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Jesse Eisenberg

The Gold Coast Film Fantastic opened with a bang (and then some) at Australia Fair Birch Caroll & Coyle cinema's tonight with everyone from Oscar winning special effects whiz John Cox to on-screen (and possibly real life) serial-killer John Jarratt walking the red carpet.

In other highly amusing news I met a young, up and coming Australia actor who just happens to be called James Dean! And he's an actor! And young! Geddit? Sigh. Well, I found it humorous... especially whilst trying to interview him a Marilyn Monroe impersonator was lurking in the background. Eerie.

Anyway, the GCFF is a great local initiative for movie makers and film lovers alike. Festival director Casey Marshall Siemer and co. showcase a selection of Australian films amongst the international offerings and organise the filmmakers to meet with distributors and industry insiders during the event. For cinephiles however, the GCFF is a superb way to see a huge variety of films weeks, even months, before they're released in Oz cinemas.

But with more than 21 films and 7 free outdoor screenings across three days, it's easy to get lost amongst the sheer volume of movies at this year's GCFF. From documentaries and animated films, to romantic comedies and horror, there's something for the cinephile in all of us. Here's my guide to some of the festival highlights:

The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
Taking out the audience award at this year's Toronto Film Festival, this is an inspirational look at two of New Zealand's national treasures whose radical protest songs have been entertaining the world for nearly 30-years.

The Accidental Husband
Uma Thurman lowers her Samurai sword for a romantic comedy co-starring Colin Firth and Grey's Anatomy fan favourite Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

ZombielandLovers of horror and comedy can hang on to to the Halloween spirit with this mash-up of the two genres. After smashing the US box-office, Zombieland has been getting rave reviews overseas and stars Woody Harrelson, Bill Murray, Abigail Breslin and rising star Jesse Eisenberg.

Sky Crawlers
Nominated for the best animated feature film at the up and coming Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Sky Crawlers is the latest from Mamoru Oshii, director of anime classic Ghost in the Shell. A slow-paced mystery, the animation is incredible with some of the best flight fight sequences ever created.

Prime Mover
Possibly the first love triangle to involve a man, woman and a truck, Prime Mover is the latest from Australian writer/director David Caesar.

BronsonOne of the most talked about drama's of the year, Bronson explores the bare knuckled reality of real life criminal Charles Bronson who has spent the last 30-years in solitary confinement for crimes committed in jail including murder and taking hostages. Oh, it also stars a beefed-up Tom Hardy (above) in his breakout roll.

The Coolangatta Gold This year's race may be over, but relive the excitement with the 1984 film that made the iconic ironman race famous.

I.C.U
From Gold Coast director Aash Aaron, this edge-of-your-seat offering follows three teens in a Surfers Paradise high rise who play a game of cat and mouse with a serial killer.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
This is one for the kids and kids at heart Inspired by a children's book, the film focuses on a town where food falls from the sky thanks to the invention of a young, wacky scientist. Though I rolled my eyes at the trailer, a four star review from Empire has sparked my interest.

P.S. And I bring you another trailer fresh off the inter-web from another movie on 5 horror movies I must see in 2015 list; Date Night! Yes, the Steve Carrell, Tina Fey led comedy with possibly the best supporting cast ever - Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Leighton Meester, Ray Liotta, Common, Kristen Wiig and more. Oh, did I mention Mark Wahlberg? Did I mention he's shirtless in the trailer? HELL YES! Watch and drool. Thoughts? The trailer looks like its been put together a bit tackily but there appears to be some good moments. We'll have to wait another six months to see the actual movie though. Sigh.

While everyone is busy throwing their panties, sharpening their fangs and causing a ruckus about New Moon, there’s another monster movie worthy of your affection. Thankfully this one doesn’t focus on the sex appeal of an ethnic temptation werewolf and a broody vampire, but rather a zombie apocalypse.

Ahhh, zombies, though they might be an excellent source or eye-gouging, flesh-tearing horror, Shaun Of The Dead taught us the undead can also be bloody funny (pun intended). But like Paris Hilton and a recording studio, horror and comedy can be toxic mix unless executed properly. Zombieland follows a rag-tag group who are trying to survive in a world overrun by zombies. There’s the central character Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg in another amicable turn after Adventureland, Whicta (Emma Stone), Tallahasse (Woody Harrelson) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). While everyone cast is decent, Harrelson owns this movie as the Twinkie-addicted, bad ass that kills zombies with literally everything from a chainsaw to a banjo. Eisenberg’s wry, Michael Cera-esque comedic timing hits all the right spots and along with Harrelson, they make a highly watchable onscreen duo. There’s also an unforgettable cameo from Bill Murray, of which I can’t go in to too much detail without spoiling, but lets just say he’s awesome.

You’ll be laughing from the opening credits onwards and there’s plenty of gore here to satisfy horror fans and aficionados of the zombie sub genre. Director Ruben Fleischer has mad a slick and stylish film, utilising slow motion for some of the chase and attack scenes with impressive results. When Eisenberg explains the rules for surviving Zombieland (“the first rule of zombieland: cardio. When the zombie outbreak first hit, the first to go, for obvious reasons... were the fatties”) the rule appears in text on screen at some of the most unexpected moments, but rather than annoy it adds to what is a ridiculously hilarious ride. With a hasty running time, Zombieland is some of the most fun I’ve had in a cinema this year and I can’t fault it.