// Category Archive for: Horror

Assemblog: November 23, 2012

Broken, image from The CillianSite

New this week on Popshifter: I take a look at the excellent Jay Reatard documentary Better Than Something and the upcoming What The Brothers Sang album by Dawn McCarthy and Bonnie “Prince” Billy; Cait provides a beautiful review of Bert Jansch’s recently reissued Heartbreak and encourages music lovers to check out the latest single from the Explorers Club, “No Good To Cry.”

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Assemblog: November 9, 2012

Sinister, 2012

New this week on Popshifter: I give a wrap up of Toronto After Dark; Chelsea reviews The Red Machine, reminisces about ’90s Boston band Tribe, and raves about Sophie Auster’s debut EP The Red Weather; Danny wonders if Creedence Clearwater Revival’s new Ultimate box set will prove they’re the American Beatles; and Julie praises Firewater’s International Orange! as well as their recent concert in Cleveland.

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Toronto After Dark 2012: Wrap-Up & Award Winners

By Less Lee Moore

Toronto After Dark 2012 is over and the award winners have been announced. You can read the full list of winners on the Toronto After Dark website, but I’d like to call special attention to the films I saw and reviewed.

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Book Review: Zombie Eye For The Living Guy: Look Undead, Cook Undead, Dress Undead, and Live Undead

By Jemiah Jefferson

In a world where The Walking Dead is one of the most successful TV programs on the air, where politics shambles on brainlessly, and it seems that the end times are nigh, why wouldn’t you want to dress like it’s Halloween? If you live for the absurd and obscene, there is at last a lifestyle book for you and your peers. This black-hearted parody of the best-selling Queer Eye for the Straight Guy tie-in books brings an undead perspective to the perennial challenge of living well, looking good—or, in this case, horrible&mdash’and being exactly the decaying, mindless flesh eater you’ve always wanted to be.

For those who have read the Queer Eye book, the parody is dead-on and hilarious. With sections titled such things as “Inner Preparations,” “Should I Eat Human Brains?” and “Social Skills,” every aspect of the gruesome, yet satisfying world of being a walking abomination is addressed with wit, variety, and a very silly thoroughness. Yet this is not just a point-by-point parody; Zombie Eye also contains quite a few pointers to enrich and enliven (so to speak) any good zombie costume for those still breathing.

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Toronto After Dark 2012: Citadel Review

By Less Lee Moore

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.

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Toronto After Dark 2012: Top Five Picks – Resolution

By Less Lee Moore

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: Top Five Picks – Citadel

By Less Lee Moore

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

By Less Lee Moore

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

By Less Lee Moore

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.

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Assemblog: October 19, 2012

Beyond The Black Rainbow

New this week on Popshifter: The full schedule for the Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2012 is out; I profile one of my top five picks for the festival, American Mary; and Elizabeth weighs in on The Rumble 2012 in her new installment of “TV Is Dead, Long Live TV.”

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