The Guardian Reports On The Madness!

Overcome by the Madness, audience member toy with the very globe!

The Guardian reports on Midnight Madness and gives our own MM Photographer, Ian Goring, a mention. Midnight Madness does make dreams come true!

When it first began 25 years ago, Midnight Madness was "a little bit more rough and tumble, and the audience was, like, drunk and stoned and rowdy", says Geddes. "But after a while, realising that what they were seeing was the crème de la crème of genre films, it built this kind of genre sophistication." 

The poster boy here is Eli Roth, whose groundbreaking horror Cabin Fever came out of nowhere in 2002 to earn not only audience devotion but some of the year's biggest sales. Writing in this month's Hollywood Reporter, Roth was effusive about how Midnight Madness changed his life. Other films to make their name at the Ryerson cinema include Ong-Bak, Hostel and The Raid. (Geddes: "I think I can accurately boast that I'm the first person to get 1,200 people into a cinema in North America to watch a film from Indonesia.") 

Fittingly for Tiff, Midnight Madness hasn't just been a springboard for directors. "There was one kid I would run into," Geddes recalls. "Shy, quiet kid. He always asked to take a picture of me and the director after the film. Then one year he sent me the pictures – and they were beautiful. He and his father drive in every day from Niagara Falls, an hour's drive away, see Midnight Madness and drive back. So I ended up getting him a media press badge – he's now my official paparazzi. He even took pointers from the other photographers, so now he knows how to get a star's attention: 'Over here, look over, to the right …'"

Read more here.

Last Chance To See OCULUS

2013 Blackberry Midnight Madness People's Choice Award runner-up Oculus has one more screening. And if awards aren't enough of an impetus, this is the scary mirror film that made MM Photographer Ian Goring cover his mirror to keep all bad things out or in (whichever).

Photographic documentation of Oculus' creepiness.

OCULUSFinal Screening:

Sunday, Sept 15th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 11

The 2013 Blackberry People's Choice Midnight Madness Award Winner!

This year's Blackberry People's Choice Midnight Madness Winner is Why Don't You Play In Hell! Congratulations to director Sion Sono and the cast and crew from all of us at the Midnight Madness Programme Blog!

Here's Sion Sono's response on winning the Award:

「こんな賞が欲しかった。この映画は、こういう賞を求めてた。

この映画がジャンプして喜んでいる姿が目に浮かぶ。」

This is what we always wanted. Our film was looking for something like this award. I can clearly picture that the film is jumping around and expressing the happiness.

And this year's runner-ups were Oculus, directed by Mike Flanagan, and, Witching & Bitching, directed by Álex de la Iglesia. Congratulations to Mike Flanagan, Álex de la Iglesia and the cast and crew of both films!

FINAL SCREENING: Witching & Bitching!

The final Midnight Madness witching hour might be past, but you still have one more chance to see MM Alumni Álex de la Iglesia's Witching & Bitching at the festival!

Jesus is in a hurry to make it to Scotiabank, man!

WITCHING AND BITCHING Screening Times:

Sunday, Sept 15th, 12:00 PM SCOTIABANK 14

WITCHING & BITCHING: Respect Your Elders!

The ladies of Witching & Bitching are trying to watch their show. Shhh....

One of the many things I have learned from films, both new and old, is to respect old women, especially old women with scary teeth or cataracts or dark, thick eyeliner. And Witching & Bitching seems to be a film in which a healthy respect for elders is in order. (And also, probably women with supernatural powers of all ages).

Be polite, be respectful and if you accidentally sass a senior, apologize. Maybe you made a thoughtless and cruel remark about her dentures or her cataract. Just apologize.

"I'm sorry I made fun of your dentures. It was wrong."

 

"Sorry I disturbed your ancient slumber!"

We all make mistakes and an apology can go a long way toward preventing nasty bites, spiritual attacks, hauntings and, most of all, curses.

Seriously, just apologize already.

And do you really want to doom your family line to centuries of misery? I've seen it happen plenty of times in film.

I'm not sure an apology can fix this, but it sure as hell can't hurt.

In fact, you might find that your elders have a lot of good advice--about what to do when you're cursed to wander the world as more beast than man, for instance.

Listen to what she says and do not piss her off.

So be polite, be respectful and if you make a mistake, for God's sake, apologize. Now have a nice time at Witching & Bitching, dears.

WITCHING AND BITCHING Screening Times:

Saturday, Sept 14th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Sunday, Sept 15th, 12:00 PM SCOTIABANK 14

WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IN HELL: Yakuza Movies

With the final screening of Sion Sono's yakuza film coming up, it seems like an excellent time to take a look at some classics of WTF yakuza film!

