SHOCK AND AWE-SOME and HUNKA JUNK OTTAWA

Again, it's been a stretch of time that I've got to write about film events that happened, or the follow up, including SHOCK AND AWE

In June, just before the SHOCK AND AWE madness, I went to Ottawa to another screening of HUNKA JUNK 6, the first time I've done a screening in Ottawa this decade (I actually had shown some background films there with Digital Poodle back in the 90's, but not as a showcase).

Playing 2 nights, HUNKA JUNK 6 had some serious competition being a well pushed screening for the unwatchable TROLL 2 (which I'm not a fan of, but GHOULIES 2 is a different story!). Driving up seemed somewhat long, but I got to Ottawa for the midnight screening on the Saturday and the people had a good time. After a flub with my accomodations, at 3am I headed to my bed and breakfast to crash for the night, a former Cuban consulate (!!). In the morning, drinking coffee and eating fresh strawberries, I talked with some folks there who were studying doctors, working on their masters in Dermocology. One was from St John, Newfoundland and the other from Edmonton, Alberta. We discussed the recession in our cities (and think the media had blown things out of proportion) then afterwards I explored the city and also searched for a helmet for my new scooter (which I could go ON about but I'll spare you). After my Sunday show, I hit the road to return my rental car for the 9am due date. It was a very strange ride home before getting on the 401 with my car being the only one on the road, except for 2 rental moving vans.

Back home, it was time to deal with preparations for SHOCK AND AWE. There was great press coverage in the Toronto Star, Metro, Blogto, and various other media outlets.

Our turnout was good, but hell, I'm always wanting to have a sell-out Toronto show. But the folks that came were ready for an all-night ride ready to be entertained. I came into the show, very tired and only got my 2nd wind around 7am. The films played pretty well and I got to meet so many nice people that I hadn't met before. When we wrapped up and cleaned the theatre, the Fox boys, Tim and myself hopped in Daniel's home ready to crash.

What was interesting afterwards was how the two shows kind of merged into something afterwards. I had pitched in Ottawa to bring SHOCK AND AWE there, and earlier this month, they kind of "borrowed" the idea of the "all night festival" including the mystery movie. I guess copying is a form of flattery and I had told the Fox boys that it would be a matter of time before someone would knock-off my creation. Ho well.

But both shows were good fun and I got to meet great folks. It was the first time in SOME time I gave intro's strictly in English! Hahahahaha!

SHOCK AND AWE RETURNS - JUNE 13TH TO FOX CINEMA - THE ALL NIGHT GRINDHOUSE EXPERIENCE RETURNS TO TORONTO!

The All-Night Grindhouse Festival RETURNS!
Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 11:30pm
The Fox Theatre
2236 Queen Street East
Toronto, ON
Tickets - $25 in advance, $30 at the door (see below for ticket retailers)

My favorite event to do in Toronto returns folks, and it's even BETTER than ever!


Relive the grindhouse experience with an all night (and Day) screening briging you back to the cinema experience of those "other theatres".For ONE NIGHT ONLY, the Fox Cinema brings you back to the days of exploitation, shock, shlock and fun!

Oddball Toronto film archivist Dion Conflict returns with one of his most ambitious projects to date with help from the FOX CINEMA and sponsors Rue Morgue Magazine and the After Dark Film Festival. "Shock and Awe" is an all night film festival running till almost the afternoon of the next day showcasing long lost drive-in shlock, and ending with the “unseen in ages on the big screen” Dan O’Bannon punk zombie epic "The Return of the Living Dead", long lost from Toronto Rep theatre repetoire.

With a dossier of 6 films, SHOCK AND AWE promises to provide the authentic grindhouse experience, touched upon by the Tarantino/Rodrigues film "Grindhouse"."SHOCK AND AWE" pays homage to the grindhouse experience unearthing some of the hardest and rarest 35mm and 16mm prints of these long lost films (which themselves more than likely ran in grindhouse theatres or low-rent drive-ins), with some prints being the only known elements left of the films themselves. The titles include Jack Nicholson’s onscreen partnership with one of North America’s most notorious biker gangs (Hell’s Angels On Wheels), The Louisiana student film which later inspired films such as “Evil Dead” and “Friday the 13th” (Screams of a Winter Night), West-German sexy coming-of-age trash (Swingin’ Pussycats), the first theatrically distributed adult film (Mona) and a mystery film. Between films will be vintage short subjects, cartoons, and grindhouse movie trailers, all shown from original film prints.

Not just a film screening, but even more of an event, SHOCK AND AWE will also have tables of merchandise offering obscure explotation collectables including Super 8 films, B-movie DVD's, and small press publication from other GTA area film publications. Intermissions will also feature themed snack bar offerings at the FOX including breakfast items, film tie-in themed treats, and local area business restauranteurs.

