Hot Docs 2013 is ON!

I’ve neglected Cinefemale. I know.

It’s a weird place that I’m currently in. On the one hand, I’m one exam away from finishing my undergraduate degree. On the other, I’m still busy as fuck and conveniently enough my last exam is on THE LAST DAY in THE LAST TIMESLOT (7pm!!! Is that legal?) BUT I am not discouraged. I’ve been working 6 days a week, juggling 4 jobs and just moved into a new apartment – and I’m happier than ever.

Hot Docs is a few days in and it’s already the best year yet! This year marks not only the 20th anniversary of the festival, but also the 100th anniversary of the Bloor Cinema. Shit’s been poppin’ ya’ll. I feel incredibly lucky to have been working with HD since January as the programming intern, and I’m currently residing in the main box office selling tickets. If I get a day off of ALL OF MY JOBS (it’s so rare) you can find me watching screeners at home and running to 5 or 6 films in a day. Life rules. I’m totally deprived of sleep and partying every night and it’s fabulous.

Hey, so, I presume you’re reading this and you’re like, “uhh where are the genre film reviews?” Don’t worry. I’m on it. I’m cataloging and viewing films from HD13 that I think genre fans will absolutely adore.

Here’s my picks so far PLUS the dates/times/places of their remaining screenings. Keep in mind, these are pseudo-genre docs in the sense that they will touch genre themes such as horror, sci-fi, and even porn.

Fuck For Forest: Watch a bunch a weird hippies make amateur porn to save the rainforest – at least, that’s the guise this film initially takes. The subtext proves to be a lot more complex as the viewer becomes more and more critical of the performative qualities and actual documentary elements of the film.

• Apr. 30, 11:45pm @ Bloor
• May 5, 8:30pm @TBLB

I Will be Murdered: Rodrigo Rosenberg predicts his own murder in a searing online video confession that criticizes the Guatemalan government. The film reveals the layers underneath the murder case, which became a national sensation, and revealed that the YouTube video was only the beginning…

• May 1, 3:30pm @ TBLB
• May 4, 8pm @ TBLB
• May 5, 9pm TBLB

The Ghosts in Our Machine: An intimate look into the lives of our furry friends at the hands of humans – in the food and fur industries, and also a rescue sanctuary. Compelling portraits of animals highlight their unique personalities and quirks, asking the viewer to questions their own animal relationships.

• May 1, 11am @ Bader
• May 4, 11am @ Bloor

Mercy Mercy: Devastating and horrifying, this is a true tale of adoption unlike any you’ve seen before. An Ethiopian couple decide (heartbreakingly) to give up their two youngest children for adoption because they are dying from HIV. The children are adopted by a couple from Denmark and everything that happens thereafter only gets worse. A must-see, but bring tissues.

• May 3, 9:30pm @ Scotia

NCR: Not Criminally Responsible: Twelve years after a man attacked a woman viciously in a mall, he is declared mentally unstable and is released. Now on medication,he applies for a conditional discharge, and the victim is still terrified he will seek her out again. Public safety and the rights of the mentally ill who commit violent acts are the issues that seek resolve in this doc.

• Apr. 30, 3:30pm @ Scotia
• May 5, 1pm @ TBLB

Shooting Bigfoot: I promise this one is FUN. The filmmaker follows three teams for Sasquatch hunters in their search for the mythical monster. I don’t want to give much away, but holy shit the ending of this movie WILL SHOCK YOU.

• Apr. 30, 8:30pm @ TBLB
• May 1, 11:59pm @ Bloor
• May 3, 9:30pm @ Royal

SickFuckPeople: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many young Ukrainians turned to drugs to escape their harsh realities. The film follows two people in particular – a young boy returning home, and a pregnant girl who is strung-out – and their navigation through love and loss.

• Apr. 29, 3:30pm @ ROM

Tales from the Organ Trade: The world of organ trafficking spans the globe from Toronto to the Phillipines, Israel and Turkey. With the ever-expanding list of people who need kidneys, people in poverty across the globe make a personal sacrifice to help their social conditions.

