Midnight Madness Preview TIFF 2011 – Toronto International Film Festival

For the last decade or so I get together with some friends and we indulge in our annual tradition of watching some awesome movies at the world’s best film festival – the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Sorry Cannes – when was the list time your festival picked an Oscar winner? This year’s edition which is the 36th, will run from September 8-18 2011. The movies shown are categorized in one of 17 programs (some examples are Galas, Contemporary World Cinema and Masters). One category that stands out above all the others for its uniqueness is called Midnight Madness. As the name clearly implies these are movies that are shown at midnight at each night of the festival (and have a repeat showing at some other time during the event). The official TIFF webpage for Midnight Madness describes the movies being shown as “Weird and wonderful films from misfit directors for those audiences who appreciate the wild side of cinema; featuring thrillers, chillers and outlandish capers to drive you into frenzy.” Official description aside let me tell you the vibe at the midnight madness showing is unlike any other. Over 1000 people on a given night congregate at Ryerson Universities movie hall for the clock to strike midnight. A brief introduction of the night’s film by the Midnight Madness programmer Colin Geddes and the lights go down. The hall usually has a few hecklers shouting out random comments during the commercials and introductions and then silence…. everyone is waiting anxiously for the first beheading scene (or depending on the movie the first fight, sword fight or machine gun fight)… and BOOM – on cue the audience all scream out the appropriate sound whether it be “ewwww” or “yahhhhh”, and the film proceeds. I have seen dozens of films at midnight madness and about 95% of them get standing ovations (the best one ever was a French horror film called “Martyrs” – watch it!). A great highlight of the night as the Q&A session right after the flick. Usually the director and the stars are there to field audience questions about the film. This year’s batch of 10 flicks has 2 comedies, 2 action flicks and 6 horror films (wooohooo!!), also 9 of the 10 are World Premiers and 1 is a Canadian Premier

The official descriptions from the Midnight Madness webpage for this years movies are:

The Day – (USA) A band of survivors must fight to keep humanity alive in a bleak post-apocalyptic world. Screening on Thursday September 15 at 11:59pm.

God Bless America – (USA) It’s a Bonnie and Clyde for the 21st Century as a 45 year old man and a teenage girl go on a killing spree in comedian Bobcat Goldthwait’s angry and bloody black comedy. Screening on Friday September 9 at 11:59pm.

The Incident – (France) When a power outage hits a high security mental institution, three cooks working in the kitchen endure a cat and mouse chase with the maniacs on the loose. Screening on Monday September 12 at 11:59pm.

Kill List – (UK) A professional killer becomes a pawn in a supernatural mystery when he accepts an assignment from some shadowy clients. Screening on Saturday September 17 at 11:59pm.

Livid – (France) The directors of the Midnight Madness hit Inside return with new terrors when a young woman and her friends break into a decrepit mansion looking for treasure only to unlock a dark secret. Screening on Sunday September 11 at 11:59pm.

Lovely Molly – (USA) A young newlywed woman is thrust into a supernatural nightmare of the unknown when she moves into her deceased father’s house. Screening on Wednesday September 14 at 11:59pm.

The Raid – (Indonesia) A swat team is trapped in a rundown apartment block filled with heavily armed drug dealers and killers. Screening on Thursday September 8 at 11:59pm.

Sleepless Night – (France/Belgium/Luxembourg) A cop races through a packed nightclub, dodging drug dealers, and corrupt cops in a mad chase to rescue his kidnapped son. Screening on Tuesday September 13 at 11:59pm.

Smuggler – (Japan) In this wacky and shocking comedy, a failed actor is forced to work smuggling dead bodies and contraband in a world full of underground bankers and crazed fashionista yakuza killers. Screening on Friday September 16 at 11:59pm.

You’re Next – (USA) A family reunion spirals into a night of terror when mysterious assailants wearing animal masks lay siege against the clan in the new film by the director and writer of last year’s Festival indie hit, A Horrible Way To Die. Screening on Saturday September 10 at 11:59pm.

It is cool going to IMDb and seeing no ratings or comments for these as of yet. I will be going to as many of these as my schedule permits (typically the weekend ones) and will present my mini review on this site. I will also post some pictures of some of the stars and/or directors of these movies.

Verdict: I cant wait to see the two French horror films – “The Incident” and “Livid” and the UK thriller “Kill List”

Check out TIFFR for an awesome free scheduling tool, and last but not least, the official blog of Midnight Madness is found here.