Death's Still Got It.

Due to Sam Lawton’s (Nicholas D'Agosto) premonition, a group of people avoid a deadly suspension bridge collapse. Soon after though, the survivors begin dying in freak accidents. Has Death come calling again?

So, here we are again. It seems like only yesterday I was posting my thoughts on Final Destination 4. When a franchise gets up to this point, you already know what you're getting, so it really just comes down to comparing the latest entry with all its predecessors. With that in mind, I can safely say I enjoyed this more than the 2009 incarnation, but it still didn't trump my personal fave, Part 2.

On the chopping block; Miles Fisher, Emma Bell & D'Agosto.

I felt the 3D was better utilized in this one, as well. You get your money's worth right up front with a fun opening credits sequence, with many of the implements of death from all the previous films smashing through glass at you, in slow motion. Perhaps this was an homage to the classic opening of Friday the 13th. Speaking of homage, there were many references to the previous Destination movies throughout, which made for a few chuckles. Also in the good column, was the solid disaster sequence. It was definitely the most ambitious of the series, even rivalling that the traffic accident in Part 2. I think the latter still has a slight edge though, with it being the more realistic and plausible of the two. As has been an increasing trend with the Destination movies, there is a lot of CG, but I think the important shots worked, and the stuff that didn't, well... No point in crying over spilt digital blood.

This movie didn't disappoint on its bread and butter, either. The deaths, especially the gymnasium set piece, are extremely memorable and will be sure to have you cringing. I know the laser eye surgery sequence has pretty much put the kibosh on me ever having it done. The formula of the series is followed, but the creators did add a few twists into the mix, which made me think they were at least trying this time around. Oh, and extra points for bringing back Tony Todd, who was conspicuously absent from the last movie (he was at least the voice of the roller coaster ride in Part 3.)

Good to have you back, man!

Not to keep knocking the fourth one, but five's ending was way more satisfying, with a closing credits sequence that puts all of the deaths from the previous movies into one bloody, operatic montage. This felt like the end all, be all of the series to me, but I'm sure if the price is right, there will be another. And as long as they keep entertaining me, I'll continue watching 'em.

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A wee hungover today...

Jason, Charted.

I saw this awesome infographic on the Web this week. It depicts all the kills committed by everyone's favourite hockey mask wearing mofo. Click on the image below to enlarge.

I found this on Badassdigest.com (via Laughing Squid), but coincidentally this graph was originally done a few years ago by two guys at the Toronto-based newspaper The National Post, to celebrate the release of the shitty 2009 reboot.

FearNet Going To Holliston.

FEARnet has a new original show coming to its line-up. Directors Adam Green & Joe Lynch are collaborating on a horror comedy sitcom called Holliston. Here below is the press release description.

"The show, set in the town of Holliston, MA, follows the lives of Adam and Joe, two friends chasing the dream of becoming successful horror movie filmmakers while struggling to make ends meet and dealing with life and the opposite sex in their post-college jobs at a Boston cable access station where they also host a late night movie program called "The Movie Crypt."

I have a lot of respect for Green & Lynch. They always bring a lot of passion and enthusiasm (and gore) to their projects, so I'm interested to see how this turns out. FEARnet has commissioned six episodes, but no word on when they are slated to air. For more info on how the project came to be, check out Adam Green's blog by going here.

Woolf For The Win!

So, the finals of this year's 24 Hour Film Race circuit were held recently, and Woolf, the top film from San Francisco, emerged victorious. I was disappointed that I couldn't compete this year because of a conflict, but I doubt I would've been able to come up with anything as great as team Chinese Takeout's entry. Here it is below. Keep in mind that the given theme was 'Identity Theft', the object was 'A Flower' and the action was 'Answering a Phone.' Congrats, guys!

Netflix Pix 3.0

It has been a while since I’ve recommended some stuff that’s available on Big Red, so I figured I'd throw out some suggestions while it’s still quiet around here.

I had been looking forward to seeing the Mexican film We Are What We Are for sometime and was thrilled to see it pop up on Netflix. It had been described to me as Let The Right One In with cannibals, which was not only high praise, but turned out to be fairly apt. The film is primarily a family drama about a mother and her three children trying to survive after the loss of their patriarch. It’s an inventive and fresh take on a tired subgenre, featuring great performances from its young leads, Francisco Barreiro, Alan Chávez & Paulina Gaitán.

I’ve mentioned Adrift on a previous installment of On The Shelf, but it bears repeating here now that a streaming version of it is available. It is unfortunate that its main title (Open Water 2) makes it sound like a cheesy sequel, as it is actually a decent thriller. It doesn’t focus on the threat of shark attacks, as much as the dangers of hysteria in a crisis situation. I think it illustrates brilliantly how one careless action can turn deadly in the blink of an eye. Also worth mentioning, is that the first Open Water is now on Netflix, as well.

