by MATTHEW HAYS

The folks over at the digital cable channel Drive-In Classics have been doing their research. Among this week’s offerings is Playgirl Killer (aka Decoy for Terror), a ’66 cheapie directed by Erick Santamaria and shot in Montreal, about a frustrated artist who can’t stand that his female models always move as he’s trying to paint them. Irritated by their irresponsible motions, he does what any red-blooded psychopath might—he murders them. Now they’ll stand still!

Aside from its ridiculous plotline, Playgirl Killer also boasts some Westmount locales and a night shot in which our psycho protagonist drives down Ste-Catherine in a convertible, flashing neon in full view in the background. And this cameo can’t be beat: even Neil Sedaka shows up to sing a song, poolside, early in the proceedings. The film screens Thursday, Oct. 24 at 9 p.m. Earlier on, Wild Riders screens (Thursday, Oct. 17 at 9 p.m.), a truly odd ripoff of Easy Rider that has two nasty biker vagabonds take two women hostage in their own home. This film features one of the most outrageously silly concluding incidents in B-movie history, not to be missed. (I had no idea cellos could be used in such inventive ways…)

Congratulations go out to Montreal filmmaker Ioanna Vriniotis and producer Terrence McCavour, whose locally-shot Zoë, a 23-minute film about a young woman trying desperately to figure out what on earth she’s going to do with her life, has been sold to the American Independent Film Channel. In the film, Zoë (played by Dina Simec) struggles to reconcile her own artistic aspirations with the need to make money (and her parents’ hounding her about the latter point). Vriniotis says she’s thrilled about the success of another Greek film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. “Yes, my vision is a bit darker than the one in that film,” she says. “But for a long time I don’t think focusing on the Greek community was seen as something that would sell. Now the industry will take us a bit more seriously.”

Playing tonight through Saturday (Oct. 17–19) at the NFB Cinema downtown (at 7 p.m. each night) is 645 Wellington, filmmaker Kaveh Nabatian’s thoughtful look at a group of residents of an Old Montreal building who are getting pushed out due to gentrification. It’s a telling microcosmic look at what’s happening to our fair burg—one that’s well worth checking out.

Also on the doc front, A Match Made in Seven will screen this Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 10 p.m. on Newsworld. It’s Ilan Saragosti’s hilarious look at a Jewish speed-dating group. The filmmaker follows four thirtysomething Jews hellbent on meeting Mr. or Ms. Right. The film raises some intricate questions about romance and the place of ethnic and religious identity in the search for romance.

Finally, the Cannes advertisement award winners are screening this week (see listings for details), and as per usual, they are commercials full of surprises and often hilarious twists. :

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