House of Crouse

On this edition of the Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet Noah Pink, screenwriter of a new movie called “Tetris,” starring Taron Egerton, and now playing on Apple TV+, that tells the story of how Dutch video game designer Henk Rogers fit the differently shaped pieces of international intrigue and video game creation together to secure the intellectual property rights to popular game. It’s a story of international intrigue, the Cold War and of the deep friendship that grew between entrepreneur Henk Rogers and the game’s Russian creator Alexey Pajitnov.

Then, Gregory Sestero, star of the found footage film “Infrared.” In the film he plays the creepy caretaker of an abandoned schoolhouse. If Greg’s name rings a bell, it’s likely because you’ve attended one of the midnight madness screenings of “The Room,” a movie so deliciously awful, it has become a cult favorite since its release in 2003. Gregory turned the experience of making the so-bad-it’s-a-hoot movie into a book, which eventually went on to become the Oscar nominated movie “The Disaster Artist,” starring James Franco and Seth Rogen. We talk about “Infrared” and whether or not, twenty years on, if “The Room” is an embarrassment or a source of pride.

Finally, we go to the vault to hear a vintage interview I did with Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman. We don’t talk superheroes, instead, the actor gets personal, talking about the projects that worked, the ones that didn’t and what drives him.

On this edition of the Richard Crouse Show we meet Steve Ryan. He began his policing career at just eighteen years old. After nearly thirty years of policing — two thirds of that working as a detective — he retired and began a career with CP24 as a crime specialist. In his book, “The Ghosts That Haunt Me,” he reflects on just a few of the many cases that have greatly impacted him. He remembers six cases — seven people whose lives were senselessly taken — that he still thinks about nearly every day. While these stories are hard to tell, they were harder to live through.

We’ll also get to know Barbie Latza Nadeau. She has worked as the Rome bureau chief for Newsweek Magazine and currently holds that position for The Daily Beast. She is an on-air contributor for CNN and a writer for Scientific American. She is also a true crime novelist, with a new book, “The Godmother,” about the rise of women in the mafia. Publishers Weekly calls it “A must for true crime fans,” and it is a great read.

And finally, we’ll meet American film director, production designer, and screenwriter Catherine Hardwicke. Her directorial work includes “Thirteen,” ”Lords of Dogtown,” the megahit “Twilight,” “Miss Bala” and “Prisoner's Daughter” among many others. Today she’s here to talk about her latest film, Mafia Mamma, a movie I described as having the same kind of themes as “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and “Eat, Pray, Love” only with 100% more gunplay and slapstick violence.

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show:

It’s hard to remember now, but there was a time when we were not tethered to our smart phones. A new film, “BlackBerry,” starring Jay Baruchel and Matt Johnson, and now playing in theatres, vividly recreates the scrappy story of friendship, betrayal and hubris that began our obsession with our phones.

Today, we going to focus on that story, courtesy of the film BlackBerry, which opens in theatres on May 12.

There was a time when the Canadian made, odd little phone, with a QWERTY keyboard, encrypted messaging and low data cost, was a status symbol, used by some of the world’ most powerful people. In the hands of everyone from President Barack Obama and Justin Timberlake to Katy Perry and Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, the phones helped the world communicate in a whole new way.

They were the original smart phones, which makes their Canadian creators Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin, visionaries, the men who gave us the future.

Recently I sat down with BlackBerry co-writer, co-star and director Matt Johnson, and Jay Baruchel who stars as the awkward genius behind the BlackBerry tech, Mike Lazaridis.

Matt is the director of The Dirties, which won Best Narrative Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival, Operation Avalanche, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and mockumentary television series Nirvanna the Band the Show.

You know Jay from his voice role as Hiccup Haddock in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, and for roles in Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder, The Trotsky, Fanboys, She's Out of My League, Goon, This Is the End, and the action-fantasy film The Sorcerer's Apprentice. You can also see him as the host of We're All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel) on Crave.

BlackBerry is the story of the company Research in Motion, Jim Balsillie, the hotheaded businessman, played by Glenn Howerton, who was there for the rise and fall of the iconic company.

“BlackBerry” isn’t just a business story or the story of innovation. Instead, it is an underdog tale that emphasizes the human foibles that led to RIM’s downfall, not just the financial ones.

We began the interview with the idea of talking about the film, but were soon sidetracked by a discussion inspired by the lessons learned from the film, about what it means to be Canadian, why we don’t celebrate our own stories and much more. Stay tuned, it often doesn’t sound like an interview as much as a conversation we might have had over a drink or two. Like the movie we were supposed to concentrate on, before the conversation took a few left turns, the interview is passionate, patriotic, funny and not quite what you might expect.

