THE MIND'S EYE: Steve Moore Musician Profile

Steve Moore wonders if he has what it takes to be a Vanguard Mascot.

When you hear the name Zombi, what does it bring to mind? Does it make you think of the alternate title of George A. Romero's 1978 film Dawn of the Dead? Or Lucio Fulci's 1979 film Zombie, a.k.a. Zombi 2? Or do you think about the guy in the above photo?

Steven R. Moore is one half of instrumental duo Zombi, along with Anthony Paterra (a.k.a. Maserati). Together they've been making retro-inspired yet utterly modern (and frequently futuristic) music since first part of the current millennium. Their music is influenced by (what else?) the soundtracks of films by Romero, Fulci, and horror maestro John Carpenter... meaning the soundtrack work of bands like Goblin and Fabio Frizzi, as well as Carpenter's own film scores. He's also provided the score to The Mind's Eye.

Moore is nothing if not prolific and like the movies mentioned above, he also goes by the alias Gianni Rossi (pretty inspired, if you ask us), and is a member of the bands Lovelock and Titan.

You might also recall Moore's score for last year's Midnight Madness fave, The Guest.

Click this link to hear samples from the score on Soundcloud!

Or you might remember his score for another MM movie from last year, Cub (Murder Scouts FTW!)

Moore's music can currently be found in The Mind's Eye, which has one last screening on Saturday.

Still need more Moore? You're in luck! Zombi's upcoming release Shape Shift will be out on October 16 from Relapse Records.

THE MIND'S EYE Screening Times:
Sat, Sept 19, 7:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

HARDCORE: "Bad Motherf&$#er" by Biting Elbows

Ilya Naishuller’s debut feature, Hardcore, is ready to blow the roof off of the Ryerson theatre on Saturday night. Hardcore is the spiritual sequel to Naishuller’s music video for “Bad Motherfucker” by Biting Elbows. The video was one of the most shared music videos of the year, and Hardcore looks to be one of the most heart pumping films in this year’s Midnight Madness line-up.

If you’re looking for a taste of what you’re in for on Saturday night, check out “Bad Motherfucker” below!



Biting Elbows - 'Bad Motherfucker' Official Music Video from Ilya Naishuller on Vimeo.


HARDCORE screens:
Sat, Sept 12, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Mon, Sept 14, 4:15 PM SCOTIABANK
Fri, Sept 18, 1:00 PM SCOTIABANK

TOKYO TRIBE: Getting Down with some J Hip-Hop

Get in the mood for the final screening of Sion Sono's Tokyo Tribe with some J Hip-Hop, including some from Tokyo Tribe star Young Dias.

From the Tokyo Tribe original sound track, Young Dias, Simon, Y's and Ai, "Hope--Tokyo Tribe Anthem."  (Some potential spoilers 'cause some bits from the film).



 DJ Muro's "J.P.N." from the Tokyo Tribe 2 soundtrack. (Spoiler free)



Illmatic Buddha MC's "Top of Tokyo" from the Tokyo Tribe series soundtrack.



Catch the final screening of TOKYO TRIBE today:
Sun., Sept. 14th, 3:30 PM, LIGHTBOX 3

THE GUEST: The Music of TIFF14

Midnighteer Sachin wrote a little about Steve Moore's contribution to The Guest and Cub soundtracks here. And Film Music Reporter goes into more detail about the soundtrack. Meanwhile, Cineplex News has a look at the music of The Guest and put together this sweet TIFF14 Playlist. (Thanks, guys!)

THE GUEST screening times:

Sat., Sept. 13th, 11:59 PM, RYERSON

Sun., Sept. 14th, 6:45 PM, SCOTIABANK 3

THE EDITOR: Giallo Playlist!

Get ready for tonight's screening of the giallo-comedy The Editor with this playlist of giallo classics!

Goblin's theme for Dario Argento's Deep Red / Profondo Rosso (1975).



