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TADFF 2019: Toronto After Dark Film Fest Announces its First 10 Titles

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TADFF Toronto After Dark

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival is a scintillating showcase of horror, action, sci-fi, and cult cinema. Since its inception in 2006, the festival has grown to be one of the nation’s best with an impressive track record of genre films that have gone on to become fan favorites. 

TAD (as it’s affectionately known) has just announced the first ten films in its lineup. This year offers some high-concept sci-fi, a quirky zombie comedy, a sun-scorched manhunt, Elijah Wood’s on-screen return to genre cinema, and more. 

The festival runs from October 17-25, 2019, in Toronto, Ontario. For more information and to stay updated on the event, check out their website.

The Assent (USA – World Premiere)

Toronto After Dark

Directed by Pearry Reginald Teo, Starring Robert Kazinsky, Peter Jason, Hannah Ward.

Synopsis: 

Every possession has three acts: 1) the Possession 2) the Affliction and 3) the Assent — the moment when the person finally surrenders and consents to the demon as being part of their soul…

After spending three years in prison for the death of an 8-year-old during a failed exorcism, Father Lambert seeks redemption on a young single father, Joel Clarke, whom he believes has been marked by the Devil himself. Conjuring ‘deliverance’ (unsanctioned exorcisms), Father Lambert convinces Joel that without his help, he will lose his son forever. But there is an even darker force at work.

Blood Machines (France/USA – Canadian Premiere)

Directed by Raphaël Hernandez & Savitri Joly-Gonfard, Starring Anders Heinrichsen, Noémie Stevens, Christian Erickson.

Synopsis: 

Sci-fi fans are in for a glorious treat with this stunning new space epic about a bounty hunter in pursuit of a mysterious spaceship run by an Artificial Intelligence that has the ability to take on human form. The sound design — inspired by John Carpenter amongst others — comes from acclaimed synth wave maestro Carpenter Brut.

Come to Daddy (New Zealand/Canada/Ireland – Toronto Premiere)

TADFF Toronto After DarkDirected by Ant Timpson, Starring Elijah Wood, Steven McHattie, Martin Donovan, Michael Smiley.

Synopsis: 

Norval Greenwood, a privileged man-child arrives at the beautiful and remote coastal cabin of his estranged father, who he hasn’t seen in 30 years. He quickly discovers that not only is dad a disapproving jerk, he also has a shady past that is rushing to catch up with him. Now, hundreds of miles from his cushy comfort zone, Norval must battle with demons both real and perceived in order to reconnect with a father he barely knows.

Extra Ordinary (Ireland – Toronto Premiere)

Directed by Mike Ahern & Eda Loughman, Starring Will Forte, Maeve Higgins, Barry Ward.

Synopsis: 

A woman who has supernatural abilities must save a possessed girl. Though driving instructor Rose has a love-hate relationship with her abilities, she decides to help Martin and his daughter Sarah.

The Furies (Australia)

Directed by Tony D’Aquino, Starring Airlie Dodds, Linda Ngo, Taylor Ferguson.

Synopsis: 

Kidnapped and afraid, a woman finds herself fighting to stay alive as an unwilling participant in a deadly game where women are hunted by masked men.

Mutant Blast (Portugal – Canadian Premiere)

Directed by Fernando Alle, Starring Pedro Barão Dias, Maria Leite, Joaquim Guerreiro.

Synopsis: 

Maria, a fearless soldier, and TS-347, a man with superhuman strength, are being pursued by a military cell responsible for scientific experiments that have resulted in a zombie apocalypse. On the way, they will meet Pedro, a man with few ambitions and a great hangover. Together, they will try to escape to a safe place, but complications will cross their paths in the form of a nuclear bomb.

The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale (South Korea – Toronto Premiere)

Directed by Lee Min-jae, Starring Jae-yeong Jeong, Ga-ram Jung, Nam-gil Kim.

Synopsis: 

When a pharmaceutical company’s illegal experiments inadvertently create a zombie, the strange Park family finds it and tries to profit from it.

Paradise Hills (Spain/USA – Toronto Premiere)

Directed by Alice Waddington, Starring Milla Jovovich, Awkwafina, Emma Roberts.

Synopsis: 

A mysterious boarding school perfectly reforms wayward girls to fit their surroundings’ exact desires.

Witches in the Woods (Canada – North American Premiere)

Directed by Jordan Barker, Starring Hannah Kasulka, Alexander De Jordy, Corbin Bleu.

Synopsis: 

Jill, a tenacious UMass freshman, abandons her studies for an off-the-grid snowboarding trip. When their SUV mysteriously becomes lost, temperatures fall and the group dynamic unravels as a virtual and then literal witch hunt begins.

The Wretched (USA – Toronto Premiere)

Toronto After DarkDirected by Brett Pierce & Drew T. Pierce, Starring John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Zarah Mahler.

Synopsis: 

A defiant teenage boy, struggling with his parent’s imminent divorce, faces off with a thousand year-old witch, who is living beneath the skin of and posing as the woman next door.

For previous Toronto After Dark reviews and interviews, click here! And if you’re a bit too far south of the border for Toronto After Dark, be sure to check out iHorror’s very own film festival! Click here for info and tickets.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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