Whew. It has been a blast, but I’d probably not be able to handle even one more movie. Last night ended in Longhorn Cavern at an awesome massive party with Bill Murray…read below.

• Martyrs – A girl who was kidnapped and tortured escapes and is befriended by another girl. They go on to find the people who tortured her…mayhem ensues. This film follows in the steps of Haute Tension that I saw at BNAT 5 and for the first 30-40 minutes it seemed to be just as predictable — so much so that I think a re-edit to reduce this section is needed. Until the key plot turn I swore I had the whole thing figured out then it took a really grotesque but fascinating turn that made me sit up and pay attention. If you like the gory real-world FX stuff than you’ll really enjoy it.
• RocknRolla – There isn’t anything too revelatory in Guy Ritchie’s latest British gangsta movie. If you really liked Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells or Snatch then you’ll like this one as well. Then again, you could just go back and watch one of those again…or if you’ve never seen Layer Cake (the movie that earned Daniel Craig the right to play James Bond) you should see it instead.
• City of Ember – Director Gil Kenan and actor Bill Murray helped Walden Media bring us this forthcoming family-friendly romp about post-apocalyptic people who have lived underground so long that they forgot the world above. The film is visually beautiful taking cues from the sets of Brazil and Metropolis, and is a lot of fun to watch. Be sure to take the kids.

• Get Lit: Closing Night Cave Party – The logistical problems that excluded a lot of people from the party and the more-than-an-hour bus ride out to Longhorn Caverns were not enough to dampen the mood for this rave in a cave. Buried beneath the Texas Hill Country, the main cave at this state park was the perfect setup for a booming DJ stand and a fun dance party. Free Red Bull and vodka may have helped a lot, too. (Big ups to Cargill for swinging his big stick around to get the first bus home in a somewhat timely manner.)

Ok, I’m going to take a moment to bitch. Not about the logistical issues of the party as some might expect. I live in Austin for a bundle of mostly inseparable reasons that reveal a strong alignment between my personal philosophy and the citizens of our great city. One of those ideals is that, no matter what, peoples is peoples. That includes “super” celebrities like Bill Murray. He is just a guy like any other guy. He is probably not much more/less special than any of the many friends I have. His presence is a curiosity, but I am not compelled to touch him, stand next to him, or follow him around. I am as likely to desire to strike up a conversation with him as any stranger I see in public. I’ve got nothing to say to the man that he would think is remotely original, and I don’t think he has anything to offer me beyond what he’s given to us in movies. What happened to Fantastic Fest attendees, particularly the Austinites, that he was mobbed everywhere he went? It took the poor guy 30 minutes to walk 100 yards, with bright lights and dozens of camera flashes in his face. That is not just absurd, it is also way uncool. In the future I expect better from you people.

Pictures and video after the break.

City of Ember