The Toronto After Dark festival http://torontoafterdark.com/2009/ is a movie festival that features mostly horror films with a touch of sci-fi, fantasy and action. In previous years it ran in October but has now moved to August. Personally I think it suited October better especially when the air-conditing wasn't functioning yesterday evening due to power outages in the area.
I saw 6 films during the festival. I was volunteering so most of my film selections were based on the days that I was scheduled to volunteer which ended up being both good and bad as one of the films I wouldn't have chosen on my own was really great but one I didn't care for so much.
Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl: Japanese with English subtitles
The basic plot of the movie is two schools girls are fighting over a boy who doesn't have any say in which girl he prefers. The movie is a gorey campy comedy. It involves a mad scientist vice-principal, his oversexed school nurse assistant, the wrist cutting champion and a pile of other cartoonish characters. The film is good for it's genre but isn't that great if you're not into silly Japanese pop culture.
3/5
Strigoi: UK/Romanian in English
It's about hick vampires in a small eastern European village. I heard a number of people say that they really liked it. I admit I didn't get it. I think I understood the plot but I didn't understand why people were laughing or why people liked it.
2/5
Must Love Death: German in English
The website describes the movie as a "romantic comedy for the sick & twisted". This was my favourite movie of the ones I got to see. The characters were likeable and I giggled when they died. The way the film ends is how all romantic comedies should end. It was so good I didn't even mind the truly horrifing crappy music it contained.
4.5/5
Rough Cut: Korean with English subtitles
This isn't a horror movie and when I read the plot I thought it sounded lame and never would have chosen to see it on my own. Maybe it was because I had low expectations but it was really good. I'm not going explain the plot as then you'll think it sounds lame too. It's billed as an action film but really should be seen by anyone who enjoys good films.
4/5
The Forbidden Door: Indonesian with English subtitles
The film projector wasn't working so they played the preview DVD. There was a few hic-ups and every 20-30 min the screen would black out or randomly go to another sceen in the film. There were certain aspects of the film that were visually really neat and the acting was great but it felt as if I had seen it all before (and no I'm not talking about when the DVD would skip back scenes). It's worth renting even if it's just to see the Christmas dinner scene.
3/5
Trick 'r Treat: US
I'm sort of surprised this wasn't a major theatrical release as it's not an independant film and it has some well known actors (Anna Paquin). I've even heard they have action figures. It's a glossy comic book style of film interweaving 4 different stories. It's entertaining and would make a good Halloween movie. It doesn't make that great an August movie especially when the air-conditioning isn't working and the theatre smells like unwashed boys. It's set to come out on DVD this October.
4/5
Friday, August 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Does technology give people an excuse to be rude?
I'm trying to make plans for something invovlving someone so I e-mail them (I fully admit to having an aversion to the telephone as all previous call centre empoyees have. I think it should be classified as a documented metal illness). Some people, who must check their e-mail at 5 min intervals respond so quickly I'm surprised they had time to read it. Others get back to me in a day or two. Then there are the people that 50%-75% of e-mails and telephone calls I send, do not respond. These are the people I am now about to muse about....
If you are not interested please just tell me. I know lots of people don't want to spend time with me. That's okay I'm used to it, but it's rude to not fucking respond. I'd rather hear/read "piss off, I hate you, never try to contact me again or I'll call my lawyer" then no response. Just because it is now in electronic form it isn't any less rude not to respond then when your Aunt sent you an ugly sweater when you were 10 and you had to send a thank you card.
This also does not refer to the occasionally forgetting/ loosing of an e-mail or telephone message it happens. Also if you live in a cave that's okay too unless you don't respond to my carrier pigeon.
To all the people who respond in a timely fashion: Cheers, your mom taught you manners.
If you are not interested please just tell me. I know lots of people don't want to spend time with me. That's okay I'm used to it, but it's rude to not fucking respond. I'd rather hear/read "piss off, I hate you, never try to contact me again or I'll call my lawyer" then no response. Just because it is now in electronic form it isn't any less rude not to respond then when your Aunt sent you an ugly sweater when you were 10 and you had to send a thank you card.
This also does not refer to the occasionally forgetting/ loosing of an e-mail or telephone message it happens. Also if you live in a cave that's okay too unless you don't respond to my carrier pigeon.
To all the people who respond in a timely fashion: Cheers, your mom taught you manners.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monarque
Monarque with Csejthe and Pagan Ritual:
Saturday April 18, 2009 at The Annex Wreck Room
Show Rating: 3 Strongbow required to make it enjoyable
The warmest weekend of 2009 so far may not have been an appropriate backdrop for an evening of black metal featuring Monarque and Csejthe at the Annex Wreckroom. The good weather and early show may have been the reason for the low turnout as from the quality of music Toronto should have had the venue as packed as it was at the bands recent show in Montreal.
