Toronto After Dark Film Festival

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Festival Favourite American Mary Picked Up By Anchor Bay

Movies
Posted by ChelseyB on October 19, 2012 @ 9:50am
Category: Movies / Exclusives

Jen and Sylvia Soska, otherwise known as the Twisted Twins, first came to our attention back in 2009 with the outrageous onslaught of insanity that was Dead Hooker In A Trunk; their micro-budget debut that quickly became a cult hit the world over.

But Dead Hooker was done with no money when the movie world wasn’t ready to believe that two feisty females from Vancouver had what it takes to leave a mark on the horror genre. Oh how wrong they were. The Soska’s came back this year with American Mary, premiering at London’s Frightfest to an enthralled audience and receiving nothing but shimmering reviews across the board. Their Frightfest success was to be the first in a string of festival experiences which has seen fans, critics and academics alike heap praise upon the twisted twosome.

Earlier on in the year we told you how Universal Studios secured the international distribution rights to American Mary; no minor accomplishment for two indie film-makers on their sophomore effort. Well, it seems the whole world is finally sitting up to take notice of the Soskas as the newly christened Queens of horror announced last night at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival that Anchor Bay will be distributing the film throughout Canada.

You can’t help but wonder if this is but another small step towards world domination from the Soska sisters who have taken the horror community by storm. American Mary is one of the most boldly original genre films of the year and will no doubt go on to great success after the festival circuit. READ MORE

[TIFF '12 Review] Brad Thinks ‘Antiviral’ Hits More Than It Misses

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on September 07, 2012 @ 6:30pm
Category: Movies / News

Included in the Toronto line-up is Brandon (son of David) Cronenberg’s Antiviral, which made its North American Premiere at the fest. Brad (aka Mr. Disgusting) had a chance to check it out and he wound up liking it well enough!

“The expectations may have been unfairly high (being the son of a legend demands some sort of competence), yet he surpasses them by delivering a deep, engaging, and beautifully shot art house horror film.”

Caleb Landry Jones, Sarah Gadon, Malcolm McDowell, Douglas Smith, Matt Watts and James Cade all star. Click here to read the review in its entirety, then check back after the film comes out to write your own.

Indie

[Toronto After Dark '12] First 10 Films Include ‘Excision,’ ‘Grabbers’ and ‘REC’

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on August 31, 2012 @ 3:15pm
Category: Movies / Indie

Toronto After Dark Film Festival is thrilled to officially unveil its first wave of exciting film announcements for 2012! Included in the lineup are some of the most critically acclaimed and eagerly anticipated horror, sci-fi, action and cult films from this year’s international film festival circuit. These 10 new movies will all have their Toronto or Canadian Theatrical Premieres hosted exclusively at the festival’s 7th Annual Edition this October 18-26, 2012 at the city’s historic Bloor Cinema. Fans can preview all 10 individual trailers to the films at a newly created Youtube Playlist, which includes a fun one-minute sizzle trailer featuring highlights from all 10 films. READ MORE

Toronto After Dark Summer Screenings Report: ‘Detention,’ ‘Juan of the Dead’ And ‘The Pact’

Movies
Posted by Mike Pereira on July 20, 2012 @ 2:42pm
Category: Movies / Reviews

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival will make its return to its first love, the newly renovated Bloor Hot Docs Cinema for nine nights this October. The complete makeover includes better seating, a top notch digital projector and a much improved sound system. Also I really appreciated that the film intros were projected onto the screen so balcony dwellers don’t miss out on any of the action.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this homecoming than Toronto After Dark’s first Summer Screening Nights. It makes the wait for the actual Film Festival that much more bearable, as well as wisely keeping TAD in genre fans’ collective consciousness all summer long. Audiences got treated to two nights of four feature films. While they’re all dabbling within the horror genre, each film had its own unique flavour. To kick-off the festivities, Festival Director and Founder, Adam Lopez played one of his personal favourites, Director Peter Cornwell’s (The Haunting in Connecticut) 2003 Claymation short, Ward 13. This delightfully kooky, action-packed ride is not to be missed. If the strong audience turnout for these double bills (final showing was a sell-out) is any indication, this is a start to a more than welcome summer tradition.

Disclaimer: I will only be reviewing three of the four titles since one of them just happened to be V/H/S. While I had nothing to do with the making of the film, it would be in very poor taste to review it as a Contributing Writer on this site. Being a horror devotee like yourself, it sucks not to be able to share my thoughts with you. Oh well, it is what it is. READ MORE

Indie

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Event Report: Day 7 and 8

Movies
Posted by Mike Pereira on November 03, 2011 @ 4:44pm
Category: Movies / Indie

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Event Report: Day 7 and 8

Toronto After Dark – Day 7

Just four more features to go before the curtain falls on TAD 2011. It suits me well that today’s line-up seems more like a subdued offering. Calm before the storm.

ANIMAL CONTROL

A rather sweet 17-minute short about a lonely taxidermist who befriends a dog he thought was dead. Animal lovers will no doubt squirm but ultimately be moved by the film’s message.

3/5 Skulls

THE CORRIDOR

A group of five friends take a trip to the cottage, attempting to mend their wounded relationship. What they encounter is a mysterious supernatural element that threatens to destroy them for good. The Corridor, a sci-fi/horror, is reminiscent to something you’d find in a Stephen King story. It’s driven by the characters’ rich dynamic. Each one is distinct and contains their specific internal demons. The damaged relationships between these men are the strongest aspect in this film. The ensemble delivers fine performances.

While the supernatural element is original, I found it got too increasingly bizarre that it only helped to withdraw me from the elements I liked the most. The visual effects more often than not, appeared a tad too phony for my taste. The lagging pace is also, a big determent. In the end, I just wasn’t invested enough in The Corridor.

2/5 Skulls READ MORE

Indie

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Event Report: Day 6

Movies
Posted by Mike Pereira on October 26, 2011 @ 6:00pm
Category: Movies / Indie

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Event Report: Day 6

Tonight’s screening of The Divide is a sell-out. Audiences were treated to the appearances of such genre favorites, Michael Biehn (Terminator & Aliens) and Milo Ventimiglia (“Heroes”). So far, this was the most enthusiastic crowd response at this year’s Toronto After Dark.

BLIND SPOT

A single take 6-minute short about a guy so caught up with settling an issue with a travel agent, he doesn’t realize some serious shit is going down all around him. While the film lacks a punchy ending, the visual effects are pretty impressive.

3.5/5 Skulls

THE DIVIDE

As of late, audiences have been treated to a seemingly never-ending stream of post-apocalyptic titles such as, I Am Legend, The Road and The Book Of Eli, to name a few. The Divide is yet another entry. I came into this film with minimal expectations. The opening moments of mass destruction soon changed all that. Director, Xavier Gens (Frontier(s) & Hitman) brings us a vision that’s both equally beautiful and horrifying. READ MORE

Indie

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Final Entry Deadline

Movies
Posted by David Harley on July 20, 2011 @ 1:20pm
Category: Movies / Indie

A quick reminder to any filmmakers: this is your last chance to submit your horror, sci-fi, action or cult short or feature film to Toronto After Dark Film Festival. The critically acclaimed annual event, now in its 6th Year, brings attention to thrilling new short and feature films from around the world, and runs Oct 20-27 this year at an exciting new venue, the Toronto Underground Cinema. For film entries to be considered, they must be submitted online at withoutabox.com or at the festival website by the final deadline of Friday, July 22. Filmmakers then have until August 5 to then send in their DVD screeners for consideration. Full details available at the Toronto After Dark festival website.

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Final Entry Deadline