The Horror Section

Today Begins...

2012-02-01T10:00:00.005-05:00

All February, I will be saluting those of the fairer sex who have contributed to this dark genre during their careers. I will begin with actress Adrienne Barbeau.

I had an early affection for Ms. Barbeau as she starred in many of the horror films I devoured as a child, including The Fog, Swamp Thing and Creepshow. She has a very strong presence, which is likely why she rarely played a victim, even when circumstances seemed like she could have.

Barbeau as Maggie in 1980's Escape From New York (left) & as Christine in 2000's The Convent.

She has had a long and stable career, also working regularly in televison with appearances on shows such as Dexter, CSI:NY and was a regular on one of my favourite shows of all time, Carnivàle. Recently, she has also branched out into video game voice over work, lending her distinctive voice to Batman: Arkham Asylum and God of War III. Although, I guess this would be a callback of sorts, after her stint voicing Kurt Russell's “cheatin' bitch” chess program in John Carpenter's The Thing. I wonder if she's the first actor to ever voice a video game?

After eight years attending the Festival of Fear, I've gotten to see several genre figures up close & personal, and fortunately in 2007, Barbeau was among them. She was absolutely lovely and humbled that people enjoy her work. She even gave a shout-out to Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death during her Q&A! Ah-mazing.

In 2006, she released her memoir entitled “There Are Worse Things I Could Do.” Here's to you, Ms. Barbeau!

DKTM 130

2012-01-29T11:03:00.008-05:00

Okay, with January on its way out - I for one am not sorry to see it go - here's what I have for you this week.

Ready For More.

I know I'm a little late with this one, but I couldn't let it go by without a mention. At the recent TGS, Capcom revealed its first trailer for the next installment of the Resident Evil series.

It looks like series mainstays Leon and Chris are both onboard for this one, as well as an unnamed mercenary - Hunk perhaps? - for this one. Resident Evil 5's best attribute was the co-op function, which has thankfully been carried over. In fact, word has it that up to six players will be supported, as well as an eight player multiplayer mode. I'm pretty fucking jazzed about this, people. And with a November 2012 release date, I only have less than a year to wait.

Hitting The Target Once Again.

I have always praised the Blu-ray packages put out by Arrow Video, and this latest batch is no exception. Take a look at these beautiful covers.

And the best thing is this latest round of releases are REGION FREE! I will have a hard time not adding these to my collection. For the full specs, click here.

Oh Man. So Scary.

Here's a funny little video that popped up on the Rue Morgue website a few days ago. I'm sure anyone who remembers the glory days of VHS will get a kick out of it.

Rearrangement

2012-01-28T11:07:00.001-05:00

Horror On The Tube: Fall 2011

2012-01-25T12:50:00.001-05:00

It is time again to recap what the small screen had to offer as the autumn chills set in last year.

Dexter. Hoo boy. I am so thankful this is the last time I will have to say anything about this shitshow of a season. I’m sure my friends are by now sick to death of me bitching about this. The reasons for my recent ire are numerous, but in the interest of curtness, I will narrow it down to the paramount few. Dexter has a habit of starting off slow, so I wasn’t concerned that I wasn’t really into the storylines off the top. However, I think the turning point for me was when they killed off the ONLY interesting new character halfway through. Brilliant! Under normal circumstances, I could’ve just written this off as a poor decision, but that left nothing for me to latch onto. Quinn is a fucking joke now, Batista and LaGuerta haven’t been relevant since the third season and, for some reason, I was way ahead of the big “twist” involving the Doomsday Killers.

None of this though, was as boneheaded as the direction the writers decided to go with the last two episodes. This, frankly disgusting, development with Deb has basically made me question whether I even want to watch the show anymore. But, you know what the worst thing about this season was? The final shot was basically something that we’ve all been waiting five seasons for and this season fucked things up so royally, that by the time it rolled around; I didn’t even care. Tragic.

Anyway, let’s move onto something infinitely more enjoyable fare, shall we?

American Horror Story was basically my drug of choice this fall. It was so grim, so extreme, so… over-the-top ridiculous at times, yet I loved every minute of it. I would hate to be anyone who tries to do anything about a haunted house after this, because American Horror Story crammed every possible trope into its debut season. I mean you really needed a scorecard to keep track of all ghosts in this house. The creators lumped crazy plot on top of crazy plot and just when you thought it couldn’t get anymore insane, they’d throw on something else. And yet, for me, this unholy tower never toppled. I turned the corner on taking it too seriously around episode three when The Burned Man bonked Hayden on the head with a shovel.

However, because every single actor in the show was invested one-hundred-and-ten percent, I cared. I really wanted to see how this all played out. They made it easy for me to take everything – The Rubber Man, the Infantata, Vivien’s babies and Mena Suvari showing up out of nowhere as a certain legendary L.A figure – all in stride. Though the end game was pretty evident from about halfway, I was still very excited to see how they arrived there. American Horror Story was quality genre entertainment that really got its hooks into me.

It occured to me while I was putting the final touches on this post that I neglected to mention The Walking Dead. In short, I thought this season was marginally better than the first, but I'm going to wait until the show finally decides to get past the first ten issues of the comic before delving more into it.

DKTM 129

2012-01-22T10:22:00.011-05:00

Okay, now that I'm pretty much set up now at my new digs, here's some stuff that caught my online eye.

Never Forget.

I recently became aware of this awesome documentary project called Rewind This! The brainchild of three Austin filmmakers (Josh Johnson, Carolee Mitchell & Chris Palmer), it chronicles the rise and fall of the VHS format. The amount of eye-widening sparks of recognition for me in the trailer below was astonishing.

After a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, it looks like the funds needed to complete production have been reached. Even better, a trip to Toronto has apparently just been added! For more info on Rewind This!, visit the website here.

Just The Right Size.

Fellow Toronto cinephile Tal Zimerman recently started up a fantastic Tumblr page called 27 x 41". Although it focuses on the many types of promotional materials in his vast collection, my favourite stuff is the mind-blowing, foreign market film posters. Here's just a taste.

To visit 27 x 41", click here.

From One JC To Another.

Lastly, I didn't want the great John Carpenter's birthday to go by unacknowledged. Last Monday, he turned 64. I happened to see a JC montage from YouTube user raphadpm in my Facebook feed, and wanted to share it. Happy Birthday, John!

It's a shame that the video's from 2009, and thus excludes The Ward. I seem to be one of the few people who actually dug his last flick, but it would've been nice just in the interest of completism.

That's all for this edition. You must now excuse me, as I have a biiiiig stack of boxes to sort through.

The Dead

2012-01-20T15:05:00.001-05:00

With January brings a new cycle of Cinemacabre Nights at The Toronto Underground, the first being The Ford Brothers’ zombie film The Dead. I knew virtually nothing about this movie going in, save it being a zombie flick set in Africa, so I was excited to start off 2012 with a bread & butter subgenre.

While evacuating from a zombie plague in Africa, Lt. Brian Murphy’s (Rob Freeman) plane goes down off the coast. After washing ashore, Freeman meets an African soldier named Sgt. Dembele (Prince David Osei) and they go about trying to find refuge from the chaos.

My experience with The Dead was a positive one overall. I had heard rumblings of comparisons to George A. Romero’s zombie oeuvre beforehand, but I think it goes deeper than that. Sure, the film is populated with old school, shambling zombies, but the pace and tone come from a different time, as well. I was immediately hit with that feeling of dread and the inevitability of death. I realized that it had been a long time since I had seen that, as most zombie flicks of late are all about adrenaline and/or the easy laughs. I appreciated that immensely. I also very much liked the washed-out look of the film. As I said, Romero gets brought up a lot in reference to this movie, but I think it reminded me much more of Jess Franco’s Oasis of the Zombies – though thankfully this is far superior.

The Dead is built on its two strong leads, and is primarily why it works at all. Freeman had a definite Jeff Fahey vibe going, even if he was a little lacking in the charisma department. I also respect the Ford Brothers for how well balanced the gore was. There were several solid set pieces, but they never ran away with the show and the inevitable CG augmentation was also incredibly well placed. Another thing that brought a smile to my face while watching the middle third, was how much the interactions between the two protagonists – and how they watched each other’s backs – reminded me of playing Resident Evil 5 co-op with my buddy, Phil.

The problem with The Dead is that it reaches its apex about two-thirds in and then festers, inevitably overstaying its welcome. I felt that the filmmakers had a good hour of a film and a final image in mind, but not much in between. Toward the end, there were several logistical leaps – made even more apparent by the drawn out nature of everything that came before it – that really took away from the movie as a whole. By the time the somewhat heavy-handed conclusion rolled around, a lot had been done to undermine all that good work in the first hour.

At the end of the day though, despite some major flaws, The Dead was still better than the majority of zombie flicks being made these days.

Relocation.

2012-01-15T08:56:00.001-05:00

Things will be quiet here this coming week, however my Internet is getting hooked up tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be back posting by the weekend. Wish me luck!

A Tough Day On The Job.

2012-01-13T10:06:00.004-05:00

Rats. I really wanted to do something substantial for this Friday the 13th, but the truth is; it just kind of snuck up on me. I am in the process of moving house, so I’ve really only had the brain space to focus on that date on the calendar. However, I did find this old video skit of mine a while back. Shot in the early nineties – likely the same weekend my bedroom tour video was – it seemed appropriate for the occasion. Happy Friday the 13th everyone!

Netflix Pix 4.0

2012-01-12T10:01:00.008-05:00

There have been some sizable genre additions to the Canadian Netflix catalogue over the last few months, so here are some suggestions for the next time you are browsing around.

In my 2011 wrap-up post a few weeks back, I mentioned two films that really impressed me last year. The first was a cold pick from the shelves of Eyesore Cinema called Kidnapped. It is a Spanish home invasion flick that not only has the punch that most Euro-horror titles of this ilk deliver, but it is also a technical marvel. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said that images from this piece stuck in my head for several weeks.

The second title is a very underrated Canadian horror flick called The Shrine. Actually, underrated is not entirely accurate, as it never really got a release to gauge it one way or the other. Very few people have seen this movie, which is a shame because I think it’s a real gem. The thing I most respect about director Jon Knautz is that for his sophomore effort, he didn’t just take the easy route and make Jack Brooks 2. No, he made a conscious decision to pull a one-eighty and do a straight up horror film.

Next up is Guillem Morales’ Julia’s Eyes. Belen Rueda puts in another fantastic performance as the title character, even if the film as a whole didn’t resonate with me as much as The Orphanage did. The film is still beautifully shot, and the way the plight of Rueda’s character is explored is quite chilling. Even though some of the storytelling choices kept this from being a home run for me, this is still an effective thriller well worth your time.

Taking a trip down under, Jon Hewitt’s 2008 thriller Acolytes is on Netflix now, as well. This movie has the delicious premise of three high schoolers finding out a serial killer’s secret and then trying to blackmail him into killing their own tormentor. Of course, it doesn’t go quite as planned. Yes, it is every bit as dark as you would expect. Initially, I wasn’t crazy about this movie, as I had problems with the motivations of some of the characters. However, after coming back to it a few years later, it didn’t bug me as much, so I’m now comfortable recommending it to you all.

Perhaps the most impressive section of Netflix is its television catalogue. Just recently, they added Twin Peaks and the first three seasons of Dexter to their ranks. I have been rewatching the second stanza of the latter and reacquainting myself with Lila (Jaime Murray), one of the freakiest bunny boilers to ever hit the small screen. As for Twin Peaks, those uninitiated have no more excuses. WATCH. IT. NOW.

Why It Matters

2012-01-10T15:00:00.001-05:00

Lars Nilsen of Badassdigest.com started up a new column this week called Why It Matters. His inaugural post was of obvious interest to me, as it was about the VHS format.

He makes some great points in the article as to why there are still so many people clinging to this arguably obsolete format, including;

“Here's the deal as I see it: of all the films ever made, a small fraction have become available on VHS. Of those, a much smaller fraction has made it onto DVD and streaming media. If I want to enjoy a movie like Orson Welles' Chimes at Midnight, I need to dust off a VHS tape. And if, in my capacity as a film programmer and advisor to a film archive, I want to refer to an obscure spaghetti western or kung fu movie, I'll probably be watching a video tape.”

He does also take the opportunity – unnecessarily in my opinion – to slam Netflix, though I wonder if it was mainly in reaction to some readers emailing that VHS is no longer needed with the advent of streaming video. I myself, have no problem with Big Red. In fact, I don't really understand any of the chest-beating online about this topic. Sony Vs. Microsoft I get (PS3 FTW!) but there is no reason why, when it comes to video, we can't all have your cake and eat it too. Netflix is not a replacement for physical media; it is a supplement.

Anyway, I just wanted to call attention to another blogger out there, who seems to love VHS, and its many spoils, as much as I do. For the full article, click here.

DKTM 128

2012-01-08T11:24:00.005-05:00

Good morning everyone, I trust you have all recovered from your New Year's shenanigans. Here's a brand spanking new all-video edition of DKTM for you to enjoy.

Thingu!

Fresh off his winning short for the ABC's of Death competition, Lee Hardcastle unveiled a new claymation oddity this week. Hardcastle combined the beloved European icon Pingu, with the John Carpenter classic The Thing to create something that is sure to put a smile on your face.

Viva La Renaissance!

One of my hobbies is tracking down the early work of a group of filmmakers I affectionately refer to as The Renaissance Boys, which includes Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, Josh Becker & Scott Spiegel, among others. Recently, I came across TONY92FR's YouTube channel, after he contacted me about the KNB video I posted. He's got some great stuff from the Boys, including Holding It, Attack of the Helping Hand and Torro, Torro, Torro. Here below, is part of a Bruce Campbell interview from the 2003 French DVD release of Evil Dead 2.

I Love The Arts.

One thing you can always expect from the yearly Rue Morgue Halloween party, is something crazy to happen onstage during the festivities. I missed last year's Banquet of Blood, but I do remember regretting I wouldn't get to see featured attraction Mimi Cherry as Countess Bathory. Well, thanks to my buddy Robert Mitchell being there to film the proceedings, here she is in all her blood spattered glory.

2012 Preview

2012-01-05T10:00:00.002-05:00

Ahhh... Nothing like the prospect of a new year. Here’s a preview of what genre flicks I am looking forward to seeing in 2012.

Prometheus (Jun 8th)

After Resurrection, I really had absolutely no interest in seeing another Alien film, but after learning of the stellar cast *pun intended* lined up for this, I really can’t resist it. After watching the recently released trailer, this looks very, very promising indeed.

The Woman In Black (Feb 3rd)

Having never seen any of the Harry Potters, it will be interesting to see how Daniel Radcliffe transitions into this role. I’m a fan of Watkin’s previous previous (Eden Lake & My Little Eye), so it will ibe nteresting to see what he does with a budget. I do like the look and feel of the trailer though, so I’m hoping for good things.

Cabin In The Woods (Apr 13th)

After being on the backburner for a year, this Joss Whedon produced thriller is finally on its way. The trailer certainly hints of expansion beyond your usual backwoods horror story, so I am fully behind this one.

Paranorman (Aug 17th)

Being a huge fan of animated films Coraline and Monster House, I might actually get out to see this one in a theatre.

Detention (TBD)

Having narrowly missed screening here last year, I still am very interested in seeing this kooky horror film. I have a feeling this is the movie that Scream 4 should have been. The trailer teases of a visual flair that may distunguish it from the pack.

World War Z (Dec 21st)

I am not particularly optimistic about this one, as author Max Brooks walked away from the project pretty early on, but depending on how much of J. Michael Straczynski’s original screenplay made it to the final cut, this could end up surprising.

Jonn Dies At The End (TBD)

A lot of my friends read this book last year, but I had no idea it was of a darker tone until just recently. Now that I've seen the trailer and know that it is a Don Coscarelli joint, I'm all over it. John will premiere this month at Sundance, but fingers crossed that it comes to my neck of the woods at some point soon.

