#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON”

A new Trailer for RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON has surfaced. The Animated Feature arrives next month, with a fantastic Voice Cast including Gemma Chan, Benedict Wong, Sandra Oh, Awkwafina and Kelly Marie Tran.

Synopsis:

“Raya and the Last Dragon” takes us on an exciting, epic journey to the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together long ago in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well.  

See the new Trailer:

Raya and the Last Dragon arrives on Disney+ with Premiere Access on March 5, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

#FIRSTLOOK: “CRIME SCENE: THE VANISHING AT THE CECIL HOTEL”

Netflix is at it again. This is the new Trailer for a case that intrigued us greatly in 2013 with Canadian Elisa Lam‘s body being found in a vat of water at Los Angeles’ infamous Cecil Hotel. Surveillance footage hauntingly showed her displaying erratic behaviour and to this day nobody knows exactly what happened. Not only this, the Hotel has a history having some really horrific things happen within its walls.

Synopsis:

From director Joe Berlinger (CONVERSATIONS WITH A KILLER: THE TED BUNDY TAPES, PARADISE LOST), CRIME SCENE: THE VANISHING AT THE CECIL HOTEL is the first season in a new documentary series that deconstructs the mythology and mystery surrounding infamous locations in contemporary crime. For nearly a century the Cecil Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles has been linked to some of the city’s most notorious activity, from untimely deaths to housing serial killers. In 2013 college student Elisa Lam was staying at the Cecil when she vanished, igniting a media frenzy and mobilizing a global community of internet sleuths eager to solve the case. Lam’s disappearance, the latest chapter in the hotel’s complex history, offers a chilling and captivating lens into one of LA’s most nefarious settings.

See the Trailer:

CRIME SCENE: THE VANISHING AT THE CECIL HOTEL arrives on Netflix February 10, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#FIRSTLOOK: 2021 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

The 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards take place Thursday, April 22, 2021 and nominations were announced today. NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS takes the lead with a total seven nominations, with MINARI, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM and NOMADLAND tying in second with six nods apiece. ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI, the Feature directorial debut of Oscar winner Regina King will be awarded the Robert Altman Award this year.

Interestingly, we see Chadwick Boseman, whom posthumously has been a frontrunner in the Support Actor category this Awards Season, is in the Lead Actor category here for his work in MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM.

The Spirit Awards’ commitment and diversity can be felt this year across several categories and in the Director race we have two Asian-American Filmmakers nominated in Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and Chloe Zhao (Nomadland). Three out of five nominees in the category are female.

The Cast of HBO‘s I MAY DESTROY YOU starring, written, directed, produced by Michaela Coel also will be honoured for Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.

Nominees are as follows:

Best Feature
“First Cow”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Minari”
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
“Nomadland”

Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”
Eliza Hittman,” Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Kelly Reichardt, “First Cow”
Chloe Zhao, “Nomadland”

Best First Feature
“I Carry You With Me”
“The 40 Year Old Version”
“The Sound of Metal”
“Miss Juneteenth”
“Nine Days”

Best Female Lead
Nicole Beharie, “Miss Juneteenth”
Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Sidney Flanigan, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Julia Garner, “The Assistant”
Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”
Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”

Best Male Lead
Riz Ahmed, “The Sound of Metal”
Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Rob Morgan, “Bull”
Steven Yeun, “Minari”
Adarsh Gourav, “The White Tiger”

Best Supporting Female
Alexis Chikaeze, “Miss Juneteenth”
Yeri Han, “Minari”
Valerie Mahaffey, French Exit”
Talia Ryder, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Yuh-jung Youn, “Minari”

Best Supporting Male
Coleman Domingo, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Orion Lee, “First Cow”
Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal”
Glynn Turmann, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Benedict Wong, “Nine Days”

Best Screenplay
“Bad Education”
“Minari”
“The Half of It”
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
“Promising Young Woman”

Best First Screenplay
Kitty Green, “The Assistant”
Noah Hutton, “Lapsis”
Channing Godfrey Peoples, “Miss Juneteenth”
Andy Siara, “Palm Springs”
James Sweeney, “Straight Up”

Best Cinematography
Jay Keitel, “She Dies Tomorrow”
Shabier Kirchner, “Bull”
Michael Latham, “The Assistant”
Hélène Louvart, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Joshua James Richards, “Nomadland”

Best Editing
“I Carry You With Me”
“The Invisible Man”
“Residue”
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
“Nomadland”

Robert Altman Award
“One Night in Miami”

Best Documentary
“Collective”
“Crip Camp”
“Dick Johnson Is Dead”
“Time”
“The Mole Agent”

Best International Film
“Bacurau”
“The Disciple”
“Night of the Kings”
“Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time”
“Quo Vadis, Aida?”

