Ramping Up to Midnight Madness at the Festival of Fear

Can't wait for the Madness to start? You can get a little taste this weekend at Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear.



Midnight Madness usually has a table at the Festival of Fear. We're sorry to say we couldn't this year (for scheduling reasons), but as Colin Geddes says, “What a show they got going on!”



The Festival of Fear runs its spooky racket as part of the titanic Fan Expo, this weekend August 25-28 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.



This year's Guest of Honor is Robert Englund, who everybody knows as Freddie Krueger, but who will always kind of be Willie from the tv miniseries, V, to me. John Waters, iconic horror host Elvira, Martin Landau, Doug Bradley, Tom Savini, John Astin, Victoria Price, Malcolm MacDowell, Katee Sackhof, Lance Henriksen, Danielle Harris, Sam Tramell, Eliza Dushku and many more will also be appearing for photo opportunities, signings and Q &A's throughout the weekend.

Oh Willie, you are so sweet and clumsy...

Friday, August 26:



A noon screening of last year's Midnight Madness pick, John Carpenter's The Ward. If you think noon's too light for a horror movie, just remember the Romans considered noon to be the eeriest hour (MTCC 709).



Canadian Horror Geeks and fans of Canadiana might want to check out the “Remembering Frightenstein” panel at 5pm (MTCC 715B)



Victoria Price, author and the daughter of the late Vincent Price, will be available at at Q & A at 7pm (MTCC 715B)



Go on “A Dream Date with Freddy” when the Toronto Underground Cinema (186 Spadina Ave) screens Nightmare on Elm Street III: Dream Warriors, followed by a Q & A with Robert Englund. $20 in advance/ $25 at the door.



The 2011 Festival of Fear Shocktail Party featuring the Texas Hellbillies, Ghoultown, and DJ Peter Black at The Courthouse (57 Adelaide St. East). The shocktails start pouring at 10 p.m.

Ask Victoria Price about this baby picture at her Q & A!

Saturday, August 27:



Get your FX on at an FX workshop featuring Remy Couture at 12pm (MTCC 717)



If you're looking for a sweetie who's into horror and do well in job interview situations, you might want to check out the Horror Expo Speed Dating at 12pm. If you're openminded about genre, you can also try the All Genre Speed Dating at 6pm. (MTCC 803 for both).



At 4:30 there's the intriguingly-titled, “Lance vs. Lance, featuring Lance Henriksen.” (MTCC 713)



Remy Couture returns for the “Art/Crime” panel at 5pm. (MTCC 709)



But then there's also, “Satanic Sinema Screening featuring Salako Kalfou” at 5pm. (MTCC 711)

Will Lance vs. Lance be like this, but with another Lance Henriksen?

“This Filthy World: Filthier and Dirtier! An intimate evening with John Waters” at the Toronto Underground Cinema. Advance tickets are $30 at the Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear booth. Show starts at 7pm at the Toronto Underground Cinema (186 Spadina Ave.)



Back at the convention centre at 7pm there will be a “Monster Brawl featuring Art Hindle and others.” (MTCC 709)



Teletoon will be hosting a Retro Costume Contest at 8pm in MTCC Hall H.



Night Terrors: Horror Expo Party the Official Rue Morgue Festival of Fear Party starts at 10 pm. It features a midnight costume contest hosted by Tom Savini, the hypnotic sounds of Witch Rock pioneers Blood Ceremony. Plus Terror tunes from Rue Morgue Radio's Tomb Dragomir, Oz and LaMort at Revival Event Theatre (783 College St. West). $15 door/$10 advance.







Sunday, August 28:



There's a 12pm Horror Short Showcase, featuring Tim Sullivan and Adam Rifkin. (MTCC 711)



It's a war of the Midnight Madness Bloggers with a screening of Android Reenactment featuring Midnight Madness blogger Darryl Shaw and Steve Walsh. (MTCC 709) and “Creature Features” featuring Midnight Madness blogger Eric Veillette (MTCC 711) both set for 2pm



At 3pm, “The One and Only William Shatner” will be in MTCC Hall G.



And if you missed the previous day's Satanic Sinema Screening, never fear. The Devil has heard your prayers with “Satanic Sinema Screening II” at 4pm.

And who wins in the eternal struggle between the Devil and William Shatner?

@thesubstream ♥'s Midnight Madness #5 - THE WARD

"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.

Red Carpet Hotness for THE WARD!

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!!"

John Carpenter's The Ward screens ONE LAST TIME, guys!

Sunday, Sept. 19. 12:15pm Scotiabank Theatre 1



Tickets can be purchased at the offical TIFF site.

John Carpenter's The Ward Intro & Q&A

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.





John Carpenter's The Ward screening times: Sunday, Sept. 19. 12:15pm Scotiabank Theatre 1 Tickets can be purchased at the offical TIFF site.

John Carpenter's The Ward Unlocked (Part 2)

More behind the scenes footage from John Carpenter's The Ward. (Part 1 is here).

This might constitute a spoiler. You've been warned. Here's the farm house burn:

John Carpenter's The Ward screening times:
Monday, Sept. 13. 11:59pm Ryerson
Sunday, Sept. 19. 12:15pm Scotiabank Theatre 1

Tickets can be purchased at the official TIFF site.

John Carpenter's The Ward Premieres Tonight!

Whoever thinks that the first weekend of TIFF is where are the action is didn't realize that John Carpenter's The Ward premieres tonight. This marks the first time in NINE years that bonafide genre legend has gotten behind the camera and the third time in the last few years that Midnight Madness Alum Amber Heard returns to TIFF screens. Amber was here last year with The Joneses and blew the Ryerson away a few years back playing the lead in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. See everyone tonight!

John Carpenter's The Ward screening times:
Monday, Sept. 13. 11:59pm Ryerson
Sunday, Sept. 19. 12:15pm Scotiabank Theatre 1

Tickets can be purchased at the offical TIFF site.

John Carpenter's The Ward Unlocked

Some interesting behind the scenes footage from John Carpenter's The Ward.

Next up: John Carpenter burns down a farm house.

John Carpenter's The Ward screening times:
Monday, Sept. 13. 11:59pm Ryerson
Sunday, Sept. 19. 12:15pm Scotiabank Theatre 1

Tickets can be purchased at the offical TIFF site.