First thing I should mention if you are attending this year or have a film out there please contact me.

I might be off on my numbers but it appears that there are 137 feature films (not including any secret screenings that will invariably find there way into the mix) playing at the 42nd Sitges Film Festival. To break that down for what I want to see I would have to average at least 5.5 films a day while out there. I hope to get close to that and I remember in past year where I would go to a Midnight Marathon there that lasted from 1am until 7am and then immediately go back to the hotel, have a quick shower and then breakfast and then sprint back to the Melia for the 8am press screening… then do it all over again. The doses of great cinema, great crowds, great events and great programming make sleep irrelevant and help many power through day after day of going nearly 24 hours straight back to back to back to…

What titles am I most looking forward to this year? Number one for me is just registering films in the Melia and experiencing them with audiences from its surrounding area. The Sitges Film Fest audiences to date are the only ones that before a Johnnie To film for example will start chanting “MILKY WAY! MILKY WAY! MILKY WAY!” and then followed by “JOHNNIE TO, JOHNNIE TO, JOHNNIE TO!!!” The Melia movie theater when cranked up is incredibly intense and has a giant screen that when combined with its great audiences take a film to another level so you not only remember a film but also the screening of it there itself. The other 3 screening venues are great and unique in their own way but the Melia is near and dear to my film loving heart.

The main centerpiece of all the programming this year is a huge celebration for ALIEN. What all they have in store for it this year I have zero idea outside of its screening and that they are throwing so much love at it in celebrating its 30th anniversary, that really anything big or small they do to celebrate it will be amazing and something I’ll greatly love as its the first horror film I ever saw. To take part in this celebration with fellow lovers of it… this one thing alone more than cements how priceless this year will be.

With specific titles I’m really itching to see Soi Cheang’s (Dog Bite Dog) latest effort in Accident. I’m getting from it a certain Sergio Sollima vibe to its Hong Kong action thriller palate which sounds perfectly up my alley to like.

Dogtooth is another film I can’t wait to see as everyone was raving about it at Cannes.

For Enter the Void having seen its world premiere at Cannes in its long cut, I’m curious to see how its new edit fares. It was a jaw dropping film that had too much narrative duplication and if it removes most of that into a tight cut then it should really be one of the top films this year. A very mature, challenging film that has a bold vision while bucking convention. I love these type of films that throw away convention and try and tell you a story with cinema in a completely refreshing new way.

La Horde is a zombie meets Die Hard type film out of France that I’ve been tracking ever since filmmaker Xavier Gens first brought it to my attention. The main criticism I’ve heard to date has centered around its score which seems to over the top and off putting.

Splice looks more of a thinking sci-fi tale than a conventional alien rampage outing. I’m not expecting this one to be an all out action film and this is easily one of the highlights of Sitges this year to be able to see it on the big screen at the Melia.

With Park Chan-wook’s Thirst I’ve now been to its world premiere at Cannes which was an experience I’ll never forget and it had a longer cut than what got released in US theaters. The third act felt like it was the biggest victim of cuts and apparently there is a longer more “directors cut” that might be screening here which will be a more refined version of what I saw at Cannes. Very safe to say that I cannot wait to see this in the Melia!

The two Miike films in Yatterman and Crows Zero II are a must!

Town Called Panic I saw at Cannes and loved every minute of it. My biggest fear going into it was that after 20 minutes it would start to repeat itself and luckily the film was so fueled up with creativity and sugar rush insanity that it flew by. If it was an amusement park its the kind of ride that feels like it flies by in under 10 seconds and you immediately want to race back into its two hour wait in line to experience it all over again.

BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS looks like a film that hits you ever different way and in every different place from your heart to your funny bone while also slapping you around some. I have no idea what to expect but I want to check it out as soon as possible.

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS is a film that I loved its first half but felt completely removed and disconnected from its second half when I saw it towards the end of Cannes this year. I really want to see this again and to see if the second half plays any better.

In the retrospectives I am most looking forward to seeing MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (anime I’ve never seen but been dying to!), Clockwork Orange, Nightmare on Elm Street (amazing how intense and scary this one still feels to this day!), Eyes Without a Face and Ghostbusters!

Two entries from Japan also stand out in TETSUO: THE BULLETMAN and SYMBOL. I’ll see anything that Shinya Tsukamoto or Hitoshi Matsumoto ever do!

Best Worst Movie I’ve yet to see and it looks like a lot of fun! Glad I can finally check it out.

