By Amanda Gilmore

Kath (Winona Ryder) and her boyfriend Max (John Gallagher Jr) decide to take a trip to a remote cabin in the redwoods. However, when they arrive they find a younger couple, Al (Owen Teague) and Greta (Brianne Tju), already there. It turns out the rental has been double-booked. With nowhere else to go, they decide to share the cabin for one night. But when Kath wakes up the next morning she learns Max has run away with Greta. She then searches for an explanation for their sudden breakup.

Director and Co-Writer Eli Horowitz crafts an intriguing mystery with twists and turns. The more Kath searches for her explanation, the bigger the web becomes. Horowitz and fellow Screenwriter Matthew Derby find exciting ways to toy with their audience, leading them to second guess each theory they make until the shocking reveal.

It’s a reveal that most won’t see coming, however, some attentive viewers might. This is due to the introduction of Dermot Mulroney’s character, the cabin owner. Kath contacts him when trying to track down Greta. His role becomes bigger as the Film progresses, hinting that he has more at stake in her search than is led on. This mystery surrounding his character works due to Mulroney’s talent.

Leading the Cast is Ryder who turns in an impactful performance. She’s great in Kath’s confusion and frustration at Max leaving her for a younger woman. And she excels as a woman on a mission to find answers. Teague and Tju are great as the ominous couple. The latter steals the show in the Rhird Act.

The Cow screens at SXSW ’22 as follows:
In-Person:
Sunday, March 13 at 10:30 PM EST – ZACH Theatre

Tuesday, March 15 at 7:30 PM EST – Rollins Theatre at The Long Center

Wednesday, March 16 at 9:30 PM EST – Stateside Theatre

Online:
Monday, March 14 at 10:00 AM EST – Available for 48 hours

By David Baldwin

Lindsay (Britt Rentschler) and Jack (Michael Tennant) are stuck in a rut. She dreams of working in fashion, but is stuck working the cash at someone else’s shop; he is a disbarred lawyer who is now a door-to-door salesman – and he has mandatory court ordered drug testing once a week. Things change when Lindsay meets obscenely rich housewife Cat Flax (J.J. Nolan). They become fast friends and soon Lindsay and Jack are invited on a weekend getaway with Cat and others in her orbit. Jack is apprehensive, but Lindsay is very interested.

As you might predict, things are not as they seem and shenanigans and debauchery ensue.

PRETTY PROBLEMS has a satirical edge that speaks to the major differences between the haves and have nots, and takes great pleasure in escalating how outrageous things become for this couple. There is some value in the backstories of the characters, as well as the histories they share with the supporting cast. They are all one-note, yet the cast portray them with vivid precision. Much like the Film itself, they are clearly enjoying hamming it up and playing into the tropes we all instinctively understand.

When it comes down to it though, PRETTY PROBLEMS is not very funny and is actually rather irritating (which of course, may be the point). Many of the jokes land with a thud, and the repetitive nature of certain lines and personality quirks is unneeded. Their importance to the plotline is pretty clear after the second mention. While there are a few twists I did not see coming (including one ripped wholesale from a recent mini-series), others you can see coming from a mile away. It is a truly mixed bag and I can only assume others will find much more to like about it than I did. I just wish the Film had likeable characters, because with them, PRETTY PROBLEMS could have been a lot more fun.

PRETTY PROBLEMS screens at SXSW ’22:

In-Person:
Monday, March 14 at 12:30pm EST – ZACH Theatre
Wednesday, March 16 at 4:30pm EST – Violet Crown Cinema 1
Wednesday, March 16 at 5:00pm EST – Violet Crown Cinema 3

Online:
Tuesday, March 15 at 10:00am EST – Available for 48 hours

To be honest, I didn’t know much about Sarma Melngallis, who propelled to the top of New York City’s food scene just over ten years ago. Her Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck restaurants served buzzy vegan cuisine, frequented by celebrities. We learn Alec Baldwin was smitten by her as a frequent patron at Pure Food and Wine, and wanted to court her even.