As per usual, there are a lot of genre titles with numbers tacked on the end this year. I will, as always, put in my time with Resident Evil, and because my #1 lass Kate Beckinsale has squeezed into black leather once more, I will check out the newest Underworld, as well.

Other sequels of note are Piranha 3DD and Michael J. Bassett’s Silent Hill 2.

A film that has sold me on its poster alone, is Nurse 3D.

I believe that Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter & Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters cancel each other out, but I'll put my money on the one with Jeremy Renner.

There are some promising titles currently doing time on the festival circuit this year. Black Rock, Grabbers, V/H/S and Genesis – the latest in the [REC] series – are all efforts that I hope make it to The Big Smoke by the end of the year. I am also very interested to see how Drafthouse Films' The ABC’s of Death project turned out.

As for recommendations as to what to look out for, festival darlings You’re Next, Kill List and 2009’s The Loved Ones are all slated for release in 2012. Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo’s latest Livid, Eduardo Sanchez’s possession character piece Lovely Molly and the post apocalyptic The Divide are also likely to drop this year, as well.

So, although there are few powerhouses on the docket, there is no shortage of entertaining stuff on the horizon. Commence circling release dates on your calendars!

Going Nuclear!

2012-01-03T10:01:00.002-05:00

I sat in on another episode of the Laser Focus podcast last weekend. This time we talked about a pair of eighties nuclear war-themed flicks called 2019: After the Fall of New York and Miracle Mile. Click on the image below to listen to our ramblings.

CAST Awards 2011

2012-01-02T12:35:00.003-05:00

The 2nd Annual CAST (Cinema Appreciation Society of Toronto) awards were posted yesterday. For those who weren't around last year, CAST is a GTA blogger collective spearheaded by James McNally (of Toronto Screen Shots) This year's crop was forty members strong and below are CAST's Top Five Films of 2011.

1)Drive

2)The Artist

3)The Tree of Life

4)Attack the Block

5)Take Shelter

The top five of my submitted list were as follows;

1)Hanna

2)Attack The Block

3)Contagion

4)Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The

5)MI4

It was exceedingly difficult to rank my films this year. In year's past, there has always been a runaway favourite to crown numero uno (Inception, Inglourious Bastards, No Country For Old Men etc), but in 2011, it was not nearly as easy. In the end, Hanna won out by default because it is the only one of my top tier films I had watched subsequently on Blu-ray.

As for the official Top Five, I wish I loved Drive as much as everybody else seemed to. Though it's a well-made film, it just wasn't a home run for me. I do, however wager that The Tree of Life and Midnight In Paris (CAST's #6) would have been high on my list had I managed to get around to seeing them before the deadline.

Like last year, I saw only a fraction of the films on the ballot, but I'm okay with that. I don't mind being one of the more "unwashed" members of the group. For the full CAST list of twenty, click here.

Auld Lang Syne.

2011-12-31T18:21:00.002-05:00

Have a safe one, kids. See you in 2012!

Best (& Worst) Horror of 2011.

2011-12-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

In the days coming up to compiling this list, I was thinking 2011 had been a pretty weak year for horror. If you took away the stuff I saw at film festivals, it would appear downright dismal. However, when I started going through the archives, I did happen to find a large handful of good titles from this calendar year. Here below, in no particular order, is my top five.

You’re Next

USA, Dir: Adam Wingard

If you saw my Halloween costume this year, it should not surprise you that this movie was one of my faves. Wingard finally won me over this year with his wildly fresh slasher flick. It is funny, smart, gory and features one of the most feisty final girl’s in a very long time. This movie blew the roof off the Ryerson at Midnight Madness, so if Lionsgate has any sense they will get this out into the world as soon as possible.

Attack the Block

UK, Dir: Joe Cornish

The movie that Super 8 wishes it could have been, Attack the Block absolutely wowed me this summer. Attack did everything right. It had well conceived action sequences punctuated by a fantastic score, as well as great performances by a genuine ensemble cast. And again, unlike Super 8, when the effects became prominent, there was an actual payoff and not a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. This was a home-run for Cornish and company in my opinion.

The Innkeepers

USA, Dir: Ti West

West followed up his solid 2009 flick House of the Devil with another genre doozy this year. It has atmosphere in spades and a spirited and adorable performance from Sara Paxton. As we saw in House of the Devil, West’s sensibilities lean more toward an older style of filmmaking, but he also skilled enough to keep The Innkeepers from feeling outwardly retro, and thus being just a redo of his previous work. This was a fun ride, and the type of movie more genre directors should be making.

Hobo With A Shotgun

Canada, Dir: Jason Eisener

Though not technically a horror film, it has pretty much everything I love in a genre film. Plus, I gotta represent my peeps, don’t I? As I said in my review, this love letter to 42nd Street goes way further than Machete and is pound-for-pound more authentic than Grindhouse. It pulled no punches and just kept getting more and more bloody as it progressed. Rutger Hauer lived & breathed this role, and I was in it from start to finish.

Amer

France/Belgium, Dir: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani

Even though Amer didn’t turn out to be the mind blowing experience I was hoping for, it was still pretty great. Soaked in atmosphere and paying homage to so many films I hold dear, it was impossible not to enjoy it, frankly. I still wish there was more of a structured narrative throughout, but I can fully appreciate it as a piece of art rather than a traditional film. It is a must-see for any fan of the gialli.

Honourable Mentions

There were a lot of films that bubbled under this year. Insidious could’ve made my Top 5, but it was on last year's list, as it played Midnight Madness 2010.

Red State was perhaps my biggest surprise this year. Kevin Smith really spread his wings here as a director. A lot of people complained about the movie's lack of direction, but I chose to embrace the unpredictability of the whole affair. Anchored by some great performances – most paramount among them being Michael Parks as the fanatical preacher – I never felt it got away from itself.

Troll Hunter was just a hugely enjoyable movie. Combining the age old lore of Norway with present day science really lent itself well to its faux documentary conceit. Even though it got increasingly effects heavy, the CGI was just good enough to not take me out of the experience.

There were several films from last year that I caught in 2011, that would’ve surely been in last year’s post. These include the excellent German zombie flick Rammbock and the criminally underseen The Shrine. I also loved Tetsuya Nakashima's Confessions, as well as Dream Home out of Hong Kong. However, the one film from 2010 that is still rattling around in my brain is the Spanish home invasion flick Secoustrados AKA Kidnapped. Oh, and by the way, most of these are now on Netflix, so go watch them!

Also, 2011 was a huge year for low-budget indies. I can name five that made an impression just off the top of my head. Absentia, Midnight Son & Some Guy Who Kills People, Lovely Molly and The Reef are all worth your time. Write them down for future reference.

Though David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Contagion are not technically horror, they were up there with some of the best films I saw this year.

The negative column is mercifully short this year. Scream 4, Fright Night and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark were glaring disappointments and I was unimpressed with Paranormal Activity 3 for messing with the wonderful lore it had set up in the previous two installments. And the more I think about The Thing prequel, the more I realize just how much the botched effects ruined the entire experience.

However, if I was to pick the movie that I disliked the most this year, it would be Lucky McKee’s The Woman. I am well aware that this movie is on several 'best of' lists, and they can have it. I want no part of what this movie is selling, and it's the final nail in the coffin when it comes to Jack Ketchum. I am still of the opinion that a large ingredient of satire is comedy, and there was absolutely none to be had here.

So, that's another year wrapped up. Check back next year for my 2012 preview. Until then, have a fun and safe NYE!

All Heads Half Off!

2011-12-28T12:58:00.000-05:00

It should come as no shock to you that one of my favourite slashers is Scott Spiegel’s Intruder. It has always surprised me that a film as significant as this one hasn’t found a bigger audience among horror fans. Not only was it the first project that KNB EFX worked on as an official collective, but it was also because of this movie that producer Lawrence Bender – through his relationship with Spiegel - came to meet Quentin Tarantino. I also feel that Intruder has a lot more personality to it than most slashers, by and large because of Spiegel’s visual flair.

Due to Intruder being heavily censored on its initial release, I have amassed many different versions on a few formats over the years, thus I was very excited when I heard that Synapse Films was releasing a definitive Director’s Cut on Blu-ray. I got a chance to dig into this over the Christmas break, so here is my rundown on the package.

It is safe to say that Intruder has never looked better, as the Blu-ray transfer is quite decent. The fantastic gore effects still hold up and the movie is still as entertaining as ever. I think the highlight is Red Shirt Pictures’ fourty-minute featurette about the making of the movie. It features everyone from the production – save Sam Raimi – reminiscing about their experiences and reveals several things of which I wasn’t aware, including how they got the supermarket location and that Charles Band, of Full Moon fame, became involved along the way.

Sam couldn't make it. He got hung up nyuk nyuk nyuk.

Also of note on this disc, are the extended murder scenes from the original work print, as well as outtakes from Spiegel’s 1979 Super 8 short film Night Crew. Like Sam Raimi’s Within The Woods transforming into The Evil Dead, Night Crew was an early version for what would later become Intruder. I was very sad to hear that the full version of Night Crew was lost in the early eighties because I love watching those old shorts from The Renaissance Boys.

The Blu-ray also has a commentary track, which was fun to listen to, but kind of wish Spiegel & Bender had been a little more prepared. Since it had been years since either of them had watched the movie, there was a lot of “Hey wow, I’d forgotten about that”, “I can’t believe we did that” & “Whoa, this is great seeing this again” going on throughout. They also repeatedly dwelt on having to use a library stock score. I feel having a third or fourth voice on the track, like Greg Nicotero or Danny Hicks, would have added a lot to the proceedings.

Anyway, this is a great package and the definitive version for slasher fans. As a bonus, I included some old KNB EFX footage below. I’ve posted it previously, but if you haven’t seen it, it is vintage behind-the-scenes of Nicotero and Bob Kurtzman working on the effects for Intruder.

Put Frosty In The Microwave.

2011-12-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

Media mashups are a common thing on the Internet now, but perhaps the first ones on record were Todd Graham's Blue Peanuts & Apocalypse Pooh. Created right here in Toronto in 1987 and passed around pre-Web via VHS tapes, they were an underground sensation. I saw them circa 1994 and thought they was not only hilarious, but perhaps one of the most clever things I'd ever seen. It certainly got my creative juices flowing and I always wanted to try something similar, but never had just the right sources, nor the technical means to do so.

Fast forward to a few months ago when I finally got my hands on Microwave Massacre. Finding out that its star Jackie Vernon was also the cartoon voice of Frosty the Snowman, the gears started turning in my devilish little mind. Here below, is my mashup debut, Put Frosty In The Microwave. It is admittedly pretty rough, but I think you get the idea.

Merry Christmas all!!!

The Ghost of Xmas Past.

2011-12-24T17:00:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd pass along some holiday merriment in the form of The Twelve Days of Christmas - Twin Peaks style!

Warning: This video contains spoilers, but if you haven't seen this show already... WTF is wrong with you???

A Merry Christmas Eve to all of you out there!

The New Girl.

2011-12-23T10:08:00.005-05:00

When journalist Mikael Blomkvist's (Daniel Craig) investigation into a fourty-year old missing person case hits a dead end, he enlists the help of a troubled computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara).

I guess I should start off by saying that having not read the books, my opinions are based solely on how I feel this film compares to the Swedish original. That said, David Fincher’s take on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was rather impressive, but overall it didn’t hit me as soundly as the one that came before it. I could chalk this up to having known nothing about the original before walking into it last year and being blown away, but I think it’s more than that. There were several small tweaks made by Fincher – and again these may have very well been to line up with the book – that shifted the dynamic between the two main characters, I felt to their detriment.

In this version, Salander seemed a lot more outwardly invested in her relationship with Blomqvist. I preferred Niels Arden Oplev’s take where Salander was more nonchalant and guarded. The parallels between her past and how they related to the climax of this film were removed from Fincher’s version, as well. This was likely a choice to make this more of a stand-alone film than part of a trilogy, but I felt some depth was lost as a result.

This doesn’t however; take anything away from the performances. Mara, who was given the impossible task of filling the shoes of Noomi Rapace, is exceptional as Salander, playing it a little more wild and unstable. Her & Craig are very good together, but because the romantic relationship was a little more overt here, I didn’t find them as engaging as their Swedish counterparts. I did like that a lot more character stuff directly pertaining to Blomqvist and Salander was present though.

When it comes to the bells and whistles, Fincher comes out on top. It looks fantastic, and the locations very closely mirror those of the original. The best thing about the film was the score provided by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, which really helped along the extended sequences of exposition. A highlight of their work was the Led Zeppelin cover featured in the main titles.

It looks like something out of a Bond film, doesn’t it? It also reminded me a little of the Hell sequences from Event Horizon, but that could be because I just watched it again last weekend. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo perfectly suited Fincher’s sensibilities, and he did an admirable job. Even though I wasn’t on board with some of the changes, it’s still an exceptional thriller.

Event Horizon Q & A

2011-12-21T12:35:00.001-05:00

I’m just going to come right out and say it. I like Paul W.S. Anderson. He gets a lot of grief among cinephiles, but I’ve always enjoyed his movies. Last Sunday at The Toronto Underground, I was lucky enough to catch a special screening of the 1997 sci-fi horror flick Event Horizon, for which Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt were in attendance, having just wrapped principle here in town on Resident Evil 5.

Here below, courtesy of YouTube user emaninTdot is the full Q&A. Anderson seems like a very cool guy and just as passionate about his work now, as he was when he burst onto the scene in 1994 with his debut, Shopping.

Coming out of the theatre, my cohorts and I saw Anderson still milling about the lobby. He hadn’t intended to stay and watch the whole movie, but he said he just couldn’t resist.

I think that's pretty awesome.

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2011-12-18T10:53:00.004-05:00

Hello, welcome to an all-video edition of Don't Kill the Messenger. Enjoy!

The Infection Has Left The Building.

A while ago, it was announced that Spanish mavericks Paco Plaza and Jaume Balagueró would be splitting up directing duties on the next two [REC] films. Paco would helm the direct sequel, and Balagueró would then follow up with a prequel of sorts. Here below, is the new trailer for the former, [REC]3: Genesis, that Twitch posted a few days ago.

It appears that Plaza is diverging from the tried-and-true POV device which is rather exciting. [REC]2 was a shining example of not resting on your laurels, so I would hope that Genesis continues that legacy.

It Never Gets Old.

Bad-ass Schoolgirl. Check.

Guns. Check.

Zombies. Check.

My Viewership. Check.

Click the cc button for the subtitles.

Rubbing Salt In The Wound.

It is not my intention to depress you on this Sunday morn, but I wanted you all to see this. Recently, Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc - the effects company that worked on The Thing remake - released behind the scenes footage of their creations for the project. You deserve to see what could have been before the studio decided to mask it all with inferior CGI. Click on the image below to be redirected.

Frustrating...

Digging Deep.

2011-12-16T10:11:00.005-05:00

I managed to squeeze in the A&E mini-series of Stephen King’s Bag of Bones before my Christmas schedule ramps up this week.

After the death of his wife, bestselling author Mike Noonan (Pierce Brosnan) retreats to his summer home in small town Maine to recuperate and combat his crippling writer’s block. He quickly finds the locals to be largely unwelcoming and soon discovers that they might be hiding a dark secret.

I should preface my opinions by saying Bag of Bones is one of the few King works that I haven’t read, so I can’t speak to its adaptation from the page. As a mini-series though, it was nothing special. I think overall, it was a little bland and all too familiar. A&E hyped the shit out of this thing, I think to a fault, as it wasn’t nearly as epic or intense as they made it out to be. Then again, after being hit over the head the last few months by the extreme nature of American Horror Story, most genre television now seems tame by comparison.