On this edition of the Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet Thomas Hayden Church. He became a star as Mechanic Lowell Mather on the sitcom “Wings,” was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in “Sideways” and has had supporting roles in films such as Tombstone, George of the Jungle, The Specials, and Demon Knight. Today, we talk about his new movie, Acidman. In the film, he plays Lloyd, a reclusive man who lives in in the middle of nowhere, and spends his time searching for UFOs. He is estranged from his daughter Maggie and has been given the nickname "Acidman" by the locals. One day his daughter arrives to pass along some important news and they attempt to make contact, with UFOs and each other.

We’ll also meet actor Melanie Scrofano. You know her from everything from the Crave comedy series Letterkenny and the comedy-drama series Being Erica, to the CTV fantasy-drama series The Listener and the Syfy modern Western drama Wynonna Earp. Today we talk about her latest movie, “The End of Sex.”

Later in the show we’ll meet author Justin Cronin. In 2010, novel “The Passage” became a phenomenon. The unforgettable tale that critics and readers compared to the novels of Cormac McCarthy, Michael Crichton, Stephen King, and Margaret Atwood became a runaway bestseller and loved by readers around the globe. His latest book, “The Ferryman” is a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia—where the truth isn't what it seems. No less an expert than Stephen King said, ““The Ferryman is next to impossible to put down once you’ve read the first few pages. Exciting, mysterious, and totally satisfying, this is a book to get lost in…”

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show we meet Deaundre’ Woods who stars as Alexander Hamilton in the Toronto production of the hit show. We’ll talk about what he thinks sets Hamilton apart from other musicals, the excitement of performing the show with its creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and how a hole in a very inappropriate place on his costume helped calm his nerves in opening night.

Then we’ll get to know filmmaker April Mullen. Her new film, Simulant, stars Sam Worthington of Avatar, Jordana Brewster of the Fast and Furious franchise and Marvel superhero Simu Liu in a sci-fi thriller that will explore the dangers of artificial intelligence in a world where sentient robots roam free.

On this edition of The Richard Crouse Show we meet award winning Quebec filmmaker Stéphane Lafleur. His new movie “Viking” was a selection in Canada’s Top Ten and is available wherever you legally download movies on line.

In the film The Viking Society is recruiting volunteers for the first manned mission to Mars. The goal is to form a B-team that will mirror the mission here on Earth in order to find solutions to the interpersonal problems that the Mars-bound crew is experiencing.

Then, Andy Garcia about the scene that scene that made him a movie star, the Odessa Steps sequence in “The Untouchables.”

Finally, we’ll get to know multi-hyphenate Kevin Smith. He’s a filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, and podcaster. You know his movies like “Clerks,” “Dogma” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” Now he adds another hyphen to his resume. Documentary subject. The documentary “Clerk,” now on VOD, touches on every aspect of his work, from the film that put him on the map to the View Askewniverse to his health problems and a new found self-awareness.

On this edition of the Richard Crouse Show we meet producer/writer/comedian Dan Galea. The two-time Canadian Comedy Award winner’s debut musical comedy album “Inter-Dan-Mensional” on Comedy Records, executive produced by Scott Thompson from Kids in the Hall who also appears on the album, is available next week at dangalea.ca. Dan spent twenty years working on the album, which he describes as a comedic diary of his life. It has everything from Disco to Metal and every song gives you a peek into who he is and what he is all about. Some songs are just silly, he says, “but so am I.” Scott Thompson joins us late to talk about his involvement with the record and why he loves comedian Flip Wilson.

Then we’ll get to know bestselling Edmonton author and professor Thomas Wharton. He has written several books, including his award-winning debut novel, “Icefields,” and “Salamander” which was shortlisted for a Governor General's Literary Award for fiction. His latest book is “The Book of Rain,” a suspenseful sci-fi novel about nature, environmental stewardship and the fate of the planet. “The Book of Rain” is a multi-plotted novel set in a world where ghost ore, a new minable energy source much more lucrative than gold, can disrupt time and space and slowly make an environment inhospitable. In one of three ghost ore hotspots in the world, the Alberta mining town of River Meadows, residents have been evacuated, except Amery Hewitt can't seem to stay away

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show we meet Jacob Silverman. On this week’s Richard Crouse Show we meet Jacob Silverman. He is a journalist in New York, where he writes about technology, cryptocurrency, and politics. He's the author of "Terms of Service: Social Media and the Price of Constant Connection" and is a contributing editor for The New Republic and The Baffler. His new book, co-written with the actor and writer Ben McKenzie, is called "Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud," and will be published by Abrams Books in July 2023.

He is also the host of new podcast "The Naked Emperor" about Sam Bankman-Fried, from CBC News' Front Burner and CBC Podcasts. The Naked Emperor is on CBC and everywhere podcasts are available.

The podcast is the story of Sam Bankman-Fried, once a billionaire and trusted face of crypto with his trading platform FTX. Despite his dorm room lifestyle he charmed celebrities, politicians, and Silicon Valley. That is, until it all came crashing down. Today Sam faces charges that could send him to jail for the rest of his life. It’s a fascinating story.