The MIDNIGHT X-TREME lineup is always fun and I hope to be able to attend some especially with THE HORSEMAN and THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE as those are two films Rodney Perkins seems to really really dig. Smash Cut and VAMPIRE GIRL VS. FRANKENSTEIN GIRL look like pure insanity and the types of films I’ll need around the 5 am slot to keep me going.

The MONDO MACABRO lineup is another required section you will want to check out everything playing. I never know what Pete Tombs and team have up their sleeve and cannot wait for another all nighter with their programming!

Appears that Yves Montmayeur has a documentary playing this year to which I cannot wait to check out. I’ve seen two of his docs, In the Mood for Doyle and another on South Korean filmmakers that were both immensely engaging and informative.

Last but not least the Seven Chances section I’ve found to be one of the most daring and really never have a slight idea with any title what I’m getting myself into but always try each year to see all that are playing. One of my favorite films I’ve seen this decade in Adam’s Apples played there and roughly for the entire film at the Prado it was me and several floors with balconies of people that were 1,000% completely rolling with everything the movie threw at them and loving every single second. Hands down one of the best film experiences and screenings I’ve ever attended.

These titles only represent a small portion of what I hope to see there and can’t wait to try and see how close to 60 I get with film watching this year. Say goodbye to sleep and hello to film lovers paradise!

Full press release and link to full feature lineup follows after the link bump.

Sitges 09 announces its complete program and presents the spot

The Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia announces its complete program. There are still a few surprises to be confirmed, like the closing gala, but we’ve already put together the final list of films that will be screened at SITGES 09. Below you’ll find the titles of each film and their sections.

Plus, to get your engines revving, you can now see the SITGES 09 spot (here). Blood and action in an ad that will leave no one indifferent.

OPENING FILM

[REC]2. Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero. 2009.

OFFICIAL FANTASTIC IN COMPETITION SECTION

ACCIDENT. Soi Cheang. 2009.
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN. Andrew Lancaster. 2009.
THE CHILDREN. Tom Shankland. 2008.
COLD SOULS. Sophie Bartes. 2009.
THE COUNTESS. Julie Delpy. 2009.
LES DERNIERS JOURS DU MONDE. Jean-Marie and Arnaud Larrieu. 2009.
DOGTOOTH (KYNODONTAS). Yorgos Lanthimos. 2009.
DORIAN GRAY. Oliver Parker. 2009.
ENTER THE VOID. Gaspar Noé. 2009.
GRACE. Paul Solet. 2009.
HEARTLESS. Philip Ridley. 2009.
HIERRO. Gabe Ibanez. 2009.
LA HORDE. Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher. 2009.
INGRID. Eduard Cortes. 2009.
KINATAY. Brillante Mendoza. 2009.
METROPIA. Tarik Saleh. 2009.
MOON. Duncan Jones. 2009.
MR. NOBODY. Jaco Van Dormael. 2009.
MUSASHI: THE DREAM OF THE LAST SAMURAI. Mizuho Nishikubo. 2009.
NE TE RETOURNE PAS. Marina de Van. 2009.
SPLICE. Vincenzo Natali. 2009.
THIRST. Park Chan-wook. 2009.
TIMER. Jac Schaeffer. 2009.
YATTERMAN. Takashi Miike. 2009.

OFFICIAL FANTASTIC PANORAMA SECTION

9. Shane Acker. EUA, 2009.
BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS. Werner Herzog. 2009.
CARGO. Ivan Engler and Ralph Etter. 2009.
CARRIERS. Alex Pastor and David Pastor. 2009.
THE COLLECTOR. Marcus Dunstan. 2009.
CROWS 2. Takashi Miike. 2009.
DEAD SNOW. Tommy Wirkola. 2008.
LOFT. Erik Van Looy. 2008.
ORPHAN. Jaume Collet-Serra. 2009.
PANDORUM. Christian Alvart. 2009.
PANIQUE AU VILLAGE aka TOWN CALLED PANIC. Stephane Aubier and Vincent Patar. 2009.
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. Oren Peli. 2007.
SHADOW. Federico Zampaglione. 2009.
SOLOMON KANE. Michael J. Basset. 2009.
SORORITY ROW. Stewart Hendler. 2009.
SUMMER WARS. Mamoru Hosoda. 2009.
GEORGE A. ROMERO’S SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD. George A. Romero. 2009.
VALHALLA RISING. Nicolas Winding. 2009.
ZOMBIELAND. Ruben Fleischer. 2009.

