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After Dark 2011: ‘Midnight Son’ is a contemporary spin on vampires

Midnight Son Directed by Scott Leberecht 2011, USA, 88 minutes   You know where this is going. Jacob (Zak Kilberg), a shy and lonely young man, works a nighttime security job because of a severe reaction to sunlight, thus amplifying his loneliness. He’s constantly hungry despite a supply of increasingly raw steak. Right around the …

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After Dark 2011: ‘The Theatre Bizarre’ is for fans only

The Theatre Bizarre Directed by Various 2011, Canada/USA/France, 108 minutes   Omnibus films tend to appeal mainly to hard-core fans and other filmmakers. That isn’t a bad thing. In the case of The Theatre Bizarre, some of horror’s nuttiest and most demented talents can be just as nutty and demented as they want. If you’re …

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After Dark 2011: ‘Love’ is beautiful, but too close to its sci-fi precursors

Love Directed by William Eubank 2011, USA, 85 minutes   Invariably, a few other movies come to mind when describing Love. Solaris. Moon. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Love certainly evokes a fair share of science fiction heavy-hitters. It looks, sounds, and feels beautiful. The cinematography is dispassionate but entrancing. The music, by Angels & Airwaves …

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After Dark 2011: ‘Some Guy Who Kills People’ is a bathtub full of bloody fun

Some Guy Who Kills People Directed by Jack Perez 2011, USA, 97 minutes   Black comedies are about things that most people don’t find funny. Torturous high school bullying. Meeting the eleven-year-old child you didn’t know you had. Suicidal thoughts and the overbearing mothers who mock them. Some Guy Who Kills People, the exceptional new …

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After Dark 2011: ‘War of the Dead’ – More Nazi zombies than you can empty a Thompson at

War of the Dead Directed by Marko Makilaakso 2011, Germany/Italy/Lithuania, 85 minutes   There’s no villain quite like a Nazi, unless it’s a Nazi zombie. War of the Dead has plenty of Nazi zombies, along with Soviet zombies, Finnish zombies, and probably some American zombies. National identity gets less important the further along a zombie …

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After Dark 2011: ‘Deadheads’ – Buddy comedy, now starring zombies

Deadheads Directed by Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce USA, 2011 The Pierce brothers have a strange brew in Deadheads. Zombie-comedy is an established genre at this point. The strangeness comes from the combining of bits of buddy comedy, teen movie, and road trip stuff they mix in; parts of Deadheads even feel like a Blink-182 …

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After Dark 2011: ‘Redline’ is a surreal and incredible experience

Redline Directed by Takeshi Koike 2010, Japan, 102 minutes   Lots of people are saying that anime hit Redline is like taking acid. Frankly, that doesn’t quite do the film justice. Let’s do better. If Speed Racer and Heavy Metal had a child, but the child was exposed to a lot of drugs in utero, …

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After Dark 2011: ‘Father’s Day’ is the best film about raping fathers ever! (Review #2)

Father’s Day Directed by ASTRON-6 2011, Canada/USA, 100 minutes   Father’s Day has a half-naked stripper wielding a chainsaw. Review over. Okay, fine. I’ve got more. However, it’s safe to say that about ninety percent of you know whether or not you want to see this movie. For that remaining ten percent, this film is …

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After Dark 2011: ‘Exit Humanity’ swings and misses again, and again, and again . . .

Exit Humanity Directed by John Geddes 2011, Canada, 114 minutes   Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that there were six hundred people in the Toronto Underground Cinema for Exit Humanity. There may have been more. It was pretty full (the theatre seats seven hundred thirty seven, according to their liquor license), and I …

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After Dark 2011: ‘Monster Brawl’ blows hot and cold (Review #2)

Monster Brawl Directed by Jesse T. Cook 2011, Canada, 90 minutes   Know what would improve wrestling? Classic movie monsters, that’s what. How would you get classic film monsters, such as Cyclops and Frankenstein, in the ring together? By saying “fuck narrative”, that’s how. Director Jesse Cook wanted to see a bunch of monsters square …

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