#FIRSTLOOK” NEW TRAILER FOR “THEM”

Arriving this April on Amazon Prime Video is Terror Anthology Series, THEM! Here’s your first look.

Synopsis:

From breakout creator Little Marvin and executive producer Lena Waithe, Them is a limited anthology series that explores terror in America. The 1950s set first season centers on a Black family who moves from North Carolina to an all-white Los Angeles neighborhood during the period known as The Great Migration. The family’s idyllic home becomes ground zero where malevolent forces, next-door and otherworldly, threaten to taunt, ravage and destroy them.

See the Trailer:

THEM arrives Friday, April 9, 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.

(Photo/video credit: Amazon Prime Video)

#COOKING: FILIPINO SPAGHETTI RECIPE

Filipino Spaghetti. What is this and how is it different from the Italian classic version we know and love? Well, this Filipino favourite is very popular at birthday parties and fast food chains like pride of The Philippines, Jollibee, serve it as a menu staple. Defined by its bright red sauce, which has a base made of Tomato Sauce, Tomato Paste and Banana Ketchup (tomatoes were hard to come by during the war!) and also its distinctly sweet flavour, we’re sure you’ll love this if you have a sweet tooth. Also, its protein is a sweet Filipino sausage called Longganisa – or sliced hot dogs – and pork. Stop judging. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! This is actually great!

Ingredients:

450g Spaghetti
2 cups Tomato Sauce
1 cup Banana Ketchup or Tomato Ketchup
1 can Tomato Paste
8 small Longganisa, sliced
1/2 lb ground pork
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsps Brown Sugar
2 tbsps Oyster Sauce

3 tbsps unsalted butter
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup grated Cheddar/Mozzerella

Instructions:

1. Prepare Spaghetti till al dente. Strain in colander and set aside, reserving a ladle-full of liquid from pasta
2. In large skillet, sautée onions and garlic.
3. Add Longganisa and pork. Fry till ground pork is browned. Drain fat.
4. Add Tomato Sauce, Ketchup and Tomato Paste, plus 1/4 cup water. Stir.
5. Add brown sugar, salt, pepper and oyster sauce and stir.
6. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer low heat for 30 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.
7. In large skillet heat butter and reserved liquid from pasta till boiled.
8. Add spaghetti and toss, ladleling-in a couple scoops of the Tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Mix evenly and remove from heat.
9. Transfer spaghetti to large dish and pour sauce on-top. 10. Garnish with shredded cheese and serve.

Gallery:

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(Photo credit: Mr Will Wong)

#SXSW: “CONFRONTING A SERIAL KILLER”

Review by Mr. Will Wong

Premiering as part of SXSW 2021‘s Episodic Programme, the first episode of Starz‘s CONFRONTING A SERIAL KILLER gets an unveiling at the Festival. Produced and directed by Joe Berlinger, the five-episode Docu-Series centers on Writer Jillian Lauren as she sets out to seek the truth about one of America’s most notorious Serial Killers, Sam Little. Confident that Little committed more than the three murders he was convicted of in 2014. She gets clearance to visit him in prison and she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for.

The Series precedes the release of Lauren‘s upcoming book about her sessions with Sam Little, titled  Exit Sandman: The True Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer. Little often targeted prostitutes, whose murders often have been dismissed. Their bodies discarded like trash. Despite having a shockingly-long rap sheet, Little walked free from his crimes and Lauren knows because he is responsible because he told her.

The story goes a layer deeper where we learn of Lauren‘s own experience with domestic violence and at the heart of the Series is a deep desire to learn why this happens and why it is the justice system has continually failed to protect women, more specifically sex workers. Lauren bravely tells her own story with a raw vulnerability in tandem with the unpeeling of layers surrounding this decades-long mystery surrounding Little and his victims, those accounted for and not.

Truly gripping storytelling and this should be on your radars as it has something important to say.

CONFRONTING A SERIAL KILLER premieres on Starz on Sunday, April 18, 2021.

#INTERVIEW: KIEFER O’REILLY ON “THE MIGHTY DUCKS: GAME CHANGERS”

For any kid who grew-up in the ’90s, the popularity of THE MIGHTY DUCKS was unavoidable. The Franchise consisting of three films centered on an Attorney named Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) whom after being pulled-over for drunk driving, finds himself again in coaching hockey as community service, to a team of perennial losers.

