Get out your bloodied implements and lock the door against unspeakable terror (and maybe wear safety goggles or something to keep it out of your eyes if the poster is anything to go by) because ALMOST HUMAN premieres tonight!
Seriously, really consider safety googles. Or maybe some kind of hazmat suit because that poster reminds me of John Carpenter's The Thing, if the Thing was also an ax-murderer, which is at least six times worse than the regular the Thing.
Canada is no stranger to scares, and Midnight Madness is proud to showcase homegrown horror as part of our programming. Before The Afflicted debuts tonight, we thought we'd come up with a list of the top 5 horror films that make us proud to be Canadian.
#5 - Father’s Day (2011)
When Canadian up-and-comers Astron-6 teamed up with horror heavyweight Troma, the brual and hilarious Father's Day was born. Premiering at the Toronto After Dark film festival in 2011 with another feature Manborg, Father's Day blew audiences away with a unique blend of horror and politically incorrect humor. #4 - Pontypool (2009) Snow. Sleet. Zombies. Everything Canadians have come to fear get mashed together in Bruce McDonald’s adaptation of Tony Burgess’ zombie fever dream of a novel. Set in the tiny town of Pontypool, Ontario (look it up on a map, it's seriously tiny) Pontypool combines the bleakness of Canadian winters with the claustrophobia of being trapped by a zombie onslaught.
#3 - Cube (1997)
Vincenzo Natali's first feature film Cube was filmed with a modest budget but an overwhleming surplus of creativity and creep factor. The novel concept and simplistic execution made the film a cult hit, and endures as one of Canada's most talked-about cinematic exports.
#2 - The Fly (1986) David Cronenberg's 1986 adaptation of the classic sci-fi tale The Fly is often cited as the best example of a remake done right. The special effects are astonishing, but it's the chemistry between costars and then real-life couple Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum make the film a harrowing emotional experience that sets the film apart from its kind.
#1 - BlackChristmas (1974)
Bob Clark's holiday classic Black Christmas put Canadian horror on the map. Credited as the first film to define the slasher subgenre, Black Christmas is also said to have been the inspiration behind John Carpenter's Halloween.
Don't miss what could be the latest contribution to this list! The Afflicted premiers tonight, only at Midnight Madness!
"An old-school horror film, from an old-school horror filmmaker." -John Freakin' Carpenter
REVIEW:
John Carpenter's face loomed on the screen, projected above the cast of The Ward who had come on stage to introduce the film in his absence. He was needed in L.A., he said. Jury duty intervened, apparently, but we were to enjoy what he called "An old-school horror film, from an old-school horror filmmaker." He was dead right.
The Ward is set in the '60s, in a special ward of a creaky, rusty, spooky mental hospital. Kristen (Midnight Madness fave and deservedly so Amber Heard) is delivered kicking and screaming to her room, one recently occupied by the mysteriously departed Tammy (Sali Sayler). The spooks and ooks start immediately, and as Carpenter himself said, they're decidedly old-school. Kristen's blanket is pulled by an unseen force under the bed, beads appear scattered on the floor, a mangled girl's face appears in her cell's peep-window before disappearing. Soon the other residents of the ward begin to disappear and Kristen must unravel the secret behind the ghost that is terrorizing them… before it's too late!
It's old-fashioned, high-spooky stuff pitched squarely at the horror-lover's nostalgia bone. There are a handful of goofy, clunky script moments, the majority of which are explained in hindsight as the film nears its not-incredibly-surprising surprise ending, that trouble things a bit. The details of the machinations of Kristen's perambulations and escape attempts - locks picked with letter openers, a massive ventilation system accessible from directly behind a toilet - are the kind of stuff that would be aggravating had the film taken itself more seriously. It also doesn't hurt things that Amber Heard, as out of place in a '60s period piece as she seems, as Hollywood thin as she is, is fantastic.
Thankfully Carpenter's The Ward is content to be slightly goofy, shooting for pleasant spookiness over gore and favouring instead that old horror saw, the jump-scare. The ghost in The Ward appears in windows, in showers, in mirrors, in front and behind of characters, from above and below, from inside locked doors and at the end of empty hallways. The film is an absolute masterclass on the art and science of shooting, cutting and scoring these shout-out-loud scary moments. It's not surprising. Carpenter's been doing this for a long time, and while the film's stolid nostalgic tone leads to a few goofy moments, it only adds to the film's charm.
Female fans of Midnight Madness got an international dose of red carpet eye candy earlier this week from the likes of USA's Josh Hartnett, Japan's GACKT, Canada's Hayden Christiansen, and Biker Dude Magazine's Sexiest Man of the Year runner-up, Ron Perlman. But last night's screening of John Carpenter's The Ward brought a bevy of beautiful females (and Jared Harris of Mad Men) to Midnight Madness that rivals even the red carpet of last year's Midnight Madness selection Bitch Slap. Ian Goring was there, and thankfully his very expensive camera didn't melt from all this hotness! Check it out, and try not to go insane!
All The Boys Love Amber Heard ("Kristen")
Amber Heard strikes a pose. Is there any way to make her NOT look hot? If you find one, the science community would like to know.
Danielle Panabaker ("Sarah"), Amber Heard, Laura-Leigh ("Zoey"), and Mika Boorem ("Alice")
Lyndsy Fonseca ("Iris") poses for a picture that is so hot that the hard drive in my computer is starting to fail.
D.R. Anderson ("Roy") and Jared Harris ("Dr Stringer")
Mika Boorem brings it on the red carpet
John Carpenter may not be gracing the pages of Maxim anytime soon (hopefully) but he sent a special message to the Midnight crowd since jury duty prevented him from attending TIFF.
I love you, Laura-Leigh! Call me!
Colin "The Luckiest Man on Earth" Geddes whispers in Amber Heard's ear and gets a kiss. Transcript: "YARRRRRRRRR!!"
Thanks to the LA Legal system John Carpenter was unable to attend last night's screening. But nearly the entire cast did! Below Amber Heard talks about what drew her to the role, and the cast talks about what can happen when filming at a function mental hospital.
