In The Seats with...

There's nothing wrong with embracing a little bit of the weird....

On this special episode we look at some indie DIY animation that embraces being a little out there.  It's time for 'Boys Of Jupiter'.

It's the day after Christmas in suburban Florida and Billy 5000 (Jack Corbett) and his friends pass the seemingly endless days by slacking, shoplifting, and beatboxing. In between lounging on the beach and sneaking into pools, Billy spends his time hustling on the food-on-demand app Grubster, desperate to make $5,000 before New Year's Eve. As he darts around the city delivering to a series of oddball characters, a routine stop at the mysterious Dolphin Groves Juice Company leads to a run-in with his former classmate—and crush—Rozebud (Miya Folick) and a surprise backpack stowaway in Donut, a bizarre creature from another world. But Dr. Dolphin (Janeane Garofalo), the powerful orange juice CEO, will do anything to get Donut back, and Billy is forced to make hard choices about love, friendship, and how far he'll go for financial security in a world ruled by capitalism.

It's indie animation with a Gen-Z slacker feel that borrows from anyone from Kevin Smith and even Richard Linklater and we had the pleas of sitting down with writer/director Julian Glander about doing animation on a shoestring budget, the rounded edges of this universe and so very much more....

'Boys of Jupiter' is at the TIFF Lightbox now.

It's so easy to forget sometimes that the most important thing you can do sometimes is just not give up...

On this episode we dive into the world of hand drawn animation being produced by a country for the very first time.  It's time for 'The Glassworker'.

'The Glassworker' is the story of a young glassblower in training and his relationships over the years, as his land goes through war and strife.

Evoking memories of Studio Ghibli and Cartoon Saloon this is a personal and inspirational story on so many levels we had the pleasure of sitting down with co-writer/director Usman Riaz about not only the origins of the story but the origins of him mounting his own animation studio which is a first for Pakistan and a reminder in the power of simply not quitting as this film is easily over 10 years in the making.

'The Glassworker' is playing at the TIFF Lightbox now.

When you can survive the meat grinder of the news cycle AND late night comedy for over 1600 episodes....you must be pretty good at your job.

On this episode we go into the writers room of one of the most successful late night TV shows of the modern age, welcome to 'The Daily Show'.

It's never 'old hat' for head writer Dan Amira who has been nominated (and won) at the Emmys on multiple occasions.  We talk about the evolution of show over the years, the stress of having to throw out something you've already written based on some news that just came down the wire, the importance of research and working on his dream job.

'The Daily Show' airs on Comedy Central in the States, CTV here in Canada and shows up the next day on Paramount Plus everywhere.

Small town life can come with its complications....

On this very special episode we engage in one of our favourite past times by taking in some high quality Canadiana.  It's time for 'Sweet Angel Baby'.

It takes us to a small seaside fishing town, where a young woman has her life upended after her online presence and persona strains relationships inside the community.

If you've ever lived in a small town, you know where this one is going, but kudos to writer/director Melanie Oates for really bringing some nuance and genuine humanity to this story.

We talked with Melanie about where it all began, shooting the film, the art of storytelling and so very much more....

'Sweet Angel Baby' is in the theatres this Friday Aug 15th.

Discussions are important, but actually educating ourselves on the things we're going to have discussions about is that much more important.

On this very special episode we get a little heavy and a little serious as a film that has been doing it's festival tour to much protest and objection is now available for the masses to see for themselves.

Without authorization, filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova embeds in a Russian Army battalion fighting in Ukraine. Gaining rare access, she captures a conflict that shatters families, history, and identity. Her raw, frontline footage reveals disillusioned soldiers questioning their purpose.

It's a stark and stunning piece of cinema that reiterates the simple truth that no on ever really wins at war.

After it's various protests and obstacles placed in front of the release of the film, it's finally being made available to masses to rent directly from the filmmakers at their new website; www.russiansatwar.com

Along with the film, behind the scenes footages and stories surrounding the controversy of the film, this website is really is the complete package to get a sense of the entire story of this film, which has evolved beyond what Anastasia put on the screen.

We got to talk with Anastasia as well as producer Cornelia Principe about the journey of the film and so very much more....

Visit www.russiansatwar.com to learn more....

When you are looking into the soul of a rock star things can get a little heavy...

On this episode we dive into even more Emmy nominated goodness as we go on stage to get a little insight into what makes a rock star with 'Bono: Stories of Surrender'.

Bono shares life stories and U2 songs in an intimate show, exploring relationships with family, friends, and faith. Features unseen footage from his Beacon Theatre performances of "Stories of Surrender."

Capturing a show like this for the screen can always be a unique challenge which is why director Andrew Dominik and award winning (and Emmy nominated) DP Erik Messerschmidt were up for the challenge.

We talked with Erik about coming onto a show like this, the unique way in way they shot it, working with icons and how he stays focused on the job.

'Bono: Stories of Surrender' is on Apple + now.

You can do more then you can imagine in a short amount of time....

On this episode we are looking at even more Emmy nominated stuff as we go behind the scenes on one of the bigger and bolder episodes of a sitcom that this critic has ever seen.  It's time for 'The Righteous Gemstones'.

In Season 4, Episode 1, "Prelude" takes us to the height of the civil war where Elijah Gemstone (Bradley Cooper) receives a divine wake up call.

It's only 39 minutes long, but it's as busy and loaded as a feature film and a big part of that is cinematographer Paul Daley as this is a big and loud (and Emmy Nominated) episode.

We got to talk to Paul about coming on to the job, the freedom he had to give this a big and bold feel while shooting mostly out in the wilderness and so very much more....

Catch up on 'The Righteous Gemstones; on Crave up here in Canada.

Sometimes in this racket, you just have to ask questions.

When TV shows become pop culture juggernauts you need to look at all areas to get a sense of that secret sauce.  Up again for MANY more Emmy's it's time to talk 'Rupaul's Drag Race'.

With it having 17 season in and 29 Primetime Emmy's under its belt there is no denying that 'RuPaul's Drag Race has evolved into a cultural phenomenon.  But how do you cast for a show like this?

Enter Emmy nominated casting director Goloka Bolte to talk about the evolution of the show, the art of casting, what the job entails and so very much more....

It's just as much about what you don't hear then what you do hear....

On this very special episode it's time for some more Emmy nominated fare as we go behind the scenes on one of the more stylish movies to hit one of our favourite streaming services.  On Apple+ it's time to go into 'The Gorge'.

Two highly-trained operatives (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge, protecting the world from an undisclosed, mysterious evil that lurks within. They bond from a distance while trying to stay vigilant in defending against an unseen enemy. When the cataclysmic threat to humanity is revealed to them, they must work together in a test of both their physical and mental strength to keep the secret in the gorge before it’s too late.

Very much a movie that allows our imaginations to run wild and sound plays a big factor in that.  I had the pleasure of talking with the Emmy nominated sound editing/design team to get some insight on the job, the creative payoffs to it and so very much more....

'The Gorge' is streaming on Apple+ now.

Shows can evolve to be so much more then what they put on the table...

On this very special episode we are celebrating and diving into the behind the scenes work on many of our favourite TV shows that just happen to be Emmy nominated this year.  It's time for 'Chef's Table'

'Chef's Table' goes inside the lives and kitchens of the world's most renowned international chefs. Each episode puts chefs under a unique lens as we some insight into who these people are both in and out of the kitchen.

We had the unique pleasure of sitting down with executive producer Danny O'Malley who just got nominated for Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series at the Emmy's to talk about getting on the project, the secret sauce of it all that makes it work so very well and all that much more.

Check out 'Chef's Table' in all its iterations on Netflix.