Entertainment Maven

The Innkeepers Review – Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011

The 6th Annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival, 8 Nights of Horror, Sci-Fi, Action, and Cult Movies runs Oct 20-27, 2011 at the Toronto Underground Cinema. For complete festival info visit www.torontoafterdark.com.

The final screening of Toronto After Dark 2011 was The Innkeepers, the highly anticipated haunted hotel story from Ti West. West was at the festival for an intro to the film and a Q&A afterwards. The Innkeepers closing night gala was one of the hottest tickets of the festival. The ticket holder line wrapped around the side of the building, where people seemed content to wait in the rain. Oddly enough, the pass-holder line seemed to have doubled in size, something I can’t even begin to understand.

Preceding The Innkeepers was a short film called The Lady Paranorma from director Vincent Marcone. The animated short was about a shunned woman of a small town who could hear the dead. The lovely animation reminded me of something Tim Burton might produce, and the poetic narration really added to the mystery and charm of the film.

Back to The Innkeepers.

I checked out West’s most popular film, The House of the Devil, a little late in the game. I really enjoyed the film (check out my review), the pacing in particular was remarkable. The House of the Devil felt unique in today’s world of ‘jump scare’ horror, and more of a harkening back to the days of 80’s horror movies. West has been labelled as a skilled ‘slow burn’ filmmaker, which he admits he doesn’t fully understand, as he feels he is simply treating the audience as intelligent moviegoers by not overdoing the scares and gore. However, West also stated that he was happy for the ‘slow burn’ compliments. I definitely acknowledge West’s pacing acumen, but am much more impressed with his ability to make drastic tonal shifts in the narrative. The House of the Devil feels like a comforting type of horror film for a while, creepy but not oppressively scary, however West pulls the rug out from underneath the viewer with grisly violence and horrific plot twists. A tonal shift is an ambitious filmmaking device, but an extremely effective one in the right hands. West pulled it off in The House of the Devil. Would he use the same technique for The Innkeepers, and more importantly, would it be just as effective?

The Innkeepers is probably best described as a buddy-workplace-comedy-ghosthunting-horror film. The story follows two employees of a failing hotel, Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy). The Yankee Pedlar Inn is set to close shop within the week. Only the second floor of the hotel is open, the others have been cleared out, save for the beds. Instead of dwelling on their soon to be lost jobs, Claire and Luke have an agenda for their final shifts. The Yankee Pedlar has a history of tragedy and Luke has seen some of the paranormal activity first hand. In these final days Claire and Luke are determined to capture something on film or audio tape that would prove the existence of the Pedlar’s ghosts.

The Innkeepers has all the charm in the world. The dialogue in West’s script is intelligent and funny. The performances of Paxton and Healy only add to the already effective writing. Healy is hilariously sarcastic, while Paxton’s portrayal of Claire results in one of the most likeable characters of recent memory. A particular scene has Claire trying to throw out a heavy garbage bag into a dumpster. Her ingeniously awkward and feeble attempts could not have possibly been scripted as they appear on the screen.

The atmosphere of The Innkeepers is reminiscent of light comedic horror films like Ghostbusters or something by Joe Dante, however this is only for a portion of the duration. As the characters become more deeply enmeshed in the haunting of the Yankee Pedlar, the paranormal activity shifts from creaking doors and strange sounds, to truly terrifying manifestations. At no point during the first half of the film will the audience be concerned for Claire and Luke, however the second half forces the viewer to challenge this notion of perceived safety.

The Innkeepers had the potential to be one of the best light-comedic-horror movies I have ever seen, but the shift in tone took the story to a much darker place, and as a result, The Innkeepers becomes a much more important horror film. Much like in The House of the Devil, the tonal shift in The Innkeepers is a very effective bit of filmmaking. West seems discontent to sit back and watch the horror genre rely on buckets of gore and jump-scares. I welcome what he is doing with open arms, as the more variety we have in the horror genre, the better. The Innkeepers is both a very funny comedy and a frightening paranormal mystery. The film is a great success from a critical standpoint, and I hope that it gets the audience it deserves.

