Producer Profile: LACE CRATER's Joe Swanberg

Joe Swanberg is well known for being one of our Vanguard Mascot contenders, but he is also well known for his micro-budget filmmaking style. Nearly every film he has directed has been produced by himself, but he has also produced a few films he did not direct, including this year's Lace Crater in the Vanguard program. Below are just of a few of the many films Joe has produced, some of which you may not have heard of.

In 2009, Joe produced his wife Kris Swanberg's film It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home. The film, which selected for SXSW 2009, follows Cam (Jade Healy) and Annie (Kris Swanberg) on a trip through Costa Rica. The film is currently available to rent or buy via Vimeo.

2011's Fantasia festival saw TIFF favourites Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett (A Horrible Way to Die, You're Next, The Guest) screen the Swanberg produced film What Fun We Were Having. The film is an anthology of short films about date rape, and not much is known about it beyond the reviews out of Fantasia. Joe Swanberg does however star in the fourth story in the anthology as a young man who, while under the influence, makes the biggest mistake of his life with his roommate's sister.

Queen of the Earth is a film by Alex Ross Perry that premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival this past February. Released by IFC Films in August, the film stars Katerine Waterston and Elisabeth Moss as two women that grew up together that discover they have drifted apart while at a lake house retreat.

Further information about Lace Crater can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Facebook page and director Harrison Atkins' website.

LACE CRATER Screening Times:

Sun. Sept 20, 3:15PM SCOTIABANK 9

LOVE: Profile of Gaspar Noe

After decades of watching all kinds of traumatic films, I'm pretty desensitized. Not many filmmakers can make me squirm, or feel uneasy. In fact, it's a rare treat when I see something that throws me off balance. French filmmaker Gaspar Noe is a director who always surprises me. He seems to have no boundaries, no taboos - no limits!  And it's this sense of courage that makes him one of my favourites.
Noe is as badass a filmmaker as they come. He’s effortlessly controversial.  His films are fearless and confrontational. Not only this, but the way he moves a camera, the way the lighting/sets are designed, his films are beautifully hypnotic, as if being drawn into vortex (Enter the Void and Irreversible both have floating travelling shots).

His body of work has a cohesive and always evolving style. You can just tell you're watching a Noe film: Palpable tension, painterly frames, understated dialogue, touches of philosophy, his brash command of the soundscape, and cool as hell titles.

It’s no coincidence that Harmony Korrine hired Gaspar’s DOP Benoit Debie for the candy colored, gorgeously shot film Spring Breakers.

The last time Gaspar’s film played at TIF was the first person POV feature film Enter The Void (2009). This was not just a film, but a mind-altering experience! Check out the opening title sequence to get an idea of what I mean:

Approaching a Noe film, it’s difficult to know exactly what to expect.  He’s no stranger to horror either, with his deeply scarring film Irreversible (if you like labels: a great example of cinema of transgression)--which made waves with it’s brutal depiction of rape and revenge, in a story told backwards to great effect.

To say that he's all shock would be a misrepresentation.  Perhaps the most effective part of Irreversible's infamous rape scene (mild spoiler alert) was that an out of focus passerby stumbles upon it and witnesses the act for a few moments,  turns away, and LEAVES! It's subtle touches that take the overtly disturbing to a whole new level of emotional devastation.

The red world of Noe

This year Noe returns to the Vanguard program with the brazen Love, which, while I have been avoiding exact story information — is no doubt already controversial with it’s eye popping, unblinking sexual depictions, and word of mouth! Add to this, it's in 3D!

LOVE  Final Screening:
Thurs. Sept. 17, 6:00 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 1

3D Arthouse Films

Gaspar Noé pushes the boundaries of arthouse cinema in the sexually explicit Love, which has its North American premiere in the Vanguard program. He's not alone in experimenting in 3D. Other TIFF arthouse alums have dealt in stereographic films that explore how 3D can be used as a new medium.

Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams made a splash in 2010 when it premiered at TIFF. It was the first 3D film to screen at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. When Herzog first visited the Chauvet Cave, located in southern France, he immediately knew the documentary must be shot in 3D. After the film was completed he stated he had no plans to shoot in 3D again.

The next year Wim Wenders brought his own 3D documentary to TIFF, Pina, about the contemporary dance choreographer Pina Bausch. The documentary features interviews with the dancers of Tanztheater Wuppertal about Pina Bausch, as well as beautifully shot performances of some of her most famous pieces.

Last year the master of French arthouse cinema Jean-Luc Goddard had his experimental narrative essay film Goodbye to Language screen at TIFF. Together with his cinematographer Fabrice Aragano, Goddard experimented with what it means to shoot stereographically and played with the distance between the two cameras to produce harsher or softer images, as well as separating the shot whereby the left eye views one portion of a scene while the right eye views another.

