In The Seats with...

Visual Effects is a delicate art, especially in the worlds of Science Fiction...

On this episode we're back into it with more over at Apple+ during the heights of Emmy consideration and we're going headlong into our favorite genre of science fiction.  It's time for a little 'Murderbot'

A security android (Alexander Skarsgård) hides its sentience as it works on risky jobs, even though all it wants to do is watch soap operas in the sci-fi thriller/comedy based on The Murderbot Diaries book series by Martha Wells.

From showrunner Chris Weitz this show is a blend of all the glorious things about the genre wrapped up in some weirdness and hilarity all at the same time.

We had the unique pleasure of talking with VFX supervisor, Sean Faden about his work on the show and so very much more.

Season 1 of 'Murderbot' is on Apple+ now.

The art of production design can be the art of big world building or adding layers and nuance to the things that are already there....

On this special episode we are in the heights of Emmy Award consideration and we get to look behind the scenes on one of our favorite shows.  It's time to talk production design and 'Slow Horses'.

Going into Season 6, 'Slow Horses' isn't a show that's designed to build new worlds, but as we follow our heroes around the city of London it's about finding new nooks and cranny through the city scape to allow in the suspense to unfold.

On the show since it's inception, we had the pleasure of sitting down with production designer Choi Ho Man, to talk about her work on the show, building layers on to something that's already been accepted.

You can catch up with 'Slow Horses' over on Apple+ streaming, now.

It's important to be reminded of the realities that even one person in the world doing the right thing can make a big difference....

On this episode we dive into a fascinating documentary that hit home in ways which we never expected as it now hits home for the masses on VOD Platforms.  It's time for 'This Ordinary Thing'.

A holocaust documentary explores the heroism, bravery and self-sacrifice of non-Jewish people throughout Europe who risked their very lives to hide Jewish strangers, a powerful reminder that one person can make a difference.

Simply a cavalcade of true to life testimonials brought to life from some powerful readings by some of the biggest actors today with the images of the realities of the past staring us in the face,

I had the pleasure of talking with director Nick Davis about the origins of it all and so very much more.

'This Ordinary Thing' is on VOD platforms now.

Sometimes a movie comes along and the game just changes....

On this episode we dive head first into what just might be one of our favourite movies of the year.  It's time for 'The Furious'.

A father fights fiercely against ruthless kidnappers to save his abducted daughter.

Not since Gareth Evans and 'The Raid' has the action community been turned on it's ear with the spectacular collision of frenetic styles that we see here in 'The Furious;.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with director Kenji Tanigaki (a noted fight coordinator in his own right) about the origins of this story and getting it to the big screen.

'The Furious' is in theatres now.

It's those Family Ties that can really choke the life out of you...

In theatres tomorrow June 12th for a limited run before it hits VOD (and eventually Shudder), we get to look at a beautifully bent piece of cinema from one of Canada's up & coming storytellers who isn't afraid to get a little bit bent.  It's time for 'The Voices of Our Mother'.

When a family matriarch falls seriously ill, relatives gather and discover their shared ancestral ties bind them in unexpected ways.

From Writer/Director Mark O'Brien who you might remember as an actor from memorable turns in films like 'Arrival' and 'Nuremberg' and his debut feature 'The Righteous' gives us a horror laden family drama that is steeped in some of the classics from the past.

We talked about his inspirations, working with a Canadian icon like Sheila McCarthy, his appreciation for his collaborators but locally and internationally and we got a little 'Basic; about our love of movies on physical media and so very much more.

'The Voices of Our Mother' is in theatres now and on VOD platforms on June 19th

Anthropologically the 'movie theatre' means more to us then we even know....

We're back in the saddle on this very special episode that takes a look at how important movie theatres actually are with the new Curious Minds series starting at the Hot Docs Red Rogers Cinema with 'Toronto: Cinema City'.

Toronto's history can be told through its movie theatres. From bustling neighbourhood cinemas and Yonge Street grindhouses, experimental film co-ops, to the corporate rise of multiplex chains and decades of censorship battles, the city's screens have mirrored its cultural, social and political life. In Toronto: Cinema City, journalist and film historian Eric Veillette will lead us through a four-part journey through Toronto's exhibition history, uncovering the theatres, controversies, and communities that shaped how Torontonians have watched movies for 130 years.

