Fantastic Fest 2010 Survival Guide, from A to Z

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Welcome to the 2010 Fantastic Fest Survival Guide. We've tried to cover every little thing you might want to know while you're spending the week in lovely South Austin ... literally from A to Z. If we left anything out, feel free to post a comment.

This year, as you can see above, we also have a fabulous Fantastic Fest 2010 Survival Map that includes most of the places mentioned in the guide. We're hoping this Google Map will be very handy to use with smartphones.

A few notes about relative location: If you are standing in front of Alamo and facing South Lamar (the big busy street), left is north and right is south. Left/north takes you to Barton Springs Road (land of many restaurants) and eventually downtown. Right/south takes you away from downtown but about a mile down, to a number of good restaurants as well.

Check out our other Fantastic Fest guides for more helpful advice: the 2010 Venue Guide and How to Drink Like an Austinite.

A is for antacids. Stash some in your purse or backpack, or even the glove compartment of your car. After you spend enough time eating while you're watching movies, you'll want some, trust me.

B is for barbecue. If you're from out of town and not a vegetarian, you can't really visit Texas without barbecue. Your closest options are Artz Rib House and Green Mesquite (which has wireless and a patio). Barbecue fanatics may want to take a road trip to Lockhart or Taylor for some serious brisket. Every meat-eating Austinite has an opinion on the best bbq joints, so ask around.

B is also for Bananarchy, a food trailer located a couple of blocks' walk north on South Lamar, which features frozen bananas dipped and rolled in many wonderful things. Hey, it's fruit, so that means it's healthy. Vegan options are available too.

B is definitely for breakfast tacos, Austin's favorite early-morning cuisine. Maudie's Too, next to the strip mall with Alamo South, opens at 9 am and serves a variety of breakfast tacos. For classic Austin breakfast tacos, drive a few blocks south on Lamar (a mile, a bit long for a walk) to Maria's Taco Xpress next to the Walgreens.

Gourdough's: Son of a PeachC is for coffee. Alamo serves coffee most of the time but you might need a jolt while you're waiting in an early-morning line. The Brevita trailer across Lamar from Alamo has coffee starting at 6 am most days. The Starbucks a few blocks south also can help you out with caffeination needs.

D is for donuts. Gourdough's is right across the street and open late (3 am some days). Fillings and accompaniments range from strawberries and cream to fried chicken. D is also for decadent in this case. I told you that you'd want those antacids.

E is for electricity. Don't forget to pack your battery chargers and bring extra batteries for the ones that don't charge. If you forget or run out, the closest place to find replacements is probably Office Depot on Lamar, about three-quarters of a mile south of the theater.

F is for Festival Genius. Have you used Bside's Festival Genius to set up your Fantastic Fest schedule yet? Give it a shot. And then rearrange everything and do it again, just for fun.

F is for football. UT has a home game Saturday at 2:30 pm. If you are driving from north Austin to get to Alamo South, the roads will be jammed starting in the morning with crowds of cars ready to tailgate and party and watch football on the UT campus. Allow a lot of extra time. In addition, a lot of football fans will be downtown on Saturday night, so you also should allow extra time to get to/from the Paramount, and be prepared for even bigger (and rowdier) drunken crowds than usual on Sixth Street near Alamo Ritz.

G is for Google Maps. Try ours!

H is for hot chocolate, because I can't drink coffee. If you need hot cocoa for your early-morning beverage, try Austin Java on Barton Springs Road. Starbucks also makes a not-bad hot chocolate. Anywhere else near Alamo or Paramount is pretty much a gamble, I'm sorry to say (including Alamo).

H is for hummus, the healthiest snack on the Alamo South Lamar menu and pretty tasty too. Remember that when you're suffering from Fried Food Overload.

FF iphone appI is for iPhone/iPod app for Fantastic Fest. If you know me, you know I get very huffy about iPhone apps (I have a Palm Pre) that are unnecessary or are created instead of a nice mobile site that all smartphone users can enjoy. But in the case of Fantastic Fest, I have succumbed and put Bside's app on my iPod Touch, which I'll tote around the festival. The great advantage is that you can access the full fest schedule and your selected schedule without using any wireless networks. And you know how difficult it can be to get wireless access during a film fest when everyone's trying to do the same thing. So if you have an iPod or iPhone handy, this is one practical and helpful app.

J is for Jette. Hi. Come say hi to me during the fest! I probably met you last year and I have a terrible memory for matching faces and names. So forgive me if I appear to be sneaking peeks at your badge to remember exactly who you are. Ask me for a Slackerwood Moo card, they are very cool. Say hi to any of us wearing Slackerwood buttons: Debbie, Jenn or myself.

K is for karaoke. Fantastic Fest looooves karaoke. Try it once. This year's big karaoke party is on Saturday night and is sponsored by Criterion -- I know, that does kind of make your brain curl to think about, doesn't it?

L is for layers. It gets chilly in Alamo South theaters. It gets hot outside in Austin in September. Bring your favorite hoodie. Or take your chances and comb the thrift shops near Alamo South for a jacket or overshirt ... I know someone who found an absolutely fabulous (and cheap!) jacket that way during a local film fest.

L is for late nights. The Highball is open until 2 am (the latest time alcohol can be sold in Austin) but what if you want food after that? The nearest 24-hour joints are the venerable Kerbey Lane Cafe, and the new 24 Diner at 6th and Lamar.

M is for milkshake. Mmmmm, milkshaaaaaaake. Can't wait to get an Alamo milkshaaaaaaake.

M is for Moonlight Bakery if you want a pleasant little snack break. It's not quite a mile south down Lamar. Stop over there for breakfast (they open every day at 6:30 am, but are closed on Sundays) and grab a kolache.

