Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011: Day 4 Vlog

Chatting all about Day 4 at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival including Some Guy Who Kills People, Love, Theatre Bizarre & Midnight Son.

I also mention my Twiilght Podcast Before the Dawn for fans of all vampires, even the sparkly kind. On tomorrow's episode Marina & I chat scary movie recommendations including a bunch of 2011 DVD releases just in time for Halloween!

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 2011: Day 3 Vlog

All about Toronto After Dark Film Festival Day 3 chatting shorts program, Redline, Deadheads & War of the Dead and the shorts that went with them!

I also mention the Movie Moxie Podcast and specifically the genre analysis I did starting with zombies and interviewing John Allison of the Dark Bridges Film Festival. I also specifically that the episodes where I chat about animated film, war films and comedies.

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 2011 Day 2: Friday October 21, 2011

Day 2 at the festival was the first double bill night (of different movies, after Opening Night's unprecedented added screening of the sold out Monster Brawl) and it was cool to see the back-to-backness of how things will work out, and in the pass line that's a bit of a zigzagging cue that reminds me of many a day lining up for roller coaster rides at Cedar Point when you get to pass by the same people over and over filing in. Fun times! At least we are inside, which is a thankful thing for October. The night started out with the zombie apocalypse western Exit Humanity and then World Premiere of Father's Day which was brutal, brilliant and so awesome I broke my own rules and actually swore on my daily festival vlog. I was also very impressed with both of the shorts of the night: Prick & My Main Squeeze were both delightfully dark treats.

Rather watch than read? Check out my Day 2 Vlog! See also videos from festival Intros and Q&A's over at the Movie Moxie Facebook FanPage.

Prick
Dir: Colin Berry
Canada, 8 Minutes

I really enjoyed this darkly toned short that with brilliant and strong storytelling that proves that works aren't needed for the audience to enjoy a tale into the strange and bizarre. The atmosphere is mysterious and delicious and allows the viewers to work their way thorugh interpreting who, or what, we are seeing. Fabulous.




Exit Humanity
Writer/Dir: John Geddes
Cast: Mark Gibson, Dee Wallace, Bill Moseley, Stephen McHattie, Brian Cox (voice), Ari Millen
Canada

A historical chronically of zombie apocalypse set during the US civil war, Exit Humanity goes into the darkness of loss of love, desolation and despair. This wasn't one that really worked for me, but I though Mark Gibson did a great job with a strong emotional range in the tortured role of our protagonist Edward Young. As a zombie film, we certainly get a lot of zombies action and some new spins of the genre, but with very little contrast to the pre-zombie world I wondered where they all came from plus it's from the future perspective looking back to this tale for insight into a current time that isn't shown. Oddly, it make it confusing at some moments and very clear with others. But, it was great to see the always awesome Stephen McHattie and I also enjoyed the performance by creepy rebel Ari Millen who was also in last night's Monster Brawl as the fantastic Dr. Igora.

See Exit Humanity's Official website, Trailer & IMDb Page


Cast & crew of Exit Humanity

My Main Squeeze
Dir: Chris Nash
Canada, 7 minutes

Wow. Wow. What do you say about My Main Squeeze? How about that it feels like it should be totally annoying when in fact it's totally awesome? Yep. I think that's it - it's totally awesome, even though I kept thinking "You can't do that! You can't get away with that!" but you can. A fantastic example of how when you know what you are doing, breaking all the rules works brilliantly. All that in a gory, gooey, romantic story to boot. Loved it.


So, that pic turned out a little fuzzier than I expected...., although perhaps that is fitting giving the low-fi awesomeness of Father's Day

Father’s Day (2011) ** World Premiere **
Dirs: Astron-6 (Adam Brooks, Jeremy Gillespie, Matthew Kennedy & Conor Sweeney)
Cast: Adam Brooks, Mackenzie Murdock
USA/Canada

