Nominees for the 78th annual Golden Globe Awards have been announced and Netflix show its dominance with a total 42 nominations this year, which could come as no surprise as releases continue to be geared at-home amidst the pandemic.
One of the greatest highlights of the awards are that in the category of Best Director – Motion Picture, three of the five nominees are female Directors, in an age where diversity and inclusion are a focus in Hollywood. Black-led films like Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Judas and the Black Messiah, The United States vs. Billie Holiday and One Night in Miami also are making their presence felt appearing in several categories.
Notable omissions including critically-acclaimed MINARI, absent in Motion Picture and Acting categories, after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association drew criticism for relegating it to Foreign Language Film category despite being an American-produced film which contains substantial English dialogue. HBO‘s acclaimed I MAY DESTROY YOU also was seen as a contender, more recently the Independent Spirit Awards, but was missing on the list of nominees.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will host the festivities, to air at the end of the month.
Nominees are as follows:
“Emily in Paris” (Netflix)
“The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max)
“The Great” (Hulu)
“Schitt’s Creek” (CBC)
“Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)
Jason Bateman (“Ozark”)
Josh O’Connor (“The Crown”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Al Pacino (“Hunters”)
Matthew Rhys (“Perry Mason”)
Cate Blanchett (“Mrs. America”)
Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Normal People”)
Shira Haas (“Unorthodox”)
Nicole Kidman (“The Undoing”)
Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Queen’s Gambit”)
Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
David Fincher, “Mank” (Netflix)
Regina King, “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
Kate Hudson (“Music”)
Michelle Pfeiffer (“French Exit”)
Rosamund Pike (“I Care a Lot”)
Anya Taylor-Joy (“Emma”)
Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)
Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)
Gary Oldman (“Mank”)
Tahar Rahim (“The Mauritanian”)
“The Crown” (Netflix)
“Lovecraft Country” (HBO Max)
“The Mandalorian” (Disney Plus)
“Ozark” (Netflix)
“Ratched” (Netflix)
Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)
Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”)
Emma Corrin (“The Crown”)
Laura Linney (“Ozark”)
Sarah Paulson (“Ratched”)
Bryan Cranston (“Your Honor”)
Jeff Daniels (“The Comey Rule”)
Hugh Grant (“The Undoing”)
Ethan Hawke (“The Good Lord Bird”)
Mark Ruffalo (“I Know This Much Is True”)
Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
James Corden (“The Prom”)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”)
Dev Patel (“The Personal History of David Copperfield”)
Andy Samberg (“Palm Springs”)
Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Andra Day (“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”)
Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)
Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)
Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)
“The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Mank” (Netflix)
“Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Jared Leto (“The Little Things”)
Bill Murray (“On the Rocks”)
Leslie Odom, Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)
“The Midnight Sky” (Netflix) – Alexandre Desplat
“Tenet” (Warner Bros.) – Ludwig Göransson
“News of the World” (Universal Pictures) – James Newton Howard
“Mank” (Netflix) – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
“Soul” (Pixar) – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste
Lily Collins (“Emily in Paris”)
Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”)
Elle Fanning (“The Great”)
Jane Levy (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”)
Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”)
“Normal People” (Hulu/BBC)
“The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix)
“Small Axe” (Amazon Studios/BBC)
“The Undoing” (HBO)
“Unorthodox” (Netflix)
John Boyega (“Small Axe”)
Brendan Gleeson (“The Comey Rule”)
Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Jim Parsons (“Hollywood”)
Donald Sutherland (“The Undoing”)
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (Amazon Studios)
“Hamilton” (Walt Disney Pictures)
“Palm Springs” (Neon)
“Music” (Vertical Entertainment)
“The Prom” (Netflix)
Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)
Olivia Colman (“The Father”)
Jodie Foster (“The Mauritanian”)
Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”)
Helena Zengel (“News of the World”)
“Another Round” (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
“La Llorona” (Shudder)
“The Life Ahead” (Netflix)
“Minari” (A24)
“Two of Us” (Magnolia Pictures)
“Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
“Mank” (Netflix)
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
“The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
Don Cheadle (“Black Monday”)
Nicholas Hoult (“The Great”)
Eugene Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”)
Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”)
Gillian Anderson (“The Crown”)
Helena Bonham Carter (“The Crown”)
Julia Garner (“Ozark”)
Annie Murphy (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Cynthia Nixon (“Ratched”)
“Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.) – H.E.R., Dernst Emile II, Tiara Thomas
“Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix) – Daniel Pemberton, Celeste
“Io Si (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead” (Netflix) – Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, Niccolò Agliardi
“Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios) – Leslie Odom Jr, Sam Ashworth
“Tigress & Tweed” from “The United States vs. Billie Holliday” (Hulu) – Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq
“The Croods: A New Age” (Universal Pictures)
“Onward” (Walt Disney Pictures)
“Over the Moon” (Netflix)
“Soul” (Walt Disney Pictures)
“Wolfwalkers” (Cartoon Saloon)
The Golden Globes air on Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 8 PM ET.
Well that was some year! Though 2020 presented its share of challenges, our Team grew that little bit closer in our collective navigation of the obstacles that came our way. We appreciate more than ever those of you who continued to stand by us as we did our best to adapt to our new normal and still find ways to keep you engaged. We get it, we miss those in-person screenings, red carpets and stars in the City too. Things are changing on the daily and you have our word that we will be here every step of the way for you!
While the year won’t be remembered as one filled with joy, there were still some bright spots. Our Dave Baldwin welcomed his son Quentin into the world. Our Jonathan Godfrey just got married! Mr. Will got to go to Hollywood again for Awards Season, attending the Independent Spirit Awards. Above that, he welcomed his puppy beanie to the family. Justin Waldman and George Kozera continue to deliver fantatsic work for the Team, and we can’t wait till in-person screenings are back so we can hear more from Nicholas Porteous, our newest member! And we’ve just received word that we’re accredited not only to the SXSW Festival, but also once again, Sundance Festival (go, Amanda Gilmore!).
While morale was down from previous years, nothing could take away our love of Film, Television and Entertainment. Perhaps more than ever we found ourselves turning to Entertainment as an escape to lift our spirits.
Team Mr. Will shares with you our favourites of 2020. Do keep in mind that you might not have had a chance to see some of these, which did the festival circuit this year, but hoping everyone gets a chance to see these!
Wishing you all the very best in 2021. And thank you for all your heartfelt support.
I had many favourite films this year so my Top Ten list is comprised of the favourites I can’t stop thinking about. Some of these include films that did the festival circuit in 2020 but will be released early 2021. Such as Promising Young Woman, The Father, Minari & Nomadland.
My list is in alphabetical order because I can’t narrow down the films any more than I already have.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mangrove
Minari
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Soul
Sound of Metal
The Father
The Invisible Man
Special Mention: Nine Days
It’s my #1 for 2020 but releases Summer 2021. Do not miss it!
Documentary Favourite: Time
1. Mank
2. Nomadland
3. First Cow
4. Soul
5. Sound of Metal
6. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
7. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
8. David Byrne’s American Utopia
9. Sublet
10. One Night in Miami
2020 had so many exciting prospects that I awaited with breathless anticipation: Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story, a new James Bond adventure, anything with ScarJo, and then…you know! This was followed by the Academy Awards extending their deadline submission date to February 2021 for Oscar consideration, hence this is my best of 2020 thus far! But before I do, please indulge me with these two honorable mentions:
Nothing I watched in 2020 made my spirits rise to unprecedented levels than to experience HAMILTON on the screen. Filmed live over two nights on Broadway with its original Cast, Lin Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece received the diamond quality cinematic treatment it deserved.