Dead Birds is a film I saw at 2004’s Midnight Madness and certain images have stayed with me ever since. Featuring a solid ensemble cast, including Michael Shannon, Henry Thomas & Patrick Fugit, Birds is a solid entry in the underrepresented genre of the horror western. With influences firmly rooted in Asian horror, this movie, with stark visuals and fantastic sound design, brings the scares often.

Right At Your Door is a taut, bare bones thriller that I was happy to catch at The Bloor several years back. We’ve had movies that deal with large-scale terrorist attacks, but director Chris Gorak’s film scales things back and focuses on how it affects one couple. The film’s strength is with its two leads, Mary McCormack & Rory Cochrane, who both provide very sincere and grounded performances. The thing I most recall about the film is even though a lot of the dialogue is carried out over phone lines and through doors; the emotional connection was always immaculately maintained.

Dream Home was a Chinese flick I saw this year and it kicked my ass with its sudden bursts of extreme violence. It reminded me a lot of gruesome French flicks like Inside and High Tension, but with the added sprinkle of comedy that adorns most Asian genre offerings. The fractured narrative is little hard to follow at points, but if you are a fan of over-the-top gore flicks, then this is a must see. For my full review from back in January, click here.

So, there you go. That should keep you busy while you’re waiting for the fall line-up of movies and television to kick in.

Suspect Turns 20!

Last Friday night was the Suspect Video twentieth anniversary party, and it was a blast.

For those not initiated in the Toronto video store shrine, writer John Semley wrote a fantastic piece about it (which you can read by clicking here) but if you've stopped in here with any regularity, I'm sure you've heard me talk about them. Suspect – and others like Queen Video – were instrumental in making me the movie geek I am today. Once I had exhausted all my suburban sources and I was old enough to venture out into the 'big bad city', I made the pilgrimage to Suspect; a beacon of all things obscure and esoteric. I remember being so overwhelmed those first few times that I had to bring a list on subsequent visits to keep from being hypnotized by their humongous selection. This was, of course, the Queen street location – which sadly burned down in 2008 – as I wasn't aware of the flagship Markham St. store until I started frequenting the nearby Bloor Cinema.

The party was great and I got to hear many cool stories from the owner, Luis Ceriz. I had to duck out for a bit to check out Freddie Francis' The Deadly Bees, which was screening at Trash Palace. When I was leaving, a guy I met told me Francis was also the director of Girly, a movie I remember fondly from my own video store days. Girly was a weird British horror about a psychotic family that often referred to themselves in the third person. So, now I was even more excited to see The Deadly Bees. And I wasn't disappointed, as it was the perfect amount of cheese. I mean, a convalescing pop star trapped on an island inhabited by two feuding beekeepers?! If that isn't a recipe for awesomeness, I don't know what is!

When I got back to the bar, the party was in full swing. It was very cool to see this tightly knit community all together in one place, celebrating Suspect's storied history. Say what you will about how the brick-and-mortar video store is doing the death dance, but there is a social component to places like Suspect and Eyesore Cinema, that you just can't get online. Why, just a few hours before, I stopped into Suspect and overheard the guy behind the counter, a very energetic young lad named Eastern, regaling a customer about the intellectual merits of Transformers 3.

Yep, it was a fun night. Now, I've just got to decide what I'm going to get with my recently acquired free rental. What do you think? Nunsploitation? Some Japanese Pink? Maybe something Italian? The sky really is the limit.

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Man, I can't believe it's August already! Before I go out and enjoy this summer weather, here are some cool discoveries from the Web this week.

Sideshow; Front & Center.

After watching G4’s extensive coverage of Comic-Con, I think the thing that most impressed me was the Sideshow Collectibles booth. The quality of their 12” statues is unmatched. My favourite? This statue of fearless hero Isaac Clarke from the video game Dead Space.

God help me if Sideshow is at the Fan Expo this year. If their ridiculously amazing figure of Babydoll is there, I could be in some serious financial trouble.

Teddy Go Boom!

Here below, is the teaser for the upcoming locally-produced martial arts/action flick Teddy Bomb.



As you can see, it looks like a lot of fun. I was surprised to learn from director Justin Decloux that the video store in the clip wasn’t actually Eyesore Cinema, but a stage set up to look like its interior. Movie magic, people!

A Bloody Good Read.

Here’s something really cool that popped up in my Facebook feed this week. It is a Web comic called “Our Bloodstained Roof” by Ryan A. I loved the art style and how he utilized the online medium here. I won’t tell you anything more, I’ll just let you experience it for yourself. Click on the image below to check it out.