• May 2, 4pm @ Scotia

The Unbelievers: Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss talkin’ about science and reason. Hell yeah.

• Apr. 29, 7pm @ Bader
• Apr. 30, 3pm @ TBLB
• May 3, 9pm @ROM

Evil Dead (2013)

Monday night was a resounding success! Before I get into ‘review mode’ I just want to thank everyone again for their patience for getting into the venue. Amazingly, we managed to get every single person (both ticket holders + rush line) INSIDE. As well, it was a great disappointment to have found out just a few minutes before the screening that Fede Alvarez was not able to make it. I am glad however, that a q&a still ensued with the prosthetics director Patrick Baxter, who also managed to get Fede on the phone! Ultimately, it was somewhat of a makeshift q&a, but a highly enjoyable one. The fans that came out are truly the best people – and I’m so happy that many of them (or YOU dear reader) expressed interest in our INDIE HORROR NIGHT this Thursday as well! Stay tuned for a more info on Thursday’s screening… there’s a sweet surprise in store for attendees.

Okay, so on with the review. I feel like it’s important to note that I had few expectations going into the film. Last night was also my first time seeing it, and I tried my best to avoid lengthy trailers. Knowing that it was a remake of Sam Raimi’s classic – The Evil Dead – certainly made me weary. It’s difficult to do a remake that both gives credit to it’s predecessor and attempts to do something new with the material without straying too far off course. I am delighted, actually, and surprised that Evil Dead managed to do so. Though it is not without flaws, the film is a beast all its own and should be read as not really as a remake, but a gore-infused, thematic rehashing of the original.

You know the story, do I have to reiterate? Five friends are holed up in a cabin and a demon possesses every god damn one of ’em. Given the familiarity of a very common plot structure, Alvarez managed surprisingly well in creating tension. Long shots were quickly intercut with short close-ups of the ensuing action and as the speed in editing escalated, so did tensions in the audience. Indeed, the editing is in-line with the original, but where there are similarities there are also stark differences. Audiences looking for the humor and camp of the 1981 original will be mildly disappointed. The film does have funny moments but when they appear they seem unintentional. Unfortunately for the time it appears in, Evil Dead is a tad too cliché in representation; viewers who are well-versed in contemporary horror have surely seen it all.

In terms of characters, the five we encounter are stockpile horror tropes fans have come to expect: the ‘dark’ girl, heroic jock, weird (maybe stoned? maybe Jesus?) hippie, hot chick, and ditzy girlfriend. Check, check and check. However, the primary female figure, Mia, played by a convincing Jane Levy, is really interesting in a subversive sense. She is a dark character even before her possession, and although moments of melodrama act as interludes in her overall horrific performance, she is ultimately believable in her role. The other four players in the text provide some good laughs with their over-the-top one-liners spoken in utter seriousness. Those moments, however, were an advantage to an eager crowd that easily laughed at these deliberately bad lines for it was really the gore that kept them going.

Admittedly, my favourite element of Evil Dead was the makeup. Patrick Baxter went into extreme detail in the ensuing q&a regarded the on-screen special effects that made the film unique. Undeniably, if the film was full of CGI-enhanced effects, it would be severely dated. I really enjoyed the time and effort put into some of these extra gorey scenes – and I could tell the receptive crowd did too. I’m inclined to believe that even gore-haters could appreciate the work that went into the aesthetics beyond what is initially seen as disturbing. Some key gore moments for me were: cheek-cutting, pulling a needle out of an eye, tongue slicing with exacto knife (as seen in trailer), a whole lot of nail gun action, and of course, an expectedly impressive chainsaw kill. The gore was drawn-out, every nuanced detail was shown in extreme close-ups, disallowing viewers to entirely remove themselves from an immersive gore extravaganza. Little relief was provided; once someone was gruesomely knocked off, another character would endure something equally awful. It was an overwhelming corporeal experience – body horror to the extreme. Nonetheless, these moments were beautifully done, and were totally a nod to the original in it’s usage of traditional special effects.