Berto Pisano's funky theme for Andrea Bianchi's Strip Nude For Your Killer (1975)



Ennio Morricone gets a little romantic with, "Un Uomo Si E' Dimesso" from Paolo Cavara The Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) 




Edda Dell'Orso sings on this track from Bruno Nicolai's soundtrack for Sergio Martino's All The Colors Of The Dark (1971)
 

 

Ennio Morricone's "Come un Madrigale" from Dario Argento's Four Flies on Gray Velvet (1971)



And finally a bit of Stelvio Cipriani's soundtrack for Mario Bava's Bay Of Blood (1971)


And if you're interested, you can learn more about giallo soundtracks from "Black Glove Ballads: The Art of the Italian Giallo Soundtrack" at The Black Museum.

 THE EDITOR screening times:
Thu., Sept. 11th, 11:59 PM, RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 12th, 9:15 AM, SCOTIABANK 3
Sat., Sept. 13th, 6:15 PM, SCOTIABANK 4

TUSK: Director Kevin Smith's Pre-Show Playlist

Justin Long is sad because "I Am The Walrus" was not included.

For the first time ever at Midnight Madness, we've asked a director to create a pre-show playlist. The honor goes to Kevin Smith and his Canada-based film Tusk. Non-Canucks, please make sure you learn all the words before the screenings so you can sing along.

Rush, "Spirit of the Radio"


Gordon Lightfoot, "Sundown"


Corey Hart, "Sunglasses At Night"
 

Bob & Doug McKenzie featuring Geddy Lee, "Take Off"


Anne Murray, "Danny's Song"

 
The Evolution of the Degrassi Theme Song (includes EVERY season's opening theme song)


Stompin' Tom Connors, "The Hockey Song"


"O Canada"


There's also this version of "O Canada" from Andrew Diaryland which we are quite partial to. 

Speaking of music and Kevin Smith, the Clerks soundtrack will be released on vinyl for the first time ever on November 11.You can pre-order it from shopradiocast.

TUSK screening times:
Sat., Sept. 6th 11:59 PM, RYERSON
Sun., Sept. 7th, 9:45 PM, BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Fri., Sept. 12th, 3:45 PM, SCOTIABANK 1

TOKYO TRIBES: Four More Japanese Musicals

Sion Sono's hip hop tribute to West Side Story screened last night and screens again tonight. If you've developed an appetite for Japanese musicals here's five more from directors you might not associate with musicals: MM Alumnus Takashi Miike, Kenji Fukasaku, Seijun Suzuki and Tetsuya Nakashima.

Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)

Takashi Miike adapts Kim Jee-woon's The Quiet Family (1999) as a musical. Kim's movie is a dark and very dry comedy about a family who run an inn and end up with a lot of bodies to dispose of. And yeah, it stars both Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Song Kang-ho (The Host; The Good, The Bad And The Weird), who between them star in nearly every Korean movie ever. Miike's is colorful and exuberant adding very Miike touches like a woman crushed during sex with a sumo wrestler. Most of all, he adds musical numbers.




Shanghai Rhapsody (1984)

Fukasaku is best known among fans of the Madness for Battle Royale (2000), but he had a long career that includes films as diverse as The Green Slime (1966), the Japanese portion of Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), The Black Lizard (1968) and graphically violent yakuza movies that practically reinvented the genre. He made Shanghai Rhapsody the year after he made the fantasy chanbara, Legend Of Eight Samurai (1983) starring Hiroyuki Sanada, Sonny Chiba and Chiba's martial arts protege, Etskuko Shiomi. Shanghai Rhapsody is set during World War II and also stars Shiomi. I could not find a clip, but I could find a poster and a dvd cover. Behold...

Never forget that Sue Shiomi is a beautiful, beautiful bride and ninja.

Princess Raccoon (2005)

Seijun Suzuki is most famous for his amazing 1960s yakuza pictures for Nikkatsu studios including Tokyo Drifter (1966), which isn't exactly a musical, but comes close. And it stars singer and actor Tetsuya Watari as the drifting, whistling yakuza. But that's not what I'm planning sharing because Suzuki made a straight up operetta. In Princess Raccoon, Amechiyo falls in love with a tanuki princess (Zhang Ziyi). His father Lord Azuchi Momoyama does not approve. It's orgeously stylized with lovely sets and costumes. There is also rapping.




