Listen to THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY Director Peter Strickland's "The Len Continuum"

"Darling, I'm off to the Lepidoptery lecture." "I think I'll stay home and listen to 'The Len Continuum.'"

Did you enjoy Peter Strickland's The Duke of Burgundy at Vanguard last year? Or maybe his tribute to giallo and sound design, Berberian Sound Studio, which premiered at Vanguard? Do you wish you could enjoy more dramas by Peter Strickland? Well you're in luck--Strickland has a radio drama "The Len Continuum" airing on BBC Radio 4. It features Toby Jones (Berberian Sound Studio) and it sounds plenty promising.

The debut for radio by the critically acclaimed British filmmaker Peter Strickland, writer and director of cult films Berberian Sound Studio and The Duke of Burgundy.

Sometime in the early eighties, struggling actor Len is increasingly overshadowed by his wife Alice's successful career in local radio. As his bitterness grows, he comes by a chance to finally prove himself.

Surreal soundscapes and black humour with Toby Jones and Belinda Stewart-Wilson.

Will there be mole crickets singing? Listen to find out.  You can listen to it on the Radio 4 site for another three weeks.

Hope you enjoy the show, everyone!

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY: Premieres Tonight!

Peter Strickland's The Duke of Burgundy is the third Vanguard film premiering today. The premiere will take place at TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 1 at 10:00 PM. Head over to our previous posts to see the poster and an interview with director Peter Strickland.

Tickets can be purchased:

• ONLINE: TIFF.net's Ticket Product List Page
• BY PHONE: 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433 (Toll-free) 
• IN PERSON
• Festival Box Office; 225 King St. West
• TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St. West

Further information about The Duke of Burgundy can be found on the Festival website and the film's official website.

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY screening times:
Sat., Sept. 6th, 10:00 PM, TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 1
Mon., Sept. 8th, 3:15 PM, SCOTIABANK 12

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY First Look and Poster!

We're pretty sure we could just type PETER STRICKLAND over and over again in caps and that would be enough to entice you to want to see The Duke of Burgundy. Because we all still remember the amazingness that was Berberian Sound Studio from the 2012 Festival, right? Right. Well Strickland is back and all we can say is, "Finally!"

This time, we're taken to new erotic heights with the story of a wealthy amateur lepidopterist (read: studier of butterflies and moths) whose sadomasochistic streak is slowly revealed to her new housekeeper as the two become lovers. (You know how it goes with housekeepers.) The Duke of Burgundy, like Berberian Sound Studio, promises to plunge the audience in a startling, surreal sensory experience through dark, lush cinematography and music.

Totally normal relationship for a housekeeper and employer, yup.

Production company Rook Films released a poster by amazing artist Jay Shaw. After ogling this work, you should head over to his website and ogle the rest. (We want them all, obviously.)

Poster perfection? We think so. 

The Duke of Burgundy is screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. Check out the rest of the Vanguard films on the official Festival website.

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY screening times:

Saturday, Sept 6th 10:00 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 1
Monday, Sept 8th 3:15 PM SCOTIABANK 12

SIGHTSEERS Premieres Tonight!

Ben Wheatley's Sightseers premieres tonight at the Ryerson Theatre at 9:00 PM. Head over to our previous post to see the film's trailer and poster.

Tickets can be purchased:

• ONLINE: TIFF.net/thefestival
• BY PHONE: 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433 (Toll-free) 
• IN PERSON
• Festival Box Office; 225 King St. West
• Ryerson Theatre Box Office; 350 Victoria Street

Further information about Ben Wheatley's Sightseers can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Sightseers website, Twitter account, Facebook page, and IMDB page.

SIGHTSEERS screening times:

• Tues., Sept. 11, Ryerson Theatre 9:00 PM 
• Thurs., Sept. 13, Ryerson Theatre 12:00 PM 
• Sun., Sept. 16, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 7:00 PM

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO Premieres Tonight!

Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio premieres tonight at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema at 6:00 PM. Head over to our previous post to see the film's trailer and poster.

Tickets can be purchased:

• ONLINE: TIFF.net/thefestival
• BY PHONE: 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433 (Toll-free) 
• IN PERSON
• Festival Box Office; 225 King St. West
• Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Box Office; 506 Bloor Street West

Further information about Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Berberian Sound Studio Twitter account, Facebook page, and IMDB page.

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO screening times:

• Mon., Sept. 10, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 6:00 PM
• Tues., Sept. 11, Cineplex Yonge & Dundas 3 2:45 PM

ILL MANORS Premieres Tonight!

Ben Drew's Ill Manors premieres tonight at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema at 9:00 PM. Head over to our previous post to see the film's trailer and poster.

Tickets can be purchased:

• ONLINE: TIFF.net/thefestival
• BY PHONE: 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433 (Toll-free) 
• IN PERSON
• Festival Box Office; 225 King St. West
• Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Box Office; 506 Bloor Street West

Further information about Ben Drew's Ill Manors can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Ill Manors Website, Twitter account, Facebook page, and IMDB page.

ILL MANORS screening times:

• Sun., Sept. 9, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 9:00 PM
• Tues., Sept. 11, Scotiabank 4 4:15 PM
• Sat., Sept. 15, Scotiabank 4 9:30 PM

PUSHER Premieres Tonight!

Luis Prieto's Pusher premieres tonight at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema at 9:00 PM. Head over to our previous post to see the film's trailer and poster.

Tickets can be purchased:

• ONLINE: TIFF.net/thefestival
• BY PHONE: 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433 (Toll-free) 
• IN PERSON
• Festival Box Office; 225 King St. West
• Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Box Office; 506 Bloor Street West

Further information about Luis Prieto's Pusher can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Pusher Twitter account, Facebook page, and IMDB page.

PUSHER screening times:

• Fri., Sept. 7, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 9:00 PM 
• Sun., Sept. 9, Cineplex Yonge & Dundas 10 12:00 PM

The Guardian Interviews BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO Director Peter Strickland

The Guardian profiles Berberian Sound Studio director Peter Strickland. Strickland talks about 1970s England (Dorking, in particular), Toby Jones, giallo cinema and the power of sound in film.

But while 70s Britain was glued to Dad's Army, in Italy directors such as Dario Argento were turning out the floridly stylised gialli whose zealous attention to music and costume Strickland would later relish. His own film is a riot of sly references to the underground cinema and music he admits being obsessed by (the title alludes to avant-garde singer Cathy Berberian). Yet despite what Strickland himself calls the "trainspotting", his story pushes in unexpected directions. With nods to the trials of freelance employment and workplace bullying, this oddball horror-art movie has a firmer grasp of working life than many sober slices of social realism.

Click through for more.

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO screening times:
Mon., Sept. 10, 6:00PM:  The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema
Tues., Sept. 11, 2:45:  Cineplex Yonge & Dundas 3

Alternative Posters for BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO

Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio, playing the Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme, has released a collection of alternative posters by Julian House through their Facebook page. 

Further information about Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Berberian Sound Studio Twitter account, Facebook page, and IMDB page.

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO screening times:

• Mon., Sept. 10, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 6:00 PM
• Tues., Sept. 11, Cineplex Yonge & Dundas 3 2:45 PM

iLL MANORS Director Profile: Ben Drew

Ben Drew, better known as English rapper and singer-songwriter Plan B, began his career in film as an actor in Noel Clarke's 2008 film Adulthood. In 2009, he joined Michael Caine in Daniel Barber's thriller Harry Brown, which had its World Premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. With iLL Manors, Ben Drew will mark his feature directorial debut.

Production on iLL Manors began in September 2010, but did not always go smoothly. The film is a gritty portrayal of violent crime in the Forest Gate area of London, so it is unsurprising that conflicts arose. After filming was completed, Ben told UK newspaper The Sun that "we’ve had bolts and screws thrown at us from the top of fucking council estate towers. We’ve been to crack houses where there are dirty needles lying around. And a gang were about 30 seconds away from smashing my face in." At the film's London premiere, Ben told MTV News that "crack heads robbed the laptop with the days rushes on it and me and one of the other guys in the crew chased him down and caught the mother-fucker and got the rushes back."