Fans of The Evil Dead may be pleased to note that there are many subtle Easter Eggs throughout the film from the original (besides, you know, the entire film). An astute observer maybe catch some quick moments, like utilizing the cars from the original film in the same order they were shown. Similar moments throughout the film were certainly an acknowledgment to the fans, and honestly I couldn’t catch them all myself but it’s nice to know Alvarez is highly aware of his audience. It is without a doubt that making Evil Dead was a risky endeavor, but ultimately Alvarez succeeded in creating a highly grotesque testament to The Evil Dead.

Did I find Evil Dead scary? No. Does it matter? Not really, especially considering my fright-threshold. My experience is singular, as many a patron in the theatre on Monday night admitted they were scared. So if it’s gore and easy jumps you’re seeking, you’ll find it in Alvarez’s film. I’ll admit I was only jumping because the person seated behind me was literally kicking my seat every time the music heightened. See it, and let me know what you think! Evil Dead is certainly polarizing to audiences that are new to the EVIL DEAD franchise and the hardcore fanboys of the original. However so, the movie is a fun one that is necessary to see IN A THEATRE. The thrills and scares won’t be any more exciting when you’re at home, alone and watching on a laptop. Don’t do that. You’d be setting yourself up for failure.

Be sure to stay for the credits…trust me, it’s worth it.

Happy Halloween!

At last… my favourite time of year! The weather’s a little cooler, the leaves are a little crunchier and everyone’s out and ready to get their creep on. Whether it’s those pesky/adorable trick or treaters who just want sugar, or the more grownups in disguise who just want booze, Halloween offers something for everyone.

If you don’t see yourself involved in either candy begging or binge drinking, or maybe you don’t wanna don a costume, you need not fret. Cinephiles and horrorheads alike will rejoice in some of the unique Halloween screenings or movie-related events in Toronto tonight!

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1. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 

Tonight at Innis College you can come see Takashi Miike’s newest release, Phoenix Wright. Based on the first of the Ace Attorney games, the film follows attorney Phoenix Wright as he strives to protect his clients in various murder trials. Being already heralded as a “cartoonishly fun ride” this film is sure to please both fans of the game and newcomers. Fans of the auteur are sure to expect a treat with this one.

Starts at 7pm, tickets are $11

Click HERE to check out the facebook event!

2. Rocky Horror Picture Show

I’m sure you’ve seen Rocky Horror before, but have you seen it with a shadow cast crew? The annual shadow cast show is set for tonight and I bet you’ve never seen the Time Warp done like this before! The cast is always lively and adds an extra intertextual element to the already much-loved him. As I recall, they always have a costume contest during the Halloween show, so if you’re dressed up you can win some nice prizes! Even if you’re underdressed for the occasion, you can at least enjoy the many Sweet Transvestites that are sure to be in attendance.

Screenings at 7:30 and 10:30pm, tickets are $11 and can be bought on the website or at the venue.

3. Dracula & Frankenstein double-bill

Got a hankering for some classic horror monster action? The Cineplex Odeon theatre chain has just the solution. Tonight they are screening a double feature of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, starring the masterful Boris Karloff in the leading role, directly followed by Tod Browning’s Dracula with the just as wonderful Bela Lugosi. See two masters at work in these timeless classics.

Shows at 7pm at various Odeon theatre, tickets can be bought here!

4. In conversation with George A. Romero

Okay, so this isn’t happening tonight, but bear with me. This Friday at the TIFF Bell Lightbox Mr. Romero himself will be kicking off TIFF’s Living Dread retrospective of his film with an in-house interview. You can sit, in a theatre, with Romero, and fucking ask him anything. I will be there and I’ll most likely be experiencing some hardcore sweaty palms. This event takes place on Friday, November 2nd at 11am and tickets are available on the TIFF website.

The retrospective WILL begin tonight however, with an initial screening of Creepshow at 9:30. Come see the Romero and Stephen King’s collaboration in this fantastic horror anthology classic. To browse the full schedule and purchase tickets, click here.

