2011 Scream Award Winners

Catching up on a few things this weekend including the winners for the 2011 The Scream Awards which were presented on Tuesday October 18, 2011. Thrilled to see that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 picked up many awards in it's senior year and although I didn't love Black Swan I am excited to see a female protagonist film get a lot of love. I'm a little sad that Transformers: Dark of the Moon won for Best 3-D Movie over films like TRON: Legacy, but I'm sure the bias of recency has something to do with it. One of the strongest categories this year was easily Best Independent Movie - and from the nominees of Another Earth, Hatchet II, I Saw the Devil, Monsters and Rubber the winner was Monsters.

Sounds like the broadcast of the awards was fun to watch. Maybe I'll catch it in 2012. Until there, here are the 2011 winners of the Scream Awards:

2011 Scream Award Winners

Ultimate Scream
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Best Science Fiction Movie
Super 8

Best Fantasy Movie
X-Men: First Class

Best Horror Movie
Let Me In

Best Thriller
Limitless

Best TV Show
Game of Thrones

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan

Best Scream-Play
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Best Chase Scene
Captain America: First Avenger

Best Fantasy Actress
Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Best Fantasy Actor
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Best Science Fiction Actress
Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil: Afterlife

Best Science Fiction Actor
Matt Smith in Doctor Who

Best Horror Actress
Chloe Grace Moretz in Let Me In

Best Horror Actor
Alexander Skarsgard in True Blood

Best Villain
Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Best Superhero
Chris Evans as Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger

Best Supporting Actor
Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones

Best Supporting Actress
Mila Kunis in Black Swan

Breakout Performance - Female
Emilia Clarke in Game of Thrones

Breakout Performance - Male
Joe Manganiello in True Blood

Best Cameo
Huge Jackman in X-Men: First Class

Best Ensemble
True Blood

Most Memorable Mutilation
Piranha 3D

Fight Scene of the Year
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Holy Sh*t! Scene of the Year
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Best Independent Movie
Monsters

Best 3-D Movie
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Best F/X
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel
The Walking Dead

Best Comic Book Writer
Ed Brubaker for Captain America, Captain America: Reborn, The Marvels Project, Steve Rogers: Super Soldier

Best Comic Book Artist
John Romita, Jr. for Avengers, Kick-Ass 2

Best Comic Book Movie
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Film Reviews - Lithuania

War of the Dead *

*indicates co-production

Back to Countries List

Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011: Day 8

I can't believe it's already all over! After 8 days of mayhem with zombies, vampires, monsters, manborgs, friendships, superheroes, murderers, cannibals and lovers, I'm left feeling filled to the brim with a wonderful festival memories of fantastic new films and meeting friends old and new. Before I start to get all misty eyed and sniffly that we have to wait a whole other year for the festival to run again, let's celebrate the phenomenal closing night double bill of The Woman and The Innkeepers. I had huge reservations going into The Woman but thankfully it turned out to be a very smart and well done film. I also adored The Innkeepers, a fantastic supernatural tale with a haunted house vibe that was a joy to watch with a jam packed house. A brilliant way to close out the festival and the year at Toronto After Dark.

Rather watch than read? Check out my Day 8 Vlog.



The Woman (2011)
Dir: Lucky McKee
Cast: Pollyanna McIntosh, Sean Bridgers, Carlee Baker, Shana Barry, Marcia Bennett, Angela Bettis
USA

