Tweets of the Day! #mmadnesstiff

There's been isopods in my internets for the past few days but I dumped a crapton of chlorine into my keyboard and it seems to be working now.  Which means it's time to check in with Twitter to see what the Midnight Madness audience has been saying about The Bay, Come Out And Play, and The ABCs of Death!

OMG WTF BBQ LOL!

Say hello next time! He doesn't bite (unless he catches you texting during a movie)!

Aw!

So very true.  Those beach balls are not to be messed with.

 The very last screening for Midnight Madness 2012 is TONIGHT! Don't miss John Dies At The End!

Remaining Midnight Madness Screening Times:

JOHN DIES AT THE END
Sat., Sept. 15th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Sun., Sept. 16th, 6:00 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 7


THE ABCS OF DEATH
Sun., Sept. 16th, 9:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9


HELLBENDERS
Sat., Sept. 15th, 9:15 PM SCOTIABANK 2

AFTERSHOCK
Sun., Sept. 16th, 3:30 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 9

COME OUT AND PLAY: Director Makinov Speaks To Blogger Robert A. Mitchell

The mysterious and elusive director of COME OUT AND PLAY known as Makinov made the film while wearing a mask to keep his identity a secret--as he believes that by "punishing the ego through anonymity," he can command "the wisdom of being one with nothing."  He did not appear at the world premiere screening of his film last night, but he did agree to answer questions via his twitter account @onegodmakinov . I screen captured our twitter conversation.

You can pose questions via twitter @onegodmakinov use the hashtag #mmadnesstiff

COME OUT AND PLAY
Fri., Sept. 14th, 3:15 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 11

Makinov's Manifesto Plays Midnight Madness

Makinov, the mysterious director of COME OUT AND PLAY did not attend the world premiere of his film. However he uploaded a video to YouTube a couple of days ago.

The video of his manifesto played prior to the premiere last night. Here is the video with the crowd reaction.




COME OUT AND PLAY
Fri., Sept. 14th, 3:15 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 11

COME OUT AND PLAY: Ask Makinov

We've tried hard to get Come Out And Play director Makinov to answer interview questions and he's refused. Makinov is notoriously secretive--even filming his movies in a mask. He's also unwilling to appear at tonight's Q&A, sending us a video manifesto instead that explains his reasons for creating anonymously and wearing a mask.

But, Makinov has agreed to take questions on Twitter, creating a kind of virtual question and answer session while maintaining his anonymity.

You can write Makinov at: https://twitter.com/onegodmakinov or @onegodmakinov

And if you do ask a question, use the Midnight Madness hashtag: #mmadnesstiff or include our Twitter account, @mmadnesstiff, so we can keep track of all the questions and answers and post them on the blog.

COME OUT AND PLAY screening times:
Thurs., Sept. 13, 11:59PM, RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14, 3:15PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15, 6:45PM, SCOTIABANK 11

COME OUT AND PLAY: Movies' Creepiest Kids

Over at the Vanguard Progamme blog, valiant blogger Siân Melton has put together a list of creepy, creepy kids in anticipation of the creepy kids in Here Comes The Devil and Come Out and Play. 

Click through for pre-adolescent terror!


COME OUT AND PLAY screening times:
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 11:59 PM, RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14th, 3:15 PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15th, 6:45 PM, SCOTIABANK 11


HERE COMES THE DEVIL:
Sun., Sept. 16th, 3:30 PM SCOTIABANK 4

Midnight Madness at Trailers from Hell: Evil Brood Children!

At Trailers from Hell, writer Josh Olsen comments on another film warning us all of the dangers of groups of children, especially children in pyjamas, The Brood. It's an excellent film to warm up for the premiere of Come Out And Play tonight!

Like many other David Cronenberg films, The Brood also warns us of the dangers of reproduction. But Mr. Olsen has another take on the film--plus, a story about dining with Cronenberg. A storylet, really.





COME OUT AND PLAY screens:
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14th, 3:15 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 11

Midnight Madness at Trailers from Hell: Evil Children

Midnight Madness alumnus Joe Dante comments on the trailer for Children of the Damned (1963), the movie that was made immediatelly after, Village of the Damned, but was not a sequel.  It was about the same problem of children with fearsome psychic powers.

While the children of Come Out And Play appear to prefer getting their hands dirty, the Damned Children prefer to supervises the destruction of adult society.

Mr. Dante has more on why he thinks Children of the Damned is undervalued re-imagining of Village of the Damned.





