Between April 25 through May 5, 2013, Toronto will once again host the Hot Docs Film Festival, now in its 20th year.  The Festival is an annual staple for our City’s truest Film Lovers. This year’s Opening Night slot goes to The Manor, screening at Bloor Hot Docs Cinema on April 25, 2013.  The Documentary follows Filmmaker Shawney Cohen as he returns home to a small town in Ontario, reuniting with his 400-pound Father, 85-pound Mother and assisting his Brother in running their Family Business – a Strip Club adjoining a 32-room Motel. Unconventional.

Also walking-in with a bit of buzz are Alias, a Documentary about Toronto Rappers and  Last Woman Standing, which follows World Champion boxers and former Friends, Ariane Fortin and Mary Spencer, as they fight each other for an Olympic Dream.

The Hot Docs Box Office is situated at Hazelton Lanes Shopping Centre, lower level at 87 Avenue Road.

 Read more about this year’s Films right here.

(Photo credit: Six Island Productions)

Finally! Target has finally arrived in Toronto and was I ever ready!  Torontonians still have to venture a little outside the Downtown Core to witness the amazingness that is Target with two brand new locations: East York Town Centre and Centrepoint Mall doing their soft launches.  Shoppers World Danforth also will be welcoming its ownlocation on Thursday, March 28, 2013 too!

I had the pleasure of visiting the Centrepoint Mall location up in North York earlier today, which was all abuzz with Staff eagerly taking notes from Management as Shoppers’ eyes were filled with wonder, navigating its two floors.  Although many shelves were still empty with space, presumably to be  filled with more stock in coming weeks, the experience was pleasant even though a few questions about where to find specific items like Target‘s Roots Collection couldn’t be answered immediately by Staff.  I learned however, that Staff from other stores were there temporarily to gain experience for their own respective location launches. 

Fans of Target‘s Archer’s Farm line of Edibles might be slightly disappointed with a lack of selection up north (I could only find Fruit Snacks among the few offerings) , but hopefully this will improve soon.

Some Photos from my visit today:

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Target Canada)

Spring Brea-ea-eak.  Spring Break forever, B*tches!  Part-Arthouse, part-Teen Fantasy, Director/Writer Harmony Korine‘s Spring Breakers has been winning accolades since it debuted last September at the Toronto International Film Festival.  With an All-Star Cast which includes Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Vanessa Hudgens, Rachel Korine and of course, a blinged-out James Franco, I personally have witnessed its greatness and am so excited for you to discover the Film that Girls Creator Lena Dunham is raving about!

Here’s your chance Edmonton and Calgary to see Spring Breakers before everybody else!  VVS Films, Touchwood PR and Mr. Will Wong would like to give Readers a chance to see a special Advance Screening in both cities on Wednesday, March 27, 2013.

Watch the Trailer here.

To enter, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook and share it on Facebook to double your chances, before Friday, March 22, 2013. Good luck!

Spring Breakers opens in select cities Friday, March 29, 2013.

(Photo credit: VVS Films)

Completely obsessed.  28-year-old British Singer/Songwriter Jessie Ware is just getting her break Stateside and after releasing her debut Disc Devotion in the UK last August, the accolades have come fast and furious with her garnering two nods at the recent BRIT Awards including the categories of British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough.

Critics are describing her as being the perfect median between Adele and Sade, although I’d say she leans a bit more towards the latter with the vocal timbre of Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys.  The Lisa Stansfield parallels are inevitable. It’s Soul/R&B without the excess.  If you haven’t yet heard of her, you must check-out her sublime Running and Wildest Moments.  You will be hypnotized and mesmerized.  She takes the best of another era and makes it into something which speaks to us.

Ware is scheduled to make her Toronto debut next month with a sold-out show at The Opera House. Clearly the fickle local Crowd know Ware it’s at.

Those of us who grew-up in the ’80s couldn’t avoid the influence of Depeche Mode, one of the Pioneers of Electronic Pop.  Back with what Critics already are calling their finest Album in quite some time, their 13th Studio Disc Delta Machine is due for release next week.  Pairing Dave Gahan‘s familiar vocals against a new era of Electronic Rhythms, Depeche Mode have evolved into their own and Fans cannot be more excited.

Sony Music Canada is offering a full streaming of Delta Machine on iTunes and you too can enjoy it a week in advance right here.

Delta Machine hits stores on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 and will be available in Standard and Deluxe Editions.

North American Tour Dates are to be announced shortly.

