OTTAWA HORROR

What's New?

2018-07-29T12:09:00.001-04:00

This week we have a round up of events and movies around the OT that Horror Fans may find interesting.

MAYFAIR THEATRE

Tonight at 8:45 you can catch the last showing of "Hereditary". This film has been garnering a lot of attention lately, both positive and negative, so be sure to check it out.

August 15th is the Ottawa Premiere of "The Crescent". This indie horror/mystery has been racking up awards at festivals across the country. I know very little about it, but the trailer looks intriguing.

And on August 20 and 21st don't miss a big screen viewing of "Bram Stoker's Dracula" with the amazing Gray Oldman in the title role. If you haven't seen this on the big screen, do yourself a favour and go.

You can find all these and more on The Mayfair website.

CARNIVAL DIABLO

Nicolai Diablo brings the last travelling sideshow to town. Dates include August 9th to the 12th in Stittsville, and August 16th - 19th in Almonte. Step right up and see the Strangest Show Unearthed! Marvel at The Mysterious Menagerie - strange creatures from all over the world! Witness the amazing feats of Nicolai Diablo! And don't miss the wonder that is Vassago - the mechanical marvel who will astound you with his fortune-telling abilities.

You can find information about all the shows on the Facebook Page.

If you have an event that you think our readers would enjoy, please email us at info@ottawahorror.com.

His name was Jason...

2018-07-14T10:56:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday the 13th Folks! (OK, it's technically the 14th right now, but better late than never right?)

While the day has traditionally been considered unlucky, it's always been good to me. Including a little Horror Franchise that goes by the same name.

"Friday the 13th" was my introduction to the Slasher Genre, and I still hold a love for the series - so much so that this was my birthday cake...

Including crossovers and the "reboot" there are currently 12 movies in the series. Which makes the cancellation of the last one even worse - it truly would have been "Friday the 13th Part 13".

So here are my picks for the Top5 "Friday the 13th" in the series in numerical order

1. Part 1 ("Friday the 13th")

Well duh! Nothing that comes after would have happened without this one. Although Jason isn't actually the killer in this one, he does make his first screen appearance in a great shock scare.

2. Part III ("in 3-D!")
Jason gets his mask! This movie was the introduction of the iconic Hockey Mask which would define the character in Horror History. Oh and hey... in 3D!

3. Part IV ("The Final Chapter")

Ok, perhaps a little premature in the title, but this is a major turning point in the series. A young Cory Feldman, as our hero Tommy Jarvis, goes toe to toe with our favourite killer - and actually manages to get him killed. The machete in the head finale still stands as one of the best kills in the series. Add in the introduction of the Tommy character (a big factor in the next 2 movies) and this is still one of the best.

4. Part VII ("The New Blood")

While you could argue that at this point the series started to go downhill, and Part VI gives us the resurrected, un-killable Jason who will become the norm for the rest of the series, this installment gives us the first appearance of Kane Hodder as Jason. Hodder would go on to play Jason for 3 more movies and has become the actor most associated with the role. For that reason alone this is on my list. And the "dropping the entire house on Jason" moment.

5. Part X ("Jason X")
What??? Jason in Space??? C'mon! Bear with me here. The original "Friday the 13th" came to our screens in 1980. Twenty-one years later, he'd been killed, resurrected, gone to New York, then to Hell. The series had frankly become a caricature of itself. "Jason X' went the meta route, being very self-aware of exactly how ridiculous the whole series had become. The movie never takes itself completely seriously. This is brought home near the end, when after surviving the exploding spacecraft, Jason is seen hurtling towards the rescue ship, and our final girl says "You've got to be kidding me!" - reflecting what the audience at this point is undoubtedly thinking. Plus, Uber-Jason is a BADASS!

So Friday Fans... which was your favourite?

Get Hurt

2018-07-08T19:16:00.000-04:00

Hurt by director Sonny Malhi (Anguish, Family Blood) makes it's world debut at the Fantasia Festival in Montreal this month.

