Skip to main content

​​ITHACA FANTASTIK RETROSPECTIVE 2017 FIRST WAVE OF TITLES


The Ithaca Fantastik (IF) festival returns to Ithaca, New York, November 3-12, 2017 with a carefully curated selection of new and classic genre films. With less than a month and a half to go, IF is announcing exciting changes, its first wave of titles, and a truly inspired retrospective!

Returning audiences will notice an expanded schedule as the festival grows from half a week to a full nine days. The festival’s two weekends will be dedicated to the best in current genre and festival cinema, with the week between featuring classic retrospective selections. 



The weekend begins with the return of the CINEMA PUR miniseries, with gems that genre fans won’t want to miss! From Finnish action comedy SAMURAI RAUNI (Mika Ratto, Finland) to the hyper-real dark fairy tale TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID (Issa Lopez, Mexico), audiences will be delighted by the variety the IF programmers are bringing to Central New York. Turkey and Canada are well-represented again this year, with the SXSW award-winner INFLAME (Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik, Turkey), and the TIFF midnight madness selection THE CRESCENT (Seth A. Smith, Canada). The lineup wouldn't be complete without a little witchcraft—the IF team promises HAGAZUSSA: A Heathen’s Curse (Lukas Feigelfeld, Germany) will haunt viewers long after the screening. Rounding out CINEMA PUR, the documentary BIGHT OF THE TWIN (Hazel McCarthy, US), about the personal journey of avant-garde performance artist Genesis Breyer P-Oridge, interlaces belief and grief in a beautiful and unexpected way.



The 40th Anniversary of the Giallo masterpiece SUSPIRIA (Dario Argento, 1977) provides an excellent occasion to revisit Italian exploitation classics with fresh eyes. The festival retrospective, ITALIANO PSICHEDELICO, will focus on the amazing visuals these inspired directors put on-screen. Selections include late 60s to mid 70s Italian films SUSPIRIA (Dario Argento, 1977), AUTOPSY (Armando Crispino, 1975), LE ORME (Luigi Bazzoni, Mario Fanelli, 1975), BABA YAGA (Corrado Farina, 1973), DEADLY SWEET (Tinto Brass, 1967), as well as more titles to be announced in wave two.



Continuing our weekend lineup we have slasher comedy TRAGEDY GIRLS (Tyler McIntyre, UK), Tribeca award winner THE ENDLESS (Benson and Moorhead, USA), Graham Skipper’s directorial debut SEQUENCE BREAK (USA), Nordic ghost tale I REMEMBER YOU (Oskar Thor Axelsson, Iceland), and a twisted take on the timeloop trope A DAY (Sun-Ho Cho, South Korea). From start to finish, there will be plenty to captivate audiences whose tastes lie across the horror spectrum and beyond.



Ithaca Fantastik would not be complete without its midnight series, featuring the riveting zombie comedy ZOMBIOLOGY (Alan Lo, Japan) and the surprising BRAVE STORM (Junya Okabe, Japan), which can be best described as an inventive and improbable mix between Terminator and Evangelion.

Visit the IF website (www.ithacafilmfestival.com) and stay tuned for more Fantastik announcements and title waves soo

Popular posts from this blog

Explaining the Ending of MULHOLLAND DRIVE

MULHOLLAND DRIVE is a complex and surreal film directed by David Lynch, known for its non-linear narrative and dreamlike sequences. The ending is open to interpretation and has been the subject of much debate among viewers. Here's a breakdown of the ending: Diane's Dream vs. Reality: Throughout the film, there are two main narrative threads: one follows Betty/Diane's dreamlike experiences in Hollywood, and the other delves into Diane's harsh reality. The ending reveals that the majority of the film has been a dream constructed by Diane Selwyn, a failed actress, as a means to escape the guilt and pain of her actions. Betty/Diane's Descent into Madness: Betty, played by Naomi Watts, represents Diane's idealized self—a hopeful and innocent aspiring actress. However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear that Betty's story is unraveling, and her identity begins to merge with Diane's. This culminates in the revelation that Betty is merely a construct of Di...

Final Destination Bloodlines Set to Bring Fresh Horrors to the Franchise

The long-running and fan-favorite horror series Final Destination is set to make its return with Final Destination Bloodlines, bringing a new chapter of supernatural terror to the big screen. Scheduled for a theatrical and IMAX release on May 16, 2025, in the U.S. (and internationally beginning May 14), the film promises to continue the franchise’s tradition of chilling premonitions and inescapable fate. The upcoming installment features a fresh ensemble cast, including Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game, The Flash), Teo Briones (Chucky, Will vs. The Future), Richard Harmon (The 100, The Age of Adaline), Owen Patrick Joyner (Julie and the Phantoms, 100 Things to Do Before High School), and Anna Lore (They/Them, Gotham Knights). Also joining the cast are Brec Bassinger (Stargirl, Bella and the Bulldogs) and horror icon Tony Todd, who reprises his role from the original Final Destination films. Todd, best known for his chilling portrayal of the titular character in the Candyman fra...

4K Blu-ray Review: Drop (2025) — A Tense, Tech-Driven Thriller That Mostly Sticks the Landing

In Drop, director Christopher Landon (Freaky, Happy Death Day) crafts a nerve-wracking thriller centered on a devastating dilemma: would you take a life to save the ones you love? The story follows Violet, a widowed single mom attempting to re-enter the dating world after years of grief and recovery. Played with emotional precision by Meghann Fahy, Violet finds herself on a promising first date with the affable and seemingly genuine Henry (Brandon Sklenar) in an elegant, glass-walled Chicago restaurant. But their evening takes a sinister turn when Violet receives a disturbing message via a sleek, anonymous app called DigiDrop: if she doesn’t kill her date before the check arrives, her son and sister will die. What unfolds is a tightly wound 95-minute thriller that feels both classic and timely. The film builds its suspense through confinement, not action. Most of the story unfolds in real-time at their dinner table, creating a pressure-cooker environment that reflects Violet’s psycholo...