"Arkham Rising" in Fort McMurray at Film Fear

It's been all over Twitter and Facebook recently, these little teasers for something called "Arkham Rising". Now, I have known for some time that my friends Toddske and Tito of YMMPodcast were up to something, and I knew this was likely that something - but I didn't ask as I expected they'd tell me when the time was right. And so they did this week when they gave me the opportunity to have a sneak preview of their little fan fiction short "Arkham Rising". And my response? I was blown away. This is just the promo teaser that has been on YouTube for some time:

I won't give away the plot as I want you to come see it tonight at Film Fear at the Suncor Performing Arts Centre at Holy Trinity. Film Fear is now into the second year, a film festival of horror film shorts and longer films. Film Fear is a fantastic little event, and quickly becoming part of the pre-Halloween slate of events in the community. And tonight, at Film Fear, Toddske and Tito will screen "Arkham Rising" publicly for the very first time.

I will tell you a little bit, like how the short opens with the face of the lovely Cat Nolte, a woman who is as kind and talented as she is beautiful (and if you have seen Cat you know she is utterly gorgeous). And the setting in which you see Cat is our very own MacDonald Island Park, which kindly allowed the film-makers and their band of merry men and women to film there. The film goes on to reveal more familiar faces, people that I know, and that you may well know, too.

The cinematography is terrific, the pacing wonderful, and while I know very little about film-making I know quality when I see it, and this little film has quality. But it has much more, too. It has the time and love and attention and skill and talent and abilities of local film-makers and actors. It is an exploration into the creative world of film. It is another venture by my good friends - and family - Tito and Toddske. It is yet another facet of our community, and yet another incredible display of how in this place we take an idea and run with it to completion. It is an example of how we come together to accomplish a goal, whether it is a film festival or a podcast or a short film.

I could gush on and on about how proud I am of Toddske and Tito and all those who participated in this new project of theirs. I could talk about how I am amazed to find myself in the company of all these creative, innovative, bold, and ambitious people who follow their dreams and ideas. I could tell you how I sat and watched my sneak preview, simply mesmerized and speechless. I could tell you about how people in this community always astonish me, how they take their passion and vision and drive and don't just talk about things but rather DO things. But I won't tell you all those things. Instead I'll tell you to come on out to Film Fear, to see "Arkham Rising", and to feel all those things for yourself instead.

My thanks to 

Toddske and Tito

for the special sneak preview,

and congratulations

on a job well done -

as usual!

"Film Fear"

is on tonight

October 26 2012

at 8 pm

Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts

Holy Trinity High School

Free admission with donation to Wood Buffalo Food Bank

**Mature audiences only - scary content!**