TIFF Midnight Madness Selection
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is fast approaching, which means the acclaimed Midnight Madness programme, showcasing all the best in upcoming horror, shock and action, is upon us too. This year's selection has been announced and it's looking pretty impressive, including the world premieres of Kevin Smith's Tusk and [REC] 4: Apocalypse. Other films include;
- Big Game - A thriller, starring Samuel L. Jackson, which follows the survival of his character and a 13 year-old boy in the wilderness, after an Air Force One plane is forced down after an act of terrorism.
- Cub - A group of young Cub scouts find themselves stalked by a psychopathic huntsman, who has plagued the forest with deadly traps.
- The Editor - A loving tribute to/parody of the Dario Argento/Mario Bava giallo films in which a one-time film editor becomes a prime suspect in a series of brutal murders.
- Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films - A documentary that follows the rise and fall of exploitation powerhouse Cannon Films, whose contribution to cinema include American Ninja, Death Wish II and Masters of the Universe.
- The Guest - The latest from director Adam Wingard, in which a charming young man arrives at the house of a grieving family, claiming to be the best friend of their dead son.
- It Follows - A nineteen year-old girl finds herself stuck with a sexually transmitted serial haunting, in which the lingering phantoms remain unless she passes the curse on to someone else.
- Tokyo Tribe - A yakuza street-gang hip-hop musical epic (need we say more?)
- What We Do in the Shadows - Another horror-comedy to emerge from New Zealand, in which the mockumentary format is used to follow a trio of vampires who struggle to adapt to life in the 21st century.
This year's TIFF takes place from the 4th to the 14th of September. For more information on Midnight Madness, visit the official website.
In the works...
Dead IslandParadise. Virus outbreak. Zombie apocalypse. We've heard it all before and yet, we can't get enough. That's right, along with the upcoming release of Dead Island 2, it has now been confirmed that a film adaptation of this video game franchise is on the way. Occupant Entertainment and Deep Silver have teamed up to deliver this inevitable project and although we are far off any further detail, the shooting schedule is set to begin in 2015.
Resident Evil
In keeping with the gaming theme, Capcom has announced that the 2002 Gamecube 'remake' of the survival-horror juggernaut, Resident Evil, has received the remaster treatment. It has been rebooted for all current and next-gen platforms and will be available in early 2015, bringing Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine back to our screens... only in a far less 'blocky' aesthetic.
According to the company's official statement, this remastered version will be a walk down memory lane, using the latest resolution enhancement and 3D model technology. The game resolutions and textures have been significantly upgraded to 1080p, revealing beautiful and intense detail, and the sound effects are now a fully remastered 5.1 surround support. Fans of the franchise may be a little dubious of this recent announcement. Given the plans of a Resident Evil 7, and the not-so-successful predecessors, the release of this remastered edition could well be just a sneaky technique to test the proverbial waters. On the other hand, there is every chance this is a much-loved hark back to the good ol' days.
Either way, it's a win-win situation. Play the game and relive the 'old school' Resident Evil, or hate every second of it and join consumer activism in shaping the future of this much-loved franchise.
The Beast Within
This week it was announced that the 1982 horror, The Beast Within, is receiving the remake treatment by none other than the original's writer, Tom Holland. Holland has voiced his wishes to have another go at this transformation classic, to primarily implement previous ideas that were, at the time, inconceivable.
Given the development of CGI and practical effects, he is now able to bring his original concepts to screen. Fear not, it won't all be digital drivel however, as Holland has quite rightly confirmed that Michael MacCleary's infamous transformation scene will remain 'old-school' and 'in-camera'. Phew. After all, how can you beat this...?
To end on a somewhat bitter-sweet note, the past week or so has seen the unfortunate loss of two horror icons. The first being Marilyn Burns, who has starred in the likes of Eaten Alive, Helter Skelter, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Texas Chainsaw 3D and most recently, The Sacrament. Of course, her most famous role was Sally Hardesty in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in which her delirious laughter, sheer terror and primal screams lauded her as one of horror's original scream-queens, and provided cinema with a performance never to be forgotten.
The other loss if of course, Dick Smith. Close friend and mentee Rick Baker announced his passing last week with an official statement:
"The master is gone. My friend and mentor Dick Smith is no longer with us. The world will no longer be the same".
It's difficult to summarise Smith's career and to put in to words just how influential and iconic his work has been. His make-up effects have shaped not only the horror genre, but film as a whole. From the old-age make-up in The Godfather and Amadeus (for which he won an Academy Award), to the blood-soaked finale in Taxi Driver, to his most iconic work of all - transforming Max von Sydow and Linda Blair in The Exorcist.
His artistry makes every effect on screen feel palpable, his mark is indellible, his work is influential. Indeed, all of the great artists that exist today do so because of Smith - he is 'The Godfather of Make-up'. His passing is a great shame, but what a legacy he has left behind.
That's it for now, stayed tuned for the next news round-up!
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