OFFICIAL FANTASTIC PANORAMA SECTION – BRITISH FOCUS

DOGHOUSE. Jake West. 2009.
THE DESCENT: PART 2. John Harris. 2009.
THE ECLIPSE. Connor McPherson. 2009.
LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS. Phil Claydon. 2008.
MALICE IN WONDERLAND. Simon Fellows. 2009.

SITGES ESPECIALS

CELDA 211. Daniel Monzon. 2009.
CLIVE BARKER’S BOOK OF BLOOD. John Harrison. 2009.
CLIVE BARKER’S DREAD. Anthony DiBlasi. 2009.
THE FROST. Ferran Audi. 2009.
THE HURT LOCKER. Kathryn Bigelow. 2008.
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS. Terry Gilliam. 2009.
NADIE INQUIETO MAS. Gustavo Leonel Mendoza. 2008.
NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE AND BLUE. THE EVOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN HORROR FILM. Andrew Monument. 2009.
TETSUO: THE BULLETMAN. Shinya Tsukamoto. 2009.

SITGES CLASSICS

ALIEN (ALIEN, EL 8. PASAJERO). Ridley Scott. 1979.
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. Stanley Kubrick. 1971.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (EL PENDULO DE LA MUERTE). Roger Corman. 1961.
ZOMBI 2 (NUEVA YORK BAJO EL TERROR DE LOS ZOMBIS). Lucio Fulci. 1979.

SITGES CLASSICS – TRIBUTE TO THE 80’s

A NIGHTMARE IN ELM STREET (PESADILLA EN ELM STREET). Wes Craven. 1984.
GHOST BUSTERS (LOS CAZAFANTASMAS). Ivan Reitman. 1984.

OFFICIAL NOVES VISIONS SECTION

FICTION

BRONSON. Nicolas Winding Refn. 2009.
DELIVER US FROM EVIL. Ole Bornedal. 2009.
THE FORBIDDEN DOOR. Joko Ankwar. 2009.
THE FOREST. Ashvin Kumar. 2009.
THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL. Ti West. 2009.
INDEPENDENCIA. Raya Martin. 2009.
MORPHIA. Alexei Balabanov. 2008.
NYMPH. Pen-ek Ratanaruang. 2009.
PONTYPOOL. Bruce McDonald. 2008.
SYMBOL. Hitoshi Matsumoto. 2009.
VAN DIEMEN’S LAND. Jonathan auf der Heide. 2009.
VISAGE. Tsai Ming-liang. 2009.
WHITE LIGHTNIN’. Dominic Murphy. 2009.

NO FICTION

BEST WORST MOVIE. Michael Paul Stephenson. 2009.
CROPSEY. Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio. 2008.
SON AND MOON (DIARIO DE UN ASTRONAUTA). Manuel Huerga. 2008.

DISCOVERY

1. Pater Sparrow. 2009.
AMER. Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani. 2009.
COLIN. Marc Price. 2008.

ORIENT EXPRESS-CASA ASIA

20th CENTURY BOYS – CHAPTER 2. Yukihiko Tsutsumi. 2009.
20th CENTURY BOYS – CHAPTER 3. Yukihiko Tsutsumi. 2009.
CHAW. Shin Jung-won. 2009.
GOEMON. Kazuaki Kiriya. 2009.
HAEUNDAE. Yun Je-gyun. 2009.
IP MAN. Wilson Yip Wai-shun. 2008.
MERANTAU. G. H. Evans. 2009.
VENGEANCE. Johnnie To. 2009.

ANIMA’T

EVANGELION 2.0. Masayuki and Kazuya Tsurumaki. 2009.
FIRST SQUAD. THE MOMENT OF TRUTH. Yoshiharu Ashino, Misha Shprits and Aljosha Klimov. 2009.
GENIUS PARTY BEYOND. Mahiro Maeda, Kazuto Nakazawa, Shinya Ohira, Tatsuyuki Tanaka and Koji Morimoto. 2008.
IN THE ATTIC: WHO HAS A BIRTHDAY TODAY? Jiri Barta. 2009.
KING OF THORN. Kazuyoshi Katayama. 2009.
LASCARS (ROUND DA WAY). Albert Pereira-Lazaro and Emmanuel Klotz. 2009.

