Over my last 8 years at TIFF  I've seen a huge influx of mainstream movie goers slowly infiltrate the hoards of genre film freaks who regularly worship at the alter of Madness. I can't speak for the days back in the early 90s, but when I started the big ticket Madness flicks were things like Ichi the Killer or Bubba Ho-tep. Every now and then an Underworld would sneak it, but when Borat literally broke the projector (yeah, I like to reference that event in my posts!); well people started looking a lot closer:

"...Midnight Madness has grown in the past few years to become the hot spot for the biz and one of the most prominent platforms to launch an adrenaline pic." Jennie Punter Variety

 "...TIFF's Midnight Madness block of films offers the best in rock 'n' roll movies, horror films, science fiction, extreme comedy, martial arts and, when you're really lucky, combinations of two or more of the above."  James Rocchi MSN Movies

The Saw franchise, Cabin Fever, and Hostel all got kick started at the madness. Sure, you could've seen those at the multiplex, but admit it, the movie snob in us all likes to say "Nah, I'll pass I saw that one at TIFF!" Can you see Jennifer's Body or Daybreakers in a few weeks or months? Sure, but try bringing a Beach Ball in or turning to the person sitting next to you to discuss the merits of Romero, Argento, & Miike. Conversations like that are reserved for September after midnight in the Ryerson.

"...TIFF seems to be jam-packed with whacked-out horror films." CityNews.ca producer and movie buff Brian McKechnie.

Like any good virus, Midnight Madness is spreading to the rest of TIFF. Current TIFF selections like The Hole or Vengeance could've easily played the Madness. That's fine by me, I got a festival pass and 10 Midnights just isn't enough!