Day four - Is it really only the third day of screenings here in Toronto? Already the intensity of the programme is taking its toll and my carefully planned schedule has long since been abandoned. Braving the after effects of drinking with Ian until the wee hours the night before, Saturday begins early for me with a 9am screening of The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus. I've struggled with a lot of Gilliam's more recent work but am happy to report that this is a real return to form for the maverick director, and the film brims with ideas, every penny of its budget up there on the screen for all to see. Mixing live action and CGI to bring Parnassus's world to life, Gilliam really lets his imagination fly, and his decision to complete the film using Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell to substitute for the late Heath Ledger in key scenes actually works. An engaging moral fable and boasting a standout performance from model-turned-actress Lily Cole, Parnassus was definitely worth the early start.

Having bumped into fellow delegates Scott Weinberg (Cinematical) and Bruce Fletcher (Dead Channels) outside the venue we elected to journey down to the AMC cinema next to catch the much anticipated [REC] 2 which continues the tale of a deadly outbreak in a Spanish apartment block from the moment the first film ended. Throwing in some new characters and using first-person helmet cameras from the SWAT team sent in to secure the building, Paco Plaza & Jaume Balaguero's sequel provides more of the same - intense action and shock moments while further developing the backstory of the infection's source. Then a quick cab ride back to the Varsity to catch The Road, John Hillcoat's long awaited adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel of a man (Viggo Mortensen) educating his young son about survival as they undertake a perilous journey across country to the coast. Bleak and desolate, this is extremely faithful to the source novel and looks a sure fire bet for Awards season.

Later in the evening I'd hoped to catch the first showing of new Brit thriller The Disappearance Of Alice Creed alas the rush line was long and I was out of luck there so I'm going to try and catch the press screening of that one later today. I did however manage to catch up with the film's director J Blakeson (who also co-wrote the script for The Descent: Part 2) and lead actors Eddie Marsan (Heartless) and Martin Compston (Doomsday) - although sadly there was no sign of Gemma Arteton who plays the role of Alice in the film. After a swift pint in the Imperial it was back to the Ryerson where I met up with Paul and we watch the zombies arrive to welcome George A. Romero and his cast and crew for the world premiere of Survival Of The Dead. A companion piece to Diary, this takes the story of a band of military personnel who seek refuge on Plum Island and find themselves caught in the middle of an ongoing dispute between two families on the island.

Essentially playing like a Western, Romero's social commentary which touches on war and tribalism is a real crowd pleaser, with tons of dark humour and plenty of inventive kills. The clip shown at this year's FrightFest really does not do the film justice, this is a far more assured and satisfying piece of work than Diary, and in Paul's opinion it's his best film since Dawn Of The Dead - high praise indeed! You can be sure that Survival will be a fan favourite at the all-nighter if the boys can pull it off.

Until the next time…..

Phil.

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