Had Steven McQueen‘s MANGROVE (from his SMALL AXE anthology) been a standalone, it would have easily been in my Top Three. Yet, despite McQueen’s unequivocal genius behind the camera, John Boyega’s best screen performance to date, outstanding Cinematography and Soundtrack and a truly memorable job from young Kenyah Sandy, the focus should have been placed on making one dish excellent rather than five very good ones.
2020 has been a year, and that is to put it lightly, nothing about this year has been normal. For someone who visited theatres on a weekly basis (with very few exceptions) and not being able or comfortable to visit a theatre since mid-March has been challenging, however that does not mean there have not been some quality and excellent movies to have come out in 2020. Below are my personal favourite movies of this past year, in alphabetical order. I was not able to see either Minari or Promising Young Woman, without further ado my top 10!
Black Bear
Death to 2020
Freaky
Invisible Man
Nomadland
On The Rocks
Palm Springs
Pieces of a Woman
Shiva Baby
Soul
Some of these movies are available to watch now, some will be coming out in the new year through various channels, if you have not watched these, don’t wait and watch these at your earliest convenience! Cheers to 2021 and a whole new slate of movies and adventures!
Despite some minor setbacks, this year brought a dump truck full of great content to my house. I’m very much still sorting through it. Soul, First Cow, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, most of Small Axe etc. will have to wait for a belated, potentially more accurate list. All that aside, Kajillionaire decisively leads the pack. Miranda July has evolved as a narrative filmmaker, and no other human on the planet is capable of constructing this Rube Goldberg machine of hilarious sadness and scam logic. Meanwhile, our technological and intuitive ease of self-documentation grows exponentially alongside the number of great films produced with front-facing cameras. Half the films on my list this year are Documentaries, and three of them are largely shot by their own subjects. American Murder, in particular, represents the future of the form—consisting mostly of Facebook posts, texts, and bodycam footage. We’re creating so much intimate content every day, wittingly or unwittingly waiting to be woven into feature-length visions. In ten years, I imagine many of the great movies will be cobbled from perfect little social media scraps, which probably sounds worse than it is. Sound of Metal puts us inside the body of Riz Ahmed as he struggles with the sudden onset of deafness. That conceit—embedded in the Sound Design—is so visceral and cinematic, I was amazed I hadn’t experienced a movie like it before now. Eric Andre flipped the Netflix standup special genre sideways while Christopher Nolan twirled his obsession with time, both making quite a mess. And Ema defies categorization—much like this year. (Unless you count psychological dance squad heist poly relationship movie).
Note, this list combines Film and Television.
1. Kajillionaire
2. Tiger King
3. Expecting Amy
4. Sound of Metal
5. Eric Andre: Legalize Everything
6. Ema
7. American Murder
8. Tenet
9. The Painter and the Thief
10. Totally Under Control
1. Nomadland
2. Promising Young Woman
3. The Father
4. Palm Springs
5. The Invisible Man
6. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
7. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
8. Wolfwalkers
9. Boys State
10. Another Round
Is there really anything left to say about 2020? It was a dumpster fire of a year for so many people, and the collective experience we had living through it will stay with us for the rest of our lives. I already knew my life was going to be changed forever when my son was born in March, but who knew everyone else would see their lives changed when WHO called Covid-19 a worldwide pandemic the exact same week? It is shocking to think about how different our lives used to be, and how in an instant, everything changed. This year saw some incredible highs, some miserable lows, and a whole lot in the margins. To me, that says everything about 2020 as well as the landscape of films that actually did get released. It was truly a mixed bag of delight and disappointment. While I am still bewildered that I saw less than 10 films in the theatre this year (for the first time in more than 20 years!), I am grateful for the studios pivoting to streaming and PVOD – if only because I was able to see new films in a timely fashion and still take care of my newborn! I miss theatres dearly and still wish I was able to see a few more films before putting this list together – I am looking at you Minari! – but I truly hope the studios and festivals take the lessons they learned this year and continue to provide greater accessibility to those that want to see their films.
And hey, maybe we should have known this year was going to be less than stellar after such a monumentally amazing year of film in 2019?
And for some of Mr. Will‘s favourite performances of 2020:
What an interesting time it is for Cinema. If you told me a few years back if streaming services would be playing as big of a factor in Awards Season as they are right now, I’d have never believed you! More than half of my Top Ten of 2020 are available or will be available soon on streaming services. This is the future of Cinema and we already are living it. That being said, I can’t wait to be back at the theatres. Large pop, medium popcorn, white cheddar seasoning. Temperature so cold I need to wear my parka. Also an honourable mention to Toronto’s Emma Seligmann‘s fine directorial debut SHIVA BABY which you’ll be able to see in 2021 and Ben Affleck‘s superb work in THE WAY BACK which barely missed the cut, but should be seen and mentioned.
Pieces of a Woman
The Father
Soul
Promising Young Woman
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
Borat: Subsequent Film
Lovers Rock
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Nomadland
The Invisible Man
What were your favourites? Feel free to share with us on our Facebook Page or Tweet at us!
(Photo credit: Amazon Prime/Netflix/Disney/Focus Features/Elevation Pictures)
Beginning July 1, 2020, Hollywood Suite kick-off their spotlight on Canada’s finest with round-the-clock offerings including:
· The Red Violin (1998) 12:40 pm on HS90 – This drama, directed by François Girard and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Oh, Don McKellar and Greta Scacchi spans four centuries and five countries as it tells the story of a mysterious red-coloured violin and its many owners.
· The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) 3:35 pm on HS70 – Based on Mordecai Richler’s novel, Richard Dreyfus stars as Duddy, a poor boy raised in Montreal, driven by power, money and owning land as he dreams of becoming the next rag-to-riches story.
· Meatballs (1979) 9:00 pm on HS70 – Ivan Reitman’s ode to summer camp features Bill Murray in his first starring role as Tripper, head counsellor at the cut-rate Camp North Star. Shot in Haliburton, Ontario, the film is full of high jinks and pranks as Camp North Star competes in annual games against Camp Mohawk, a more elite camp. Meatballs gave rise to the careers of Murray and Reitman along with the chant “It Just Doesn’t Matter.”
· Canadian Bacon (1995) 9:00 pm on HS90 – Michael Moore directed this US-Canada co-pro about a US president who tries to boost his sagging approval rating by starting a war with Canada. Alan Alda, Rhea Perlman and Kevin Pollack lead the charge with John Candy in his final movie role.
· Strange Brew (1983) 10:40 pm on HS80 – Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis take their goofy SCTV characters Bob and Doug Mackenzie on a big-screen adventure. Max von Sydow plays an evil brewmeister who plans to take over the world by placing a mind-control drug in Elsinore beer. Little does he know the power of the hoser, eh?
· Eastern Promises (2007) at 11:20 pm on HS00 – Directed by David Cronenberg and starring Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Vincent Cassel, this gritty crime drama centres around a Russian teenager living in London who dies during childbirth. Clues in her journal lead a midwife to the girl’s ties with a violent Russian mob family.
As announced previously their THE BEST OF THE BEST Spotlight also is ongoing featuring Films which have either won Oscars, BAFTAs or Independent Spirit Awards beginning July 2, 2020.
Schedule below:
July 2–July 5 Oscar Best Director
· The Graduate (1967) Thursday, July 2 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – Mike Nichols’ Academy Award-winning romantic comedy tells the story of recently-graduated college student Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), who is seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), a bored housewife. Things get complicated when he falls in love with her daughter.