The Divide Review – Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011

Some readers may be familiar with my position regarding post-apocalyptic films that I have voiced in previous reviews, but I will go over it once more for new readers. I feel that these films are often not subject to the same standard of criticism that fans and reviewers use for other horror and sci-fi fare. There is something about the end of the world, and a bleak environment faced by a small band of survivors that is extremely appealing to a large group of fans. Too often, poor story lines and insipid dialogue are overlooked, simply because a movie features a post-apocalyptic theme. I can certainly dig post-apocalyptic if it is done well, I’m just not as forgiving as the hardcore fans. I’m sure that I too am guilty of the same selective criticism of other sub-genres, perhaps slashers and dark detective stories. Fortunately, my clash with post-apocalypitc apologists can wait for another time, as I’m sure we can agree that Xavier Gens’ The Divide is a grotesquely mean-spirited and emotionally powerful tour-de-force.

The short which preceded the feature was Blind Spot from Matthew Nayman. Blind Spot depicts a disgruntled man driving on the freeway and attempting to change his flight time while on the phone with some unhelpful booking agents. What the man doesn’t realize is that while he battles the booking agents, an alien invasion has begun outside his driver side window. Viewers listen to the oblivious man argue, while a massive urban centre crumbles and burns in the background. Blind Spot is brilliant in its simplicity and is everything you could want in a short film.

Back to The Divide.

The story begins with Eva (Lauren German) gazing out her apartment at the fiery end of the world, or at least the end of New York City. Eva snaps out of it thanks to her husband Sam (Iván González), and the couple make a dash for the secure basement of their apartment complex. The pair make it to the basement safely, along with a small group of other tenants, including Josh (Milo Ventimiglia), Bobby (Michael Eklund), Marilyn(Rosanna Arquette), and paranoid superintendent Mickey (Michael Biehn), however they are forced to close the doors on a stampede of other tenants, or jeopardize their own safety. It turns out that the people who perished in the blast were the lucky ones, as the inhabitants of the apartment basement begin to lose their sanity and turn on each other in a horrifying sequence of events.

The Divide looks, feels and sounds fantastic, but the real story is the amazing acting turned in by the entire cast. Director Xavier Gens gave the cast a large degree of artistic freedom, so the final on-screen performances are the result of careful writing by Karl Mueller and Eron Sheean, combined with many improvised moments and ideas from the cast. Add to this the strict 31 day diet that Gens placed the cast on, in order to realistically display the worsening physical condition of the characters, and I imagine that much of the on-screen tension was fueled by real emotion.

I really don’t want to go through the performances of the cast one by one, as they were top notch across the board, and of a calibre that is rarely seen in this type of film. Although it should be noted that witnessing Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund transform into despicable villains is absolutely chilling.

Gens has created one the most stifling and claustrophobic atmospheres to ever be depicted on film. The characters in The Divide seem like they could be your real life friends or acquaintances. That is what makes their Lord-of-the-Flies-like descent into barbarism all the more chilling. Do not watch The Divide to have a good time at the movies. Instead, go see it when you are ready to witness the dark side of humanity. The film will weigh on your chest and make it difficult to breathe for 110 minutes, as you try to find a way out for these unfortunate characters while they destroy each other, both physically and mentally.

It should be noted that the Toronto After Dark version of The Divide was not the extended cut. The official Xavier Gens cut will feature an additional 15 minutes of sex, violence, and canned beans (don’t ask). I imagine it will feel like a much darker film. I’m not sure if I could handle that.

A Lonely Place to Die Review – Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011

A Lonely Place to Die was one of my picks for Toronto After Dark 2011. Why? Glowingly positive reviews across the board (as far as I’ve seen), a beautiful filming location, and purportedly non-stop thrills. I was disappointed to overhear a couple of conversations from people who were not as excited as I was for this one. The first was in line earlier in the week, when a woman was advising her friend not to see this film as the main character spends two hours hanging from the side of a mountain. After watching the film, I can say that she obtained this synopsis of Open Water-on-a-mountain from the recesses of her own imagination. The film is nothing like what she described. The second conversation took place after the film. A man was telling his friend that he heard the movie was supposed to be thrilling, but he wasn’t very impressed. I have some questions for this viewer. Were you facing towards or away from the screen? Were you wearing a sensory deprivation helmet during the movie? The film had a good turn out, but as far as I could tell, it was not a sell out. It should have been. A Lonely Place to Die is a beautifully shot and carefully scripted taut thriller that delivers in spades.

The short before the feature was Jules Saulnier’s The Incident. Too often some writers and filmmakers think that if something is wacky or ridiculous, then it must be funny. However, the right amount of wacky is a very difficult thing to nail down. The Incident delivers just the right dose of ridiculous dialogue and awkward interactions between characters. The short is about The Agent, a man who is captive in a foreign city and must overcome several obstacles in his path in order to save the world. A funny and charismatic performance by lead actor Manuel Sinor cements this one as a real winner.