The Woman was easily the film at the festival I had the strongest reservations about as the premise follows a man who locks up a feral woman to 'civilize' her with the help of his family. Many readers will know that I have a low tolerance for gender crap, so could already feel red flags beginning to raise before even seeing the film but The Woman proves the case that making up your mind about a film before actually seeing it is a mistake as although it's disturbing and hard to watch it certainly is not an anti-woman film at all. I will admit that ideas and notions it conveyed could be uncomfortable, disturbing and hard to watch, but I always believed the actions and reactions of all of the characters on the screen. Did I want to see, know, or feel what the characters were feeling? Hell, no. Was it the truth of that moment? Hell, yes. That is not an easy thing to get across and it's a formidable feat given the controversial context. I think what also won me over is that it also feels like a subtle but strong examination and statement about of the misuse of power and cycle of violence, but because it's done in a rather shocking you react more to the moment than the overall which I thought was very clever. It's odd that in part my reaction to the film is that I'm thankful to not be angry or offended, but that truly is my truth when it comes to the film. I loved Pollyanna McIntosh's performance as the Woman and although the film is sure to grate a lot of people, I think it is well worth giving it a chance.

See more about The Woman at the films Official Film Site, Trailer, IMDb Page





The Innkeepers
Writer/Dir: Ti West
Cast: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, George Riddle
USA

I think The Innkeepers was the film I knew the least about going in as there was no trailer to be found but people were very excited about it and it came up many times when asking what films people were looking forward to this year. It's set in a about to close hotel mind by a skeleton 2 staff who both hold interest an in paranormal investigation. On premise alone that is freaking awesome, and I loved that the film worked in the investigated notion allowing the characters to be more proactive as opposed to accidental recipients of spooky situations. The heart of the film truly is Sara Paxton who brings a wonderful excited-but-scared quality that never failed to deliver is a cat of nine lives kind of way, as she always wanted to push forward into the unknown and had beautiful, real reactions to the situation which ran the perfect gambit between frightening to comedic, and at times both. I loved the creepy hotel that the film was set in and that the odd angles often made it hard to tell exactly what you are looking at which is perfect for a supernatural film giving it an unnerving, off-balance feel which is exactly where you want to be. It was fantastic to see it with a sold out audience and it was a clear crowd-pleasing scare fest which is exactly what I had hoped. An absolutely perfect film to end the festival with a bang.

See more about The Innkeepers at the Official Facebook Page, IMDb Page


The Innkeepers director Ti West with Toronto After Dark Founder and Director Adam Lopez

The 6th Annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival ran for 8 Nights of Horror, Sci-Fi, Action and Cult Movies at the Toronto Underground Cinema in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from October 20-27, 2011.

Film Fan Fridays for Friday October 28, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday October 28, 2011! I really don't have too much to say this week as I'm still recovering from the Toronto After Dark Film Festival which closed last night to a packed out and boy, I am tired. Even so, let's look at this weeks astounding 11 releases.

In limited release this week we have Ayn Rand adaptation of Atlas Shrugged: Part I, art house fare with Almodovar's The Skin I Live In, western Straight to Hell Returns and Cell 211. We also have Martha Marcy May Marlene which played well at TIFF and the two documentaries Buck and Inni.

In wide release this week we have as Shakespeare a fraud ? film Anonymous, science fiction set film In Time, Puss in Boots which is based on a character in a French fairy tale from 1697 by Charles Perrault. Last up for wide releases is The Rum Diary starring Johnny Depp.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Brazil Film Fest
October 27 - 30, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

International Diaspora Film Festival
November 1 - 6, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Regent Park Film Festival
A free event with complimentary childcare
November 2 - 5, 2011 at Lord Dufferin Public School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday October 28, 2011 Releases

Anonymous
Dir: Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012)
Cast: Rhys Ifans, Rafe Spall, Vanessa Redgrave
UK/Germany
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Atlas Shrugged: Part I
Dir: Paul Johansson - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Taylor Schilling, Grant Bowler, Edi Gathegi
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Buck
Dir: Cindy Meehl
Documentary - feature film directorial debut
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Cell 211
Dir: Daniel Monzón (The Kovak Box)
Cast: Luis Tosar, Alberto Ammann
Spain/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

