SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES Premieres Tonight!

I've been going to Midnight Madness screenings since 2001 and I've been part of standing ovation only a handful of times. The first time was when Tony Jaa exploded onto the world stage with Ong- Bak. Now, Tony is back with SPL2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES. Don't worry if you haven't seen the first one because apart from a similar theme (which I'm guessing is bone-crunching action) the two stories are independent of each other. Check out the trailer below and we'll see you tonight at the Ryerson!



SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES Screening Times:
Thu, Sept 17, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Fri, Sept 18, 3:30 PM BLOOR HOT DOCS
Sun, Sept 20, 6:30 PM SCOTIABANK 2

THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS Premieres Tonight!

The madcap fury of the first weekend of TIFF may be over but the madness just will not stop. Tonight is the World Premiere of The Girl In The Photographs directed by Nick Simon, starring Kal Penn, and Executive Produced by the late, great, Wes Craven. So bring your selfie sticks, zoom lenses, and smartphones to the Ryerson tonight!

THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS screens:
Mon, Sept 14, 11:59 PM RYERSON 
Wed, Sept 16, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 
Fri, Sept 18, 9:15 PM SCOTIABANK

Kal Penn Renaissance Man

If you're like most people you know Kal Penn as half of the stoner duo Harold and Kumar, Van Wilder's sidekick Taj, or one of Hugh Laurie's colleagues on House but this cat is a true modern day renaissance man. Here are a few facts that prove just that:

1) Some entertainers support causes by making an occasional appearance or cutting a check but Kal went further by taking a long sabbatical from his acting career to work for the White House where he served as Associate Director of Public Engagement.

2) He's served as a visiting lecturer at both University of Pennsylvania and UCLA and has a graduate certificate in international security from Stanford.

3) Apart from acting he’s also produced and hosted The Big Picture on The National Geographic Channel as well as the engineering competition TheBig Brain Theory on The Discovery Channel.  

5) Finally, Kal will be making his Midnight Madness Debut as a fashion photographer in The Girl In The Photographs. There's not much out there about this one so be one of the first to experience it at the World Premiere on Monday, September 14th!

THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS screens:

Mon, Sept 14, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Wed, Sept 16, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK

Fri, Sept 18, 9:15 PM SCOTIABANK

First Photograph and Clip of THE GIRL IN THE PHOTGRAPHS

You'd think by now that there'd be at least a couple of publicity photographs of The Girl In The Photographs. Well, you're half right because right now I've got exactly one creepy photo and a clip and they're posted below. What do director Nick Simon and actor Kal Penn have in store? Join us at Midnight September 14th in the Ryerson for the World Premiere to find out!

THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS screens:
Mon, Sept 14, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Wed, Sept 16, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK
Fri, Sept 18, 9:15 PM SCOTIABANK

Navigating TIFF Part 3: Pearson Airport to Bell Lightbox for $3 via TTC

Previous posts have covered walking, driving, and biking around the TIFF village. Today we'll cover how to get there from the airport without spending an arm and a leg.

There are tons of ways to get from Toronto's Pearson Airport to the heart of TIFF but the cheapest is via the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It takes about 90 minutes and only costs $3 Canadian. Here's a handy guide that will get you from the airport to within steps of Bell Lightbox.

1) After you leave your gate at Pearson go to terminal 3 and follow these signs:

2) Once you get outside go stand by the TTC pole:

3) Wait for the 192 Airport Rocket (For schedule click here). Before you board make sure you have $3 (Canadian) in exact change. The bus drivers will not make change. If you don't have exact change you can get TTC tokens from some of the shops in Terminal 3.

4) The bus will make 1 stop before it reaches your stop, Kipling station, which is the end of the Southbound line before the bus returns to the airport. Go inside the station and get on the train. This station is at the end of the Bloor-Danforth line so no matter what train you get on you will be heading in the right direction. The Bloor-Danforth line is the green line in the map below.