The legacy continues with a Vancouver-shot revival TV Series coming next week to Disney+. And guess what? Estevez will reprise his role once again as we meet a new generation of players. Add to that fan favourite Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) who joins as Alex, a single mom who encourages her son to form a new team comprised of underdogs.

Among the stars of this ten-episode Series is young Vancouver-based Actor Kiefer O’Reilly who plays Logan and the character also happens to be Canadian. Filming took place during the Pandemic in Vancouver and now is ready to be seen. Our David Baldwin had the opportunity to chat with O’Reilly about his role and what The Mighty Ducks means to him. And also, he’s asked what it’s like to work with legendary Emilio Estevez.

The 14-year-old Actor tells us he actually has a Hockey background and that he had to unlearn how to skate for the role of Logan.
O’Reilly: “I played hockey when I was younger, so I grew up with this. All the inside jokes we had and everything came together and it was super super-fun.”.

“I actually had ‘negative preparation’. I hard to learn not to skate because my character can’t skate at all. So they actually taught me different techniques new players begin with – how they balance and that sort of stuff.”.

David asks him O’Reilly about working with veterans like Emilio Estevez and Lauren Graham.

O’Reilly: “Emilio is a really great guy. He’s super sweet, down-to-earth and amazing. Lauren‘s also super-super talented, like a second mom she takes care of everyone on-set. It’s so awesome.”.

The young Actor is asked about his favourite memory of THE MIGHTY DUCKS.

O’Reilly: “My favourite moment is the Triple Deke (a legendary move when you have to score in a shootout) at end of the Movie. That was insane! Three- year-old me was losing my mind!”.

We ask O’Reilly what he thinks the audience will take away from THE MIGHTY DUCKS: GAME CHANGERS“.

O’Reilly: “I hope the audience sees nostalgia and a new generation that all these kids can hold onto.”.

O’Reilly also reveals a fun idea Estevez had for the Show, which didn’t make the cut. See our Chat below:

O’Reilly also is on Twitter: @Kiefer_OReilly.

THE MIGHTY DUCKS: GAME CHANGERS arrives Friday, March 26, 2021 on Disney+.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A DIGITAL DOWNLOAD OF “THE FATHER”

Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a Digital Download of Academy Award-nominated THE FATHER starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.

Synopsis:

A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.

Trailer:

To enter for a chance to win, click “Like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet for an extra chance!

Enter for a chance to #win a Digital Download of Academy Award-nominated THE FATHER.

How: https://t.co/6ibcYS2jIH pic.twitter.com/h8GRMl9TqC

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 19, 2021

Rules and regulations here.

Elevation Pictures release THE FATHER digitally and on-demand Friday, March 26, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN PASSES TO AN ADVANCED VIRTUAL SCREENING OF “BOOGIE”

Focus Features x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to attend a Virtual Screening of Fresh off the Boat Creator Eddie Huang‘s directorial debut, BOOGIE. The Screening takes place Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 7 PM ET.

Synopsis: 

The film follows a young Chinese-American basketball phenom who struggles to balance the expectations of his immigrant family with his own dreams of becoming a player for the NBA.

See the Trailer:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw or an extra chance.

Enter for a chance to #win Passes to a Virtual Screening of BOOGIE!

Open to all in Canada!

How: https://t.co/8yFtQpP81e pic.twitter.com/DofOfhtY3k

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 19, 2021

Rules and regulations here.

BOOGIE is in theatres now and available on-demand March 5, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Focus Features)

#SXSW: “THE SPINE OF THE NIGHT”

Review by David Baldwin

In a time of witches, swords and magic, an ancient evil has risen to power and has been enslaving humankind. Through the ages, heroes rise and fall trying to take down this evil, but what will it take to stop it?

If you are a fan of Heavy Metal and films of its ilk, then THE SPINE OF NIGHT may seem like it was tailor made for you. Viciously-graphic violence, harsh explosions (mainly involving blue fire) and obscene nudity are just the start of what you are in for over the course of the Film’s 93-minute running time. It initially felt like a blueprint for a live action epic, but there is no way any of the wild happenings here would ever make it to the big screen in any form other than this rotoscoped animation style. Some moments look genuinely incredible with how vividly detailed they are, and others are cruder than you would ever expect. The technique is rarely used so extensively in modern animation, so it was refreshing to see it employed here, allowing the Filmmakers to make interesting and unique choices in telling their blood-soaked story.

