Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Centurion (2010)

Short Description

Romans battle Celtic forces in this brutal new action film from director Neil Marshall (THE DESCENT, DOG SOLDIERS)

The Buzz

“Imagine a flick like Braveheart, 300, Gladiator… stripped of all those boring scenes… The result would be a movie that looks a lot like Neil Marshall’s Centurion, a fast-paced, visually stunning, and action-heavy period piece…. And it succeeds on all counts.” - Cinematical

“Loaded to the gills with bone-crunching, limb chopping carnage….a fun action flick” - Joblo.com

“A great time at the theatre…filled with great physical action and fun characters” - CHUD.com

Official Selection - SXSW FIlm Festival

Synopsis

AD 117. Rome, in its effort to expand its empire across the known globe, orders its legendary Ninth Legion into Northern Britain to quell the Picts, a savage Celtic tribe that has brought their plans of total dominion to a standstill. Underestimating the Picts’ strategic intelligence, the legion is quickly decimated, leaving only a handful of survivors and their general (Dominic West of 300 and THE WIRE) taken captive. Led by Centurion Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender from INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS), the surviving Romans rally themselves together in a desperate plan to steal back their general and return to the Roman frontier alive, all while battling both the harsh environments and the merciless pursuit of a vengeful Pict warrior (Olga Kyrylenko from QUANTUM OF SOLACE). Writer/Director Neil Marshall (THE DESCENT, DOG SOLDIERS) orchestrates the proceedings effortlessly, punctuating the frame with sweeping vistas, and his trademark brutal and bloody carnage. Read more …

Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Phobia 2 (2010)

Short Description

Five scary tales from Thailand, from the same talented team behind previous TADFF hits ALONE and PHOBIA!

The Buzz

“Incredibly creepy…the ride is definitely worthwhile…smart, funny, scary and captivating” - Bloody Disgusting

“Flat out fantastic…Very well done, very cool and very effective…If you get a chance to catch the flick at a festival I very much recommend it” - Ain’t It Cool News

“Entertains and thrills throughout, and provides yet more proof that the Thai horror genre is currently producing some of the strongest material from anywhere in the world.” - Beyond Hollywood

Official Selection - Fantasia Film Festival, Montreal

Synopsis

From the same group of filmmakers that scared fans out of their seats with Toronto After Dark audience hits ALONE (2007) and PHOBIA (2008) comes this highly anticipated sequel. PHOBIA 2 brings back three of the directors from PHOBIA, and adds two new ones, presenting five new terrifying and gruesome tales from Thailand. A delinquent youth seeks refuge in a rural monastery, only to anger the local Gods. A young man admitted to hospital finds himself in the room of a near-dead cult leader who has other plans for his soul. A teenage couple attempting to hitchhike to the city finds themselves on the run from drug-running zombies. A shady used car saleswoman finds herself alone at night and under attack. And three young filmmakers attempt to keep their cool when one of the cast members comes back from the dead to finish the movie. A sure classic from the current golden age of Thai horror. Read more …

10 Best Horror Films! An Excellent Suggestion

We’ve read a great Top Ten of Horror Films from PictureNose guys and we want share it with you.

The horror, the horror…

Missed me? Been away for a little while, thought it was only fair to allow Picturenose’s other fair contributors (well, Colin) to have a sojourn in the spotlight. Anyway, Colin’s recent excellent post, 10 Great Final Bows, put me in mind of a list of my own that I have been meaning to do for some time. Regular visitors to this site will be aware that horror is my favourite kind of film and, I hope, will also know that I have, after many, many years of subjecting myself to numerous examples of what passes for the genre, developed a certain sophistication in my appreciation of things that slither by moonlight. So, in reverse order, and to set the record straight once and for all (or, of course, until another example comes along that will neccesitate a rejig), here are the ten films that for me define what horror should be all about – your disagreements, hurrahs and personal favourites that are not on the list are of course more than welcome.

NOTE: I am convinced that the ‘top five’ are in absolutely the right order – the remainder is somewhat more of a movable feast.

10. Tales from the Crypt (1972), Dir. Freddie Francis

As previously explained, this was the film that began, at around the tender age of 11, my love of the genre. Dispensing with the original stories that had comprised the previous Amicus compendium horrors, and opting instead for adaptations of tales straight from the EC horror comics, director Freddie Francis, helped by an ensemble cast including Joan Collins, Sir Ralph Richardson, Peter Cushing and Ian Hendry, created a truly creepy collection that still chills to this day, namely All Through The House (don’t let Santa in after you’ve just murdered your husband!), Reflection of Death (don’t leave your wife and kids!), Poetic Justice (don’t be mean to your neighbour!), Wish You Were Here (don’t make three wishes!) and Blind Alleys (don’t mess with the sightless!). My personal favourite? Reflection of Death – beautifully staged, with a twist that still shocks. Read more …

Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Cargo (2010)

Short Description

In this stunning sci-fi thriller in the mould of ALIEN, a deep space mission crew faces a terrifying new discovery.

