Another Year of Madness: TIFF's Midnight Madness Lineup

One of the things I've yet to experience at Toronto International Film Festival is Midnight Madness. As one might know, Midnight Madness are special midnight screenings showcasing the best of the "wild side" of cinema. There's something thrilling about gathering with a bunch of strangers, in the middle of the night, in the streets of Toronto, and bond over our madness for mad cinema.

It's a new year, and TIFF has just announced their new lineup for the best in action, horror, shock, and fantasy.

Afflicted 
Directed by Derek Lee and Clif Prowse, the film follows two friends who, on a trip around the world, undergo a strange and sickly transformation after a mysterious meeting with a woman. Shot in a documentary style narrative, Afflicted is the filmmaker duo's feature debut.

Almost Human
Also with a feature debut, US filmmaker Joe Begos' horror sci-fi indie flick follows a quiet rural town in Maine, which becomes a raging inferno of axe murders and alien abductions. Blood and gore galore.
Watch the trailer here.

Oculus
This horror, directed by Mike Flanagan tells the story of a woman who tries to absolve her murder-convicted brother, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon: a 300-year old cursed mirror who has left a trail of bloody tragedy on their family's history.

Rigor Mortis
Director Juno Mak pays homage to the Hong Kong cult classic horror-comedy series of the 1980's. Reuniting some of the original cast members, the films is set in a creepy and moody Hong Kong housing unit, who's halls are occupied by the supernatural.

Why Don't You Play In Hell?
Described to have similarities to Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Japanese director Sion Sono' action flick follows a renegade film crew who becomes entangled with a yakuza clan feud.
Watch the trailer here.

All Cheerleaders Die
In this fresh horror comedy from directors Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson, a rebel high school outsider signs up a group of cheerleaders to help her take down the captain of their school football team, but a supernatural turn of events plunges the girls in a different, and bloodier, battle.

The Green Inferno
Wizard of the horror genre, Eli Roth returns to the director chair for this gruesome homage to the Italian cannibal films of the 70's-80's. The Green Inferno follows a group of New York City student activists who, on an expedition to save a dying tribe in the Amazon, crash in the jungle and are taken hostage by the very tribe they came to protect.

R100
In this bizarre and humorous take on sex comedy, Japanese director Hitoshi Matsumoto brings us the story of a mild-mannered family man who's secret taste for S&M finds him pursued by a ruthless gang of butt-kicking dominatrixes.





The Station
Marking the first time an Austrian film makes the mix, this horror thriller by Marvin Kren follows the crew of a remote weather research station in the German Alps who soon discover that a retreating glacier is genetically mutating the local wildlife into biological monstrosities.
Watch the trailer here.

Flashback: The Sea of Many Depths in Life of Pi

I suppose in the end, the whole life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.

Best Directing, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography. This 2012 award winning film tells the sweeping story of a young man who, upon surviving a disaster at sea with a single lifeboat, forms the most unlikely connection with another survivor: a Bengal tiger. With vivid imagery and bewitching visual effects, Life of Pi is one of the most visually beautiful films that I've seen in my life time. Through Ang Lee's incredible artistic eye, he is able to communicate a beauty that grants us an experience of eye-opening moments. Life of Pi is a film of moments.

Movie Moment: What do you see? If you look at it, the sea is another entire world, deep and profound, breathing with another force of life. It's an infinite universe immersed with creatures known and unknown, familiar and strange. It's both terrifying and astounding. Understanding the sea is as difficult to grasp as understanding outer space, the universe, and heaven. In this "sea montage scene," Ang Lee bridges the idea of the sea with the universe, with a spiritual approach; The reflecting stars and planets merge with the glowing sea creatures, the sea becomes one with night sky. It's as if the boat is suspended, drifting above this unfathomable universe. Through a montage of images, we are pulled deeper into this expansive sea-universe and see things never imagined to be seen.

What was your Life of Pi Movie Moment?

Toronto International Film Festival Opening Film Announced

A story about the relationship between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his early supporter and colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a story about a friendship torn apart as a website's power and influence expands across the globe. This 2013 thriller drama, The Fifth Estate, will kick off this year's Toronto International Film Festival, which runs between September 5th - 15th. The film, directed by Bill Condon (Dream Girls), stars English actor Benedict Cumberbatch and Spanish-German actor Daniel Brühl.