COME OUT AND PLAY screens:
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14th, 3:15 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 11

COME OUT AND PLAY with Photoshop

Come Out and Play premieres tonight at Midnight Madness, which of course is going to bring about comparisons to other horror films, tv shows, etc. that feature creepy and/or murderous children.

I thought "What if..." (TM Marvel Comics, I'm sure) some of those terrifying tykes (unnecessary alteration ahoy!) made cameo appearances in Come Out and Play though?

If you want to play along, post yours in the comments!

Please pardon my atrocious Photoshop skills.

COME OUT AND PLAY screens:
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14th, 3:15 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 11

COME OUT AND PLAY Premieres Tonight!

Makinov's Come Out And Play premieres tonight! It's a remake of the classic Spanish horror film, Who Can Kill A Child?

Entertain yourself in line with debates over what children from evil children films would win in a fight and what are scarier, evil children or parasitic isopods!

COME OUT AND PLAY screening times:
Thurs., Sept. 13, 11:59PM, RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14, 3:15PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15, 6:45PM, SCOTIABANK 11

COME OUT AND PLAY First Trailer

The film COME OUT AND PLAY has just released it's first trailer. A remake of the classic Who Can Kill A Child? directed by the mysterious Makinov, this one looks very intriguing.




COME OUT AND PLAY
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14th, 3:15 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 11

COME OUT AND PLAY: Who is Makinov?

Director in a mask

When programmer Colin Geddes accepted Come Out And Play for Midnight Madness, the only information he had on director Makinov was contained in the bio sent along with the screener copy.

Makinov was born in Belarus. The elusive director refuses to disclose his first and last name. He began his career as a focus puller in Russia, and later travelled to Mexico to study and shoot two documentary films on Huichol shamanism. After what he describes as a near-death experience, he forged a new identity, referring to himself as Makinov. He believes that by punishing the ego through anonymity, he can command the wisdom of being one with nothing. Come Out And Play (12) is his latest feature film.

"Huichol shamanism" probably sticks out for fans of Carlos Castenada and people of the anthropological persuasion.  Peyote is an important tool in Huichol spiritual life and Makinov himself praises the shamanic drug ayahuasca at his Twitter account: https://twitter.com/onegodmakinov.  A bad trip and a near death experience might be a good reason to shift from documentaries to horror.

Makinov is apparently masked while directing his films, so that not even his crew or actors know his identity, making it hard to find any information about him. 

Outside of the fact that the film is booked and is screening on Thursday night, we've gotten no other information about Makinov and searching the internet has proven fruitless. However, we've just been sent this statement from Makinov expounding on his art, the reasons for it and quoting a beloved author.  (Sam Shepard, if Google serves me).




COME OUT AND PLAY screening times:
Thurs., Sept. 13, 11:59PM, RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14, 3:15PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15, 6:45PM, SCOTIABANK 11

Tweets of Madness 2: Return of the Twitter!



Looking for more tweets from people behind this year's Midnight Madness Films? Look no further!



@ABCsofDeath: Official Twitter of THE ABC'S OF DEATH.

@Simon_Barrett: Writer Simon Barrett

@jasoneisner:  Director Jason Eisner  

@XavierGens: Director Xavier Gens

@JTCM: Director Thomas Cappelen Malling
@jorgemichelgrau: Director Jorge Michel Grau 
@JohnSchnepp: Director Jon Schnepp 
@tiMObros: Director Timo Tjahjanto

@Vigalondo: Director Nacho Vigalondo

@TiWest: Director Ti West 
@mr_wheatley: Director Ben Wheatley
@AdamWingard: Director Adam Wingard
@mikaelwulff: Director Mikael Wulff 
@leehardcastle: Director Lee Hardcastle
@AndrewTraucki: Director Andrew Traucki 

@OneGodMakinov: Makinov, mysterious director of COME OUT AND PLAY.

@DonCoscarelli: Don Coscarelli director of JOHN DIES AT THE END.

@JohnDiesattheEn: David Wong author of the book JOHN DIES AT THE END.



@TheRealLukeEvans, @Esotericam, & @BrodusClay: Luke Evans, America Olivo, and Brodus Clay (George Murdoch) stars of NO ONE LIVES.