Premiering July 26th at the festival, Hurt was shot entirely here in the Ottawa region, including Saunders Farm and Cannamore Orchard, as well as being shot with a mostly local crew (including yours truly). The film is being released by Blumhouse Productions.

From the Fantasia site:

"A peaceful sky, wind in the trees, a ladybug sitting on a blade of wheat. Nothing happens in New Caney, Texas. On Halloween night, the picture-perfect Americana of this farming town is quiet and remains undisturbed. Time moves painfully slowly. Rose sits by herself, smoking a cigarette, scaring the kids away. She wears a mask, like so many others that night. With her husband, freshly back from the war, Rose is off to the village’s annual horror show. Everything is fake – the scar, the red paper blood and the harness on the hanged woman. Only death is real. But the only way to tell you about death is to let you see it for yourself."

I'm very happy to see this one get to release. If you can't make it to Montreal for the premiere, keep your eyes peeled for it's wider release shortly.

Canada Eh?

2018-07-01T10:25:00.000-04:00

Happy Canada Day!

We know how to celebrate Canada's Birthday here in the Capital - well except maybe last year, which from all accounts was a horror experience of its own.

So, without further ado, here is my list (in no particular order) of my 5 Favourite Canadian Horror Films.

1. Black Christmas (1974)

Christmas and Horror had never been slammed together before this film. Director Bob Clark liked the irony of something dark occurring during such a festive holiday. Ironically, Clark's other famous film is "A Christmas Story"

2. Scanners (1981)

You know there had to be at least one Cronenberg film on this. While the movie may not have been his best, it's here because Louis Del Grande's exploding head freaked out my 13-year old mind for years. I could probably just make this list his films, but this was my introduction to him.

3. Cube (1997)

A riff on the Twilight Zone classic "Five Characters In Search of an Exit", "Cube" tells us the story of a group of strangers who wake up in a mysterious cube and need to get out. The catch? Many of the rooms are rigged with lethal traps. A brilliant study in how to make a great movie without a giant budget, the majority of the set was one room with different coloured lights. Tense, psychological and occasionally gory, this still hits all the right notes.

4. American Mary(2012)

The Soska Sisters. These two amazing ladies are shaking up the old boy's club of horror films in the best possible way. This tale of a medical student drawn into some dark dealings in the world of body modification showed the world these two women are not to be taken lightly. Two other things I love about this movie - Katherine Isabelle, my favourite new scream queen, and the fact that it's an ironic title for a Canadian Movie.

5. Ginger Snaps(2002)

Saving the best to last(?) is this little gem. Those who know me, know that my favourite movie monster is the Werewolf, and this is my favourite werewolf movie. Drawing parallels between lycanthropy and adolescence this film is one of the best werewolf films to grace the screen since "An American Werewolf in London". One of it's best compliments? "That didn't look like a Canadian Film". And Katherine Isabelle.

Take A Swim in the Monster Pool

2018-06-24T21:34:00.000-04:00

The Monster Pool kicks off its fourth installment this year.

Since 2015, Ottawa Filmmakers Vincent Valentino, Randy Smith, and Andrew JD Robinson have brought together a variety of Ottawa and Area filmmakers to create The Monster Pool.

Co-Creator Valentino says:

The Monster Pool is a project that aims to bring the community together, with an anthology, a shorts film showcase, socials, workshops, screenings and more. we want to empower people through filmmaking and bring communities together.

An anthology series, the stories usually have a common thread - a cursed object, the Seven deadly sins - the final product is shown every year that the Mayfair Theatre in October.

Starting last year, the Monster Pool also incorporates a Community Showcase, showing off short horror films from local talent that don't necessarily fit into the main anthology.

You can see all of the previous installments on their YouTube Channel, and be sure to check their Facebook Page for all the details of this year's installment.