Four-part Netflix Docu-Series BAD VEGAN: FAME. FRAUD. FUGITIVES. chronicles her downfall after meeting and marrying then-husband Anthony Strangis who would deceive her into giving him large sums of money in hopes of receiving even larger returns back. This drained profits from her successful businesses, placing her in severe debt. What resulted was her workers being unpaid, refusing to work, and then on the guidance of Strangis, swindling potential investors to buy into her brand, eventually leading to them being on-the-run, controlled in a cult-like manner by him. As it turns out, her ex-husband gambled away all the money, all while she stood by as a passive by-stander picking-up his fast food for him. The irony, considering the health food she became known for. Melngallis would face a guilty sentence for fraud, tax evasion and criminal tax fraud, landing her four months in prison.

Director Chris Smith, who brought us Tiger King, once again delivers a very fascinating story, though it perhaps could’ve been told more succinctly. While there aren’t big personalities nor much spectacle, and an admitted lack of Strangis‘ actual involvement, we do find ourselves feeling compassion for Melngallis, who to this day doesn’t even know why she did some of the things she did. We do get a sense of her shame, embarrassment, yet hopefulness through it all and this is her chance to tell her side of the story even when headlines and those victimized by the crimes aren’t forgiving of her. And ultimately, the Series explores the perils of what it means to not be in control of your own life and destiny.

BAD VEGAN: FAME. FRAUD. FUGITIVES. streams March 16, 2022 on Netflix.

We present a new Trailer for SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2, in theatres this April!

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

The world’s favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands. From the filmmakers behind The Fast and the Furious and Deadpool, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub and Jim Carrey returning, alongside new additions Shemar Moore, with Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails.

Trailer:

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 FAN EVENT EARLY ACCESS SCREENING 

Fans will have the opportunity to see Sonic the Hedgehog on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, prior to the Film’s opening on Friday, April 8, 2022. Tickets and listings here.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2IS IN THEATRES APRIL 8, 2022

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)

The third season of Netflix’s THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY promises new excitement as we meet the Sparrow Academy! See the brand-new Teaser for this wildly-popular Netflix Series.

About THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY Season 3:
After putting a stop to 1963’s doomsday, the Umbrella Academy return home to the present, convinced they prevented the initial apocalypse and fixed this godforsaken timeline once and for all. But after a brief moment of celebration, they realize things aren’t exactly (okay, not at all) how they left them. Enter the Sparrow Academy. Smart, stylish, and about as warm as a sea of icebergs, the Sparrows immediately clash with the Umbrellas in a violent face-off that turns out to be the least of everyone’s concerns. Navigating challenges, losses, and surprises of their own – and dealing with an unidentified destructive entity wreaking havoc in the Universe (something they may have caused) — now all they need to do is convince Dad’s new and possibly better family to help them put right what their arrival made wrong. Will they find a way back to their pre-apocalyptic lives? Or is this new world about to reveal more than just a hiccup in the timeline?

The third season of Netflix’s THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY arrives June 22, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

By David Baldwin

Whether you know everything or absolutely nothing about investing in the stock market, chances are you heard about a group of Redditors who took on Wall Street and won early last year. Or at least, how they made an obscene amount of money and changed long held perceptions about the industry at large.

Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari’s Documentary DIAMOND HANDS: THE LEGEND OF WALLSTREETBETS gives an overview of the events as told by many of the Redditors who were part of the r/WallStreetBets Subreddit group (one member even goes so far as to wear a knight’s helmet to mask his true identity). They are mainly comprised of angry millennials fighting a losing battle against a system that has been rigged against them, and chronicles how they found their way to joining this group during the raging pandemic. The Film never gets into the nitty gritty, nor does it receive answers for the hard questions about the fallout from the group’s short squeeze on the Gamestop stock. There are some insightful moments with some classic cutthroat Wall Street types, but the majority of players from the big corporations refuse to speak to the camera. Rather than dwell on who they cannot talk to, DIAMOND HANDS generally just plays into the hype and hysteria around what happened, frequently cutting to stock news footage and interviews, or the plethora of profane gifs and memes that populate the Subreddit. Some are hilarious, while others are hilariously offensive.