Memories of Matsuko (2006) 

Tetsuya Nakashima's Confessions (2010) disturbed and distressed many, but he has an earlier film about a schoolteacher gone wrong. After his aunt Matsuko is murdered, Sho cleans out her apartment and discovers the story of her life as a neglected little girl, a school teacher and as a disgraced family member. It sounds gloomy, and Matsuko does have a rough life, but it's also candy-colored and, in the words of the Japan Society, "An unlikely cross between Moulin Rouge, Citizen Kane and Amelie, Memories of Matsuko is a magical realist descent into the suppressed history (both farce and tragedy) of the most unfortunate woman you've ever seen on screen."

Or, it's kinda like Mame, if Auntie Mame were dead at the beginning like William Holden in Sunset Boulevard.



Catch Tokyo Tribe tonight! And see Tetsuya Nakashima's newest film, The World of Kanako, as well as Takashi Miike's Over Your Dead Body in the Vanguard Program!

TOKYO TRIBE screening times:
Fri., Sept. 5th, 10:00 PM, SCOTIABANK 8
Sun., Sept. 14th, 3:30 PM, LIGHTBOX 3

WORLD OF KANAKO screening times:
Sunday, Sept 7th 9:15 PM ISABELLA BADER THEATRE
Tuesday, Sept 9th 11:30 AM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Saturday, Sept 13 9:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

OVER YOUR DEAD BODY screening times:
Thurs., Sept. 11, Ryerson 6:00 PM
Fri., Sept. 12, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 9:00 PM
Sat., Sept. 13, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 6:30 PM

TOKYO TRIBE: Spotlight on YOUNG DAIS

YOUNG DAIS is a J-HipHop artist who stars in Sion Sono's Tokyo Tribe! We did some digging to find out more about this charismatic new movie star.

YOUNG DAIS fact breakdown:

Stars as the character of "Kai Deguchi" in Tokyo Tribe

From Hokkaido, Japan 

His first Solo Album is called "PLAYLIST" and was released September, 2012.  

His second solo album is Accent, released in May 2012.

One of the 6 members of  J-HipHop group North Coast Bad Boys (NCBB) and also a solo artist.

NCBB MEMBERS: HOKT, S55 aka SPOCK, LIL'J, DAI-HARD, 1-KYU, SHU

He's also a personality for a radio show called "DDGTHING"

Watch Young Dais's Official Music Video for Tokyo Tribe:

Interesting note:  A call for Tokyo Tribe was held on Youtube,  and Young Dias was one of of over 1,000 applicants. It was announced that he won lead during Young Dias's national tour. 

Here's Sion Sono's Original casting call (Japanese) 

More links!

Artist Profile on Management Page (in Japanese, but several more music videos are viewable there, as well as social media sites)

Check out more Japanese Hip Hop Artists

Japanese sources translated by my lovely wife!

Mera vs Kai 

TOKYO TRIBE screening times:
Thu., Sept. 4th, 11:59 PM, RYERSON
Fri., Sept. 5th, 10:00 PM, SCOTIABANK 8
Sun., Sept. 14th, 3:30 PM, LIGHTBOX 3

Midnight Madness 2013 Playlist!

What are those rad tunes playing in the Ryerson every night, you might have asked yourself. "I sure wish I knew what the playlist was.

Well, here you go! The Official Midnight Madness Playlist.