The Buzz

“Switzerland has not only produced its first large scale science fiction film….it ranks among sci-fi cinema’s best.” - Quiet Earth

“A Swiss-made throwback to heady space fare like 2001, Solaris and Alien” - Eye Weekly, Advance Review

“Impressive…far more ambitious than most science fiction films” - Sci-Fi Squad

“A surprisingly epic and intriguing science fiction film” - Lucid Nightmare

Official Selection - SXSW Film Festival

Synopsis

In this taut sci-fi thriller from Switzerland, it is the 23rd century and the Earth is uninhabitable. Humans crowd onto space stations and try to scrape together enough money to travel to Rhea, an idyllic planet slowly being colonized. Laura, a young medic, has signed onto a cargo freighter for four years to earn her passage and be reunited with her family. During her 8-month shift alone on watch, Laura discovers she and the small crew are not alone, and what is hiding in the shadows is killing them off one by one. With incredible art direction and nods to films such as ALIEN, SUNSHINE and THE MATRIX, director Ivan Engler creates fear and claustrophobia in the terrifying and enormous silence of space.
- Shelagh Rowan-Legg Read more …

Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Doghouse (2010)

Short Description

It’s boys vs undead girls in this outrageous new British zombie comedy from Jake West (EVIL ALIENS)

The Buzz

“Funny and entertaining… combined with blood and gore… make for a good combination” - Twitch Film

“SHAUN OF THE DEAD mutated into THE HANGOVER… heartily achieves its goal of tickling your funny bone while the so-called Zombirds gnaw away” - Shock Till You Drop

Official Selection - Fantastic Fest, Austin

Synopsis

What’s a middle-aged man to do when his wife has left him and he’s down in the dumps? Go to a small English village with your best mates and try to drown your sorrows in endless pints of beer in a town where women outnumber men 3 to 1. But when Vince and his pals arrive in Moodley, they find that the women are indeed insatiable, but not for sex! Being used in a strange government experiment has turned the women of Moodley into man-flesh-eating zombies! As the friends find themselves under attack from the infected, cannibalistic women, the disparate group must band together to get the hell out of dodge. Directed by Jake West (EVIL ALIENS, RAZOR BLADE SMILE) and starring Danny Dyer (SEVERANCE) and Noel Clarke (DOCTOR WHO), Doghouse is in the grand tradition of British horror-comedies, where the men face down death with British wit, fortitude, cursing… and cricket bats. Read more …

Toronto After Dark Film Festival: All About Evil (2010)

Short Description

Cult horror comedy about a serial killer (Natasha Lyonne) who owns an old movie theatre, co-stars Thomas Dekker, Noah Segan and Cassandra Peterson (ELVIRA)

The Buzz

“All About Evil is the perfect movie for this fest. Its hero is a horror fan, it’s set in a theatre much like the Bloor and it centres on a young woman whose act of murder leads to artistic liberation and celebrity status. Laughs and gore abound. Natasha Lyonne is big fun as homicidal Deborah and gets stellar support.” - NOW Magazine, Advance Review

“Not only is All About Evil a fun and ultimately rewarding film, but it is also a definite must to enjoy in the company of others” - Killer Reviews

“Over the top, outlandish…hilarious and charming…All About Evil demands to be seen with a large audience of horror fiends, camp aficionados and other like-minded maniacs.” - Geekscape

“From the opening credits (which we loved!)….very much a throwback to some of the campy horror films that paved the way to today’s standards - Killer Reviews

Official Selection - Los Angeles Film Festival Read more …

Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Alien vs Ninja

Short Description

When a group of ninjas encounter an alien invasion force, incredible fight scenes ensue in this total crowd-pleaser from Japan!

The Buzz

“a rollicking, bloody good time (with) a consistent string of physical gags, impressive stunts and exaggerated gore that keep upping the ante” - Fangoria

“There’s barely anything but violent ninjas and even more violent aliens in this film. And that’s fantastic….This film is a big bucket of fun, people. Don’t miss it” - Twitch Film

“The title of this Japanese film pretty much says all you need to know, but the movie’s keen awareness of its own cheesiness adds to the rubber-suited fun” - Toronto Star, Advance Review

“Delightfully insane….generates a fluid one-two punch of action and satire…proffering creative new ways to behead, flay, disembowel and dissect…and Chiba hasn’t run out of surprises by the end” - Eye Weekly, Advance Review

Official Selection - Fantasia Film Festival, Montreal

Synopsis

In a land besieged by an intense feud between fashionable ninja clans, a meteor crashes into a forest, and unleashes a brood of xenomorphic aliens that begin to ravage the countryside. After a cursory introduction to our ninja heroes, this film wastes no time fulfilling its titular promise. The moment the entrails start to hit the fan, writer/director Seiji Chiba (DEATH TRANCE) removes the brakes, ties a brick to the accelerator and lets some delirious man-in-suit aliens start throwing down on some bad-ass ninja warriors! There are swordfights, fist-fights, tail-fights (!), gun-fights (!!), horny-alien-fights (!!!). There are fights that send combatants into the utter stratosphere. And never mind the kitchen-sink, this film even throws freakin’ ZOMBIES into the mix! All impeccably choreographed by Yuji Shimomura (the legendary action director behind VERSUS and Toronto After Dark 2006 hit SHINOBI), AVN strikes a sublime balance between balletic swordplay and side-splitting slapstick. And I when I write “side-splitting”, I really mean it literally! Read more …