October 15 2012 – Living in Toronto sure is exciting. Sometimes we feel the city’s slogan should be “so much to see and do, so little time”. World class music and film events continue to dominate Toronto’s cultural landscape. When T-Mak World started, our editors had a few shared passions, one of which was horror/genre movies. As October rolls through we have our eyes on a couple of events that will surely satisfy our horror film cravings.
Starting on October 18th and running through October 26th, our favorite film festival will hold our attention. Toronto After Dark Film Festival promises the best in Horror, Sci-Fi, Cult and Action Genre movies. If you are not familiar with what types of movies to expect check out our preview article which highlights all 20 gems being shown this year. We also interviewed the festival’s founder and director of programming Adam Lopez here.
On October 24th 2012, the most amazing film experience you have ever seen rolls into Toronto for it’s third ever showing. 360 Screenings puts you inside the film with secret venues filled with props and character actors before the screening (of a film that you wont know what it is until the day before the screening). More of an event than just a film watching experience, 360 puts you in the movie. Check out our review of the previous 360 Screening (which happened to be Fight Club) which blew away T-Mak World’s movie critic John Dash. Speaking of John we asked him to compile a list of his favorite horror flicks to celebrate Toronto After Dark Film Festival as well as 360 Screenings – here is what Mr. Dash had to say.
T-Mak World is proud to present an unconventional list of its Top 10 Horror Movies most horror cinefiles may not have heard of let alone seen. Sure Hollywood has crafted a handful of truly great cult masterpieces over the last 50 years, but this T-Mak list widens that Western cinematic focus to include some rarely seen horror films that are worth chasing down.
10. George A Romero’s, Night of The living Dead (1968) – USA
Dir. George A. Romero
*** AN ISOLATIONIST MEDITATION ON THE SURVIVAL OF MAN ***
As one of the pillars of the horror genre, Romero crafted this black and white sleepy zombie movie which elicited shock and disgust by movie goers for its orgy of sadism and relentless futility.
9. Haute Tension (2003) – France
Dir. Alexandre Aja
Two french college students, Marie and Alex, head to Alex’s parents secluded farmhouse in hopes of studying for their exams without distractions unaware that a killing machine is about to desend. But who or what is the real killer. A true psychological horror.
8. The Descent (2005) – Canada
Dir. Neil Marshall
*** MOUNTAIN CAVING BREAKS NEW DEPTHS IN CLAUSTROPHOBIA ***
Six women brought together for a bonding adventure deep in the Appalachian mountains slowly unravel with each other but must work together as the constricting caving walls reveal that they are not alone.
7. The Thing (1982) – USA
Dir. John Carpenter
*** DISCOVERY . . . EVIL . . . AND ASSIMILATION, IN ANTARCTICA ***
An American Antarctic research station is confronted with a new form of terror when a recent finding at a remote Norwegian research station metamorphosis with deadly accuracy in order to stay alive and reach civilization.
6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) – USA
Dir. Philip Kaufman
*** PEOPLE, PODS, IMPOSTERS. SYSTEMATIC CLONING OF THE HUMAN RACE ***
Fighting to be heard yet trusting no one, a small frighten group fight unnatural forces where sleep mean replication.
5. Stephen King’s The Mist (2007) – USA
Dir. Frank Darabont
*** WHERE RELIGION . . . FEAR . . . AND THE RAPTURE INTERSECT ***
With the Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile as his calling card, its easy to see how Frank Darabont elevates a classic Stephen King story into a meditation in horror. A thick fog descends upon a rural community and claims the lives of anyone unfortunate enough to be caught outside, a small band of survivors seeks refuge in a local grocery store
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4. Creep (2004) – UK / Germany Co-production
Dir. Christopher Smith
*** MISSING THE LAST SUBWAY CAN TAKE HORRIFIC TURNS ***
Before Franka Potente made the Hollywood A list with the Jason Bourne series she cut her teeth on this little known horror gem. After falling asleep and missing her last train in the London tube, Kate (Potente) tries to elude the horrors that lies beneath as she heads into the unknown labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city’s streets.
3. REC (2007) – Spain
Dir. Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza
*** A FIRST PERSON ACCOUNT IN TERROR ***
Reporter Angela (Manuela Velasco) and her trusty cameraman Pablo are following a local fire crew for a segment of their reality television series when the firefighters receive a distress call from a nearby apartment building. . But the calm atmosphere at the moment betrays the horrors that begin to unfold after the firemen break down the tenant’s door and experience something that no one would believe had it not been captured on camera.
2. A L’Interieur (2007) – France
Dir. Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo
*** THE BIRTH OF A CAESARIAN TERROR MASTERPIECE***
L’Interieur, is mesmerizing in the dark reaches it will take your mind and inflict your psyche. A pregnant widow awaiting her ride to the hospital must fight for her life against a mysterious woman who comes knocking on her door. The final twist is mind blowing in its delivery.
1. Martyrs [ UNRATED] (2008) – Canada / France Co-production.
Dir. Pascal Laugier
*** THE “EXISTENTIAL” HORROR OF ALL HORRORS ***
On September 11, 2008 Director Pascal Laugier told an audience at the Toronto International Film Festival that the movie (which premiered there) had just received an X rating in France: the most restrictive rating you can get in the country. After you see Martyrs you will see why. You can leave Martyrs but Martyrs will not leave you. It will affect you on a whole subconscious level like no other movie. A young, badly battered Lucie (Mylène Jampanoï) — obviously the victim of inhuman abuse — is hospitalized after somehow managing to escape her sadistic captors. Lucie only manages to become functional again as a result of her friendship with Anna (Morjana Alaoui), a fellow abuse victim who selflessly reaches out to the badly damaged girl. The essence of the reveal is the secretive rich old lady seeking the quintessential answers of life.
VERDICT: Our hope when creating this list was to introduce horror lovers to movies they may have overlooked, but either way we can ensure you that both 360 Screenings and Toronto After Dark will satisfy all your hunger cravings! These picks may or may not be the Top 10 Horror Movies of All Time – but you sure will love them all on Halloween night.