Going into Father's Day I wasn't actually expecting to enjoy it as it's been a while since I've enjoyed an over the top exploitation films, but I adored Astron-6's Laser Ghosts 2: Return to Laser Cove so I was more than willing to give it a chance, and oh Nelly I'm glad I did! Father's Day was fan-freaking-tastic. The perfect blend of style and substance that delivers over and over and over again. The gore is out of control, there were doing thing that I didn't even always understand what I was seeing but even the hint of figuring it out was horrifying. The story follows a re-occuring serial killer/mystery of father's who are raped and murdered - so that gives you a sense of how brutal it is going in, and it doesn't let up. But one of the things I loved about it was it goes past sensibility in all directions, no one is safe, not topic is unbroached, no taboo untouched, it's mayhem from start to finish. And, a refreshing thing in the world of the extreme - it has... a ridiculously strong story, great performances with emotional ranges and characters with depth - even if it is often played for humour and it's stock character referential it always works because these guys really know their stuff. I actually cared about the characters - seriously! Darkly enjoyable and hilarious to boot, I was over the moon impressed on all levels and would oddly, bizarrely, happily see it again. What a way to end Day 2 of the festival, with the formidable Father's Day with Astron-6 delivering us another bloody bombastic genre gem. Fantastic.

See Father's Day Official Film Site, Trailer, IMDb Page


Father's Day intro with Astron 6's Matthew Kennedy and Conor Sweeney with Rue Morgue Editor Dave Alexander


Fathers Day Q&A with Astron-6's Steven Kostanski, actor Amy Groening, Conor Sweeney, Jeremy Gillespie, Adam Brooks and Matt Kennedy


Fathers Day Q&A with Astron-6's Steven Kostanski, actor Amy, Conor Sweeney, Jeremy Gillespie, Adam Brooks and Matt Kennedy


Fathers Day Q&A with Astron-6's Steven Kostanski, actor Amy, Conor Sweeney, Jeremy Gillespie, Adam Brooks and Matt Kennedy

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 2011: Vlogs & Videos

Here's a link list home base for all the vids posted over all the Movie Moxie Facebook Page from Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011:

Vlogs
Day 1 - Opening Night with Legend of Beaver Dam & Monster Brawl
Day 2 - Prick, Exit Humanity, My Main Squeeze & Father's Day
Day 3 - International Shorts Programme, Redline, Deadheads & War of the Dead and the shorts that went with them: Paso Doble, Lost for Words, Play Dead & You Are So Undead.
Day 4 - Some Guy Who Kills People, Love, Theatre Bizarre & Midnight Son.

Day 1 Videos
Monster Brawl Preshow Shenanigans with Jimmy 'Mouth of the South' Hart, Robert Maillet, RJ Skinner and Jesse T Cook

Day 2 Videos

• Adam Lopez introduces Prick director Colin Berry
• Intro to My Main Squeeze with director Chris Nash
• Adam Lopez introduces Exit Humanity director John Geddes

Father's Day World Premiere with Astron-6:

• Fathers Day Introduction with Astron-6's Matthew Kennedy and Conor Sweeney
• Fathers Day Q&A with Astron-6 on what exploitation film ruined them - Matt Kennedy, Jeremy Gillespie, Conor Sweeney, Steve Kostanski and Amy

MORE to come!!

Check back for lots more will be uploaded in the wee hours throughout the festival! I have to get *some* sleep during the 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 2011: Day 2 Vlog

Chatting all about Day 2 of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival and chatting up shorts Prick & My Main Squeeze and features of Exit Humanity & the world premiere of Father's Day - and the vlog is technically NSFW as I do swear. Once.

I mention a previous Astron-6 short film: Laser Ghosts 2: Return to Laser Cove

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 1 - Thursday October 20, 2011

Tonight was the opening night of the 6th Annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival which brings up "8 Nights of Horror, Sci-Fi, Action and Cult Movies" and makes one of my favourite times of the film festival calender here in Toronto as it brings us zombies, vampires, horror and action galore and has the most awesome crowds. This year the festival moved back from its foray in the summer back to the spooky month of October and moved a little further south to the Toronto Underground Cinema. Tonight was my first night at the Underground and it's going to be a welcome treat to wait *inside* between screenings, even though it did get pretty packed in there tonight before they let us in for Monster Brawl. Opening Nights are always a lot of fun getting to catch up with all the local and visiting film folk and there was an impressive number of guests of the cast & crew of Monster Brawl including director Jesse T Cook, cast members Robert Maillet, Rj Skinner, Holly Letkeman and Jimmy (The Mouth From The South!) Hart. They were one entertaining group at the Q&A and had a special pre-show treat as well. A great way to start the festival.