Fudoh: The New Generation (1996) directed by Takashi Miike

Takashi Miike was one of the first directors MM Programmer Colin Geddes brought to Midnight Madness. Riki Fudoh (not to be confused with Riki-Oh) takes over the action at his high school before taking over the whole island of Kyushu. His gang of adolescent assassins cut a swathe through the gangster community. But Riki isn't just looking for power, he's looking for revenge.




Branded To Kill (1967) directed by Seijun Suzuki

Jo Shishido is a very peculiar leading man. Deciding he was too blandly handsome, he got cheek implants (since removed) and his career as an antihero took off.  In Branded To Kill, Shishido plays, Goro, a hitman given a mission by a mysterious woman. Goro becomes a target when he fails to fulfill his contract. It sounds straightforward, but it's anything but, as the hitman hunting him psychologically torments him first. The mysterious woman has a thing for dead butterflies. And Goro himself has a fetish for the scent of steaming rice.  In short, Sono and Miike didn't come out of nowhere.



Tokyo Drifter (1966) directed by Seijun Suzuki

What can I say? I'm a sucker for Suzuki. Tokyo Drifter is an incredibly stylish and stylized portrayal of Tetsuya Watari as a yakuza hitman trying to leave the life. And just try to get the theme song out of your head.




Battles Without Honor Or Humanity (1973) directed by Kinji Fukasaku

Fukasaku is probably best known now for Battle Royale (2000), and he will always have a special place in my heart for The Green Slime (1968), but he sure made his mark on yakuza movies. In Battles Without Honor Or Humanity is part of a series of five films, The Yakuza Papers. Bunta Sugawara plays a veteran in Post-War Hiroshima whose loyalties are torn when his boss and his sworn brother's yakuza family feud.  and all of the films portray a brutal, highly unromantic view of the yakuza



Minbo: The Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion (1992) directed Juzo Itami

In Itami's comedy, a hotel is troubled by yakuza in their lobby, frightening off guests and generally being an intimidating nuisance. They hire Mahiru Inoue, played by Nobuko Miyamoto, who specializes in getting rid of the yakuza. But she doesn't shoot or stab them, she uses the law and yakuza tradition against them. While the film itself might be seen as mild to non-Japanese people, Itami reportedly was murdered over it.


If you are curious about real life yakuza, check out Jake Adelstein's journalism and books.

WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL Final Screening:

Saturday, Sept 14th, 3:45 PM SCOTIABANK 1

FINAL SCREENING: The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears!

Wake up, sleepy-head!

I know there's been a lot of late nights recently, but pull on your black leather gloves, get your eye make-up just right, jump in your black Jaguar and catch the final screening of the giallo-homage, The Strange Colour Of Your Body's Tears at the Scotiabank!

And if you don't or can't make it, the Vanguard Blog has a pretty sweet look at giallo soundtracks to set the mood for your day.

THE STRANGE COLOUR OF YOUR BODY’S TEARS Final Screening:

Saturday, Sept 14th, 12:30 PM SCOTIABANK 8

Colin's Candid Pictures: Hitoshi Matsumoto

Hitoshi Matsumoto leaving the Scotiabank Theater after another triumphant screening of R100.

Matsumoto learns of the Japanese release of Manborg.

(Pictures courtesy of MM Programmer Colin Geddes)

R100 Final Screening!

Saturday, Sept 14th, 9:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

Win Tickets With Our Sinister Selfie Contest!

Midnight Madness Judges prepared to evaluate the entries!

Got your Midnight Madness 25th Anniversary t-shirt? Well, you can enter our Sinister Selfie contest and win tickets to a Midnight Madness or Vanguard film screening!

Just take a picture of yourself in your Midnight Madness 25th Anniversary t-shirt, share it with us on Facebook or Twitter and the best pictures win a pair of tickets to one of these screenings!

Why Don't You Play in Hell on Sept. 14th @ 3:45pm
Proxy on  Sept. 14th @ 8:00pm
R100  on Sept. 14th @ 9:00pm
Witching And Bitching on Sept. 15th @ 12:00pm

And as a Grand Prize, tickets to one of the films in TIFF Bell Lightbox's Cronenberg Sidebar, "Psychoplasmic Panic: Cronenberg and the Rise of Body Horror" running from November 2 to December 21.