· Traffic (2000) Friday, July 3 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Steven Soderbergh’s crime drama follows four intersecting story lines revolving around the drug trade in America. Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James Brolin, Albert Finney, Amy Irving, Benjamin Bratt, Topher Grace and Erika Christensen lead an all-star cast.
· Saving Private Ryan (1998) Saturday, July 4 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Barry Pepper, Edward Burns, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi and Tom Sizemore headline in Steven Spielberg’s epic war drama that follows the Normandy Landings and a group of US soldiers’ quest to go behind enemy lines to rescue a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.
· Cabaret (1972) Sunday, July 5 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome to Cabaret where Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey and Michael York electrify in this celebrated musical set in decadent 1930s Berlin during Hitler’s rise to power. The film chronicles Cambridge student Brian Roberts’ friendship with the high-spirited Sally Bowles, a singer at the sleazy Kit Kat nightclub.
July 6–12 Oscar Best Picture
· Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) Monday, July 6 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Michael Keaton made his cinematic comeback as a faded Hollywood actor best known for playing the superhero “Birdman,” as he struggles to mount a Broadway play.
· Chariots of Fire (1981) Tuesday, July 7 at 9:00 pm on HS80 – The movie, with Vangelis’s unforgettable theme song, is based on the true story of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell who race for the gold in the 1924 Olympics. While one runs for his faith, the other participates to leave prejudice behind.
· The Artist (2011) Wednesday, July 8 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Two silent film stars fall in love, but their romance becomes complicated when one of their careers takes off and the other goes downhill with the introduction of talkies.
· Casablanca (1942) July 9 9:00 pm on HS70 – During WWII, Rick (Humphrey Bogart), a nightclub owner in Casablanca, agrees to help his former lover Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) and her fugitive husband.
· Silence of the Lambs (1991) July 10 9:00 pm on HS90 – Have a nice chianti and some fava beans to savour alongside this psychological thriller about a young FBI cadet (Jodie Foster) who must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer (Anthony Hopkins) to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
· The King’s Speech (2010) July 11 9:00 pm on HS00 – Colin Firth plays King George VI who tries to overcome his stammering problem with the help of speech therapist Lionel Logue, portrayed by Geoffrey Rush, and makes himself worthy enough to lead his country through World War II.
· Annie Hall (1977) July 12 9:00 pm on HS70 – It’s the most fun you’ll have without laughing. Follow the on-again, off-again romance between Annie and Alvy who break all the rules of a romcom, and the fourth wall.
July 12–19 Film Independent Spirit Awards Best Film
· Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Monday, July 13 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Ang Lee’s visual masterpiece tells the story of a warrior, the woman he loves, a daring outlaw and a princess with dreams of becoming a fighter. The film is a revelation for its mix of amazing choreographed martial arts battles, breathtaking scenery and poetic drama.
· Sideways (2004) Tuesday, July 14 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Jack (Thomas Haden Church) and Miles (Paul Giamatti) confront middle age on a road trip through Santa Barbara County wine country to celebrate Jack’s final days as a bachelor.
· The Wrestler (2008) Wednesday, July 15 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Mickey Rourke gained recognition and awards in Darren Aronofsky’s drama for his portrayal of ageing wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson who struggles to keep up with life as he is too old to continue his wrestling career.
· Juno (2007) Thursday, July 16 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Diablo Cody’s coming-of-age comedy drama showcases Ellen Page as a 16-year-old dealing with things way beyond her maturity level when an unplanned pregnancy makes her grow up faster than she wanted.
· Lost in Translation (2003) Friday, July 17 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – For relaxing times, make it Suntory time. Bill Murray brings intensity to Sofia Coppola’s drama about a fading movie star who forms an unlikely friendship with a young woman he meets in Tokyo.
· The Player (1992) Saturday, July 18 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – Robert Altman’s satire features Tim Robbins as a Hollywood studio exec with a sketchy moral compass who gets embroiled in a murder.
· Pulp Fiction (1994) Sunday, July 19 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. Quentin Tarantino’s neo-noir crime film is filled with a memorable bestselling soundtrack and unforgettable performances by Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer.
July 20–26 Oscar Best Supporting Actor
· Django Unchained (2012) Monday, July 20 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Quentin Tarantino’s revisionist western, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, deserves both your curiosity and your attention. With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.
· Good Will Hunting (1997) Tuesday, July 21 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – Gus Van Sant directs this touching drama from virtually unknown screenwriters and young actors, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The movie tells the story of Will Hunting, a young MIT janitor who is a headstrong, working-class genius failing at life. Robin Williams won an Academy Award for his performance as a sensitive therapist who may be the only one to reach Will. How do you like them apples?
· Inglourious Basterds (2009) Wednesday, July 22 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – This Tarantino ensemble cast includes Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Mike Myers, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender and Mélanie Laurent. In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish US soldiers coincides with a theatre owner’s vengeful plans for the same.
· Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Thursday, July 23 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano and Toni Collette take their family dysfunction cross-country in a VW bus to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant.
· Julia (1977) Friday, July 24 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Fonda are Julia and Lillian, two childhood friends whose relationship is challenged when Julia asks Lillian to smuggle large sums of money into pre-war Germany to buy the freedom of Jewish prisoners.
· Jerry Maguire (1996) Saturday, July 25 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Rod Tidwell, an arrogant football player who becomes super-sports agent Jerry Maguire’s sole client after Jerry is fired for having a moral epiphany. Show me the Money! Show him the Oscar!
· Whiplash (2014) Sunday, July 26 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – A promising young drummer (Miles Teller) enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor (J.K. Simmons) who will stop at nothing to realize a student’s potential.
July 27–31 BAFTAs Best Actress
· Secrets and Lies (1996) Monday, July 27 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – A successful Black optometrist discovers that her birth mother is an underprivileged white woman who had kept her teenage pregnancy a secret. Brenda Blethyn and Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s performances as the reunited mother and daughter won critical acclaim and award recognition.
· Charade (1963) Tuesday, July 28 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – Billed as a suspenseful romantic comedy, Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant try to escape several men who are searching for the missing, stolen fortune of her dead husband.
· The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981) Wednesday, July 29 at 9:00 pm on HS80 – The romantic drama film intercuts the stories of two romantic affairs: one, a Victorian period drama involving a gentleman palaeontologist, Charles Smithson, and the complex and troubled Sarah Woodruff, known as “the French lieutenant’s woman.” The other affair is between the actors Mike and Anna, playing the lead roles in a modern filming of the story. In both segments Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep play the lead roles.
· A Taste of Honey (1961) Thursday, July 30 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – In this kitchen-sink drama, British teen Jo (Rita Tushingham) struggles to find love in her bleak day-to-day life, which is dominated by her alcoholic mother, Helen (Dora Bryan). Jo’s pregnancy further obscures their relationship.
· Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) Friday, July 31 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – After her husband dies, Alice (Ellen Burstyn) and her son, Tommy, leave their small New Mexico town for California, where Alice hopes to make it as a singer. Money problems force them to settle in Arizona instead, where Alice takes a job as waitress in a small diner.
More on Hollywood Suite‘s Website here.
(Photo credit: Hollywood Suite)
While our trip to Los Angeles started off with some hitches – namely an extremely slow Customs check making us miss our flights – we cannot be stopped! Our first day in L.A. true to form has been amazing and in addition to taking-in some of the awesome bites, we saw tons of stars last night!
We interviewed Chef Giada De Laurentiis a few years back and she kept telling us it was mandatory to try Chef Roy Choi‘s Korean-inspired Tacos at KOGI TAQUERIA and while we’ve been back a few times, we never got around to it till now. Forget hotel check-in, we had Beef Short Rib Tacos and Carnitas Kimchi Fries on our mind! A joy finally getting to try this.