Piaget Producers Award
Kara Durrett
Lucas Joaquin
Gerry Kim

Someone to Watch Award
David Midell, “The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain”
Ekwa Msangi, “Farewell Amor”
Annie Silverstein, “Bull”

Truer Than Fiction Award
Cecilia Aldarondo, “Landfall”
Elegance Bratton, “Pier Kids”
Elizabeth Lo, “Stray”

Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
“Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children”
“City So Real”
“Immigration Nation”
“Love Fraud”
“We’re Here”

Best Scripted Series
“I May Destroy You”
“Little America”
“Small Axe”
“A Teacher”
“Unorthodox”

Best Female Performance in a Scripted Series
Elle Fanning, “The Great”
Shira Haas, “Unorthodox”
Abby McEnany, “Work in Progress
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, “Never Have I Ever”
Jordan Kristine Seamón, “We Are Who We Are”

Best Male Performance in a Scripted Series
Conphidance, “Little America”
Adam Ali, “Little America”
Nicco Annan, “P-Valley”
Amit Rahav, “Unorthodox”
Harold Torres, “Zero, Zero, Zero”

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
“I May Destroy You”
Ensemble Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Wruche Opia,
Stephen Wight

Complete Nominee List and more here.

(Photo credit: Film Independent)

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

Mongrel Media x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a Digital Download of eagerly-awaited SUPERNOVA, starring Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci.

Synopsis:

Sam and Tusker partners of 20 years, who are traveling across England in their old RV visiting friends, family and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with early-onset dementia two years ago, their time together is the most important thing they have.

See the Trailer:

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet below for an extra chance! You must be following.

Enter for a chance to #win a Digital Download of SUPERNOVA, starring Colin Firth x Stanley Tucci.

How: https://t.co/BPKSGOZWO1 pic.twitter.com/5y51FvodU4

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) January 26, 2021

Rules and regulations here.

Mongrel Media release SUPERNOVA digitally and on-demand February 16, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Mongrel Media)

#COOKING: “LAMINGTONS”

Lamingtons. We’ve always wanted to visit Australia and maybe one day post-Covid we finally will! This chocolate-dipped butter cake, sometimes filled with raspberries and raspberry jam is an Australian favourite. Australia Day is January 26, 2021! Happy Australia Day! 🇦🇺

Note these are extremely sweet and I have adapted the recipe to my tastes. You can increase the sugar in the cake and icing if you wish.

Cake:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup organic raw sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 tsps baking powder
2 tsps organic vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup raspberries

Dessicated coconut, unsweetened

Chocolate Icing:
3 1/4 cups icing sugar
200 grams dark chocolate
1/2 cup or more whole milk
1 tbsp butter

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
2. In large bowl, cream eggs, butter and sugar.
3. Mix-in flour, starch, baking powder and salt with handmixer.
4. Mix-in vanilla and milk. Beat till mixture is light yellow and smooth.
5. Line rectangular baking pan with wax paper and fill with batter.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or till toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool 10 minutes, then flip cake over on cooling rack. This will flatten the bottom so the cake is even.
8. Cool at least 2 hours, room temperature.
9. Cut cake in half along the middle. Spread jam and raspberries over the center with spatula and re-assemble cake.
10. Cut into even squares, place in container and freeze overnight.
11. The next day, in double boiler on low heat, melt butter and chocolate, stirring frequently. Add milk, stirring often till smooth and then add icing sugar. Mix till smooth and consistency is thin, yet thick enough to coat cake. If it gets too thick, add a little bit more milk and stir till smooth.
12. Using two forks, dip cake squares into chocolate till coated.
13. With coconut ready in a shallow tray or plate, dip coated cake squares in coconut till covered. Quickly transfer to a platter to cool. Repeat till all cake squares are coated.
14. Once chocolate has set, transfer to air-tight container. You can freeze if not eating right away.
15. Let Lamingtons sit at room temperature for about 30-40 minutes before serving.

Gallery:

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A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong)

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#FIRSTLOOK: “BLOWN AWAY” SEASON 2 STREAMING NOW

Glass Blowing Reality TV Competition Series BLOWN AWAY is blowing-up! Produced by Toronto’s marblemedia, the second season of the Series just premiered this past weekend and already landed in the Top Ten on Netflix!

Synopsis:

With a twist in Season 2, the standout series has gone global. Ten glass artists from around the world gather in North America’s largest hot shop to push themselves to creative extremes in the quest to be named Best In Glass. In each episode, the glassblowers must impress a panel of art experts or risk being eliminated. At stake is a life changing prize that will send their careers to new heights.