ANIMA’T NENS

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO. Hayao Miyazaki. 1988.
THE SECRET OF KELLS. Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey. 2009.
OBLIVION ISLAND: HARUKA AND THE MAGIC MIRROR. Shinsuke Sato. 2009.
YONA YONA PENGUIN. Rintaro. 2009.

MIDNIGHT X-TREME

BLACK DYNAMITE. Scott Sanders. 2008.
THE HILLS RUN RED. Dave Parker. 2009.
BREAK. Matthias Olof Eich. 2009.
HARD REVENGE MILLY.
HARD REVENGE MILLY BLOODY BATTLE. Takanori Tsujimoto. 2008/2009.
THE HORSEMAN. Steven Kastrissios. 2008.
THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE. Tom Six. 2009.
THE LOVED ONES. Sean Byrne. 2009.
MACABRE. The MO Brothers. 2009.
RECON 2023: THE GAUDA PRIME CONSPIRACY. Christian Viel. 2009.
THE REVENANT. Kerry Prior. 2009.
SAMURAI PRINCESS. Kengo Kaji. 2008.
SMASH CUT. Lee Gordon Demarbre. 2009.
VAMPIRE GIRL VS. FRANKENSTEIN GIRL. Naoyuki Tomomatsu and Yoshihiro Nishimura. 2009.
WASTING AWAY. Matthew Kohnen. 2007.
YAMAGATA SCREAM. Naoto Takenaka. 2009.
ZONE OF THE DEAD. Milan Konjevic. 2009.

MONDO MACABRO

MAHAKAAL (THE MONSTER). Tulsi and Shyam Ramsay. 1993.
VEERANA (THE WILDERNESS). Tulsi and Shyam Ramsay. 1988.

ELS ALTRES FANTASTICS: IMAGINARI I AUTORIA EN EL CINEMA CATALA I ESPANYOL CONTEMPORANI

BRUJA, MAS QUE BRUJA. Fernando Fernan-Gomez. 1977.
CADA VER ES… Angel Garcia del Val. 1981.
EL ESPÍRITU DE LA COLMENA. Victor Erice. 1973.
EL PERRO. Antonio Isasi Isasmendi. 1977.
EL SUENO DEL MONO LOCO. Fernando Trueba. 1989.
LA CASA SIN FRONTERAS. Pedro Olea. 1972.
LA MADRE MUERTA. Juanma Bajo Ulloa. 1993.
LAS CRUELES. Vicente Aranda. 1969.
VAMPYRES (LAS HIJAS DE DRACULA). Jose Ramon Larraz. 1974.
VIVA LA MUERTE! AUTOPSIE DU NOUVEAU CINEMA FANTASTIQUE ESPAGNOL. Yves Montmayeur. 2009.

SEVEN CHANCES

UN LAC. Philippe Grandrieux. 2008.
MARY AND MAX. Adam Elliot. 2008.
NUCINGEN HAUS. Raoul Ruiz. 2008.
PALERMO SHOOTING. Wim Wenders. 2008.
LA TERRE DE LA FOLIE. Luc Moullet. 2009.
LES YEUX SANS VISAGE (LOS OJOS SIN ROSTRO) aka EYES WITHOUT A FACE. Georges Franju. 1959.
YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH. Francis Ford Coppola. 2007.

Cinema is Dope Coverage of Sitges Film Festival 2009:
::: Previewing Sitges Film Festival 2009 – Part Six
::: Previewing Sitges Film Festival 2009 – Part Five
::: Previewing Sitges Film Festival 2009 – Official Fantastic In Competition Selection
::: Previewing Sitges Film Festival 2009 – Noves Visions Lineup
::: Previewing Sitges Film Festival 2009 – Part Four
::: Previewing Sitges Film Festival 2009 – Part Three
::: Previewing Sitges Film Festival 2009 – Part Two
::: Previewing Sitges Film Festival 2009 – Part One

Sitges Film Festival 2009:
::: Official Site
::: Sitges Official Facebook Fan Page
::: Variety on Sitges ‘09
::: ‘Visage’, by Tsai Ming-liang, opens the Noves Visions category
::: Malcolm McDowell to receive the Grand Honorary Award at the opening, which will moved up to October 1st
::: [REC]2 to open Sitges 09
::: Alien is the inspiration for Sitges 09
::: The latest and most eagerly awaited genre films at Official Fantàstic Section
::: Animation, international variants of horror and 3D film
::: Sitges 09 will be recalling certain flashes from the 80’s

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