While it may not be in-depth, DIAMOND HANDS is thoroughly entertaining and genuinely riveting to watch the players describe the events before, during and after what happened with the Gamestop stock. It does not so much capture the zeitgeist as much as it speaks to the attitudes of a generation tired of being treated as condescendingly. The Film is even pretty informative in a tongue-in-cheek way, moving along the same lines as Adam McKay’s Oscar-winning The Big Short in some cases, with its explanations and lingo. More specifically, it highlights the difference between Diamond Hands and Paper Hands – which is pretty key if you are like me and suddenly keen on wanting to join the r/WallStreetBets subreddit immediately after watching.

DIAMOND HANDS: THE LEGEND OF WALLSTREET BETS screens at SXSW ’22:

In-Person:
Sunday, March 13 at 8:00pm EST – SXSW Film Theater
Tuesday, March 15 at 3:45pm EST – Alamo Lamar A
Thursday, March 17 at 12:15pm EST – Alamo Lamar B

Online:
Monday, March 14 at 10:00am EST – Available for 48 hours

By Amanda Gilmore

Canadian talent is on display at SXSW ’22 with Romantic Drama Stay The Night.

Reserved and very single Grace (Andrea Bang from Kim’s Convenience) spends her days focused on her career and rarely goes out. But when she misses out on a job opportunity at her workplace she decides to take-up her friend and roommate, Joni (Humberly González) on her offer for a night out. When Joni ditches her for a guy, Grace meets Carter Stone (Joe Scarpellino), who unbeknownst to her, is a professional hockey player on the outs. After their attempt at a one-night stand goes awry, they end up spending the evening walking and talking through the streets of Toronto.

Writer-Director Renuka Jeyapalan has created a sweet Romantic Drama that puts Toronto in the spotlight. Although Stay The Night repeats the concept of other one-night romances before it, it stands-out because of its setting. We rarely get to see Toronto shown the way it is here. We see the streets, the transit, the hotels and the food that make the city special. Additionally, it is so unique because because of the Film’s characters.

Grace is on a quest for something that she’s never experienced before. Bang is outstanding in this dramatic role as the reserved and determined Grace. She plays her with restrain while allowing her natural charisma to come through. Therefore, the audience understands and cheers Grace on.

On the other hand, Carter has experienced the very thing Grace is seeking. However, he’s in need of the one thing Grace can help him with: making a career choice. This is where the romance comes in. Each helps the other, at least for the night. Scarpellino is great as the contemplative Carter. This Romance works due to the chemistry between Bang and Scarpellino.

Stay The Night screens at SXSW ’22 as follows:

In-Person:
Saturday, March 12 at 9:45 PM EST – Alamo Lamar A

Monday, March 14 at 12:45 PM EST – Alamo Lamar A

Wednesday, March 16 at 7:30 PM EST – Violet Crown Cinema 1

Wednesday, March 16 at 8:00 PM EST – Violet Crown Cinema 3

Online:
Sunday, March 13 at 10:00 AM EST – Available for 48 hours

By Mr. Will Wong

It is hard to imagine a time where there was any doubt that 9 to 5 would’ve connected with audiences. The 1980 Colin Higgins Comedy starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton would go on to gross $103 million at the Box Office (second only to Star Wars that year), a TV Series, over 1,500 stage productions worldwide, a theme song which won Grammys and of course, sparking the conversation about equity in the workplace for women.

Co-Directors Camille Hardman and Gary Lane explore the lasting legacy behind the Film as we learn how its three leads were actually cast before the Script had even been written, to Tomlin leaving the project multiple times and the risks of releasing the Film around Christmas against other heavyweights. The gamble paid off as the Film struck a chord with audiences, breaking ground and empowering women around the world to have agency in their workplaces.

The Documentary on one level gives us insight into the development of the Film, using archived and current interviews with Co-Writer Patricia Resnick, Higgins, Fonda, Tomlin, Parton and of course Dabney Coleman, who played the Film’s misogynistic boss Frank Hart. A perfect storm of elements came together to win audiences over, with a tone that made an impactful statement while audiences at the same time had fun watching it.

