ScreenFish

Directed by veteran animator Kelly Asbury (SHREK 2, GNOMEO AND JULIET), UGLYDOLLS tells the story of Moxy, an odd but lovable toy that discovers what it means to celebrate differences when she steps into the town of Perfection. In this 1on1, Steve speaks to Kelly about what it takes to bring toys to life, the joy of animation and the meaning of perfection.

As an orphan, 14-year old Billy Batson struggles to connect with foster families as he bounces from home to home, searching for his mother. When he suddenly receives the limitless power of Shazam, he finds a new calling as a superhero... but can a broken teenager handle this sort of responsibility? What makes him worthy of the challenge? This week, Derek Wong and Mira Ibrahim join us to talk about what sets Billy apart, the dangers of deadly sins and the meaning of power.

Starring Celia Au, IN A NEW YORK MINUTE premieres this weekend at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Based on a Chinese short story, follows three strangers as they accidentally find that the solution to their problems lies in a single pregnancy test. In this 1on1, Steve speaks to Celia about the family atmosphere on set, how to break the cycle of shame and what it is about love that can change people so deeply.

In THE REDEMPTION PROJECT, Van Jones attempts to bring criminals and their victims together in order to find answers (and, in some cases, peace and grace) long after their tragic events have taken place. In this 1on1, Steve speaks to Van about why a show like this is so necessary in our culture, how he knows someone is ready to meet their attacker or victim, and what it takes to be redeemed.

This week, That Shelf writer Victor Stiff joins us to bring the apocalypse with HELLBOY, the much maligned reboot by Neil Marshall. Starring Stranger Things’ David Harbour and Milla Jovovich, HELLBOY finds himself torn the world of monsters and humanity as he attempts to prevent the ancient Blood Queen from unleashing… well… hell on earth. Rated a distasterous 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a tonne of detractors but is it really a sign of the End of Days? Or is there something redeemable in the half-demon? In a fun conversation, Victor and I attempt to discern what makes Hellboy a hero and what he’s looking for in the film.

Returning us to the scare-filled universe of THE CONJURING, THE CURSE OF LA LARONA is set in 1970s Los Angeles where the legendary ghost is stalking the night -- and the children. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother, a social worker and her own kids are drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Their only hope of surviving La Llorona's deadly wrath is a disillusioned priest (Raymond Cruz) who practices mysticism to keep evil at bay. In this 1on1, Steve speaks to Cruz about what it is about this story that continues to endure, how he prepared for the role and why this story is so embedded within his culture.

Julie Levac and Steve Norton come to you live from the red carpet of the Toronto Premiere of Hellboy, interviewing Milla Jovovich and David Harbour.

Artistic director Cheryl Haines steps behind the camera with her feature length documentary, AI WEIWEI: YOURS TRULY, a documentary that focuses on Ai Weiwei and his latest art instillation that points to prisoners of conscience all around the world. In this 1on1, Steve speaks to Cheryl about what it is about art that inspires fresh thinking and dialogue, how she believe's Weiwei might want his legacy to be perceived and the power of the simple act.

You’ve seen a horsefly. You’ve seen a dragonfly. You may have seen a house fly… but you’ve never seen an elephant fly… in live action that is. With the release of DUMBO, Disney continues it’s string of live-action remakes of it’s own animated properties (the first of in the next 4 months alone). Directed by Tim Burton and starring Colin Farrell, Danny Devito and Michael Keaton, the film is offers a different spin on the material but does it still carry the same endearing charm as the original? ScreenFish veterans Shelley McVea and Allen Forrest return to talk about family, the merging of science and mysticism and power within the film.

This week on the show, we dive into the shadow realm to talk about US, Jordan Peele’s latest mind-bending sci-fi horror. Starring Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke, US follows the Wilson family as their beachfront vacation is disrupted by a home invasion. Even more terrifying? Their attackers look exactly like themselves. But does the film give us good vibrations? Or is this one vacation we'd like to forget? Tethered together for this episode is ScreenFish film analyst, Chris Utley and Catherine Erskine to talk about the film’s exploration of modern culture, what justice looks like within the film and whether or not we can really run from our shadows.