THE ABCS OF DEATH Screening Times:
Fri., Sept. 14th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Sat., Sept. 15th, 3:15 PM SCOTIABANK 9
Sun., Sept. 16th, 9:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

COME OUT AND PLAY Screening Times:
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14th, 3:15 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 11

JOHN DIES AT THE END Screening Times:
Sat., Sept. 15th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Sun., Sept. 16th, 6:00 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS

NO ONE LIVES Screening Times:
Sat., Sept 8th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Mon., Sept 10th, 9:45 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 7
Fri., Sept 14th, 4:45 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 6

Festival Programmer Steven Landry's Top 3 Midnight Madness Picks

Today's Top 3 Midnight Madness Picks are from Toronto After Dark Film Fest programmer, Steven Landry. TAD just announced their first 10 titles, so go check out their site after reading Steven's picks!

When I think about that lovely synaptic buzz we call anticipation, it's not that I'm remembering my favourite meal, or looking forward to entering a pre-established world of characters I've grown to love over the course of a sequel or two. The greatest form of anticipation for me comes from the unknown. Think about that first time as a child you ventured out past the boundary of your neighbourhood, or that first date with someone you've been crushing on for awhile. You never forget your first time, they say, and that's because there's a level of excitement when something is brand new that doesn't compare to the return to a well worn experience. Show me something new!  

#1 - Hellbenders

It's the three-peat at Midnight Madness this year for writer/director JT Petty with Hellbenders, a raunchy exorcism horror comedy, shot in 3D, and staring The Kurgan himself, Clancy Brown. As far as anticipation goes, you had me at JT Petty, a filmmaker who's work is as varied as anyone working in genre today. Midnight Madness audiences first met JT with S&MAN, a "documentary" about extreme horror that delved into the reasons why we would want to watch such terrible things. Next up was the epic western / creature feature The Burrowers, a film that played with the conventions of the western, and showed its usual heroes to be the true monsters. Now with Hellbenders he switches gears again, and I can't wait to see his take on the horror / comedy. A consistently skilled filmmaker tackling different types of stories, Hellbenders may be my most anticipated film of this year's crop.

#2 - John Dies at the End

Based on the book I've passed along to a number of friends, it's hard for me not to be excited for Don Coscarelli's take on John Dies at the End. Imagine if Hunter S. Thompson and William Burroughs collaborated on the script for Ghostbusters, and naturally thought ghosts were pretty passe, so they added Shadow People, inter-dimensional drugs, Lovecraftian bug demons, and a creature made of various cuts of meat. Oh... and a floating dog. For a story that is completely out there, it's the droll sense of humour that won me over, and how despite the fact that you may be battling the minions of an ancient god in your spare time, you still have to make your shift at a shitty day job to pay your bills. Add Clancy Brown (yet again) and Paul Giamatti to the mix, and I can't wait to finally see this whacked out story of the big screen. 

#3 - Come Out and Play

Seemingly out of nowhere we get a remake of the Spanish film Who Can Kill a Child?, by a director who is literally unknown, as he uses a pseudonym and wears a mask on set. Now that's something to look forward to right there! The original 1976 film is quite notorious for obvious reasons, a young couple end up trapped on an island off the coast of Spain and have to fight for their lives, as all the children have gone mad and murdered all of the island's adult residents. Let's face it, everyone knows kids are creepy. Have you seen The Brood? I rest my case. I think though that the real horror comes from the question that's right there in the title... could you bring yourself to do the unspeakable in order to survive? I think the anticipation in this film comes from the audience wondering just how far it will go, given the premise, and how often we'll feel the need to squint our eyes and turn away from the screen. This is Midnight Madness after all, so the chances are good that this film will indeed go farther than we'll be comfortable with, and I think that's a good thing.



Steven Landry is tall, bald, and never had wisdom teeth. When he's not assisting programmers or trafficking film prints at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, he's programming films for the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, where he works from his kitchen as the entire Programming Administration and Print Traffic departments.

His mother says Gypsies left him as an infant on her doorstep. He regrets nothing. Not even his love of Akiva Schaffer's 2007 amateur stunt man opus, Hot Rod.




Screening times:

Hellbenders
Sun., Sept. 9th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Tue., Sept. 11th, 7:00 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 7
Sat., Sept. 15th, 9:15 PM SCOTIABANK 2

John Dies at the End
Sat., Sept. 15th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Sun., Sept. 16th, 6:00 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 7

Come Out and Play
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14th, 3:15 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15th, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 11

Greetings from Possum Holler

Greetings from Possum Holler, fellow midnight mavens! I’m April Snellings, and I have the unique and considerable honor of being the first recipient of the Kari’s Scaries bursary. One week from today, I will make my way from Knoxville, Tennessee to Toronto, where I will eat my weight in poutine* and indulge in the non-stop debauchery known as TIFF Midnight Madness.