Rather watch than read? Check out my Day 1 Vlog!



The night of film started out with the hilarious and bloody short The Legend of Beaver Dam, which the crowd totally ate up. See my review of it here from when I saw it at the Worldwide Short Film Festival 2011. After that, it was on to... Monster Brawl!




Toronto After Dark Film Festival Director & Founder Adam Lopez introduces Monster Brawl director Jesse T Cook

Monster Brawl
Writer/Dir: Jesse T. Cook
Cast: Dave Foley, Art Hindle, Robert Maillet, Rj Skinner, Holly Letkeman, Kevin Nash, Lance Henriksen (voice)
Canada

Monster Brawl brings us an ultimate monster showdown, giving us a Pay-Per-View-style monster fighting championship full on with sports commentators (Davey Foley and Art Hindle who were often hilarious), event personality played by Jimmy The Mouth of the South Hart himself, as himself with pretty ladies at his side and monsters galore from classic fan favourites of Werewolf and Frankenstein to the new permutations of Swamp Gut and Witch Bitch. I adored that each character got their own introduction, and those in it of themselves felt like short films provide some awesome character origin stories and hilarious monster action (Frankenstein & Swamp Gut were my faves) with great pre-show ramblings that really parallel the wrestling model well with over the top bravado, mouthy managers and setting up the character story line to pitch the fight. I truly loved the character intros, they were so much fun and some I would be happy to watch over and over. I loved the enthusiasm of the film and how it really went for and used the model of the ultimate showdown, but the structure of it did feel familiar after a couple of fights which which actually make it read very well on TV because you can feel where the breaks would be. It's hard to give it a hard time on feeling like you know where it's going, because using the model of wrestling has that element to it - there could be an upset here and there but really you know where that is going to so you have to just give in and let it take you away and pretend you don't see that foreign object/foul play/manager interference happening... even if you might know it. There were lots of gem moments, often with the commentators played by Davey Foley and Art Hindle or event "voice" Lance Henriksen that could really have me laughing. It was cool to see the audience cheer along for their favourite monsters (and some suprizes there too... am I the only Werewolf fan?) which made seeing it with the crowd all the more fun.

Many guests were at the Monster Brawl screening including director Jesse T Cook, cast members Robert Maillet (Frankenstein), Jimmy Hart (The Mouth From The South!) Rj Skinner (Werewolf), Holly Letkeman (Witch Bitch) for a post show Q&A and also some pre-show shenanigans (see clip here) which was a lively way to start off the evening, and the festival! I can't wait for Day 2! Although, I'll be bringing another layer as the theatre was a bit chilly...not Isabel Bader chilly or sparsely-filled Ryerson chilly, but definitely another-layer chilly.

See also: Monster Brawl DVD Review

See you at Toronto After Dark!


Cast & Crew of Monster Brawl during the Q&A


Cast & Crew of Monster Brawl during the Q&A

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.

Film Fan Fridays for Friday October 21, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday October 21, 2011! This week is a bit of a Dragnet version of the newsletter as I'm currently attending the Toronto After Dark Film Festival and who knew there would also be 11 regular release and a total of 4 festivals in town. Nutty, I tell you, it's nutty!

Most of our releases this week are limited release and we have a impressive number of Canadian films including follow up to On the Road we have the new Down the Road Again, Peepers centred on rooftop voyeurs who meet their match, Die / Six following six people in a near future world, documentary Wiebo's War and faux making-of documentary The Untitled Work of Paul Shepard starring Kris Holden-Ried ('Lost Girl'). Wow. 5 Canadian releases in 1 week, I think that's a record. Filling out the limited releases are City of Life and Death which is a dramatizating of the 1937 Japan laid siege of Nanking, French comedy The Women on the 6th Floor and Dirty Girl which has a 'bad' girl, remedial classes and I'm thinking there are likely gonna be misfits and unlikely friendships - two things I always enjoy!