Curator and host Dion Conflict will also showcase some lost music videos, surprise celebrities, world premier short films by local directors, and trailers of other obscure grindhouse offerings from his archive (one of Canada's most eclectic private archives).SHOCK AND AWE tickets can be purchased at the Fox Cinema box office and also at Suspect Video (605 Markham St., near Bathurst and Bloor) and Eyesore Cinema (801 Queen St. West above Rotate This). Wristbands will also be given to patrons for "in out privleges" or "to get some air" for the marathon film screening, the first of it's kind in Toronto.So come out for a night and morning of marathon fun!

Here's the lineup!

MONA (1970):The first theatrical adult motion picture, complete with bad wigs and dungy allies! The trials and tribulations in the day of Mona, a Valleri Bertinelli knock-off and the weirdos she meets. Bukowski written actors seem like they've just popped out of the methadone clinic to do some summer stock. Complete with over the top, theatrical music sounded like it was ripped from "The Bible"

SWINGING PUSSYCATS (1969):Lost West-German Eurotrash showing the sexy hijinks at Filander Manor. Can Alexandra endure an entire summer at her family's castle after her return home from school? Filled with more loins than plates of schnitzel at Octoberfest!

HELL'S ANGELS ON WHEELS (1967): Jack Nicholson and REAL Hell's Angels terrorize the screen! A gas station attendant (Nicholson) finally gets into the Hells Angels & goes on a rampage of Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll and violence! It's a battle of bikers against hippies! Ripped from todays headlines of Quebecois newspapers!

SCREAMS OF A WINTER NIGHT (1979): The under-rated horror gem from Louisiana which after seeing, you can see where "Friday the 13th", "The Evil Dead" and "Blair Witch Project" happily borrowed from. A group of teens camp out at an abandoned house and share ghost stories they have heard from the area. From it's opening credits, you know you're in for some VERY creepy thrills. Still unavailable on DVD.

MYSTERY FILM: An Ultra-Rare, seldom-seen film, guaranteed to delight!

and ending with the Dan O'bannon classic:

THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985): Thrills, chills and chuckles combine in the 80's zombie classic as a gas released in a medical supply company brings the dead to life! Brains! Brains!

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT:
- Suspect Video (605 Markham St., near Bathurst and Bloor)
- Eyesore Cinema (801 Queen St. West above Rotate This).
AND the FOX THEATRE box office.

Get em before they're gone! And be sure to join the facebook group offering lots of prizes and goodies before the show!

Iso kiitos Suomi! Tänan Teid Eesti!

(Photo: At a luncheon with the Mayor of Haapsalu, Estonia (Ingrid Danilov) and Sten, the organizer of the Haapsalu Õudus- ja Fantaasiafilmide Festival)

It's been several weeks since my return from my tour of the Baltics but wow, indeed it was a month I would never forget.

My month of April was busy beyond belief and as I approached my final week in Finland, I was exhausted after over 40 bus rides, 7 train rides (including 2 Pendolino), various trams, subways, cars, and fast boat cruise ships.

The world debut of the program kicked off at the Night Visions festival in Helsinki and I gotta say their fest is incredible. There, I had two screenings with the 2nd one which was at 4am on a Saturday, had sold out! From there it went on to Jyväskylä, Lahti, and Tampere. After that, it was off on a cruise ship to Estonia to the Haapsalu Õudus- ja Fantaasiafilmide Festival, after spending the night in Tallinn, I was on a minibus with my pals from Night Visions and director of the horror film "Splintered" Simeon Halligan to Haapsalu, Estonia.

While some of the tour had me feeling like a ping pong ball, bouncing from town to town, it ended on a great note. The final stop of my program had me enjoying a nice Baltic Breakfast, a tour of Haapsalu by a great tour guide and Silja (the Guest Manager) showing us Haapsalu's gorgeous castle. There was a ceremonial luncheon with the Mayor of the town who embraced the festival (and they presented us with gifts including mud from the town - Haapsalu is a spa town). Before my final screening, I swam in a heated pool from inside the spa we stayed at, outside to see the orange red glow of the sun setting into the Golf of Finland. After doing sauna with my Night Visions crew, it was off to do the final screening. Afterwards, sign a couple DVD's and hang out in a Haapsalu club where lots of very nice Estonians came up to talk with me. The day ended with some Eesti booze, and Simeon and myself fighting over some stolen pepperoni from a fridge at the spa. Good times!

On top of it, my booker in central Finland had me speaking at a Polytechnic giving my first lecture to Cultural Managment students. My discussion focused on being proactive in saving our visual history, the unpredictable nature of popular culture, and breaking down the success of the "Hunka Junk" series for Finland. Afterwards a student presented me with gifts from the school. I was elated by the whole event and look forward to doing more.