I can see parallels between the plight of Mike Noonan, and Bag of Bones as a mini-series. In the story, when called upon to come up with something quickly, he pulls out an old discarded draft – something he refers to as a “trunk novel” and pawns it off as new. Having not read it, I wouldn’t call Bag of Bones a trunk novel, but perhaps a “trunk adaptation.” It seems to me that A&E went mining through King's unproduced back catalogue and came up with this one. The problem is that the themes within, of curses, ghosts & troubled authors, have already been explored – decidedly better I might add – in his other works.

I don’t want to bash Bag of Bones too much though, as it is completely functional. The performances were solid, and despite the formulaic setup, there was something very honest about it. I was glad to see Melissa George, as well. Along with her turn in the British actioner A Lonely Place To Die, this has been a good year for her. I think the only characters I wasn’t onboard with were the villains Max Devore (William Schallert) and his crusty assistant Rogette (Deborah Grover), for they were overly cartoonish and often took me out of it.

As far as presentation goes, you know what you’re getting with Mick Garris. His utilitarian style gets the job done, but at the same time, hasn’t felt fresh to me for quite sometime. It was nice to see him lean toward practical effects though, as many a King production has been derailed by CGI in the past.

Bag of Bones was a serviceable genre experience, but not something I would likely ever revisit.

Be Kind, Rewind!

2011-12-13T08:01:00.002-05:00

I appeared on another episode of the Laser Focus podcast last weekend. It followed a screening of the Full Moon Entertainment offering Trancers, but we mostly ended up talking about our favourite VHS memories. Click on the image below to be redirected to the episode.

The Last Of Us.

2011-12-12T12:41:00.003-05:00

Naughty Dog, the A-list video game studio responsible for the awesome Uncharted series, announced their newest IP at the VGA's last weekend. Here is the trailer.

Not that I would need much prodding to enter this universe, but if it's got the Dog's stamp on it, I'm in. Three Uncharted games have taught me that they are unmatched when it comes to delivering action adventure. I am very excited to know more about the nuts and bolts of The Last Of Us. My hope is that ND doesn't feel they have to shake things up and add unnecessary RPG elements. If I wanted Fallout, I'd play Fallout. No thanks. If they deliver, as one YouTube commenter put it, "I Am Legend with Ellen Page", I'd be perfectly happy with that.

I actually wasn't suprised to see a familiar face show up in their trailer, as this isn't a new practice for ND. The villain in Drake's Disception was very clearly supposed to be Helen Mirren, after all.

Anyway, this kinda made my Monday morning. Thanks to DirtyRobot for the heads up!

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2011-12-11T12:59:00.004-05:00

Good afternoon everyone! Here is what's in the pipe currently.

You Think You Know The Story.

After gestating for many moons, Cabin In The Woods is now blazing forward full steam ahead. Last week, we saw a poster emerge and now there, on its heels, is a trailer.

Wow, that was NOT what I was expecting. There is a lot going on here. I am really excited to see where this goes now. Here's hoping Lionsgate stays firm on their April 2012 release date.

The ABC's of Gens.

Now that the ABC's of Death are all locked in, we can look forward to bits and pieces of bloody sinew to come across the Web in the next few months. Below, is a still from Xavier Gens' offering for his yet undisclosed letter.

B is for Blood Loss? Or E is for Exsanguination, perhaps? I guess we'll just have to wait and see. For more info on the ABC's of Death project, click here. Oh, and if you'd like to see the ABC contest entry I co-produced a few months ago, click here.

Dark Reflections.

Lastly, I wanted to draw your attention to a new show called Black Mirror that just started on Channel 4 in Britain. It is a three part anthology mini-series from Charlie Brooker, who gave us the fantastic zombie series Dead Set a few years ago. The first episiode, "The National Anthem" aired last week, and man, it always amazes me what they'll show on TV over there. It was truly one of the most bizarre mixes of comedy & horror I have ever seen, and definitely the most "modern" piece of genre fiction out there. For those of you who don't have access to Channel 4, you can also watch it online. Here is the first part below.

Keeping with the over-infatuation with technology theme, the second episode, "15 Million Merits" appears to shine a light on our obsession with reality shows. It airs on Channel 4 tonight. For more info, click here.

THS Turns 4!

2011-12-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

Unbelievable I know, but The Horror Section was birthed into the world four years ago today! As this marker approached, I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to celebrate. I'd already done something cute, informative and then nostalgic for the one, two & three annum milestones respectively, so where was I to go from there? It then dawned on me that I should involve VHS somehow, as it was the reason I started this whole thing in the first place. In my mind's eye, I envisioned a monument of sorts... an obelisk if you will.

Yes, your eyes don't deceive you. That IS a 3 by 6 foot tower of VHS cassettes. Three hundred and sixty of them to be exact. You can click the image for a closer look, or go here for a better sense of scale.

Thanks to everyone who keeps on coming by to check out my humble ramblings. I think I still have a few more years left in me, so I guess I'll be around a while yet.

Big Brother; Japanese Style.

2011-12-07T18:13:00.005-05:00

I whipped into Eyesore the other day and grabbed the first interesting looking title I came across, which happened to be Hideo Nakata’s newest The Incite Mill.

Ten people are recruited for a mysterious seven-day experiment that promises a big payout at its conclusion. All they have to do is survive each other.

For a film that I picked solely on its premise, The Incite Mill turned out to be quite an entertaining yarn. Granted, the Ten Little Indians plot device is one of the most enduring out there, but this had a lot of other things going for it, as well. It wasn't really hard for me to get onboard, as it shares elements with three other films that I hold in high regard, the most prominent being Battle Royale. The flamboyant explanation of the rules and the characters’ gradual discovery of the weapons in play really took me back to that first magical viewing of Fukasaku’s masterpiece. Additionally, the social experiment angle was reminiscent of the 2001 German film Das Experiment and the omnipresent surveillance recalled Marc Evans’ 2002 thriller My Little Eye.

With ten characters to establish, obviously some were more fleshed out than others, but considering there is supposed to be air of mystery to the proceedings I think the ambiguity worked for the most part. It’s a strong ensemble, with the most familiar face being Tatsuya Fujiwara, who also played Shuya in the aforementioned Battle Royale. Perhaps the biggest scene-stealer though, was Guard, the automated robot sentry. His appearance was probably my favourite part and actually made me ‘WTF’ aloud. That was the point I really clocked into the somewhat heightened reality that The Incite Mill inhabits. From then on, I was one hundred percent in.

The common problem of Japanese genre films not knowing how to wrap up their films is present here, with some character motivations being a little thin or murky – especially a final decision made by one of the players – but as is usually the case, it’s a small gripe in amongst a wholly enjoyable experience.

The Incite Mill was exactly what I wanted it to be and a best-case scenario from a blind video store rental. If it should someday show up on Netflix, I recommend checking it out.

DKTM 125

2011-12-04T11:03:00.008-05:00

Good afternoon everyone! Here's what's been happening in Horrorland this week.

Uh, Yes Please.

Twitch reported this week that British director Neil Jordan's next project will be of the vampire variety. Titled Byzantium, it features Gemma Arterton & Saoirse Ronan as a mother/daughter pair of roving bloodsuckers. I am extremely excited for this - shocking I know. I loved Ronan's turn as a teenage assassin in Hanna earlier this year, and Arterton completely won me over as the title character in the criminally underseen The Disappearance of Alice Creed. Click here for the original article.

Cabin Fever!

Only of the many projects that has been affected by MGM's recent woes is Joss Whedon's horror project Cabin In the Woods. It has been gestating for what seems like years now, but this week a poster arrived.

I dig the design for its cool Hellraiser vibe. Cabin In The Woods is directed by Drew Goddard, stars Richard Jenkins & Chris Hemsworth and is scheduled to hit screens (we hope) in April next year.

Onto Park City We Go.

With 2012 almost upon us (IKR?) the lineup for Sundance's slew of films was announced this week. Here below are some of their Midnight programme titles that have me really excited.

The Irish/UK co-production Grabbers has a premise so simple, it's brilliant. A seaside village is attacked by parasitic creatures, for which the only defence is a high blood-alcohol content. Let's hope this delivers on both the comedy and the horror.

I am a huge fan of the tv show The League, so I was very happy to hear about Black Rock. Directed by Katie Aselton and written by Mark Duplass, it features Aselton, Lake Bell and Kate Bosworth on an island getaway gone wrong. I am used to seeing Duplass and Co's boundary-breaking comedy, but I'm interested to see how they'll deal with straight up horror.

V/H/S. Need I say more? This anthology named after our beloved video format features the work of such mavericks as Ti West, Adam Wingard, Glenn McQuaid and Joe Swanberg. I cannot wait to see how this turns out. I am crossing my fingers for something as lovingly authentic as Grindhouse or Hobo With A Shotgun.

Click here for the full Sundance lineup.

Umberto

2011-12-02T10:02:00.002-05:00

The venerable Colin Geddes recently turned me onto the musical stylings of Umberto. The brain-child of Kansas City maestro Matt Hill, it doesn't take long to pinpoint his artistic influences. The prog-rock synth of Goblin and John Carpenter permeates Umberto's work, but I also see other artists like Jean Michel Jarre and Fred Mollin filter through on occasion, as well. That's some good company. Here below, is a taste.

A handy YouTube playlist of fourteen Umberto tracks can be found here. This has basically been my background music for several days now. Enjoy!

It Came From The Archives 13!

2011-12-01T10:06:00.002-05:00

While waiting for a show to start at Toronto After Dark last month, a buddy and I were shootin' the shit about horror movie-going experiences of our youth. Mike brought up Army of Darkness and how he wasn’t able to see it because it was Restricted. That immediately struck me as odd. I definitely remember being parentless while watching Ash kick Deadite ass back in 1993. My father dropped me and a friend off at The Oakville Mews; in a snowstorm no less. That's dedication! Mike however, insisted that it was Restricted and not 14A. I then remembered my pack rat nature and said that I probably had the original newspaper clipping of Army of Darkness’ release somewhere and we could find out for sure.

First though, a little background for my American friends, if you are unaware of the differences in the Canadian rating system. Here in Canada, Restricted is basically the same as your NC-17. The rating that closely doubled the US version of Restricted was 14A, which was anyone under 14 must be accompanied by an adult, until Canada brought in the stricter 18A – under 18 must be with an adult – in 2001. The difference between what was acceptable for minors twenty years ago and today is staggering.

As you will soon see, some of the most innocuous stuff from the nineties was slapped with an ‘R’, but now it is almost unheard of. I can count on one hand the horror films that have actually been Restricted here in the last few years.

Anyway, it turned out that I didn’t have an Army of Darkness movie listing – though Imdb does state it was indeed rated 14A in Ontario – but found a shit-ton of others, which are now below. Take a trip down memory lane with me, won’t you?

I’m sure residents of the GTA will get an extra kick out of some of these theatre listings, as most of these venues no longer exist. Feel free to click to enlarge.

Look closely and you’ll see they had midnight screenings at the Eaton Centre. I’m not sure venturing into the musty dungeon-like corridors of that theater at the witching hour was such a good idea.

Such a harmless movie for all the woes of the world to have been heaped on. I remember being so flabberghasted, I almost went on Speaker’s Corner with my Chucky Doll to voice my outrage.

I had such an awesome time watching this one. I was just so glad that mainstream audiences were getting to see the brilliant genius of Sam Raimi. Not deterred by Hollywood refusing him a superhero property, he just decided to make his own! How ironic that a decade later, Raimi would later be handed one of the biggest on a silver platter.

Sadly missed this in theatres, as I loved this movie when I was a teen.

Freddy’s Dead I actually saw at the Drive-In with my brother and his girlfriend. It was one of the several times they snuck me in. I still have the 3D glasses.

This movie is of note because I saw it on my eighteenth birthday. I basically walked up to the ticket taker with my ID held out in front of me, like a badge of honour. The movie turned out to be pretty excessive in the gore department – at least in relation to the first one – so it was kind of fitting in a way.

The weird thing about this movie is that it had two versions. The theatrical version that I saw was vastly different from the one that came out on video. I actually dug this movie when it came out. I was a big video game geek, so this movie really opened up my imagination. Plus, as I've said before, I had a huge crush on Jenny Wright.

I remember three things about this movie. First was the ewwww factor, S\second was the lovely Mädchen Amick and the third was that the hero of the picture was a cat. I have a soft spot for two of those things. (Note: one of them isn’t the incest.)

After watching the previous eight installments from my couch, this was the first one I got to see in a theater. Imagine my disappointment when Jason was hardly in it. I must admit that the ending was pretty epic though.

The Int-er-net? What's that???

I hope you enjoyed those. I have many other clippings and such lying around, so you can look forward to seeing more in a future archives post.

Make My Movie!

2011-11-29T12:40:00.001-05:00

I just caught wind of this last week and I thought I would pass it on – even if it is almost finished. The New Zealand Film Commission are currently offering up $100,000 to indie filmmakers through a competition called...

Several months ago, entrants were charged with coming up with a poster and synopsis to promote their million dollar – or I guess hundred-thousand dollar – idea. There were hundreds of entrants, but at the start of October they were culled down to twelve, which you can see below. Click on the each image for more information.

I think the ones that speak to me the most are #8 Wire and Taxi Tapes. While it is true they are both of done-to-death subgenres – survivalist & found footage ghost story respectively – they are also the ones that would most likely deliver.

I look at something like The Helmet and all I can think is I’d rather just watch Primer again. Same goes with Never Forget up against The Disappearance of Alice Creed. As for Foley & Kill by Mouth; great ideas, but I wonder if there is enough meat there for an entire feature.

After reading the synopsis of The Bach, I have to say that unless the filmmakers have an unknown Olivier up their sleeve, the main character’s motivation is going to be really difficult for me to swallow.

Lastly, I recognize the potential of This Giant Papier Maché Boulder Is Actually Really Heavy, but again, will this running joke last ninety minutes? There’s also the fact that this initially struck me as a Jared Hess take on vintage Doctor Who, which makes me want to turn and run in the other direction.

Anyway, you can vote for your favourites up until tomorrow evening, with the final two being announced December 8th. Good luck to everyone involved!

R.I.P. Ken Russell 1927-2011

2011-11-28T19:06:00.001-05:00

I was sad to hear about the passing of director Ken Russell this morning. He was 84. Russell was a unique talent that gave us such memorable films as Altered States, The Devils & Gothic. I was fortunate enough to see him in person at last year's Festival of Fear, where he presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to iconic Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg.

Shortly after that, he spoke at a special screening of The Devils, which I later featured as my 666th post. I'll always remember him shouting at the photographer chick to "get out of it!" when she leaned in too far to get a shot. Good on ya, Mr. Russell.

Here below is a cool piece from the BBC honouring his life and work.

Orange

2011-11-27T11:56:00.006-05:00

Sorry for my absence here this week, but it was for a good cause I swear. Basically all my free time last week was sucked up preparing for a short that we shot yesterday. My unbelievable crew of seven & I withstood the rather chilly elements, problematic audio and crazy squirrels inside High Park to shoot a short film that I wrote a while back.

Pictured in frame, Tonya Dodds & Jeff Sinasac.

Everyone performed beautifully and we got a huge amount of footage during the seven hours of light we had available. Now it is off to the editing room to see if we can't put all this footage together into something coherent and watchable. Stay tuned.

My First Time.

2011-11-23T10:02:00.002-05:00

Things are going to be a bit light here this week, as I've got some other "stuff" going on, but I did want to throw up a link to a podcast I appeared on a few days ago following a Michele Soavi double-bill of Dellamorte Dellamore & Stage Fright.

I couldn't get the embed code to work, so click on the image above to be redirected. Initially, I was bit stunned having a recorder shoved in my face, but I think I loosened up toward the end. I mean, if I can't talk about Italian horror, I can't talk about anything.

DKTM 124

2011-11-20T10:23:00.004-05:00

Just a quick one today, as I have to take off into town for the day. Here's what I got for ya.

Coming to ABC.

Here's a trailer courtesy Bloody-Disgusting for the upcoming series The River created by Paranormal Activity's Oren Peli.