In Wide release we have 3 films to choose from including the Book to Film Club Selection The Three Musketeers, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how it will be interpreted as teh book is crazy-long and the film stars Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief), Matthew Macfadyen, Mads Mikkelsen (After the Wedding / Efter brylluppet, Valhalla Rising), Ray Stevenson (King Arthur, Kill the Irishman), Milla Jovovich (Fifth Element, Resident Evil), Christoph Watlz (Water for Elephants), Luke Evans and Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean), directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and overall it sounds like crazy good fun. We also have the latest in the Paranormal Activity series with Paranormal Activity 3, the series started with indie hit in 2009 and then we had the still-scary sequel Paranormal Activity 2 in 2010. Will they be able to keep scaring us a third time around? I have a feeling they might. Rounding out the wide releases is Rowan Atkinson comedy Johnny English Reborn.

Special Note - 3 films out in release this week have Q&A's at certain screenings

• Wiebo's War has a Q&A on the Friday October 21, 2011
• The Untitled Work of Paul Shepard will have Q&A's at the 9:20 screenings on both Friday October 21 & Saturday October 22, 2011 with the cast & crew - I'd love to be there for that!
• Down the Road Again has a meet stars & director before the Sunday October 23, 2011 4:30 show

Be sure to check out my daily coverage here at Movie Moxie of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival all week here at the site and also at my Facebook Fan Page.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Ekran Film Festival
Toronto Polish Film Festival
October 21 - 23, 2011 at The Revue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
Celebrating works of Indigenous peoples from around the world
October 19 - 23, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Israel Film Festival
October 22 - 27, 2011 at the Sheppard Grande in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto After Dark Film Festival
After 2 bouts of summer fun the Horror, Sci-Fi, Action & Cult Film Festival returns to the month of Halloween and crispy goodness
October 20 - 26, 2011 at the Toronto Underground in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday October 21, 2011 Releases

City of Life and Death / Nanjing! Nanjing!
Dir: Chuan Lu (Mountain Patrol, The Missing Patrol)
Cast: Ye Liu, Wei Fan, Hideo Nakaizumi
Hong Kong/China
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Die / Six
Dir: Dominic James - feature film directorial debut
Cast: John Pyper-Ferguson, Emily Hampshire, Caterina Murino, Elias Koteas
Canada/Italy
Limited Release
No Official Film Site or Trailer Found, IMDb Page

Dirty Girl
Writer/Dir: Abe Sylvia - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich, William H. Macy, Mary Steenburgen, Dwight Yoakam, Jeremy Dozier
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Down the Road Again
Dir: Donald Shebib
Cast: Doug McGrath, Kathleen Robertson, Anthony Lemke, Jayne Eastwood, Cayle Chernin, Tedde Moore
Canada
Limited Release
No Official Film Site Found, IMDb Page, Trailer

Johnny English Reborn
Dir: Oliver Parker
Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Gillian Anderson, Dominic West, Rosamund Pike, Daniel Kaluuya
USA/UK/France
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Paranormal Activity 3
Dir: Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman (Catfish)
Cast: Katie Featherston, Chloe Csengery, Sprague Grayden, Jessica Tyler Brown
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Peepers
Dir: Seth W. Owen (The Recommendations)
Cast: Joe Cobden, Paul Spence, Howard Bilerman, Ricky Mabe, Jessica Paré, Janine Theriault
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Three Musketeers, The (2011)
Dir: Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Death Race (2008), AVP: Alien vs Predator)
Cast: Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Matthew Macfadyen, Mads Mikkelsen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Christoph Watlz, Orlando Bloom
USA/UK/France/Germany
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Wiebo's War
Writer/Dir: David York - feature film directorial debut
Documentary
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Women on the 6th Floor / Les femmes du 6ème étage
Dir: Philippe Le Guay (Du jour au lendemain, The Cost of Living)
Cast: Fabrice Luchini, Sandrine Kiberlain, Natalia Verbeke, Carmen Maura
France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Untitled Work of Paul Shepard
Writer/Dir: Jeremy Lalonde
Cast: Kris Holden-Ried, Mary Krohnert, Christine Horne, Alex Poch-Goldin, Zoie Palmer, Tricia Braun, Pat Mastroianni
Canada
Limited Release
Film Facebook Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

UPDATE: Wednesday October 26, 2011 Releases

RA One
Dir: Anubhav Sinha
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal
India/USA
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of October 21, 2011**