ScreenFish

Set in a small Maritime fishing community, the new comedy WHARF RATS tells the story of Hughie Hackett (Robbie Carruthers), a lifelong slacker who's family’s fishing business under the care of his corrupt Uncle Angus. Hughie’s life is going nowhere until a stranger named Hackett (Daniel Lillford) literally stumbles out of the water. As his mind begins to spin, Hughie concocts a plan to steal back the family business and its potential value for sale. In this 1on1, we speak with director/co-producer Jason Arsenault and co-producer Jenna MacMillan about toxic masculinity, the unique world of fishing and the power of a lie.

Written almost 400 years ago, Shakespeare's Macbeth remains one of history's most well-regarded dramatic stories. Featuring murder, betrayal, and bawdy humour, Macbeth has been studied in classrooms for centuries yet still somehow feels current. Now, with Joel Coen's THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH, we once again find ourselves 'stepped in blood' with Denzel Washington taking on the crown with a vengeance. This week, Victor Stiff (VictorStiff.com) and Dave Voigt (InTheSeats.ca) drop by to talk about Shakespeare's low-brow/high-brow entertainment, what the 'Coen lens' brings to the play and what we believe the true tragedy of Macbeth may be.

Directed by Eric Crosland, LA LISTE: EVERYTHING OR NOTHING is a gut-wrenching and nail-biting film about Jérémie Heitz and Sam Anthamatten, two pro skiers determined to break records without breaking limbs. In this 1on1, Crosland speaks to us about what drives these men and the fall that changed everything.

With its unique blend of meta-humour and blood splatters, Scream has carved out its own legacy in the world of horror. Now, 25 years after Woodsboro, California was first terrorized by the iconic Ghostface mask, a new crop of teenagers find themselves once again running for their lives in a commentary on the current state of the horror genre. This week, horror fans Catherine Erskine and Allen Chabot return to talk about why we still care about the franchise, the responsibilities of 're-quels' and its relationship to 'elevated horror'.

Written and directed by Jefferson Moneo, COSMIC DAWN tells the story of Aurora (Camille Rowe), a young woman who witnessed the alien abduction of her mother as a child. When Aurora meets alien-devotee Natalie (Emmanuelle Chriqui), she is invited to join her at a meeting of a group that's devoted to the mysterious book ‘Cosmic Dawn’. However, as she becomes more intimately acquainted with the group and its practices, Aurora becomes increasingly suspicious that this may not offer the spiritual fulfillment that was promised. In this 1on1, we speak to Moneo about why he thinks people are drawn to cults and the relationship between belief and doubt.

Directed by Celeste Bell and Paul Sng, the new documentary POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHE is a fascinating exploration of one woman’s legacy through the eyes of the daughter she left behind. Starring Oscar nominee Ruth Negga as the voice of Poly Styrene, Cliché examines the life of the punk icon and X-Ray Spex frontwoman and the impact that her voice has had on the music industry. However, Poly’s life was more than her music. After her passing, Celeste Bell (who is also Poly’s daughter) takes the opportunity to deep dive into her mother’s career while also finding healing for their difficult relationship. In this 1on1, we speak with Bell about her mother's legacy, the pain and power of the image and reconciling with her past.

Why use old code to make something new? After nearly 20 years, The Matrix Resurrections re-enters the digital world to explore the tension between man and machine. But something has changed. Whether its Neo’s struggle to break free or the role of Trinity, Resurrections shows that it can be hard to update a franchise so embedded in its time and place. This week, film analyst Chris Utley and YouTuber Steve Mah return to talk about how the changes in technology changes the world’s philosophy and whether our culture clings to truth or feelings.

It’s the end of the world as we know it… and we feel fine. After all, who needs to worry about global destruction when we’ve got celebrity culture, political division and other things to distract us. This is the premise of Adam McKay’s DON’T LOOK UP which introduces us to two scientists (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) who discover that a massive comet is about to plummet towards the Earth… but no one seems to care. This week, the Dream Team of Jolie Featherstone and Julie Levac reassembles to talk about the things that distract us, misunderstood evil and what we’d do on our last night on Earth.

Based on Mallory Smith's mémoirs of the same name, the new documentary SALT IN MY SOUL tells Mallory's amazing journey with cystic fibrosis. In her 25-year battle with the disease, Mallory lived a life of vibrancy and vitality. Often told in her own words, SOUL is the incredible story of one woman's determination and the innumerable people that she impacted after her passing. In this 1on1, we speak to director Will Battersby and Mallory's mother, Diane Shader Smith about the experience of revisiting Mallory's journals and the balance between acceptance and fighting back.

In Jane Campion's THE POWER OF THE DOG, Benedict Cumberbatch plays gruff cowboy, Phil Burbank. After his brother returns with a new wife and son, Phil does his best to put on a show of toxic masculinity and dominance, even as his conflicted soul suffers underneath. This week, Seeing & Believing Co-Host Kevin McLenithan and author Wade Bearden stop by to talk about hiding behind the image and showing our dark side. (Note: This episode was originally recorded as part of our 'Best Movie Moments of 2021' and re-edited as a standalone.)