This year's festival features Wim Wenders' 3D follow up to Pina with the narrative film Every Thing Will Be Fine. Taking place in Oka, Quebec, Wim Wenders directs James Franco, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Rachel McAdams in a film about how a single tragic event links the lives of Tomas (James Franco) and Kate (Charlotte Gainsbourg) over the course of 12 years. During the Q&A of the film's Toronto premiere, Wim Wenders said that on the last day of shooting Pina, when he was conducting close-up shots of the dancers' faces, he knew that 3D was the perfect tool for exploring narrative stories. The film's cinematographer Benoît Debie was also the cinematographer on Gaspar Noé's Love.

Further information about LOVE can be found on the Festival's website.

LOVE screening times:
Tue, Sept 15, 8:45 PM RYERSON
Thurs, Sept 17, 6:00 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX

LACE CRATER and Other Ghostly Sexual Encounters

Lace Crater follows the story of Ruth (Lindsay Burdge), an awkward twenty something that begins to experience strange physical changes after a weekend tryst with a ghost. The phenomenon of sexual encounters between ghosts and humans is called spectrophilia, and there are some films that have explored this phenomenon in the past. While not exactly a trope explored often, the relationship between humans and ghosts is one that can produce either romantic or terrifying outcomes.

Ghost (1990) is perhaps the most famous example of a romantic haunting. While no actual human-ghost sexual encounter occurs in the film - the famous pottery scene occurs at the beginning of the film - Sam Wheat's (Patrick Swayze) love for Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) is so strong that he watches after her to protect her after his murder.

The Entity (1981) is a film that is the exact opposite of a romantic haunting, and Martin Scorsese considers it one of the scariest horror movies of all time. The film stars Barbara Hershey as a woman who is tormented and sexually abused by a ghost. The film is based off the story of Doris Bither, a woman who in 1974 told Culver City, California police that she was raped by invisible assailants.

Last year's hit Midnight Madness film It Follows (2014) doesn't feature a human-ghost sexual encounter, but it does feature something arguably scarier - a sexually transmitted poltergeist as programmer Colin Geddes put it in last year's programming notes. The film follows Jay (Maika Monroe) as she confronts a murderous entity visible only to her after having sex with a new boy she has been seeing.

 

Further information about Lace Crater can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Facebook page and director Harrison Atikins' website.

LACE CRATER Screening Times:

Tue. Sept 15, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 10

Thu. Sept 17, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 14

Sun. Sept 20, 3:15PM SCOTIABANK 9

Toronto is a Comic Book Town!!

This year, Vanguard features not just one, but TWO comic book-related films, Zoom and The Missing Girl!  As much as Toronto is known as a film-loving town, it has a ton of love for the graphic arts as well. So, on your way to your next screening, stop into some of Toronto’s best places for all your comic book related needs!

If you’re headed up Yonge Street from the Ryerson, the Elgin Visa Screening Room, Winter Garden:
Yonge Street has so much to offer! At Silver Snail, you can grab some coffee at the Black Canary Espresso Bar in the store while looking for your latest issue. Or up the street, you can shop comics, games, and more at One Million Comix and Next Move Games. Keep an eye open for Matt Hansen, the writer of Zoom, who stops in for his weekly fix!

• One Million Comix and Next Move Games: 531 Yonge St, Toronto, ON, M4Y 1Z2
• Silver Snail and Black Canary Espresso Bar: 329 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5B 1R7

If you’re near The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema or Isabel Bader:
The Annex is really where it’s at in the way of comic book finds! First up is Labyrinth Comics is a collector’s friend with a wide variety of comic books, related items, cards, and much more. Though not necessarily a comic book store, I’d be negligent if I failed to mention the amazing used comics collection available at the Bloor Street BMV—sure, look at all the other books, but scour the thousands of back issues in their upstairs section!

• Labyrinth Comics: 86 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1X4
• BMV: 471 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1X9

And now we come to The Beguiling. Don’t be afraid if you get lost in this store that is overflowing with the best collection of comic book art books around—you won’t be the first to lose time submerged in their stacks, and you won’t be the last! Stop in on the other side of the block at their little sister store, Little Island Comics, and pick something up for the kids in your life—or, go ahead and just get something for yourself at the first store in North America to cater exclusively to the young comic book enthusiast. And, if at all possible, plan on coming back to town for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival in May—organized by Beguiling’s staff and the help of the Toronto Public Library system, TCAF has made a name for itself in a few short years as one of the best independent comic arts festivals and attached librarian and educators conference all in the name of promoting visual literacy and comic book culture. If you can’t make, at the very least, you should check out their year-round shop on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library, Page & Panel.

• The Beguiling: 601 Markham St, Toronto, ON M6G 2L7
• Little Island Comics: 742 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5S 2R6
• Page & Panel: 789 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 2G8
• Toronto Comic Arts Festival 

If you are looking to get away from the festival frenzy:
The above are just a small taste of what Toronto has to offer in the way of comics. If you need to get away from the hustle and bustle for a bit, check out the following places and explore a little more of the this comics-and-film-loving town! One of my first stops when I get to Toronto is the amazing Comic Book Lounge + Gallery.

