11 Geek Films You Should See At This Year’s Phoenix Film Festival
![Jonathan At The Phoenix Film Festival [Lightning Octopus] 1](http://www.lightningoctopus.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/0053_2011_film_festival.jpg "Jonathan At The Phoenix Film Festival [Lightning Octopus] 1")
The Phoenix Film Festival and International Horror & SciFi Film Festival recently listed what they are showing this year.
It all goes down March 29th through April 5th out at that Harkins at the top of the 101, and last year I learned that attending film festivals is actually pretty dang fun.
With the PFF and IHSFFF combining, we get to enjoy the benefit of some over-lap in genre programming. I spent some time looking over this year’s crop and thought I’d share the ones that sounded interesting to me, from a genre fan perspective.
Don’t worry, not every “sci-fi” film made this list. Some films, while having an interesting premise, still looked kinda boring, and others just flat out used way too many lens flares in their trailer.
The rest actually sound pretty awesome, or funny, or clever.
Shorts
- A couple of “Dream Cleaners” mess up on a routine job and a kid’s dreams start spilling into reality.
- Giant toy robots begin adorable rampage.
- Sounds kinda fun. Pics looked pretty good.
- Isolated man and woman mess with their memories.
- Special effects look good in the trailer.
- Old timey feel and some comedy – could be up my alley.
- Boy loses girl to extra-dimensional monster.
- Over-the-top highly stylized action/comedy ensues.
- Looks like it doesn’t take itself too seriously – or at all.
- I think I might watch this one based solely on its title.
- No, really.
- Follows some vampires down on their luck after enjoying a run of sexy vampire glorification.
- Now they find themselves dealing with blood sucker over-saturation…. and Twilight.
- Actually looks really funny (I love dark humor) and well shot.
- Some dude on a space station studies a woman who doesn’t age.
- Looks a little slow, but it reminds me of a Swedish film I really liked called Cargo.
- I’ll give it a shot.
- A little animated short about a girl in a clockwork-type city who finds a “moon.”
- The pics look gorgeous.
Features
- I’m a sucker for sci-fi paranoid mind-games.
- This one’s about a girl trying to escape a creepy city.
- I’m in! Plus the trailer looks pretty sweet.
- A monster-ploitation film?
- Classic movie-monsters get in the ring and punch each other in the face.
- This could either be amazingly funny or wah wah wahhhh. Hoping for the former.
- (Hey Steamcrow, what do you think?)
- This one has actually been getting some buzz.
- Supposed to please folks who enjoyed Momento.
- Dude wakes up in the desert with no memories.
With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story
- Title kinda says it all!
So what do you think, cephalobots?
Anything pique your interest?
Kick Off Your 2012 Fitness Goals By Walking With The Dead
Zombies are constantly shedding pounds – probably because shambling is such a great calorie burner.
(Or maybe it’s the whole rotting flesh thing.)
Regardless, this weekend you can kick off this year’s attempt at a personal fitness program by walking with The Walking Dead!
Gotham City Comics is partnering with this weekend’s Amazing Arizona Comic Con to host an official zombie walk for the beloved zombie comic and TV saga. You ca expect hordes of flesh eaters, and the Department of Zombie Defense to make an appearance.
Word on the street is that Kirkman himself, as well as some cast members, will be attending the walk.
- Start your shambling at 7:30pm on January 6th.
- At the always funky Gotham City Comics in Downtown Mesa.
- Check it out or join the fun as a rotter.
- Here’s the Walking Dead Zombie Walk Facebook Event for more.
After a some healthy limping around, and maybe losing a few limbs along the way, you’ll weigh a fraction of what you used to!
And I’m just going to leave this here…
7 Geeky Things To Do This Weekend In Arizona [WE10/23]
This weekend, Arizona haunts, hexes, and howls.
Lots of Halloween stuff going on, but I tried to find the geekiest for us.
Friday, October 21st
Arizona Witches Ball [Peoria]
- Shine up the cauldron, it’s a witches ball!
- DJs, Celtic bands, costume contest, vendors, and belly dancing.
- Tickets are $45 though, so you better really like witches.
- At CrownPlaza from 6pm to 2am.
- Brew up the details at this event page.
Downtown Mesa Ghost Tour [Mesa]
- *UPDATE – @Nerdvana re-tweeted that this is already sold out, but 4 tickets are available to win.
- Explore what may or may not go bump in the night in Mesa.
- Starting at 6pm, take a tour with experts on the paranormal.
- Learn more in this detailed article from the E V Tribune.
- OoooOOooooOOOoooooh!!
All Night Horror Movie Marathon! [Mesa]
- Take Friday night’s 8 hours of sleep and trade them all in for horror movies.
- Burn through 4 surprise films and watch them through your fingers.
- At The Royale from 11:30pm until 8am. (Told you!)
- Learn more on Facebook.
Saturday, October 22nd
Comic Exclusive Bonanza! [Glendale]
- Jesse James has a new and bigger space!
- Go check it out and meet zillions of other local comic nuts.
- Tons of big comic guests from the valley and beyond.
- Pretty much all day and into the night.
- Here’s the facebook page.
Monster Party! [Mesa]
- Live music from Limit Club, monster makeovers, and food.
- And don’t miss the brain-eating contest!
- Spooky comic artist Madame M will be doing sketches. (She’s really good.)
- From 7pm to 10pm at Bookmans Mesa.
- Mash some details.
*Added – Bloodline 3 Tournament [Tempe]
- Don’t let the end of Devastation get you down, here’s another tournament!
- Takes place at University of Advancing Technology around 1pm.
- Learn all about it from Press The Pause Button.
*Added – Halloween Hack Night! [Mesa]
- Are some of your Halloween ideas a little wild this year?
- Swing by HeatSync Labs anytime in the evening and get the help and resources you need to make them happen.
- “From knitting to sewing, from laser etching to lathing, to electronics and soldering…”
- Learn more on HeatSync’s blog.
Have a fun weekend and let me know if I missed anything.
Spread the geek!