Then, Metis/Ukrainian writer and educator Conor Kerr stops by. His debut novel, "Avenue of Champions," won the 2022 RELIT Award and was shortlisted for the 2022 Amazon/Walrus Debut Novel Award and his available wherever you buy fine books, right now. The book centers on Daniel, a young Métis man searching for a way to exist in a world of violence, intergenerational trauma and systemic racism.

Finally, we’ll meet Lilah Fitzgerald. Best known for her roles in “Seventh Son” and “Monster High.” She is also a busy author, with her debut novel “Stars and Swashbucklers” set to release on April 4th. The book is a futuristic fantasy that follows a girl on a sailing trip across a shattered Earth that has become a series of islands floating between the stars.

. He is a journalist in New York, where he writes about technology, cryptocurrency, and politics. He's the author of "Terms of Service: Social Media and the Price of Constant Connection" and is a contributing editor for The New Republic and The Baffler. His new book, co-written with the actor and writer Ben McKenzie, is called "Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud," and will be published by Abrams Books in July 2023.

He is also the host of new podcast "The Naked Emperor" about Sam Bankman-Fried, from CBC News' Front Burner and CBC Podcasts. The Naked Emperor is on CBC and everywhere podcasts are available.

The podcast is the story of Sam Bankman-Fried, once a billionaire and trusted face of crypto with his trading platform FTX. Despite his dorm room lifestyle he charmed celebrities, politicians, and Silicon Valley. That is, until it all came crashing down. Today Sam faces charges that could send him to jail for the rest of his life. It’s a fascinating story.

Then, Metis/Ukrainian writer and educator Conor Kerr stops by. His debut novel, "Avenue of Champions," won the 2022 RELIT Award and was shortlisted for the 2022 Amazon/Walrus Debut Novel Award and his available wherever you buy fine books, right now. The book centers on Daniel, a young Métis man searching for a way to exist in a world of violence, intergenerational trauma and systemic racism.

Finally, we’ll meet Lilah Fitzgerald. Best known for her roles in “Seventh Son” and “Monster High.” She is also a busy author, with her debut novel “Stars and Swashbucklers” set to release on April 4th. The book is a futuristic fantasy that follows a girl on a sailing trip across a shattered Earth that has become a series of islands floating between the stars.

On this edition of the Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet Lindsay Wong. She is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir "The Woo-Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug Raids, Demons, and My Crazy Chinese Family," which was a 2019 Canada Reads finalist. Her new book, “Please Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality,” is a collection of 13 horror stories, all of which tour the Chinese-Canadian experience.

Then we’ll meet Zale Mednick is a successful ophthalmologist who, just at the cusp of embarking on his career, was suddenly overcome with self-doubt about the path he'd chosen for himself. Realizing that his preconceptions might be misleading him, Zale set out to explore many of his preconceptions in a podcast called “Preconceived!” Today we talk about his podcast and his new book, “Preconceived - Challenging the Preconceptions in Our Lives.”

Fionally, actor, musician and writer Cliff Cardinal stops by. If you happen to find yourself in Toronto in the next little while, check out his provocative new show, a “radical retelling by Cliff Cardinal” of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Called “The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It,” the show is the unvarnished truth of the state of the reconciliation process this country has been attempting for the last few decades.

On this edition of the Richard Crouse Show we meet director Chandler Levack, whose debut feature film, “I Like Movies,” will be in theatres on March 10. The film festival hit is based on her experiences working at a Blockbuster Video in Burlington, Ontario in the early 2000s. It’s the story of how movie obsessive Lawrence Kweller (Isaiah Lehtinen) allows his love of film, dream of attending NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and anxiety, alienate the most important people in his life. Part work-place comedy—think “High Fidelity” only set in a video store—part character study, “I Like Movies” is sweet-natured, funny film that digs deep to make us feel empathy for Lawrence, a socially awkward character who hides his real feelings behind a facade of bluster and pretension. Strong performances and a genuinely heartfelt script make this take on adolescent angst a winning debut for Levack.

Then, C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of “The Burning Girls,” “The Other People,” “The Hiding Place” and “The Chalk Man,” which won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel, stops by. Over the years she has worked as a copywriter, television presenter, who asked Tim Robbins an embarrassing questions, a voice-over artist, and dog walker. Today we’ll talk about some of those jobs and her new novel, “The Drift,” a heart-pounding new novel about three ordinary people who risk everything for a chance at redemption.

And finally, we spend time with “In the Key of Dale” author Benjamin Lefebvre. He is a writer based in Kitchener, Ont. His edited books include the anthology “The L.M. Montgomery Reader,” which won the 2016 PROSE Award for Literature from the Association of American Publishers, and an edition of L.M. Montgomery's rediscovered final book, “The Blythes Are Quoted.”