This season features many impressive celebrity guest evaluators, including:

●      Alexander Rosenberg, Blown Awayseason 1 competitor

●      Bobby Berk, Interior Designer on Netflix’s Queer Eye

●      Michel Germain, Perfume Designer

●      Stephen Weatherly, Defensive End of the Carolina Panthers

●      Sunny Fong, Fashion Designer

●      Deborah Czeresko, Blown Awayseason 1 champion

●      Robert Cassetti, Corning Museum of Glass

Competing for the grand prize this season:

●      Andi Kovel – Celebrated internationally as an influential lighting and accessory designer, glass blower, tastemaker and installation artist.

●      Ben Silver – Glass artist who was introduced to glassblowing at the Eugene Glass School, where his mentors taught him the skills necessary to begin a life in glassblowing.

●      Brad Turner – Canadian award-winning glass artist that has been recognized with 25 industry awards, including receiving the 2013 RBC Canadian Award for Glass.

●      Cat Burns – A defiant glass artist who uses flamboyant, sarcastic humor to illustrate her internal narrative.

●      Chris Taylor – Award-winning glass artist with work featured in several exhibitions at key galleries and museums, including the MASS MoCA and the 1969 Gallery.

●      Elliot Walker – Award-winning glass artist who focuses solely on figurative sculpture.

●      Jason McDonald – Glass artist whose focus has shifted to using glass to make art that

●      speaks about racism in America

●      Mike Shelbo – Glass artist with many gallery exhibitions

●      Nao Yamamoto – Award-winning Japanese-born glass artist with solo exhibitions all over the United States and Japan.

●      Tegan Hamilton – Australian artist who works with internationally recognized glass artists

See the Trailer:

Season 2 of BLOWN AWAY is streaming now on Netflix!

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#FIRSTLOOK: “HELTER SKELTER: AN AMERICAN MYTH”

The public’s thirst for information about Serial Killers continues. I don’t know if you saw NIGHT STALKER recently on Netflix or not, but a spree of murders in 1985 can prove just as haunting and worthy of re-examination today. 2019’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and Quentin Tarantino‘s upcoming Novel about that Film, prove we still are intrigued. Hollywood Suite announce a six-part Docu-Series HELTER SKELTER: AN AMERICAN MYTH which explores Charles Manson and his “family” brutally murdering nine people in 1969. The series looks at why the Manson “Family” still permeates our culture, media and fears.

An Overview of each episode:

Episode 1 – Charles Manson is Your Brother – Thursday, February 11 at 9pm ET

In the series premiere, he orchestrated the most sensational murders of the 20th century, but how much do we really know about Charles Manson and the Family? Helter Skelter goes back to the 1960s to reveal the untold story of the enigmatic cult leader and his band of followers who did his bidding – even when it meant killing nine people in the summer of 1969. His story has become legend, but the truth has yet to be told…

Episode 2 – The Seed – Thursday, February 18 at 9pm ET

Helter Skelter travels back in time to the desperate early days in Appalachia when Manson was first exposed to prison when his young mother was sent away. Travel along Charles Manson’s sordid journey through reform school, jail and prison as he picks up the tools, he will ultimately bring together to commit the most sensational murders of the 20th century.

Episode 3 – Nobody Joins a Cult – Thursday, February 25 at 9pm ET

Fresh out of prison, aspiring musician Charles Manson finds himself in San Francisco during the Summer of Love. There, he uses the tools he learned behind bars to recruit followers to his growing traveling commune. Helter Skelter follows Manson as he takes average teens and young adults and puts them through the change. As he travels from the streets of Haight Ashbury to Los Angeles, partying with A-Listers, producers and rock royalty we see that his seductive message might entice just about anyone in a vulnerable place.

Episode 4 – Out of Eden – Thursday, March 4 at 9pm ET

To his followers, Charles Manson is the second coming of Christ, that belief reinforced by subliminal messages he receives through the Beatles’ White Album. But by the summer of 1969, a mythical race war, delusions of stardom, and bad drug deals leave the cult leader struggling to keep his family together. Helter Skelter reveals how, through intense programming, physical abuse, group sex, and tests of death, Manson finally convinces his followers to “do something witchy,” which can only mean one thing.

Episode 5 – Same Bad Mistakes – Thursday, March 11 at 9pm ET

A desperate Charles Manson escapes with his Family to a desert hideout. There, prison camp-like conditions force two of the girls to make a life-or-death escape attempt. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is paralyzed with fear as the police fumble the investigation. But then Manson unexpectedly helps brings his reign of terror to an end. When a jailhouse confession comes to light, Helter Skelter reveals how the pieces of the puzzle finally come together for the law.

