In The Seats with...

There's generally nothing worse then not really knowing....

On today's episode we dive into a thoughtful piece of home grown cinema beginning it's run at the Carlton here in downtown Toronto.  It's time for 'Inedia'.

It's the story of a young woman while struggling with a mysterious food allergy finds herself back away from friends, family even the world as a whole as her problems just won't go away.  She ultimately finds herself drawn to a radical community who claim to be nourished by light.  However the long she stays there the more she begins to question if this is the right place to be, not only for her but the other people she meets in this community where everything isn't quite as it seems.

This is really a thoughtful piece of cinema that takes a look at the societal need to really be kinder to one another as no one person truly knows what is going on in the journey of another and it deftly plays with the ideas of how we actually don't know nearly as much as we think we do especially when it comes down to our friends and even our family.  Writer/Director Liz Cairns has crafted a deftly nuanced character study of a young woman trying to take care of herself with no clear path to a result in a story that actually wants to think and ask questions rather then look for an easy solution to make everyone else around them feel better.   It's always nice to see films that want you to ask questions rather then look for the answers because (at least from our perspective) that's truly the essence of the human experience.

Star Amy Forsyth really tears into the emotional uncertainty of her character and it is a magnetic thing to watch, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Amy to talk about the nature of the project, the emotional challenges of the character, the collective need for us all to be a little nicer to one another and finding your way through the tall grass of being a working actor in North America.

'Inedia' is playing at the Carlton Cinema here in downtown Toronto.

It takes a village to make our favourite TV show and films....

On this episode we get to indulge a little bit of our fandom as we get to dive into what made the 4th season of 'Slow Horses" streaming now on Apple+ tick.

We sat down with the editing team of Robert Frost and Harrison Wall to get some insight on working on a season of a show like 'Slow Horses".  How soon are they involved in the process, how editing scratches creative itches and the joy of getting to be involved on a show like 'Slow Horses'

'Slow Horses' Season 4 is streaming on Apple+ now and we selfishly hope that both Robert and Harrison get nominated for Emmy's because we want to see more of their great work on the future episodes to come.

'Slow Horses' is streaming on Apple+ now.

The art of movement is so vital on many levels....

On this episode we're in the middle of Emmy campaigning as we look at one of our favourite shows on Prime Video.  It's time for 'Etoile'.

Geneviève (Charlotte Gainsbourg) of the Paris Opera Ballet and Jack (Luke Kirby) at the New York City Ballet exchange top dancers in an effort to lure audiences back in the drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino.

From 'The Marvelous Mrs Maisel' to 'Etoile' the importance of movement and dance is vital to the story being told.  We had the unique pleasure of sitting down with Choreographer Marguerite Derricks to talk about her work on the show and beyond on films like 'Showgirls' and 'Striptease'.

'Etoile' is on Prime Video now.

The outfit not only makes the man....but it makes the show as well....

On the brink of Emmy voting closing we dive into one of the great shows on the Apple + streaming service and some insight on the art of costume design with Sarah Edwards, costume designer on the show.

We talked about getting the job, when in the creative process she historically gets involved and lots of the little nuances that elevate a show like 'Severance' into the beloved status where it is now.

'Severance' Season 2 is on Apple+ now.

The game of life....does take place on a board.....hmmmm....

On this episode we dive headlong into a world that this critic lives adjacent to but wasn't quite up to speed with...  It's time for 'The Hobby: Tales From The Tabletop'.

'The Hobby: Tales From The Tabletop' follows a select group of board game enthusiasts as they explore all aspects of the modern age of gaming and how people ultimately find purpose and community through the games that they play.

I'll admit to knowing that this world existed but we weren't up to speed on it and if you have any kind of passion or hobby in your life you'll be able to slip into this world as effortlessly as you would a warm bath.   It's all an inspiring kind of fun.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with director Simon Ennis about the origins of the film, the nature of the board community why it's 'The Hobby' and how this shared culture is yet another example of the nerds of the world reigning supreme.

Family dynamics are always complicated....