If you’re unfamiliar with Kari’s Scaries, please allow me to explain. Kari Ramjattan was a TIFF volunteer and staffer whose passion for genre movies–horror flicks in particular–knew no bounds. Kari passed away in 2010, so her family, friends and colleagues created Kari’s Scaries in her honor. The idea is to remember Kari by giving a horror journalist the opportunity to travel to Toronto, attend the Midnight Madness screenings, meet with Festival delegates, enjoy special events hosted by Midnight Madness programmer Colin Geddes, and have one hell of a time at North America’s coolest film festival. (Incidentally, the lovely art you see at the top of this post was provided by Kari’s son, Kelvin Ramjattan Jr. I really hope I get to meet him soon.)

J.T. Petty's Hellbenders

Though this is my fourth trip to Toronto (I’m a contributing writer and online editor for Rue Morgue Magazine), it will be my first time at TIFF. I can’t imagine a better year to go–I’m crazy excited for several of the films on this year’s roster, including J.T. Petty’s Hellbenders, Don Coscarelli’s John Dies at the End and Drafthouse Films’ The ABCs of Death. I’m jazzed about The Bay, psyched for Come Out and Play and pumped about No One Lives (in these parts, I’m known as That Chick Who Liked Midnight Meat Train). In other words, I’m looking forward to everything.

Making the journey with me will be my close friend and Knoxville Horror Film Fest Director William Mahaffey. We’ll head out at ridiculous o’clock on the morning of September 6 to make sure we roll into Toronto in time to see people get shot in the face in slow-mo (and 3-D!) in Dredd. If you’ve never driven from Tennessee to Toronto, I ask you: Where’s your sense of adventure? And by “sense of adventure” I mean, of course, your complete disregard for your own sanity.

If you’re interested, keep an eye on this space; I’ll be blogging about our trip and about the movies I’m so excited to see. I never had the pleasure of meeting Kari, but I hope her family–both the one she was born into and the one she picked up along the way–knows how much this trip means to me. I intend to make the most of it, and to honor Kari by doing exactly what she’d do: watch movies until my eyeballs shrivel up, and enjoy every last bit of Midnight Madness that Colin and the gang can sling my way.

Cheers, Kari, and thank you.

* If you’re unfamiliar with poutine, it is a pile of French fries roughly the size of your head that has been slathered with gravy and buried beneath a mound of fresh cheese curds. It’s amazing. Fries, gravy and cheese–can you think of a reason we don’t have this in Tennessee? Me neither. 

HELLBENDERS screening times:
Sun., Sept. 9, 11:59PM, RYERSON
Tues., Sept. 11, 7PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 7
Sat., Sept. 15, 9:15PM, SCOTIABANK 2

JOHN DIES AT THE END screening times:
Sat., Sept. 15, 11:59PM, RYERSON
Sun., Sept. 16, 5PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 2

THE ABCS OF DEATH screening times:
Fri., Sept. 14, 11:59PM, RYERSON
Sat., Sept. 15, 3:15PM, SCOTIABANK 9
Sun., Sept. 16, 9PM, SCOTIABANK 9

THE BAY screening times:
Wed., Sept. 12, 11:59PM, RYERSON
Thurs., Sept. 13, 2:45PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 6

COME OUT AND PLAY screening times:
Thurs., Sept. 13, 11:59PM, RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14, 3:15PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15, 6:45PM, SCOTIABANK 11

NO ONE LIVES screening times:
Sat., Sept. 8, 11:59PM, RYERSON
Mon., Sept. 10, 9:45PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 7
Fri., Sept. 14, 4:45PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 6

DREDD screening times:
Thurs., Sept. 6, 11:59PM, RYERSON
Sat., Sept. 8, 12:30PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 7

COME OUT AND PLAY Updates an Underseen Classic

Who Can Kill a Child?

Come Out and Play

Interested in some warm-up viewing for Midnight Madness 2012? Dig up the little-known suspense gem Who Can Kill a Child? (aka Island of the Damned). This 1976 Spanish chiller is the inspiration for Come Out and Play. Here's a clip from The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV in which Midnight Madness favorite Eli Roth (in this year's programme as actor and producer of Aftershock) names it as his 2nd favorite film that most people haven't seen:



COME OUT AND PLAY screening times:
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 11:59 PM, RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 14th, 3:15 PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 10
Sat., Sept. 15th, 6:45 PM, SCOTIABANK 11

AFTERSHOCK screening times:
Tues., Sept. 11th, 11:59 PM, RYERSON
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 6:15 PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 3
Sun., Sept. 16th, 3:30 PM, CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 9