– by H.G. WATSON – Tonight is the finale of Toronto After Dark, and after a week of films — good, bad and ridiculous — the film fest ends on an outrageous note with two rather out-there films. At 7 p.m., is the French film “Rubber.” Robert, the main character, is sick of ...
Author Archive
Toronto After Dark Film Festival: ‘The Last Exorcism’
– by H.G. WATSON – In Peter Biskind’s excellent book “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls,” Biskind documents the rise of the great directors of the ’70s, including: Spielberg, Lucas, Scorsese, Coppola, De Palma and William Friedkin. In a chapter dedicated to Friedkin’s seminal horro...
Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Japanxploitation
– by H.G. WATSON – Exploitation films are, for me, in many ways often the most difficult films to review. They are, obviously, exploitative of whatever subject matter the filmmaker has chosen. Keeping that in mind, it’s pretty hard to come down on a film for being sexist, racist, or ju...
August 16th, 2010 - 10:00 pm § in Features, Posters & Trailers
Trailer Talk: ‘The Romantics’
– by H.G. WATSON – Judging from the trailer for “The Romantics,” I imagine the pitch for the film went something like this: DEVELOPMENT EXEC: Ok, so … it’s like “The Big Chill.” PRODUCER: Really?...
Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Zombie Appreciation Night
– by H.G. WATSON – You know you’re at a unique film festival when the festival director kicks things off by having the audience chant: What do we want? Brains! When do we want them? NOW! But that’s just a regular Saturday night at Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Saturday night was ...
August 15th, 2010 - 7:04 pm § in News
Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Monday to Wednesday Preview
– by H.G. WATSON – There is one Toronto film festival that is eagerly anticipated by Torontonians every year, and it isn’t that big flashy one that you’ll be hearing more about in September. Now in its fifth year, the Toronto After Dark Film Festival bills itself...
August 13th, 2010 - 12:13 pm § in Posters & Trailers
A ‘Comic’ Look at the ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ Trailer
– by H.G. WATSON – It’s a special film that inspires creativity in people before the movie even opens. “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” must really be special because fans have been churning out art and videos for months. Some of the best include band Former Fat Boy’...
August 13th, 2010 - 10:29 am § in News
Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2010: Weekend Preview
– by H.G. WATSON – There is one Toronto film festival that is eagerly anticipated by Torontonians every year, and it isn’t that big flashy one that you’ll be hearing more about in September. Now in its fifth year, the Toronto After Dark Film Festival bills itself as “8 thrillin...
Under Review: ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’
– by H.G. WATSON – If we are to believe the hype for “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” it’s the film that blows your socks off, represents an entire generation, steals your girlfriend and knocks her up, makes you see God and is, without a doubt, the best movie since the invention of t...
An Open Letter to the Internet Regarding Michael Cera
– by H.G. WATSON – Dear Internet, You and I have been good, good friends for a long time now. Sure, we’ve had our rough patches. Do I need to know as much as I do about furries? Good God no. But through it all, we’ve made it work. Heck, if it weren’t for you [...]...
May 25th, 2010 - 4:11 pm § in Opinions
Paris Cinemas, je t’aime
– by H.G. WATSON – “Paris is truly a movie city.” I was sitting in the bar at my hostel in Paris when the curly-haired Parisian receptionist said that to me. I had just been lamenting the fact that over the last week and half of my travel through Europe I hadn’t seen a single [...]...
April 27th, 2010 - 12:12 pm § in Clips
Two Clips from ‘The Human Centipede’
– by H.G. WATSON – WARNING: You are now entering a “Human Centipede” post. Please leave any hang-ups, and your gag reflex, at the door. “The Human Centipede” is a horror film that’s attempting to set a new bar for gross-out human disfigurement. A German scie...
Under Review: ‘Kick-Ass’
– by H.G. WATSON – Full disclosure: I debated opening with “This film will kick YOUR ass.” But in the interest of avoiding any puns in this review of Matthew Vaughn’s “Kick Ass,” I will say this: the film certainly lives up to its name. There is enough blood, guts and martial a...
April 8th, 2010 - 7:09 pm § in Clips
Seven Clips from ‘Defendor’
– by H.G. WATSON – With all of the big superhero movies out this year, one that may fly under your radar is Peter Stebbings’ “Defendor.” The Hamilton, Ontario, shot and set film is one that superhero film fans should seek out. The plot of the film revolves around Woody ...