As you can see it sports an impressive cast, but not I'm sure if this formula can be spread over an entire season or more. The PA series is about building suspense & dread and I'd have trouble feeling that week-to-week and between commercials. It also looks there like there might be a built-in drinking game, involving people being thrown backwards into the camera lens. I'll give it a few episodes anyway.

Say Good Night To The Bad Guy.

My buddy Darryl contributed a great article to The Cultural Gutter this week. He uses his review of Human Centipede 2 to speak about the current state of horror. Here's a snip.

"It is a perfectly executed film. I challenge you to name a recent horror movie that was more effective. I’ve seen A Serbian Film – while genuinely disturbing, I have to say HC2 does so much more without breaking a sweat, or ever feeling self-conscious. I look at this year’s critically-acclaimed Kill List – a great film in its own right, with a fully developed story with pristine character arcs, brilliant dialogue, a knockout in so many ways–and yet I feel HC2 buries that with sheer visceral firepower."

Click here for the rest of the article.

Content As Advertised.

And lastly, here's a trailer for Jonathan Gladening's Strippers vs. Werewolves. Need I say more?

Kidnapped!

2011-11-18T07:59:00.002-05:00

Shortly before Toronto After Dark, I watched a 2010 Spanish home invasion thriller called Secuestrados.

A upper class family are terrorized in their home by three masked assailants.

As I said, I saw this over a month ago and it is still rattling around in my brain. So, what made this stand out from the countless other home invasion flicks that are flooding the market of late? Well, there are a few things.

The first thing is its simplicity, and the second is its inherent realism. It felt entirely plausible to me and I’m actually kind of surprised that there wasn’t a “based on actual events” title card thrown up at some point. In contrast to the spartan storyline though, the technical aspects of this film are no less than spectacular. I was aware of the one-take sequences and use of split screen, but it was so naturalistic that I didn’t realize just how pervasive they were until later. This entire film is a series of intensely orchestrated continuous shots that marvellously succeed at pulling you in. I think that director Miguel Ángel Vivas is every bit as skilled as Michael Haneke in this regard. Secuestrados also featured one of the best instances of CG-enhanced gore I've seen, with a head-bashing scene that ranks right up there with the fire-extinguisher bit from Irreversible.

The performances are all solid, as well. Manuela Vellés gives a chilling performance as the daughter Isabel, as she truly looked like she was losing her shit – and rightly so. Fernando Cayo – it took me a while to recognize him from The Orphanage – is also memorable as the helpless patriarch.

I had to chuckle while writing the synopsis above, as that byline is almost identical to Adam Wingard’s You’re Next, but in tone they could not be more different. Secuestrados is dark, morose and made with such an adept hand that your mind will not soon forget it.

And The Winner Is...

2011-11-16T12:43:00.003-05:00

The winner of the ABC’s of Death competition was announced yesterday, with Lee Hardcastle’s T is for Toilet being crowned the victor. I didn’t find this verdict surprising, since I think most would agree that from very early on, Toilet was the entry to beat. Here it is below.

Hardcastle will join very good company, as the other twenty-five ABC directors include the likes of Xavier Gens, Jason Eisener, Ti West & Yoshihiro Nishimura.

The contest runner-ups included two of my favourites, T is for Talk & T is for Table, as well as Canadian representative T is for Turbo, and T is for Termite. Here they are below.

2nd Place

3rd Place

4th Place

5th Place

Congrats to all the participants, and hopefully we can all battle it out again if there is ever a sequel! The ABC’s of Death is set to release through Drafthouse Films in 2012.

VHS Nite Part III

2011-11-14T10:04:00.001-05:00

When I was nine, I happened to see a little movie called Microwave Massacre. And because of this coverbox--

--I've always kept my eye out for it since. Fast forward twenty-seven years later to when I managed to find a battered copy of it within the depths of Ebay. Thus VHS Nite Part III was conceived.

The turnout on Saturday was bigger than I expected, so I perhaps oversold it a bit in my event invite. However, if there was ever a bad movie to watch with a group of people, this was probably it. And as has become custom on these joint Horror Section/DirtyRobot events, the latter fashioned a culinary delight for all of us to enjoy. And magically, it was if he knew that two-meat lasagna was perfectly appropriate for the occasion!

It was half eaten before I could even snap a pic!

But onto the movie. It makes sense to me now why I remembered all the sex bits of the movie and not the gory bits. It was because there really isn't much gore and my pre-adolescent brain was just glad to see boobies.

In fact, I'd say Microwave Massacre has more in common with eighties sex comedies like Porky's and Night Patrol, than it does the horror slashers of the day. The fast and furious one-liners here make the infamous ones delivered by Joe Piscopo in Dead Heat look like high comedy, but there were a few that had us laughing.

"You look so much better in the dark."

"What do you want me to do? French? Greek? Japanese?"

"I'm so hungry I could eat a whore!"

Even on my first viewing, I was able to clue into the double entendres in the movie, but I also had a base reference of countless Three's Company reruns under my belt by that point.

No matter how bad the movie got, I think that most in attendance were having a good time. Though I think all were horrified that I told them beforehand that star Jackie Vernon was the voice of the cartoon Frosty the Snowman.

Happy Birthday!!!

Yeah, let that sink in. I have to say that I found a lot of the badness endearing though. I loved that this massive microwave (seriously, did they ever make them that huge?) was bigger than the box it came in.

A lot of the scenes were obviously "we've got to get this in one take" situations and the result was borderline at best. Hey, what do you do when "let's do it again" isn't an option? I guess you just move on. Like say when someone has a strong impulse to work in a Chinese food joke, but doesn't feel it is important to, you know, actually cast an Asian in the role.

Maybe she's one-quarter Asian.

Oh, I also kept my eye out for a late uncredited cameo from Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens.

Reubens doing his best Adrien Brody impression.

So, yet another successful movie night. Nine-year-old me would be proud!

DKTM 123

2011-11-13T09:40:00.008-05:00

Good morning all. Here's some tasty tidbits to warm you against those November chills.

A Beautiful Mind.

Recently, the trailer for the documentary on B-movie pioneer Roger Corman entitled Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel appeared online. His influence on Hollywood, just in the careers he helped launch, is unmatched and the best thing is, a lot of them speak in this documentary. The doc is filled with Hollywood royalty, ranging from directors like Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard to actors Bob DeNiro and Jack Nicholson. Here is the trailer below.

AFM '11

This year's American Film Market was held last week and perhaps the most bizarre news that came out of it was about a Maniac remake. Twitch reports that Alex Aja is producing a remake starring Elijah Wood as the title character. I don't have a knee-jerk reaction against a remake of this movie, I just don't understand the impetus behind one. Maniac is a film of its time, and beyond the gore and gritty performance of the late Joe Spinnell, there's nothing really unique about it. The Elijah Wood news is odd as well, since I heard that this new version is apparently supposed to be all in POV. Click here for the original announcement.

Viva Berlin!

Germany has been coming on strong recently with zombie projects. Last year, they gave us the excellent movie Rammbock, and now the trailer for a new endeavor has hit the Web. Check out the German trailer for Viva Berlin!

The most astonishing thing about this project is that it is A WEB SERIES. I mean, look at the quality of that above clip. The head explosions alone make it seem like a top notch production. I can't wait for this!

The Thing That Could Have Been.

After my Thing prequel review, AllHallowSteve was kind enough to post a link in my comments section about an interview with the original effects guy on the project. Apparently, some practical effects were shot, but replaced later. Well, Bloody-Disgusting recently posted some of the designs for what some of those creatures may have looked like. Let us lament on it together, shall we?

Okay, that's it for now. Have a great Sunday, folks.

The Yellow Saturn of Doom.

2011-11-11T15:05:00.000-05:00

This distributor logo I have for you today, is from a Canadian budget label called Interglobal Video.

Interglobal thrived in the eighties by releasing titles of all genres in the lesser quality LP & SLP formats. According to the VHS archive site Critical Condition, it was common for their tapes to cut out before the movie was even finished!

The intro above from taken from my VHS of the 1977 sorority-revenge flick Sisters of Death. Interglobal also released titles such as The Clown Murders (featuring a young John Candy) Satan’s Cheerleaders, The Asphyx, Night of the Zombies, & the Stephen King Night Shift double-bill The Woman in the Room & The Boogeyman.

I also had a tingle of nostalgia when I saw Avenging Disco Godfather among the list of their releases, as that coverbox was a big hit at my store back in the day. For more Interglobal covers, click here.

11-11-11

2011-11-11T11:00:00.001-05:00

The Odd One Out.

2011-11-09T10:04:00.003-05:00

This weekend I finally got a chance to check out Paranormal Activity 3. Being a pretty big supporter of the first two, I was curious to see if the filmmakers caught lightning in a bottle a third time.

The third film, set in 1988, explores Katie & Kristi’s first encounter with the spectral force that terrorized them in the first two films.

Yeaaaah so… I wasn’t into this one so much. I think Paranormal Activity 3 may be a case of going back to the well too many times. I mean, there are still some nicely constructed scares, most notably the ones involving a camera mounted to an oscillating fan, but this concept as a whole just isn’t as fresh as it once was.

There is something about Paranormal Activity 3 that seems not as well put together as the previous two installments, as well. The reason Paranormal Activity 2 worked so well was that the writers somehow managed to flawlessly link it up to the first film. After re-watching the first two on Netflix shortly after, the same cannot be said for this latest installment. There were several plot points in this movie that didn’t gel and the ending was fairly problematic. I can forgive that the last scene was very similar to one in a ‘found footage’ flick I saw last year, but not that it messes with the series' lore that up until now had been pretty airtight. It would have made so much more sense to finish on the house fire referenced in the first two movies than what we actually got.

The justification for the father to film the last act was also pretty thin. Obviously, when dealing with this format there is a certain level of suspension that must be allotted, but I couldn’t come up with any rational reason why he would still be carrying the camera around after they switched locations.

Aside from all that though, I suppose that my disappointment with Paranormal Activity 3 was largely due to expectation. I went into the second movie with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised, whereas here I was hoping it would sustain the high; and it didn’t.

Crazy Clown Time!

2011-11-08T07:47:00.001-05:00

David Lynch. He is one of those few auteurs whose brilliance has actually become a brand. His dark & dreamy style has a tangible essence, that once experienced, is never forgotten. Yet it is not only his visual style that has resonated with cinephiles over the years, but also his firm grasp of sound & music. His wonderful past collaborations with artists such as Angelo Badalamenti, Chris Isaak and Julee Cruise have created some of the most memorable pieces of music in film history. I know the Fire Walk With Me soundtrack would be on my 'desert island' list for sure. So, when I heard that Lynch was writing & producing a music album, I was more than a little excited.

The 14-track album entitled Crazy Clown Time has been available online for sometime now and holy crap, can I not get enough of it.

Though every track is intrinsically Lynch, there is an almost unexpected level of diversity here, as well. The first track Pinky's Dream sounds like something I would have heard in one of the goth clubs I frequented in my youth, whereas A Good Day is unmistakably modern.

I love, love, LOVE the below track I Know. I could literally just play this on a loop, close my eyes and imagine myself in The Pink Room chillin' with Laura & Ronette.

The same goes for So Glad.

Man, is there anything this man cannot do?

DKTM 122

2011-11-06T10:04:00.004-05:00

Now that it has slowed down a bit after all the Toronto After Dark and Halloween shenanigrams, things can get back to normal around here. I have an all-video DKTM for you today.

Save Thy Soul.

Last year at Toronto After Dark, my favourite short was an Argentinian effort called Deus Irae. This week, I received a kind email letting me know that the full short was now online, so here it is below.

Oh, The Horror.

Toronto blogger Bob Turnbull (of Eternal Sunshine of the Logical Mind) recently posted a brilliant horror film montage, set to the Mogwai tune Batcat. Here it is below.

I find it fascinating how certain images can stay in your brain. I haven't seen some of the movies referenced in that video in ages - a few of them I'd like to forget - but they immediately flooded back when their fleshy bits came up onscreen. Excellent job, Mr. Turnbull!

What's French for Trailer?

Here, thanks to Twitch, is the new trailer for Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo's sophomore effort Livid. I had my problems with the film when I saw it at TIFF, but the trailer certainly makes it pop. And hey, I'd re-watch it, if only just to see the lovely Chloé Coulloud again. Here's the trailer for the French release below.

So, that's it for another week, guys. Now I'm off to finally check out the latest Paranormal Activity flick, so check back during the week to hear my thoughts on it.

TAD Awards 2011.

2011-11-04T15:06:00.000-04:00

The awards for Toronto After Dark were announced today on their website. The audience award for Best Feature was tallied from over 3,000 votes this year. Here below are the winners.

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

In the shorts category, the awards are split up into two categories, Canadian and International.

For the Canucks, festival circuit favourite The Legend of Beaver Dam took Gold, and Matthew Nayman's Blind Spot and Chris Nash's My Main Squeeze went home with Silver and Bronze, respectively.

In International, the devilishly cute animated short Nursery Crimes took top honours, followed by two of my favourites, Spanish splatterfest Brutal Relax and Steve Daniels' Dirty Silverware.

There were several individual awards handed out this year, based on ballots cast by All-Access pass holders, with Xavier Gens' post-apocalyptic film The Divide and Lucky McKee's The Woman taking a good share of them. Click here to see the full list.

There were a few films that got shut out that I would've liked to have seen recognized somehow, but I guess that just shows how strong the lineup was this year.

Halloween Pics

2011-11-02T10:08:00.004-04:00

Here's a couple of shots of my Halloween costume this year.

If you aren't yet aware of You're Next, you soon will be, as I believe Lionsgate - with Saw now put out to pasture - is grooming this little slasher from Adam Wingard & Simon Barrett to be their next big thing. I loved the flick when I saw it in September and clearly I'm not alone because I wasn't the only animal-masked killer walking the streets of Toronto this Halloween.

T.

2011-11-01T12:57:00.002-04:00

The ABC's of Death competition wrapped up last night, with our short, T is for Thread finishing a very strong 16th out of 171 entries. Nash & I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for it, and helped us get it out there. We're frankly humbled by the response from all of you.

And congrats to T is for Turbo, Toilet, Tantrum, Time #1, Tamales, Tomato, Table, Tranny, Time #2 & Trick for making it into the Top Ten. The final winner will be announced on November 15th, so check back then for an update. Here below, is the ABC's of Death competition sizzle reel!

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-31T08:32:00.004-04:00

Whatever your plans for tonight's Halloween festivities, I hope you all have a blast. If you're looking for some fun, try and figure out which film posters the letters in the above banner were culled from. A lot of them are no-brainers, but I threw a few obscure ones in there too. If you get stumped, try looking in the Coverbox Wednesday archives in the right sidebar. Have fun and stay safe, kids!

Shorts After Dark 2011

2011-10-30T11:58:00.002-04:00

It was a really strong year for shorts at this year's Toronto After Dark. I am still recouperating from eight days of concentrated movie-going, but managed to cull together a list of the ones that most impressed me. And fortunately for you, several of them are currently online!

1. My Main Squeeze/Lip Lock – The pair of shorts served up by local filmmaker Chris Nash were among the best this year. I may be biased having just worked with him, but there's no denying the hugely positive reaction from all in attendance. And if Nash wasn't busy enough, he also provided six bumpers for this year's fest, as well. His talent is only matched by his resourcefulness, so if he ever decides to make the leap to feature films; look out!

2. Dirty Silverware – The idea for this short is absolulely brilliant, as it manages to build a wonderful mythology in such a short amount of time. The cinematography, music and the final creature design are all superb. Here is the trailer below. Coincidentally, director Steve Daniels is also ABC's of Death alumni, having made T is for Termite.

3. Brutal Relax – This one is a fiesta of gore. It has been a while since I've seen something that approaches the splatter standard set by Peter Jackson's Braindead. If you enjoy seeing people - and monsters alike - ripped to pieces in every manner possible, then this Spanish offering from directors Adrián Cardona & Rafa Dengrá is for you!

