CUB: Scouting... Murder Scouting, that is.

So if the trailer and stills from Cub are anything to go by, it's a heartwarming, coming-of-age story of a boy becoming a man and discovering himself as a Murder Scout.

Is it a coincidence that the image on the poster bears an eerie similarity to the terrifying children of Goodnight Mommy? Obviously not. Murder Scouts is an international--non-profit--organization. They have branches in Belgium and Austria. Everywhere!

Arts and crafts day for the Murder Scouts of Goodnight, Mommy.

Arts and crafts day in Cub. Coincidence? NO.

But while their penchant for masked mayhem is clearly a marker of the modern Murder Scout, Murder Scouts can earn merit badges in traditional Scouting skills like Athletics, Knot-Tying, Basketry,  Archery,  Chemistry, Backpacking, and Citizenship in the Community. But they also earn special merit badges in areas such as: Profiling, Carcass-Disposal, Blood Spatter Analysis, Sprees, Backstory, White Van Automotive Repair, Behaving Perfectly Normally, Blending In, and Being Quiet And Keeping To Yourself Mostly.

Working on an Orienteering Merit Badge or a Creepy Deserted Shed Badge?

And note the subtle differences in the Murder Scout Oath:

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Murder Scout Law;
To appear to help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and appear perfectly normal even though I am a terrifying Murder Scout."

Did you catch it?

Can you find the Murder Scout in this picture? EXACTLY!

It was the Murder Scout cases that made Manny Patinkin walk away from Criminal Minds. (So I suppose we have them to thank for Homeland.) Because seriously, the whole thing is just messed up.

"The UNSUB has merit badges in Electronics and Small Appliance Repair."

But as the Scouts say, "Be Prepared." What preparations can the average non-Murder Scout citizen or regular Scouts take against Murder Scouts and Murder Scouts, Int'l.? As far as I know, Murder Scouts cannot endure the cooties of the Vancouver-based indiepop punk Cuddlecore band Cub. Here Cub reveals that their Magic 8 Ball makes them unstoppable.




Also,  I'm pretty sure the only natural predator Murder Scouts have are isopods, as Dr. Barry Levinson proved years ago. I don't think weaponizing isopods is a good idea--as Dr. Barry Levinson also proved years ago.

Kicking back, secure in the knowledge that Murder Scouts are not a threat.

So fill your rucksacks with survival materials, refresh your first aid certifications, fill your MP3 player with Cuddlecore and stay the hell ouf of the woods, because Cub plays Midnight Madness tonight!

Boy Scout or Newly Blooded Murder Scout? You decide!

CUB screening times:
Wed., Sept. 10th, 11:59 PM, RYERSON
Thu., Sept. 11th, 8:30 PM, SCOTIABANK 8
Sat., Sept. 13th, 12:30 PM, SCOTIABANK 13

And catch more Murder Scout shenanigans in the Vanguard Program's GOODNIGHT MOMMY:
Wednesday, Sept 10th, 9:30 PM SCOTIABANK 14
Friday, Sept 12th, 3:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

Pictures from THE BAY Premiere!

 MM Blogger Sachin Hingoo usually handles posting the premiere pictures, but frankly no one's seen him since the premiere of Barry Levinson's first horror movie, The Bay. Some say Sachin was overcome by horror while watching the film. Others say that, enraged by the sight of unruly isopods, he struck out to Charm City to stop the isopods before they start. I've even heard gossip that Sachin was 6 or 7 giant isopods wearing a trench coat and fedora all along. But that's crazy talk.

Regardless, the red carpet premiere pictures must be posted. And so, in Sachin's name, enjoy!

Director Barry Levinson on the red carpet

for the world premiere of The Bay!

The lovely Kether Donahue will save us all from isopods

using only her fancy spike heels.

Actor Frank Deal doffs his cap, demonstrating true gentlemanliness

in the face of unspeakable wrongness.