5) After 14 stops you will arrive at the Spadina station. Don't worry about counting stops, just listen to the conductor as they announce each stop as the train pulls into the station. There are also maps posted in the train so you can figure out your location pretty quicky. At the Spadina station you are going to get off the Bloor-Danforth train and follow the signs at the station to the Yonge-University-Spadina line heading towards Finch. Do not go to the platform that says Yonge-University-Spadina heading towards Downsview as those trains are going in the opposite direction of Lighbox. Yonge-University-Spadina is the yellow line above.

6) If the first stop you come to is St. George you are on the right train. If you arrive at Dupont, you went the wrong way. Don't worry, just get off the train an wait for the next train going in the other direction (trains come every 10-15 minutes). From St. George it is 6 stops before you arrive at your final destination of St. Andrew which is a short walk to the Festival Box Office.

Navigating TIFF Part 5: Getting To, From, and Around The Ryerson Theater

Ticket Holders Line in Yellow. Rush Line in Pink.

The Ryerson theater hosts every first screening of the Midnight Madness Films. It's a 1250 seat venue and here are some details you need to know:

When should I get in line? Diehards  start lining up between 9:30 and 10:00 PM but for decent seats shoot for 10:30 PM. By 11:15 pm the line is usually halfway down Church St. 

What's up with the crazy line?!!? Long lines are part of TIFF. The ticket holders line starts in front of the Ryerson and runs east along Gerrard Street to Church Street. It then turns south along Church to Gould where it turns west along Gould and typically stops. 

Most nights, the line can be .5 km. Once the line starts to move, everyone gets in the venue within 10-15 minutes. The closer you are to Gould street, the more likely you are to sit in the balcony.

The Rush line runs west along Gerrard to Victoria then turns south on Victoria. Rush lines will be covered in an upcoming post.

Is there parking available? Street parking on Church and Gerrard is free after 9pm. Street parking is also available a few blocks east on Jarvis. There are lots south and north of the Ryerson on Church but they're expensive and best used as a last resort unless you're parking there all day and grabbing your car after the Midnight screening.

What's the closest TTC Station? The closest TTC Subway stop is College Station 1 block north of the Ryerson on Yonge and College. The last train leaves around 2:00 AM so don't count on the subway to get you home. Plenty of cabs are available and late buses are also running.

Where are the best seats? In most TIFF venues the best view and sound are always close to the reserved section. The Ryerson has a few rows in the middle of the house roped off. If you want legroom: sit in the sections in the back at stage right or left. The first row of the balcony also has a great view and has the best legroom in the house. 

Navigating TIFF Part 4: Biking to Venues using Bike Share Toronto

We've covered walking and cabbing in other posts so today we're tackling bike sharing using Bike Share Toronto. The concept is simple, walk up to a bike share kiosk, rent a bike, ride it to another location, and dock it.

The downside of Bike Share Toronto is that it requires a credit card. That isn't big deal for locals, just be aware that there may be foreign currency transaction fees for those of you who aren't from Canada.You also have to be comfortable riding a bike in a big city where you'll be dodging cabs, pedestrians, bikes, etc. The Bike Share Toronto website has all sorts of details on how to use the system and here are some maps indicating the stations nearest the TIFF Venues.

Before you rent a bike you should check the website to make sure the dock at your location isn't full. iPhone and Android apps for bike availability are also available.

We'll start with the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema located at: 506 Bloor Street West

Isabel Bader Theater: 93 Charles Street West

Jackman Hall, Art Gallery of Ontario: 317 Dundas Street West

The Princess of Wales Theater: 300 King Street West, TIFF Bell Lightbox: 350 King Street West, & Roy Thompson Hall: 60 Simcoe Street

Ryerson Theater: 43 Gerrard Street East

Scotiabank Theater: 259 Richmond Street West (Use "The Ballroom" for theater location reference on map below)

Elgin & Winter Garden Theater: 189 Yonge Street

Navigating TIFF Part 2: Driving Distances and Minimum Cab Fares between TIFF Venues

Though my preferred method of travel around the TIFF village is on foot, sometimes you just have to breakdown and take a cab.