When viewing these albums, hover right on the arrow to navigate further!
Several pre-Oscars parties are taking place around town and among the top bashes to be at, were the William Morris Endeavor bash at a private residence in Beverly Hills and also the Tom Ford Fashion Show! Being an acclaimed Filmmaker himself, the timing was brilliant merging his worlds together at once Oscars weekend.
Tom Ford Fashion Show – this was attended by several A-Listers like Renée Zellweger, J-Lo, Jason Momoa, Kate Hudson, Lil Nas X and more. See who we got snaps with!
WME Bash – this party is situation at a private mansion and it seems everyone in town went to it. As it got a bit chaotic I only got to get a few snaps, including several Presenters and Nominees at Sunday’s Academy Awards.
Amidst the bustle we still managed to get a few Snaps. We’re so thrilled we got to meet rising star Julia Fox who rocked our world in UNCUT GEMS! While The Academy got it wrong, we’re glad to see it up for multiple FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS! Stream it now on Netflix.
A trip to L.A. is never complete without IN-N-OUT and it was a delight making it in just before they closed at 2 AM to get my burger and fries, Animal Style! The Police literally had to kick me and my friends out!
We need our coffee as we are up and it early, but don’t forget to follow us at @HollywoodSuite on Twitter and Instagram for our coverage of the FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS! The Awards air live 5 PM ET and then on-repeat on Hollywood Suite in Canada! We’re thrilled to be in attendance at the Awards and bringing you a bit of BTS (not the Boy Band)!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
It was a week of celebration and we’re happy to have shared it with one of our faves of all time, the 2020 4D 1.5 Honda Accord Touring! With both Chinese New Year and my niece Jessica and now nephew-in-law Mitch‘s wedding (they’ve tied the knot after 13 years together, meeting in high school!) taking place in Niagara Falls, we had much to fête and a test drive of the Accord Touring made it all possible.
First thing’s first – the vehicle is nothing short of elegant. Its long body and sleek composition are a statement of class and we had the pleasure of driving it in a Modern Steel Metallic. One glance and you know you are starting at luxury.
So many awesome memories this week in the 2020 @HondaCanada Accord Touring which has taken me through all the weather conditions. Can't wait to tell you about it on the site! pic.twitter.com/4NULmnVUOM
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) February 2, 2020
The Accord Touring runs on a 1.5-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC, i-VTEC® turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and operates at 192 horsepower. Our travels took us farther than ever. City, country, to the border and back to the burbs, the Accord Touring empowered us and it always reassuring knowing we can do it all on superb Fuel Economy, at 8.2 (city)/6.8 (highway)/7.6 (combined) litres per 100km. With a week of intense travelling and commuting, we spent only approximately $85 CAN on fuel which is very reasonable.
We were thrown an array of weather conditions this past week. We saw snow, rain and relentless flurries driving back from the wedding in Niagara Falls, but never once did we not feel safe. Vehicle Stability Assist was a major MVP in our travels. While we are lucky in the City and most rural areas reaping the benefit of plowed roads, we had a scary moment in particular out in the country in Caledon where we encountered a bit of slipping and sliding. Despite being mitigated by Vehicle Stability Assist, we found ourselves unable to proceed further up a small, unplowed road. With a clear head and no cars around fortunately, we reversed, went forward, reversed, applied foot to pedal and made it through the obstacle in no time to see our two namesakes Mr Will (Prince) and A Pic by Mrwill (Princess). The two met at long last. Mr Will happens to be training at the same facility where A Pic by Mrwill is enjoying her retirement as she readies for becoming a mom. Lucky me!
But above this, the Accord is jam-packed with intuitive safety features. A 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Auto high-beam, Brake Assist, Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS®), Forward Collision Warning (FCW) System, Honda LaneWatch Blind Spot Display and Lane Departure Warning, among many others. I remember last year, previewing the 2019 Honda Accord Touring and dealing with the Tire Pressure Monitoring System indicator going off in the cold weather, but that never once happened with the 2020 model.
The rear camera is definitely an asset for parking downtown or at the mall, and while snow sometimes limits our ability to utilize this, covering the camera and the car’s sensors, the Accord Touring never stops trying and lets you know when it can’t do the job, managing your expectations. Bottom line, sometimes we become so dependent on features and need to rely on our eyes and just focus.
The car is armed and ready with the HondaLink™ Assist Automatic Emergency Response System™ and Assist Automatic Emergency Response System. It has no shortage of Airbags: Side Curtain Airbags with Rollover Sensor System, SmartVent™ side airbags and an i-SRS Airbag System (front).
The 7″ colour TFT meter display with Driver Information Interface gives the Driver plenty of insights and we adore its Display Audio System with Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System which believe it or not, we finally used after having depended on the Google Maps app on our phone for a long time now. It was simple to use and just as effective! The Accord Touring‘s 452-watt AM/FM Premium Audio System with MP3/Windows Media® Audio playback capability and 10 speakers including subwoofer provide for an outstanding driving experience. We adore our SiriusXM, but appreciate how simple it is to sync our Huawei P30 Pro via Bluetooth, customizing our drives with our Spotify Playlists. And let’s not forget all those charging options, including a charging plate for our phone.
In keeping with tradition, you can hear that sound system yourself!
Finally // Beautiful Stranger.
Thanks @Halsey for the gorgeous tune. pic.twitter.com/XKz565GaI7
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) January 24, 2020
Continuing with the direction of previous models, Climate Control is customizable for Driver and Passenger, with dual-zone options and an air-filtration system. Rear-seat heater ducts are available for those sitting at the back too. We cannot deny how much we love the seat heaters (coolers too!) and steering wheel heater on those unbearably-cold January mornings. Push-button engine starts and proximity entry make our experience that much simpler and we’re here for it!
The 2020 4D 1.5 Honda Accord Touring continues the Accord‘s history of excellence and starts at $38,976 CAN. More here.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
As we approach the end of this decade, let’s take a look back at some of our favourite memories from the past ten years! I started out late 2009 as a Blogger and never could imagine all the memories that would be created nor all the opportunities the Website would afford me. Back in 2009, we were standing behind the barricade as a fan and in 2019 we are now one of the City’s red carpet staples whether it be TIFF or a Movie Premiere.
People ask me all the time how I juggle several hats and to that I say that when you truly love what you do, you make the effort to strike that balance in your life. You all made me who I am today and the amazing people (Dave, Amanda, George, Siobhán, Jonathan and Justin) who give their time contributing to the Site, shaped our Brand.
Ten years ago I craved love, loyalty and validation. In many ways today those things still drive me, but for it all I am a little bit wiser, a little more able to stand up for myself, a little more weathered, a little more confident.
I’m grateful, humbled and touched by everyone’s continued support and promise to keep on going as far as I can! A Happy New Year to you. I’m beyond thrilled to see what 2020 will bring us all. Thank you for being there.
xMr. Will
Let’s take a walk down this memory lane known as the 2010s!
Being voted Best Blogger by my City at the NOW Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards is something I am so incredibly-grateful for. Sometimes when I look at my Twitter and Facebook and see many old friends who have been there with me all these years, something in my heart tells me I’ve done something right. Thank you all for sticking with me.
So indebted to Hollywood Suite for inviting me to cover the 2019 Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica. I never, ever could have dreamed I’d be in Hollywood during Awards Season. This was such a gift and I hope something I can experience again in this lifetime! I’m grateful too to Telefilm Canada, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Consulate General of Canada who on multiple occasions sent me to Beverly Hills to cover the Canada’s Stars of the Awards Season Gala!