Curated by Colin Geddes, International Programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival, this 10-film sidebar to the David Cronenberg retrospective traces the emergence of the "body horror" genre in the work of such Cronenberg contemporaries as Brian De Palma, Ken Russell and John Carpenter, and recent films by some of Cronenberg's fearlessly transgressive cinematic offspring.

 So get sharing your Sinister Selfies!

"I am totally a human being. Give me tickets now."

RIGOR MORTIS: Legend of the One-Eyebrow Priest

Lam Ching-Ying looking to take care of business

 Juno Mak's Rigor Mortis pays homage to the hopping vampire films of yore, in particular, the Mr. Vampire series starring, Lam Ching-Ying as Kau, the One-Eyebrow Taoist priest who specializes in taking care of vampires, who despite their terrible behavior, are still someone's beloved ancestors.
And he is always beset by both gueng si/ gyonshi, aka, hopping vampires, and two disciples who just do not listen.

In Mr. Vampire (1985), the first disciple, played by director Ricky Lau, is bitten by a vampire, and does not recieve the proper groceries he needs to stop him from starting to transform.

Director or not, this is what happens to shoppers who are not vigilant in buying glutinous rice and/or duck eggs.

Kau's second disciple, played by Chou Siu-Ho (Rigor Mortis), is seduced by a ghost living out in the woods in the form of a beautiful woman. Though she is borne by terrifying singing children, Chau-Sang finds her charming.

Charming!

Kau has a lot on his hands without even attempting to solve the bigger problem, a terrifying vampire, played by Yuen Wah, made incredibly strong by being buried in defiance of all sensible feng shui.


He had been in Sammo Hung's Encounter Of The Spooky Kind (1980), which created the whole genre of kung fu horror comedy. And after starring in Mr. Vampire, Lam went on to star in Mr. Vampire II, Mr. Vampire III and Mr. Vampire 1992 (1992), and Encounter of the Spooky Kind II (1990). He directed and starred in Vampire vs. Vampire (1989) and appeared in Musical Vampire (1992).
 

In fact, Lam starred in something like 130 films before dying in 1997 at the age of 46. He was a gifted martial artist and action choreographer.  He also appeared in  films that had nothing to do with vampires at all, including small parts or appearances as an extra in A Touch Of Zen (1971); The Lady Hermit (1971) with Cheng Pei-Pei;  The Big Boss/Fists Of Fury (1971) with Bruce Lee; Hap Ki Do (1972) with Angela Mao Ying;  The Man From Hong Kong (1975) with Jimmy Wang Yu (Soul).

including one of my all-time favorite, The Prodigal Son, in which he plays a Peking Opera performer who specializes in female roles and is also a secret martial arts master


I am also very fond of The Magnificent Butcher (1979)



And, finally, a nice tribute to Lam Ching-Ying.

RIGOR MORTIS Final Screening:

Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9
 

SOULFinal Screening:

Saturday, Sept 14th, 12:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

Midnight Madness 2013 Playlist!

What are those rad tunes playing in the Ryerson every night, you might have asked yourself. "I sure wish I knew what the playlist was.

Well, here you go! The Official Midnight Madness Playlist.

