Toronto Indie Pop Band ALVVAYS have been kicking for six years now and are making a huge splash on the Festival circuit. In support of their second Disc ANTISOCIALITES, they played five consecutive sold-out shows at The Mod Club in their hometown.

We got to witness the Band live and witness their melodic and nostalgic Synth-Pop. The set under just an hour delivering delight to the packed house.

ALVVAYS consists of members Molly Rankin (lead vocals), Kerri MacLellan (keyboards), Alec O’Hanley (guitar), Brian Murphy (bass) and
Sheridan Riley (drums). Riverdale Fans might recognize their tune MARRY ME ARCHIE. Gorgeous current single DREAMS TONITE can be heard on Rock/Alternative or Indie Radio.

While packing-up we got to meet all five members of ALVVAYS, who stylize their name as such with the name Always being taken already by another Band.

Check it out:

See our Snaps:

So much fun seeing Toronto’s own #Alvvays play their fifth sold-out show at The Mod Club in support of new Disc #AntiSocialites! Thanks @steve_s2001!

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(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Surprise! Or not. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI opens with a huge bang for Disney, raking-in a superb $220 million from 4,232 theatres. Critics are loving this follow-up to 2015’s The Force Awakens with 93% on the Tomatometer and a resounding A CinemaScore from Audiences. It still however is unable to best the $247 million opening its Predecessor had.

Animated Feature FERDINAND is a distant second with $12.3 million from 3,621 theatres for 20th Century Fox. Starring John Cena, it gets 75% in the Tomatometer and an A CinemaScore.

In third is COCO with $9.2 million now in its fourth week out, surpassing the $150 million-mark domestically for Disney.

WONDER is in fourth with $5 million for eOne Films/Lionsgate Films. It has made a successful $108 million already over five weeks in North America.

DADDY’S HOME 2 is showing incredible longevity into the Holidays in sixth with $3.3 million for Paramount Pictures in its sixth week. It is just shy of $100 million.

In eighth is THE DISASTER ARTIST expanding to 1,010 theatres with $2.4 million for Elevation Pictures/A24 Films. It has made $12.7 million over three weeks.

LADY BIRD continues to capitalize off its Oscar buzz in tenth with $1.9 million from 947 theatres for Elevation Pictures/A24 Films.  It has made $25 million thus far.

Another year of phenomenal racing has concluded in Ontario and while we have been a fan of the races for many years, 2017 stands out among all the others. This would be the year that reigning leading Trainer Mark Casse was surpassed by Norm McKnight in win standings and while the latter didn’t have any stake wins in that total, this is a sign of change and mobility on the circuit. We are seeing up-and-coming names like Denyse McClachrie, Martin Drexler and Tony Gattelaro make their presence known, the former two landing in the year-end Top Ten standings at Woodbine. Also more than ever, females – equine and human – are front and center in the sport.

The caliber of horses in Ontario has never been stronger. While undisputed Woodbine star PINK LLOYD had a flawless seven-race stakes win streak in 2017, there were many other heroes who rose. Some used racing at Woodbine as a springboard to success abroad whether it be on the track or in the sales ring where they’d begin the next stage of their careers in the breeding shed. Need we mention the likes of Tepin, Quidura, River Maid, Catch a Glimpse, Mississippi Delta, Crowley’s Law, Dacita, Moonlight Sky and Enstone, all Woodbine-raced and selling for a substantial sum at the November Sales in Kentucky?

Fillies and mares shined and among them fittingly-named WONDER GADOT, a namesake of Actress Gal Gadot and her revered Wonder Woman role, would perform well at the Breeders’ Cup en route to a victory in the Grade II Demoiselle at Aqueduct. Her two-year-old filly stablemates WIN THE WAR and ROAD TO VICTORY also would turn heads with flashy stakes scores, the latter winning the Grade II Golden Rod at Churchill Downs.

