Toronto After Dark Film Series

[GregMO ROberts]

The Toronto After Dark Film Series launches in just over a weeks time and KillerReviews.com will be attending seven seperate screenings during it's 8-day run. Scheduled viewings include:

Franklyn
http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/feature-films/franklyn

Dead Snow
http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/feature-films/dead-snow

Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl
http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/feature-films/vampire-girl-vs-frankenstein-girl

The Children
http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/feature-films/the-children/

Must Love Death
http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/feature-films/must-love-death/

Trick R Treat
http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/feature-films/trick-r-treat/

Grace
http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/feature-films/grace-closing-night-gala/

As always, we will try and post reviews for each screening.

[The Butcher]

I hope Trick R Treat is as good as everyone says it is.

Good luck at the festival amigo. Score us as many conatcts as you can.

[GregMO ROberts]

I hope Trick R Treat is as good as everyone says it is.

Good luck at the festival amigo. Score us as many conatcts as you can.

Will do.

Oh, and to get into Dead Snow, they have asked that the audience dress like zombies. We had a Zombie Walk in Toronto last year that drew thousands. It will be interesting to see 'what' is in line with me at the concession counter.

[Wolfman's Got Nards]

Here's a link to the Atlanta Horrorfestival coming this October.

http://rightrevandy.blogspot.com/2009/07/atlanta-horrorfest-update.html

[GIGANTOR_]

Have fun there Mr.Roberts!
Did you get to check out any of this years FANTASIA showings?

[Moundshroud]

I've never attended a horror filmfest of any sort. Apparently there's one close to me coming up in October, so I may give it a try.

[GregMO ROberts]

Have fun there Mr.Roberts!
Did you get to check out any of this years FANTASIA showings?


NO, I didn't unfortunately. But there is a FANTASIA bookmarked under my porn file on the computer :)

The After Dark Series starts in two days. Happy happy joy joy!

[GregMO ROberts]

I've never attended a horror filmfest of any sort. Apparently there's one close to me coming up in October, so I may give it a try.

You should. Something about seeing a horror film with hundreds of strangers all sitting in the dark that adds an element to the experience.

Plus, you know with a festival, you are getting the hard core peeps of the genre. Every funny line or scary scene is exemplified by an audience that is truely engrossed in what they are witnessing.

[GregMO ROberts]

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival launched this weekend and I gladly represented Killerreviews.com at the first few screenings of the event.

First up on Friday night was Black Dynamite. Director Scott Sanders was in the audience and stayed for an after screening Q&A on a film that generated as many audience laughs as any other film I have seen this year.

A riff on the blacksploitation films of the 1970's, this film is the story of African-American badassssss by the name of Black Dynamite. Black Dynamite fights evil known as The Man. The Man has killed his brother and traffics heroin in the neighbourhood. All which gives Black Dynamite an opportunity to kick ass any way he can.

With cool character names such as Tasty Freeze, Cream Corn and Gunsmoke, Black Dynamite stars Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson and Arsenio Hall in what was the one of the better spoof films of a genre to come along in a decade.

Next up was Franklyn on Saturday evening, a sytlish entry that interweaved multiple storylines into a disappointing conclusion. Franklyn stars, Ryan Phillippe, Sam Reilly and Eva Green in a piece that was pleasing to watch (think Dark City), if not overly satisfying at the end. Director Gerald McMorrow didn't exactly hit a home run, but this was a solid double thanks to the incredible look, feel and atmosphere of the film and McMorrow should be put on your 'people to watch list'.

Sunday brought undead, Nazi zombies to the snowy mountains in this entertaining Norweigan horror. Those who dressed as zombies were granted entrance to the theatre for half price and there were a few zombies and a few women who without make-up that looked like zombies that sat to either side of us during the screening. The film got a bit tireless in the middle as it was just a smorgosboard of bloodletting, but the fun was taken in stride and hey, Nazi zombies is the coolest idea someone has had with the genre since they allowed zombies to run after you as if on steroids in 28 Days Later.

Monday and Tuesday has us previewing the ultra violent Vampire Girl and Frankenstein Girl and The Children, a film whose poster freaked out my girlfriend.

We will be back Wednesday with another report.

http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/feature-films/dead-snow

[GregMO ROberts]

Monday night the audience was electric awaiting Vampire Girl vs. Franenstein Girl. The movie was being discussed as everything from a comedy to an all out bloodfest while waiting outside awaiting the theatre to open and I think it falls somewhere inbetween.

Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl won Best Film at the Fant-Asia Film Festival and was clearly something that is easier to explore that to explain.

So far, the After Dark Festival has been spewing out fantastic films and unfortunately, Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl was the weakest of the bunch. It did have plenty of gore. Buckets and buckets of blood. But the comedic moments missed the mark (were the blackface Asian girls suppose to be funny?) and I could tell from the audiences recaction that they were just mildly entertained.

This would be a fun rental thanks to it being so different from anything else, but if Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl happens to come to your local theatre, you might want to save yourself the bucks for a 2 star film.

http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/feature-films/vampire-girl-vs-frankenstein-girl

Next UP: The Children

[The Butcher]

GregMo - put together an email with all the movies you're seeing so I can add them to the site database.

Hope you're having fun!!

[GregMO ROberts]

Next UP: The Children[/QUOTE]

Tuesday nights viewing was The Children, a British import that was the spooky, scary, funny film that the trailer indicated it would be. The Children takes place up at a snowy cottage retreat (note: with Dead Snow and now The Children taking place in cold temperatures, I am looking forward to Trick R Treat on Thursday just so I can see some scantily clad women again) and pits the children against the parents with deadly results.

The acting was incredibly keen from the young leads and the horror scenes played well with audiences in particular a pitchforks placement which drew gasps from the audience in anticipation of what fate was about to meet a central character.

Whereas Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl was the lesser of the entries so far in the festival, The Children is so far the best. Much like Orphan and The Good Son, it shows us children with deadly intentions acting above their years in conceiving ways to torture and harm adults.

http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/feature-films/the-children/

Next Up: Wednesday's Screening of Must Love Death.