What could be more cold sweat ‘n’ clammy palms terrifying fun than being buried alive? ¡Nada! Which is why we’re so psyched that Fantastic Fest has announced Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés‘s Buried as its opening night film, with Cortés and star Ryan Reynolds in attendance.
The modestly-budgeted, high-concept Buried was a hit at Sundance earlier this year and was subsequently picked up for domestic release by Lionsgate. Reynolds stars as an American contractor in Iraq who runs afoul of insurgents, gets himself kidnapped, and wakes up six feet under with only a Zippo, a knife and a cellphone. Not a good scenario even if you’re Ray “The Premature Burial” Milland or Kill Bill‘s Beatrix Kiddo (our knuckles still ache at the memory of watching Uma Thurman punch her way out of Sidewinder’s impromptu “Texas Funeral”).
But wait! This being Fantastic Fest, there’s more, as the official press release notes: In celebration of the much buzzed about film, Fantastic Fest will also present the film as part of their Rolling Roadshow screening series the weekend prior to the opening of the festival. The unprecedented Rolling Roadshow of One goes beyond the bounds of sanity by enlisting four souls to view the entire film while buried!
“The Rolling Roadshow is all about finding that unique film viewing experience with the perfect combination of movie and setting,” explains Fantastic Fest co-founder Tim League. “It’s traditionally been a communal experience of seeing a film outdoors with hundreds of people. But for this event, we’re putting an even cooler twist on the concept, because some movies are perfect for seeing while buried.”
Tim, we love the way you — and Edgar Allan Poe — think.
This article appears in August 20 • 2010.