1. Le Perv    4:16    Carpenter Brut    6    2013-01-08 8:22 PM    Carpenter Brut EP
2. L.A Venice Bitch 80's    4:12    Carpenter Brut    3    2013-01-08 8:22 PM    Carpenter Brut EP
3. Escape From Midwitch Valley    6:44    Carpenter Brut    1    2013-01-08 8:22 PM    Carpenter Brut EP
4. So Electric    6:43    Lifelike        2013-01-16 11:38 PM    Electro Mix
5. In Death It Ends - Rite    6:12    In Death It Ends    4    2013-02-19 2:21 PM    Forgotten Knowledge
6. In Death It Ends - Forgotten Knowledge    5:33    In Death It Ends    5    2013-02-19 2:21 PM    Forgotten Knowledge
7. In Death It Ends - Blind Faith    5:02    In Death It Ends    8    2013-02-19 2:21 PM    Forgotten Knowledge
8. In Death It Ends - We All Die    6:18    In Death It Ends    13    2013-02-19 2:21 PM    Forgotten Knowledge
9. Pulse of the Streets    4:23    Mega Drive    2    2013-01-31 5:26 PM    Futurescape
10. Terminal Overdrive    5:04    Mega Drive    3    2013-01-31 5:26 PM    Futurescape
11. Eclipse    6:30    Perturbator    3    2013-02-06 2:17 PM    I Am The Night
12. I Am The Night    6:19    Perturbator    4    2013-02-06 2:17 PM    I Am The Night
13. Technoir (Feat. Noir Deco)    4:45    Perturbator    7    2013-02-06 2:17 PM    I Am The Night
14.  02 Death Ray Eye    2:08    Brian Wiacek    2    2013-03-12 9:20 PM    Manborg OST
15. 06 Training For Battle    1:34    Brian Wiacek    6    2013-03-12 9:20 PM    Manborg OST
16.  Main Title    3:58    Fred Myrow, Malcolm Seagrave    1 of 17    2012-11-13 6:25 PM    Phantasm
17.  Fighting Spirit    5:37    Protector 101    2    2013-02-14 6:14 AM    Protector 101
18.  M.A.R.K. 13    3:31    Protector 101    3    2013-02-14 6:14 AM    Protector 101
19.  Vision    5:42    Protector 101    4    2013-02-14 6:14 AM    Protector 101
20.  Stalkers    4:55    Protector 101    8    2013-02-14 6:14 AM    Protector 101
21.  Dies Irae    5:29    Jonathan Snipes & William Hutson    14 of 14    2012-09-20 9:15 PM    Room 237 - Album DEMO
22.  Compulsive Cartography    4:28    Jonathan Snipes & William Hutson    2 of 14    2012-09-20 9:15 PM    Room 237 - Album DEMO
23.  Industrial Sector 3083    3:33    Bourgeoisie    1    2013-05-25 2:52 PM    Space Tapes And Vice
24.  The Crystal Brain    7:22    Bourgeoisie    4    2013-05-25 2:52 PM    Space Tapes And Vice
25.  Back Alley Showdown    6:30    Bourgeoisie    6    2013-05-25 2:52 PM    Space Tapes And Vice
26.  02 - Terror 404    4:13    Perturbator    2    2013-02-02 4:01 PM    TERROR 404
27.  10 - Shadow Force '84    6:03    Perturbator    10    2013-02-02 4:01 PM    TERROR 404
28.  Maniac    6:07    Mega Drive    6    2013-01-31 4:38 PM    VHS

WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL Screening Times:

Friday, Sept 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Saturday, Sept 14th, 3:45 PM SCOTIABANK 1

WITCHING AND BITCHING Screening Times:

Saturday, Sept 14th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Sunday, Sept 15th, 12:00 PM SCOTIABANK 14

RIGOR MORTIS: Juno Mak: Director and Pop Star!

According to his Chapel of Dawn site, Juno Mak is a Pisces, enjoys comics and free-fighting in his spare time and his favorite food is hot pot and his favorite song is Metallica's "Sad But True." 
And just by looking there, you can probably tell that the Rigor Mortis director has a career going besides making scary vampire movies. He's a pop singer with sweet music videos, fine dance moves and twelve albums (two with special releases) to his name.
So let's enjoy a couple of his music videos.





As if becomming a popstar at 18 isn't enough, Mak's acted in four films,  Dream Home (2010);


 Revenge: A Love Story (2010);



As well as in Let's Go (2011);  and the "Ah Wai, 'The Big Head'" segment, Por See Yee (2007).

He's also teamed up with his Hong Kong music label, Silly Things, to create his own clothing label, Chapel of Dawn, taking its name from his 2007 album. There are special items the proceeds of which go to charity.

After the Sichuan earthquake happened in May 2008, Juno originated a charity campaign, to sell charity items produced by "Chapel of Dawn" in Hong Kong, Japan, France and the US. Later on, Juno kept developing projects under the concept of “Chapel of Dawn” by collaborating with his old or newly made partners like "Colette”, "Hello Kitty", "Backbone", Mihara Yasuhiro and many others come and counting.

And here's his blog at Silly Thing's Think Silly community.

RIGOR MORTIS Screening Times:

Wednesday, Sept 11th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Thursday, Sept 12th, 12:45 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2

Friday, Sept 13th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

Songs About Giant Isopods! Really!

