2011 Toronto After Dark Film Festival

A Hell of a Great Time!  I wish I wrote the names down of everybody I met in the After the After-Party Party, but, of course, that takes an effort... and I wasn't in effort mode.  I did enjoy the Captain Kirk-off with Tattoo-guy (yes, he has a Tattoo of Tattoo on his arm.  Fantasy Island reference for you people under 20).  Enjoyed my chatting with -- wtf is his name... dude with the leather jacket, spikes, and two-tone hair-- you were very cool-- thanks for everything.  Don't take my not remembering your name personally-- I often can't remember my middle name.  To the organizers of the event-- top notch -- you know who you are!  Julie Swanson, the blond chick with all the pictures, hanging out with tattoo guy -- I await the pictures.  To the many filmmakers and actors and producers and distributors etc etc etc-- I hope you had as much fun as I did.



I emptied out my pockets when I got home last night (this morning), and I think I lost a bunch of names and contact info.  Hi Liannne (Fangoria/Frightbytes), Dave (Freddiewear-- I do remember you, and I say it again, you really should work on a David Letterman impersonation-- you never know when your daytime gig gets supplanted by a robot.  Ah, but you're so much more than a caricature)!  Favorite dude I met there.

Nadia Sandu (Student Film Group), Christopher Harrison (Nictophobia Films), Chris Alexander, Alice Quinn of TdotComics, the fantastic accommodating people of the After the After Party Party!

That Hot librarian chick, glasses, dark hair-- you told me your name like 18 times-- we rolled posters together at the club (along with the other Dave and (shit, I really can't remember the dude's name with the spiky leather Jacket-- walked together to the After the After Party Party-- email me -- good luck with the GF).  Fun talking with you --  hot librarian chick, glasses, dark hair.  What can I say-- I love a woman in glasses.  Fun chatting up everyone!  Craig-- one of my best friends just showed up at the After Party-- he had no idea what was even happening-- he just wandered in-- that's Craig.

Robert Maillet / Monster Brawl

Met this guy (Robert Maillet) to the left.  Saw him talking to someone in the lobby, and I just had to go over and say hi.  He is perhaps the biggest person I've ever personally met in my life.  I of course started with "Who the hell are you?"

He pointed to the picture to the left.  6 Foot 10 Inches-- and almost as wide.
He played Frankenstein in the no holds barred slam-fest called "Monster Brawl," another one of the features at After Dark.  Like a schoolgirl, I had to get his autograph.

And speaking of promotion,  what should you do tonight?

Got those Film Festival is Over Blues?  Fear not!!!

There is a Grinderhouse Halloween Party at The Projection Booth, 
1035 Gerrard St. East (www.projectionbooth.ca), Toronto 
tonight (Friday, Oct 28, starting at 8:00pm (it says  8pm on the front of the flyer-- but I think there is an early bird treat screening of "Straight To Hell Returns" at 6:30pm).  It is described:  "Before Tarantino and Rodriguez, 80s cult director Alex Cox (Repo Man) travelled to Almeria to make his own spaghetti western, but the technology of the day just wasn't gory enough.  NOW-- with much MORE GORE!"

$14 cover-- and of course there will be, as one would expect, Drinks, Music, Movies, Prizes-- and the screening of these other two features...

At 8:30 is a personal favorite, Bong of the Dead (Yes-- it's finally come to Toronto!!!  Thomas, why didn't you come?)  Did meet the promoter of this event, and I'm assuming the dude who got it here at the After the After Party Party-- let's talk!
What is BOTD?   As mentioned, it is the Official selection of Cannes 2011 Independent Film Festival and the 2011 SITGES Festival. There will be Bud!  Nadia Sandhu (from the "Projection Booth" calls it "Pot + Zombie Brains = GOOD BUD.")
Read Blog of the Living Dead's coverage of the creation, the promotion, the blood sweat and more blood that went into this film:

Bong of the Dead - Vancouver Premiere
Bong of Dead - Exclusives Including Interview
Bong of the Dead - More Exclusives - BOTD2 (Bong of the Dead 2)
Bong of the Dead - By Alex Browne
Blog of the Dead Review
Bong of the Dead Blog

The last feature (starting at 10:30) is "The Millennium Bug."  Winner of the 2011 Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival. It is described as a "Creature Feature meets Hillbilly Horror in this anti-CGI look back at Y2K."

My hat goes off to everyone who worked tirelessly to pull off this Festival.  It's World Class, and I'm glad I was part of it.

Stay tuned for the review of "Dead Heads."

Must sleep...