How do you follow up a TIFF Midnight Madness that had “Obsession,” “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” and “The Furious”? That’s what longtime programmer Peter Kuplowsky will have to contend with this year.
The slate for this year’s Midnight Madness was unveiled this morning, and Josh Giuliano’s “River,” which has been internally buzzed about for weeks, thanks to great test scores, is opening the section. There’s also a special screening of Na Hong-jin’s “Hope,” which will play incredibly well with the MM crowd.
“Vintage Violence” by Eugene Kotlyarenko (“Spree”) is described as this “outrageous yakuza-infused caper about denim, specifically about a cache of vintage jeans that is found by a social media influencer who goes to Japan to try and sell them and then runs afoul of the yakuza.” Kotlyarenko is known for his collage of screen media, like…
We will also finally get to see Anna Biller’s “The Face of Horror.” She hasn’t helmed a feature since her wonderful 2016 gem “The Love Witch.” The same vintage aesthetics will be back in “Face of Horror,” which is set in the 14th century and tackles an unfaithful widower haunted by his former wife after her death. The first look image can be seen above.
Matthew Rankin, who earned acclaim last year with “Universal Language,” is back with the quasi-documentary “Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney,” which tackles the political ascendancy of one of the more infamous Canadian prime ministers.
The biggest film in this year’s Midnight Madness slate is likely Duncan Jones’ “Rogue Trooper,” a CGI motion-capture movie shot on an indie budget. Jones’ “Moon” and “Source Code” are high up in his filmography, but he’s been in a bit of a rut lately (“Warcraft,” “Mute”) — and is hoping this Midnight Madness slot will provide a much-needed boost.
Check out the full lineup below:
“Anchors Aweigh” | Matt Barats
“Arrested Memory” | SABU
“HALF” | Samjad
“Kick On” | Nick Kozakis
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney” | Matthew Rankin
“River” | Joshua Giuliano
“Rogue Trooper” | Duncan Jones
“The Face of Horror” | Anna Biller
“The Spiral” | Paolo Strippoli
“Vintage Violence” | Eugene Kotlyarenko
This last Irving take is being described as gothic atmosphere, psychological intrigue and — there’s that genre again — “erotic thriller.” This is a “Sleepy Hollow” movie being sold as horny and spooky.