(Parasitic isopods--not MM Photographer Ian)

Frank Deal, Kether Donahue and Barry Levinson on the red carpet.

Parasitic isopods, whatcha gonna do?

Horrific parasites could be sitting in the back

of your throat--right now!

Barry Levinson on stage at The Ryerson theatre.

MM Programmer Colin Geddes looks on as Mr. Levinson explains 

there's no point in panicking, the isopods' victory is inevitable.

Barry Levinson Talks THE BAY. World Premiere Intro/Q&A Video.

Last night academy award winning director Barry Levinson (Good Morning Vietnam; Rain Man) took to the Midnight Madness stage to premiere the first horror film in his career.

THE BAY is an extremely well constructed found footage eco-horror of a tragedy that befalls a small American town. Levinson shows that he can adapt to the changing movie-making technology -- the film employed over twenty different digital cameras. He and his team took all of this footage and crafted a compelling and down right horrific story made even more scary when you find out that over 85% of the science featured in THE BAY is true.

The post-screening Q&A was more so a masterclass with a brilliant director. Here we present Robert A. Mitchell's video.



THE BAY
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 2:45 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 6

Aquatic Horror: A Brief, Particular History

Barry Levinson's The Bay and its army of invisible parasites is just the latest entrant in cinema's long, storied history of aquatic horror flicks. It's bad enough that fish do all kinds of debauched, disgusting things in the water to begin with, but then filmmakers have to go along and throw all other types of vicious nasties in there, too.

The tagline to Jaws was "Don't go in the water," and director Steven Spielberg and company meant it. But sometimes we find far scarier things under the sea then you're normal, everyday man-eating shark--like, for instance, genetically enhanced, super-intelligent sharks. That's case in Deep Blue Sea, a movie most best known for its out-of-nowhere Samuel L. Jackson death scene. But mutant sharks aren't this film's only horrors--you've also got a pretty silly, truly confounding (I've spent way too much of my life trying to figure out what "My hat is like a shark's fin" means) LL Cool J theme song to deal with, too.

The ocean is a truly vast, unknown world yet to be fully explored. One day, what kinds of things might we discover below the surface? If War-Gods of the Deep is to be believed (and I trust fully that it is), Vincent Price in a frilly neckerchief--complete with an "army of half-men, half-monster gill-men"-- isn't out of the question.

Really, if aquatic horror teaches us anything, it's that women are never safe in the water. Or really anywhere near a beach. Just look at Roger Corman's Humanoids from the Deep, as a race of intelligent sea-beasts invade our world for the sole--and quite rude, if you ask me--purpose of mating with human women as a means of advancing their species.

Truly, no one, and no beach is safe--not even Party Beach! Need proof? Check out The Horror of Party Beach, wher "an invasion of ghoulish atomic beasts who live off human blood" terrorizes fun-loving teens and cycle gangs alike.

And when Mother Nature isn't running amok, humanity's here to cause their own problems, like inventing "the most devistating device the mind of man has ever created," and then filling it with super-men with super weapons in Aragon.

THE BAY

Wed., Sept. 12th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Thurs., Sept. 13th, 2:45 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 6

They Shot A Movie Once In my Hometown. Video of Barry Levinson Directing THE BAY

I was born in a small town, so I have personally seen when something disrupts the day to day ebbs and flows of life. One can only imagine how excited the town folk of Georgetown, South Carolina felt when director Barry Levinson (Good Morning Vietnam, Sleepers) arrived in town to shoot a large scale feature film! Here is a YouTube video some folks shot of Mr. Levinson directing on the set of THE BAY.


There have been quiet murmurs of Barry Levinson's next film. We have seen a couple of stills of the horrors of a small seaside town. The excitement and anticipation is definitely building for the world premiere of THE BAY at Midnight Madness!

THE BAY Screening Times:

Wednesday September 12 11:59 PM RYERSON
Thursday September 13 2:45 PM CINEPLEX Yonge & Dundas 6