In The Seats with...

Community is where you make it....

On this episode we dive into those little communities that become special in ways we can never expect.

Coming to VOD platforms this Sept 10th; 'Happy Campers' is a film that chronicles the final days of a working-class summer colony in a scrappy trailer park that just happens to hold the secret to a rich life.
 
In a waterfront campground off the coast of Virginia, residents spend their summers living spitting distance apart in rust-bitten RVs. They chuckle about the modest rent they pay for a million-dollar location, but what makes them the luckiest people in the world is more than just stunning sunsets, it’s the community they’ve created.
 
Beneath cliched trailer park stereotypes lies an unlikely utopia where all are welcome. Neighbors help each other out, and share everything from power tools to simple pleasures. Loneliness and isolation are inconceivable. 
 
When their affordable paradise is sold to developers, the residents brace for eviction and the loss of friendships that span generations. They hold tight to their final days in the sun. The well-heeled crowd that takes their place will never be as wealthy.
 
It's a simple and really charming story that truly highlights the difference between being rich and being wealthy as writer/director Amy Nicholson gives us an unfiltered slice of gorgeous Americana.

We had the pleasure of talking with Amy about the origins of the film and so very much more....

There's a genuine art to be able to make something....out of something else.

On this episode we dive into something that just might be the biggest creative challenge for editors out there in the world.  Crafting a film from a myriad of archival footage.

It's no wonder Alan Lowe has been nominated for an Emmy for his work on 'Steve! (Martin): A Documentary In Two Pieces which is available on Apple TV+ now.

We got to talk to Alan about how he got the job, making a film out of the archive's of an pop culture icon's life and so very much more....

In many ways movement isn't just about how people moved, but the why behind it all....

On this very special episode we are deeping diving behind the scenes with those artisans who work behind the scenes on some of our favourite movies and TV shows.

Today we talk with Emmy nominated Choreographer Jennifer Hamilton about her work on the hit show 'Physical; which drops us into the aerobics boom of the 1980's

When dealing with such a unique moment in time, being specific is an unequivocal gift and that was key in the work from choreographer Jennifer Hamilton who really needed to match the tone of the 80's which had some over the top camp but some quiet terror all at the same.

We talked with Jennifer about how she got the job, the magic of movement and so very much more....

It's all about finding the right rhythms and right energy....

On this special episode we're back in the world of Apple TV+ as we gear up for the Emmy's looking at the work it takes behind the scenes on many of these often nominated shows but often forgotten nominees behind them all.

We're back into the world of 'Slow Horses' as we talk with editor Zsófia Tálas about coming into an established show like this, finding the rhythm of it all and the creative payoffs inside it all.

Check out 'Slow Horses' on Apple TV+ streaming now.

In this day and age, the fake news cycle is almost as important as the actual one....

As election season ramps up for our friends to the south, producing TV at an effortless pace for multiple viewing platforms is never as easy as it looks, which is why the ones who do make it look easy deserve to get nominated for Emmy's.

We had the unique pleasure of sitting down with director David Paul Meyer who has been working on the show for the last several years.  We've talked about the different iterations the show has gone under during his watch, creating the show now not only with different comics and hosts but in making something that is universally watched on multiple platforms at a high level like few others before it.

Obviously 'The Daily Show' is high level comedy viewing no matter where we live, but getting insight into this level of production gives me that much more appreciation for the men and women that are nominated on a show like this.

'The Daily Show' is on Comedy Central in the US, CTV here in Canada and can be seen on Paramount+ and digested in bits from platforms like YouTube to TikTok.

Sometimes it's the music of a thing that really and truly makes it sing....

Up for multiple Emmy nominations this year, 'Palm Royale' is yet another fantastic show on Apple+ that you should probably check out as the fantastic Kirsten Wiig leads a fantastic ensemble through the dark corners of high society in 1969.  

Something that really ties this show together is it's choice and use of music and we had the pleasure to speak with the composer of it all the one and only Jeff Toyne, who happens to be a double Emmy nominee this year not only for music throughout the show but for the opening title sequence (it's actually two categories....who knew?)