Trainers Josie Carroll, Barb Minshall and Catherine Day Phillips also had so much talent among their trainees that the Sovereign Awards honouring Canada’s best in Horse Racing, will prove rather tough for voters. Carroll‘s AMI’S MESA would make us proud almost taking home the top prize in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint under Luis Contreras but stablemates MOONLIT PROMISE and GAMBLE’S GHOST also would find stakes success this year, the former going undefeated in 2017. Day Phillips had a superb year with several stars in her barn like Mr. Havercamp, Financial Recovery and Guy Caballero, but her DIXIE MOON would crush the boys in the important Cup and Saucer Stakes before faring respectably at the Breeders’ Cup, having just enough left to win the Ontario Lassie late in the year. Watch out for the immensely-fast GRACE AND DIGNITY, one of the quickest fillies we’ve seen here in years who’s knocking on the door of greatness. We also cannot forget Barb Minshall’s stellar two-year-olds ADMIRALTY PIER and DREAM IT IS, the outstanding Shackleford filly who slayed the competition at Saratoga in the Grade III Schuylerville this summer. The runner-up in that race went on to perform well in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

The Queen’s Plate is confirmed for Saturday, June 30, 2018 with Country Star Brad Paisley set to take the stage the night before at Woodbine. The historic race looks a wide open affair at this point with several making a case for their potential including John Ross and Jack of Hearts Racing’s Coronation Futurity winner AHEADBYACENTURY (named after The Tragically Hip hit). Ken & Sarah Ramsey’s HEMP HEMP HURRAY fared well in the Grade I Summer Stakes at Woodbine and has yet to run on anything but grass.  His connections certainly know how to win the race having taken the 2016 edition with Sir Dudley Digges.

SILENT STING also just nabbed the Kingarvie Stakes for Sid Attard and Stronach Stables, the latter of course scoring a 2017 Woodbine Oaks-Plate double with exceptional filly HOLY HELENA. Any other year she would be a cinch for Horse of the Year if it weren’t for an exceptional year.

Chiefswood Stables’ PIPERS WARRIOR seems to be improving into an athlete of note for Trainer Mike DePaulo. FLAMEAWAY found success at Saratoga also in the Skidmore Stakes for Mark Casse and comes into 2018 with a real shot at Plate glory with stablemates NEEPAWA and ROSE’S VISION, the latter two owned also by Chiefswood Stables.

Iconic Sam-Son Farms have a couple interesting possibilities with talented two-year-olds, the blue-blooded Tapit colt STRIKE ME DOWN who is based in the U.S. and also promising gelding KITTEN’S BOY.

2017 was a year of many emotions. These are my top moments in Ontario Thoroughbred Racing seen through my lens.

See you 2018? Happy Holidays!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong | Audio: Sony Music Entertainment)

Melissa McCarthy AND deception together in one Film? Sign us up! We love everything about upcoming Dark Comedy CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? This is the other side of McCarthy we’ve waited so long to see!

SYNOPSIS:
Melissa McCarthy stars in the adaptation of the memoir CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?, the true story of best-selling celebrity biographer (and friend to cats) Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) who made her living in the 1970’s and 80’s profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant).

Fox Searchlight release CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME Friday, October 19, 2018.

TIFF ’18, anyone?

(Photo credit: Fox Searchlight)

You know we love Christmas! Mr. Will x Warner Music Canada want to give Readers to win copies of this Holiday’s hottest releases, SIA‘s EVERYDAY IS CHRISTMAS and THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, one of our favourite Movies of 2017!

To get you into the spirit, have a listen to these uplifting Holiday tunes!

SANTA’S COMING FOR US (starring Kristen Bell)

EVERYDAY IS CHRISTMAS

THE GREATEST SHOW – Hugh Jackman and Cast

NEVER ENOUGH – Loren Allred

The Cast of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN x Mr. Will

With all the ugliness of the world, #GreatestShowman is the Movie we all need right now. It fills the heart with joy and happiness. An immaculately-styled Spectacle told through gorgeous song and precise choreography. A role only #HughJackman could have played and a Movie that could not have been made without Baz Luhrmann paving the way. #ZacEfron and #RebeccaFerguson will wow you! 🎩🎪 In theatres Christmas.

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Sia x Mr. Will

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We’ll never forget the day our dreams came true and Snapchat had a SIA Snapchat Lens!