4. Blind Spot – I love this short. To take something as mundane as being on hold, and use it as a backdrop for something epic is so deliciously clever. The pacing is great, and the visual effects are subtly executed to perfection.

5. Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise – TAD alumni Kelly Sears returns with another still photography conspiracy this year. I adore this woman's eerie style. She is able to manufacture dread so effortlessly. Click here to watch it, and you can also view her 2007 short, The Drift by clicking here.

Some honourable mentions:

I had seen the excellent short The Legend of Beaver Dam a few times before, and it went over like gangbusters here, like it always does. It was also cool to see Adder's Bite again, though I still don't understand what the bookends are supposed to mean. Don't use public washrooms perhaps?

Play Dead - During the Zombie Day festivities, there was this cute short. It was basically a zombie apocalypse from the perspective of several dogs. I found it miraculous how they were able to get all those canines to do some of the stuff they did.

Rosa – This was a beautifully rendered computer animated short. If they made a video game out of this universe, I would be first in line to play it. Check out the trailer here.

Anamnesis – There are three things that make this short standout. The first is that director Brendon Foster-Algoo made it for a 48-hour film challenge. The second is that he not only went for scares instead of humour, but also that he succeeded in doing so. The third was the wonderful in-camera effects that I'm not even sure how he did.

Ethereal Chyrsalis – It would make sense that the short playing in front of Manborg would be over-the-top and bizarre. Where else would you see a severed head zooming skyward toward a giant turtle creature? Click here for the trailer.

So, there you go. As you can see, a pretty strong lineup, wouldn't you say? Check back later in the week for the TAD awards.

Welcome To The Yankee Pedlar.

2011-10-29T16:02:00.007-04:00

The closing Gala for this year's Toronto After Dark was Ti West's newest The Innkeepers. I knew very little about this since, up until Friday, not even a trailer had been released, but was pretty sure it would be my cup of tea.

The last two employees of an old hotel that is going out of business, decide to do some amateur ghost hunting.

What a fun movie this was, and a fine example of doing a lot with a little. West is such a refreshing filmmaker because he understands the form of the ghost story so well. He is not interested in rushing to the next gag, as is the case with most horror films these days. He takes his time building atmosphere and keeps the gore very sparse, so it really makes an impact when it hits. Together with another strong, string-heavy score from Graham Reznick, West puts us through another solid ride.

The main draw of The Innkeepers though, is Sara Paxton. She, as Claire, is absolutely adorable in this. She puts forth a kooky innocence that comes off so genuine, that you fall in love with her almost immediately. Her co-worker Luke (Pat Healy) is also great, and the two of them together make a great pair. Through West's dialogue, they absolutely nail the mediocrity of working in the service industry, with pitch perfect disdain and sarcasm. I also thought Kelly McGillis, as a TV-star-turned-faith-healer was also very good, as well. At first, it seemed she was just spouting clunky exposition, but she won me over pretty quickly after that. However, let's not forget the real star of the film; The Yankee Pedlar. West said at the Q&A that this was the hotel the crew stayed at while they were shooting House of the Devil, so I think it's pretty awesome that he was able to incorporate it into a future project. This modest little inn looked like it was destined to be in a film.

Director Ti West.

I am kind of fascinated by the presentation of this movie. As I said before, West leans towards an older school of filmmaking, but I don't think I've ever seen retro-horror sensibilities meshed so well with modern dialogue and milieu before. That is what might make this an even more impressive effort than his previous work House of the Devil, as that was actually set in the eighties. The Innkeepers does however, share the same problem of an anti-climactic ending, but I don't think it's as much of a detriment this time around.

The Innkeepers is a very enjoyable movie. In this world of sensory overload, I'm very grateful there are still genre filmmakers out there that still believe in the slow burn.

So, that's a wrap on the sixth edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Congratulations to the organizers on another successful year! I'll be back tomorrow with a rundown of my favourite shorts from the fest, and I'll also update you when the official TAD awards are announced. Till then, bedways is rightways now.

Hear Me Roar.

2011-10-29T13:43:00.007-04:00

The Woman first came onto the radar at Sundance last January, when a certain patron took exception to the subject matter and inadvertently gave the production the best press money could by. This did not bode well for me, as I already had a strong aversion to the adaptations of Jack Ketchum. However, I do like director Lucky McKee, trust the Toronto After Dark programmers and was already downtown for the closing Gala of Ti West's The Innkeepers, so I figured what the hell, right?

A lawyer (Sean Bridgers) captures a feral woman he discovers living in the woods by his property and attempts to civilize her, pushing his already strained family dynamic to the breaking point.

I'm going to keep this brief because I'd really like to just put this one behind me. I actively disliked The Woman. What is it about Ketchum that I just find so appallingly unimpressive? That's a tough one. I can't pin it on the subject matter, because there are other films that I have liked – or at least appreciated – that deal with similar stuff, so I guess it has to be the presentation. I get this is supposed to be satire, but aren't satires supposed to be funny? At no point did I ever find anything in The Woman amusing. I guess I also have little patience for how the abuse to the female characters of his works is supposed to be empowering. That is, in part, likely why Red is the only Kethcum work that elicited a postive response from me.

But, it is more than that. Due to Ketchum seemingly telling the same ugly story over and over again, I've gotten to the point where I can see every beat coming. So, now I'm not even surprised by how detestable things become. Yes, suburbia is hell with a picket fence; I GET IT! Do you have to be so on-the-nose about it? And as if to accentuate this already bold point, the music choices were often very jolting and fractured. The music itself was good, but its placement left something to be desired in my opinion.

Actors Bridgers & Marcia Bennett and producer Andrew van den Houten.

As for the production itself, I can't really fault it. It was well made, and the performances were all very strong. The very brave Pollyanna McIntosh, disappears into the role of the feral captive, and Bridgers is front runner for villain of the year, as family patriarch, Chris Cleek. All the other family roles are solidly portrayed, but all characters I've seen before. Angela Bettis doesn't really get her moment to shine, until the climax when she finally rebels. McKee is certainly the most gifted filmmaker that has tackled Ketchum's universe, but somehow I don't think anyone could make this stuff palatable to me.

The bottom line is, I'm done with Ketchum. I get nothing out of it. I no longer want to spend the time watching them, nor the brain power – which is already in short supply – trying to dissect why I dislike them so much.

Divided We Fall.

2011-10-28T12:56:00.000-04:00

After French director Xavier Gens burst onto the scene in 2007 with Frontiers, it seemed like, for him, the sky was the limit. But after his subsequently unfortunate brush with Hollywood, horror fans have eagerly awaited his bounce back project, which this year came in the form of a post apocalyptic film called The Divide.

When New York is hit by a nuclear attack, nine residents of an apartment complex escape into the bowels of an underground bunker. As time passes and their supplies dwindle, they begin to turn on each other.

The Divide is one of those movies that you don't really enjoy, as much as you do endure. It was pretty ugly stuff, held together by strong performances. Genre icon Michael Biehn eschewed bitter rage through a half-smoked cigar as building superintendant Mickey, and Lauren German had a thousand-yard stare that completely captivated me. I'd almost forgotten that she was one of the few bright spots of Hostel Part II. Milo Ventimiglia was boldly cast against type and completely lost himself in the role of Josh, as did Michael Eklund, who played his compatriot Bobby.

Director Xavier Gens, actors Jennifer Blanc, Ventimiglia, Eklund, Biehn & Festival director Adam Lopez.

I did find The Divide’s setup a little clunky though. I would have preferred it be more like The Mist, where we get some time with the characters before it all goes to hell, but it hit its stride soon enough. It also took an unexpected turn early on, that I would’ve liked explored a little more, as well. There is no knocking the effects though, which are quite visceral and well executed, including a refreshingly CG-free body burn.

Some may argue that the escalation of violence in The Divide is a tad far-fetched. I wish I could agree, but I'm not that optimistic. We've seen on several occasions what can happen when people are confined and society's rules are taken away. It is a sad truth that Gens was not afraid to shine a light on. Under his darkly poetic eye, his fully committed cast brought forth a grim and entirely possible scenario.

Photo courtesy of Scott Chalmers.

Absentia.

2011-10-27T10:07:00.004-04:00

This year, Toronto After Dark’s designated chiller was the festival circuit darling Absentia. I remember its extremely strong buzz at Fantasia in July – its screening sold out faster than high profile titles like John Landis' Burke and Hare - so I was really glad TAD was able to snag it.

Seven years after her husband went missing, Tricia (Courtney Bell) finally begins the process of declaring him dead. Her sister Callie (Katie Parker) arrives to help out and soon discovers a mysterious tunnel near the house. Could there be a connection?

I really dug this. I love movies that seem spawned from urban legends. It came as no surprise to me that the idea sprung from a creepy tunnel across the street from writer/director Mike Flanagan's house, as I've had aspirations of using a similar location in my hometown for years.

It’s really impressive to me how simple an execution could bring forth so much dread. Obviously, some of it was due to the effective score and the excellent use of misdirection before some of the jump scares, but nothing contributed to the film more than the pitch perfect performances of the two leads. The film began with an extended dialogue scene, and their banter was so natural and genuine that I felt like I knew so much about them in just a small amount of time. So, now that he had me invested, Flanagan was in perfect position to put them in peril and have me care about it.

The most important thing to me however, was that Flanagan had the integrity to play out the third act like he did. Not to be spoiler-y, but once the antagonist is revealed, Absentia stays the course and doesn't go down the road that so many others have – much to their detriment. I tip my hat to him for having the courage to trust his audience. I also appreciated that the film wasn't ambiguous. Flanagan does allude to alternate scenarios, but the actual outcome is pretty clear. I think it needed to go down that way, for it to be as powerful as it was.

Absentia was exactly the kind of film I was hoping it would be and it deserves all the awards it has received on the festival circuit. It is a tight story, populated with real characters and soaked in atmosphere.

Tapping The Vein.

2011-10-26T12:32:00.004-04:00

A little after Some Guy Who Kills People, I was right back in the same seat for a flick called Midnight Son.

Midnight Son tells the story of Jacob (Zak Kilberg), a man dealing with vampirism in modern day Los Angeles.

Man, Toronto After Dark is really on a roll with indie character pieces this year, as Midnight Son is an extremely refreshing take on the vampire genre. By avoiding grandiose conventions and taking a more biological approach to the lore, director Scott Leberecht effectively grounds the piece in reality. In the following Q&A, he said that was wholly intentional.

“I wanted to take out all the silliness and just keep the two things that would make living as a vampire difficult – having to drink blood and an aversion to sunlight.”

Producer Matt Compton, actor Zak Kilberg & director Scott Leberecht.

Also, by stripping away a lot of the fanfare, Leberecht could concentrate on the more intimate details. Granted, the easy metaphors of body transformation and drug addiction are present, but I think the movie goes a little deeper than that. It is equal parts connection and isolation, escalation and acceptance. However, the main reason Midnight Son succeeds – as was the case with the aforementioned Some Guy Who Kills People – is because of its lead. Kilberg offers up a fine performance and is well backed up by the striking Maya Parish, as Mary, and the sleazy Jo D. Jonz, as Jacob's 'dealer', Marcus. The latter was a nice addition, as it provided that extra bit of conflict needed for the movie to ascend to the next level.

One thing I found a little curious was that it appeared to be a period piece. References to VHS and America’s Funniest Home Videos suggested that the film was set in the nineties, but an explanation as to why this might be the case was never proffered. Perhaps it was just Leberecht (who also wrote the film) returning to a significant time period in his life, much like Richard Kelly did with his debut masterpiece, Donnie Darko.

I really have to congratulate the filmmakers for mining new material from a tired subgenre. It turns out that Leberecht was just another filmmaker that got frustrated with a system that wasn’t making the movies he wanted to see, so he decided to do one himself. The result is a shining example that brooding character pieces can work if they are well written and have some sort of arc. Oh, it doesn't hurt if your actors have the chops, as well.

Killing It.

2011-10-25T12:33:00.010-04:00

It seems every year at Toronto After Dark, there is an American indie that comes out of nowhere and wins us over. In 2009, it was the undead buddy flick The Revenant and then a year later, the John Waters-esque All About Evil. This year, even though the festival is only half done, it appears that the current frontrunner for that title is Jack Perez's Some Guy Who Kills People.

Kenny (Kevin Corrigan) is not doing so hot. He's fresh out of the loony bin and is now working a thankless job. Just as he is about to exact revenge on the people he feels wronged him, his long lost daughter Amy (Ariel Gade) shows up at his work.

Some Guy Who Kills People is a delightful character-driven comedy that is chock full of great performances. One needs only look at the cast to see why this would be the case. Karen Black appears as Kenny's mother, and this is seriously the best I have seen her in years. Barry Bostwick is also great as the aloof county Sheriff. The lynch pin of this movie is Corrigan though. After a long career of supporting roles, he finally gets an opportunity to sink his teeth into a meaty role and gives one hundred and ten percent here. Even with the limited dialogue he had in the early going, his expressions spoke volumes.

Perhaps the biggest revelation for me however, was Gade. I thought her performance was fantastic and because of the solid script, she was able to be outspoken, without being cutesy or over-precocious. Diablo Cody wishes she could write characters this genuine. The film covers themes of second chances and letting go of the past, yet somehow sidesteps the usual sugar coated clichés associated with them, while being pretty hilarious to boot. Aside from the slapstick glimpsed in the trailer, the interactions between the characters are where the funniest moments reside. So strong are these relationships, the occasional gore setups are almost completely incidental.

Some Guy Who Kills People has few bells & whistles and frankly, needs none. This is a fine film, with an earnest sincerity fuelled by its wonderful cast and flawless comic timing.

Zombie Day 2011!

2011-10-24T18:31:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, it was time once again time for the zombie hordes to descend on Toronto. It was a veritable bloodbath downtown as the undead shambled their way through the crowded streets toward the Toronto Underground Cinema.

As is customary for Toronto After Dark, the fest offered up a zombie double bill for their flesh-eating brethren to feast upon.

First up, was the Pierce Brothers' Deadheads, about a couple of guys named Brent (Ross Kidder) and Mike (Michael McKiddy) who go on a road trip to track down his old flame. Oh yeah, they also just happen to be sentient zombies and are on the run from the government.

I had some fun with this movie. It invests a lot into its main characters, giving it a surprising amount of heart. The movie is really a buddy comedy first, and a zombie movie second. It was certainly a peculiar angle to take and the only reason it works here is due to the great cast, especially Kidder. Brent's energy is infectious and he keeps the movie upbeat, even in the stretches where it should be losing steam. Also of note, is the scenery-chewing Benjamin Webster, who plays McDinkle and is so efficiently distasteful, that by the end you can’t wait to see him get his comeuppance.

Actors Marcus Taylor, Natalie Victoria & director Brett Pierce.

The plot is pretty thin, and the reasons for why Mike & Brent are different from the rest of their kind are kept fairly vague, but in the end I guess it didn’t matter. Deadheads is more Wright than Romero, so as long as you know that going in, you should have a good time. I found it similar to the 2004 German zom-com Night of the Living Dorks, which played TAD's inaugural year. They were both entertaining and titles I'll look back on fondly, but am not likely to revisit.

The second of the two flicks, was the more somber tale War of the Dead.

A band of American & Finnish soldiers on a secret mission behind enemy lines, come across a regiment of enemy troops zombified by the SS.

This should’ve been a good movie – I mean, Nazi zombies, right? – but unfortunately, it was not. I’ve never fallen asleep in a theatre, but I must admit I had trouble staying awake through parts of this. Apart from the cool idea, there is very little either fresh or interesting here. The character development is minimal, and the confusing dialogue made it difficult to discern who was actually in charge of the unit. War of the Dead had some decent action in it, but it all got very repetitive after a while. I’d liken it to playing the zombie levels in Call of Duty.

