Toronto After Dark Film Festival-Silver Screamers-The Rug

 

SILVER SCREAMERS

Director: Sean Cisterna

Runtime: 93 Min

Short film: The Rug

Last night I went to the Toronto After Dark Film Festival at the Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto.

I went for a few reasons.

1. This is the first year without the TADFF's festival founder, Adam Lopez, a kind and generous, and inspiring individual who bravely fought an impossible cancer journey.  Adam passed in April, and the festival was put on hold for 2024, but it has been taken over by the festival's long-time programmer, Peter Kuplowsky.  Peter also programs Midnight Madness at TIFF and is obsessed with the Horror Genre.

2.  I don't normally go to Toronto After Dark because Horror isn't really my thing but I asked Peter for a ticket to Silver Screamers because it's a documentary and I had a couple of connections to it.

3.  I wanted to see the film because I worked with the Director Sean Cisterna many years ago before his first feature film on a little ghostly short film, and always liked his creativity, and he's one of the nice guys in the business.

4.  I also wanted to see it because of one of the seniors who appears in the film.  Anthony Garramone, who is quite the character.  I never met him in person until last night, but he reached out to me to get some You Know Harvey buttons, and he got one of the t-shirts I have online.  He calls himself the Harvey of Guelph.  He volunteers for many community organizations.  He is a super collector of all kinds of things, including wild shirts.   Harvey volunteered for most of Toronto's film festivals and anything else he was interested in. Anthony was wearing the You Know Harvey buttons that I sent him at the screening last night.  That really made me happy that he has supported Harvey and the film.  Now if I can only finish it so people can actually see it.  I asked Sean if he could help me finish it as I see it as an extension of his film, plus I am stuck and need some help to get to the finish line and I think he's creative enough to find the way.

5. I wanted to go because both Harvey and Adam are no longer here to be at their favourite festival and Anthony told me there was a little shout out to Harvey in the film, He wears the You Know Harvey shirt towards the end of the film and he wore it to the screening of the short film.  Harvey would have loved to see that in the film.  Harvey also appears in the Festival promo before the beginning of the festival.  So even though he is no longer here he still lives on at Toronto Film Festivals.  

There are still a few people I know running or connected to the festival, so luckily it lives on and finds more gems to program like Silver Screamers.

About the documentary and short films:

Silver Screamers is a project Sean came up with about getting seniors to make a short horror film because trying to find money to make films is hard these days, so he wanted to try something different.

He went to senior homes and organizations to try and recruit adventurous seniors.  It wasn't an easy process, given that his recruitment message didn't exactly entice them.  After some modification, he found some fantastic seniors with big personalities and various talents.  I don't know how he pulled this one off.  He basically took a bunch of seniors with loose transferable skills and got some mentors to get them up to speed in film production.  Making films is HARD. This was not an easy task.

The Documentary is about the making of the short film that the seniors were mentored to create called The Rug.  They got the great Jane Eastwood to play the lead, and the seniors did everything they could to band together and make it a great short film.

Even though I'm not into Horror films,  the slasher kills everyone horribly for no reason.  I don't mind psychological ones.

The short film THE RUG was both funny and creative.  How can you make a $50 rug come alive and kill people?

The documentary Silver Screamers was hilarious and also heartwarming.  The seniors looking to get over grief, do something for the community, try something new, or just step out of their comfort zone and fill their time.   The documentary digs into their reasons for joining the thought project and how they learn the craft of filmmaking.

This film is really inspirational and shows that you are never too old to try something new.

Cisterna aims to try and bring this to healthcare institutions and seniors centres, and to inspire seniors to learn to make films or other creative endeavours.

Don't miss the creative way the film ends.  You won't regret seeing this one.  It has so much depth and heart in it and years of experience.

Anthony told me there will be a screening of the documentary in Guelph in November.

Toronto After Dark Film Festival

You can support Doctors without Borders by purchasing a T-shirt of founder Adam Lopez, and 100% of the proceeds go to the charity.

If you want to reach out to Sean Cisterna's company to book a screening or help with his mission to spread the good of this film, contact info here:

Contact Us - Mythic Productions

Kiss of the Spider Woman- A collision of old Hollywood glamour and modern-day grit.

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Old Hollywood Musical style with modern grit.

