In The Seats with...

We stand proudly on the altar of physical media, but some people take it to some truly different levels...

On this episode we jump into a tribute to an iconic video store that had it's story evolve into something you couldn't even imagine.  On Blu-Ray and on demand platforms now, it's time for "Kim's Video'.

Physical media reigns supreme in Kim’s Video, an elegiac tribute to the iconic video store in New York City that inspired a generation of cinephiles before it mysteriously closed its doors and sent its legendary film archive to a small and slightly dubious Sicilian village for “safekeeping.” But what starts as an homage to cinema quickly becomes a rescue mission to ensure the eternal preservation of the beloved video collection.

It's an ode to that obsession to be able to have that piece of cinema history in your hand, and this story of cinema itself becomes cinema in a way that has to be seen to be truly believed.

We had the unique pleasure of sitting down with directors David Redmon and Ashley Saban to talk about the origins of wanting to tell this story, it's subsequent evolution and so very much more....

It takes a village and so many different elements to pull off some epic story telling...

On this episode we get to celebrate some of the fantastic behind the scenes artisans that work on some of the best TV we get to see on a regular basis.  We're diving into our favorite and a little bit of science fiction and 'Constellation'.

Astronaut Jo (Noomi Rapace) returns to Earth after surviving a major incident in space but finds important parts of life missing so she sets off on a journey to uncover the hidden secrets of space travel and what has happened with her life.

This is a trippy and incredibly intelligent piece of science fiction that is streaming on Apple TV+ now.  Music and score is such a vital point in on screen storytelling but more so in science fiction and because of that we got the unique pleasure of sitting down with the composers on the show; Ben Salisbury & Suvi-Eeva Äikäs.

We talked about getting the job, working in this space and crafting material that is so vital to driving mood in a story like this one....

International cinema is the great unifier because weird never needs subtitles...

On this episode we're a little late to the dance, but in theatres now and coming to VOD imminently it's time to dive into "Dancing Village: The Curse Begins".

The village still holds many mysteries. Piece by piece of mystery is revealed, including the terror of the most feared entity, namely, Badarawuhi.

Technically a prequel, "Dancing Village: The Curse Begins" is a gloriously creepy affair from director Kimo Stamboel that audiences will know from previous efforts like "Headshot" "Killers", "The Queen of Black Magic" and a myriad of others.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Kimo to talk about how he got the job, shooting big cinema on a budget, the legacy of Indonesian cinema and so very much more....

In this day and age...so many stories are just coming down to perspective...

On this episode we jump into the Point of View that we don't always consider, but probably should.  It's time for 'I Am Gitmo' opening in Los Angeles today.

A Muslim schoolteacher is taken to a CIA black site and then Guantanamo Bay Cuba, where he is interrogated and tortured, despite professing his innocence.

A fascinating little film that flips the POV that we are used to seeing and allowing us as an audience to see the perspective of the war on terror from the other side, the people who are innocent of any wrong doing.

From writer/director Phillippe Diaz, "I Am Gitmo" is an intense character piece that is hard to look away from.  We had the unique pleasure of sitting down with Phillipe to talk about the origins of the movie and so very much more.

'I Am Gitmo' is playing in select theatres in the East Coast of the USA and opens in Los Angeles today.

The "Burn Book" will never die...

On this episode we are going back to school for a remix of one of the most beloved High School comedies of the modern age.  It's time for 'Mean Girls'.

New student Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) is welcomed into the top of the social food chain by the elite group of popular girls called “The Plastics,” ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George (Reneé Rapp) and her minions Gretchen (Bebe Wood) and Karen (Avantika). However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), she finds herself prey in Regina’s crosshairs. As Cady sets to take down the group’s apex predator with the help of her outcast friends Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), she must learn how to stay true to herself while navigating the most cutthroat jungle of all: high school.

Adapted from the stage musical, this may not be the Mean Girls that you remember, but it's so very much more as it makes its leap from the stage to the screen.  

Available now On Demand and hitting retailers on DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K on April 30th, we had the pleasure of talking with directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr about adapting this for the screen, the power of the 'Burn Book" and so very much more....

At this stage of the game it should be a statutory holiday....