• Comic Book Lounge + Gallery: 484 Oriole Parkway, Toronto, ON M5P 2H8
• Red Nails II: 1700 Wilson Ave, North York, ON M3L 1B2 and 18 Jane St, York, ON M6S 3Y2, Canada
• Atomic Age Comics: 497 Pape Av, Toronto, ON M4K 3R1
• Paradise Comics: 3278 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4N 2L6
• Excalibur Comics: 3030 Bloor St W, Etobicoke, ON M8X 1C4

But whatever you do, be sure to make your way to the screenings of Zoom and The Missing Girl!

Zoom screens:
Tues, Sept 15, 10:15 PM SCOTIABANK
Wed, Sept 16, 9:45 PM SCOTIABANK

The Missing Girl screens:
Sun, Sept 13, 10:00 PM SCOTIABANK
Tues, Sept 15, 4:15 PM SCOTIABANK
Sun, Sept 20, 2:30 PM SCOTIABANK

THE MISSING GIRL and ZOOM: Comic Books on Film and Films on Comic Books

The cinematic and sequential arts have grown up together over the past century, so it is no wonder that movies and comic books make quite the team! Superhero blockbusters and graphic novel cinematic adaptations seem to be everywhere these days!

But not all movies about comic books feature the characters and stories from the books. Comic book culture and all the people who make, sell, and appreciate comic books have also found their way in to film. This year, Vanguard features two films that touch on the other side of comics: Zoom and The Missing Girl. As an added bonus, these films use the format of comics—drawings, frames, speech bubbles—to tell their story.

There aren’t many films who fit this unique concept, so if Zoom and The Missing Girl pique your interest, here’s a few other films “about comic books, but that aren’t based on them” for you to check out:

Unbreakable: In M. Night Shyamalan’s directorial follow-up to The Sixth Sense, we see David Dunn (Bruce Willis) as a man who, with the help of Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), comes to the realization that he is a kind of real-life superhero. Price, who runs a high-end comic art gallery, expounds on the ideals and tropes of comic book characters, noting that for every strong man superhero, there is a villain willing to put him to the test.

Chasing Amy: A part of Kevin Smith’s View Askew Universe—a comic book concept in itself—Chasing Amy is the story of Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) and Banky Edwards (Jason Lee) are the artist and inker (aka “tracer”) of the Bluntman and Chronic comic book series. While at a convention, Holden meets and falls for Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams) another comic creator. The characters learn about one another and about themselves…all of which winds up as the story of Holden’s final book, Chasing Amy—a meta moment tripled in this year’s Zoom!

Cool World: Directed by comic book artist Ralph Bakshi, Cool World is the sees the comic book reality flip inside out as comic strip beauty, Holli Would (Kim Basinger), seduces her creator (Gabriel Byrne), who literally falls head first into the drawn world of his own creation.  Inspired by this comic book noir film, The Missing Girl features a cameo of some of Bakshi’s original artwork.

Artists and Models: Speaking of inspiration, in the 1955 Lewis and Martin classic comedy, Eugene Fullstack (Jerry Lewis) loves comic books but is haunted by the nightmares they inspire. His roommate Rick Todd (Dean Martin), a struggling artist uses the dreams as inspiration for comic books! With Eva Gabor and Shirley MacLaine as the artist models and love interests, this is definitely one to check out!

The Missing Girl screens:
Sun, Sept 13, 10:00 PM SCOTIABANK
Tues, Sept 15, 4:15 PM SCOTIABANK
Sun, Sept 20, 2:30 PM SCOTIABANK

Zoom screens:
Tues, Sept 15, 10:15 PM SCOTIABANK
Wed, Sept 16, 9:45 PM SCOTIABANK


FEBRUARY and Other Creepy Girls School Mysteries

Osgood Perkins' directorial debut follows two young prep school girls as they are haunted by an evil entity after being left stranded at their school over the winter break. An all-girl boarding school is the perfect set-up for a series of creepy and mysterious events, and below are a few standouts.

Dario Argento's film Suspiria (1977) is perhaps his most well-known film. When Suzy (Jessica Harper) transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany, several of her classmates at the academy are murdered in gruesome ways. The film is a must see for horror fans and a staple of the giallo genre. "The only thing more terrifying than the last 12 minutes of Suspiria are the first 92".

Picnic at Hanging Rock is a 1975 Australian mystery drama based on the novel by Joan Lindsay. After the mysterious disappearance of several school girls and their teacher during a class picnic to Hanging Rock in Victoria, several of the Hanging Rock locals grapple with the effects their disappearance has on the community. What is perhaps the most chilling part about Picnic at Hanging Rock is the ending that left several people disturbed when it first screened.

The Woods (2006), directed by Midnight Madness alum Lucky McKee (All Cheerleaders Die, 2013), centres on a rebellious teen who is sent to an all-girls boarding school in the New England woods which holds an ominous secret.

