This week’s all week horror extravaganza reached its summit when the After Dark Film Festival had its first red carpet premiering of a film in their five-year run.
Everyone was out, Entertainment Tonight, Global, and of course the little guys like me and the horror outlets who routinely cover the festival. Although for me, this is my first time as press, les alone have a press pass.
In the name of honesty, I do have to say I was put off by the security. Now when I hear 9 security guards will be withwith Eli Roth, the famous actor/director and now producer (Cabin Fever, Hostel, Hostel 2, Inglorious Bastards) I had imagined tasteful suited bodyguards, you know how you see in the movies. Instead we saw guys in security uniforms, bullet proof vests lining up all over the place as if the Bloor Cinema had half a dozen ATMs in the process of getting filled up.
Yes, I know it’s Eli Roth, but outside of the horror world, most people don’t even know who he is, and as nice as the cast was, who knew them either. I suppose the horror genre (especially when you create torture porn films gone extreme) does bring out some crazies, and maybe it was needed. But it seemed like overkill that will leave some debating star presence at the festival.
Nonetheless, I tried my best to get at least a decent photo. My videos are taken from the post-screening Q&A and are fun.
I gotta say once he started speaking to the audience, he was not only is he incredibly hot – I have a thing for Jewish guys what can I say – but he is very funny and likable, as well as very comfortable in his own skin.
The Last Exorcism began with no credits, nothing. At first I wondered if this was the short they play prior to the feature. But we had already seen that. The tone of the film was more mockumentary featuring a charlatan reverend who sees his work as a means to an end (money), and begins to question his ethics and decides he is only going to do one more fake exorcism, get it on tape to show inner workings of religious fraud to the world.
There is one problem, there really is something up with the girl. In the beginning, the film is actually quite funny, and makes one wonder, “Is this really going to be a scary movie.”
Given the rash of POV (point of view) movies I wondered how this sub-genre movie would hold up. In the end I really loved it. Tension is built by not being able to see everything going on. Just as in The Exorcism of Emily Rose, no special effects were used in this film.
Get these two actresses at a party together and they could really creep people out.
I’m not saying go see this movie because Eli Roth promised to blow everyone in the theatre if we said to (being in the same room as Eli, and included in a en mass blow job is as close as I’m going to get to my fantasy), I’m saying it’s good fun, goods scary moments – with a “What the fuck?” kind of ending.
I have to give a MAJOR SPOILER ALERT to my Q&A videos. If you have no intention at all of seeing this movie, or don’t care if you hear a post analysis of this flic, then watch. Otherwise, go see it, come back and watch video.
The Last Exorcism opens in Toronto August 27, 2010.