Back to A Lonely Place to Die.

The story follows a group of friends who meet up at a cabin in the quiet Scottish Highlands, before setting out on a mountain climbing adventure. An initial climbing scare has a couple of the friends a little nervous, but the group is largely undeterred, that is until they hear the voice of a small child emitting from a metal breathing tube that is protruding out of the isolated forest ground. The climbers free a young girl from this man-made burial chamber, unfortunately she cannot speak or understand a word of English. She is clearly the victim of an unconscionable act committed by dangerous people, and in dire need of help. The climber’s decide to take the girl to the closest police station, however do to their location, the trek will be anything but easy. Unbeknownst to the heroes, the perpetrators of the kidnapping are close on their heels. A cat and mouse game ensues as the climbers try to reach the authorities, while the kidnappers try and reclaim their prize.

A Lonely Place to Die is an absolutely gorgeous film. Mountain vistas and lush forests make up the majority of the setting, while helicopter shots and the rest of the cinematography effectively communicate the always present danger of such an isolated and unforgiving environment. Action films are often completely forgettable because of the bland environments of cities, warehouses, banks, etc. This is not the case with A Lonely Place, as the Gilbey brothers (Julian directs, writes, and edits, while Will writes, edits, and directs the second unit) have given viewers some incredibly fresh visuals, in the form of the Scottish Highlands.

Julian expertly directs the action on screen. Clever cinematography leading up to climatic moments often hints at possible danger, but that nature of the danger is not evident until it is too late. Viewers will never feel like any of the characters are safe from the kidnappers. Julian also gets some excellent performances from his cast, particularly Melissa George as Alison and Ed Speleers as Ed, who are an ease to become attached to and cheer for. Also of note is the performance turned in by Sean Harris as the lead villain. Harris is creepy, callous, and at times doesn’t seem fully human.

The script by Gilbey brothers deserves just as much attention as Julian’s direction. The script is perfectly paced, the decisions made by the characters seem natural, and the action does not require the viewer to suspend their disbelief to enjoy the film (often a necessity in the action genre). My only criticism of the writing is a bit of unnecessary dialogue in which Alison states what she is thinking, for the benefit of the audience. This line reminded me that I was watching a movie and took me out of the action for a moment. However, this is only a minor complaint.

The TAD team programmed a thrilling experience with A Lonely Place to Die. Fast-paced action, adrenaline pumping thrills, and some unsettling horror elements make this film a pleasure to watch. With the right marketing I expect a lot of success for this one. I also hope we see more from the Gilbey brothers soon enough.

Some Guy Who Kills People Review – Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011

Remember that guy in high school who would always sit in the tech hall and play Magic cards? And then there were the jocks who would sit on the bench all day and gawk at all the girls who walked by. Finally, there was that guy who killed people, remember him? Good times. Alright, maybe I don’t remember that last guy, but he could have existed. Hell, he could even still be up to his favourite pastime, all it would take is a clever daytime gig, perhaps as an ice cream store employee.

Going into Sunday afternoon, I had already seen numerous highly entertaining films at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, however the high octane racing anime Redline was head and shoulders above the competition. It was just that good. Well, the competition has arrived in the form of the black comedy Some Guy Who Kills People. Some Guy is everything you could want in a horror\comedy. Razor sharp dialogue, impeccable characters and acting, some seriously gory kill scenes, but most importantly one of the funniest scripts of the past five years or so.

Some Guy was preceded by the short film and tongue twister Anamnesis, directed by Damian Weston for a 48-hour short film competition. Anamnesis has some scary and interesting elements, but I really wish that I could see it again, as I feel like a missed some of the narrative. The film is a great accomplishment considering it was made it two days.

Back to Some Guy.

The film follows a man named Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan from Pineapple Express and Fringe) who has recently been released from a mental institution. Boyd now lives with his mother (Karen Black) and works at a local ice cream parlour – somewhat demeaning for a thirty-something year-old man. One day Boyd decides that it is time to pay back the high school bullies who basically landed him in the nut house. One by one the mutilated corpses of the bullies began to turn up in a horrific series of murders, with only the bumbling local sheriff (Barry Bostwick) available to solve the crimes.