Further information about February can be found on the Festival website.

FEBRUARY screening times:

Saturday, Sept. 12th, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 1

Monday, Sept. 14th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 9

Friday, Sept. 18th, 6:45 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

The Cast of FEBRUARY

The first two screenings of February may currently be off sale, but if you're luckily enough to have scored a ticket to the premiere (or are able to score a ticket on Saturday, September 12th at 7am) you may find yourself seated amongst some of the cast of the film.

No stranger to either horror or TIFF, Emma Roberts is perhaps best well known for her roles in American Horror Story: Coven and American Horror Story: Freak Show on FX. This fall she will reunite with American Horror Story creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for FOX's horror-comedy series Scream Queens. Horror fans may also recognize her as Sidney Prescott's (Neve Campbell) cousin Jill Roberts in Scream 4 (2011). Emma Roberts was also in former TIFF films It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010) and Adult World (2013), as well as the TIFF Next Wave film Palo Alto (2014).

Emma Roberts in Scream Queens

Kiernan Shipka is best well known as the daughter of Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Sally Draper, on AMC's Mad Men. At only 15 years old, Shipka has also starred in the IFC Midnight film One & Two (2015), the Lifetime movie Flowers in the Attic (2014), and most recently as Kymmi, Kimmy Schmidt's half-sister on Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Kiernan Shipka in Mad Men

Lucy Boynton made her film debut playing the young Beatrix Potter in The Weinstein Company's Miss Potter (2006). She has also starred in the currently unreleased Canadian-Chinese action-fantasty thriller 400 Boys, and the Canadian-American film Copperhead (2013).

Lucy Boynton

James Remar has a long history in the film industry, usually playing a villain. He is known for his roles in 1979's The Warriors, 1982's 48 Hrs, 1984's The Cotton Club and 1996's The Phantom. He portrayed two unrelated characters in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (2012), the first being Ace Speck who is killed by King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) and the second being Butch Pooch, who kills King Schultz. His major television roles include Richard Wright, one of Samantha Jones' (Kim Cattrall) boyfriends on HBO's Sex and the City, and Harry Morgan, Dexter Morgan's adoptive father on Showtime's Dexter.

James Remar

Like James Remar, Lauren Holly also has an extensive acting career. She is perhaps best known as Mary Swanson in 1994's Dumb & Dumber or as Gigi in 2000's What Women Want. Her big break however was as Deputy Sheriff Maxine Stewart on CBS' Picket Fences from 1992-1996. More recently she has appeared as part of the main cast on CBS' NCIS as NCIS Director Jenny Shepard and CTV's Motive as Dr. Betty Rogers.

Lauren Holly in Motive

Further information about February can be found on the Festival website.

FEBRUARY screening times:

Saturday, Sept. 12th, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 1

Monday, Sept. 14th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 9

Friday, Sept. 18th, 6:45 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

LACE CRATER: The Short Films of Harrison Atkins

Harrison Atkins is making his feature film debut with the world premiere of Lace Crater, but before directing the horror-comedy-drama, he helmed a few short films that have been uploaded in full on his Vimeo page. The first one we'll look at is an animated short called Catsleeves from 2010, which has a surprisingly literal take on the title.

The second is Chocolate Heart, which opens with the protagonists' parents turning into cats. If that doesn't draw you in, perhaps the talking toilet will. It really does need to be seen to be believed. Chocolate Heart was a hit at several festivals last year and this year and was also featured on ShortOfTheWeek.com.

Harrison's most recent short is Blissful Banquet, which was a Vimeo Staff Pick and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Oak Cliff Film Festival this year.

Further information about Lace Crater can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Facebook page and director Harrison Atikins' website.

LACE CRATER Screening Times:
Tue. Sept 15, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 10
Thu. Sept 17, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 14
Sun. Sept 20, 3:15PM SCOTIABANK 9

FEBRUARY Second Look: Clip

Last week we gave you a sneak peak at some of the promo artwork for Oz Perkins' February, but today we come baring the gift of a hot off the press short clip from the film. The atmospheric clip doesn't provide much context as to what is occurring, but it does feature Kiernan Shipka as Kat doing something she probably shouldn't be doing. Ouch!

Further information about February can be found on the Festival website.

FEBRUARY screening times:

Saturday, Sept. 12th, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 1

Monday, Sept. 14th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 9

Friday, Sept. 18th, 6:45 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

DER NACHTMAHR First Look: Posters and Trailer

The multitalented German artist/filmmaker AKIZ will screen a beat pumping, strobe lit horror film about a Berlin party girl named Tina (Carolyn Genzkow) at this year's Vanguard programme. Der Nachtmahr, literally, "The Nightmare," follows Tina after she experiences a bad drug trip and finds herself being followed by a strange creature that only she can see.

Below is the poster and trailer for Der Nachtmahr, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about Der Nachtmahr can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Facebook page, website and AKIZ' Instagram page.