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So I wanna know what crazy Halloween antics you get up to! And I’d love to see some good costumes…horror related or otherwise. So send send away or keep in touch on twitter! Stay safe but most importantly…

Have a Frighteningly Good Halloween!

xxx April Ho’Neil

And yes, if you’re wondering, I did go to school in this costume.

TAD2012 comes to an end…

I’m very sad to see it end, but I suppose it had to. After 9 nights of bloody good times, Toronto After Dark 2012 has wrapped up for the year. Here’s another recap of some films in the last two days of the fest that are worth checking out.

The 9:45 screening on Thursday was preceded by a short that literally made me LOL. Director Evan Morgan has made a masterpiece with his latest short–A Pretty Funny Story. I should tell you, it’s rather difficult to get me to genuinely laugh at something. Even if I truly recognize something as being hilarious, it is still hard for me to laugh out loud. This short, for some reason, made me do just that. It’s perfect in it’s little package as is.

The short relays the story of a man who witnesses his neighbour partaking in some embarrassing dance moves, and the events that follow suit. The pacing is excellent, the jokes are on point, and–because it’s a genre fest, people–the blood is perfectly timed. I just wish I could re-watch it over and over again. Evan Morgan, make more movies please.

Quentin Dupieux’s second feature length film, Wrong, enjoyed it’s Toronto premiere with A Pretty Funny Story this past Thursday. Much like it’s predecessor Rubber, Wrong has a very simple premise. Dolph Springer, played by Jack Plotnick, wakes up one morning to find his best pal and loyal canine companion is missing. His journey to get Paul back is what makes up the bulk of the film’s movie and it is enough to keep even the most distracted viewer invested.

Similarly to his previous work, Wrong is a theory-nerd’s dream. Steeped in philosophical ideology, he film can be enjoyed by both the passive viewer and intellectual alike. And it goes without saying that the music beautifully enhances the film and maintains a dreamy aura in which the viewer comfortably and willingly resides. Perhaps the most cinematic of all films that played at TAD this year, Wrong is not to be missed.

Ah, what would a genre film festival be without Simon Pegg? Good thing directors Crispian Mills and Chris Hopewell made A Fantastic Fear of Everything which delivers, well, Simon Pegg. Pegg carries the film all by his fabulous self as Jack–a children’s author turned crime novelist. The dude is constantly afraid of being brutally murdered and as such, carries a knife around with hilarious consequences. The world in which Jack resides is a fantasy one, and one that is beautifully depicted but totally unbelievable. The film almost feels like a fantasy, but it’s really more of a genre-bending comedy.

If you’re already a fan of Pegg, then there’s no better way to enjoy him than in this flick. Besides being his usual funny self, he sets up some tense moments, and even raps like a pro. I don’t think it’s necessary to rave about this one when it clearly sells itself. Enjoy.

Toronto After Dark 2012

Welp. Nine days of horror-filled pandaemonium is quickly approaching. Tonight marks the beginning of Toronto After Dark film fests 2012 program. This year, the venue has moved North to Bloor Cinema, but be prepared for the same level of awesome. Especially so, because the Bloor has recently been granted a liquor license and has a sweet collection of Toronto-made beers for a reasonable price. Yeah, you guessed it–I’ll be drinking the entire time. But can you blame me? After Dark happens at the WORST TIME OF YEAR for a student much like myself. I can’t even tell you how many papers I have due in these upcoming nine days. But you know what? I love it. I love it so much. The sleep depravity is a small price to pay for meeting such amazing people: horror fans, actors, directors, and cinephiles alike.

Director of the festival Adam Lopez and I with our horror faces on @TAD2011

While at TAD, I will be reviewing a few titles for HorrorNewsNet and of course, CINEFEMALE. The opening film tonight will be Grabbers at 6:45–a lulzy Irish monster comedy mashup directed by Jon Wright. The following film is American Mary at 9pm, which is described as a “surgical horror thriller” and is directed by twisted twins Jen & Sylvia Soska. I suspect the female-heavy Soska film will deserve a write up right away.

