Some came dressed in satin gowns while others arrived with open wounds, but all were there to celebrate one of Canada’s most influential filmmakers, David Cronenberg.
The opening night party for the David Cronenberg Evolution exhibit at TIFF Bell Lightbox consumed four floors of the building; our favourite area took over the dock landing out back where a scene from Crash was recreated with a smashed up car. Elsewhere, partygoers could have themselves transformed into The Fly in a creepy photo booth tunnel. A hunk of raw meat had been stabbed a dozen times, forming a welcoming statue of sorts for the Parts and Labour catering RV that doled out spoonfuls of ceviche and tartar.
In the main lobby, a man was being turned into The Fly by special effects makeup artists. Guests could watch the somewhat grotesque process with a cocktail in hand. If they wanted to get involved themselves, they just had to head up the escalator, past the silent auction, where makeup artists awaited to place bullet holes on temples and ahdere scars to necks. Once sufficiently spookified, TIFF patrons could wander the floor to gaze at mason jars housing bits of brain or the dozens of broken body parts on display.
Surely the highlight of the evening was when David Cronenberg and family arrived to say hello to throngs of fans. Oh, and of course there’s the actual exhibit, but you’ll have to head down to TIFF to find out more about that. For any sci-fi horror geek or aspiring filmmaker, it’s a definite must-see.
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