DER NACHTMAHR screening times:

Thurs. Sept. 17th, 9:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Fri. Sept. 18th, 12:00 PM SCOTIABANK 3
Sun. Sept. 20th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 14

ModernHorrors Has Love For HELLIONS And More

ModernHorrors.com has a full rundown of the genre films screening at this year's Toronto International Film Festival and Canadian filmmaking icon Bruce McDonald's Hellions appears on that list.

Seven years after his much-loved zombie thriller Pontypool, Canadian maverick Bruce McDonald returns to the horror genre with this deliciously creepy tale about a pregnant teen whose home is besieged by a ghastly crew of trick-or-treaters.

Modern Horrors highlights more than 30 titles in this Festival spotlight, including Vanguard titles like Demon, Der Nachtmahr, Evolution, February, and Lace Crater.

But wait, there's more!

The site also name checks Midnight Madness titles like Baskin, The Devil's Candy, The Final Girls, The Girl In The Photographs, GreenRoom, Hardcore, The Mind's Eye, Southbound, and Yakuza Apocalypse.

Thanks ModernHorrors.com!

HELLIONS Screening Times:

Thu. Sept 17, 9:30PM ELGIN/WINTER GARDEN

Fri. Sept 18 4:00PM, SCOTIABANK 4

DEMON Screening Times:

Fri. Sept 11, 6:15PM BLOOR HOT DOCS

Sun. Sept 13, 4:15PM SCOTIABANK 10

Sat. Sept 19, 9:15PM SCOTIABANK 13

DER NACHTMAHR Screening Times:

Thu. Sept 17, 9:00PM BLOOR HOT DOCS

Fri. Sept 18, 12:00PM SCOTIABANK 3

Sun. Sept. 20, 6:00PM SCOTIABANK 14

EVOLUTION Screening Times:

Mon. Sept 14, 9:30PM RYERSON

Wed. Sept. 16, 4:30PM BLOOR HOT DOCS

Sun. Sept 20, 8:30PM TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 2

FEBRUARY Screening Times:

Sat. Sept 12, 6:30PM SCOTIABANK 1

Mon. Sept 14, 6:45PM SCOTIABANK 9

Fri. Sept 18, 6:45PM BLOOR HOT DOCS

LACE CRATER Screening Times:

Tue. Sept 15, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 10

Thu. Sept 17, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 14

Sun. Sept 20, 3:15PM SCOTIABANK 9

Midnight Madness:

GREEN ROOM Screening Times:
Thu, Sept 10th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Sat, Sept 12, 2:15 PM BLOOR HOT DOCS

BASKIN Screening Times:
Fri, Sept 11, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Sun, Sept 13, 4:00 PM SCOTIABANK 13
Thu, Sept 17, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 4

HARDCORE Screening Times:
Sat, Sept 12, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Mon, Sept 14, 4:15 PM SCOTIABANK 14  
Fri, Sept 18, 1:00 PM SCOTIABANK 4

THE DEVIL'S CANDY Screening Times:
Sun, Sept 13, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Tue, Sept 15, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 9
Sat, Sept 19, 1:15 PM SCOTIABANK 14

THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS Screening Times:
Mon, Sept 14, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Wed, Sept 16, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 1
Fri, Sept 18, 9:15 PM SCOTIABANK 3

THE MIND'S EYE Screening Times:
Tue, Sept 15, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Thu, Sept 17, 3:30 PM BLOOR HOT DOCS
Sat, Sept 19, 7:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

SOUTHBOUND Screening Times:
Wed, Sept 16, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Fri, Sept 18, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 13
Sun, Sept 20, 3:30 PM SCOTIABANK 10

YAKUZA APOCALYPSE Screening Times:
Fri, Sept 18, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Sat, Sept 19, 3:00 PM SCOTIABANK 2

THE FINAL GIRLS Screening Times:
Sat, Sept 19, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Sun, Sept 20, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 2

THE MISSING GIRL First Look: Poster and Trailer

Making its world premiere at TIFF is A.D. Calvo's dark comedy The Missing Girl. Mort (Robert Longstreet) is the owner of a comic book shop who becomes increasingly worried when one of his employees, Ellen (Alexia Rasmussen), does not show up for work. Mort's distress grows as he begins relating Ellen's disappearance with the case of a missing girl from when he was a teen, an anguish which only grows when he discovers a former classmate Skippy (Eric Ladin) has arrived in town.

Below is the poster and trailer for The Missing Girl, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about The Missing Girl can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's website, Facebook account and director A.D. Calvo's Twitter account.

THE MISSING GIRL screening times:

Sun. Sept. 13th 10:00 PM SCOTIABANK 13
Tue. Sept. 15th 4:15 PM SCOTIABANK 14
Sun. Sept. 20th 2:30 PM SCOTIABANK 4

DEMON First Look: Poster and Trailer

Vanguard alum Marcin Wrona (The Christening, 2010) is returning to TIFF with the creepy tale of a dybbuk, a malicious spirit found in Jewish mythology, that possesses a man during just before his wedding. Demon is based on the Polish play Adherence by Piotr Rowicki and judging from the poster and trailer will leave you chilled and unsettled.