In Time
Dir: Andrew Niccol (Gattaca)
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde, Matt Bomer, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Galecki and Vincent Kartheiser
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Inni
Dir: Vincent Morisset
Cast: Georg Hólm, Jon Thor Birgisson, Kjartan Sveinsson, Orri Pall Dyrason
Iceland/UK/Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Martha Marcy May Marlene
Writer/Dir: Sean Durkin
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Puss in Boots
Dir: Chris Miller (Shrek the Third)
Voices: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton, Amy Sedaris
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Rum Diary
Writer/Dir: Bruce Robinson (Jennifer Eight, How to Get Ahead in Advertising)
Cast: Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Skin I Live In / La piel que habito
Dir: Pedro Almodovar
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes()
Spain
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Straight to Hell Returns
Dir: Alex Cox (Repo Chick, Searchers 2.0)
Cast: Kathy Burke, Elvis Costello, Graham Fletcher-Cook, Courtney Love, Sy Richardson
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of October 28, 2011**

TADFF 2011: Day 8 Vlog

Vlogging all about the last day of Toronto After Dark Film Festival for 2011 with Day 8 screenings of The Woman & closing Gala of The Innkeepers.

I mention The Changeling (1980), Before the Dawn, the Movie Moxie Facebook Fanpage, the archive of vids & vlogs for this years festival, the Movie Moxie Podcast (spoiler free), the Dark Bridges Film Festival.

The 6th Annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival runs for 8 Nights of Horror, Sci-Fi, Action and Cult Movies at the Toronto Underground Cinema in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from October 20-27, 2011.

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Day 7 - Wednesday October 26, 2011

We are nearing close to the end of the festival and I'm starting to get sad as there are just a few films left to enjoy. I'm also really feeling the tiredness kicking in, even with only chilling at the pub on one of the nights so far - which was tons of fun and I always want to go but I need that much needed sleep and writing time. I did make it to the pub on Day 6 so at least I got out for one night! Perhaps, that is what made me so tired for Day 7. Amazing how there might be a connection there... anyhow, Day 7 was a big indie spirit day with the Canadian cabin the woods (and in winter to boot!) science fiction-esqure thriller The Corridor followed by the World Premiere of VS where superheroes are put to the ultimate test. Both films left me thinking a lot about choices and friendships, as well as the powerful choice of to letting the audience get to decide how they want to fill in some of the blanks. Pretty engaging stuff going on!

Rather watch than read? Check out my Day 7 Vlog!

Animal Control
Dir: Kire Paputts
Canada, 17 minutes

Animal Control follows a man working at an animal shelter, who oddly doesn't have any connection to animals. Well, at least not a connection to *living* animals. I loved the emotional journey in the film which has a beautiful story to it that touches on loneliness, connection and loss in a gently paced way that builds up and creeps in slowly but surely to your heart. It might be a little gruesome for some viewers, but I was very thankful to see the 'No Animals We Harmed' notation in the credits. It was also a joy to see Julian Richings, whom many fans of genre and/or Canadian films will recognize from various films & shows from Hard Core Logo to The Last Casino to 'Supernatural'.



The Corridor
Dir: Evan Kelly
Cast: Stephen Chambers, Matthew Amyotte, Nigel Bennett, David Patrick Flemming, James Gilbert, Glen Matthews, Mary-Colin Chisholm
Canada

Set in the dead of winter in a cabin in the woods, The Corridor lends itself well to the themes of isolation, mental stability and the oddities that can occur if things are left to their own devices. Given those themes you add to the mix a slightly resistant reunion of high school buddies who are now well into their adult lives and most are in various stages of non-fulfillment and when together again make for assortment of reactions for nostalgia to old habits to creating & maintaining the bonds of friendship. Hearing that, it's probably a surprize to know it's a subtle science fiction thriller that blurs so very interesting lines on power, friendship as well as different reactionary takes on what people would do if they encountered something unexplainable and pretty freaking scary. I was really impressed by the effects in The Corridor, often in lower-budget science fiction films the can look not so great and throw you out of the film but here we visuals that genuinely reflect the oddness of the phenomena and also a great pairing with the sound to create a very believable spectacle. I also really enjoyed the powerful performance of Stephen Chambers whose character goes through one well of an emotional ordeal. The Corridor really made me think about interesting concepts and ideas that kept my mind very engaged during, as well as after seeing it.