The film, which has received largely positive reviews utilizes six original Plan B songs to guide the film's interwoven narration. The film's lead single, also titled iLL Manors, was written as a reaction to the 2011 England riots and "society's failure to nurture its disadvantaged youth." The soundtrack for the film was the number one album the week of August 4th, 2012 in the UK.



ILL MANORS screening times:

• Sun., Sept. 9th, 9:00 PM, THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
• Tues., Sept. 11th, 4:15 PM, SCOTIABANK 4
• Sat., Sept. 15th, 9:30 PM, SCOTIABANK 4

ILL MANORS Poster and Trailer

British rapper Ben Drew, also known as Plan B, writes and directs Ill Manors, a London crime drama Hollywood Reporter calls a "powerful and timely debut."

Below are the poster and trailer for Ill Manors, which plays the Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about Ben Drew's Ill Manors can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Ill Manors Website, Twitter account, Facebook page, and IMDB page.

ILL MANORS screening times:

• Sun., Sept. 9, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 9:00 PM
• Tues., Sept. 11, Scotiabank 4 4:15 PM
• Sat., Sept. 15, Scotiabank 4 9:30 PM

PUSHER Poster and Trailer

Nicolas Winding Refn, director of the 2011 Festival selection Drive, serves as executive producer on this English-language remake of his 1996 cult classic. Director Luis Prieto's Pusher follows Frank (Richard Coyle), a mid-level London drug dealer who botches a job and scrambles when his life quickly spins out of control.

Below are the poster and trailer for Pusher, which plays the Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about Luis Prieto's Pusher can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Pusher Twitter account, Facebook page, and IMDB page.

PUSHER screening times:

• Fri., Sept. 7, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 9:00 PM 
• Sun., Sept. 9, Cineplex Yonge & Dundas 10 12:00 PM

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO sweeps awards at FrightFest

What a scream! London's FrightFest has just wrapped up and Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio has collected all the top awards: Best Film, Best Actor (Toby Jones) and Best Director! Way to amp up my anticipation for this unique "giallo" homage.

Total Film has the full list of winners along with some photos.

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO Screening Times:

• Mon., Sept. 10th, 6:00 PM BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
• Tue., Sept. 11th, 2:45 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 3

SIGHTSEERS Poster and Trailer

Following up on the 2011 Midnight Madness favourite Kill List, director Ben Wheatley takes the sad-sack lovers of his new film -- Sightseers -- on a homicidal holiday. Yes, Tina and Chris' caravan vacation gets more than a little bloody. The Hollywood Reporter declares Sightseers as "the most consistently hilarious Brit-com for a good half-decade -- probably since Edgar Wright's Hot Fuzz," who also serves as Executive Producer on Wheatley's film.

Below are the poster and trailer for Sightseers, which plays the Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about Ben Wheatley's Sightseers can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Sightseers website, Twitter account, Facebook page, and IMDB page.

SIGHTSEERS screening times:

• Tues., Sept. 11, Ryerson Theatre 9:00 PM 
• Thurs., Sept. 13, Ryerson Theatre 12:00 PM 
• Sun., Sept. 16, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 7:00 PM

First Clip from SIGHTSEERS

First clip from Ben Wheatley's Sightseers via Wheatley and Amy Jump's blog, Mr. And Mrs. Wheatley.


SIGHTSEERS Screening Times:
Tue., Sept. 11th, 9:00 PM RYERSON
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 12:00 PM RYERSON
Sun., Sept. 16th, 7:00 PM BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO Poster and Trailer

Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio is a tense psychological thriller behind the scenes of 1970s Italian horror cinema, boasting a performance by renowned character actor Toby Jones that Empire Magazine calls "masterful."