CAST:	Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, Tonatiuh
DIRECTOR:	Bill Condon
RUN TIME:	128

Jennifer Lopez channels old Hollywood glam in *Kiss of the Spider Woman*, a new Technicolor musical set against the backdrop of Argentina’s  War. Directed and written by Oscar-winner Bill Condon (*Dreamgirls*, *Chicago*), the film adapts Manuel Puig’s novel 

Set in May 1983, the story centers on two cellmates who couldn't be more opposite in their lives, who are forced to get along in a grim Argentine prison.  Molina (Tonatiuh), a flamboyant window dresser jailed for public indecency, and Valentin (Diego Luna), a stoic leftist activist. Molina finds comfort in movie posters and storytelling and tales of his favorite screen diva, Aurora (Lopez).

Tonatiuh and Luna really shine in their dual roles as the prisoners and in the stories of Aurora. 

Aurora’s Technicolor dreamscape explodes onto the screen in dazzling MGM-style musical numbers—an intoxicating escape from the suffocating gray of prison walls. In this fevered fantasia, Jennifer Lopez commands the spotlight in a dual role: Aurora, a radiant fashion editor caught in a tempestuous love triangle, and the haunting Spider Woman, whose kiss is a velvet death sentence. As Molina spins her tale with aching devotion, the lines between illusion and reality dissolve. What begins as storytelling becomes seduction, and what starts as survival blossoms into a fragile, forbidden intimacy—an aching connection forged in the shadows of confinement and the shimmer of dreams.

Lopez's triple threat of singing, dancing, and acting is on full display in this film.  Although I found that a few scenes felt a bit out of step and not as seamless as the old Hollywood films.  

Most of the dialogue in the prison scenes was delivered in hushed whispers, which heightened the drama—but at times, it made the lines difficult to hear and follow.

Molina’s secret mission—to spy on Valentin in exchange for small comforts—threatens everything.

The vivid Technicolor scenes featuring Lopez as Aurora and the Spider Woman stand in stark contrast to the grim, shadowy prison setting, highlighting the striking divide between fantasy and harsh reality.

With executive producers including Lopez, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Diego Luna, and Condon himself, the film is a powerhouse of talent.  Alongside the iconic Broadway melodies of Kander & Ebb—haunting ballads like “Her Name is Aurora” and the seductive “Kiss of the Spider Woman”—the film breathes new life into these classics, transforming them with cinematic grandeur.

I would suggest you look for the 1985 version with William Hurt.  Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) - IMDb  

The 2025 film is sleeker, more visually stunning and has superb casting.

The theatrical release is October 17, 2025

Tuner- an unexpected crime thriller

TUNER

Running Time: 1hr 49min

Director: Daniel Roher

Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Leo Woodall, Lior Raz, Havana Rose, Jean Reno, Tovah Feldshuh.

Niki (Leo Woodall), a talented pianist sidelined by hyperacusis—a condition that makes loud sounds excruciating—finds new purpose as a piano tuner, thanks to his heightened hearing. Under the guidance of his eccentric mentor Harry (Dustin Hoffman), Niki uncovers an unexpected talent: safecracking.

As he descends further into the criminal underworld, the film blends romance, suspense, and musical precision, unfolding with a taut intensity and a brooding, noir-inspired atmosphere.

The chemistry between Woodall and Hoffman is real.  Once again, Hoffman plays a Mensch who gives Woodall a new career and a family that takes care of him. 

Driven by financial hardship, Niki falls in with a crew of house burglars—and soon realizes there’s no clean way out without risking everything.

Tuner was shot in Toronto, using the city’s contrasting landscapes—from quiet suburbs to gritty urban streets—to visually reflect the duality in its characters’ lives. The setting adds depth and texture, amplifying the tension between comfort and chaos.

Beneath all the wild safe-cracking chaos, this film pulses with emotional depth—Niki’s descent into crime isn’t just reckless thrill-seeking, but a desperate response to feeling trapped with no way out.

Even though it's a crime thriller, you will have your heart broken by Niki's challenges.

I’ve always appreciated Dustin Hoffman’s performances, but Leo Woodall truly stands out—his soulful gaze and natural, effortless charm make him a rising star worth keeping an eye on.

I couldn't find a release date, but I hope it comes to a theatre or streamer for you to watch soon.