The TIFF venues are always near busy intersections so getting a cab when a screening lets out isn't that hard. Just find a cab, stick out your hand, and off you go. The fares in this spreadsheet are based on www.taxifarefinder.com which I've used in the past and have found to be fairly accurate. I'm posting the medium traffic fare. The fares listed below that are in the $4 - 8 range are accurate +/- ~$1. The fares in the$11 - 15 range are accurate +/- ~$3 to $5.

Navigating TIFF Part 1: Distance & Foot Travel Time Between Venues

Navigating TIFF's village can be a daunting task for the uninitiated. So, over the next few days, I'll be doing a series of posts on getting around using various modes of transport. My personal favorite way to get around is on foot and a few years ago I created the matrix below. I've personally walked these routes numerous times over the last 10+ years and can vouch for their accuracy.

For those worried about the location of the Bloor, if you use Bell Lightbox as a reference point it's almost the same distance as the Bader if you walk. In fact, the Bloor is closer to the Lightbox than Bader if you drive!

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE WITH MIDNIGHT MADNESS AT THE 2015 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Midnight Madness returns to the Toronto International Film Festival® to satiate late night audiences’ appetites for wild sensory stimulation. The programme will present the best in action, horror, shock and fantasy films from the rabble-rousers of cinema, opening with Jeremy Saulnier’s tense siege shocker Green Room.

 “Midnight Madness winds up Festival audiences as the days are winding down and they are hungry for more,” says Colin Geddes, International Programmer for the Festival. “From adrenaline-filled action and untamed horror to twisted comedy and darkly blurred lines of reality, this year’s lineup welcomes back celebrated masters and fresh visionaries of renegade genre cinema.”

Among this year’s returning Midnight Madness directors are Joe Begos and Sean Byrne, who both debuted in the programme and are back with their much anticipated follow-up features, and Japanese bad boy auteur Takashi Miike with his high-octane Yakuza Apocalypse. Closing out the selection is the raucously reverent homage to classic slasher movies The Final Girls.

Films screening as part of the Midnight Madness programme include:

Baskin

Can Evrenol, Turkey World Premiere 

A squad of unsuspecting cops goes through a trapdoor to Hell when they stumble upon a Black Mass in an abandoned building. The nightmarish feature debut Baskin is the first-ever Midnight Madness film from Turkey.

The Devil’s Candy 

Sean Byrne, USA World Premiere 

The director of the 2009 Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award winner The Loved Ones is back with an equally fresh twist on the supernatural genre. A struggling artist (Ethan Embry) and his family buy the house of their dreams only to discover the property's mysterious dark past and a former tenant who wants more than to simply come back home. From the producers of Midnight Madness hits You’re Next and The Guest.

Midnight Madness Closing Night Film. 

The Final Girls 

Todd Strauss-Schulson, USA International Premiere 

Max (American Horror Story’s Taissa Farmiga) is a high school senior whose mom (Malin Akerman) was a celebrated ’80s scream queen. At a screening, Max and her friends are mysteriously transported inside her mom’s most infamous movie, where they must fend off the camp counselors’ raging hormones, battle a deranged machete-wielding killer and find a way to escape the movie and get back home.

The Girl in the Photographs 

Nick Simon, USA World Premiere 

Big-city glamour clashes with small-town values and a killer’s knife, in this bloody cocktail of terror from director Nick Simon and executive producer Wes Craven. Colleen’s life in the sleepy town of Spearfish is disrupted when she starts receiving photographs of brutally murdered women. Things get even crazier for Colleen when L.A. based celeb-photographer Peter Hemmings (Kal Penn) returns to his hometown of Spearfish to investigate.

Midnight Madness Opening Night Film. 