On this special episode we're highlighting even more stellar Canadiana that is in theatres now at the Scotiabank here in downtown Toronto.  It's time for 'His Father's Son'

The dynamic shifts in an Iranian/Canadian family as they struggle to reconcile their past after the news of an unexpected inheritance.

Rarely have we seen such a story of family drama crafted with such subtle beats and quiet moments, it's an exceptional piece of cinema from writer/director Meelad Moaphi.

We had the unique pleasure of talking with Meelad about the origins of the story, the careful storytelling beats used which made this incredibly universal and so very much more.

'His Father's Son' opens at the Scotiabank Theatre here in downtown Toronto, with cast and crew in attendance for Q&A's tonight and tomorrow.

Gotta celebrate the homegrown talent....

On this episode we dive head first into a brand new local production that just got extended for another week at the Scotiabank Theatre here in Toronto.  It's time for 'Boxcutter'

Aspiring rapper, Rome, has all the talent and vision, but his crippling insecurity prevents him from sharing his music without a celebrity co-sign. When he learns that megastar producer Richie Hill will be making an appearance in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, Rome devises a plan to get his album into Richie’s hands.

However, disaster strikes when Rome’s apartment is burgled, and his only copy of the album is stolen.

With the help of his activist-artist friend Jenaya, Rome sets out on a frantic mission to track down his four producers and reassemble his album. As they scour the gentrifying city, Rome struggles with self-doubt, while Jenaya challenges his need for industry approval, advocating for art that is as accessible as it is expressive.

Hijinks ensue and their relationship is tested, but when Rome finally comes face to face with Richie Hill, he has a tough choice to make: finally pitch for that industry co-sign or take a leap of faith and bet on himself?

While we've admittedly seen this kind of story before, it's rare to see a movie that is so specific to its surroundings as it oozes Toronto energy throughout and adds that many extra layers for those who live in the 416/905 getting to watch it.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with director Reza Dahya to talk about the origings of the film, getting it all together, it's slick visual esthetic and the connections between music and film that run deeper then most of us realize.

Check out 'Boxcutter' this weekend at the Scotiabank Theatre here in Toronto.

Sex is natural....and it can be pretty funny....

On this episode we go head first into that issue we never like to talk about even though the birds do it, the bees do it....and pretty much everyone else does it.  It's time for 'Two Women'.

Violette is having a difficult maternity leave. Florence is dealing with depression. Despite their careers and families, they feel like failures. Florence’s first infidelity is a revelation. When having fun is far down the list of priorities, sleeping with a delivery guy could be revolutionary.

A rare sex farce comedy that actually leads with honesty and intelligence rather then goofy salacious moments, 'Two Women' is an absolute delight and we had the pleasure of sitting down with director Chloe Robichaud  over breakfast here in downtown Toronto (apologies for the new mic) about the origins of the story, keeping the comedy adult and honest as well as the art of direction and having a conversation via film that could be interpreted as difficult but is also more vital then we really admit when it comes to our collective sexual needs and desires.

'Two Women' is in select theatres across Canada now.

The amount of skilled artisans it takes to make our favourite TV shows and films still actively blows my mind.

On this episode we're back into the art of editing as we talk with a myriad of artisans putting their work up in hopes of being considered for the Emmy's.  It's time to dive into 'Overcompensating'

The team behind this show certainly weren't as everyone brings there talent to bear on showrunner Benito Skinner's newest effort and we got to talk with the editing team of Todd Downing and Amelia Allwarden about their collaboration on the material, the show's use of music, how involved they were in the overall creative process and so very much more.

'Overcompensating' is streaming on Prime Video now.

It really does take a village to elevate some of our beloved films and TV shows....

On this episode we find ourselves in Emmy Consideration season as all the teams behind all of our favourite shows are lining up to get recognized for all their hard work.. On this episode we head into the editing bay of the beloved 'Only Murders In The Building' which streams on Hulu and Disney+.

We had the please of sitting down with Editor Matthew Barbato to talk about his hard work on Season 4, the stylistic challenges that can only be conquered in the editing bay along with general insight on the art form of editing itself.

All four seasons of 'Only Murders In The Building' are available for streaming now if you find yourself needing to catch up before the fall seasons of so many of our favourite shows ultimately land on our doorsteps.