1. Le Perv    4:16    Carpenter Brut    6    2013-01-08 8:22 PM    Carpenter Brut EP
2. L.A Venice Bitch 80's    4:12    Carpenter Brut    3    2013-01-08 8:22 PM    Carpenter Brut EP
3. Escape From Midwitch Valley    6:44    Carpenter Brut    1    2013-01-08 8:22 PM    Carpenter Brut EP
4. So Electric    6:43    Lifelike        2013-01-16 11:38 PM    Electro Mix
5. In Death It Ends - Rite    6:12    In Death It Ends    4    2013-02-19 2:21 PM    Forgotten Knowledge
6. In Death It Ends - Forgotten Knowledge    5:33    In Death It Ends    5    2013-02-19 2:21 PM    Forgotten Knowledge
7. In Death It Ends - Blind Faith    5:02    In Death It Ends    8    2013-02-19 2:21 PM    Forgotten Knowledge
8. In Death It Ends - We All Die    6:18    In Death It Ends    13    2013-02-19 2:21 PM    Forgotten Knowledge
9. Pulse of the Streets    4:23    Mega Drive    2    2013-01-31 5:26 PM    Futurescape
10. Terminal Overdrive    5:04    Mega Drive    3    2013-01-31 5:26 PM    Futurescape
11. Eclipse    6:30    Perturbator    3    2013-02-06 2:17 PM    I Am The Night
12. I Am The Night    6:19    Perturbator    4    2013-02-06 2:17 PM    I Am The Night
13. Technoir (Feat. Noir Deco)    4:45    Perturbator    7    2013-02-06 2:17 PM    I Am The Night
14.  02 Death Ray Eye    2:08    Brian Wiacek    2    2013-03-12 9:20 PM    Manborg OST
15. 06 Training For Battle    1:34    Brian Wiacek    6    2013-03-12 9:20 PM    Manborg OST
16.  Main Title    3:58    Fred Myrow, Malcolm Seagrave    1 of 17    2012-11-13 6:25 PM    Phantasm
17.  Fighting Spirit    5:37    Protector 101    2    2013-02-14 6:14 AM    Protector 101
18.  M.A.R.K. 13    3:31    Protector 101    3    2013-02-14 6:14 AM    Protector 101
19.  Vision    5:42    Protector 101    4    2013-02-14 6:14 AM    Protector 101
20.  Stalkers    4:55    Protector 101    8    2013-02-14 6:14 AM    Protector 101
21.  Dies Irae    5:29    Jonathan Snipes & William Hutson    14 of 14    2012-09-20 9:15 PM    Room 237 - Album DEMO
22.  Compulsive Cartography    4:28    Jonathan Snipes & William Hutson    2 of 14    2012-09-20 9:15 PM    Room 237 - Album DEMO
23.  Industrial Sector 3083    3:33    Bourgeoisie    1    2013-05-25 2:52 PM    Space Tapes And Vice
24.  The Crystal Brain    7:22    Bourgeoisie    4    2013-05-25 2:52 PM    Space Tapes And Vice
25.  Back Alley Showdown    6:30    Bourgeoisie    6    2013-05-25 2:52 PM    Space Tapes And Vice
26.  02 - Terror 404    4:13    Perturbator    2    2013-02-02 4:01 PM    TERROR 404
27.  10 - Shadow Force '84    6:03    Perturbator    10    2013-02-02 4:01 PM    TERROR 404
28.  Maniac    6:07    Mega Drive    6    2013-01-31 4:38 PM    VHS

WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL Screening Times:

Friday, Sept 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Saturday, Sept 14th, 3:45 PM SCOTIABANK 1

WITCHING AND BITCHING Screening Times:

Saturday, Sept 14th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Sunday, Sept 15th, 12:00 PM SCOTIABANK 14

WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IN HELL Premieres Tonight!

Polish up your katana, swear your oaths of eternal loyalty, and practice all your sweetest gambling movies because Sion Sono's Why Don't You Plan In Hell? premieres at Midnight Madness tonight!

Of course, an oath of eternal loyalty might not be the best idea if playing in Hell is involved... Anyway get ready for some craziness at the Ryerson tonight!

WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL Screening Times:

Friday, Sept 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Saturday, Sept 14th, 3:45 PM SCOTIABANK 1

R100 Premieres Tonight!

R100 is Hitoshi Matsumoto's third film to screen at Midnight Madness. Matsumoto also brought us Dainipponjin / Big Man Japan in 2007 and Symbol in 2009.

Matsumoto could be bringing anything this time, so choose your safe words carefully because R100 premieres tonight!

 

R100Screening Times:

Thursday, Sept 12th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Friday, Sept 13th, 11:30 AM SCOTIABANK 9

Saturday, Sept 14th, 9:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

EXCLAIM Reviews R100!

At exclaim.ca, Scott A. Gray reviews Hitoshi Matsumoto's R100.

While how viewers respond to Matsumoto's vision will likely tell you something about themselves, what this bizarre journey definitely does lead to is hilarity and a strange sort of poignancy. Demonstrating a rare gift for the absurd, the film is edited together with the broad physical flare of silent film slapstick, mixed with the zaniness of cartoon anarchy. Furthermore, each music cue is impeccably selected to enhance whatever kinky distortion of reality is occurring on-screen.  

[....] 

R100 is such a special and unusual piece of cinema that it's the type of art enhanced by the element of surprise. Try not to learn too much about it before catching it, but be assured that if the idea of a combination of the sensibilities of John Waters and David Lynch is appealing, then this is an eccentric ode to bliss that should easily scratch that strange, little itch.

Scratch that strange, little itch at R100's premiere Thursday night!

R100 Screening Times:

Thursday, Sept 12th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Friday, Sept 13th, 11:30 AM SCOTIABANK 9

Saturday, Sept 14th, 9:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

THE STRANGE COLOUR OF YOUR BODY'S TEARS Premieres Tonight!

The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears premieres tonight over at The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, home of the Vanguard Program.