To be able to walk the carpet at a Premiere with my beloved Billy before he had passed is something I look back and smile about to this day. I was so proud of my little guy, people wanting to take pictures with him in his Hawaiian shirt, and us posing together with star Adam Pally as legendary George Pimentel photographed. It was a dream come true being able to sit beside Billy at TIFF Bell Lightbox, him tucked comfortably into his reserved seating as the Movie played. I had worked so hard all these years to get where I had gotten and to be able to have Billy there with me to enjoy that meant so much to me. Thank you, Elevation Pictures for this.
Many of you know about my deep passion for horses and I am so touched to have not one, but two namesake racehorses in A Pic by Mrwill and Mr Will. I’m beyond thrilled at what Mr Will might become with him due to start racing in 2020. A Pic by Mrwill (Princess) gave me so many thrills as a fan favourite always fighting hard on the track to bring home a paycheque in her three-year-old season in 2017. I’ll never forget the day she made it to the Winner’s Circle at Woodbine Racetrack and being moved to tears after it all sunk-in at home. She gave it her all and while that would be her last race, that is something I will take with me forever. Thank you, John Ross and Cathy Wong for a lifetime of memories. Thank you, Emily Fisher for giving her an amazing home now that her racing career is over and still welcoming me to come see her. And thank you Michelle Love for all the effort you put into Mr Will, keeping him sound in his exciting journey of development. Thanks Emily Shields for this post-victory snap.
Lady Gaga without a question is one of the biggest stars to come out of the 2010s. I started the decade being obsessed and I still feel the same as the decade comes to a close. Her outstanding catalog of hits is her gift to us, her performance in A Star is Born has left me shaken to this day. This definitely was the Movie that hit me hardest this past decade. I will admit it took me over a dozen frustrating tries to land the Selfie with her, but that day in November when she came to promote Artpop, it finally happened. A true pinch-me moment. I was able to get another with her sans sunglasses when she was at TIFF for A Star is Born, but the first sip is always the sweetest.
Rihanna is indisputably a megastar. I remember this day where she said “no” to the Selfie, giving me a bit of heartbreak. But then she turned right back around, came over and pressed her face against mine and *snap* went my clunky Canon Point-and-Shoot. Those tears of joy are real in my eyes. It was surreal seeing her and her entourage before a show at then-Molson Amphitheatre wandering-up Peter Street, fighting to keep her skirt down in the wind with several heads turning. Rihanna is a “rihl” presence.
If you asked me ten years ago if I’d wind-up being as big an Ariana Grande fan as I am now, my eyes would’ve shifted “side to side”. But she won me over. Yeah she did. She went from a modest TV star to a global Pop sensation. What a time to be living in the era of Ariana and her endless parade of hits! While I met her just before her Music career took-off in 2013, I did finally see her live on her Sweetener Tour in 2019 and it was outstanding! I’ll never forget her lecturing me for taking a picture of her while she was posing for a photo with another fan. Apparently it was distracting her. A young woman in-charge of her image!
People always ask who the nicest celebrities are whom I’ve ever met and you’d honestly be surprised that often it’s the biggest A-Listers who never disappoint. Angelina still mesmerizes me and she is everything I’d ever hoped for, stopping for what seemed like every fan at the TIFF Premiere of The Breadwinner, which she produced. It is disheartening seeing some celebrities whom are still carving their mark exhibiting “Diva behaviour” and believe me, I’ve seen it. Listen, if Angelina and George can do it, so can you!
While she certainly has taken her time with new Music the latter part of this decade, few have risen as high as Adele. Her 21 and 25 Discs went right after my heart and still provide my soul some comfort to this day. She was the nicest, taking the time to chat with me, admitting she didn’t really have much fun at all in Toronto on a jam-packed whirlwind press visit for 21. She gave me a hug and told me to get home and that I was silly for wasting time waiting for her. I beg to differ. So worth it.
Nicole is one of my favourites of all-time. I remember having to be super-crafty about getting this pic, asking her friend (who took this pic) discreetly if it was okay as she exit a private dinner at TIFF for The Railway Man. Queen Nicole was more than kind about it, letting me give her my heartfelt spiel about what her performances in The Hours and Rabbit Hole meant to me. She seemed genuinely-affected, putting her hand over my shoulder and leaning-in for the snap. Shaken. She’s yet another master of her craft performing at a top level still this decade.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Renée‘s performance in Bridget Jones’s Diary is what sparked my inspiration in starting a Blog. She made it look so fun having something to chronicle her life and I took that, ran with it and made it my own. She was everything I imagined. So gracious, sweet and funny with her Southern accent. Renée defined much of the early 2000s for me and I’m delighted she’s still killing in a decade later!
Before A Star is Born came along and stole top spot, La La Land held the title for a good while this decade as my favourite Film. Emma Stone continues to throw us her best work yet and her performance here absolutely destroyed me. You can see I barely could keep my sh*t together in this pic. She was unreal. Earlier in the day amidst all the chaos I passed her a Plushie (it legit was the cutest, a stuffed puppy in a sweater that read “TIFF“) and when we finally met later in the day she told me she remembered me and told me she appreciated the sweet gesture. So thrilled she’d go on deservedly to win Best Actress at the Oscars a few months after. So excited for her portrayal of Cruella Deville.
The Canadian Chanteuse still is my Queen. Power Ballads might not have stood the test of time, but Céline has. Seeing her on her Courage Tour in Toronto was a dream come true. A master of her craft still performing at the highest level.
The Horse Racing community’s support both north and south of the border has meant so much to me. While I realize the Sport has faced more than its share of challenges this past year, my love always has been the athletes, their stories and their well-being. I don’t believe it took 37 years for it to happen, but we finally saw another American Triple Crown winner crowned in 2015 and it would be American Pharoah. So honoured I got to cover his Haskell Invitational score at Monmouth Park in New Jersey for Woodbine and see him finally in-person. A pure legend whom even the likes of Julia Roberts fan-girled over, insisting on a meet and greet with him. And even more amazing seeing his kids performing on the track now so brilliantly as we reach the end of the decade.
I will forever be my nephew Kenny‘s hero for taking him to eTalk to see and meet Katy Perry. The Pop Queen’s career was just beginning to launch into stratospheric heights with the impending release of now-classic Teenage Dream. I’ll never forget being among the first audience to hear her perform the eventual smash hit. While my first photo didn’t turn-out, I caught-up with her later and she remembered me right away, setting a time to meet her to re-take the photo after dinner and she delivered like Uber Eats before that was even a thing!
He is the King of Toronto and rightfully so. Drake has placed our City on the map internationally whether it be his Music or his ardent support of our Raptors, and we are indebted. I remember back in the day you could catch him wandering the streets of Yorkville with his crew. Those were the days! OMG. Good God, I sound so old.
So Tom Cruise just came to our Advance Screening of The Edge of Tomorrow and surprised us all. No big deal. Have always been a supporter of this ageless superstar and can’t wait for him to light-up our 2020 with Top Gun: Maverick! Thanks, Warner Bros. Canada for an unforgettable night!
Bruno Mars this past decade, has stamped himself an icon in-the-making. Seeing him perform at now-defunct Kool Haus before an intimate audience was a thrill. Such showmanship! He’ll definitely be around for some time.