Having said all that though, the movie would've been tolerable if it delivered on the gore, but it didn’t even do that! It's a disappointing waste of an opportunity. It reminded me of the first Underworld movie. You had this awesome dust-up between vampires and werewolves – sorry, Lycans and Death Dealers – and then they spent most of the movie shooting at each other with machine guns. But hey, at least it had Kate Beckinsale.

Cinematographer Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen, actor Jouko Ahola & director Marko Mäkilaakso.

I will say that War of the Dead is at least well made and fully capitalizes on its Lithuanian locale. The film also boasts solid costuming and sets that were all built from scratch. I give props to the filmmakers for sticking with the project through its many years and iterations, but I’m afraid it did very little for me.

Photos courtesy of Scott Chalmers.

Lock Up Your Fathers!

2011-10-23T10:05:00.010-04:00

Last year, the Winnipeg-based collective Astron 6 offered Toronto After Dark audiences a faux-trailer for a little ditty called Father's Day. It was about psychopath run amok raping & killing Dads, and a ragtag trio determined to destroy him. Known for their wonderful shorts – Lazer Ghosts II and the awesomely bizarre Heart of Karl have played TAD in previous years – they enlisted the help of world infamous production company Troma to get their ambitious first feature off the ground.

But, first things first. Before Father's Day, was my buddy Chris Nash's puss filled short My Main Squeeze and I'd say it went over as well as I expected it would. They ate it up!

I love the Astron 6 guys. They are deeply rooted in their retro sensibilities, yet their irreverent sense of humour always stays fresh. They have this ability to be absurdist, but their characters are completely of the world they inhabit. So, you can see that combining Astron 6's talents with Troma's resources would make for a very organic match-up.

I had a blast with Father's Day. It's totally up my alley, as it has ample gore, T&A and the gags come at a breakneck pace, so I was always laughing. As I've said before, I love their aesthetic and pretty much everything the collective stands for. Their ASTRN-TV framing device was fantastic, transporting me back to my First Choice days of the eighties, and their faux trailers for Star Raiders and Sexy Beach were priceless.

The hundred-minute running time of Father's Day presents an interesting dilemma. Their humour is best suited to shorts and the movie did lag at times while it tried to find its pace, so the decision to add an extra act to venture onto another wild tangent, was a bold one. The thing is, even though it makes Father's Day a lot longer than it should be, this extra twenty minutes totally makes the movie.

(from left) Effects man Steve Kostanski, actress Amy Groening, and Astron 6 members Conor Sweeney, Jeremy Gillespie, Adam Brooks & Matthew Kennedy.

Due to its look and humble beginnings as a faux-trailer, Father's Day is inevitably compared to Hobo With A Shotgun, but I'd say that is where their similarities end. Hobo is more grounded in reality – a heightened reality, but one just the same – whereas the universe of Father's Day is more chaotic. And apart from more nudity and some ghastly penis trauma, I wouldn't say it's particularly more extreme than Hobo either. Also, I don't think Astron can match the skill of Eisener and Hussein, but that didn't make Father's Day any less enjoyable. There is no question that Father's Day will appeal to the same kinds of people though. And can you believe that Troma themselves even had doubts about releasing it? I mean, if Lloyd Kaufman thinks it's too much, you must have a winner on your hands.

Who would have thought a movie about raping Dads could be so much fun? Speaking of which, I had a conversation with a random guy while standing in line for Monster Brawl, who later turned out to be Mackenzie Murdoch, Father's resident sodomite The Fuchman.

Imagine my surprise! I don't want to sound like a neighbour on the nightly news, but he seemed like such a mild mannered individual. Only at After Dark, eh?

Photo courtesy of Scott Chalmers.

And In This Cornaaa!

2011-10-22T10:36:00.000-04:00

The opening night gala for this year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival was the Canadian flick Monster Brawl.

We’ve all done it. ‘Sitting around with our friends and coming up with who-would-win-in-a-fight scenarios. A popular one with my posse back in the day was ‘a shark versus an alligator in three feet of water.’ Later, Spike took the ball and ran with it with their wildly popular show The Deadliest Warrior, which used dramatizations & computers to re-enact battles between history’s greatest killers. Monster Brawl is the newest iteration of this, but with a genre twist.

Festival director Adam Lopez took to the Toronto Underground Cinema stage to introduce the film and in appropriate fashion, a heated confrontation emerged.

Director Jesse T. Cook, RJ Skinner (Werewolf/Mummy) & Robert Maillet (Frankenstein)

These onstage shenanigans set the tone for the good time we'd have with this movie. Melding the most ferocious figures in horror with a wrestling pay-per-view, director Jesse T. Cook fashioned a really fun event flick here. Granted, it is more of a concept than a functional movie, but that didn’t stop me and my friends from belly laughing through most of it. Monster Brawl wears its ripped-out heart on its sleeve. If you watch the trailer and it looks like something you’d be into, then you’re going to enjoy yourself. If not, then you should probably steer clear.

The movie is split up into five matches, which consist of two undercards and then two more matchups, with those combatants all vying for the final Championship deathmatch. I was expecting just a bunch of fights, but the movie is also broken up by entertaining origin vignettes, the best of which being the one for the marsh creature, Swamp Gut.

Cook again utilized the talents of The Brothers Gore, and their work is expectedly top notch, as the eight monsters all have their own distinct look.

And what pay-per-view style fight event would be complete without colour commentary! Dave Foley & Art Hindle were ringside throughout and miraculously the cheesier they got, the more it worked in the movie’s favour.

“Making his way to the ring is Frankenstein, or technically Frankenstein’s Monster… if you want to be a dick about it.”

Also, on hand, playing himself, was WWE icon Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart and he hasn’t changed a bit. Perhaps my favourite addition was Lance Henriksen’s Mortal Kombat-style narrations, like when a particularly vicious move was met with a disembodied “Sen-sational!”

Monster Brawl was made for a very specific audience, but should appeal to anyone who has ever pondered those ‘what-if’ scenarios. Fans of wrestling and pay-per-view fights should also get a kick out of the proceedings, as well. Though it did overstay its welcome a tad, it’s still a silly and fun romp that put a big smile on my face. Monster Brawl… Wins!

Photo courtesy of Scott Chalmers.

See You After Dark!

2011-10-20T12:46:00.005-04:00

The 6th edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival kicks off tonight, with Jesse T. Cook's creature battle royale flick Monster Brawl! Between this, work & sleep there will be very little time for blogging, but I will be as diligent as possible.

For ticket info on the fest, visit the website by going here. Hope to see you there!

DKTM 121

2011-10-18T12:32:00.000-04:00

As you know, I usually do my Messenger posts on Sundays, but with Video Store Day last weekend and the impending craziness of Toronto After Dark, there might not be one for a while; if not now. Here's what's been going on.

V/H/S

Here's a bit of awesome news revealed by Bloody Disgusting. Their inaugural foray into feature film production is an anthology entitled V/H/S. As if this wasn't enough to hook me, they have also lined up some great directors, including Adam Wingard (You're Next), Ti West (House of the Devil) and Glenn McQuaid (I Sell The Dead). Not much is known at this point, except that it involves some sort of 'found footage' inside a creepy old house. Click here for the full announcement.

Arrow, You Complete Me.

I just wanted to draw attention to another beautiful Arrow Films release, this one for Juan Piquer Simón's 1982 flick Pieces. I don't know who does the artwork for them, but they deserve some kind of award. I mean, LOOK!

For more info on the DVD, click here.

Dead Bits.

The Walking Dead started up again last Sunday and leading up to it, AMC produced six webisodes. Directed by series effects guru Greg Nicotero, the episodes focus on the origin of Hannah, the half-zombie featured in the series premiere. Here they are below.

The Thing That Wasn't There.

2011-10-17T07:47:00.005-04:00

My knee-jerk reaction when The Thing remake was announced, was, of course, disgust. However, when I later heard that it was going to be a prequel of sorts, covering what happened to the Swedes... er... Norwegian camp, I thought it could be interesting. But, was it just going to be a bunch of Hollywood actors with faux accents? Apparently not. Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. went out and cast a bunch of Norwegian actors to compliment the American researchers in the film. The casting of Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the lead was no problem for me either, because well... I kind of love her.

But most important were the effects. John Carpenter's The Thing is basically the pinnacle of practical effects and even after all these years, they still hold up. What would be the point of making another Thing movie if you're just going to sully it with computers? But, Heijningen insisted that with the help of effects company Amalgamated Dynamics, The Thing 2011 would have as many make-up effects and animatronics as possible. This made me happy.

So, going in I was cautiously optimistic. It could never top the perfection of the original, but if done right, it could at least be a good companion piece or a solid bit of fan service, like Computer Artworks' 2002 video game was.

So, yeah, they lied. I don't how much of the old fashioned stuff was used on set, but a lot of it got replaced with CG in post. And it only gets progressively worse as the movie goes on. So, what happened here? Someone decided that they weren't good enough? Even if that was the case, are you telling me that the best & brightest couldn't come up with something that at least approached what Rob Bottin and his team came up with THIRTY years ago??? Universal surely could've thrown some money at this to get it done right and it would have still been half the cost of The Wolfman.

A familiar face (to two)

You know what the real shame is though? The Thing 2011 is what I would categorize as being 'almost great.' Despite all the buzz-killing CGI, I actually liked this movie. I really got the sense that they were genuinely trying to make a good film here. Heijningen meticulously recreated the Norwegian camp glimpsed in the 1982 film and made sure everything matched up to what Carpenter's crew found during their visit. A lot of the nagging questions that I brought into the theater with me were explained away early and I was in it.

A lot of people were put off by the announcement of a female lead – a move in direct contrast to the boy's club of the original – but I felt the role of Kate Lloyd was not only justified, but Winstead also put in a strong performance. I had heard that Kate's character was modelled after Ripley of the Alien franchise and I can see that. The influence of Aliens was also present in other areas, as well. The character of Sander (Ulrich Thomsen) had shades of Paul Reiser's Carter Burke and there was a shot during the climax reminiscent of the Alien Queen's first appearance.

The ensemble as a whole was nowhere near as dense and fleshed out as the original though. You get very little interaction with some of them before shit goes down and since many of them are bearded men with Norwegian accents, it's sometimes a little hard to tell them apart. The underlying sense of paranoia was still present, but I didn't think the language barrier was mined as effectively as it could have been. The story was still slick enough to keep me invested though.

The Thing was a frustrating experience, but still a somewhat rewarding one. I couldn't ignore the voice in the back of my mind constantly droning 'cee-gee-cee-gee-cee-gee', but at the same time, that was pretty much the only substantial misstep here. Now, if you'll excuse me I think I'm going to go watch “Terror Takes Shape” and revel in the good old days before Hollywood's digital crutch.

VSD Acquistions!

2011-10-16T12:48:00.016-04:00

Hello all. I hope you had a fine Video Store Day yesterday, and we're able to pop round your local retailer. I was able to visit a quartet of fine establishments and here are the ghoulish delights I came away with.

First, I took a little drive out to Kitchener to a place called Far Out Flicks.

It was a bit of a trek in shitty weather, but hey, it was for a good cause. To my delight, they had a lot of VHS kickin' around their sizable space. I picked up the original - and most importantly unaltered - Star Wars Trilogy for eight bucks as well as these...

Next, it was a hop, skip and a jump to Hespeler, to visit Zack at The Vault. He had moved locations since I'd last been there, so I got turned around for a bit, but finally managed to find it.

His store still has as much character as it always did, with the best collection of horror VHS this side of the eighties.

He had a sweet 5-for-20 sale going on, so I made sure to take advantage.

I also picked up Bloody Moon on DVD. That's one I've always meant to see, and after recently seeing the trailer, it made eventually adding it to my collection inevitable.

Then, it was time to go back to the familiar stomping grounds of The Big Smoke. What Video Store Day would be complete without visiting the city's flagship independent Suspect Video.

After talking with Eastern (perhaps the most enthusiastic video store clerk you will ever meet) at length about The Thing prequel, the ABC's of Death and the intricacies of Oldboy, I picked up the newest issue of HorrorHound and...

Last on the tour was, of course Eyesore Cinema.

Dan, the owner was the mastermind behind this whole event in the first place. The store was hopping and he said, "If every day was like this, I would rent my movies for a dollar!" I quickly snagged these goodies.

I have to admit, grabbing the one on the left, I felt like a housewife seeing a tabloid in a grocery store checkout line. I couldn't resist.

So, that was my haul. It looks like 'the pile' just got a little taller. And I'm okay with that. Viva la Video Store Day!

Video Store Day!

2011-10-15T10:00:00.011-04:00

It’s International Independent Video Store Day today! If you and your local video store have lost touch over the last few months, this is the perfect opportunity to get re-acquainted. You’ve heard me prattle on about the video stores of my youth, but today I’d like to focus on one in particular.

Reel Fun Video was an establishment run by a guy named Stan not too far from my house growing up, and boy did I make good use of it. Initially, when I was younger, I'd go there with my Dad and pick up a few new horrors for the weekend, but when I got older I started to bike over there myself. I remember they also used to rent video games and had an Atari 2600 set up. I used to pester the shit out of the employees to try out new games, under the guise of maybe renting them. God, I must have been annoying.

Then again, I did spend a good share of my allowance in there, so maybe I was a necessary evil. I swear I must have worn out their copy of Evil Dead 2 I rented it so many times. I can still remember the layout of that tiny store. I think Stan closed up shop just before the nineties hit, but he had a good run there for a while. When I drive by that plaza nowadays – the unit is now a daycare – I always feel a pang of nostalgia.

But anyway, let us now turn to the ones that are still alive and well. There are over a dozen stores participating in Video Store Day (for the full list, click here) and I reached out to a select few to answer some questions.

"If you're asking what my personal first rental was it was probably IF... or DAWN OF THE DEAD from SAM's on Yonge Street. If the question is about what the first rental for Suspect was it was probably TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE as the original Leatherface did a signing at the store the day we opened."

-Luis Ceriz; Suspect Video.

"Wow, let me think waaaaaaaaaay way back... It was 1981 or 82, I believe. We didn't have a VCR at my house but a friend of mine's family did and we would take a bus and a subway to the nearest video shop... I'm fairly certain that A Clockwork Orange was my first rental.... I remember the clerk said that she probably shouldn't be renting it to us (we were 12 - 13 years old!!) She also made a sarcastic joke about how we might also want some videos of Chicago race riots... so, some things never change!!!"

-Daniel Hanna; Eyesore Cinema.

"The Devil Walks at Midnight."

-Zack Wilson; The Vault.

"There really wasn't anything around me believe it or not however when I was pretty young I would go and rent stuff from SAM THE RECORD MAN on Yonge St. They had a strange system where you'd go through catalogues, write down the code number(s) of your choices, give them to the counter person, they would put them on a kind of dumb waiter where the tray would disappear up a track into the ceiling and you would wait for the rentals to descend (Believe it or not.)"

-Luis Ceriz

"When I was a young pup there weren't many video shops to choose from. The first one I remember with any distinction was The Video Gore Store... it was in Scarborough and it didn't last too long. But I remember that I got my first Ken Russell film from there... Crimes of Passion."

-Daniel Hanna

"Jumbo Video was the ultimate and had the best titles, however in my hometown, MOVIESHACK was best, specially when it went under and VHS were up for grabs!!"

-Zack Wilson

"I think that they still provide various things that online services just can't. Besides the obvious space for film fans to gather, discuss and be a part of a REAL community we also provide all kinds of personal opinions, and thoughts regarding new and classic film voices that people may never even consider without a thoughtful discussion and exploration of what they're interested in. We also provide a place where you can browse through all manner of film books, magazines and even toys of the movies people love."

-Luis Ceriz

"Selection, service, knowledge, personality, wisdom, intuition, conversations, recommendations, debates, interaction, discovery, humanity... Do we really want to live in The Matrix? Wall-e is a great film... but is that the future we actually want?"

