Spotlight Sublist: 2023 - 7 - Butcher’s Choice
Pin
When young Leon (Hewlett) forms a bond with an anatomy doll he calls Pin, his father (O’Quinn) doesn’t give it much thought, seeing it as a typical childhood imaginary friend. But after both of Leon’s parents are killed in a car accident, his attachment grows into a dangerous level of fixation, and he begins to employ the doll in increasingly horrific ways. This incredible piece of psychological horror will keep you on the edge of your seat.
A cult favourite among horror fans but currently out of print, we’re pleased to offer a rare chance to see Pin in honour of its 35th anniversary.
“A cool, bloodless, well-made thriller with a taste for the quietly bizarre.” – Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Director
Sandor Stern
Writer
Sandor Stern
Cast
David Hewlett, Cynthia Preston, Terry O'Quinn, Bronwen Mantel
Producer
Rene Malo
Genre
Horror
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Hobo with a Shotgun
This cult favourite started as a fake movie trailer in Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse. It includes several Canadiana Easter eggs and a memorable performance from Rutger Hauer, who at one point delivers a dramatic monologue to an audience of newborn babies.
A gleeful, gory sendup of 70s exploitation films, Hobo with a Shotgun delivers plenty of shocks, mayhem and vigilante justice, “one shell at a time.”
Director
Jason Eisener
Writer
John Davies
Cast
Rutger Hauer, Gregory Smith, Molly Dunsworth
Producers
Paul Gross, Rob Cotterill, Niv Fichman
Genres
Action/Adventure, Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Interest
Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Les affamés (Ravenous)
In the bleak aftermath of an outbreak of zombies in rural Quebec, Bonin (Marc-André Grondin) struggles to survive along with the rapidly dwindling remaining population. When he encounters a group hiding in a house that is in the path of an invading horde of the undead, he must decide whether or not to save them, as doing so would put him and his companions in danger.
Les affamés is a brilliant and fresh take on the zombie genre, maintaining a tense atmosphere with exceptional moments of horror. It won the Best Canadian Feature prize at TIFF in 2017 and swept the Jutra Awards (now the Prix Iris) with ten wins, including Best Film and Best Direction.
“Robin Aubert's idiosyncratic and nuanced drama breathes fresh life into the zombie apocalypse subgenre.” - John Leydon, VarietyDirector
Robin Aubert
Aubert is a filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. He has starred in many critical and box office hits, such as De père en flic, Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre, Jeune Juliette, Mon cirque à moi, and Une colonie, for which he won a Prix Iris for Best Supporting Actor. He has also directed numerous films, including Saints-Martyrs-des Damnés, À l'origine d'un cri, and Les Affamés, which won Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF and ten Prix Iris.
Writer
Robin Aubert
Cast
Charlotte St-Martin, Marc-André Grondin, Monia Chokri, Micheline Lanctôt
Producers
C.S. Roy, Stéphanie Morissette
Genres
Action/Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Original Language
French
Language Version
EN Subtitles
Canadian Distributors
Les Films Seville, Maison 4:3
- Own Voice
Slash/Back
“Slash/Back has an endearing charm that is hard to resist.” — Phuong Le, The Guardian
Director
Nyla Innuksuk (Inuk)
Innuksuk is a director, writer, producer, and VR creator. She co-created the Inuk character Snowguard with Marvel and has written several short films and documentaries. Her first feature was Slash/Back, released in 2022.
Writers
Nyla Innuksuk (Inuk), Ryan Cavan
Cast
Tasiana Shirley, Shaun Benson, Kristian Bruun
Producers
Nyla Innuksuk (Inuk), Alex Ordanis, Christopher Yurkovich, Daniel Bekerman
Genres
Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Mongrel Media
Crimes of the Future
A loose remake of one of his earliest films, Crimes of the Future is classic Cronenberg, with all of the body horror you’d expect from the master director.
Director
David Cronenberg
A Companion of the Order of Canada, Cronenberg is a legendary filmmaker and pioneer of the body horror genre. His directing credits include iconic films such as Scanners, Dead Ringers, Videodrome, and Crash, for which he won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. He also directed eXistenZ, Crimes of the Future, The Shrouds, and others. He has won over 80 awards, including the Golden Coach at Cannes, and lifetime achievement awards from TIFF and the DGC.