'Madness 2011

Colin Geddes, curator of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness programme, announced the full lineup yesterday and it, as always, looks downright delicious. On the horror side of things, we have five promising titles coming this year.

Director Douglas Aarniokoski brings us the post-apocalyptic tale The Day. Starring the rich genre pedigree of Shawn Ashmore (Frozen), Dominic Monaghan (I Sell The Dead) and Ashley Bell (The Last Exorcism) and possessing a gritty visual palette reminiscent of 2009’s The Road, I have high hopes for this movie. Besides, any director working on something called Nurse 3D, is okay in my books.

Fresh off last year’s solid crime-family flick Down Terrace, Ben Wheatley bursts onto the TIFF stage with Kill List. I’ve been hearing good things about this film for a while now, so I hope all the praise turns out to be warranted.

Ever since French directors Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo’s gruesome powerhouse Inside dropped jaws here in 2007, we have all been waiting patiently for their next feature. Now, after being attached to a number of different projects – the Hellraiser reboot among them – they finally settled on their own story, Livid.

Also, making a return of sorts is one-half of the duo that brought us The Blair Witch Project. Director Eduardo Sánchez has made two features since then – the underappreciated Altered and supernatural-laced Seventh Moon – but his new picture Lovely Molly is the perfect opportunity to launch himself back into the big time. I’m pulling for him!

Then, there is Adam Wingard’s slasher You’re Next. Though I am not a fan of Wingard’s directing style, I am however, a fan of his writing partner Simon Barrett, so I remain hopeful.

Lastly, I have to mention The Raid. This martial arts extravaganza stars Iko Uwais (Merantau) and from what I have seen and heard so far, it looks to be almost a full movie’s worth of sustained action. I think this could be one for the books, people.

For the full list, check out Twitch’s announcement post, by clicking here.

Console Carnage 2011

I realized it has been a while since I've touched on the video game side of things, so here's what genre offerings I've been spinning on my old PS3.

First and foremost, I was ecstatic to see what was waiting for me on the PSN when I got back from Fantasia. I had been hoping desperately that Limbo, last year's XBLA darling, would be ported over to the Playstation at some point, and my wish finally came true. Limbo was definitely the game that made me the most jealous of the Xbots out there. The Call of Duty zombie levels kind of scratched my Left 4 Dead itch, Heavy Rain subbed for Alan Wake, and don't even get me started on Dead Rising, but Limbo looked like something really special. Anyway, finally getting my hands on it was a fantastic surprise. And boy, was it everything I wanted.

I likely don't have anything new to add to the universal praise this game received – even topping some critics' 2010 Game of the Year lists – but I'm going to heap some on anyway. Limbo is about as delightfully pure a gaming experience as you can get. The mechanics & aesthetic are brilliantly realized, and yet so simple. What also amazes me is how the developers managed to achieve the perfect level of difficulty. There were a few sequences, where I was sure it was impossible and I'd have to take a break. Then, coming back to it fresh, I would always inevitably have that 'Eureka' moment and move onto the next obstacle. Figuring out the really challenging puzzles in this game was such a satifying experience, and really took me back to my teens when I was playing Sierra's Quest games and Eric Chahi's Another World, for which Limbo almost seems like a spiritual successor. The fifteen-dollar price tag is steep for DLC I know, but it is so so worth it. I found myself playing through it again almost immediately. And due to Limbo's uncomplicated interface – move, jump and grab are the only controls – you could even initiate non-gamers into participating. This is a must buy as far as I'm concerned.

It took me a while, after being sidetracked by LA Noire & Infamous 2, but I finally getting around to downloading the Call of The Dead DLC for Black Ops. It is cheesy fun, but it is not really offering anything new in terms of gameplay. I would've liked the option to choose your characer (Buffy FTW!) and the difficulty curve kind of makes it impossible to play solo, but it is still a pretty cool add-on. I certainly never thought I'd be playing an FPS where George A. Romero would be chasing me around with a 1K, that's for sure.

Lastly, I just wanted to mention this bizarre title called Catherine. I am aware that the Japanese produce all manner of crazy games that never make it across the pond, so maybe this is some sort of Western market experiment. I think what initially piqued by interest was the art style, which reminds me of the films of Satoshi Kon, but man, is this game not the weirdest fucking thing I've ever come across! I downloaded the demo and it left me no less perplexed. It seems to be this weird hybrid between dating sim and some gruesome Hi-Def rework of Qbert.

You can't really tell by that trailer, but I swear there is a game in there somewhere. Catherine has me oddly intrigued, but not sixty-dollars intrigued.