N is for No Talking Zone, which Alamo Drafthouse theaters become right before the pre-movie trailers roll. No Talking also means no texting or tweeting or generally fooling around with your smartphone so the screen light annoys people. You really can put up one of those little pieces of paper with a complaint and the Alamo staff really does take care of it. Your neighbors can do the same, hint hint.

SXSW 2009

O is for Odd Duck, a food truck directly across from Alamo (along with Brevita and Gourdough's). They're open at dinnertime every day from Tuesday to Saturday. They specialize in fancy small plates that you can't believe came out of a little trailer in a parking lot.

O is for Olivia, a short drive south on Lamar. Take Jenn Brown there for weekend brunch. (I'd be happy to go too.) Rumor has it that some of their herbs and things are from the garden of Chef John Bullington of Alamo on South Lamar.

P is for Parties. Because there's more to film fests than just movies. Or so I keep trying to convince myself. You may even see me at a party this year -- they look especially good. MC Frontalot will host the opening-night party, and rumors about the off-site closing-night party abound.

Q is for Quiche. If you've got a refrigerator where you're staying, get someone to take you to Central Market or Whole Foods or any convenient grocery, and get a nice quiche to eat when you get up in the mornings (if you're not too hung over). That way you get a healthy dose of protein to start the day, and you can eat the quiche hot or cold. (Yes, leftover barbecue also makes a yummy protein-rich breakfast.)

R is for relax, dude. You've probably built the perfect schedule for watching movies, going to parties and having lots of fun. Some of these screenings will sell out or move, or you'll sleep late and miss one. Or else you're going to run into someone who tells you that you really shouldn't miss a certain other film instead. Use the Bside scheduler, but be prepared to throw it all away at a moment's notice and try something unexpected. That's Fantastic Fest. Hang loose, be flexible, and enjoy whatever you experience.

S is for sleep. Get some now, because you're about to run short. Fantastic Fest has events that start at midnight and end when Tim League feels like throwing you out. Those 20-minute power naps really do work, by the way.

S is for sundries. For those long fest days, you might want to carry a travel-sized toothbrush and paste, some mints, a wee bottle of aspirin, or other refreshing necessaries. If you left yours at home, the nearest place to find some of these items is the Lamar Plaza Drug Store, right between Alamo South and The Highball. If you're looking late at night or Sunday, try the Walgreens at 2501 South Lamar, which is open 24 hours.

S is for salad. It's not as difficult as you think to eat a salad in a dark theater ... you can always pick up the bowl and rest it on your lap. Try the Once Upon a Time in Mexico salad, which has delicious fajita meat on it and therefore serves as a kind of gateway salad for newbies.

T is for tipping. When planning what to eat at an Alamo Drafthouse, always budget for a gratuity of at least 15 percent.

T is for ticketing. If you have a Fantastic Fest badge, here are your instructions, and let's all hope that the online reservation system holds up. Please.

T is also for Tangerine Altoids, which I highly recommend if you've been neglecting S for Sleep. Put one of these in your mouth and you will be too puckered to pass out.

Fantastic Fest 2007: Paul Thomas AndersonU is for the unknown ... the notorious Fantastic Fest secret screenings. Rumors are flying already. While secret screenings with surprise guests are a wonderful thing, some of my favorite Fantastic Fest experiences have been with movies playing opposite the secret screenings. There's generally plenty of room, Alamo and Fantastic Fest staff often sneak in if there are extra seats available, and there's an oddly jolly attitude about picking the non-popular choice. Any choice you make can be a good one, so don't fear the unknown.

V is for vegetarian. Most non-barbecue restaurants in Austin have good vegetarian options. The closest vegetarian restaurant to Alamo South is Mr. Natural, a Mexican cafe about a mile south on South Lamar. Bouldin Creek Coffee House is also a convenient vegetarian restaurant, a short drive away on S. First, with all-day breakfast plus sandwiches and salads.

V is for vegan. You can practically walk to Casa De Luz, the matriarch of vegan cuisine in Austin, around the corner and behind the row of restaurants on Barton Springs.

W is for wireless. Even with smartphones everywhere and the aforementioned iPhone app, sometimes we need wireless access for a laptop or other device. Near Alamo South, your best options are Starbucks, Austin Java, and Flipnotics. Near Paramount and Ritz, try The Hideout.

X is for transportation (as in xportation, as in I'm really stretching it here). See our Fantastic Fest Venue Guide for info on how to get to and from various theaters. Hint: The best resource for bus routes is our own Jenn Brown -- find her and she'll give you detailed instructions and tips on working with Cap Metro. The festival is also promoting Car2Go this year, but if that interests you, you'll have to sign up ahead of time ... today, in fact.

Y is for yoga stretches. Or any stretches, really. Unlike SXSW, with Fantastic Fest you tend to stay in one place all day, sitting and standing and sitting some more. Reserving 5-10 minutes in the morning for a few stretches will make you happier. (Perhaps next year, Slackerwood should sponsor a Daily Stretch Time at Fantastic Fest. Now if we could get guest stars to lead the stretches ...)

Z is for Zilker Park, a restful and refreshing haven if you are tired of sitting in a dark theater with a bunch of film geeks staring at a movie screen. Stroll in the Botanical Gardens, or take a dip in Barton Springs Pool.

Z is for ... zzzzz ... what we'll all want on Oct. 1 when the fest merriment ends.

(pssst ... A is for Austin Film Festival, less than a month away. So recuperate quickly!)

[Photo credits: "Gourdough's: Son of a Peach" by Andrew Huff. iPhone app photo courtesy of Fantastic Fest. "SXSW 2009" and "FF 2007: Paul Thomas Anderson" by J. Kernion. Used under Creative Commons license or with permission.]