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[TIFF Spotlight] Midnight Madness Heads ‘Southbound’
Full disclosure: I produced this new anthology that’s set to World Premiere in TIFF’s Midnight Madness program.
Heading Southbound with this new anthology are directors Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath and Radio Silence.
“Five intertwining tales of terror unfold along an endless desert highway. On a desolate stretch of road, weary travellers — two men on the run from their past, a band on their way to the next gig, a man struggling to get home, a brother in search of his long-lost sister and a family on vacation — are forced to confront their worst fears and darkest secrets in these interwoven tales of terror and remorse on the open road.”
Radio Silence reunites after delivering fun scares with “10-31-98” in V/H/S and doing Devil’s Due for Fox. Bruckner, who is hard at work on the new Friday the 13th, directed by The Signal, as well as the “Amateur Night” segment from V/H/S. Benjamin produced V/H/S and V/H/S/2 with Tom and myself, and is making her directorial debut with Southbound. Horvath landed on our radar with his and Dallas Dallas Richard Hallam’s haunting indie Entrance.
Above is a shot from Bruckner’s piece, with a sneak at Benjamin’s work below. Watch for more goodies leading up to the World Premiere.
The 40th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10 to 20, 2015.
We have an exclusive first look at A Man in the Woods With an Axe, a blood-soaked, genre-twisting homage to 1980s slasher films.
Spanning four decades, A Man in the Woods With an Axe begins in the summer of 1987 before pushing into the modern era, weaving together timelines and perspectives in a way that builds both dread and intrigue.
Drawing inspiration from genre standouts like Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Hatchet, and The Cabin in the Woods, the film blends visceral horror with moments of dark humor, creating a uniquely balanced experience that honors tradition while carving its own identity.
Writer-director Dillon Brown (Primal Darkness) aims to deliver everything fans crave from a slasher while boldly subverting expectations with a mid-film twist that redefines the story.
“This is an unapologetic love letter to the films that made me fall in love with horror,” Brown tells Bloody Disgusting. “But I didn’t just want to recreate that feeling; I wanted to challenge it. About halfway through, the film takes a turn that completely changes how you view not only this story, but the genre itself.”
Brown describes the vintage-inspired production as “far and away the bloodiest film I’ve ever made,” with practical effects helmed by Cody Ruch (The Mill, Pig Hill), an instructor at Tom Savini’s Special Make-Up Effects Program.
From Horror Dadz Productions, A Man in the Woods With an Axe is currently in production and targeting an early 2027 release.
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