-Daniel Hanna

"Growing up I was always part of a club. Hockey, acting class, bowling etc. Folks need a place where they can gather with like minded individuals, a place of sanctuary if you will. I feel no matter what age you are, that this is true. To me a video store holds just that. As well, for as long as I can remember, we have always had a day when families unite in their station wagons and head off down the road to there local video store for a fun filled night of flicks. Something so simple as a movie can be an escape from the dealing of everyday life, and everyone needs that escape. Long live the Video Store and forever will you have my support!!"

-Zack Wilson

"It's gotta be DVD. Affordable, looks great, and lots of extras."

-Luis Ceriz

"Well, I of course love the VHS packaging, all those great old school painted covers and what-not! But, for my money, DVD beats all!!! VHS, for all the nostalgia, looks like crap, sounds like crap and most titles were pan & scan and edited. Laser disc was silly to me... you had to flip the damn things! Blu-ray is overkill and ruins older films... it is not an accurate interpretation of the original media. I don't like the way HD looks at all. My 'home entertainment' set up is an upscalling DVD player and a 20'' CRT monitor."

-Daniel Hanna

"The reason THE VAULT stays is such good shape is the trading and sales of VHS. While no other store carries them, we do proudly! Everyone knows of someone getting pissed and throwing tapes at walls or their friends, where are those tapes today? Sitting like trophies on our shelves, still there, still in great shape!!! I love VHS and no dusty cobwebbed box will keep us apart!!"

-Zack Wilson

For more info on Video Store Day, click here. There is also a great Facebook page for the event here. Check back over the next few days, as I'll be posting some other cool VSD related bits.

Tomorrow is Video Store Day!

2011-10-14T08:20:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, stop in & show your local independent video store some love. For more info on what's going down, click here.

ABC Update.

2011-10-11T12:33:00.000-04:00

Hello folks. I hope everyone had a great weekend. T is for Thread, the short I co-produced for the ABC's of Death has been out in the world for a week now and I just wanted to post an update. The response we've been getting has been pretty positive so far and this weekend we cleared 500 votes, which is a little crazy. Big thanks to everyone who has voted for it so far. If you haven't seen it yet, you can click the image in the sidebar to the right, or just click here. And remember to vote. Our director Chris Nash has promised free back rubs!

DKTM 120

2011-10-09T10:47:00.008-04:00

To all my brethren of the Great White North out there, happy Turkey Day! For the rest of you, I hope you are having a great weekend. Here's what was on my radar this week.

SpiderBytes.

Lianne Spiderbaby's web show Fright Bytes is still going strong, with the most recent episode covering the several makeup effects people that were in attendance at this year's Fan Expo. Check it out below.

To subscribe to the Fright Bytes YouTube channel, click here.

Bloody Blu.

Mention the name Intruder to any slasher fan, and it will be met with a grin of recognition. So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw on Twitch that Synapse is releasing a Blu-ray of Scott Spiegel's classic splatter film.

And better yet, check out these special features!

-All-New 2K Digital Restoration of the Original Uncensored Director's Cut

-Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Scott Spiegel and Producer Lawrence Bender

-SLASHED PRICES: THE MAKING OF INTRUDER

-Never-Before-Seen Extended "Murder" Sequences

-Outtakes from the Now-Lost Short Film, NIGHT CREW

-Original Cast Audition Footage

-Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery

-Original Theatrical Trailer

The release date is December 13th, so it is just in time for Christmas! And because this announcement put me in such a good mood, I dug out an old vid I had of Greg Nicotero & Robert Kurtzman in their workshop circa 1988.

R.I.P. David Hess 1942-2011.

I'm afraid I have to end on some bad news this morning. Veteran actor and musician David Hess passed away suddenly on Thursday night. He was 69. Hess appeared in dozens of films, but was probably best known for his role as Krug, the sadistic gang leader in Wes Craven's seminal 1972 film The Last House on the Left. He was also an accomplished songwriter, having released several folk albums. I was fortunate enough to see him in person a few years ago, while he was here for a screening of Smash Cut and he seemed like he was in his element.

TAD Schedule

2011-10-07T15:00:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, the schedule was announced for the upcoming Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Usually I see a good chunk of their titles at Fantasia, but TAD has managed to compile an impressive number of premieres this year, which means I’m going to be a very busy boy over the next few weeks. Here below, is the schedule. Click on the film title to see a trailer, where available.

Thu, Oct 20 7pm – Monster Brawl

Fri, Oct 21 7pm – Exit Humanity

Fri Oct 21 945pm – Father’s Day

Sat, Oct 22 130pm – Shorts After Dark

Sat, Oct 22 415pm – Redline

Sat, Oct 22 7pm – DeadHeads

Sat, Oct 22 945pm – War of the Dead

Sun, Oct 23 130pm – Some Guy Who Kills People

Sun, Oct 23 415pm – Love

Sun, Oct 23 7pm – The Theatre Bizarre

Sun, Oct 23 945pm – Midnight Son

Mon, Oct 24 7pm – Absentia

Mon, Oct 24 945pm – A Lonely Place To Die

Tue, Oct 25 7pm – The Divide

Tue, Oct 25 945pm – Manborg

Wed, Oct 26 7pm – The Corridor

Wed, Oct 26 945pm – Vs

Thu, Oct 27 7pm – The Woman

Thu, Oct 27 945pm – The Innkeepers

For ticket info and other deets, click here. Hope to see you there.

Silencio.

2011-10-05T07:46:00.002-04:00

Last year, I started hearing about a real-time, one continuous shot horror flick from South America called The Silent House. The format certainly piqued my interest – and how often do you get to see a Uruguayan genre effort? – so when it dropped on DVD a few weeks ago, I sought it out with On The Shelf in mind.

House cleaners Laura (Florencia Colucci) and her father (Gustavo Alonso) stay the night at an old estate and soon suspect that they may not be alone.

The Silent House is an impressive technical achievement. It is one thing to shoot a movie in continuous real time, but another thing entirely to not distract your audience while doing it. I thought, for the most part, the transitions were really well done here. On top of that though, the film just has a great look to it, using all of the creepy house’s real estate – including the sprawling grounds around it – to full effect. It had several excellent setups, many of which involved mirrors, and a few inspired scare moments.

Due to its structure, the story within The Silent House was fairly uncomplicated with little dialogue among its three characters. Lead actress Colucci carried the movie flawlessly, to the point where I often felt like I was skulking around the old house with her. Thankfully, her behaviour was fairly unmovie-like. When she realized she was in danger, the first thing she did was block the door and grab a weapon. Hey, what a novel concept! I’d say the only thing The Silent House didn’t have was a particularly satisfying ending, but it was what it was. It is definitely worth a watch, should it ever pop up on Netflix.

As is the case with most foreign genre properties these days, The Silent House’s remake rights were immediately snatched up when it played Cannes last year. This is of consequence to me because the man tapped to direct this version is Chris “Open Water” Kentis. I’ve been waiting seven years for this guy to get back behind the camera, and you have to admit that this is a project perfectly suited for his talents.

T Is For Thread.

2011-10-03T08:02:00.003-04:00

Hello friends,

Here below, is my submission to the ABC's of Death contest, directed by my buddy Chris Nash. If you like it, please vote for it by going here and clicking on the "Vote for this as 26th filmmaker" button. Hell, even if you don't like it, please vote for it!

Thanks for taking the time to watch our little short. Our goal is to crack the top ten, so please feel free to spread it around.

DKTM 119

2011-10-01T17:21:00.007-04:00

October's here, and that means only a few weeks until the big H! Here are some horror tidbits from the week at large.

Trailers Abound.

A few more trailers popped up on the web this week. First, is the Russian trailer for the upcoming prequel of The Thing, which showcases some more of the effects.

I didn't know Mary Elizabeth Winstead could speak Russian!

Next up, is the trailer for the Lithuanian zombie flick War of the Dead, which will see its world premiere at this month's Toronto After Dark Film Festival.

Lastly, a new trailer for the fast approaching second season of The Walking Dead has shambled its way online. There isn't much new here, except a glimpse at a certain locale that every fan of the comic has been waiting for.

A Kid At Heart.

A few weeks back, I linked to the short Hooked by Axelle Carolyn. Well, the writer and actress turned director now has a new project on the go called The Halloween Kid and she needs our help. See below for her pitch.

For more info on the project, go here.

What's In A Name?

With Cockbuster finally kicking the bucket this week, it reminded me that it's been a while since I have checked in on the great blog Lost Video Archive. So, here's a really cool ongoing feature he has been doing over there. Pretty much every video store had some sort of identification sticker on their tapes and this site has a pretty impressive collection of them. Click the image below, to check them all out.

That's it for now, but be sure to check back tomorrow because I've got something special for ya.

Horror On The Tube: Summer 2011

2011-09-29T10:04:00.004-04:00

The summer was a fairly slow time for television this year, but I did want to sound off on a pair of shows that I watched over the past few months.

The fourth season of True Blood came to an end a few weeks ago, and man, what a disappointing slog this was. I actively disliked the first six episodes so much, that I entertained the thought of not even continuing. At its worst points, it was just downright silly. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve never looked to True Blood for seriousness, but there are limits. In fact, I’m almost certain that if it weren’t for the addition of red-hot ladies Courtney Ford & Janina Gavankar (Shiva Kamini!) to the cast, I would have broken up with this show.

I think my main issue was that I didn’t care for almost all of the story arcs this season. Not to be too spoiler-y, but one character gets amnesia, which is such a played out plot device, and several others go through some tiresome changes. It seems that the number of straight-up humans in this show is dwindling rapidly. That is a big problem because once everyone is ‘something’, then where’s the dichotomy? The exact same thing happened with the mid-nineties vampire show Kindred: The Embraced. By the end of its first (and only) season, almost all the humans had been turned, and its audience lost interest.

True Blood got a little better once the showdown between the witches and vampires came to a head, and there were some zero-hour allusions to getting things back on the rails for next season, but I think this show may have run its course.

The other show I caught – thanks to The Totally Rad Show for the heads up! – was a British series called Luther. It is an awesome cop procedural show, starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther. As with Dead Set, I am always amazed by what the BBC gets away with. And yet, films are still outright banned there. WTF?! But I digress.

The character of Luther is a fascinating one. Cop procedural shows with unorthodox detectives who bend the rules are nothing new, but I’ve never seen one played with such depth as Elba does here. He is calculating, yet impulsive, often abusing his authority. However, what really makes his show stand out is the dynamic between the Luther and his nemesis. In the premiere, Luther comes across a suspect he cannot nab and they begin this strange cat-and-mouse relationship. You can argue that this relationship is a bit far fetched, but the chemistry between them is undeniable. And this villain is car-azy, possessing an unpredictable balance between extreme intelligence & childish petulance that really puts you on edge.

Another thing I always admire about the Brits is they never sugarcoat anything and don’t feel the need for arbitrary happy endings. The evildoers on this show are some of the vile you’ll ever see and because of that, the good guys don’t always win. Luther is an exceptional show that demands to be seen, especially if you are into procedural dramas. It is now available on Netflix Instant in both the States and Canada, so get on it!

Peering ahead to this fall, it looks promising with the return of Dexter and The Walking Dead. There is also a new show on F/X called American Horror Story that has me intrigued.

Yep, it certainly doesn’t appear there will be any shortage of genre television this Halloween season.

Last TAD Titles Announced!

2011-09-27T08:00:00.018-04:00

Last night, the final ten titles playing the Toronto After Dark Film Festival in October were announced on the SPACE Channel. Here is what's coming to town.

I saw A Lonely Place To Die at this year's Fantasia and though I felt the first half was a lot stronger than its last, there is some really solid action in this movie.

The works of Astron 6 have always been well received at TAD, so I'm sure Manborg, their first feature - Father's Day, also playing at TAD this year, was co-produced with Troma Pictures - will be no different.

Vs is a World Premiere that has the pontential to explode at TAD. Not a lot is known about it, but it does feature four super heroes kidnapped by a maniacal villain played by James Remar. In!

This, along with Monster Brawl and Manborg, gives TAD a nice helping of Canadian content this year. The Corridor features a group of teens that take a trip into the forest. Won't they ever learn? For the trailer, click here.

If you've been starved for more WWII zombie horror, then Lithuania has you covered with War of the Dead.

Jack Ketchum and I do not mix well, but by many accounts, Lucky McKee's adaptation of The Woman is a solid and gripping film. I guess we'll see.

Best title could go to American indie Some Guy Who Kills People. After previous TAD titles like The Revenant and All About Evil, I think this may fill that spot quite nicely. Check out the movies trailer, by clicking here.

Vampires are represented this year by the flick Midnight Son, which looks to be a fresh and stripped down look at the genre. Check out the trailer by going here.

After narrowly missing House of the Devil in 2009, I'm really glad TAD was able to program Ti West's newest. The Innkeepers focuses on a haunted hotel that is going out of business.

Absentia generated sick buzz at Fantasia and I'm really looking forward to it. I know going in that it's a slow burn, so I'm going to savour this one. The trailer is here, but maybe the less you know, the better.

Toronto After Dark unleashes its ghastly wares at the Toronto Underground Cinema from October 20-27. For more information on the festival, including the other titles on the schedule, click here.

DKTM 118

2011-09-25T10:39:00.005-04:00

Okay, after all this TIFF craziness, it's time to get back to your regularly scheduled programming. Here's what I have for you this week.

T Is For...

The deadline for the Drafthouse ABC's of Death 26th Director competition is rapidly approaching, and boy, are there some doozies entered so far. My buddy Darryl Shaw's entry, T is for Testostorone Replacement Therapy just got posted this week and here it is below. If you like it, please feel free to vote.

And here are some other great entries.

I'm working on an entry myself, so fingers crossed we get it in before the October 1st deadline. To visit the ABC's of Death website, click here.

Shhhhhhhh.

Here is a story I came across a few weeks ago. David Lynch just opened up a nightclub in Paris called Club Silencio. Inspired by the club of the same name in his 2001 masterpiece Mulholland Drive, Lynch was involved in every facet of the process.

"Silencio is something dear to me. I wanted to create an intimate space where all the arts could come together. There won't be a Warhol-like guru, but it will be open to celebrated artists of all disciplines to come here to programme or create what they want."

To read the Guardian.co.uk artice on the club opening, click here.

The TAD Ten.

The final ten titles screening at this year's Toronto After Dark Film Festival will be announced Monday night on the Canadian sci-fi channel SPACE. Tune in to InnerSpace at 11pm to see what genre goodies will round out the fest. In late August, Toronto After Dark announced the first eight titles, including the gory anthology The Theatre Bizarre, Xavier Gens' newest The Divide and the Astron 6/Troma co-production Father's Day.

So, tune in; if you dare! For more info on TAD, click here and also check out the 2011 sizzle reel below.

TIFF Vids: The Day

2011-09-24T23:00:00.002-04:00

Here below, is video shot by Robert Mitchell of the Midnight Madness screening of The Day on September 15, 2011. Warning: May contain spoilers.

For more of Rob's videos, click here. For my review of The Day, click here.

TIFF Vids: Lovely Molly

2011-09-22T12:39:00.004-04:00

Here below, is the video shot by Robert Mitchell at the Midnight Madness screening of Lovely Molly on September 14, 2011. Warning: May contain spoliers.

For more of Rob's videos, click here. For my review of Lovely Molly, click here.

TIFF Vids: The Incident

2011-09-21T07:25:00.002-04:00

Here below, is the video shot by Robert Mitchell at the Midnight Madness screening of The Incident on September 12, 2011.

For more of Rob's videos, click here. For my review of The Incident, click here.

TIFF Vids: Livid

2011-09-21T07:00:00.003-04:00

Here below, is video shot by Robert Mitchell of the Midnight Madness screening of Livid on September 11, 2011.

For more of Rob's videos, click here. For my review of Livid, click here.