On another level, we see the Film’s role in the fight for Women’s Equality. We see various steps forward and backward in the cause, tracing back to the Equal Rights Amendment with efforts made to ratify it in the early ’70s well before the Film existed, to 2020 as the Pandemic hit and Virginia signing-on as the final state needed to ratify the amendment. We learn about the 9to5 movement which inspired the Film, after a group of secretaries came together to draw focus on Pay Equity and family flexibility in the ’70s.

In a post-#MeToo world, re-visiting the themes and message behind 9 to 5 couldn’t have happened in a timely manner. Ironically, did you know Harvey Weinstein hadinvested in and produced the Broadway production of 9 to 5? Tons of interesting tidbits and interviews with those who are a part of the fight for equality and the Franchise’s legacy, including the likes of Allison Janney, Rita Moreno, Megan Hilty and more.

STILL WORKING 9 TO 5 is a comprehensive look at the lasting impact that this unsuspecting film would go on to have on the world. Having seen it when I was very young, I viewed it as entertainment. I now see it through a new lens. You’ll also want to sit through the credits for a new rendition of the titular hit featuring Kelly Clarkson!

STILL WORKING 9 TO 5 screens at SXSW ’22 as follows:

Sunday, March 13^th, Screening @ 3:45pm CT, SXSW Film Theater

Monday, March 14^th, On-line Screening @ 9:00am CT

Monday, March 14^th, Satellite Screening @ 6:00pm CT, AFS Cinema

Friday, March 18^th Screening @ 4:45pm CT, Stateside Theatre

By Amanda Gilmore

This thought-provoking Documentary examines the struggles the LGBTQ+ community and their families face in relation to their Christian faith. It follows two conservative Christian mothers, Sara Cunningham and Kimberly Shappley, and how their love for their LGBTQ+ children has made them advocates for the Queer community. This leads them to join an online community of like-minded Christian mothers called “Mama Bears”.

Director Daresha Kyi has found subjects who are open about their prior faults. Both mothers grappled with accepting their children at first. They were tied to their faith rather than unconditionally loving their children. Once they accepted their children their impactful advocacy began. Cunningham works within the community showing up to events with a “Free Mom Hugs” sticker, which has now become a national movement. And Shappley battles the Texas anti-trans bathroom bill that would prevent her child from using the girls’ bathroom in their hometown.

What Kyi beautifully captures through these two Mama Bears is the profound impact one can have when one chooses love instead of hate. Kyi ties her message together through her third subject, Tammi Terrell Morris. Tammi is a young lesbian who has struggled with self-acceptance. Through her story, the audience has someone who exemplifies why the Mama Bears are so important.

Mama Bears is a touching Documentary that explores the complex intersections of politics, religion and unconditional love.

Mama Bears screens at SXSW:

In-Person:
Sunday, March 13 at 3:00 PM EST – Alamo Lamar E
Monday, March 14 at 4:00 PM EST – Violet Crown Cinema 2

Monday, March 14 at 4:30 PM EST – Violet Crown Cinema 4

Online:
Monday, March 14 at 10:00 AM EST – Available for 48 hours

Willow Smith and Hockey? Who would’ve thought? Punk-Pop princess Willow Smith, daughter of Film and Music royalty Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, was just in-town (or west of it!) to appear at the pre-game concert for the NHL HERITAGE CLASSIC. The match took place at Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres today. Legend Wayne Gretzky was there as an analyst for TNT Network. The pre-show concert saw Smith perform outdoors amidst the snowfall, streamed live on TikTok!

Smith is coming off a big year winning Entertainer of the Year at the EBONY Power 100 Awards for her work with her mother on their Facebook Talk Show RED TABLE TALK, also garnering her two Emmy nominations. She also scored her first Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hit last year with “Meet Me at Our Spot”, with Tyler Cole.

She flew-into Toronto with her boyfriend De’Wayne, signing a couple autographs, and glancing over for a quick snap. Apologies for the blurriness, she was on-the-go!

See some Snaps:

If you’re unfamiliar with De’Wayne, he’s a talented Rapper in his own right.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Universal Music/Willow Smith)