Chandelier. (@siathisisacting) #Sia

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To enter to win these amazing CDs, plus also a super-rare SIA Christmas wig, click “like” on this Post over at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK! Contest open to all Readers in Canada.

Warner Music Canada release SIA‘s EVERYDAY IS CHRISTMAS and THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK, both now in stores and available digitally.

We are excited how great this is gonna be. Introducing a brand-new Trailer for ANNIHILATION!

Synopsis:
Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling Southern Reach Trilogy, Annihilation stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac. It was written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later).

See the Trailer:

Paramount Pictures Canada release ANNIHILATION Friday, February 23, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)

What a year wild year 2017 has been. From scandal to catastrophe to people coming together in the name of what’s right, this certainly was the nost eventful year in recent memory. Ever wonder what Canadians were Googling is response to what was going in in the world?

Here is a look back with a Canadian focus on entertainment-related searches!

Top Trending Celebrity Moments:

Harvey Weinstein
Mayweather vs. McGregor Fight
Kathy Griffin
Pippa Middleton Wedding
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Maria Carey New Years
Lady Gaga Super Bowl 2017
Beyonce Twins
Fyre Festival

Top Trending Movies:

It
Wonder Woman
Beauty and The Beast
Justice League
Dunkirk
Logan
Guardians of the Galaxy 2
Blade Runner 2049
Get Out
Thor: Ragnarok

Top Trending TV Shows:

13 Reasons Why
Game of Thrones
Riverdale
Iron Fist
Santa Clarita Diet
Stranger Things
The OA
This Is Us
The Handmaid’s Tale
Big Mouth

Top Trending Musicians:

Neil Young
Ed Sheeran
Shania Twain
Ariana Grande
Lil Pump
Cardi B
Luis Fonsi
Jason Aldean
Aaron Carter
Sam Smith

Top Trending Reality TV Shows:

Big Boss 10
Big Brother 19
Bachelor in Paradise
90 Day Fiancé
The Bachelor
Shark Tank
Survivor
RuPaul’s Drag Race
America’s Got Talent
America’s Next Top Model

Losses

Tom Petty
Chris Cornell
Bill Paxton
Gord Downie
Chester Bennington
Hugh Hefner
Roy Halladay
Lil Peep
David Cassidy
Aaron Hernandez

People

Harvey Weinstein
Matt Lauer
Kevin Spacey
Éric Salvail
Melania Trump
Gal Gadot
Louis CK
Floyd Mayweather
Ed Sheeran
Omar Khadr

We are hit or miss on Musicals but can we tell you how floored we are by the Spectacle that is THE GREATEST SHOWMAN? Hitting theatres this Christmas, its stellar Soundtrack now is in stores to get you ready for the experience on the Big Screen!

Brace yourself to be swept away to magical land of euphoria and dazzling dreams. We cannot stop listening to the Tracklist featuring phenomenal performances by Hugh Jackman, Zendaya, Zac Efron, Keala Settle and several more including a showstopping delivery by The Voice Finalist Loren Allred who voices Rebecca Ferguson’s Jenny Lind in the Movie. Her work on the perfect ballad Never Enough will affect you deeply.

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul oversee the original Music in this triple-Golden Globe-nominated Musical based on the rise of Entrepreneur and Showman P.T. Barnum.

While it was to be released a year ago, The Greatest Showman directed by Australian Michael Gracey with a Screeplay by Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City) and Bill Condon (The Twilight Saga, Dreamgirls), proves worth the long wait. The Choreography is precise and fantastic, the emotions are real. This is Me performed by Settle is just one of several fantastic numbers here and it gets the Globe nod when many others on the Album also could have made the short list. Jackman was born to play the titular role. The Film is unable to separate itself from Baz Luhrmann‘s genius influence but that is a good problem to have.

In addition to Allred’s vocal perfection on Never Enough, Jackman has never sounded better. We love the much-needed uplifting spirit on The Greatest Show and Come Alive, perfect for the Holidays. Efron and Zendaya shine bright on duet Rewrite the Stars. Production is slick and sonically the Soundtrack lifts us just like the Film does.

