Toronto After Dark 2012: Citadel Review
Published on October 23rd, 2012 in: Canadian Content, Current Faves, Film Festivals, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |
Like The Brood, Ciarán Foy’s Citadel was inspired by real life events. David Cronenberg’s iconic 1979 horror film showed the physical manifestation of anger through mutant, murderous children and channeled the rage the director felt following an ugly divorce. Citadel features a gang of similarly mutated murderers and reflects the director’s struggle to deal with the physical and emotional toll he endured after being attacked by a gang of kids.
Both films deal with the fantastic, but while Cronenberg tends to sublimate his angst through far more outlandishly indirect tropes, Citadel unflinchingly examines what it’s like to live, sleep, and breathe fear.
Toronto After Dark 2012: Top Five Picks – Resolution
Published on October 23rd, 2012 in: Canadian Content, Film Festivals, Horror, Movies, Trailers, Upcoming Events |
What:
Resolution: In a cabin by the woods, a junkie is visited by his estranged best friend in a desperate bid to rehabilitate him. As they rekindle their friendship in the dilapidated abode, they soon find themselves accosted by increasingly sinister neighboring forces, while stumbling upon a series of interconnected media (from diaries to VHS tapes) that surreally begin to embroil them in a supernatural plot that pervades both the cabin and its surroundings. (Synopsis from the Toronto After Dark website)
Who:
Directed by Justin Benson (who also wrote the script) and Aaron Moorhead (who is the director of photography).
Why:
One of my most cherished horror film premises is when realistic yet awful situations transform into something extraordinarily terrifying. Resolution seems to meet these criteria, and also points to quasi-conspiracy theories. It also seems to be the kind of horror that doesn’t splatter you with gore but rather lingers, which is the scariest kind of real-life fear. IMDB’s entry for Resolution includes no special effects, which makes its premise all the more intriguing. The trailer varies between uber-gritty realistic settings and disjointed edits and jarring noises.
The film is another Toronto After Dark first feature, this time for Justin Benson, who shares directorial credit with DP Aaron Moorhead, who also shot the rather amusingly titled Dating A Zombie. Resolution screened at Tribeca and Fantasia Film Festival this year.
When:
Resolution makes its Toronto premiere on Tuesday, October 23 at 9:45PM.
Where:
Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West.
Toronto After Dark 2012: After Review
Published on October 22nd, 2012 in: Canadian Content, Film Festivals, Movie Reviews, Movies |
It’s rare that a trailer conveys the tone of a movie successfully without giving major spoilers. If you liked the trailer for Ryan Smith’s debut feature After, however, you should certainly like the movie. It’s a strong start to what will hopefully be a successful writing and directing career.
Toronto After Dark 2012: Top Five Picks – Citadel
Published on October 22nd, 2012 in: Canadian Content, Film Festivals, Horror, Movies, Trailers, Upcoming Events |
What:
Citadel: Following an unprovoked attack by a mysterious group of hooded thugs, a young father finds himself paralyzed by fear and unable to leave his home. To compound his nightmare, the local priest warns him that the hoodies will be back one day to claim the child. (Synopsis from the Toronto After Dark website)
Who:
Written and directed by Ciarán Foy.
Why:
Citadel is the first feature from writer/director Ciarán Foy and based on his real life experiences “of being attacked, and the fears and agoraphobia he was left dealing with in the aftermath of the incident.” Anything that intense and personal immediately sparks my interest. It’s also intriguing that it’s a male lead character experiences paranoia instead of the often-used horror trope of the “hysterical woman.” Citadel won the Audience Award at SXSW earlier this year.
Visually the trailer reminds me of David Cronenberg’s The Brood (one of the most memorable horror films I’ve ever seen) as well as Heartless, a film from a couple of years ago which I just recently watched and adored. I love films set in apartment buildings and high rises (have you seen La Horde?) because they lend an air of realism and claustrophobia.
When:
Citadel‘s Toronto premiere takes place Monday, October 22 at 9:45PM.
Where:
Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West.
Toronto After Dark 2012: Top Five Picks – After
Published on October 21st, 2012 in: Canadian Content, Film Festivals, Horror, Movies, Trailers, Upcoming Events |
What:
After: When two bus crash survivors awake to discover that they are the only people left in their small town, they must form an unlikely alliance in a race to unravel the truth behind their isolation. As strange events begin to unfold, they start to question whether the town they know so well is really what it seems. (Synopsis from the After website)
Who:
Written and directed by Ryan Smith.
Why:
This is one of the most fascinating trailers I’ve seen all year. It’s got that creepy, mysterious Twilight Zone vibe, but also reminds me of The Mist (one of the best horror movies ever, in my opinion). After seems to have an interesting mix of real life tragedy, supernatural scares, and nasty creatures. I’m also a sucker for creatures with rows of sharp teeth; they really freak me out.
This is Ryan Smith’s first feature, which is always a little bit exciting. After looks to be a pretty DIY affair, with story co-creator Jason Parrish serving as associate producer and art director. I’m always on the lookout for new talent in indie horror films and Toronto After Dark is ready and willing to provide it.
When:
After‘s Canadian premiere takes place on Sunday, October 21 at 9:45PM.
Where:
Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West.
