Greetings folks! It’s been a while since I’ve been on Ohmpage but I’ll be bringing you reviews and reviews and coverage from one of Toronto’s weirdest, underground film festivals.  Killer tires, human centipedes, medieval zombies,  super-graphic horror, and much more will be on display this year!

Friday nights opening gala was an odd choice, to be sure, for a lineup that contains films that are far more high-profile (Rubber, Human Centipede, Doghouse, or the Eli Roth-produced The Last Exorcism).  The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthuhlu is a tough movie to review – on one hand, it seems to have been shot on a budget of about $75 (with $74 reserved for visual effects).  Director Henry Saine has devised a tale that will positively infuriate fans of H.P. Lovecraft’s work, transforming Lovecraft’s mythical octopoid alien god Cthuhlu into a badly-rendered tentacle-laden blob (that is, when you finally do see it). On the other hand, the film is quite enjoyable to watch and is, at least, somewhat self-aware. Saine chooses to direct the humour at the characters, rather than the Cthuhlu mythos or Lovecraft himself, and this works at least half the time.

The story follows regular-guy Jeff (Kyle Davis) and his buddy Charlie (Devin McGinn, who also wrote this thing), who are selected by a member of the ancient Cult of Cthuhlu to protect an ancient idol which can bring about the return of the alien octopus god. There are several laugh-out-loud moments here, with many coming from an inexplicable character named ‘Captain Olaf’, whose bizarre Irish intonation cracked me up every time. While this is hardly going to win any sort of award or distinction, it is an admirable effort on the part of McGinn and Saine for crafting a fun, often-hilarious monster tale with some better than average effects.

Watch this space throughout the week for more reviews from After Dark, culminating next Friday in an absolutely epic double-review of Rubber and future Best Picture nominee for this year’s Oscar (I’m calling it right now), HUMAN CENTIPEDE!

It is a little after the fact, but when BAFTA commissioned an artist to create covers for the nominees for Best Picture at the Orange British Academy Film Awards, Tavis Coburn created a series of masterpieces that pay ho(h)mage on the golden days of British Cinema. Check out this interview to learn more about how the Torontonian created them and be sure to check out his amazing work.

52 McCaul is a great gallery that supports a variety of local and international contemporary art + culture. Founded by grassroots arts organization Well and Good, 52 is an experimental space dedicated to exploring  visual art and design, popular culture, and local + global issues.

For those interested in viewing and even purchasing amazing new + original street art, the gallery features contemporary works and artist multiples from local and international artists. A true Third Place, it is a multi-use space located in the heart of the city’s cultural district and features a curated boutique and compelling programming in a gallery setting. 52 is just south of Dundas Street and OCAD and north of Queen Street West.

Be sure to check out the new Agents of Urban Change exhibit opening Tuesday June 1st followed by a sponsored wrap party Saturday June 5th:

If you’re in Toronto next weekend you should go check out the Art Gallery of Ontario. Aside from just art, they’re now ready to show off their newly ‘finished’ Frank Gehry^TM renovations. The public opening takes place from the 14th to the 16th with free admission and you’re invited.

[Press Release]

Gears of War 2 is set to be one of this year’s hottest game releases. Its namesake released two years ago to huge critical acclaim and remains one of the most visually impressive titles on the Xbox 360. With the sequel everything was promised to be improved in every aspect. With all the other impressive new games on the scene this month, Gears of War 2 doesn’t really need to bring its A-Game in order to get decent sales – It could have pulled that off on residual excitement alone. Luckily for us though, Epic Games did not rest on its laurels for the sequel and actually tried to push beyond the hype and existing loyal customers in an attempt to actually expand its fan-base.

As nice as Gears of War was when it originally made the scene, it is no secret that it had its share of problems. Multiplayer, for instance, was an undercooked afterthought. Most notably though, story was sorely missing in the original. With this franchise turning in to a signature series, a lot more effort was invested this time around in order to make it a deeper and richer experience. Though, of course, not perfect, this sequel just may have accomplished it’s much touted goal of being in improvement in all aspects over the original. continue…