Again, there's some BIG THANKS for the many "terveet kadet" that made this last tour such a huge success. First off, NIGHT VISIONS in Helsinki (Mikko & Crew) for bringing me over to be part of their amazing film offerings. Also: Keski-Suomen elokuvakeskus, Kino Iiris ja poikka(z) Janne ja Markus, Pirkanmaan Elokuvakeskus (Juha ja Juha-Pekka), Humak, and all my friends there that helped out either feedin me, letting me stay with them, or helping me get somewhere!

In Estonia: Big thanks to Haapsalu Õudus- ja Fantaasiafilmide Festival including Sten, Silja, Ingrid, Hotel Spa Fra Mare, Dynamit energy drink (which I miss back here in Canada), Naistemaailm, Trash Can Dance, and just all the nice people I met.

Hope to see everyone soon!

(Photo: Night Visions (Helsinki, Finland)
page from film program)

CREEPY CHRISTIAN FILMS - New films from Conflict Archives hits Finland AND Estonia!

I'm happy and delighted to tell you the launching of a new series of films pulled from my vault to premiere at the NIGHT VISIONS FILM FESTIVAL in Helsinki, Finland this week. "Creepy Christian Films" is a line-up of oddball films where your admission was a passing of the collection plate!

Night Visions and Dion Conflict present
"CREEPY CHRISTIAN FILMS"
USA 198x * m/v & väri * 16 mm * n. 115 min. *

Kino Engel 2 pe klo 23.00 ja la-su-yö klo 04.15

Night Visions -perjantain avajaiselokuvaksi valittu Borat-ohjaaja Larry Charlesin hulvaton dokumentti Religulous kohottaa uskonnon yhdeksi tämänkertaisen festivaalin tärkeistä teemoista. Teoksen aisapariksi on valittu ainutlaatuinen amerikkalaisten lyhytelokuvien kooste, joka ei voisi tarjoilla syventävää näkökulmaa aiheeseen piirunkaan vertaa ällistyttävämmin.
Kaksituntinen Creepy Christian Films -kokonaisuus näyttää, että propagandistinen elokuvakerronta taittui jo menneillä vuosikymmenillä muiltakin kuin idän diktatuurien elokuvantekijöiltä. Ken Andersonin animaatio Phantom Lake (1984) valjastaa hämmentävästi Scooby Doota muistuttavan koirahahmon pyhään tarkoitukseen. Tony Dew'n ohjaus Nikolai (1986) perehdyttää katsojansa rautaesiripun takaisiin kauhuihin Neuvostoliitossa. Championsissa (1984) saarnamieheksi on valjastettu NFL-tähti Neil Lomax. Hallelujah!

Kanadalainen elokuvatutkija ja -keräilijä Dion Conflict on poiminut kokonaisuuden teokset käsin Pennsylvaniassa toimineen lahkolaiselokuvateatterin jäämistöstä. Conflict saapuu myös Torontosta Helsinkiin esittelemään löydöksensä henkilökohtaisesti.
Luvassa on uskomaton show ällistyttävällä tyylillä, joka on tuttu kaikille Hunka Junk -mainos- ja lyhytelokuvakoosteiden hullaannuttamille katsojille.

Also, this will be playing the following cities in Finland as well..... -
Lahti (April 11th) - Kino Engel -
Jyväskylä (April 14th) -Ravintola Rentukka -
Tampere (April 15th) - Kino Niagara

AND ESTONIA!
Haapsalu - Haapsalu Õudus- ja Fantaasiafilmide Festival (April 17-19, check website for date - www.hoff.ee)

Be sure to check back for other dates and follow ups for other info and tune in this week to YLE-X radio for an exclusive interview as I discuss Christian cinema.

Look forward to seeing you all again VERY shortly!

HUNKA JUNK 6 - CANADIAN DEBUT - JANUARY 23RD @ 11:45 PM!

THE CONFLICT ARCHIVES is proud to announce the Canadian premiere of the recent installment in the HUNKA JUNK series as HUNKA JUNK 6 makes it's Canadian debut at the Bloor Cinema on Friday, January 23rd for a special late nite screening!

DION CONFLICT PRESENTS

HUNKA JUNK 6

Friday January 23rd @ 11:45 PM The Bloor Cinema,

506 Bloor Street (at Bathurst) Toronto, ON

Members $5, Non-Members $8

The "no format" film fest returns from it's smash run in Finland, to it's home turf, Toronto for it's CANADIAN PREMIERE!!!!!HUNKA JUNK 6 brings again some of the oddest 16mm celluloid saved from the finer garbage dumpsters of UHF TV stations and defunct film labs. With it's "no format", there's over 20 different films showcasing lost commercials (including defunct airlines, obscure 70's toys, and the latest in flashbulb camera technology), strange educational films (learn how to use soap with subtitles for the deaf! See how your schools "lost and found" works!), thrifty animation (including bad stop motion pipe cleaner and macrame bead ants and talking vehicles!), movie spots, and more strange fun!This installment also has a focus on "info-tainment", the pre info-mercial designed as "entertainment, but mere ad-filler" running longer than the average commercial with 3 different ones showcased. Learn about a new product called "spray paint" or see a bad "travel doc"/fashion show with the most horrendous sweater collection on the planet.It's all ends with one MO-FO of a Arabic film that's more drug trip, than kiddie film. Considered lost, until now!The screening will including and intro by Dion Conflict and prize giveaways worth "bizillions of Euros"! Don't miss the fun!