Toronto After Dark 2012: American Mary Review
Published on October 20th, 2012 in: Canadian Content, Feminism, Film Festivals, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |
If you remember Jen and Sylvia Soska from their feature debut, Dead Hooker In A Trunk, their new film American Mary will provide plenty of pleasant surprises. It’s a remarkably solid effort for this pair of up and coming young horror filmmakers and one that bodes well for their future.
Mary Mason is a cash-strapped medical student who gets sucked into the world of strip clubs and underground body modification surgeries after a traumatic experience. Katherine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps) portrays Mary with an immense amount of subtlety and charm. She’s studying to be a surgeon and right away, her deadpan voice, sarcastic sense of humor, and fashion sense (including interior decorating skills) prove that she is serious and mature. Wisely, the Soska sisters (who also penned the script) have chosen to make Mary a convincing character, not a bimbo with a tacked-on med school plot device.
Toronto After Dark 2012: Top Five Picks – American Mary
Published on October 18th, 2012 in: Canadian Content, Feminism, Film Festivals, Horror, Movies, Trailers, Upcoming Events |
What:
American Mary: A disillusioned medical student decides to ply her trade in the shady underworld of unregulated surgeries and body modification with horrifying consequences. (Synopsis from the Toronto After Dark Film Fest website)
Who:
Written and directed by The Twisted Twins, a.k.a. Jen and Sylvia Soska.
Why:
At the risk of restating the oh-so-obvious, women do not frequently get taken seriously in the film industry, especially in genre films. Although there are many strong female characters throughout the history of horror, there are more Final Girls and Scream Queens than horror heroines, much less writers and directors. The film also boasts women behind the camera including casting, production, art and set decoration, production and costume design, and effects makeup. American Mary should ace the Bechdel Test.
Twins Jen and Sylvia Soska were born in Vancouver, where they filmed 2011’s exploitation smash, the ultra-violent (and controversial) Dead Hooker In A Trunk. The appeal of a female Canadian horror director—much less two—cannot be overstated. American Mary received a lot of positive attention at this year’s Fantastic Fest, including the performance of lead actress Katherine Isabelle (from horror cult classic Ginger Snaps).
When:
American Mary‘s Canadian premiere takes place on Thursday, October 18 at 9:45PM.
Where:
Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West.
Toronto After Dark 2012: Full Schedule
Published on October 17th, 2012 in: Canadian Content, Film Festivals, Horror, Movies, Science Fiction, Upcoming Events |
Only one day left until the 2012 Toronto After Dark Film Fest!
This year’s nine-day event includes twenty feature films, many of which are premiering in Canada for the first time.
All the films will be screening at the glorious, newly remodeled Bloor Cinema in Toronto, at 506 Bloor Street West. Here’s the schedule:
Thursday October 18
Grabbers, 6:45PM
American Mary, 9:45PM
Friday October 19
Crave, 6:45PM
Inbred, 9:45PM
Saturday October 20
Shorts After Dark, 3:45PM
[REC] 3: Genesis, 6:45PM
Cockneys vs. Zombies, 9:45PM
Sunday October 21
Doomsday Book, 1:00PM
Lloyd The Conqueror, 3:44PM
Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning, 6:45PM
After, 9:45PM
Monday October 22
Grave Encounters 2, 6:45PM
Citadel, 9:45PM
Tuesday October 23
My Amityville Horror, 6:45PM
Resolution, 9:45PM
Wednesday October 24
Sushi Girl, 6:45PM
Dead Sushi, 9:45PM
Thursday October 25
In Their Skin, 6:45PM
Wrong, 9:45PM
Friday October 26
A Fantastic Fear of Everything, 6:45PM
Game of Werewolves, 9:45PM
For more info on the films, trailers, and tickets, please check the Toronto After Dark Film Festival website.
I’ll be profiling my Top Five Picks of the festival over the next few days, so stay tuned!
DVD Review: Beyond The Black Rainbow
Published on October 10th, 2012 in: Canadian Content, Current Faves, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies, Science Fiction |
How do you describe a movie like Beyond The Black Rainbow, much less review it with a critical eye? It’s bizarre, hypnotic, compelling, disturbing, and stunning. My only complaint is that I was unable to witness the spectacle on the big screen, but even on DVD the movie is powerful and incredible.
Beyond The Black Rainbow presents a basic story, one we’ve heard before: a controlling doctor, a mysterious clinic, a tormented patient. There are other, less clear-cut or easily understood elements that contribute to the unsettling, overwhelming experience of watching Beyond The Black Rainbow. To attempt an explanation would be to rob the viewer of witnessing and interpreting these things for him or herself.
There are influences, to be sure—Altered States, The Grudge, Suspiria, The Brood—but nothing feels stolen. Beyond The Black Rainbow is a universe unto itself. It’s beautiful and horrible at the same time.
Expanding Circuits: Q&A with David Dacks, Artistic Director at The Music Gallery
Published on October 4th, 2012 in: Canadian Content, Music, Music Festivals, Q&A, Upcoming Events |By Ricky Lima
I think that some of the most interesting and forward thinking stuff is being done in the electronic scene. There is something about having the ability to literally craft every instrument and sound an artist uses that encourages a high level of creativity. From October 12 to the 21, The Music Gallery presents X Avant New Music Festival VII: Expanding Circuits, a music festival dedicated to electronic music. The festival will take place in Toronto, Ontario at The Music Gallery. I had a chance to talk to David Dacks, the artistic director at The Music Gallery, to discuss this year’s X Avant festival.