Thanks for the tickets to Daddy’s Home @mrwillw! Here’s something for you 😄 pic.twitter.com/J6yJwgwpRn
— Tina (@tchan90) December 15, 2015
I’ll never forget Will Ferrell taking the stage at his Premiere for Daddy’s Home asking where I was in the audience! Well I was waiting for him on the Red Carpet as he was a bit behind schedule for his interviews, but he came right over to me after his intro, seemingly-thrilled to meet me finally. What exactly was happening?? And was it really happening??? Something similar happened with Simon Pegg too at a screening of Mission Impossible: Fallout. Thanks, Paramount Pictures Canada for this.
I could go on forever, but these are some of my favourite memories. I could literally write an Anthology! So many more stories to tell.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
If there was ever a year that contained highs and lows for me, 2019 was that year. My heart was broken losing my best friend and companion Billy in March. Since then there have been good days and bad days. I try to keep myself occupied always as it keeps my mind off things and I’ve decided this was the way I would cope. The Holidays this year will be extra tough and while I appreciate people quick to comment, “Just get another dog, you have so much love to give”, it really isn’t that easy. I am touched by the donations on Billy‘s behalf, the flowers we received, the thoughtful tokens and sentiments. Those helped.
I am in a different place than I was 16 years ago when I first got Billy. Life is much more hectic for me now and I didn’t have to be there as much for my parents as I do now. So to those who are concerned, the day will come when I will open my heart again to the possibility of pet parenting, but it isn’t just yet.
On that note, I also feel that we really don’t do enough to support people mourning pet loss. At work, employees get Bereavement Leave when they lose an immediate human family member and can get accommodations for mental wellness if deemed supported by the employer. But when it comes to a pet whom we love just as deeply and experience just as much pain when they’re gone, there are no formal regulated measures in place. In fact, with that being said, it is easy to feel embarrassed and ashamed for grieving a pet because it is so institutionalized that losing human lives is so much more important than losing an animal life. Pets are dependents and provide affection, support and routine in one’s life. When a pet ails, the heart aches just as much as it does as when a family member or a friend is ill. And when a pet goes, the disruption in one’s flow is dramatic. Just think about that for a sec.
The year while marred by some sadness, contained several happy moments that I will never forget. In addition to celebrating our tenth anniversary as a Blog, we met more heroes than we could’ve dreamed, saw great Films, enjoyed some great Music. These are things that no amount of unhappiness could erase. Thank you to our Readers and Team Mr. Will – Dave, Jonathan, Justin, George, Amanda and Siobhán for all your continued loyalty and all you give so generously.
I always look forward to sharing with you my favourites of the year, and here are my Best-Of 2019.
Marriage Story
Knives Out
Uncut Gems
Hustlers
Rocketman
Joker
Bombshell
Jojo Rabbit
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Little Women
Juice – Lizzo
Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift
Old Town Road (Diplo Remix) – Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
Lover – Taylor Swift
Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi
Good as Hell – Lizzo
Sweet But Psycho – Ava Max
Hey Look Ma, I Made It – Panic! at the Disco
Dancing with a Stranger – Sam Smith ft. Normani
7 Rings – Ariana Grande
TORONTO RAPTORS
I’ll admit it, I know little about Basketball but for that one moment in time that night in June, every Torontonian was a die-hard fan! 2019 was Toronto’s year and no one can ever take that away from us. The City has never been more united and I’m so happy despite it being gruelingly-hot, I was able to skip away from work thanks to my boss, and take-in the 2019 Toronto Raptors Championship Parade. You never forget a moment like that. Eight hours under the scorching sun on University Avenue. Screaming children who didn’t want to be there. People budding ahead of you. But the moment the Raptors came through, none of that mattered.
One unassuming night waiting on a friend arriving on an L.A. flight, I’d cross paths with basically all them Raptors. All of them came passing through the terminal returning back from their exhibition games in Tokyo. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was like being in one of those rooms with the dollar bills spiraling in the wind around you on a game show. Slam Dunk!🏀
CÉLINE DION
Céline not only is a national treasure, she is an Artist I’ve loved for many, many years. While power ballads haven’t always remained in-vogue, her Music has stood the test of time. My Heart Will Go On helped me cope with losing Billy and I like to think of meeting Céline as Billy‘s gift to me from beyond. Seeing her on her Courage World Tour finally for the first time, my heart wept. Only she can make me laugh hysterically and bring a tear to my eye in the span of four minutes. Such a blessing getting to meet my Heroine (the only one I didn’t have a photo-with yet other than Mariah!), even if I waited till 2 AM for it to happen on a frigid night in Toronto! I felt like death shortly after, but I’m alive! See what I did there?
RENÉE ZELLWEGER
Bridget Jones’s Diary is the reason I got inspired to Blog. She defined an era in my life as did Renée Zellweger. Seeing her at TIFF ’19 for JUDY was a bright spot in my life and getting to chat with her gorgeousness is something I will never forget. At the risk of being one of those annoying people who see like one movie a year and cry “Oscar!”, I actually mean it and you better be ready for a complete domination this Awards Season. Internet trolls, let’s see who gets the last laugh now!
J-LO
Who wasn’t obsessed with Jennifer Lopez in the early 2000s? Everyone calls Auld Lang Syne their New Year’s song, but sorry! Waiting for Tonight is all about 12/31 to me and always will be! Lorene Scafaria‘s HUSTLERS is the bomb and anyone who thinks otherwise sucks. It is about women taking back what’s theirs, owning-up to their mistakes and surviving to tell us about the juicy details. If that’s not empowerment, please step aside, I don’t need your negative energy! J-Lo and Constance Wu killed it.
Will never forget meeting J-Lo after hearing her and her Castmates speak at a Panel about the female voice, in support of the Film. Buy and download HUSTLERS now.
CONSTANCE WU
It’s okay sister, I got you! I’m not going to go on about how much Constance owned my 2018 with CRAZY RICH ASIANS because that’s so 2018, but meeting her and J-Lo after blessing us with that beautiful performance in HUSTLERS? I was a dummy for not stocking-up on Lotto 6/49 tickets that night!
LIZZO
This time last year I would’ve been, “Who-zzo?!?”. LIZZO slayed my 2019 with her excellence and one-by-one I saw the world become believers. I discovered her Music seeing her performance at Coachella on YouTube and became obsessed. I paid top-dollar for a ticket to her Danforth Music Hall Show which was long sold-out, grabbed that Meet & Greet lanyard and have never booked back. That was money well-spent seeing her twerk all up my face front row 🍑 and collectively with the sold-out crowd, be moved to tears by her inspiring words. I still don’t know how Truth Hurts became a #1 hit before Juice, but okay! CUZ I LUV YOU is essential listening. You. will. not. regret. buying. this. Album.
TOM HANKS
Never mind that I look like I’m losing control of my bladder in this pic and mysterious age lines that came from nowhere. This man of grace and legendary stature was kind enough to acknowledge me and that is enough. “I’m not going to pose for your Selfie, but I will walk by verrryyyy slowly.”. These are words spoken by Tom to me which I will repeat over and over in my head like a mantra till I die.
STEVEN SPIELBERG
Oh how nice, you got a Selfie with Kendall Jenner. Who cares!? This is the Selfie any self-respecting human being wants. LEGEND. ICON. KING MASTERMIND. Yes, I know, blurry as sh*t. Not even Remini could save this, but I got it. That was a night in New York at the Saturday Night Live Afterparty I’ll never forget!
SCARLETT JOHANSSON
We’ve all criticized some of Scarlett‘s choice of roles. 2019 was the year I’ve decided that Scarlett should be absolved of all casting sins as she more than redeemed herself with a mesmerizing performance in Noah Baumbach‘s MARRIAGE STORY, my personal fave of 2019. I am still traumatized from that fight scene with Adam Driver. I don’t care what Critics say about that part ruining the Movie – it was perfect, it was passion, it was ACTING! And if it weren’t for damn Renée and her brilliance, it would be the Year of Scarlett. She also is a delight in JOJO RABBIT. See both. Scarlett is notoriously-tough on Selfies, but she was amazing to give me a smile and a wave at the New York Film Festival Premiere of MARRIAGE STORY. Close enough!
