Day six -- so, what have I been up to in a sunny and warn Toronto since the last time I was blogging here? Well, I've seen some films, attended a bunch of parties and generally had a good time.

I didn't catch the new George A. Romero film Survival Of The Dead at the Midnight Madness screening attended by Phil and Paul. Instead I saw it the following day in the much more relaxed environment of a press and industry screening. I agree with Paul that this is George's best film for quite a while. When I saw the Variety review last week before leaving London, I was concerned. However, in my opinion, Survival Of The Dead is George’s best film since Land Of The Dead. The gentle giant of the Zombie world is back on song.

I also caught up with the Australian sensation The Loved Ones. Again being lazy, I did not attend the Midnight Madness screening, but watched the film in a little booth on a TV screen with headphones. I met Shaun Byrne the film's director at the Midnight Madness cocktail party. Over a couple of vodkas and coke we had a long discussion about what brought him to make and direct his film. His ten-year saga is well worth it. A must see.

Curiosity took me to Dundas Square right in the heart of Toronto. It was the location for the Midnight Madness Zombie Walk. I was curious to see how it is done over here. Completely different to how we do it in London, it was an interesting experience. In a rock gig type of atmosphere, Mr R was presented with a momentum/award to mark his new Canadian citizenship.

On the party front, this year hasn't been vintage. I didn't get my normal invite to the British Film Council brunch, which is famed for it’s good food. The day before I managed to put the completely wrong time in my diary for Joe Dante's after screening party for The Hole. Add to this, I then went to the completely wrong hotel for my friend’s after screening party. As it turned out, this wasn't a complete disaster. For some reason, and I have no idea why, my name was already on a list for another party. So what’s a man to do? Say thanks and go in of course. Once in, I ran into a few Brits that I know from London and we partied away until the small hours. Last night I attended a reception for other film festival organisers. There I ran into Jeffery Coghlan and Ambrose Roche the producers of Pontypool. Paul and I joined them and using their local knowledge did the rounds of the cocktail party circuit, but that’s a story for another day.

I saw film on Monday that I wanted to tell you about. Occasionally at a festival I get the programme out and do a kind of a lucky dip. At a loss for something to do for a couple of hours the other day that's exactly what I did. The screening I picked turned out to be a British Australian co-production called The Boys Are Back. Starring Clive Owen, it is about a man who loses his wife unexpectedly and is then left to bring up his two sons. I was only going to stay for 20 minutes to give the film a chance, but I enjoyed it so much, I stayed right to the very end. Recommended.

Until the next time…..

Ian.

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