Toronto After Dark Film Fest Features Offbeat Fare

Axe-wielding maniacs in Ronald Reagan getups, zombie chickens, and Crispin Glover playing killer twins – that’s just a small sampling of what’s on offer at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival.

Now in its second year, this week-long cinematic showcase of all things gruesome and gory kicks off Friday at the iconic Bloor Cinema.

There are 14 feature films and 36 shorts from 15 countries in this year’s schedule, which highlights innovative projects from both burgeoning and well-known filmmakers in the genres of horror, science-fiction, and fantasy.

Festival founder and director Adam Lopez tells CityNews.ca that the fans who attend are looking for something a little different from their movies.

“They’re a really cool audience, and horror fans in particular are willing to look at movies that are non-Hollywood and that’s something that’s really interesting,” he says. “It’s not enough for them to see (the) one or two (horror) films every month Hollywood turns out, (often) remakes or recycled classics. These fans are looking for the next cutting edge.”

And that’s exactly what cinephiles headed to the event are in for. Among the highlights, German director Uwe Boll (Blood Rayne, Postal) will be on hand for the premiere of his fantasy epic In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, starring Ray Liotta and Jason Statham.

Other films in the lineup include:

The Tripper – David Arquette directs and appears in this slasher pic about a serial killer in a Ronald Reagan costume who pursues partying teenagers through the woods. Also featuring Paul Reubens.

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead – The world’s first zombie chicken musical, Poultrygeist is directed by indie legend writer-director Lloyd Kaufman and centres on hero Arbie, who must find a way to defeat the clucking creatures and win back his girlfriend.

Murder Party – From American director Jeremy Saulnier, the festival’s Closing Gala is a black comedy about a group of New York City art students who plan the perfect murder at a Halloween party.

Mulberry Street – A Romero-inspired tale about a virus that turns Manhattan residents into flesh-eating rat creatures. Survivors in an apartment block are forced to band together to fight off the ravenous monsters.

Check out the festival’s entire lineup of feature films and short films.

More than 4,000 movie buffs attended After Dark last year and it promises to be even bigger this year. Tickets range from $8 to $15, depending on when and what you’re attending. Lopez says first-time festivalgoers can expect “a night at the movies quite unlike any other.”

“This is a really unique event. We’ve got the world’s most thrilling new films screening for one night only in a really cool theatre in downtown Toronto, surrounded by hundreds of other fans who also want to see these flicks,” he says. “It’s a real crowd atmosphere, there’s a lot of cheering. It’s a really fun, energetic experience.”

For more information on how and where to buy tickets and passes, click here.

• For the second year in a row the festival is teaming up with another pre-Halloween city tradition: the Official Toronto Zombie Walk, starting at 3:30pm Sunday, October 21, at Trinity-Bellwoods Park.

  Crispin Glover in a scene from Simon Says, image courtesy Toronto After Dark Film Festival