Below are the poster and trailer for Berberian Sound Studio, which plays the Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Berberian Sound Studio Twitter account, Facebook page, and IMDB page.

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO screening times:

• Mon., Sept. 10, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 6:00 PM
• Tues., Sept. 11, Cineplex Yonge & Dundas 3 2:45 PM

Director Profile: Ben Wheatley (KILL LIST)

If you type "Ben Wheatley" into the Google search engine, you might end up thinking he is a pirate. But more importantly than maybe being a pirate, he definitely is a filmmaker. And a good one at that.

Wheatley started off his career by winning at the Internet. Unless you're a cat or coming home from the dentist, winning at the Internet is not easily accomplished, but Wheatley managed to create a name for himself with viral videos (most of which can still be found on his website). After winning at the Internet, Wheatley moved on to winning at TV, working with the likes of the BBC and Modern Toss.

In 2009, Wheatley directed his first feature film, Down Terrace. Co-written with and starring Robin Hill, the dry and hilarious crime film went on to win the Raindance Award at the 2009 British Independent Film Awards and the Next Waves Awards for Best Feature. Did we mention it was also shot in just eight days? Yeah: wow.

If you're part of the Festival's Midnight Madness club (note: must provide own beach ball), you're no stranger to Wheatley's second feature film, Kill List. Dark and unforgivingly terrifying, Kill List was a hit at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. And everywhere else it screened, for that matter. Co-written with his wife and collaborator, Amy Jump, the film has been lauded as "the best British genre film in years". Also, it will totally give you nightmares.

This year, the Toronto International Film Festival is welcoming Wheatley back with his third feature film, Sightseers. Another black comedy, Sightseers follows a drab couple, Chris and Tina, on a lovely caravanning holiday. How sweet, right? Wrong. The holiday takes a turn for the worse. And while "turn for the worst" on a holiday usually just means shouting about whether or not you should have taken that left back there, this is the sort of "turn for the worst" that involves a lot of bloodshed. And given the unpredictable twists of Kill List, we can't wait to see what happens on a holiday when Ben Wheatley is directing it.

SIGHTSEERS Screening Times:
Tue., Sept. 11th, 9:00 PM RYERSON
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 12:00 PM RYERSON
Sun., Sept. 16th, 7:00 PM BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO: What's a "giallo"?

In Berberian Sound Studio, Toby Jones plays the part of a meek English sound engineer who is in Italy working on the sound mix for a "giallo" film. For those not familiar with this genre, I thought I'd provide a little background.

Example of a "giallo" paperback novel

"Giallo" is the Italian word for yellow and refers to a series of cheap paperbook mystery novels with yellow covers that were popular reading from the 1930s onward. Though the books were often in the vein of Agathie Christie or Ellery Queen, when filmmakers began adapting them in the 1960s, they soon added their own very distinct touches, taking the films into territory more associated today with the horror and slasher genres.

Poster for Dario Argento's The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)

Directors like Dario Argento, Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, and Sergio Martino made dozens of these films, rather quickly and cheaply, during the 60s and 70s. They were often filled with operatic levels of violence, not to mention liberal amounts of nudity and sex.

Poster from Sergio Martino's All the Colours of the Dark (1972)

Though best known for their often-garish visual style, giallo films were also innovative in their use of music and sound, which is where our poor sound engineer comes in. Many of the plots were based on madness and psychological horror, and the sound design was integral to setting the right mood.

Poster from Andrea Bianchi's Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975)

In fact, many of these films were shot completely without sync sound, so everything from dialogue to foley effects was recorded later in a studio, perhaps somewhere like Berberian Sound Studio.

p.s. You might notice a certain similarity in the posters I've included. A (presumably male) hand poised over a woman in peril. These films were nothing if not formulaic, but they've been a huge influence on succeeding generations of trashy thrillers.

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO screening times:

Mon., Sept. 10, 6PM:  THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Tues., Sept. 11, 2:45PM  CINEPLEX YONGE AND DUNDAS