Film critic and radio personality Chris Alexander (Fangoria, AM 640 Toronto, Metro) presents a new screening and lecture series…
It’s film school with a “B-Movie” twist.
Twice a month, every month, Toronto’s legendary Bloor Cinema plays host to a fun filled, educational and totally irreverent master class in cinema history, featuring many oddball motion pictures that rarely ever make the list of any higher education film syllabus.
Your instructor is Chris Alexander, the “Friday Film Guy” on radio station AM 640 Toronto’s The John Oakley Show, writer for Metro Canada, Canadian correspondent for legendary horror magazine Fangoria and film history teacher at the Toronto Media & Film College.
The series kicks off on Monday, November 9th with Eugenio Martino’s obscure 1972 Spanish/British cross-genre cult classic HORROR EXPRESS. Horror film icons Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing star as scientists running afoul of a murderous missing link on the Trans Siberian Express at the turn of the century. Telly Savalas also stars as a crazed Cossack as do a cavalcade of shambling zombies in this unhinged, expertly crafted bit of mayhem that plays like a Hammer Horror film fused with Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.
Then, on Wednesday, November 25th, all the stops are pulled out as Alexander unleashes a film that Gene Simmons himself has claimed is on par with – or worse than – Ed Wood’s PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE: the one, the only KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK. Produced by cartoon kingpins Hanna-Barbera in 1978, this utterly inept and bizarre one of a kind pulp fantasy features the legendary shock rockers KISS (who at the time were at the peak of their popularity) battling a mad scientist (THE OMEGA MAN’s Anthony Zerbe) at an amusement park while rocking out with some of their signature tunes. Terrible special effects, worse acting, ridiculous action sequences and some vintage concert footage combine in this unbelievable motion picture that was actually directed by genre film producer and director Gordon Hessler (ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, THE OBLONG BOX).
New screenings will be added each month. Special guests TBA.
Each screening features an in-depth, entertaining, informative and often humorous lecture from Alexander as well as post-film wrap up and discussion in the Bloor Cinema lounge.
Each screening costs $8 with your Bloor Cinema membership and $10 for non-members, with no commitment to attend any other screenings than the ones you wish to attend.
And best of all there are NO tests AND you can chew gum!
