Skip to main content

UPDATED: The Basement presents Dark Fest 2012


There's been a dastardly change in the line up for Dark Fest 2012, with The Innkeepers unable to attend because of frightening circumstances. But those Basement Dwellers Jason and Shawn are proud to announce Hobo with a Shotgun will step in as the kick off film March 9 at 7 p.m. And this Canadian grindhouse effort, starring the great Rutger Hauer, is sure to please fans of gruesome cinema!

From out of the cinematic basement and onto the big screen, the 16th Kamloops Canadian and International Film Festival has plunged into a dark realm of B-grade movie entertainment with the inaugural Dark Fest, a loving tribute to the frightful side of cinema.

To do so, the gentle Kamloops Film Festival Committee turned to a couple of guys who appreciate everything that's good about bad movies: Jason and Shawn, co-hosts of 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops' premiere film review show Film Reviews from the Basement.

Jason and Shawn looked deep into the darkest corner of the basement to find four films guaranteed to thrill, chill, frighten and possibly offend audiences at Thompson Rivers University's Clocktower Alumni Theatre on March 9 and 10.

And The Basement Dwellers have recruited a fellow Canuck who is no stranger to horror to make this Dark Fest a success: actor, writer, director, stunt man and film critic John Fallon. Fallon is probably best known within the horror community as The Arrow, head honcho of the Montreal-based horror news website Arrow in the Head. Fallon will be on site throughout Dark Fest, and will show some of his work during the festival.

But what are the films on the chopping block this dark weekend? Read on:

The festival kicks off March 9 at 7 p.m. with director Jason Eisener's Hobo with a Shotgun. A train rolls into its final stop. From one of the freight cars jumps a weary-eyed transient with dreams of a fresh start in a new town. Instead, he lands smack-dab in the middle of an urban hellhole, a place where the cops are crooked and the underprivileged masses are treated like insignificant animals. This is a city where crime reigns supreme, and the man pulling the strings is known only as "The Drake." Along with his two cold-blooded and sadistic sons, Ivan and Slick, he rules with an iron fist, and nobody dares fuck with The Drake, especially not some hobo.



Fallon will introduce Deaden at 9 p.m. He wrote and stars in this actioner, shot in his native Montreal under the direction of Christian Viel. Deaden follows ex-undercover cop turned biker Rane, who witnesses the brutal murder of his pregnant wife before being left for dead with an arrow in the head. Upon his exit from hospital, Rane arms himself to the teeth and goes on an substance fueled, psychotic rampage. in the name of retribution. Fallon will conduct a brief Q&A after the film. 


The festival resumes at 7 p.m. on March 10 with SevĂ© Schelenz's Canadian found-footage horror film Skew. The film has screened at 40 film festivals worldwide and we're excited to make it a part of our first Dark Fest. Schelenz's tale follows Simon, Rich, and Eva as they head out on an eagerly anticipated road trip, they bring along a video camera to record their journey. What starts out as a carefree adventure slowly becomes a descent into the ominous as unexplained events threaten to disrupt the balance between the three close friends. 


Dark Fest concludes with Some Guy Who Kills People at 9 p.m. Jack Perez's horror comedy is about a small town loser who, fresh out of the looney bin, seeks revenge on those he deems responsible for ruining his life. The movie is produced by Hollywood legend John “An American Werewolf In London” Landis and stars veteran actors Kevin Corrigan (Fringe, Unstoppable), Barry Bostwick (Megaforce, Supernatural) and Karen Black (The Hunger, House of a 1,000 Corpses). Fallon's short film The Red Hours will screen prior to the feature.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#CocktailHour: Slushtail

  Summer approaches, inspiring thoughts of sunshine, backyard parties, and having a tip and sip with friends.  With that in mind, I bring you this week sunny beverage. To make a slushtail, mix a can of frozen orange juice, a can of frozen lemonade (or limeade), a can of pineapple juice, a couple cups of black tea (or English Breakfast), and two cups of bourbon- such as Southern Comfort, in a pitcher.  When it's all nicely mixed, put it in the freezer until it's a nice slushy consistency. Scoop the slush into a cocktail glass, and pour in some Sprite or 7-Up.  Add a little umbrella for some frivolous fun, and a straw. Voila!  Ready to enjoy. This is a very refreshing drink.  The fruit juices, Sprite, and bourbon- when chilled makes for a great punch-like drink.  The bourbon doesn't overwhelm juices.   In fact, they are all nicely balanced in terms of flavors.  The sourness of the citrus fruits contrasts well with the slightly sweeter Southern Comfort.  It was refreshing enou

Unlock your fate with The Puzzle

When my dad wasn't working, building stuff or being my dad, he was making puzzles. It was a guaranteed way for him to unwind. So it was with great interest that I sat down to watch Italian filmmaker Davide Melini's award-winning short The Puzzle. You see, the mother in the five-minute film likes to relax with puzzles just like my dad. Unfortunately, her good-for-nothing son keeps harassing her for money. Losing herself in her favourite passtime, the mother soon discovers that completing this puzzle might unlock a nightmare. The Puzzle has been an official selection at more European film festivals than you can shake a stick at, and was voted Third Best Italian Film at the Rome International Film Festival in 2008. Having watched it, I'm not surprised. It's a tight little film that hits you hard in the final few seconds. You can tell Melini cut his teeth as an assistant director for legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento. But enough chit chat on my part. See if yo

The Animated Addict: "The Adventures of Tintin" (2011)

If you're a 40 + white dude, like myself, you may remember a comic series called " The Adventures of Tintin ".  I know I remember them.  This series, dating back to 1929, got turned into a animated feature film by Steven Spielberg in 2011. After buying a model of ship called The Unicorn, teenaged journalist Tintin finds himself on adventure that will take him from the high seas, to the low deserts, and from the distant past to the present.  With his trusty dog, Snowy, by his side, Tintin uncovers a story connecting two men across the centuries.. . The story is really quite good.  It's well crafted, and high paced- with just enough slow moments to build and develop the world and the characters.  This is the sort of adventure story you'd find in the old serials of the 1930's and '40's.  In fact, it felt like it was the sort of tale that you'd find Indiana Jones undertaking.  I found myself swept up, and swept along as our hero swung from one e