It's not part of Midnight Madness, but where would the Madness be without giallo, those stylish Italian thrillers that led to slasher films and classics like Halloween and Friday The Thirteenth? And The Strange Colour Of Your Body's Tears is Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani's homage to giallo.

Here is the amazing poster

And the trailer:


  

 Our sister blog has a little more on gialli, their soundtracks (here and here) and The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears.

See you there!

 

THE STRANGE COLOUR OF YOUR BODY’S TEARS Screening Times:

Wednesday, Sept 11th, 6:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

Thursday, Sept 12th, 9:30 PM SCOTIABANK 3

Saturday, Sept 14th, 12:30 PM SCOTIABANK 8

RIGOR MORTIS Premieres Tonight!

Buy a bag of glutinous rice, cover your house in yellow charms and find yourself a Taoist priest, preferably one with a unibrow, because RIGOR MORTIS premieres tonight with a new, deadlier take on gueng si, aka, "hopping vampires!"



RIGOR MORTIS Screening Times:
Wednesday, Sept 11th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Thursday, Sept 12th, 12:45 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2
Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

RIGOR MORTIS: Juno Mak: Director and Pop Star!

According to his Chapel of Dawn site, Juno Mak is a Pisces, enjoys comics and free-fighting in his spare time and his favorite food is hot pot and his favorite song is Metallica's "Sad But True." 
And just by looking there, you can probably tell that the Rigor Mortis director has a career going besides making scary vampire movies. He's a pop singer with sweet music videos, fine dance moves and twelve albums (two with special releases) to his name.
So let's enjoy a couple of his music videos.





As if becomming a popstar at 18 isn't enough, Mak's acted in four films,  Dream Home (2010);


 Revenge: A Love Story (2010);



As well as in Let's Go (2011);  and the "Ah Wai, 'The Big Head'" segment, Por See Yee (2007).

He's also teamed up with his Hong Kong music label, Silly Things, to create his own clothing label, Chapel of Dawn, taking its name from his 2007 album. There are special items the proceeds of which go to charity.

After the Sichuan earthquake happened in May 2008, Juno originated a charity campaign, to sell charity items produced by "Chapel of Dawn" in Hong Kong, Japan, France and the US. Later on, Juno kept developing projects under the concept of “Chapel of Dawn” by collaborating with his old or newly made partners like "Colette”, "Hello Kitty", "Backbone", Mihara Yasuhiro and many others come and counting.

And here's his blog at Silly Thing's Think Silly community.

RIGOR MORTIS Screening Times:

Wednesday, Sept 11th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Thursday, Sept 12th, 12:45 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2

Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

Midnight Madness Alumni Throwdown: Hitoshi Matsumoto vs. Gackt

 In a televised competition, two legendary Midnight Madness Alumni Hitoshi Matsumoto (Dainipponjin aka, Big Man Japan; Symbol; and R100)and singing superstar Gackt (Bunraku) throw down on Japanese television.

Hello, Dears!

It is a tremendous battle that shakes the very foundations of 25 years of Midnight Madness History. Steel yourselves for "The Don't Laugh Contest!"




They try not to laugh some more.


And the winner goes to "heaven" and the loser goes to "hell":



Matchan and Gackt have had other contests, including a televised game of billiards. This is the only footage I could find of it, but it is excellent footage.



No matter who you root for in these competitions, put enmity aside and enjoy R100 on Thursday night. Maybe even stop for a moment and gaze at the very red carpet that Gackt once walked.
 

R100Screening Times:

Thursday, Sept 12th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Friday, Sept 13th, 11:30 AM SCOTIABANK 9

Saturday, Sept 14th, 9:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

Colin Geddes' Zine Asian Eye Prepares You for RIGOR MORTIS!

Way back before Colin Geddes ever programmed Midnight Madness, he was a zinester, editing Asian Eye: The Occidental Tourist's Guide to Oriental Pop Culture.

Click through to a fully-readable copy of Asian Eye #2.

You can familiarize yourself with gyonshi, aka, "hopping vampires" before seeing Rigor Mortis, Juno Mak's tribute to the gyonshi classic, Mr. Vampire. (Cover by T.S. Hart)

RIGOR MORTIS Screening Times:
Wednesday, Sept 11th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Thursday, Sept 12th, 12:45 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2
Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

THE STATION: Creature Designs, Part II

Just a few more of TOMAK's design sketches for the creatures of The Station. Usually, we'd include captions, but they're just too nice for any rascalry. (See Part I here).

Find more by and about TOMAK here.

THE STATION Screening Times:

Friday, Sept 13th, 9:15 PM SCOTIABANK 9