Official Artwork below:

(Photo credit: Sony Music)

Hot on the success of Single Scream & Shout, comes news of will.i.am‘s fourth Solo Disc #willPower!  The Black Eyed Peas Frontman is poised to release the Album on April 23, 2013 via Universal Music Canada and it will be a star-studded affair, indeed.  In addition to that popular Track with Britney Spears, the Disc also includes collaborations with Hit-Boy, Waka Flocka Flame, Lil Wayne, Diddy, Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, Skylar Grey, Juicy J, Nicole Scherzinger, Eva Simons, apl.de.ap, Baby Kaely and 2NE1.

His Track with Justin Bieber titled #thatPOWER has been chosen as the official first Single and can be heard in full below:

See the official Artwork below:

Buy #thatPOWER on iTunes here.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Music)

Taking place at The Royal Cinema this year, The Canadian Film Fest runs from Wednesday, March 20 through Saturday, March 23, 2013. The Festival celebrates the promotion and advancement of Canadian Talent and included this year are a Filmmaking Master Class with Warren P. Sonoda (Servitude, Textuality) titled Ten Things They Don’t Teach You in Film School.

Screening Friday night is The Disappeared, which comes into the Festival highly-recommended, centering on a group of six Fishermen who become increasingly desperate, surviving on Lifeboats after losing their Vessel.

Click here to see the schedule for the Canadian Film Fest.

(Photo credit: Two Dories Film Inc.)

After a massively successful run at the Box Office, grossing over a billion dollars worldwide, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey brings to the Big Screen R.R. Tolkien’s epic Adventure, following the journey of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who is swept into an amazing quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome Dragon Smaug. Approached out-of-the-blue by the Wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen Dwarves led by the legendary Warrior, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). Their Journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Sorcerers.

From Academy Award®-winning Filmmaker Peter Jackson, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, is the first of a Trilogy of Films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook.  Double your chances by sharing the Post on Facebook or Re-Tweeting the below:

http://mrwillwong.com/hobbitgiveaway @MRWILLW wants me to #win a #THEHOBBIT Blu-ray Combo Pack. In-stores 3/19/13! #Giveaway

All are welcome to enter and your deadline is Thursday, March 21, 2013.

Let’s celebrate the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey by checking-out this super-fun Application below which includes an Are You 100% Hobbit? Quiz, a Handbook and Stats!:

See the official Artwork below:

 Watch the Trailer here.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits stores tomorrow via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in both Standard and Blu-ray/DVD/UltraViolet Combo Pack.  Order it here!

(Photo credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)

In celebration of the most recognizable Irish Patron Saint, here’s a tribute to the some of our most beloved Celebrities who proudly declare their Irish Heritage.  You’d be surprised how many have roots which trace back to The Emerald Isle, if not fully at least partially!

See below who’s Irish!:

And it’s Oz again!  Disney‘s Oz The Great and Powerful continues to crush the competition at the Box Office, this weekend earning $42.2 million, making it two weeks on-top.  To date, the Prequel to The Wizard of Oz has grossed $145.3 million domestically, taking only six days to surpass the magical $100 million mark.

Debuting at number two is Sony Pictures’ The Call starring Abigail Breslin and Halle Berry, earning $17.1 million from  2,507 theatres.  The Thriller, made for a paltry $13 million, already earns back its budget and favoured rather well with audiences, making the grade with a B+ over at CinemaScore. Critics however weren’t as nice, giving it 42% over at Rotten Tomatoes.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone had the all-star Cast including Steve Carrell, Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde and Steve Buscemi, but unfortunately debuts below expectations with $10.3 million from 3,160 theatres. The Comedy, a second film in the Top Ten about Magic, earned 39% according to Critics on the Tomatometer and Audiences didn’t love it either unfortunately with a C+ CinemaScore.

Former number one Flick Jack The Giant Slayer slips to fourth spot this weekend with $6.2 million in its third week, now having grossed $54 million in North America alone.  The resilient Identity Thief follows closely behind in fifth with $4.6 million.

Safe Haven amazingly still hangs onto the Top Ten in its fifth week sitting in ninth with $2.4 million, showing a void in Films catered to Female Audiences in recent weeks, while Canadian-produced Escape from Planet Earth rounds-out the Top Ten with $2.2 million.

Bubbling under, Harmony Korine‘s star-studded Spring Breakers opens rather well in limited release with  $270,000 from three theatres.  The Crime-Dramedy which premiered at TIFF last September, stars James Franco, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson and Vanessa Hudgens.