Green Room 

Jeremy Saulnier, USA North American Premiere 

Broke, tired and at each other’s throats after a cancelled gig, a young punk rock band accepts a sketchy matinee show to get themselves home. When they stumble upon something they weren’t supposed to witness, the quartet is trapped in a terrifying siege. Directed by Jeremy Saulnier (of 2013 Cannes Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize winner Blue Ruin), the film stars Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, and Patrick Stewart. Green Room is preceded by the previously announced short film The Chickening from directors Nick DenBoer and Davy Force.

Hardcore 

Ilya Naishuller, Russia/USA World Premiere 

Resurrected with no recollection of his past, a cyborg named Henry (the audience’s POV) and his ally, Jimmy (Sharlto Copley, District 9) must fight through the streets of Moscow in pursuit of Henry’s kidnapped wife in the world’s first action-adventure film to be entirely shot from the first person perspective.

The Mind’s Eye 

Joe Begos, USA World Premiere

Joe Begos returns with a psychokinetic thriller about Zack Connors (Graham Skipper), whose abilities have kept him off the grid for years until he’s recruited by the mysterious Dr. Slovak. The snowy New England landscape turns into a whirlwind of psychic rage, flying axes, and brutal revenge as Zack does everything in his power to stop Dr. Slovak's deadly descent into synthetically engineered telekinetic madness.

Southbound 

Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath and Radio Silence, USA, World Premiere 

Five intertwining tales of terror unfold along an endless desert highway. On a desolate stretch of road, weary travellers — two men on the run from their past, a band on their way to the next gig, a man struggling to get home, a brother in search of his long-lost sister and a family on vacation — are forced to confront their worst fears and darkest secrets in these interwoven tales of terror and remorse on the open road.

SPL 2 - A Time For Consequences 

Soi Cheang, Hong Kong, International Premiere 

The anticipated follow-up to the bone-cracking martial arts brawler SPL (also known as Sha Po Long and Kill Zone) that debuted in the programme in 2005 stars Midnight Madness discovery Tony Jaa (Ong Bak). When an undercover cop (Wu Jing) has his cover blown and is thrown into a prison in Thailand run by a crime syndicate, he must team up with a prison guard (Jaa) to bust out and get revenge on those who wronged him. Filled with gun battles, prison riots and frenetic fight choreography, SPL 2 might knock the wind out of you — and possibly a few teeth.

Yakuza Apocalypse(Gokudo Daisenso) 

Takashi Miike, Japan North American Premiere 

Japanese cinematic extremist Takashi Miike returns to his gonzo roots with this mind-melter that finds room for vampires, gangsters, monsters, martial arts and even a yakuza knitting circle. A true master and MVP of the programme, Miike wowed previous Midnight Madness audiences with such hits as Fudoh: The New Generation, Audition, The City of Lost Souls, Ichi the Killer, Zebraman, The Great Yokai War and Sukiyaki Western Django. He returns with a film too wild to be described and too fun to be missed!

The 40th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10 to 20, 2015. Tickets to screenings for this programme will be available for individual purchase as well as through the Midnight Madness Pack, which includes all 10 screenings for $185 or $120 for students and seniors. Purchase Festival ticket packages online 24 hours a day at tiff.net/festival, by phone from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET daily at 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433, or visit the Gupta Box Office at TIFF Bell Lightbox in person from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET daily at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, until August 26 while quantities last.

[REC] 4 APOCALYPSE: [REC] The Story So Far

Worried about seeing [REC] 4 Apocalypse because you're behind on the [REC] series? Here's a quick recap.

SPOILER ALERT: detailed plot details from the first three [REC] films follow.

[REC] is shot found footage style wherein a Reporter Angela Vidal accompanies firefighters on a call to free a woman trapped in her apartment. Once inside, they discover a complex overrun by humans infected with a 28 Days Later type rage virus. Authorities quarantine the complex leaving the survivors to fend for themselves.

While trying to escape Angela discovers that a priest had kidnapped a possessed child (Tristana Medeiros) and was keeping her in the complex as a test subject to create a biological cure for demonic possession. The cure ended up mutating into the "possession virus." Tristana escaped and infected the complex. The last thing we see is Angela disappearing into the darkness seemingly into Tristana's clutches.

