Fantastic Fest expands special events

Screenings, panels, question-and-answer sessions. Such entertaining activities are all standard operating procedure at most film festivals. Fantastic Fest adds its unique twist, blending absurdity, humor, a bit of a violence and a pervasive love of film to entertain attendees with special events.

The festival kicked off Thursday with two screenings of the sure-to-be-controversial "The Human Centipede II: Final Sequence" and a party at the Highball and continues over the next seven nights with a mix of horror and humor.

A select mix of filmmakers and fans will do their best to weave rhyme with filmic wit at the first-ever Attempted Rap Throw Down Friday at the Highball. If Spanish director Eugenio Mira's vocal stylings about "Star Wars" are any indication, the night should end in head-scratching hilarity.

Fantastic Arcade returns for its second year, giving gamers the chance to get their fix in between films. Free and open to the public, the event at the Highball that runs through Sunday offers folks a chance to play more than 20 independent video games.

Monday night, just past the halfway point of the fest, fans and filmmakers join at the Alamo for arguably the most beer-soaked awards ceremony of any film festival in the country. After the beer gets squeegeed from the stage Monday night, the Alamo will host the beer-fueled trivia match called Fantastic Feud.

Fan favorites Karaoke Apocalypse and 100 Best Kills (both Tuesday), a celebration of the best deaths in film, all return this year, as do the Fantastic Debates.

Alamo Drafthouse CEO Tim League steps into the ring once again this year for the Fantastic Debates. The Saturday night event at the South Austin Gym should give the genre festival its best chance of actual bloodshed. After some verbal sparring with Irish bare-knuckle boxer James McDonagh, League will enter the squared-circle to trade blows with the star of the documentary "Knuckle."

Expect a bit more civility along with a blend of tuxes and terrorized zombie victims at the Fantastic Fest Prom on Wednesday night at the Highball. Musical entertainment will be provided by YouTube sensations Rick K and the All-Nighters, a band that features one of the most excitable drummers this side of Animal from The Muppets. The event is free and open to the public.

Playing off Morgan Spurlock's closing night film "Comic-Con: Episode Four: A Fan's Hope," the finale bash Thursday night at the American Legion Hall will have a Superhero Carnival theme, allowing all to unleash their inner (or is it outer?) nerd.

Fantastic Fest also announced late this week a couple of additions to its schedule. Tilda Swinton stars in the dark drama, "We Need to Talk About Kevin," the story of a woman who becomes isolated after the death of her son. Also, writer-director William Eubank's "Love," another tale of loneliness, this one set in space, will make its local debut.

modam@statesman.com; 912-5986