Writer
David Cronenberg
Cast
Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman, Lea Seydoux, Lihi Kornowski, Viggo Mortensen
Producers
Panos Papahadzis, Steve Solomos, Robert Lantos
Genres
Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Environment
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
MK2 Mile End
The Editor
A modern classic from the Winnipeg filmmaking collective Astron-6, The Editor is a terrific send-up of genre clichés that is sure to please any horror fan.
“a knowing pastiche of the giallo genre, so incoherent and ridiculous it could almost pass for the genuine article” – Anton Bidel, Sight & Sound
Directors
Adam Brooks
Brooks is a filmmaker, writer, actor and visual artist, and a member of Winnipeg’s Astron-6 filmmaking collective. He wrote and co-directed the features Father’s Day, The Editor, and episodes of the series Divorced Dad, all of which he also starred in. He also directed the documentary Cliff: A Portrait of an Artist. As an actor, he has numerous credits, including the short Bio-Cop and Forgotten Lake, and features such as Manborg, Psycho Goreman, and Frankie Freako.
Writers
Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy, Conor Sweeney
Cast
Paz de la Huerta, Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy, Conor Sweeney
Producers
Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy
Genre
Horror
Interest
Arts and Culture
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Kennedy / Brooks
La peau blanche (White Skin)
This brilliant and terrifying horror drama from Daniel Roby won the Best First Feature award at TIFF and the Claude Jutra award at the Genies.
Director
Daniel Roby
Roby’s feature film debut, La peau blanche, premiered at TIFF and went on to win the Canadian Screen Award for Best First Feature. His other films include Funkytown, Dans la brume, Target Number One, Chien & chat, and Louis Cyr, which swept the awards season with nine Jutras and two Canadian Screen Awards. He has also directed episodes of Versailles and La Faille.
Writers
Daniel Roby, Joël Champetier
Cast
Marc Paquet, Marianne Farley
Producer
Daniel Roby
Genre
Horror
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Language
French
Canadian Distributor
Les Films Seville
The Changeling
After the tragic deaths of his wife and daughter, a move from New York to Seattle was meant to be a fresh start for composer John Russell (played by Academy Award-winner George C. Scott). However, when mysterious occurrences begin to escalate in the mansion he’s renting, he starts to believe that his new home is haunted, and that the spirits are looking to do him harm.
A cult classic and the winner of eight Genie awards including Best Picture, this spine-tingling horror is a must-see for fans of the genre.
Director
Peter Medak
Writers
Diana Maddox, William Gray
Cast
Jean Marsh, George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas
Producers
Joel B. Michaels, Garth H. Drabinsky
Genre
Horror
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Pan-Canadian Film Distributors
Afflicted
Afflicted is a rare Canadian entry in the found-footage thriller genre that was called “ambitious in scope and practically flawless in execution,” by the Toronto Star’s Bruce DeMara.
Directors
Clif Prowse, Derek Lee
Writers
Clif Prowse, Derek Lee
Cast
Clif Prowse, Derek Lee, Michael Gill, Baya Rehaz
Producers
Chris Ferguson, Zach Lipovsky
Genres
Action/Adventure, Horror
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
- Own Voice
L’Inhumain (The Inhuman)
Mathieu (Samian) may be a brilliant and successful neurosurgeon, but his life is far from perfect. When his long-term prescription drug habit is exposed, and his wife discovers he’s been having an affair, Mathieu faces professional and personal consequences. His father’s sudden death prompts Mathieu’s return to the northern Anishinaabe community of his youth and the remote forest cabin where he goes to scatter his father’s ashes. But what begins as a respite from his chaotic life to a place he thought he’d left far behind becomes a battle with something far darker. Haunted by painful memories and hunted by the legendary Wendigo, Mathieu faces demons both figurative and literal.
A rare French-language Indigenous genre film, L’inhumain is the directorial debut of Anishinaabe producer and writer Jason Brennan. It’s a thrilling and evocative parable about the dangers of feeding the monster inside.
Director
Jason Brennan (Anishinaabe)
Brennan is a director, producer, and writer who wrote, directed and produced episodes of Hit the Ice, Skindigenous, Pulse, and A Good Game, as well as writing and directing a Heritage Minute for Historica Canada. He also wrote and directed the feature film L’Inhumain, which earned him the Best Director award at the American Indian Film Festival. He has many producing credits in film and television, including the feature Rustic Oracle.
Writer
Jason Brennan (Anishinaabe)
Cast
Sonia Vigneault, Jeanne Roux-Cote, Véronique Beaudet, Samian (Algonquin)
Producer
Jason Brennan (Anishinaabe)
Genres
Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
7th Screen