A guide to Fantastic Fest

Fantastic Fest is celebrating six years of giving the cinephiles films that aren't normally in the biggest box office hit list. That is if they ever make it to the big screen. These are the films that usually come second to whatever is the latest Jerry Bruckheimer or James Cameron film.

Before Accent endures a week full of sitting in uncomfortable movie chairs, eye strains from the bright lights and sore thumbs from playing video games, Accent Life & Arts Editor Sarah Vasquez sorted through the list of the selected films while staff writer Jason Witmer listed the video games from the debuting Fantastic Arcade that caught their attention.

Movies

Buried - Ryan Reynolds puts on a one-man show in this thriller about a man, Paul Conroy, waking up in a buried coffin. Now Conroy has to find a way out before it's too late with just the help of his cell phone and a lighter.

Let Me In - Why do American film studios feel this need to remake acclaimed foreign films that require reading subtitles? Let Me In is the English adaptation of Swedish Let the Right One In about a 12-year-old boy that befriends his new neighbor who also happens to be a vampire.

Playing Columbine - A free video game based on the Columbine High School shootings appeared on the internet five years later. Gamers could play as the actual shooters which sent created an uproar. Was this insensitive towards the victims and families who were effected by this tragedy? Was it just a video game? This documentary takes a look at both sides of the debate.

The Intergalactic Nemesis - Creator Jason Neulander gives new meaning to the comic book experience by bringing 1,250 hand-drawn comics to the theatre with the help of three actors, a Foley artist and a keyboardist. It's one of those shows you have to see for yourself.

Nerdcore Rising - MC Frontalot brings nerdiness to hip hop, creating a new genre called Nerdcore. This documentary shows MC Frontalot on his first national tour with his band. Hip Hop is not just about bling-bling anymore.

Hatchet 2 - A sequel to the award-winning 2006 comedic slasher film, Marybeth, the only survivor from the first film, heads back to Louisiana for one important thing: revenge. Hatchet won "Best Picture" at Fantastic Fest in 2006.

Summer Wars - Imagine Facebook getting attacked by a virus that could take the whole site down. What would we do without the ability to tag ourselves in those party photos or give the thumbs up to your friend's post about what they had for breakfast? This anime brings beautiful animation to answer these questions.

Undocumented - Wanting to record the process of helping undocumented Mexicans across the border, these filmmakers are in for a surprise when the truck is pulled over. Like they always say, "No good deed goes unpunished."

Video Games 

FEIST – Exploration is the key to this completely physics driven game. The world is infested with capricious creatures, and you must help a small furry creature through the forest. This game is very cause and effect driven; everything you do will affect how you overcome each obstacle. As the developers Faller and Stutz put it, "FEIST is more like a narrative toy than a game."

McDonald's The Videogame – No, this is not a remake of that M.C. Kids game on the original Nintendo. This is more like a business game, in the same vein as "Rollercoaster Tycoon", which delves deep into the money and profit aspect of this fast food giant. It spans from slaughtering the cows to make beef, to managing your employees at your restaurant.

The Path – This short horror game is based upon old Little Red Riding Hood tales, but is set in the modern day. As Little Red Riding Hood is covered in her favorite goth makeup and clothing, The Path offers a dark themed world to explore. Think Tim Burton doing Little Red Riding Hood, or the video game "Mad Alice", two great ways to describe this horrific awesomeness.

Tiny and Big: Up That Mountain – Developed by black pants studio, you play as Tiny, a small technophile dude with some handy gadgets. Your enemy Big has stolen the only memento from your grandfather's legacy: a pair of white underpants. You have to climb that mountain in any way possible to get them back and will be accompanied by a wisecracking backpack.

Trine – Created by developer Frozenbyte, The physics-based action game is available for three players where everyone must think of clever and unique solutions to the challenges that surround them. Every player uses a different character with different abilities, and manipulates a full interactive world to achieve their goal. Overcome the obstacles and save the Kingdom!

NIDHOGG – While the graphics on this game look like it was made for a 1984 IBM computer, it is definitely competition at its finest. NIDHOGG is a two-player territorial dueling game where both players must fence to save their lives. Kills only take one hit and you have infinite lives as your opponent tries to move the screen toward your end of the court.

Enviro-Bear 2000 – "Sweetie, do you see that car in front of us? The Nissan. Is that a bear? Is that a BEAR DRIVING A CAR?! OH GOD IT'S A BEAR DRIVING A CA…" This game is amazing. There's a bear driving a car on one mission: hibernation. Enough said.