Enjoy a few selections from THE GREATEST SHOWMAN below:

THIS IS ME

COME ALIVE

NEVER ENOUGH

REWRITE THE STARS

THE GREATEST SHOW

Warner Music Canada release THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK, in stores now.

Continuing momentum into Awards Season, nominations were announced for the 75th Golden Globe Awards today. Leading Film nominations is TIFF ’17 selection and Toronto-filmed THE SHAPE OF WATER with seven nominations including Screenplay, Original Score, Supporting Actor (Michael Shannon) and Actress (Octavia Spencer), Actress in a Drama (Sally Hawkins) and Director (Guillermo del Toro).

Following closely with six nominations apiece are fellow Fox Searchlight release THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI which also premiered at TIFF ’17 winning the Cadillac People’s Choice Award and THE POST which for the first time ever pairs Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Director Steven Spielberg. All three in the trio are nominated for their work.

Leading Television Nominees are HBO‘s BIG LITTLE LIES which was just announced for a second season despite its first season ending where it source material Novel ends. Its two leads Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman both vie for Actress in a Limited Series, while Shailene Woodley is up for Supporting Actress.

In addition to THE SHAPE OF WATER being Toronto-set and filmed, Canada plays a key role at the Golden Globes with our v. own Eric McCormack up for the rebooted WILL AND GRACE in the Actor in a TV Comedy category. Toronto-made THE HANDMAID’S TALE star Elisabeth Moss also is up for Actress in a TV Drama. The Series also is up for TV Series Drama as is Ann Dowd for Supporting Actress. THE BREADWINNER which is produced by Angelina Jolie (her FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER) is up for Foreign Language Film) and starring Canadian talent Saara Chaudry, also is up for Animated Feature. MOLLY’S GAME which was filmed in Toronto, sees Jessica Chastain up for Actress in a Motion Picture Drama. Screenwriter-turned-Director Aaron Sorkin also is up for Screenplay.

The Awards often are known for the deciding-Hollywood Foreign Press Association‘s surprises and shocks. Many are surprised Greta Gerwig who just was named Best Director by the Toronto Film Critics’ Association for her directorial debut LADY BIRD, was the best shot at a female being nominated in the category. She does at least get recognized for in the Screenplay category for the Film. Jordan Peele, many were expecting to get recognized for his writing and directing in GET OUT but got shut-out for both. Kumail Nanjiani won much acclaim for his and wife Emily Gordon‘s autobiographical Comedy THE BIG SICK but was snubbed. THE FLORIDA PROJECT which was named Best Picture also by the TFCA, failed to get a nod for Motion Picture Comedy though Willem Dafoe sees a Supporting Actor nod.

Many are surprised Ansel Elgort received a nomination for his work for Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy in Edgar Wright’s BABY DRIVER despite the Film winning huge raves earlier this year. Another fresh face Timothée Chalamet finds hinself up against seasoned competition for Actor in Motion Picture Drama for CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. He is expected to be a major force this Awards Season.

While he filmed his scenes only recently, Christopher Plummer who replaced Kevin Spacey in ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD already has landed a Supporting Actor nod in a Motion Picture.

For a complete list of Nominees, visit here.

NBC air the Golden Globe Awards Sunday, January 7, 2018 8 PM ET.

Great news! The 159th edition of the Queen’s Plate has just been confirmed and unlike previous years, the Festival has been expanded to three days!

The marquee race itself, known as North America’s most historic horse race, also will take place on Saturday, June 30, 2018! That’s three days of food, fashion and fun. Country Superstar BRAD PAISLEY will be the musical headliner The Whiskey Lullaby and When I Get Where I’m Going Hitmaker will be performing on Friday, June 29th!

What better way to celebrate Canada Day weekend than three action-packed days of racing?

More updates and will follow soon, but in the meantime head over to Woodbine’s Facebook Page and RSVP here! Tickets will be on sale Friday, December 15, 2017.

It’s never too soon to start planning your outfits!

Get social and use the official hashtag: #QP18!

We’ll see you there, Willionaire$!