Kick back and groove!

Holy Bathynomus Gigantaeus! Check out this album of songs about giant isopods! Click through for the play list!

all these bands are beloved by isopods!

Also, there is a video for "Giant Isopods Ate My Well-Known Brand of Corn Chip!"





THE BAY screening times:
Wed., Sept. 12th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Thurs., Sept. 13th, 2:45 PM CINEPLEX YONGE & DUNDAS 6

The Occult Tunes of TIFF '12

 Rob Zombie's The Lords of Salem premieres tomorrow night at Midnight Madness. The plot revolves around a mysterious black metal LP, which seems to summon evil forces from the past. There are other films at the festival whose soundtracks have hints of the occult in them via their soundtracks.

Ben Wheatley's Sightseers features Donovan's song about everyone's favourite Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman buddy picture.

And Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master features a bit of old timey Satanic resistance music. Have you noticed any more in the films you've seen so far?

And here's Rob Zombie's song, "Lords of Salem", which I assume will be in the film somewhere. We'll find out soon enough.

Screening Times:
THE LORDS OF SALEM:
Mon.,  Sept. 10, 11:59:  Ryerson Theatre
Wed., Sept. 12, 5PM: Cineplex Yonge & Dundas 6

SIGHTSEERS
Tues., Sept. 11, 9:00PM:  Ryerson Theatre

Thurs. Sept. 13, 12:00PM:  Ryerson Theatre
Sun., Sept. 16, 7:00PM:  The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema

THE MASTER
Sun., Sept. 16, 6:00PM:  TIFF Bell Lightbox 1

THE LORDS OF SALEM Teaser!

A figure wearing a faceless, iron mask, seemingly hammered directly into bone, handed me a slip of crumpled, bloody paper before falling to the ground convulsing, shrieking unspeakable things. I turned away, I am ashamed to admit, the paper still clutched in my hand. It was no more than a URL. As you will see, it leads to what is apparently a teaser for The Lords of Salem shot at a concert.

Risk madness and despair--watch with the gathered crowd and gasp as Rob Zombie ascends what appears to be a cherry-picker, probably an unholy one.





LORDS OF SALEM
Mon., Sept. 10, 11:59pm:  RYERSON
Wed., Sept. 12, 5pm:  CINEPLEX YONGE AND DUNDAS 6

Beyond The Madness: PAUL WILLIAMS IS STILL ALIVE!

There was a time in the 1970s and early 1980s that actor, singer and composer Paul Williams was inescapable. He was on the radio. He was in movies. It seemed like he was on nearly every tv show. He was a superstar and then, suddenly, he wasn't. Stephen Kessler tracks down Williams in his documentary, Paul Williams Is Still Alive, programmed by Midnight Madness' own, Colin Geddes.

And here's a little Midnight Madness retrospective:

PAUL WILLIAMS STILL ALIVE screening times:

Wed., Sept. 14th, 5:30PM, JACKMAN HALL

Sun., Sept. 18th, 4:00PM, AMC 7

GOD BLESS AMERICA Musical Interlude: Bonnie et Clyde

God Bless America premieres tonight and nothing says cross-country spree like Bonnie and Clyde, or as Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot have it, "Bonnie et Clyde. "

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Fri., Sept. 9th, 11:59PM, RYERSON

Sun., Sept. 1tth, 1:30PM, AMC 6

Fri., Sept. 16th, 6:30PM, AMC 7

Fire of Conscience Duet with Leon Lai and Richie Ren

Leon Lai and Richie Ren put aside their guns and their grudges for this duet. They are among the biggest cantopop and mandopop stars and both have starred in movies directed by MM alumnus Johnnie To (The Mission, MM 2000). Lai co-starred with Lau Ching-Wan in Hero Never Dies while Ren was the amazing smoking sniper, Sgt. Chan in Exiled.

So get out your lighters and enjoy the Fire of Conscience song action. With any luck Fire of Conscience will have the midpoint musical montage traditional to HK action movies and you'll already know all the words--or can at least hum and sway along.

Fire of Conscience screening times:
Saturday, Sept. 18. 11:59pm Ryerson
Sunday, Sept. 19. 3:00pm Scotiabank Theatre 11

Tickets can be purchased at the official TIFF site.