Where THE SPINE OF NIGHT lost me was in its pacing and structure. The majority of the Film is told in jumpy episodic flashbacks, with very few characters appearing in multiple segments. It makes latching onto any one element of the story difficult, and takes a bit of time to jump on board for – especially when the flashbacks are so non-linear. And while it is fun to hear voices like Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt and Joe Manganiello as these characters, I found so many of their performances to be dull, lifeless and generally unenthusiastic. I was excited to watch and love this Film, but merely found myself admiring the scope and style and not much else.

THE SPINE OF NIGHT screens at SXSW Thursday, March 18, 2021 starting at 9 PM ET.

#SXSW: “SOUND OF VIOLENCE”

By Amanda Gilmore

As a child, Alexis (Jamin Savoy Brown) recovered her hearing and gained synesthetic abilities after witnessing the murder of her family. Now an adult, Alexis is a Sound Engineer pursuing a career in music. She fears she may lose her hearing again if she doesn’t compose her experimental masterpiece. But there’s a catch, the masterpiece can only be achieved by recording the brutal acts of violence she inflicts.

Writer-Director Alex Noyer adapts his Short Film Conductor into a gruesome slasher feature. In a genre that often feels overdone, Noyer has created something inventive. He uses musical instruments and piercing sound as ways to give audiences gory murders they didn’t see coming. 

Savoy Brown gives a layered performance, playing Alexis as a demure figure in the beginning, then tilting into sinister territory once the audience knows what she’s capable of. After Alexis’s first kill, it’s clear she will stop at nothing to conduct her masterpiece. Her motivation leads to a climax that is both horrific and captivating.

Sound of Violence screens at SXSW: Thursday, March 18 at 9 PM ET.

#FIRSTLOOK: “STAGED” ARRIVES ON HOLLYWOOD SUITE APRIL 2021

BBC Lockdown Series STAGED has found a home in Canada on Hollywood Suite! The comedic Series starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant, arrives – you guessed it – April Fool’s Day!

Synopsis:

Actors Michael Sheen (The Queen) and David Tennant (Doctor Who) play fictionalized versions of themselves, trying to rehearse a performance during lockdown via videoconference, while the underconfident director, Simon, struggles to keep control of the production. This six-part, half-hour series was filmed entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic and features guest appearances by Judi Dench, Samuel L. Jackson, and Adrian Lester. 

Two episodes premiere each night April 1–3 beginning at 9pm ET on HS00. The full series will be available on demand from April 1.

Episode One “Cachu Hwch” – April 1, 9pm ET

Episode Two “Up To No Good” – April 1, 9:25pm ET

Episode Three “Who The F#!k is Michael Sheen?” – April 2, 9pm ET

Episode Four “Bara Birth” – April 2, 9:25pm ET

Episode Five “Ulysses” – April 3, 9pm ET

Episode Six “The Cookie Jar” – April 3, 9:25pm ET

STAGED premieres on Hollywood Suite Friday, April 1 at 9pm ET.

(Photo credit: Hollywood Suite)

#FIRSTLOOK: 2021 PENDANCE FILM FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

The fourth edition of the Pendance Film Festival takes place March 26-28, 2021 virtually. 54 films and 20 live panels & Q&As comprise the grassroots Film Festival.

Highlights:

10 FEATURE FILMS SELECTED TO PENDANCE 2021 Five female filmmakers and films from six different countries headline a strong 10-feature-lineup. This year’s festival marks a lot of firsts—a World Premiere feature, a Canadian feature, and feature films from Uruguay, Finland, Germany and Turkey.   

44 SHORT FILMS SELECTED TO PENDANCE  The highly anticipated shorts programme boasts 44 films from 5 continents. Officially selected titles from some of the top emerging directors in the world like Oscar-nominee Javier Fesser, Goya-winner Carlota Pereda and Ghana’s emerging talent Anthony Nti are some standouts. In the non-competition section, the selected directors include Canadian actor Shaun Majumder, ‘Under Her Skin’ director Jonathan Glazer, and Vancouver’s Christie Will Wolf.  

Passes and tickets can be purchased here.

(Photo credit: Pendance Film Festival)