Episode 6 – The Legend of Helter Skelter – Thursday, March 18 at 9pm ET

The most sensational trial of the 20th century finds a judge attacked on the bench, a daily circus of interruptions, a missing defense attorney, and a gallery of young girls blindly following Charles Manson in trying to derail the prosecution. Fifty years later, why does the man, his myth, his Family continue to horrify and also fascinate us? Has Manson finally found the attention and fame he so craved? Helter Skelter explores the aftermath of the murders that gripped the world, and why the myth of Charles Manson should cease to exist.

HELTER SKELTER: AN AMERICAN MYTH premieres Thursday, February 11 at 9pm ET only on Hollywood Suite, with a new episode premiering weekly through March 18, 2021. Each episode will be available on demand.

(Photo credit: Hollywood Suite)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “IT’S A SIN”

From Primetime Emmy Award-winning Writer Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk, A Very English Scandal) comes IT’S A SIN. See the new Trailer.

Synopsis:

A chronicle of a five friends during a decade in which everything changed, including the rise of AIDS.

IT’S A SIN arrives on Amazon Prime Video Friday, February 19, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Amazon Prime Video)

#FIRSTLOOK: “SELENA + CHEF” SEASON 2

I had my reservations about this, but actually found it very enjoyable. SELENA + CHEF debuted August 2020 on HBO Max (and on Crave in Canada with the HBO add-on), the Series taking the highly-likable Selena Gomez on a new journey each episode as she gets mentored by a top chef virtually.

While we didn’t expect a second season this soon, it’s already here before us and though we’re waiting on some of the heavier hitters to begin production again amidst this Pandemic, this serves as lighthearted educational fun in the meantime.

International superstar Gomez‘s cooking knowledge self-admittedly isn’t very advanced and that’s fine as she often asks honest questions and shows her limitations, which get corrected on-screen, i.e. her chopping skills are anxiety-inducing at times. There’s something to take away here every episode no matter if you’re a novice or a pro in the kitchen as these celebrity Chefs open-up and give us some real pro tips. Not every creation lands like it should, but we learn how to do it better next time and that’s a refreshing way to present cooking.

See a Highlight Reel of her knifing skills. You’ll see!

At the end of each episode, Gomez ties-in each episode with a charitable donation on her part to a charity of the Chef’s choice and sometimes genuinely is overcome with emotion hearing why the charity is important. An example of this is Chefs Jon & Vinny supporting the NAACP, an organization which is doing work that is relevant especially in a post-#BlackLivesMatter landscape. This any many other genuine moments where Gomez is being her authentic self.

The Series is filled with many little joys and unscripted surprises. We get to make Tacos with Roy Choi and Taylor Swift appears on the phone! OMG. Some Asparagus literally catches on fire in the oven. Terrifying. One Chef, Angelo Sosa insists she mix white chocolate into her Guacamole. “This isn’t my vibe”, she apologizes and she is honest she didn’t like it. Good for her.

Part of what makes the dynamic fun is that Gomez is quarantining with her maternal grandparents, her grandpa or “Papa” as she calls him, is unrelentingly tough on her. Her best friends Liz and Raquelle also are rooming with her and are her Taste Testers and ad-hoc Sous Chefs, who sometimes make matters worse, but it’s all in good fun!

A diverse array of upcoming guests on Season 2 of the Series include Curtis Stone, Kelis (yes, “Milkshake” Kelis!) and more.

See the Trailer below:

We’re actually excited to continue with this and definitely have time in our day for this. New episodes to arrive weekly on Thursday.

(Photo/video credit: HBO Max)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “GODZILLA vs. KONG”

Adam Wingard (You’re Next) directs GODZILLA VS. KONG, which sees to two legends in a long-awaited face-off!

SYNOPSIS: 

Legends collide in “Godzilla vs. Kong” as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.  Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond.  But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe.  The epic clash between the two titans—instigated by unseen forces—is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth.

The Film stars Alexander Skarsgård (“Big Little Lies,” “The Little Drummer Girl”), Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”), Rebecca Hall (“Christine,” “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women”), Brian Tyree Henry (“Joker,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), Shun Oguri (“Weathering with You”), Eiza González (“Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”), Julian Dennison (“Deadpool 2”), with Kyle Chandler (“Godzilla: King of the Monsters”) and Demián Bichir (“The Nun,” “The Hateful Eight”).

See the Trailer:

Warner Bros. Canada release GODZILLA VS. KONG in theatres (subject to change) Friday, March 26, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)