On this very special episode we are celebrating the moving image itself as a part of "National Canadian Film Day' which is put on our friends over at Reel Canada.  

In celebration of all that we just happened to get the distinct pleasure of sitting down with the man who just might be 'Canada's actor'.  Star of stage and screen, and a board member over at REEL Canada, as well as just generally being the guy who is a supporter of the arts in all their forms and wants to pay it forward., it's time to talk with Colm Feore.

We talk about his career, the necessity of Canadian storytelling and so very much more....

Music makes the world go round....

On this very special episode we dive into a brand new docuseries that takes the pulse of the music scene in our very own city.  It's time for 'New World Beat'.

New World Beat is a musical docuseries that shines a light on the emerging artists, local legends, and unsung stars of Toronto’s music scene. in an unequivocal love letter to the city and the music that comes out of it each and every day....

With episodes airing on TVO and digitally on TVO.org there's no excuse not to dive into this show, especially if you love music.  I had the unique pleasure of sitting down with show runner Michael Tobin to talk about the origins of the show and so very much more....

There are certain talents out there in the pop culture zeitgeist that demand we never forget them....

On this very special episode we dive into the life and times of one of the most hilariously gifted comedic performers of our modern times.  It's time for 'Remembering Gene Wilder'.

This tribute to Gene Wilder celebrates his life and legacy as the comic genius behind an extraordinary string of film roles, from his first collaboration with Mel Brooks in The Producers, to the enigmatic title role in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, to his inspired on-screen partnership with Richard Pryor in movies like Silver Streak. It is illustrated by a bevy of touching and hilarious clips and outtakes, never-before-seen home movies, narration from Wilder’s audiobook memoir, and interviews with a roster of brilliant friends and collaborators like Mel Brooks, Alan Alda, and Carol Kane.

Truly a tribute in every sense of the word, this is simply a cinematic celebration of a performer that we can truly never forget as he lived his life and his art simply wanting to be "Wilder".

We had the unique pleasure of sitting down with director Ron Frank to talk about diving into the life of Gene and what he meant to so many people around us all.

'Remembering Gene Wilder' is playing at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema now and comes out on VOD platforms at the end of April and on Blu-Ray in June.

Love is never afraid to get a little strange....

On this new episode we get dive into one of the more delightful pieces of genre fair that came across our desks in the past 12 months.  It's time to explore 'With Love and A Major Organ'.

In a world where everyone's heart is an object and there's a strong societal pressure to dampen emotion, lonely Virtual Insurance broker Anabel (Anna Maguire) always follows her heart. At odds with this overly pragmatic society, and after a series of devastating emotional blows, she rips her heart from her chest and gives it to a man she's fallen for, the strangely unfeeling George (Hamza Haq). Unburdened by her unique yet cumbersome heart, Anabel finds life easier. George, on the other hand, begins to feel everything, to the shock of his overbearing mother, Mona. Anabel soon realizes she needs to get her heart back if she's going to survive. 

This is just one of those movies where you can feel the joy of the material coming through the screens and especially when the actors get to talk about it all.  'With Love And A Major Organ' is a smart little piece of genre cinema that just so happens to be Canadian. 

We had the unique pleasure of sitting down with the stars of the film; Anna Maguire and Hamza Haq to talk about the nature of the material, making it in COVID, the joy of getting to do work like this and so very much more....

It's getting easier and easier to fly the flag for our Can-Con productions....

On this episode we looking at some quirky but honest East Coast family drama that is hitting select theatres this coming Friday.  It's time to meet 'Hailey Rose'.

Set on the beautiful Nova Scotia coast, Hailey Rose is a contemporary family comedy about love in all its expressions. Hailey's (Em Haine, Fargo) at a personal crossroads when her frantic sister calls with news compelling her to return home - only to discover a stunning surprise waiting for her. A tragic yet heart-warming tale about running away, facing your past and accepting your loved ones, old and new.
 
A beautifully relatable tale that is filled with nuiance that is hard to look away from; 'Hailey Rose' is worth checking out.  We had the unique pleasure of sitting down and talking with writer/director Sandi Somers to talk about the origins of the story and so very much more....

'Hailey Rose' is in select theatres this Friday April 5th across Canada.