Below is the poster and the atmospherically creepy trailer for Demon, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

(Source: Fangoria)

Further information about Demon can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Twitter account.

DEMON screening times:

Sun Sep 13 10:00 PM SCOTIABANK 13
Tue Sep 15 4:15 PM SCOTIABANK 14
Sun Sep 20 2:30 PM SCOTIABANK 4

FEBRUARY First Look: Promo Art

Earlier this year a small town 50km south of Ottawa was abuzz over a film production that had moved in. Residents of Kemptville, Ontario played spot the actress as Emma Roberts (American Horror Story), Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) and Lauren Holly (NCIS, Dumb & Dumber) filmed writer and director Osgood Perkins' feature film debut February. Two girls Kat (Shipka) and Rose (Lucy Boynton) become stranded at their boarding school over the winter break after their parents mysteriously do not pick them up. At the same time a young woman (Roberts) leaves a bloody path behind her as she makes her way towards the boarding school. The closer the woman gets toward the school, the more possessed by an unseen evil force Kat becomes.

Below is a piece of promotional artwork that doubles as a poster for February, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

(Source: Bloody Disgusting)

Further information about February can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Twitter account.

FEBRUARY screening times:

Saturday, Sept. 12th, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 1
Monday, Sept. 14th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 9
Friday, Sept. 18th, 6:45 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

VANGUARD PROGRAMME UNLEASHES DARK, DANGEROUS AND SEDUCTIVE CINEMATIC STUNNERS

The Toronto International Film Festival® revealed today its Vanguard programme featuring new work from 14 daring filmmakers who are transcending the boundaries of creative vision where art house and genre films will spectacularly collide.

“Delving into the dark side of humanity and dangerously sexy, this year’s Vanguard lineup has something unique for everyone,” says International Programmer Colin Geddes. “We’re leading audiences into a wild world of emotional sensations, demons and strange sea creatures — delivered with Vanguard’s distinctive twist on storytelling.”

The 2015 selection includes a mysterious fantasy from French director Lucile Hadžihalilović; an eccentric comedy from Spanish cult favourite Álex de la Iglesia; an erotic 3D epic from Gaspar Noé; a twisted family tale from Danish filmmaker Anders Thomas Jensen and South Korea’s Ryoo Seung-wan busts out with action and thrills.

Films screening as part of the Vanguard programme include:

Collective Invention (Dolyeon Byeoni) 

Kwon Oh-kwang, South Korea, World Premiere 

Young and unemployed Gu is desperate to make some money and participates in a clinical trial for a pharmaceutical company’s new drug. As an unknown side effect, he slowly transforms into a fish. This bizarre situation becomes Korea’s hottest news and fish man Gu is catapulted into the spotlight and becomes a superstar, only to fall from grace just as quickly.

Demon 

Marcin Wrona, Poland/Israel, World Premiere 

Peter is a stranger in the hometown of his future wife Janet. As a wedding gift from the bride's grandfather, he receives a piece of land where the two can build a house and raise a happy family. While preparing the land for construction, Peter finds hidden bones of human bodies in the ground beneath his new property. Then very strange things begin to happen.

Der Nachtmahr 

AKIZ, Germany, North American Premiere 

When 17-year -old Tina passes out at a party, she assumes it was just the side-effect of her wild lifestyle on the decadent Berlin-party scene. Soon she becomes unsettled and nervously manic as a mysterious ugly creature starts to haunt her, in both her dreams and waking hours, and nobody believes her.

Evolution 

Lucile Hadžihalilović, France, World Premiere 

A 10-year-old boy discovers a dead body in the sea just before he is brought to the hospital for a mysterious injection. Before long, something appears to be growing inside of him
.

February 

Osgood Perkins, USA/Canada, World Premiere 

In February, beautiful and haunted Joan makes a bloody and determined pilgrimage across a frozen landscape toward a prestigious all girls prep school, where Rose and Kat find themselves stranded after their parents mysteriously fail to retrieve them for winter break. As Joan gets closer, terrifying visions begin plaguing Kat while Rose watches in horror as she becomes possessed by an unseen evil force.

Lace Crater 

Harrison Atkins, USA, World Premiere 

On a weekend trip to the Hamptons with friends, Ruth (Lindsay Burdge) encounters a mysterious ghost (Peter Vack) haunting the guest house. One thing leads to another and they find themselves in the throes of an unexpected one-night stand. Soon, Ruth begins suffering from a bizarre sexually-transmitted disease that leaves doctors and friends confused and frightened. As her body and social connections begin to disintegrate, she must find a way to reconcile her condition with the world around her, or risk losing herself to a void from which she may never emerge.