MERYL STREEP
Okay, this really is pushing it as it doesn’t really count as a Selfie so much as it is her looking the same direction as me, but I’ll take it. but being in Meryl Streep‘s presence at her Premiere for THE LAUNDROMAT was an uplifting experience. We’ve waited so long for her to come to TIFF after having cancelled her last appearance in 2013 for AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY and it finally happened. What a goddess!
DANNY DEVITO
So humbled we got a bit of face time with screen veteran Danny Devito back in March in support of Disney’s DUMBO. I’ve never had a more giving, gracious interviewee. He was personable, gave us rich and thoughtful responses. So happy our Dave Baldwin and I could share that together!
RON HOWARD
Totally dating myself, but I spent a lot of my school breaks being entertained on TV by Ron Howard, whether it be The Andy Griffith Show or Happy Days reruns. Okay, sure he’s directed Masterpieces like A BEAUTIFUL MIND, CINDERELLA MAN, SPLASH, APOLLO 13 and FROST/NIXON but in my heart he’ll always be Richie Cunningham and Opie!
RAMI MALEK
Okay, enough time has passed where I can admit that I just didn’t love BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. For one, it irks me how key things in Freddie Mercury‘s life like his sexuality were muted, when that was actually a big part of his life and persona. That being said, none can be detracted from Rami‘s flawless Oscar-winning performance. This Snap was taken at Chateau Marmont just one night before he took the gold. Don’t let others fool you, it gets cold in L.A. at night!
KRISTEN STEWART
OMG. I almost died when she said “yes” to the Selfie. I have been obsessed with K-Stew forever. Let me make it clear, I never fully got TWILIGHT, but it is her body of work including PERSONAL SHOPPER, CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA, PANIC ROOM, ON THE ROAD, THE RUNAWAYS and even more recently CHARLIE’S ANGELS, that I love. I’m sure many have wanted her to disappear but she’s not going nowhere, babe! She just keeps churning-out some outstanding work.
GLENN CLOSE
I could’ve swore it was Glenn‘s year at the Oscars. So lovely meeting this brilliant Thespian receiving her final award of last Awards Season for THE WIFE and the Independent Spirit Awards. Her adorable Havanese baby Pip was with her to receive the honour!
PAUL RUDD
I have loved Paul Rudd for years now and knowing he never comes to Toronto, New York Comic Con was that rare chance finally to see him! Love that he’s looking like himself and he’s every bit as friendly as you’d think! But then again, this was a paid Photo Op…
VICTORIA BECKHAM
I am one of those people who freaks out every time there is a Spice Girls reunion rumour circulating on Twitter and then go frowny-faced when I realize it’s only “the four of them”. Victoria was in Toronto doing good for Camp Oochigeas and giving her beauty line a plug. It was beyond cold, but so goddamn worth it. Is that a smile I see? 😊 That’s the magic of Mr. Will!
EDDIE MURPHY
Umm. So I won’t repeat what Victoria thinks about Eddie Murphy (Google it), but this does not erase how I feel about him as an Entertainer. Thrilled to see Eddie make his resurgence with DOLEMITE IS MY NAME and a triumphant return to the stage on Saturday Night Live this Holiday season. He delivered me many age-inappropriate thrills in my younger days with BEVERLY HILLS COP, COMING TO AMERICA and BOOMERANG. But it was DREAMGIRLS that made me truly appreciate his artistry.
TIFFANY x DEBBIE GIBSON
Seriously, ten-year-old me is still freaking-out. Former Teen Pop Idol rivals Tiffany and Debbie Gibson rocked my world as a kid. To see them join forces in this Photo Op as part of NKOTB‘s Mixtape Tour, was epic! Who’d ever have known just a few months later I’d get invited to introduced Tiffany on-stage at her show at Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts? I’m so busy running through life sometimes that I forget to appreciate things like this.
BOWEN YANG
This Funnyman came out of nowhere to steal the show. Bowen is the best thing to happen to Saturday Night Live in quite some time! Better yet, he has the distinction of being the first American-Asian Cast member in the star-making Program! Cheers to diversity!
BRENDON URIE
Our airwaves continue to be dominated by PANIC! AT THE DISCO and we are so stoked we got this Snap with the Band’s Frontman Brendon Urie in New York this October! It was a complete surprise! It wasn’t easy but he posed and made sure I got it. If you haven’t heard their contribution to the FROZEN 2 Soundtrack, INTO THE UNKNOWN, you must. Mind-blowingly-powerful vocals from Urie!
KRISTEN BELL
And while we’re on the topic of FROZEN 2, we were so delighted Toronto got its own Fan Event for the Film in November! We deserved it! On Cloud Nine we got to chat with star Kristen Bell, nabbing a signature Team Mr. Will Selfie with Anna herself!
JA RULE
It’s okay, Ja! We know Fyre Festival wasn’t your fault. You’re forgiven. The things we’ve all done for a bit of cash 🙄… doo-doo-doo… Don’t look at me like you’ve never “taken one for the team”! That’s right, move along now!
STING
So yeah, it’s super-awkward when you’re at the office pouring some water into your bottle and someone’s like “Oh! I saw on BlogTO you met Sting!“. Well, thank you Toronto for thinking my Selfies are culturally-relevant. You’re welcome!
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
2019 was low-key The Boss‘ year. He had his Western Stars album and Documentary arrive and also BLINDED BY THE LIGHT was a love letter to his amazingness. Although I loved him as a kid, this was a year I was reminded once again to appreciate his amazing catalog of Music. Born to Run, Born in the USA, Dancing in the Dark, Lonely Hearts, Glory Days. Timeless. Seeing him at TIFF ’19 was great and he was so amazing going down the line, leaning-in for pictures and waves. So happy I had the video rolling and caught this!
Mr. Will x Billy Forever
It has been to coldest, most unforgiving Toronto, winter so forgive us that we would rather be home than out! Productions continue to move along at a steady pace with a pair Netflix productions highlighting the pack.
Spinning Out and Comedy Let it Snow fully utilizing our wintry weather. Spinning Out is a Series starring Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner), a seen-above Willow Shields (The Hunger Games) and January Jones (Mad Men), about an injured figure skater with a secret on the comeback trail as a pairs skater. The Series wraps early May.
Let it Snow stars Shameik Moore (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet), Odeya Rush (Lady Bird) and Isabela Moner (Instant Family), and is about a group of people who are brought together by a snow storm. It wraps end of March and will stream on Netflix.
Academy Award-winning Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro must be lauded for what he has done for Toronto, creating many jobs and opportunities for our City with his unparalleled vision, which continues to touch the World. Known for his Films Hellboy, Pan’s Labrynth, Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, Blade II and of course, Best Picture-winning The Shape of Water. Who knows what genius he is brewing-up again in the City, but we cannot wait! And it for sure will be huge.
Viggo Mortensen certainly is a busy man, juggling Awards Season and his directorial debut which happens to be set to film in Toronto. He was spotted at Pearson International arrivals, not himself arriving, but picking-up. I think he realized I was sneaking a pic of him chatting on his – get this – red flip phone, and he walked right up to me to psych me out and then walked onward! I was morten-fied! The Green Book Oscar Nominee who is in Toronto working on Falling was picking-up his friend and Co-Star, veteran Actor Lance Henriksen (Aliens), which is about a conservative father who moves in with his gay son’s family is Los Angeles. The two met with a big, joyful hug after Viggo paced around for about two hours waiting for his buddy.