We talked with Jeff about getting the job, the use of music on the show, what drove him to compose for the screen and so very much more....

'Palm Royale; is on Apple+ now.

Being fabulous transcends all....

On this episode we got the unique pleasure of sitting down with Emmy nominated director of the cultural phenomenon that we didn't expect to love; 'Rupaul's Drag Race'.

We talked with Nick (while he was on his vacation) about he got brought on board into the universe that Ru has been bringing audiences, how they keep the show fresh year after year and being a part of something that is quite literally a cultural phenomenon.

Nominated for 9 Primetime Emmy's this year, the Rupaul-verse is one that will undoubtedly put a smile on audiences all across the globe....if it hasn't already.

It's a genuine gift to be an actor and explore so many different characters, even the kinds that have to look into the very hearts of darkness....

When the skeletal remains of eleven women and girls are discovered in the New Mexico desert, an extensive investigation is launched. Inspired by true crime stories, this chilling crime-thriller follows Detective Ortega (Brian Van Holt), Police Chief Carter (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson), and Agent Petrovick (Mel Gibson) in a multi-agency effort to identify and apprehend the killer. As each of their agendas and methods clash, a tangled web of intrigue casts suspicion in all directions.

These movies can be hard on viewers like us to watch as it really shows us the dark side of humanity and it can be even darker for the actors who are taking us down this rabbit hole.

We had the pleasure of talking with star Brian Van Holt about going down this rabbit hole, the arc of his career and the joy of the work as an actor.

'Boneyard' is on VOD platforms.

Occasionally it's vital to look into the heart of darkness...

On this episode we dive into the world of VOD and the new feature "Boneyard" which is available on all platforms now.

When the skeletal remains of eleven women and girls are discovered in the New Mexico desert, an extensive investigation is launched. Inspired by true crime stories, this chilling crime-thriller follows Detective Ortega (Brian Van Holt), Police Chief Carter (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson), and Agent Petrovick (Mel Gibson) in a multi-agency effort to identify and apprehend the killer. As each of their agendas and methods clash, a tangled web of intrigue casts suspicion in all directions.

Pulling from the headlines and the true cases themselves, writer/director Asif Akbar crafts something that is hard to look away from.  We had the pleasure of talking with Asif about the origins of the story and so very much more.

'Boneyard' is available on VOD platforms now

For a guy nobody wants to talk about, we certainly had a lot to talk about....

On yet another very special episode we dive into the underbelly of the world of hacking, illegal surveillance and some occasionally deprived and really weird stuff in the new documentary Nobody Wants To Talk About Jacob Applebaum which is having a second screening tonight at the TIFF Bell Lightbox before it debuts on CBC Gem this coming Wednesday the 26th.

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, had a crucial hearing at London's High Court last week where judges approved a short extension on his appeal to challenge possible extradition to the U.S. to confront 18 charges, predominantly under the Espionage Act. His fate, and the fate of those who worked with him, is still up in the air.

If and/or when Assange is extradited to the U.S., attention will surely shift to his closest allies, including American Jacob Appelbaum, referred to as “WLA3” (WikiLeaks Associate 3) in indictments against Assange, who himself is currently residing in exile in Germany. 

A new film by Canadian filmmaker Jamie Kastner, "Nobody Wants To Talk About Jacob Appelbaum" delves into the intriguing yet troubled persona of Appelbaum, whose destiny appears tightly interwoven with Assange's, and the obscure subculture from which they both emerged. 

Kastner ("The Skyjacker’s Tale”, "There Are No Fakes," + ) embarks on a quest to unravel the mysteries surrounding Jacob Appelbaum. 

The film includes interviews reluctantly secured from elusive individuals including Appelbaum himself, woven together with seldom-seen footage and original investigative efforts, forming a cautionary tale relevant to our times.

No word of lie, but this one gets a little out there, we had the pleasure of sitting down with friend of the show, director Jamie Kastner about what drew him to this story, how the film sits just on the wrong side of uncomfortable at times plus a little bonus news about how one of his previous films actually helped to generate some positive results in the world.

Nobody Wants To Talk About Jacob Applebaum is on CBC Gem this Wednesday June 26th.