Love 

Gaspar Noé, France, North American Premiere 

January 1, early morning. The telephone rings. Murphy wakes up next to his young wife and two-year-old child. He listens to his voicemail: Electra’s mother, sick with worry, wants to know whether he has heard from her daughter. Electra’s been missing for a long time. She's afraid something really bad has happened to her. Over the course of a long rainy day, Murphy finds himself alone in his apartment, reminiscing about the greatest love affair of his life: his two years with Electra. A burning passion full of promises, games, excess and mistakes. 

Men & Chicken (Mænd og Høns) 

Anders Thomas Jensen, Denmark, North American Premiere 

Men & Chicken revolves around two special-natured brothers, Elias and Gabriel (Mads Mikkelsen and David Dencik). Upon their father’s passing, they find out through their father’s will that they are adopted. Elias and Gabriel decide to seek out their natural father and set out for the island Ork, where their biological father lives. Here they discover a most paralyzing, yet liberating truth about themselves and their family.

My Big Night (Mi Gran Noche) 

Álex de la Iglesia, Spain, World Premiere 

The story unfolds amidst a frenzied and lavish New Year's Eve television special, taped during a sweltering hot August in Madrid. An unemployed Jose is sent to join hundreds of extras cooped up on set, day and night, as they hysterically celebrate the fake coming of the New Year — over and over again. The star of the show, Alphonso, is a charismatic ratings-chasing diva; and Adán, a young Latino singer, is being hounded by fans that are trying to blackmail him.

The Missing Girl 

A.D. Calvo, USA, World Premiere 

The Missing Girl tells the story of Mort, the lonely and disillusioned owner of a comic book shop, and Ellen, the emotionally disruptive, aspiring graphic novelist he's hired. The story involves the search for a girl who isn’t missing and the discovery that it's never too late for late bloomers.

Veteran 

Ryoo Seung-wan, South Korea, North American Premiere 

A tough cop targets the tyrannical heir to a mega-corporation in this hard-hitting thriller from South Korean cult auteur Ryoo Seung-wan (Crying Fist, City of Violence).

Previously announced Canadian titles in the Vanguard programme include André Turpin’s Endorphine, Bruce McDonald’s Hellions, and Mark Sawers’ No Men Beyond This Point.

Hellions

Bruce McDonald, Canada, Canadian Premiere

Seven years after his much-loved zombie thriller Pontypool, Canadian maverick Bruce McDonald returns to the horror genre with this deliciously creepy tale about a pregnant teen whose home is besieged by a ghastly crew of trick-or-treaters.

No Men Beyond This Point

Mark Sawers, Canada, North American Premiere

This wry mockumentary from Vancouver director Mark Sawers envisions a world where women have become asexual and are no longer giving birth to males, and where the dwindling population of men are desperate to reclaim their place in the sun.

The 40th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10 to 20, 2015. Purchase Festival ticket packages online 24 hours a day at tiff.net/festival, by phone from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET daily at 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433, or visit the Gupta Box Office at TIFF Bell Lightbox in person from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET daily at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, until August 26 while quantities last. TIFF prefers Visa.

OVER YOUR DEAD BODY: TIFF Twitter Buzz!

You may regret skipping this movie. Just sayin'. 

For the past few days, acclaimed director Takashi Miike has been giving moviegoers a ride of their lives at screenings of Over Your Dead Body. Part play, part revenge story, all sorts of WTF, this is one film that'll have people talking after. If you want to join in the conversation, you have one last chance to catch this film on Saturday evening. Oh, how perfect. You were looking to something to do together with you date. What could be more perfect than this movie?! RIGHT?! Aha. Check out the Twitter buzz and screening time below.

OVER YOUR DEAD BODY screening time:
Sat., Sept. 13th, 6:30 PM, TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2

THEY HAVE ESCAPED: Last Chance!

Filmmaker JP Valkeapää has been impressing audiences at this Festival with his unique and unexpected take at a "troubled youth" film. Joni and Raisa's impromptu, drug-fueled, animal skin wearing romp through Finland is definitely worth a watch and luckily you've got one last chance. Use it wisely!  

Nicholas Bell of Ion Cinema had this to say about They Have Escaped: 

"...JP Valkeapää has created an unnerving and unexpectedly off kilter teen romance that goes down a road less traveled. Throughout what seems a prolonged set-up, a variety of interactions with various institutions inevitably result in escalating instances of two teens engaging in petty crime due to cold shoulders, apathetic adults, and uncompromising rulebooks. We’re lulled into a sense of security as to where the journey’s taking us until a late switch up severely alters the tone of the film to upsetting effect. 

As Joni, Teppo Manner gives a very mild mannered and expressive performance, his interactions requiring little to no dialogue. Roosa Soderholm’s Raissa is a bit more expressive, a blonde punk resembling Fairuza Balk dressed up as Debbie Harry for Halloween. By the time we leave them behind, ending with an ambiguity that will only leave you further disjointed, you’ll realize Valkeapaa has managed to burrow deeply into your skin."