Cumberbatch seems to be a headliner this festival, with several appearances in several star-studded films. For one, he is among the stars of the Steve McQueen directed film 12 Years A Slave, which will premier at the festival. The film, a pre-civil war historical drama about a free black man who is abducted and sold into slavery, also features the likes of Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti, and Brad Pitt.

Among the Gala presentations announced, August: Osage County, a dark comedy drama based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, presents an all-star cast of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, and Ewan McGregor, with a third Benedict Cumberbatch feature this festival.

Other special presentations announced include, Gravity, the highly anticipated space thriller starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney; Bad Words, a boisterous comedy directed and starring Jason Bateman, The Invisible Woman, a period drama directed and starring Ralph Fiennes about Charles Dickens' secret affair with young actress Nelly Terman (Felicity Jones); Prisoners, a gripping thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman; and Tracks, a story about a young woman, played by Mia Wasikowska, who set out on a 2,700 km journey across the Australian outback by foot.

Which TIFF film are you most looking forward to?

Visit tiff.net to view the full list of announcements.

Flashback: Quintessential Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction (n.)

1. A publication, such as a magazine or book, containing lurid subject matter.

2. Mass produced magazine, printed on cheap "pulp" paper.

3. A 1994 Quentin Tarantino classic

Pulp Fiction, directed and written by Quentin Tarantino, intertwines the four stories of two hit men, their mob boss gangster's wife, a boxer, and a pair of diner bandits in one unconventional timeless film. With quintessential Quentin style, it has everything you'd typically find in one of his films: violence, dark comedic moments, and witty dialogue. It was a major breakthrough for not only Tarantino's career but because it turns the gangster crime genre on it's head. Cool guns, fancy suits, the extravagant car chases charge most gangster films. Pulp Fiction, on the other hand, finds it's charge from it's wisecracking witty dialogue, it's alternative long-take camera style, it's blend of many genres, it's trademark non-linear narrative structure, and it's smart, sometimes oddball, cast. 

Tarantino is an undoubtedly a quirky, eccentric, and brilliant original. And his writing truly stems from his originality. He has the ability to focus on small details, often seeming so irrelevant and trivial, and follows them where they lead, even if they move the story away from atypical plot developments. He follows the unconventional path.

"That's when you know you found somebody really special.
When you can just shut the fuck up for a second and comfortably share silence."

Movie Moment: The Diner scene with Vincent (John Travolta) and Mia (Uma Thurman). The scene showcases some of the finest Quentin Tarantino writing. And the writing allows the characters to shine. With the dance number at the end of the scene, it's outlandish, quirky, and sparkling with clever one-liners. The scene is basically a portrait of Quentin Tarantino himself. 

With that said, the real movie moments for me exist in Tarantino's ability to focus on small details in important, often nail-biting situations. Whether it's Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta's) random chat about french hamburgers in the car on the way to a mob hit, or Jimmy (Quentin's cameo character) asking how Wolfe likes his coffee while Jules and Vincent are cleaning a blood splattered car. Quentin's true artistry comes in his ability to add seemingly insignificant dialogue in significant places, adding a delicious irony and inventive wit to his films. Pulp Fiction is vintage Tarantino- a film to establish that Tarantino-esque style that we know of so well.

                                       What was your Pulp Fiction movie moment?

Candid Moments - Behind the Scenes of Our Favourite Films

I've always been fascinated with behind the scenes photos. They're not only amusing to look at, but they allow us a glimpse into the world behind the faces, behind the facades, and behind the images we know so well. Photographs capturing candid moments break the illusion, giving us a peak into the humanity and normalcy of the people and films we idolize and admire. Here are a few of my favourites.

