It’s only fitting that October 31st sees this final blog post about Toronto After Dark Film Festival as Thursday saw the celluloid creature rewind back in to it’s movie canister grave for another year.
Small, mighty and messed up, these were my pick of the bloody bunch of stumpy shorts.
Taking small bites out of your cinema psyche each feature has had a red right hand man supporting the feature presentation as well as a separate programme showcasing the world.
Before these shorts another mini courtesy message from Fan Expo visiting icons instructed us to power down our pagers. Funnily only Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) & Richard Crouse (Film Critic Hero) were the only stars to follow the script & add a f-bomb.
After the 5th birthday bumper contest last year where a multitude of film makers were asked to submit small trail intros featuring 5′s, the most memorable – under age Alien love’s author, Chris Nash returned to provide year 6 with all of them as well as two longer pieces.
Tips for surviving TAD offered hilarious hints on how to succeed in sinister scenarios such as ‘Not to pick at it’ which segwayed well in to the pre-scabbed My Main Squeeze where perfect partners & pustules pop up.
Prick, that of a pin laced with poison from a killer in Toronto, who gets a taste of his own medicine when he finally makes a connection to cherish.
Play Dead was this man’s best friends. From the pov of dogs during a zombie breakout was a horror filled homeward bound that was the last undead film I would happily sit & roll over for.
With the weather taking a turn for the worse it was nice to see some sunshine & splatter in Brutal Relax
Normally knives are the weapon of choice or occasionally spoons but completing the dinner table trilogy with forks was Dirty Silverware. Cursed cutlery creature & love with the best narration ever.
Day Five
Redeeming Day Four doldrums, my faith in fear was replenished by a double diablo of suburban superbity in Absentia and rugged rural realism in A Lonely Place To Die.
Absentia was another example of crowd funding gone good. Perhaps slightly over hyped by an introduction of weighty awards, this was the “jump in your seat & freak out on your way home passing through familiar settings” kick I was personally looking for to get my heart racing. Tricia is finally at the stage in her life where she can move on after her husband’s sudden disappearance many years ago. With her sister at the side of her pregnant belly she signs the official papers declaring him dead only to have troubling visions of her less than happy hubby. Subtly slithering on the back of your neck, trade what you can to see this movie with a packed crowd and witness the mystery of his disappearance unfold.
While it may be A Lonely Place To Die, it’s also a gorgeous gorge & mountainous spectacle with my favourite Aussie Scream Queen Melissa George. It’s the vertical version of The Decent in opposite terms by ascending with the similarities ending there. An action packed climbing weekend takes an unexpected turn when a stop for a leak in the woods leads down a slippery slope. The trailer gives away more than you need to know. The only thing I will say is that the only tatties on the streets of Scotland are the ones served with neeps!
Day Six
The celebrity laden night provided a visit from Michael Biehn - the time traveling Sarah Conner sperminating hero from the future as well as buffed up TV hero from Heroes Milo Ventimiglia, plus director and co-stars. The Underground cinema must have felt like home as they were accustomed to the subterranean settings of Winnipeg for their feature, The Divide. The world goes boom but as those fleeing an apartment block make the smart survival sprint to the bunker basement, it’s human character traits pushed to the extreme in a vice like compacted climate that are more painful than the nuked nothingness beyond the bolted door. I love this exploration of people in the last stages of life that should be working together, but never seem to realise that there’s more beyond their own selfish circumference. A beefed up Milo Ventimiglia definatly has his good guy small screen persona shorn off along with his floppy locks. A dieting cast brought a level of authenticity along with a directors vision & flexibility to allow the actors to craft their roles. 2012 will be not doubt full of the world ending features so if you have to ration your movie going be sure to watch this for some tips on how not to be during the end of days.
Manborg was my most anticipated second feature (the 2nd second from a film company making the cut this year) by Astron 6. Feeling like I needed to fondle a joystick to get in on the action, I’d describe the movie as Tron powered off corroded batteries, dreamed about by Mel Gibson’s foetus while playing Mortal Kombat as fumes from a burning pot of PLAY DOH filter in through your nostrils. I’d like to see how different the Terminator would have been if Manborg was reprogrammed to do bad and sent back in time. Ultra Lo-Fi by today’s standards but that’s the beauty of it.
Day Seven
Penultimate promises on the lucky numbered humpday homestretch. The film I’d heard about the most thanks to one of the stars being on Twitter and killing it online in general, The Corridor had it’s Toronto premiere. I wasn’t sure how angry Canadians can get when cabin fever goes Canuck via Sci Fi & Wi-Fi. ”It’s a Bluetooth mother fucking world” sings one character as the boys go on a retreat to pay final respects to the passing of a mother that raised and took care of them growing up. This trip to the cottage takes re-bonding & connection to the extreme when a mysterious force tethers the group together with mental consequences. I haven’t had an encounter with such skillful setting and story since watching The Outer Limits or the better episodes of the non alieny X-Files as a kid.
I nearly didn’t stay but something kept me in my seat. Wanting to see the Canadian short perhaps, by the Canadian Film Centre was the deciding gum on the seat to keep my cheeks in place. How to Rid Your Lover of a Negative Emotion Caused By You was a bit of a mouthful to say and remember. It was also responsible for my mouth never wanting to have bubble tea or blueberries pass my lips for some time. Strangely this was the first horror genre festival it had played. Relationships with those niggling annoying elements or lack of care and effort are seemingly resolved with chloroform and stitches.
Vs had been trailed extensively during the festival. Another superhero movie with a grittier real feel I thought. So late in the festival too and needing sleep I was ready to slip out but I didn’t and was so glad I stayed for the World Premiere. Awaking in an unknown town four heroes with a homemade vigilante vibe have the roles reversed on them with an insane mastermind monitoring their every move whilst being forced to play games or face the consequence with the lives of each other and hostages. Saw or maybe even a minimal, more character focused Battle Royale were the natural comparisons. There are some particularly nice black and white flash back scenes that increase the emotional arcs.
Day Eight
Down to the wire with the finale of thuds in the dark just an echo away from being done. The Woman and The Innkeepers were a wildly contrasting couple to end, singing the swan song for Toronot After Dark.
The Sundance viewing reaction by one man came back to mind for The Woman. Whether the passionate clip is real or fake I was in a similar mind set of seeing violence towards women in the movie as disgusting. Though the absurd situation of a feral woman being domesticated by the head of a family is far away enough from reality & soaked in dark humour I couldn’t stand the scenes of domestic violence to plausible family members. Much like A Serbian Film I don’t want a cinema experience like this again.
The Innkeepers felt like an episode of Spaced set in a run down hotel which is the biggest compliment I could give due to the character wit and banter. Set in the final days of business before closing minimum wagers, Claire and Luke go about their job manning the front desk and building for the remaining few guests visiting, while by night are looking for something beyond to capture their imaginations on the long boring relay of the night watch. Ghost hunting to document for a website might give the venue a lease of life or a direction for the staff once doors slam for the final time. The chapter pacing works well with a real lingering dread each time the evening arrives for a solo stint of work. With an interesting December VOD release and a theatrical February the excellent film has peculiar tactics to summon an audience.
With the final director Q&A done, spooks and spectres dissipated in to the ether for another year as the living climbed the stairs back to the street above with their spirit levels perfectly balanced.
For your chance to win some souvenirs from this years festival including a signed Monster Brawl poster enter below (spine & big ole knife not included)
Thanks for the “Dirty Silverware” love.