They Have Escaped is screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. Check out more Vanguard films on the official Festival website.

THEY HAVE ESCAPED screening time:

Saturday, Sept 13, 10:00 PM SCOTIABANK 8

GOODNIGHT MOMMY: TIFF Twitter Buzz!

It's, uh, a fun-time family film. We promise. 

If you've missed out on your chance to be completely shocked and literally on the edge of your seat (or maybe hiding under it) at a screening of Goodnight Mommy, you've got one more chance! ONE MORE CHANCE. It may be in the middle of the day on a Friday but that's okay because you can just call in sick to work. And maybe after seeing this film you'll feel a little sick to your stomach anyway so it won't really be a lie, right? Check out what Twitter has been saying about this tension-filled horror story (twins, need we say more *shudder*) including a really exciting announcement from Radius at the end!

Goodnight Mommy is screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. Check out more Vanguard films on the official Festival website.

GOODNIGHT MOMMY screening times:
Friday, Sept 12th, 3:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

THE VOICES: More Dark Comedies!

"You picked the movie last night, Mr Whiskers. I want to watch a romantic comedy." 

If you’ve been paying attention to the Vanguard blog lately, we’ve been going on and on about how The Voices is one of the darkest comedies of the year; maybe even of ever. If you haven’t been paying attention, um, where have you been? Excuse you. EXCUSE YOU. Anyway, to keep this awesome dark comedy ball rolling (it’s kind of like a bowling ball, we think) we’ve put together a list of some of our other favourite dark comedies. It was really hard, guys, because there are so many good ones. SO MANY. 

Think of all the notes we could write if we had our own giant novelty pencil.

Obviously Sightseers is the first on this list. Because erotic knit underthings, and that pasta sauce and hands down the best use of “Tainted Love.”  Sightseers, from Vanguard and Midnight Madness favourite Ben Wheatley, tells the tale of . They’re on a grand adventure to visit such amazing places as the Keswick Pencil Museum. Wow, sign us up for that road trip. Except things take an unexpected turn because it sort of (read: really, actually, no doubt about it) turns  into a killing spree. Don’t you hate it when that happens? There are still plenty (and plenty) of laughs, though, and a giant pencil. What more could you want? 

Great day for a stroll in the park, eh.

Happiness is admittedly a little tougher to digest, even for fans of the darkest of dark comedies. Did you manage to find the humour in happiness? This author did, so take that as you will. She understands if you don’t want to associate with her anymore because DAMN does this movie go down a bleak path. Happiness weaves together a story of some very not happy people—in fact, they’re downright despicable. From a sex-craved phone masturbator to a pedophile who also happens to be a kind of devoted father, we understand why it would be hard to get behind Happiness. We will say that we agree about the plastic baggies. They ARE very relatable. Everyone uses ‘em, after all. 

See what Lance had to put up with? So rude.

World’s Greatest Dad asks the question: what if you have the worst son ever and he dies (because he’s literally the worst) but you sort of want to memorialize a better version of him? We almost don’t blame Robin Williams’ character, Lance. To finally be able to create the awesome son you always wish you had, to make people actually miss him and think he was some sort of awe-inspiring hidden-talent writer when it's really your own writing that everybody is loving is almost impossible to resist. Okay, fine, it’s also super horrible.

Well, how do we even begin to describe Killer Joe. All we can say is we'll never think of Kentucky Fried Chicken the same ever again. We mean K Fried C. Killer Joe is your typical "I'm in gambling debt so I'm going to have to kill my mum for the insurance money" tale. Don't you love those? Chris (Emile Hirsch) hires contract killer Joe (Matthew McConaughey-hey-hey) to get the job done but then Joe decides to take Chris' sister as a retainer. It used to be so easy to kill your mum but it's really hard to find decent contract killers these days. The movie is pretty violent as every character gets their face smashed into something (don't want anyone to feel left out, of course) but that's okay because it's worth it for this amazing McConaughey performance. 

"Did we make it past the first round?" 

Yeah, yeah, we already mentioned one Bobcat Goldthwait film in this list (World's Greatest Dad) but we can't help if he's one of the best at crafting absolutely bananas dark comedies. God Bless America was also a Midnight Madness favourite so it's only fitting we end our list with it. This film is a classic, all-American tale of a man becoming so enraged with how disgusting and awful and selfish people have become that he decides to go on a rampage and kill them all. But just the bad ones, don't worry. He inspires a teenage girl to join his cause and off they go to live the bloody, ultraviolent American dream! Ah, inspring isn't.

This list could be a helluva lot longer but we've got movies to see and more blogs to write so look up some more on your own, jokers. And when you're done with that, make sure you're seeing The Voices this week for the dark comedy to end all dark comedies.

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

THE VOICES screening times:

Thursday, Sept 11th 9:00 PM RYERSON
Friday, Sept 12th 6:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA