While there have been some mixed reviews for Justin Timberlake‘s new material from upcoming fifth Disc MAN OF THE WOODS, this certainly is promising. Have you checked-out the Art Perez-directed one-take Video for SAY SOMETHING ft. Chris Stapleton, who just took home three GRAMMYs this past weekend? We’re getting Rehab (which he wrote for Rihanna) vibes but this is a step in the right direction for Timberlake.

See the Video:

Timberlake appears on this weekend’s SUPER BOWL Halftime Show.

Sony Music Entertainment release MAN OF THE WOODS Friday, February 2, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Music Entertainment)

Hot off his Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Awards, Alexander Skarsgård stars in Netflix Original Film MUTE from Duncan Jones, the man who brought us Source Code, MOON and Warcraft.

Synopsis:
Berlin, the future, but close enough to feel familiar: In this loud, often brutal city, Leo (Alexander Skarsgård) – unable to speak from a childhood accident – searches for his missing girlfriend, the love of his life, his salvation, through dark streets, frenzied plazas, and the full spectrum of the cities shadow-dwellers. As he seeks answers, Leo finds himself mixed up with Cactus Bill (Paul Rudd) and Duck (Justin Theroux), a pair of irreverent US army surgeons on a mission all their own. This soulful sci-fi journey from filmmaker Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code, Warcraft) imagines a world of strange currencies in which echoes of love and humanity are still worth listening to.

See the Teaser:

MUTE streams on Netflix Friday, February 23, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

We’ve missed us some Letterman!

In case you didn’t know, the late night TV legend has a new Series on Netflix called MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION. The second episode features none other than George Clooney and Letterman gets him to open-up about how he met whom would become his wife, Amal!  Other topics include his childhood and rise to fame.

See the Clip:

MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION streams Friday, February 9 at 12:01AM PT on Netflix.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Mongrel Media x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see A FANTASTIC WOMAN in Toronto.

Synopsis:
Marina and Orlando are in love and planning for the future. Marina is a young waitress and aspiring singer. Orlando is 30 years older than her, and owns a printing company. After celebrating Marina’s birthday one evening, Orlando falls seriously ill. Marina rushes him to the emergency room, but he passes away just after arriving at the hospital. Instead of being able to mourn her lover, suddenly Marina is treated with suspicion. The doctors and Orlando‘s family don’t trust her. A woman detective investigates Marina to see if she was involved in his death. Orlando’s ex-wife forbids her from attending the funeral. And to make matters worse, Orlando’s son threatens to throw Marina out of the flat she shared with Orlando. Marina is a trans woman and for most of Orlando’s family, her gender identity is an aberration, a perversion. So Marina struggles for the right to be herself. She battles the very same forces that she has spent a lifetime fighting just to become the woman she is now – a complex, strong, forthright and fantastic woman.

Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Please indicate your City and ensure that this Film is playing in your City before entering.

Mongrel Media release A FANTASTIC WOMAN in Toronto and Vancouver Friday, February 9, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Mongrel Media)

The Archive x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see Oscar-nominated THE INSULT which is up for Best Foreign Language Film.

Synopsis:

In Beirut, a Lebanese Christian named Tony Hanna (Adel Karam) has a water pipe that spews water onto the street from his balcony when he waters his plants. The water inadvertently splashes onto construction foreman Yasser Salameh (Kamel El Basha), a Palestinian Muslim who, with his crew, is making improvements to the of apartment building where Tony lives.

Tony becomes hostile when he’s politely asked to fix the pipe to conform with zoning laws, prompting Yasser to get his crew to fix it themselves. In response, Tony smashes the new pipe. Yassar sees this and yells a curse at Tony. When things escalate to violence, the men end up in court, which attracts the attention of the media and pits Christians and Palestinians against each other.

Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Please indicate your City and ensure that this Film is playing in your City before entering.

The Archive release THE INSULT January 26, 2018 in Toronto, February 2, 2018 in Calgary, February 23, 2018 in Vancouver.

(Photo/video credit: The Archive)

Los Angeles got lit last night as the World Premiere of BLACK PANTHER took place. The starpower was incredible with several A-List names came out to show support for what is looking to be a smash hit for Marvel/Disney. Initial reviews coming-out are incredible and we’re super-excited for this Film.  Names like Jon Voigt, Elizabeth Banks, Usher, Jamie Foxx, Martin Lawrence, Kendrick Lamar, Donald Glover and several more attended the night.

See some Pics of the Cast and notable guests:

If you’re in Quebec City or Southern Ontario, don’t forget to check-out the BLACK PANTHER EXPERIENCE as it tours these regions and experience AR Technology and connect Black Panther to Avengers: Infinity War!

Dates:

BLUE MOUNTAIN
• Winter Fest, Blue Mountain Village – January 27 & 28

QUEBEC CITY
• Carnaval De Quebec – February 2-4

OTTAWA
• Winterlude Festival – February 9-11

TORONTO
• Cineplex Cinemas Queensway and VIP – February 13
• CN Tower – February 17 & 18
• Cineplex Cinemas Scarborough – February 20

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release BLACK PANTHER Friday, February 16, 2018.

(Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)

Some real close calls in this new Teaser for one of this Summer’s hottest Blockbusters ANT-MAN AND THE WASP! Who would’ve known a Hello Kitty PEZ Dispenser could be so… dangerous?

See the new Teaser:

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Friday, July 6, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Marvel Entertainment Canada)

BRUNO MARS took home top honours at the 60th annual GRAMMY Awards. The Hawaiian-born Singer/Songwriter for his Tracks 24K Magic, That’s What I Like and Album 24K Magic, won Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Album.

Mars says, pleading not to be cut-off during his speech in which he recalls performing at the age of 15, “Babyface, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley wrote many of the songs I’d be singing. I remember people who’d never met each from two sides of the globe all would be dancing and all I wanted to do with this Album was to see everybody dancing and everybody moving. I’d like to dedicate this award to my heroes, these teachers who laid down the foundation.”.

See his performance with Cardi B on the Remix to Finesse:

Taking place in New York City this year, the GRAMMYs took place at Madison Square Garden after having been in Los Angeles for the past 14 years. Funnyman James Corden filled hosting duties and his parents Malcolm and Margaret even came out again to support him, joking they snuck-out to see Hamilton while the show was going on! New York native and 14-time Grammy Winner Alicia Keys stated upon presenting Record of the Year to Bruno Mars, “I love it better when the GRAMMYS are in New York”, drawing applause from the crowd.

Other big winners from the evening included Bruno Mars‘ labelmate Ed Sheeran who won Best Pop Solo Performance for smash hit Shape of You and also Best Pop Vocal Album for ÷.

GRAMMY Darling Kendrick Lamar won Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance and Best Music Video for HUMBLE. and his Rihanna Collaboration LOYALTY. won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. His Disc DAMN. won Best Rap Album.

Canada saw The Weeknd win for Best Contemporary R&B Album with his top-selling Starboy Disc, while national icon Leonard Cohen post-humously won for Best Rock Performance with You Want it Darker.  Our Alessia Cara won coveted Best New Artist and while her version of How Far I’ll Go didn’t win for Best Song for Visual Media, the Moana Theme sung by Auli’i Cravalho would go on to win.

Lady Gaga was on early with a fantastic acoustic Medley of A Million Reasons and Joanne:

Kesha would make a return to the GRAMMYs after a few years away delivering her nominated Praying with the help of Cyndi Lauper, Bebe Rexha, Camila Cabello, Andra Day and more:

While it was announced recently that Elton John soon will retire following his upcoming Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, Miley Cyrus would join him on-stage for a rendition of Tiny Dancer:

After feuding for many years after a fallout in the ’90s, Broadway legend Patti Lupone would take the stage to perform Don’t Cry for Me Argentina from EVITA for Composer Andrew Lloyd Weber, who was being honoured this evening for his achievements. Lupone performed the same song at the 1981 GRAMMYs. See the performance:

Click here for a complete list of Winners.

(Photo/video credit: CBS/Getty Images)

We hope you’ve had a blast following along on our Sundance adventures. We couldn’t have done it without Amanda Gilmore who did a super job screening over 40+ titles, there every step of the Festival in Park City.  As the Festival comes to a wrap, we’ve noticed a major theme of female empowerment over and over in some of this year’s most-buzzed Films and this couldn’t be timelier with #TimesUp and #MeToo being at the forefront of discussion right now.  You’ll notice that this year’s top-priced purchase ($10 million) was Misogyny Horror Assassination Nation, centering on female high schoolers who seek revenge on assailants, indicative of the times we are in. The Film starring Odessa Young, Suki Waterhouse, Bella Thorne and Bill Skarsgård will see a release via NEON in America. It appears an early candidate for TIFF 18‘s Midnight Madness Programme.

In fact, Amanda places the Film at the top of her list of favourites from the Festival:

1. 1. Assassination Nation
   2. Search
   3. Sorry To Bother You
   4. Blindspotting
   5. Wildlife

Amanda says, “This year Sundance was filled with Films involving a variety of different storytelling perspectives and a range of genres, including a lot of genre-bending Films.”.

Other Honorable Mentions:

HEREDITARY – Best Horror Film in Years!

TULLY – Would be in her Top Five but technically it was a surprise screening not an official part of the Festival lineup.

THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST – Best young-adult Film people of every age will be touched by!

The latter wound-up winning top prize at the Festival, for U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Film. The Film by Desiree Akhavan is about a teen girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) who is sent to Conversion Therapy after it is learned she is in a relationship with her female best friend. The Film has yet to find a Distributor and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see it at TIFF ’18.

U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary went to Derek Doneen‘s KAILASH, about Kailash Satyarthi  and his fight to end Child Slavery.

Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic went to BURDEN by Director/Writer Andrew Heckler. The Film is about a man who leaves the KKK and falls in love with a woman who questions his behaviour. Garrett Hedlund stars alongside Tom Wilkinson and Andrea Riseborough.

Audience Award: NEXT went to SEARCH, an innovative Film by Aneesh Chaganty and starring Debra Messing and John Cho, about a father’s search for his missing daughter over Social Media and told on screens. Sony Pictures purchased the Film for $5 million.

Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic went to THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER by Director/Writer Sara Colangelo about a teacher who becomes obsessed with a talented child in her class leading to a downward spiral in nurturing him. Maggie Gyllenhaal stars.

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic went to NANCY, by Director/Writer Christina Choe centering on a woman who believes she may have been kidnapped as a child. It also stars Andrea Riseborough, who was hot at the Festival this year with others titles MANDY and BURDEN.

U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Excellence in Filmmaking went to I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW, a post-Apocalyptic Drama starring Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning; Reed Morano directs.

U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting went to Benjamin Dickey who plays songwriting legend Blaze Foley in this Film by Ethan Hawke.

NEXT Innovator Prize was a two-way tie between NIGHT COMES ON (Actress/Director Jordana Spiro) about a troubled teen girl who embarks on a journey with her little sister which could ruin their future, and WE THE ANIMALS (Jeremiah Zagar) about three brothers who push against the love of their parents only to become versions of them.

Complete list of Winners here. We hope to be back again next year!

To catch-up on our Sundance coverage including several Reviews for these Films, click here.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Assassination Nation follows four female high school best friends in Salem. When a hacker releases personal web and phone data of Salem’s citizens, the girls have to protect themselves at all costs.

Writer-Director Sam Levinson creates a Film unlike any made before it. He follows his lead characters, four females, and depicts the violence and misogyny they face in their daily life. But he doesn’t make his characters passive and weak. Instead, they are active and powerful. Able to fend for themselves. Its action-packed from beginning to end with humour, violence, and blood … lots of blood. What very refreshing is that Levinson writes his heroes with flaws and questionable decisions. All which add to the believability of his characters in this satirical yet all-too-real world. And Levinson has found a perfect Ensemble of dominant women consisting of Odessa Young, Suki Waterhouse, Hari Nef and Abra.

Assassination Nation screens at Sundance on Jan. 21 at 11:59PM at PC Library, Jan. 22 at 12:15PM at Ray PC, Jan. 24 at 11:30PM at Prospector PC, Jan. 25 at 12:30PM at Ray PC, Jan. 25 at 11:59PM at Tower SLC, and Jan. 27 at 11:59PM at Tower SLC.