There are so many positives about Some Guy, that I don’t even know were to begin. The film should rocket director Jack Perez and writer Ryan A. Levin out of relative obscurity. Perez has been directing small time movies like Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus and Wild Things 2, while Levin has been writing TV episodes and short films. Some Guy makes it clear just how talented these two individuals are, particularly Levin, who has turned out an absolute riot of script. Black comedies are very often chuckling and smirking affairs, rather than laugh out loud occasions. This is not the case with Some Guy. Witty writing and incredible acting take this comedy to the next level.

Kevin Corrigan’s portrayal of the soft spoken and secretive Ken Boyd is often funny, cute, and endearing. The role could have been seriously in danger of becoming vapid or annoying in the hands of a less talented actor. Despite the strong performance turned in by Corrigan, Some Guy is straight up hijacked by Barry Bostwick and Karen Black. Bostwick’s role as the wacky Sheriff is pure comedic genius and is without a doubt award worthy. I’m not sure about the rest of the audience, but I was always anxious for him to come back on screen, just so I could see what he would get up to next. Karen Black is not far behind Bostwick in terms of comedic talent. Throughout the film, Black rips on Boyd with some of the most hilariously insensitive quips.

Go see Some Guy, I guarantee you will like it. If you don’t, I know of this great ice cream parlour where you can go whine about my review. Just make sure to tell Ken Boyd that you didn’t like his movie.

Lastly, when can I go see Some Guy in theatres again? When can I buy the DVD? Will Levin come over to my apartment for beers if I invite him? I need answers dammit!

War of the Dead Review – Toronto After Dark 2011

The second half of zombie appreciation night at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival featured a film that some people have been waiting a long time to see. Christian Burgess, a new addition to the programming staff at TAD, had been following this one for years, as news of the film would sometimes appear online, but would be followed by prolonged periods of silence. Director Marko Mäkilaakso spent five years finishing War of the Dead. Unforunately, the finished product left me a little bewildered, as there are plenty of positive things to say about War of the Dead, but the film never felt as entertaining as it should have.

The feature was preceded by a short film called You Are So Undead by director Alex Epstein. The short takes place in the ladies washroom of nightclub and follows a group of girls, some of which no longer cast reflections in the washroom mirrors because they have lost their virginity. This is a cute short that puts a spin on the over-tapped vampire genre.

Back to War of the Dead.

The story takes place during WWII. A group of American soldiers find themselves severely outnumbered in a firefight and fall back to save the lives of the few remaining men. They wait, nervously holding their breath, for an enemy counterattack that could potentially wipe them out, but the enemy soldiers never come. Instead, out of the shadows and trees comes a terrifying troop of the undead, hellbent on ending the lives of the soldiers.

As I have said, War of the Dead does a lot of things right. I was not familiar with the work of Marko Mäkilaakso, but it appears that he had previously made a career as a director of music videos, commercials and TV shows. His experience and technical skill are certainly on display in War of the Dead. The cinematography is effective, the lighting is appropriately dark and gloomy, and the action is fast-paced. However, much like I found in Alexandre Courtès’ (another music video turned feature film director) The Incident, the non-technical aspects of the film came up short.

Minor SPOILERS

Initially the soldiers are placed in a hopeless position (important for any zombie movie), but I never found myself getting attached to any of the characters and truly caring about their fate (crucial for zombie movies). Also, the film tantalizes the audience with an interesting occult angle, in the form of a small archaic device. However, the writers do not pursue this angle strongly enough, something I would have loved to see and could have made the movie more interesting. Finally, the combination of the mediocre acting and the lack luster script creates some rather bland dialogue that really could have used some of the clever banter and wit found in DeadHeads, although admittedly in smaller doses due to the different atmosphere of the film.

As for the zombies themselves I think that Marko Mäkilaakso and company made the right call. The undead are of the 28 Days Later variety, the type of zombies that can run at breakneck speed. I really think that slow zombies should be reserved for horror\comedies at this point like Shaun of the Dead. It has become quite difficult to scare an audience with a lethargic, arthritic, stumbling cadaver.

In the end, I think that Marko Mäkilaakso should be proud of his feature debut. Technically, the film is a fine one, and really feels like a big budget affair. The non-technical shortcomings of War of the Dead are a perfect example of what a difficult collaborative process making a feature film can be. Incredibly talented individuals are needed across the board to make a great movie. I am eager to see Marko Mäkilaakso paired with a polished script to really see what he is capable of.