We are thrilled to be Los Angeles-bound this weekend for some Awards Season fun and wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Viggo or maybe even Shameik (Spider-verse is up for Best Animated Feature)!
Wish us luck!
Don’t forget to tune into Hollywoood Suite, the exclusive broadcaster of this weekends Independent Spirit Awards, 2 PM ET/5 PM ET! Follow them on Twitter @HollywoodSuite for coverage and also follow us too as we’ll be on the Carpet: @mrwillw.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
English Thespian Mark Strong was a late addition to drama Miss Sloane, but a welcome one indeed! We last caught up with the star in 2011 when he visited for the Green Lantern Press Tour. He just last year was voted one of GQ‘s Best Dressed Men of 2015, crediting the late David Bowie as his own style icon. We were thrilled to see him just as gracious as we remember him!
Miss Sloane began filming in Toronto last month and continues to do so through April. Starring Jessica Chastain, the John Madden (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Shakespeare in Love) Film centers on an ambitious lobbyist up against a powerful gun lobby in an attempt to pass gun control legislation. Alison Pill, Michael Stuhlbarg, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jake Lacy (!!) also star.
A busy man indeed, Strong was just in Los Angeles promoting new Comedy The Brothers Grimsby in which he stars alongside Sacha Baron Cohen and immediately returned to work this week. The crew and cast have been busy working late into the night in Financial District filming interior and exterior scenes.
Strong’s résumé continues to wow with roles in important recent releases like Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Imitation Game and Zero Dark Thirty, the latter reuniting him with Chastain. The two appear to be colleagues at the same firm here as per what we saw. But we’ll know perhaps Awards Season?
See our Snap:
See a quick clip of Chastain sporting a new bob at work:
The best. #JessicaChastain #IndependentSpiritAwards #Oscars #AcademyAwards
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong ⛄ (@mrwillwong) on
A video posted by Mr. Will Wong ⛄ (@mrwillwong) on
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is thrilled to reveal award-winning Interdisciplinary Visual and Media Artist Paul Wong as the recipient of this year’s 2024 Fire Horse Award. The award honours an Asian Canadian individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the film and media-arts community. In celebration of Asian Heritage Month, the third annual Awards Ceremony and Fundraiser for the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival will take place on May 23rd at the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto.
To purchase tickets, please visit: www.reelasian.com/fire-horse-event
The Fire Horse Award was introduced in 2021 to honour individuals who embody the spirit of originality, creative thinking, and visionary leadership. The award, named after festival founder Anita Lee, holds significant importance within the Asian Canadian film and media arts community and serves as a tribute to those who have made extraordinary contributions and left a lasting legacy.
This year’s Fire Horse Award Ceremony will be hosted by Canadian media darling, author, and Etalk senior correspondent, Lainey Lui, adding her signature flair and energy to the occasion.
The nomination for the 2024 Fire Horse Award comes from esteemed figures in the arts community, including Lisa Steele and Kim Tomzak, the recently retired founders of Vtape, and the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson.
“The jury is honoured to present the third annual Fire Horse Award to Vancouver artist Paul Wong, a bold pioneer in Canadian visual and media art. For fifty years and counting, Paul has been the creator of ground-breaking, large-scale public art installations that challenge stereotypes and our notions of belonging,” said the 2024 Fire Horse Award Jury Filmmaker/Academic Ali Kazimi, Filmmaker/Inaugural Fire Horse Award recipient Keith Lock and Journalist/Podcaster Hannah Sung. “Throughout his long career, he has modelled a commitment to building community and advocacy which has been influential on newer generations of media artists. We hope this award brings renewed attention to his entire body of work, especially to younger generations, given his career longevity and social impact. As a visual and media artist, storyteller, community-builder, advocate and curator, Paul fiercely embodies the qualities of the Fire Horse Award, as he dedicates his talent and energy to breaking down barriers, uplifting Asian Canadian communities and sparking cultural change.”
“In Paul Wong, the Fire Horse Award jury has chosen a one-of-a-kind artist whose work—which never shied away from exploring his queer, Asian and Canadian identities—has been recognized by his peers throughout his 50-year-plus career.” said Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival Executive Director Deanna Wong. “Considering also his tireless community work, activism and advocacy, Wong is truly the embodiment of this award and we can’t wait to present him with it this May.”
Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Paul Wong is a pioneering figure, known for his innovative work in visual and media art. With a career spanning over five decades, Wong has continuously pushed the boundaries of storytelling, working outside mainstream conventions. His illustrious career is marked by numerous accolades, including the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Art (2005) and the Audain Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Visual Arts (2016). In 2023, Wong received the Outstanding Artist Award from the Federation of Gay Games and was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Emily Carr University of Art and Design (ECUAD).
He recently completed a year-long residency titled 身在唐人街/OCCUPYING CHINATOWN. Inspired by hundreds of letters and familial artifacts of his late mother Suk Fong Wong. Wong created intimate exhibitions, public art pieces, artist talks, events, workshops, and the website www.occupyingchinatown.com.
The Fire Horse Award recognizes one Asian Canadian member of the film and media-arts community. This member demonstrates qualities of the Chinese zodiac symbol in their work: Fire Horses are changemakers, creative thinkers, and visionary leaders who significantly impact the larger community. The award was created on the occasion of Reel Asian’s 25th Anniversary in 2021 to honour Reel Asian founder Anita Lee, whose groundbreaking work and determination has made Reel Asian a staple in Canada’s festival landscape. Lee served at the National Film Board of Canada for 18 years, for the last 14 as Executive Producer, Ontario Centre, and was appointed as Toronto International Film Festival’s Chief Programming Officer in April 2022, a new position where she continues to carry on the spirit of the Fire Horse.
This year’s recipient will be awarded $25,000 in cash, of which Golden Globe Award Winning Canadian film and television star Sandra Oh has committed $50,000 over five years. This contribution matches a generous lead donation from donor Ha-kyung Helen Song. More recently, Pan Asia Food Co., Ltd. has also pledged $25,000 over the next five years to the award. The company has been serving the Korean community in Canada for over 50 years. Ongoing contributions from the Reel Asian community will ensure the sustainability of the award for years to come.
The recipient will also receive the Fire Horse Award sculpture designed by Toronto- based artist and curator Myung-Sun Kim. The award design, a floating, malleable form, evokes the relationship between body and memory, our familial and cultural inheritances across the diaspora.
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is pleased to announce that its event sponsor for this year’s 2024 Fire Horse Award is Shaftesbury, an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television, film and digital.
“I’m thrilled to join Reel Asian in wholeheartedly supporting the Fire Horse Award,” said Sandra Oh. “By honouring trailblazers of the Asian Canadian media arts community, we are recognizing ourselves. It deeply matters who makes our images, and to these pioneers we owe a debt—and our promise to keep striving to tell our stories to the world. Let’s pause to celebrate those who blazed those trails—it’s beautiful and necessary.”
About Reel Asian
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian) is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora. As Canada’s largest pan- Asian film festival, Reel Asian® provides a public forum for Asian media artists and their work and fuels the growing appreciation for Asian cinema in Canada. Reel Asian will be showcasing special projects featuring prominent artists, content creators, up-and-coming filmmakers and will also include the “Reel Ideas” program for creative minds in the industry to connect online. Works presented at Reel Asian include films, videos, and other media artworks by Asian artists in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world.
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com