So expect to hear from me a lot over the next few days…but be warned, I am very close to crashing. After a few all-nighters at the library this past week, I’ve taken on the form of a “Lindsay drone” of sorts. I look the same and sometimes talk the same, but I’m a little empty on the inside. It’s ok. I’ll be fine. I just have to drink MORE coffee and write all my papers at 2am. OH YEAH. IT WILL BE MY BIRTHDAY IN A WEEK! Well, whatever. I suspect I’ll just do what I do every year: hit up TAD then drink myself to oblivion and eat something covered in cheese. No cake for me.

If you want to say “hi” and/or partake in the madness, I plan to be in attendance for all screenings (except Sunday due to WORK). If you’re unsure of how to “fest” check out the website for the all the details.

& SEE YOU AFTER DARK!

Life Post-TIFF

This is just a quick update, as a lot of things have occurred in the past few weeks that prevented me from writing on here. First of all, I have a new job at a video store in downtown Toronto! It’s quite similar to my job at the sex store because both are independent businesses but substitute sex toys for movies. It’s really great. I get to talk about movies all day and watch even more of them.

Secondly, I have been working at the Toronto International Film Festival for the past week at Bloor Cinema as a hosting site. I’ve mingled with cinephiles, casual moviegoers, directors and actors but I’m now sick as a dog and subsequently, sick of TIFF. Here’s an example of what my TIFF 2012 experience looked like:

…in a nutshell…

…yup.

I won’t lie and say I didn’t have a blast, but school has also begun this past week and it’s all pretty hectic. I have some sort of nasty cough that won’t go away–most likely due to my heavy stress smoking. But TIFF was cool! I’ll be honest, I was never much of a TIFF-fan previous to last year. I avoided the scene because of how daunting lines were and the costly price of passes. In landing a job working TIFF I was able to see a handful of movies whilst working without breaking much of a sweat and standing in a line for two hours.

I think my problems with TIFF are simply due to my philosophy on movies; film is for everyone. TIFF has an air of elitism with it’s exclusive events, high ticket prices, and of course, celebrity culture. I don’t think these are things that are important or integral to cinema. Not going to lie, I loved the TIFF parties I attended, but there was no way in hell I’d have any chance of getting in if I didn’t know someone “important”. The glitz and glamour of the festival is fun in small, small doses. And now that it’s over, I’m happy to have experienced it all but I’m ready to go back to reality.

I only saw a handful of movies at TIFF and really only one that is appropriate for review on this blog. Expect that review soon! First, I gotta get some homework done.

V/H/S

This post must begin with a brief apology, as I’ve neglected this blog while in Hong Kong–sorry. Needless to say, I have returned to boring ol’ Toronto and life must adhere back to the regular routine. Siiiigh. Hong Kong was incredible. For a full photo recap of my trip there, check out my other blog here. I rather not inundate this blog with more sentiments about how Hong Kong is the most wonderful city in the world, so, check out the other one for that.

Now one of the few things I do love about Toronto is the abundance of film festivals and screenings that happen in the summertime! One that is near and dear to my heart is the Toronto After Dark summer screenings. If you don’t know what TAD is and you’re from Toronto, shame on you. It’s a fan-made horror/sci-fi/genre film festival made for fans! It runs in late October and it’s a blast if genre cinema is your thing. Follow their twitter for updates if you’re interested, however, their summer screenings just ended last Wednesday with their final showing of V/H/S. I was thrilled to be able to catch it! Being toted as the “scariest movie of 2012” I made the informed decision to NOT know anything else about it. Nada. I didn’t wiki the film, I rejected the trailer, I wanted to enjoy the movie without any preconceived ideas of what it would entail.