TIFF Vids: You're Next

2011-09-21T06:30:00.002-04:00

Man about town Robert Mitchell was again on hand at this year's Midnight Madness, shooting all that transpired. Here below, is his & Sheleigh Bober's footage from the Midnight screening of You're Next on September 10, 2011.

For more of Rob & Sheleigh's videos, click here. For my review of You're Next, click here.

A Dark Finish.

2011-09-19T17:53:00.002-04:00

Closing out Midnight Madness this year, was a British import called Kill List. Director Ben Wheatley’s debut Down Terrace tore up the festival circuit a while ago, so I was looking forward to seeing his follow-up.

When Jay (Neil Maskell) & Gal (Michael Smiley) are paid to kill three seemingly random targets, they start to question the motives of the people who hired them.

Kill List is a solid film that does what it does very well. As with Down Terrace, I liked it, but I didn’t love it. It mixed a few genres, which I found to be both a blessing and a curse, as I was most interested in the second act, when the film made allusions to perhaps going somewhere other than where it actually ended up. In a lesser director’s hands, the pace may have been a problem, but not here. Wheatley employs a skilled grasp on the metering out of information, and never over shares about the names on the list. This withholding of mythos was a detriment to the previous Midnight flick The Day, but not with this film because the characters were actually engaging. And it is the characters that are the real strength of Kill List. Jay & Gal have a real rapport with each other, thus making the scripted look improvisational. I was also really happy to see MyAnna Buring appear as Jay’s wife, Shel.

When you are dealing with a UK film involving a mysterious cult, comparisons to The Wicker Man are unavoidable, but I think Kill List breaks away from this by being firmly grounded in reality. There are no musical numbers or bear suits – depending on which Man were talking about – here, just good storytelling.

Though its narrative style may be conservative, its more violent scenes are anything but. Wheatley employs a cold ferocity with the gore, shying away from very little of it. His explanation during the Q&A was that any cuts during those sequences would have caused an audience disconnect. That would explain why I was reminded of A Serbian Film during some of these moments. Don’t worry, there is no baby rape or skull fucking in Kill List, but they are both very, very dark films that leave you a little shell-shocked.

Director Ben Wheatley

Of Wheatley’s two efforts, my genre leanings would dictate that Kill List is more up my alley, but in truth, they are about equal. Down Terrace is a more straightforward affair, that doesn’t overstep its premise like you could argue Kill List did. Regardless, Wheatley has proven himself an effective storyteller with a film grasp of character, so you should definitely keep your eye on him.

The Day.

2011-09-18T15:37:00.007-04:00

Doug Aarniokoski’s The Day was probably the closest Midnight Madness came to a ‘red carpet’ premiere this year. While 2010’s Midnight run featured big guns like John Carpenter & James Wan and big stars like Woody Harrelson & Ellen Page, this year’s installment has been one of discovery.

In a post-apocalyptic world, a group of five survivors seek safety in an old house, but are soon attacked by a band of nomadic cannibals.

The Day was okay, but nothing spectacular. To me, it lacked that extra dimension that would have made it pop. You never really got a sense of why the world ended, and how these characters came to be a group. Writer Luke Passmore explained later in the Q&A that that was his intention. The how and why were irrelevant, and the movie was about people dealing with their situation. I can certainly appreciate that, but the problem for me was that I didn’t find them particularly interesting. And that is not a knock on the cast – which includes Shawn Ashmore & Dominic Monaghan – as they’re all competent in their roles. They each have their moments in the sun, but don’t have a lot to work with for the most part.

Last year’s Midnight People’s Choice Award winner Stake Land is a perfect example of a post-apocalyptic movie done right. You line The Day’s characters up against Stake Land’s and there is no comparison. Now, granted the latter is at an advantage due to vampires being more interesting than cannibals, but there was just way more meat on Stake Land’s bones.

The Day’s visual style was par for the course, as well. It had that over-saturated earthy tone that populates so many films of this ilk. Perhaps most troubling was the abundance of digital blood in this movie. Are you seriously going to tell me it was really cheaper to do a throat slash with a computer, rather than on set? There's a line-up of effects guys (and gals) that would’ve done it for a song. When filmmakers slap on large gore moments in post, it makes me think they don’t care, or worse, that they think that we won’t.

The highlight of The Day though, was Ashley Bell. Seeing her transform from the wholesome and helpless girl in The Last Exorcism into The Day’s shotgun toting, machete-wielding badass Mary, was a real treat. And to be fair, I did enjoy the last half-hour or so, but I love me a siege movie, so it wasn’t a hard sell.

Actors Monaghan, Ashmore, Cory Hardrict, Bell & Director Doug Aarniokoski.

So, the Day wasn’t bad, just nothing to write home about. I did however; get a kick out of how offended the older lady a few rows behind me was, when the lights came up. Although, I’m not sure if she was “disgusted” by the movie's subject matter, or the bloodlust of the crowd around her. Seriously though, did she not know what happens at The Ryerson after dark?

This Old House.

2011-09-17T08:10:00.001-04:00

On Thursday afternoon, I checked out Eduardo Sánchez's new film Lovely Molly. I was glad to see he finally had something at Midnight Madness, as he – being one-half of the team that brought us The Blair Witch Project in 1999 – is an important figure of what we consider today, as modern horror.

When Molly (Gretchen Lodge) moves into her old childhood house with her new husband, Tim (Johnny Lewis), she starts to suspect they aren't alone.

I'm actually glad I didn't see the midnight screening of this, as it is rather sedate. It is largely a woman in an old house, left alone with her demons, both figurately and possibly literally. The real strength of this film though, is Lodge as the title character. I was amazed to find out this was her first role, as she totally owns it. Apparently, Sánchez made this remarkable discovery at an open audition.

Like Intruders, I found the impetus of the story fascinating. Sánchez, being a big fan of Bill Friedkin's The Exorcist, always wanted to make a possession film. However, his take was from the perspective of a low-income household. What do you do when you don't have the financial resources to seek out professional help? Well, Molly goes about trying to film herself and the unexplained events in the house, to prove that she isn't crazy. It is an interesting idea, and also a fairly creative way of justifying the video camera conceit, and only partly filmed in this fashion, so it never becomes tiresome.

In addition to going back to his roots with the first-person-camera technique, Sánchez again used Maryland as his shooting location. The forests and creaky house brought back some chilling memories of 1999 for me. What is with Maryland and crazy-ass demons – real or imagined – anyway? And by “real or imagined” I mean that Lovely Molly is one of those movies that is open to interpretation. There are several extra storylines, including drug use and childhood trauma, that yield more than one possible explanation for the events that transpire.

I feel Lovely Molly falls in the middle of Sánchez's filmography. It is better put together and more intimate work than 2008's Seventh Moon, yet doesn't quite reach the raw energy and ingenuity of his follow-up to Blair Witch, 2006's Altered. As far as this year's Midnight fare goes, I would take this over The Incident, due to my oft-talked about preference of female protagonists.

Director Eduardo Sánchez & star Gretchen Lodge

This is a solid character piece that owes its success to its lead , as much as it does its director. If you live in a creaky old house, you may double check the doors and leave the lights on after this one.

The Face Of Fear.

2011-09-16T10:00:00.002-04:00

Every year at TIFF, I try to catch a least one Spanish film. Previous years have included the likes of Pan's Labyrinth, The Orphanage and [REC]2, so you can see why I would gravitate toward this country's product. This made, after seeing his earlier efforts 28 Weeks Later and Intact, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's newest film Intruders an easy pick.

A father (Clive Owen) desperately tries to protect his daughter Mia (Ella Purnell) from an intruder that keeps entering her room at night.

I have to say that, while I didn't feel as connected to it as I have some of my more treasured Spanish offerings, I kind of dug Intruders. Even though it was fairly straightforward, with a last minute reveal that was nothing to write home about, I found myself coming back to it over the last few days. I think it was the concept that grabbed me, rather than the filmmaking. Fresnadillo's exploration of the origin of fear and what lengths parents will go to protect their children was really interesting to me. It was initially a little weird to see Clive Owen injected into one of these films, but he did a good job conveying the helplessness a parent feels when they can't ease their child's suffering.

Surprisingly, the liberal CG didn't bother me as much it should have, though it may have been due to it being shrouded in shadow most of the time. I was hoping that Intruders would have the unsettling creepiness that other Spanish offerings like The Orphanage and The Devil's Backbone possessed in spades, but it fell short of that mark most of the time. I think there may have been something lost by showing the monster right away. It served the story, but we all know that the more you show, the less scary it becomes.

The biggest problem I had with Intruders was that the action sequences weren't shot particularly well. They were mostly of the close-up, quick cut variety that I can't stand. I wish Fresnadillo would go back to using Xavi Giménez to shoot his films. They worked together on Intact in 2001, which featured a brilliant sequence where people were running blindfolded through a densely wooded forest. Fresnadillo's current cinematographer, Enrique Chediak is the same guy he worked with on 28 Weeks Later, which had its moments – we all remember the early sequence with Robert Carlyle being chased through a field – but there was a lot of shaky-cam bullshit in that, as well. I think Intruders could have really benefitted from the cooler hand of Giménez, whose other credits include gorgeous films like The Abandoned, & The Machinist & Transsiberian .

Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo & star Clive Owen.

Though it doesn't approach the high standard set by its peers, Intruders is still a solid effort, anchored by a very fascinating concept.

TIFF photo courtesy of Reuters.

You Think Your Job Sucks?

2011-09-15T11:19:00.001-04:00

On Monday night, Midnight Madness offered up a second French horror flick called The Incident from director Alexandre Courtes.

A group of kitchen workers at a mental institution desperately try to escape when the power goes out, releasing its dangerous population out into the halls.

It could've been that I was expecting something different, but The Incident didn't really do anything for me. Considering this was directed by a renowned music video director – who has worked with bands such as U2, Air & The White Stripes – I thought it would be a little more frenetic. Don't get me wrong, The Incident is well made and a realistic interpretation of how this situation could play out, but that may have also been the reason that it never hooked me. The past two midnights have reminded me of the delicate balance of storytelling. Livid needed to be simpler, yet The Incident could have used, at least for me, more story elements; or at least a bigger payoff after all that build up. It seemed like once the conflict really got going, it was over.

Getting back to the realism though, I did appreciate that none of the characters did anything stupid, and always reacted to their situation appropriately. There was no “movie logic” in this film and by setting it in 1989, Courtes automatically avoided having to explain away cell phones and Internet access.

I may have not been affected by the Incident, but I know that some attendees were. During a particularly gory scene at the film's climax, I was distracted by a flashlight to my right. Later, I found out the disruption was due to a couple of people passing out. This was kind of suprising, as this film just went right through me. Am I really that desensitized? Maybe I was just burnt out. After all, it was my third film of the day and had spent the afternoon taking advantage of an open bar.

Director Alexandre Courtes.

Anyway, in short, this was, as my friend DirtyRobot put it, a “serviceable” movie, but the clinical presentation of it, left me cold.

Courtes photo courtesy of thesubstream.com.

I Am Juan!

2011-09-14T11:00:00.005-04:00

When the Juan of the Dead trailer popped up online a few months ago, I was obviously intrigued. Billed as the first Cuban zombie movie, it played TIFF on Monday as part of the Contemporary World Cinema programme. Naturally, I made sure I was there.

When zombies start appearing in his neighbourhood, ne'er do well Juan (Alexis Días de Villegas) gathers his friends together to clean up the streets.

I had a lot of fun with Juan of the Dead. When viewing a zombie comedy, my expectations are generally lowered, as there's not much new ground to cover, but Juan of the Dead subverts mediocrity in a few different ways. First, as could be inferred by its title, just calling this movie a parody of a parody does it a disservice. Using the anniversary of the Cuban revolution as a backdrop, director Alejandro Brugués uses this opportunity to drop in some subtext. His characters are used to civil unrest and simply go about their routines during the ensuing chaos. There were several Cubans in attendance at my screening and they went batshit for this movie. Their reaction went beyond the typical 'let's support our countryman'. I think they genuinely responded to it.

I really liked how the movie morphed into a zombie version of Ghostbusters, and I'm actually kind of shocked this was the first time I'd seen this done. When I thought about it, I realized it would take someone like Brugués to come at it like this. You take other contemporary zombie flicks, like say, the two this movie is referencing, and you'll see what I mean. In Dawn of the Dead, the characters' first reaction is to flee and seek shelter and in Shaun of the Dead, all he wants to do is get his friends and family to safety. In Juan of the Dead, the characters take great exception to these zombies coming into their turf and stirring shit up. Just being in a theatre with a bunch of Cubans was enough to show me how proud they are of their country. It has its problems, but it is theirs, and nothing, not even flesh eating zombies, can drive them out. And if they could make a little coin while protecting it; why not?

Then, there is the great cast. The two leads, Juan and his pal Lázaro (Jorge Molina) have a relationship every bit as natural as Simon Pegg & Nick Frost in Shaun of the Dead. They play off each other brilliantly and keep things grounded. All zombie comedies have their share of heightened reality and camp, but in contrast to something like last year's Evil: In the Time of Heroes, Juan and his team – which also includes his daughter Camila (Andrea Duro) and playboy Vladi California (Andros Perugorría) - always know how to rein things in when they need to.

The kills, the bread & butter of any zombie flick, are also top notch, including one epic set piece that this seasoned zombie fan had never seen before. There was a good amount of decent zombie make-up, with some scenes utilizing as many as three hundred extras at a time. Some of the larger-scale effects shots were fairly comical – I assume that was intentional – but overall Juan of the Dead seemed a lot bigger than what it likely cost.

Director Alejandro Brugués.

If zombie comedies are your bag, I urge you check out Juan of the Dead, as it offers up all the hallmarks and does a bang up job on all of them.

A Fractured Fairy Tale.

2011-09-13T13:04:00.008-04:00

Sunday night saw the return of Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury to The Ryerson stage. After these two maniacs tore the roof off the place four years earlier with their debut Inside, horror fans have anxiously been awaiting their follow-up. This eve, that came in the form of a weird little thing called Livid.

When Lucie (Chloé Coulloud), a nurse-in-training, tries to rob the estate of one of her patients with some of her friends, they discover the house may hold a dark secret.

If I were to describe Livid in one word, it would be fractured. There are a lot of solid elements to the film, but it doesn't come together as a whole in my opinion. I had been told it was a very different film from Inside, and that is certainly true. This film has very little of the visceral energy that its fore bearer generated almost immediately. In fact, if it wasn't for the cameo from Béatrice Dalle and the multiple appearances of scissors, I may not have been able to recognize this project was birthed from this duo at all.

Livid takes a very long time to get where it is going, but the darkly Gothic visuals were enough to keep me interested to a point. However, because the first half was so restrained, when the gore started flying later on, it almost seemed out of place. To me, it felt like they were doing what was expected of them and not what served the story they had started. If it had been excessive throughout, it would have felt more natural. Despite its slow pace, there is a lot going on in this movie. Perhaps too much. I can't help but feel this would have resonated more if it was simpler. Take Nacho Cerdà's 2006 film The Abandoned for example, which was all atmosphere and sound design. There wasn't a lot to the story, yet it was still effective.

There were a lot of references sprinkled throughout Livid. The nods to American Werewolf, Halloween III and Dellamorte, Dellamorre were met with some chuckles, but the main overall influence for the film would have to be Suspiria. In fact, I would say all of the surreal works of Dario Argento were the blueprint for this film. Unfortunately, Bustillo & Maury are not as adept at keeping the more fantastic aspects of their subject matter from going off the rails, as the Italian maestro was in his prime. Some of the most interesting elements, one involving a mirror and another taxidermy, could've been much more than just throwaway moments, and the last twenty minutes of Livid borders on the nonsensical.

Directors Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury.

Even going in with lowered expectations, knowing this would not (and could not) be another Inside, I was still left a little wanting. I respect Bustillo & Maury for wanting to do something on their own though, and not just taking the first Hollywood property that got thrown their way after their debut. In the end, the visuals and set pieces are what I'll take away from Livid, but not much else.