[REC] 2 is also shot found footage style and  starts after [REC] with a SWAT team and Dr. Owen, a Vatican Priest, coming in to control the mayhem. The team finds an unharmed Angela and uses Owen's skills as a priest allow him to communicate with an infected victim who leads them to Tristana, who is unable to come out into any form of light. The team hunts down and kills Tristana. A handful of survivors, including Angela, remain. Angela turns on the survivors, kills them all, and radios SWAT command that the situation is contained and she is the sole survivor. The last thing we see is the final scene in [REC]. But this time, we see Tristana forcing some kind of demonic entity from her body into Angela's. Though Tristana was trapped in the dark, Angela has no such problem, and the virus is now free to leave the complex through Angela.

[REC] 3 Genesis starts out as found footage but switches to standard cinematography early on. Apart from being set in the same time frame as the first two films with similar rage virus like zombies, none of the key characters from the first two films are involved. It's basically what happens when Zombies attack a wedding: lot's of inventive zombie kills and a pretty killer soundtrack.

[REC] 4 Apocalypse brings the story back to Angela. What happens? Find out at Midnight Madness!

[REC]4 APOCALYPSE screening times:
Tue., Sept. 9th, 11:59 PM, RYERSON
Wed., Sept. 10th, 10:00 PM, SCOTIABANK 8

BIG GAME: Top 5 Film Presidents of All Time

It's hard to believe that up until Big Game nobody had the foresight to cast Samuel L. Jackson as the President of The United States. With that said, here are five examples of where films elected some Midnight Madness approved POTUS'. I'm Sanjay S. Rajput and I approve this message.

#5 Jamie Foxx as President Sawyer in White House Down.

I wasn't thrilled with White House Down (or Olympus Has Fallen for that matter). But Jamie Foxx does his best John McClane as President impression and sure does blow stuff up real good! America, F' Yeah!

#4 Bill Pullman as President Whitmore in Independence Day.

Combat decorated veteran? Check! Able to inspire the world with an awesome speech? Check! Personally leads a global army to fight off a technologically superior invading alien army? Check! Why don't real politicians have credentials like this?!!?

#3 (TIE) Donald Pleasance as President White in Escape from New York 
and Cliff Robertson and President Cahill in Escape from LA. 

While these guys played uber-facists in charge of a North American Police State they did manage to rein in Snake Plissken. At least for a little while anyway... 

#2 Charlie Sheen as President Rathcock in Machete Kills. Any president who wields an M16, smokes pot, and bosses  Danny "Machete" Trejo around has earned a spot on this list. 

#1 Harrison Ford as President Marshall in Air Force One.

He's played Indiana Jones and Han Solo, was there any way he wasn't going to be at the top of this list?!!? A one man terrorist smashing machine who delivers action movie one liners as easily as he passes legislation. I'm pretty sure GET OFF MY PLANE would've made a great campaign slogan.

So, will Samuel L. Jackson make the list? I'll let you know after I check out Big Game at Midnight Madness.

BIG GAME screening times:
Fri., Sept. 5th, 11:59 PM, RYERSON
Sat., Sept. 6th, 9:00 PM, SCOTIABANK 12
Sat., Sept. 13th, 2:30 PM, SCOTIABANK 12

ELECTRIC BOOGALOO Poster and Top 5 So-Bad-They're-Good Cannon Films

Like the poster for Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films says: 52 Movies A Year Just Wasn't Enough. Cannon was clearly going with quantity over quality. When you're putting that much celluloid out there you're bound to make some that are so bad they're good. With that in mind here's my list of 5 of the best so bad they're good Cannon films.

That's right people, Lou Ferrigno didn't just play The Incredible Hulk!

#5 Hercules: I hate picking on Lou Ferrigno because he seems like such a likable guy. All I'll say is that it's a good thing that The Incredible Hulk TV show never needed Ferrigno to flex his acting muscles... Just watch a few minutes of Hercules and you'll see why.