We got to sit down with Eric to talk about what got him so passionate about the topic and the real magic of the movie theatre having been able to work in them from a myriad of different jobs.  In talk to Eric we get just a sneak peak at the insight and the passion of understanding the importance of the movie theatre while understanding the vitality of a creative community,

'Toronto: Cinema City' starts this June 6th and runs every Saturday at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema for the rest of the month.  You can find out more about the series right here.

It really really is....

On this episode we've got a special one with a documentary that dives into the cold realities of what's going on political with our neighbours to the south.  It's time for 'Democracy Under Siege'.

It's the story of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes as her sharp wit and insightful art come under fire as she examine the challenges confronting US democracy ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

It's a film still looking for distribution south of the border, but 'Democracy Under Siege' is an incredibly relevant documentary as it really tries to encourage discussion about how the American democracy truly is under siege as attacks on satirists, cartoonist and others expressing opinions in contradiction to an increasingly authoritarian government are become more and more obvious by the day.

We talked with Director Laura Nix about the origins of the film, the struggles to get it in seen in the current media landscape and almost a plea to not give up on America as it struggles through these issues.

'Democracy Under Siege' is playing the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema here in Toronto on May 17th and 30th with a digital release soon to follow.

It's one of the scourges of the modern age...

On this very special episode we dive into a new documentary that is streaming now on Tubi for us up here in Canada that tackles a subject that needed humanizing long ago.  It's time for 'Homeless'.

For quite possibly the first time, 'Homeless' is a film that truly looks at humanizing its subjects rather then coldly dealing with a social issue.  Director Valerio Zanoli takes us on to the streets Las Vegas where the gaps between the have and the have not's has never been more evident and he explores not only the backgrounds, but also the hopes and the dreams of these people who have lost there way and are looking for a way back to that idea of "home".

It's a film geared at raising awareness, not only of the issue but of the men and the women who are out there on our city streets all across North America.  

I had the unique pleasure of sitting down, not only Valerio but also with National Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director Donald Whitehead.  We talked about the issues we see in the film, the unique work being done to lift people out of homelessness, it's root causes and so very much more.

'Homeless' can be streamed on TUBI now.

It's amazing how little things can impact some pretty huge changes....

It's more non-fiction for you loyal listeners as Hot Docs winds up here in the city of Toronto this weekend as we look at gorgeous film that chronicles how colonialism can bring some sweeping changes to a culture and a community.  It's time for 'Parasisi'.

Pulled from the Wayana word for “parasite” or “intruder,”"Parasisi' is a very subtle portrait of daily life of the Wayana people and how the presence of the outside world has affected them in ways both seen and unseen.  From illegal gold mining which leads to Mercury poisoning in their water supply to the forcing of modern religious ideologies on these people who have no concept of them; filmmakers Zaide Bil & Sebastian Segers take us along the shores of the Lawa river to show us how these subtle acts of intrusion and cultural violence have ripple down into the people and the legacy of the land itself.

A filmed in B&W; 'Parasisi' is one of the more stunning films we've seen this year and we had the pleasure of sitting down with directors Zaide Bil & Sebastian Segers to talk about the origins of the project and so very much more.

There's beauty in the genuine patience of filmmaking....

On this episode we are back in throws of non-fiction as the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival which rounds up here in Toronto this weekend and we look a film that required the filmmakers and the viewers to revel in the need for patience.  It's time for 'Concrete Turned To Sand'.

This film takes us to Cortes Island, a coastal paradise in British Columbia’s Discovery Islands archipelago. Its ecosystem is a breeding ground for oysters whose shells (that are often compared to stones) are shaped by tidal currents. These fossils take years to reach maturity; however like many things in the world today their environment is changing faster than they can adapt. Using 35mm film in concert with talks with farmers and scientists we get not only a glimpse into how these creatures form but how things like ocean warming and acidification can take their lifecycles far off track.  It all makes for a truly engrossing visual experience.

We talked with directors Ryan Ermacora, & Jessica Johnson about the nature of the project, the challenges of working on 35mm, what it added to the project and so very much more....