I’m so glad I did. As soon as I arrived at the Bloor and Adam Lopez announced Ti West’s involvement in the movie, I had an “aha” moment. I definitely would have been less excited to go knowing Ti was involved. Not that he’s a bad director, I find his work rather stylish and pretty. But Innkeepers was a snooze-fest and House of the Devil was  a bit slow and being the jet-lagged traveler that I am, I was hesitant to go see a movie that wasn’t all blood n’ guts and excitement. I also went with my equally jet-lagged HK partner in crime, who expressed that the movie has to keep her awake. We also discovered it’s an anthology film that involves Adam Wingard and a handful of others which is a pretty cool concept. I’m a big anthology movie lover–and that’s not even restricted to the horror genre alone. I really appreciate when several directors work together to create a thematically unified but stylistically diverse movie. My excitement grew, and at some point I overheard the two guys next to me express how scared they were for the film to start and I began getting antsy. I love when other audience members anticipate the worst (best). My hopes were high.

Don’t worry guys, this post contains no plot spoilers.

Snuff and stuff

Greetings from HK! As I write this, I’m sitting in a dorm room at HKU and sweating profusely. It’s extremely hot and humid here, which is a difficult environment to live in but even more difficult to work in. While in Hong Kong I’m taking a class on contemporary Chinese cinema and trying to apply to courses for the upcoming Fall semester. Phew. I haven’t done much non-academic writing thus far, but here’s hoping we’ll change that. First of all, if you’re at all interested in following my HK adventures, please check out my tumblr! The title sex.gore.videogames is usually what comprises the content of the blog (NSFW most of the time), the exception being while I’m away. Secondly I should admit, I’m going to be off-topic on my CINEFEMALE account as well. A few key things happened in my dear city of Toronto before I left for Hong Kong that I would like to discuss in some detail. But firstly, here’s me at Victoria Peak.

Photo cred: http://bethmacdonald.tumblr.com/

I feel as though I left Toronto at an opportune time. A few days before I left, the Toronto Eaton Center was shot up during peak hours in the food court. Working on Queen street, the news of the shooting travelled rather quickly to me when customers in my store frantically informed us of what happened. I was already headed home after my shift and on the subway when a “police investigation” prevented the train from stopping at Dundas and Queen stations. My anxiety mounted, Toronto seemed like it was falling apart. I told the girls I left at work to close up, went home and  nearly suffered a full blown panic attack. A few days previous to this event, I had encountered a video I sincerely wish I hadn’t. I’m sure you’ve now heard heard of the infamous  1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick video that’s been circling the interwebs. A friend of mine curiously asked me on twitter if I had already seen it before I even knew what it was or the case it was related to.

Toronto Underground Cinema celebrates it’s second birthday!

If you live in Toronto and are a fan of genre cinema (as I assume you are reading this blog), then you’ve probably been to the Toronto Underground Cinema once or twice. While the Bloor Cinema was under renovations last year, Toronto Underground replaced it’s title as the reigning horror-screening theater by hosting last years Toronto After Dark film festival. As well, Toronto Underground also took on Rue Morgue‘s monthly B-horror film screenings. As an independent venue, the Toronto Underground is really gaining popularity in hosting niche screenings of films you wouldn’t see otherwise, as well as their monthly burlesque shows put on by the Underground Peep Show.

After two years of still being underground, the theater is offering it’s TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY DOUBLE-BILL! And guess what? It’s totally FREE as a means of saying “THANKS, TORONTO” for supporting an awesome independent theater! The first screening is classic whodunnit, Clue at 7pm…

Wadsworth (Tim Curry) wants YOU to come see CLUE tonight!

Need more incentive to go? How about a screening of The Fifth Element immediately following? If Milla Jovovich dressed in band-aids doesn’t get you going then I don’t know what your problem is. Maybe you’re a replicant. Yeah, probably. More incentive still? Well it is technically a birthday party, so expect a live party-going crowd. Also, there are prize packs to be won! And it just so happens that yours truly is a sponsor of the theater. So expect a Condom Shack prize pack up for grabs.

You can follow Toronto Underground’s twitter page here. And I’ll see you there!