The Siege, The Ordeal, and The Rescue also refer to the audience's feelings at the beginning, middle, and end of the film.

#4 The Delta Force: Before becoming the subject of an internet meme Chuck Norris was one of Cannon's go to guys, starring in a series of Missing in Action films, Invasion USA, and the two of the Delta Force films (just to name a few). The original Delta Force lands on this list thanks to its comically over the top patriotism, distinctly 80's synth heavy score, and some jaw droppingly bad casting. I love Robert Forster, but just giving him a tan and a bad Freddie Mercury mustache doesn't make him a credible Arab terrorist.

Just think of it as a prequel to JCVD

#3 Bloodsport:

1) Choreograph some killer fights utilizing martial arts from all over the world.
2) Have Jean-Claude Van Damme do a split.
3) Tie it together with a shoestring plot about an underground MMA competition or something. Voila, you've got a movie!

What hero doesn't look 100% better with a mullet?

#2 Masters of the Universe: Dolph Lundgren as a mullett sporting He-man battling Skeletor on Earth (not Eternia) with a pre-Friends Courtney Cox along for the ride. What's not to love?

That nuclear warhead shouldn't damage too much when it comes crashing back to Earth

#1 Superman 4: The Quest for Peace:  Making a half way decent Superman movie is hard enough, but doing it with a budget that seems to be entirely made up entirely of change found in people's couch cushions? Forget it. Test audiences found it so bad that the producers cut over 45 minutes from the final film. Between the visible wires used to make Christopher Reeve "fly" and the deadpan delivery of laughably bad dialogue you can't help but laugh at this cinematic monstrosity.

So, you want the back story behind some of these films? Then come check out Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films at Midnight Madness!

 ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS Screening times.
Mon., Sept. 8th, 11:59 PM, RYERSON
Wed., Sept. 10th, 9:00 AM, BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Sun., Sept. 14th, 12:45 PM, SCOTIABANK 11

Navigating TIFF Part 6: Off Sale? Don't Panic!

I’m sure a lot of you have started to notice screenings are showing up as “OFF SALE” at the online box office (accessible here), “RUSH ONLY” on the boards at the Festival Box Office at 225 King Street West, or generally unavailable by phone at (416) 599-TIFF or 1-888-599-8433.

Don’t panic, there are still ways for you to get tickets. Here are a some options:

1) Don’t give up! Keep checking the various box offices listed above. Many of the seats for films listed as off sale were ticketed during the advance order process last week. Any of those ticketholders could change their mind between now and the screening and exchange their ticket for a voucher. If tickets are available, they'll show up at 7:00 AM when the systems update. FYI The systems only update once a day so there is no point in checking more than once a day.

2) If it is the day of the screening and you still can’t get a ticket at any of the box offices, your last resort is the rush line. Rush seats become available when people decide not to exchange tickets like I described above and simply just don’t show up. 

Remember, the festival's goal is to make sure that every seat in a theater is sold. The earlier you get in line the better. If the film is *HUGE* you want to get there at least 3 hours before the film starts. For midnight screenings the line will be crazy long, but it probably has a lot of people rushing a 9:00pm or 9:30pm screening. Once those people leave, you should be close to the front of the line. Make sure you are in the rush line (not the ticket holders line) and confirm which line you are in with a volunteer. The Ryerson seats over 1200 people so the odds are good if you are at the front of the line you've got a shot at a seat but there is no guarantee that seats will be available.

 

3) Catch a repeat screening. The atmosphere is more relaxed than the midnight screenings and there is always a chance that some of the talent is still in town to do a Q&A.

4) Watch social media. Keep your eyes on the Midnight Madness Facebook page and Twitter. If there are contests for tickets to sold out screenings, they're likely to be posted there.

5) Hang out in the autograph line. If you get to the rush line late and it is ridiculously long you might want to hang out behind the red carpet and hope the talent will offer you a ticket. It's rare but I've seen it happen. The autograph line is behind a barricade opposite from the entrance to the Ryerson.