Toronto After Dark 2012: Wrong Review

By Less Lee Moore

I’m going to completely avoid pun-filled pull quotes like “Wrong Is So Right!” in this review, in part because it would be corny, but also because it would be a sad attempt at competing with the genuine humor found in Quentin Dupieux’s latest film.

The trailer for Wrong conveys all you need to know about the movie itself—man loses dog; man goes on bizarre quest to find dog—but it might help you appreciate it more when you know more about Quentin Dupieux. He’s also known as the weirdo musical entity Mr. Oizo, and if you enjoy his output under that moniker, you’ll definitely like the score for Wrong. Dupieux is also responsible for last year’s bizarre horror “spoof” Rubber, about a killer tire.

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Toronto After Dark 2012: Top Five Picks – Wrong

By Less Lee Moore

What:

Wrong: An absurd crime thriller about a man and the very strange things that happen to him as he tries to track down his kidnapped dog.

Who:

Written and directed by Quentin Dupieux, also known as Mr. Oizo.

Why:

If you remember Rubber, the movie about a serial killing tire, you’ll want to catch Wrong. If you know of Quentin Dupieux from his Mr. Oizo music and videos, you’ll also want to catch Wrong. The film was declared the Most Innovative Feature at Fantasia Fest. For a three-week film festival, this is huge praise.

The trailer is hilarious and the cast is impressive, including Jack Plotnick (who was also in Rubber), William Fichtner (one of the most diverse character actors around), and Steve Little (from Eastbound and Down). If you’re still not convinced, watch the trailer again.

When:

Wrong makes its Toronto premiere on Thursday, October 24 at 9:45PM.

Where:

Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West.

Toronto After Dark 2012: Resolution Review

By Less Lee Moore

Perhaps more than any other movie I’ve seen this year, Resolution will be the hardest to explain or describe. It’s not necessarily for fear of spoilers, because even if I wrote out the entire plot in detail it would probably 1) reduce the movie to some kind of gibberish and 2) not actually ruin anything because the joy of Resolution is all in the experience of watching it.

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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: After Review

By Less Lee Moore

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.

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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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Toronto After Dark 2012: Top Five Picks – American Mary

By Less Lee Moore

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.