Fantasia 2009

If you've ever been to Montreal's Fantasia Film Festival, then you know that Mitch Davis is a legend. As Co-Director of both the festival and International Programming, he can usually be found howling into a microphone as he introduces his favorite films to the adoring audience.

Where Rick Trembles' Motion Picture Purgatory is concerned, there are times when it is best just to let his drawings speak for themselves. This week's installment, Graphic Sexual Horror, is one such instance.

Reviewed by Paul McCannibal Starring George Hardy, Michael Stephenson, Darren Ewing, Jason Wright Directed by Michael Stephenson

Reviewed by Paul McCannibal Starring AJ Bowen, Dee Wallace, Greta Gerwig, Jocelin Donahue, Mary B. McCann, Mary Woronov, Tom Noonan Directed by Ti West

Reviewed by Paul McCannibal Starring Rachel Shelley, Stephen Campbell Moore, Jeremy Sheffield Directed by Tom Shankland

Reviewed by Evil Andy Starring Shiloh Fernandez, Noah Segan, Michael Brown, Candice Accola, Jenny Spain Directed by Marcel Sarmiento & Gadi Harel

Reviewed by Evil Andy Starring José Mojica Marins, Jece Valadão, Rui Rezende, Cristina Aché, Cléo de Páris, Nara Sakarê Directed by José Mojica Marins Written by José Mojica Marins and Dennison Ramalho

The final weekend of Fantasia delivered in spades. The screenings divided audiences, prompted walkouts, and had viewers rolling in the aisles and salting their popcorn with tears of joy celebrating the rebirth of Coffin Joe.

More highlights from the Great White North's incredible film festival!

Is there any doubt what huge José Mojica Marins fans we are here at Dread Central? The man is, quite simply, a badass! And it seems Trembles agrees with us; dig on his Embodiment of Evil review to see just how far out this latest installment in the Coffin Joe saga takes us.

Last Thursday we caught Adam Mason’s ambitious indie film Blood River (review here). While I don’t fully agree with Butane (who saw it at the Boston Underground Film Festival), it is one of the better horror-y things we’ve seen so far.

Reviewed by Evil Andy Starring David Hess, Sasha Grey, Jesse Buck, Michael Berryman Directed by Lee Demarbre “I see filmmaking as a business and pity anyone who sees it as an art form.” – Herschell Gordon Lewis.

If you’ve been reading Dread Central for any amount of time now, you’re no doubt familiar with our weekly Motion Picture Purgatory strip, furnished to us by Montreal’s Rick Trembles.

Reviewed by Paul McCannibal Starring Peter Marshall, Caroline Marohasy, Brad McMurray Written and directed by Steven Kastrissios

The first full week of Fantasia kicked off with two highly anticipated Clive Barker adaptations, Book of Blood, directed by John Harrison, and Dread, directed by Anthony DiBlasi.