formula for Utopia? A secret group of dissidents determined to remain unchanged think otherwise. THE BOOK is a fantasy thriller, with a visually startling quality and the potential to become a cult classic. Intense color and larger-than-life characters give it a comic book flair, captivating the viewer with surreal, mesmerizing images. Stylistically radical, this film is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
Personal Picks
I’m really excited to check out those first 5, but these last few also caught my eye. Film festivals are amazing…they are packed with so many great selections to keep you entertained for weeks!
Helldriver (Japan, 118 mins) Opening Night FilmDir: Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police, Suicide Club, Machine Girl) Hell Driver is a blood bath in the depraved realm of extreme cinema. Mutant zombies with horns coming out of their brains, these ‘Zombie antlers’ can be ground and snorted like explosive biker crank. This crazed gore festival of bloody mayhem is punctuated by a raw blasting soundtrack and jaw dropping imagery. Visually explosive and as painful as getting your brain dropped into battery acid. Hell Driver will make you howl! – Mike Skurko
The Victim (USA, 85 mins)Annie’s (Jennifer Blanc) life is in jeopardy after she’s witnessed the horrific rape and murder of her closest friend. Fleeing from two attackers (Ryan Honey, Denny Kirkwood) she stumbles across kyle (Michael Biehn), a recluse living in the middle of the woods. Kyle finds the stillness of the woods comforting. The ruggedly handsome loner stays far from civilization – that is – until a single knock on his door throws his solitary life into chaos. Two worlds collide in this psychological thriller that will make you question your trust in mankind. Michael Biehn will be at the screening!
Yakuza Weapon (Japan, 107 mins)Dir: Tak Sakaguchi & Yudai Yamaguchi Special Effects by Yoshihiro Nishimura (Hell Driver, Tokyo Gore Police) Mind bending special effects and a plot line that borrows from ultra violent Japanese ‘manga.’ A yakuza story of revenge with a twist creates the multi billion yen man, an unstoppable Yakuza Weapon. The ongoing and ever escalating portrayal of Shozo as a man who happily steps on land mines, and thinks nothing of blowing up a sky scraper while standing next to a mountain of dynamite. Yakuza Weapon is out of control. – Mike Skurko
The Oregonian (USA, 81 mins) Sundance SelectionJust fresh from Sundance 2011 – this is one of the new indie horror movies to watch for in 2011. The feel we got is that it’s like a combination of “Hobo With A Shotgun” and “A Winter’s Bone”…it’s about a woman leaves the farm and enters the unknown. Some viewers called it “Alice In Wonderland finds herself in hell”
Karate-Robo Zaborgar (Japan, 102 mins)Dir: Noboru Iguchi (Mutant Girls Squad, Machine Girl, Robo Geisha) Karate-Robo Zaborgar is totally wacked tribute to the transforming robots of the 1970s and is what I consider almost a children’s film. This totally absurd film follows the rise and fall of a police officer, Yutaka Daimon, who inherits a mighty robot warrior named Zaborgar from his mad scientist father. Special effects and the modern take on the ‘transformer’ genre are delivered with explosive dexterity. Zaborgar is hilarious, nutty and totally depraved! – Mike Skurko
Absentia (USA, 91 min)Absentia is a genuinely creepy film that tells the story of a woman who’s husband vanishes for seven years only to re-appear a pale and traumatized shadow of himself. She does her best to move beyond the ‘missing years’ only to find there may well be another dimension at work. As the details unfold Absentia will leave you in a cold sweat from the hair-raising possibilities that lurk beneath the surface. -Mike Skurko
For the full schedule, visit the Another Hole in the Head 2011 Festival Guide. You can purchase tickets now! We recommend the Hole Head Pass which is only $100 and gets you into ALL the films and parties!
Another Hole in the Head Film Festival, Part 8 is from June 2nd to the 17th at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. Advance tickets are $10 (Same day tickets are $11). A 5 film voucher is $45, 10 film voucher is $85 and the Hole Head Pass is $100. Pass holders get first priority on seating. The box office opens 30 minutes before the first show of the day. For all screenings, please arrive 15 minutes before show time to assure seating. Don’t be scared, see you there
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This post is part of our ANITH coverageEvery year, the ANOTHER HOLE IN THE HEAD FILM FESTIVAL unleashes the best dark fantasy, horror/comedy, sci-fi, bizarro-vision cinema in San Francisco. 2011 is no exception — AHITH, PART 8 will throw up 26 features and 15 short films onto the screen at the Roxie Theater, the beating heart of horror starting June 2 through June 17.Visit SF INDIEFEST’s Official Website
Tags: Another Hole in the Head, Part 8, Film Festival, Part 8, Roxie Theater, San Francisco
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