On set of Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927)

Leonardo Dicaprio & Tobey Maguire at a rehearsal of The Great Gatsby (2013)

Barry Levinson, Tom Cruise, and Dustin Hoffman on the set of Rain Man (1988)

Quentin Tarantino and Christoph Waltz joking around on set of Django Unchained (2012)

Stanley Kubrick photographing Jack Nicholson on the set of The Shining (1980)

Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in the ring - Raging Bull (1980) 

An Ape taking a break on set of Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey

Leonardo Dicraprio and Kate Winslet aka Jack and Rose on set of Titanic (1997)

Steven Spielberg and Drew Barrymore - E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton on-set of Edward Scissorhands (1990) 

Anthony Michael Hall,  Judd Nelson, and Molly Ringwald fooling around on-set - The Breakfast Club (1985) 

Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway behind the scenes of Les Misérables (2012)

Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman on set of Pulp Fiction (1994)

Alfred Hitchcock and the (not-so-creepy) creepy Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) on set of Psycho (1960)

Flashback: Passions Run Deep in Mystic River

The river has many depths. Let it wash over you.

Mystic River, a film of many depths, tells the story of three men, friends since childhood, who are reunited in tragedy. Tragedy overshadows their lives in many forms, across many generations; the loss of a daughter, of a childhood, and a wife. Based on the novel by the same name, the film was directed by Clint Eastwood, and stars Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. The film is a passionate, darkly intense, emotional drama with an heartfelt honesty filled with hope. With remarkably sincere performances, and beautiful on-location backgrounds of working-class Boston, Mystic River is a masterful portrait that is above all authentic. On top of receiving an Academy Awards nomination for best picture in 2003, both Sean Penn and Tim Robbins snagged the oscar for best leading role and supporting role for their breathtaking performances. 

Movie Moment: Sean Penn and Tim Robbins both give incredible performances. And each of them had their own moment. 

Is that my daughter in there? Sean Penn's performance as Jimmy Markum, a man with a troubled past, is riveting. The"is that my daughter" scene, and I can bet many agree, is a defining moment of the film. His portrayal in the scene of a man who's just lost a daughter is unbelievably honest. And it's not only his performance that makes the scene. The camera work amplifies it. A sea of police men swarm him, the camera swoops upwards, portraying a birds eye view shot enhancing the powerless vulnerable state of Jimmy.

The last time I saw Dave, was 25 years ago, going up the street in the back of that car. Tim Robbins portrayal as Dave, a man abducted and sexually abused as a child, a man who lost a part of himself, is also painfully authentic. Several times, they cut back to the shot of the sidewalk, reminding us of the incident of the abduction, as if the moment is stuck there forever. The meaning in the shot is chilling. Only half of Dave's name is carved, as if a part of him was taken that day. It reminds us that a moment can change your life forever.

Room 237 Draws You Back Into Stanley Kubrick's Maze

Some movies stay with you forever...and ever...and ever. There is something profoundly remarkable about a film when it's over 30 years old and still has the ability to inspire speculation, debate, and continue to haunt us to this day. Room 237 is a documentary that explores the countless theories about the hidden meanings within Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film The Shining.













The documentary weaves together 5 different points of view through voice over, archive footage, film clips, animation, and reenactments. Different subjective theories are explored, including the holocaust, sexual (and incest) themes, the wipe out of the Native Americans, and the faking of the lunar landing, to name a few.

At the time of The Shining, Kubrick was fascinated with advertising and the idea of subliminal messaging. Many of the techniques found in advertisements, Kubrick implemented into the film. He became a master of subliminal messaging in cinema. Kubrick had an incredible eye for detail. Every detail is intentionally fixed into the film. Even the tiny minor details that seemingly slip past your conscience, have overflowing meaning. The Shining is like no other in this way and because of this, it continues to be analyzed and obsessed over to this day. Stanley Kubrick was a genius. A cinematic Einstein. Dissecting The Shining is like picking apart an Einstein equation. There are endless pieces to the equation. And as difficult it is to fathom, we know one thing; Every piece equals up to something.

In the end, what the film means is up to you, and everyone else. I think the most important aspect of the film is not objectively what it means but the power the film bestows upon us. The act of searching for themes, making profound connections, and exposing our minds to deeper meaning allows us to see reality through a higher level of awareness and enlightenment in our own lives.

Whether you are a Kubrick fan, a Shining fan, or just a fan of film in general, Room 237 will draw you into the twisting and winding maze of a brilliant movie and mind.