Fantastic Fest 2013: The Fanciest Thing That’s Ever Happened Near Lakeline Mall!

by Anna · Published October 16, 2013 · Updated June 23, 2014

Elijah Wood shows off his new Fantastic Fest tattoo to a friend!

Fantastic Fest—America’s largest genre film festival—took place at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Lakeline from September 19-26. Keanu Reeves, Elijah Wood and Robert Rodriguez were among the stars who walked the red carpet for their respective films: The Man of Tai Chi, Grand Piano and Machete Kills.
At the pre-show for the movie Cheap Thrills, festival goers participated in dares—like Cole Bradley getting a tattoo of the name of the name of the movie permanently inked on his behind in front of a full auditorium in exchange for two VIP passes for next year’s Fantastic Fest. (Bradley later said that over the second half of the festival, many people at the event had asked him how his bottom was faring after his tattoo!)
Metallica band members Kirk Hammett (guitar) Robert Trujillo (bass) showed up with Nimród Antal, the director of their 3D feature length concert film with a plot, Metallica: Through the Never. That night festival attendees partied into the night with Karaoke Apocalypse, some singing Metallica songs.
During the festival awards show, at least one bottle of champagne was opened with a sword. Team America won the Fantastic Feud, and this reporter was pleased to see that the festival had switched from serving beer in cans instead of bottles, after having been hit in the head with a flying bit of beer bottle last year.
On the last night of the festival, there was a thrill-tastic closing night party where a stuntman was lit on fire and leapt off the top of the Alamo theater. Then a car hit a lamppost and went up in flames in the parking lot! Later that night, a bunch of filmmakers and industry folks got matching tattoos commemorating the festival, while Annie Ray captured the fun in her traveling photo booth!