NOTE: This HAS NOT been released on DVD yet. But you'll be able to purchase the other volumes of the series!

Call the babysitter and break out of the cabin fever of this VERY COLD winter! And don't forget to join the facebook group!

2008 Rewind: My best year ever

I'm loving 2009 which instead of looking at with this glum paranoia of "It's a resession! We're all doomed" instead with eyes looking towards the many opportunities that are on the horizon for so many of us.

The year started interestingly. A friend and I hit up a local bowling alley. He's 29 and had only bowled "with the Wii" which to me is just wrong, so it was time to hit up our local bowling alley. While the neon was dimmed and the alley played retro eighties music, I blew my party horn from 2008 into 2009 holding my balloon in the alley, ready for the new year.

2008 however, i'm sad to leave behind, because it truly was incredible.

There had been so much I had seen and done that year. I had done screenings in three different countries, countless press, lauched my production company which did not only a documentary, but also allowed me to get back behind the director's chair for a new music video. Travel wise, I had put my foot down in five different countries. We launched a whole new series with my awesome pals at the Fox, plus I saw some of those that I had given their break in television in, shine.

I had been on music video sets, operating rooms, Kosova mountain tops, Pennsylvanian highways, twenties era hotels, Finnish pendolino trains, and just shared so many great times with friends and family. All those around us truly touch us in ways, and I gotta say that I was surrounded by the best. All I can say is, thank you, for one of the best years ever.

Off the sentimental path, be sure to come back and visit here for an update on the Canadian premiere of HUNKA JUNK 6. I'm excited about the future, and wish you all the best for 2009!

It's Kosova, not Kosovo - My adventures in a new country

(Photos:

Bottom, View

from the

mountains.

Top, outside

the Gjergj Kastriot i

monument

(Pristina,

Kosova)

It's been a bit since I was in Kosova, and captured some of the memories here in my blog, but the funny thing is how vivid this was for me. For the first time in awhile, it was primarily a trip to relax. Sure, I did some business there (including pitching some music videos), but unlike my travels in recent years, Kosova was meant for some times of exploration and just living life.

It kind of came out of the blue, but was planned for some time. I noticed that a local travel agency had tickets on sale for Frankfurt, Germany and from there I knew that it might be a bit easier to get to Pristina. After clearing with my pal Adem that I could crash there, my flight got booked and off I went to the country less than a year old... Kosova (or as many as you know it by the Serbian pronounciation, Kosovo).

Napping at my hotel in Frankfurt, I slept a bit wandering around and filming the red light district I was staying in, waking up in the morning to a typical European buffet breafast, similar to the ones I had at many hotels in Finland. Then on a very foggy morning, it was off to the aiport to fly to Budapest, Hungary en route to Kosova.

Landing there and clearing customs, I was pulled aside and my carry on searched again. If anything, they seemed genuinely interested as to why I came to Kosova to visit. While it might be off the beaten path for most, indeed it was well on my radar, and it had been for some time.

Little is known about this former war-torn country, but I can tell you it has tons to offer. It has beautiful mountains, breath-taking waterfalls, and super nice people. Many times I would have someone ask "Why are you here?" as it's not a mecca for tourists. When I would explain that I was there as a tourist and wanting to see their country, they would usually ask if I was having a nice time and wished me a pleasant trip.

Kosova has some of the best food. For 1 EUR, you can get an amazing Albanian hamburger (which are unbelievable), fantastic burek, and a full-on pizza. "Machiato", a type of expresso are great for energy, along with "Golden Eagle", the Kosova-made variation of RED BULL, which can't be beat.

I also enjoyed the time spent with my friend's family the most. Amusing his son with an Elmo toy I had brought, a road trip to Peja and the mountains, and walking to the local market to pick up things needed around their new flat.

The country also provided me with many valuable lessons that would be applied for the months to follow. Yes, I had seen ruins of war ravaged homes and towns. Yet, the optomism of hope was contagious to myself. Some of the nicest people you could ever meet, live in Kosova.

At one point, on a mountaintop, I could look over the peaks. This was the first time I had really ever seen and been on a mountain in real life. As you look over the skyline, you know these are the moments that make life worth living.

Once you've been there, you can understand why Kosovars are so passionate about the place. It also hammered into myself again that hope, dreams, and ambition, are priceless.