Local band Pagan Ritual opened the evening. They are definitely one of the better opening bands I’ve seen in a while. The group provided great sound and energy to the small assembled group. Without even enough time to finish a drink, next up with a beautifully melodic set was Quebec’s Csejthe. They traded in the corpse paint for some mood enhancing candelabra. Sadly, their attempts at doing some harmonizing vocals came out as barely audible. Anyone who gets a chance should be checking this band out.
Somehow black metal sounds prettier when growled in French. Headliners Monarque took the stage before 9 pm so they could make it out by the 10pm curfew. I was one of the few adversely by the smoke streaming off the stage throughout the entire set. The set included a Judas Priest cover. Monarque is set to return to Toronto in the coming months. This time more people should get their ass out and attend.
Saturday April 18, 2009 at The Annex Wreck Room
Show Rating: 3 Strongbow required to make it enjoyable
The warmest weekend of 2009 so far may not have been an appropriate backdrop for an evening of black metal featuring Monarque and Csejthe at the Annex Wreckroom. The good weather and early show may have been the reason for the low turnout as from the quality of music Toronto should have had the venue as packed as it was at the bands recent show in Montreal.
Local band Pagan Ritual opened the evening. They are definitely one of the better opening bands I’ve seen in a while. The group provided great sound and energy to the small assembled group. Without even enough time to finish a drink, next up with a beautifully melodic set was Quebec’s Csejthe. They traded in the corpse paint for some mood enhancing candelabra. Sadly, their attempts at doing some harmonizing vocals came out as barely audible. Anyone who gets a chance should be checking this band out.
Somehow black metal sounds prettier when growled in French. Headliners Monarque took the stage before 9 pm so they could make it out by the 10pm curfew. I was one of the few adversely by the smoke streaming off the stage throughout the entire set. The set included a Judas Priest cover. Monarque is set to return to Toronto in the coming months. This time more people should get their ass out and attend.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Images review
Before I start writing I want to add the disclaimer that I have poor spelling and grammar and no editor.
I participated both as a volunteer and as a patron (ok I wasn't a paying patron).
Some of the stuff I saw was pretty creative and interesting, but maybe I'm not hip enough but some of it was just boring, arty garbage. Though from the snoring behind me I wasn't the only one who didn't enjoy some of the program. Short films that I liked were Revival by Heidi Phillips and v = d/t by Amanda Dawn Christie. They both had the similar style of over exposed video and electronic noise music. Also in relation to the audience, people do you really need to text during the show. The great glowing beacons of light make you look like an ass not important.
The closing performance at the Theatre Centre was well done. I was quite glad that I was not one of the poor souls who waited as long as an hour outside in the freezing cold in the rush line. I don't believe that anything started on time. There seemed to be a virus of malfunctioning equipment and lost souls. I found it odd at first that people came 30 min late to an one hour performance at first.
The Ammo Factory performed a David Lynchesque combination of live performance and video. It was entertaining even if I didn't find it completely original looking. They have a live performer who is auditioning for a video that is playing in the background.
The second performance was by Cloud something or other. Yeah, I'm bad with names. They did a combination of video/ music/ dance performance. I give it thumbs up. I did have the urge though to run up and pull all of the tape guides off the floor.
I participated both as a volunteer and as a patron (ok I wasn't a paying patron).
Some of the stuff I saw was pretty creative and interesting, but maybe I'm not hip enough but some of it was just boring, arty garbage. Though from the snoring behind me I wasn't the only one who didn't enjoy some of the program. Short films that I liked were Revival by Heidi Phillips and v = d/t by Amanda Dawn Christie. They both had the similar style of over exposed video and electronic noise music. Also in relation to the audience, people do you really need to text during the show. The great glowing beacons of light make you look like an ass not important.
The closing performance at the Theatre Centre was well done. I was quite glad that I was not one of the poor souls who waited as long as an hour outside in the freezing cold in the rush line. I don't believe that anything started on time. There seemed to be a virus of malfunctioning equipment and lost souls. I found it odd at first that people came 30 min late to an one hour performance at first.
The Ammo Factory performed a David Lynchesque combination of live performance and video. It was entertaining even if I didn't find it completely original looking. They have a live performer who is auditioning for a video that is playing in the background.
The second performance was by Cloud something or other. Yeah, I'm bad with names. They did a combination of video/ music/ dance performance. I give it thumbs up. I did have the urge though to run up and pull all of the tape guides off the floor.
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