See more at The Corridor's Official Film Site, Trailer & IMDb Page


The Corridor lead actor Stephen Chambers, writer Josh MacDonald and director Evan Kelly


The Corridor producer Craig Cameron, lead actor Stephen Chambers, writer Josh MacDonald and director Evan Kelly

How to Rid Your Lover of a Negative Emotion Caused By You
Dir: Nadia Litz
Canada, 16 minutes

I love to see when a short can cross different boundaries, and How to Rid Your Lover of a Negative Emotion Caused By You does just that because it's a dark comedic look at relationships, specifically the problem with problem solving and trying to solve everything yourself. I takes an interesting look at fixing things, and pushes it to the max which plays so very well with the great performances of the actors who play the couple in the film. It holds a very light tone in contrast to the dark concept but the actors really pull it off, and it played really well to the crowd. Fun times.



VS **World Premiere**
Writer/Dir: Jason Trost
Cast: Jason Trost, Lucas Till, James Remar, Sophie Merkley, Sean Whalen, Lee Valmassy
USA

We've seen a huge up rise in superhero films in the past few years from the re-envisioning of classic superheroes, to grittier take of regular folk being superheroes to actual documentary on real life superheroes and just when I though we could run out of energy on the genre, here comes VS smashing up expectations left, right and centre kicking us back into place with an old skool take of with over the top villains and high stakes scenarios. With the set up of superheroes vs. evil villain in a race against time with hapless, rigged-to-explosive victims it's easy to try and cram the film into a Saw shaped box painted with Joker colours, but VS is so much more. The film really looks at both the power of choice and the role that we play in our lives, and also looks at even if we have a choice about that role. Do we work with it, or against it? What happens if more than 1 person wants the same role? And, is it even possible to be anyone but who you really are and even if you stay true, can that still create inner conflict? I really appreciated the fresh take on a classic superhero story full with moral dilemmas, rivals & friendships plus battles of brains & brawn. I also really enjoyed the performances of the cast especially lead actor/director/writer Jason Trost as the quietly-heroic & reluctant leader as well as from Lucas Till (X-Men: First Class) who continues to shine in everything he is in and I anticipate seeing many more great performances from him in the future. VS is the only film this year in the festival where I really had to sit and think on it as opposed to having an initial gut reaction of YAY! or BOO!, I wasn't confused about what happened in the film but I was continuing to sort out my reaction to the film because although the genre is familiar, it’s doing something different. Huge kudos to the filmmaker for taking a bold and brave move in a genre that has exploded but often offered us the same dark and dismal look at the world. Who knew this indie gem out would re-light the fire of tried and true heroes. I didn’t, but I’m happy it did. I highly recommend kicking back old school checking out VS.

See more at the VS's Facebook Page and IMDb Page


VS World Premiere with director/writer/lead actor Jason Trost and Toronto After Dark Film Festival Founder and Director Adam Lopez

The 6th Annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival runs for 8 Nights of Horror, Sci-Fi, Action and Cult Movies at the Toronto Underground Cinema in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from October 20-27, 2011.

TADFF 2011: Day 7 Vlog

Oh man, you can tell the festival is wrapping up as I get a few deets wrong here (like what day it is...), but I do do my best as I chat features The Corridor and the world premiere of VS. plus shorts Animal Control & How to Rid Your Lover of a Negative Emotion Caused By You.

I also mention The Green Hornet and X-Men: First Class

The 6th Annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival runs for 8 Nights of Horror, Sci-Fi, Action and Cult Movies at the Toronto Underground Cinema in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from October 20-27, 2011.