Fans of the gruesome, grotesque, disturbing and offensive should thrill over this weekend’s lineup at the Fox Theatre (2236 Queen E.). Local film archivist Dion Conflict is teaming up with Rue Morgue and the After Dark Film Festival to bring the all-night Shock And Awe film fest to the hungry masses. Six films will be screened alongside trailers and shorts in an attempt to recreate the long lost grindhouse film-going experience. Featured titles include the blaxploitation biker flick The Black Six, the long-lost burlesque epic Naughty New Orleans, Eurotrash sex comedy Danish Pastries and Peter Jackson’s classic, slapstick zombie gorefest Dead Alive (screening theatrically in Canada for only the second time). The Fox begins projections Saturday (June 21) at 11:30pm only to release fanatics out into the morning light, and into our city streets, at 10am Sunday morning.
¦ Those less interested in human depravity than in human-powered transportation can get their mini-festival kicks at the second annual Toronto Bicycle Film Festival. The art and film event runs June 19-21 at the Studio Gallery (294 College) and the Royal (608 College) and celebrates the joys of riding a bike as opposed to — we’re pretty sure — the extremes of perversion. Thursday’s Joyride Art Show features contributions from Michel Gondry and Peter Sutherland as well as street artists Swoon and Phil Frost. The fest’s movie programs run Friday 7pm and 9pm and Saturday 3pm, 5pm, 7pm and 9pm at the Royal, and include numerous shorts, local films Goodbye Tomorrow and Pedal Power: Critical Mass Toronto and The Way Bobby Sees It, a documentary about a blind mountain biker. For complete info go to www.bicyclefilmfestival.com. And be sure to arrive early — parking on College is at a premium these days. Just kidding.
¦ Mechanical FX master Stan Winston, 62, passed away June 15 after a long battle with cancer. Winston most recently designed the suit for Iron Man. He had 10 Oscar nominations in his career, winning for Aliens, Terminator 2, and Jurassic Park. He also directed a few films, including the cult favorite Pumpkinhead. Winston’s puppetry marvels will be missed in this age of CGI.