The 2022 JUNO Opening Night Awards were held tonight at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, in advance of tomorrow night’s Broadcast Gala at Budweiser Stage!

Taking home top honours was Montreal’s CHARLOTTE CARDIN, taking three awards: Single of the Year Presented by Live Nation Canada, Artist of the Year Presented by SiriusXM Canada and Pop Album of the Year for PHOENIX. Scarborough’s THE WEEKND followed Cardin with two awards for Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year and Songwriter of the Year Presented by SOCAN. 

The Opening Night Awards marked the first time 24 Artists won JUNOs, including the likes of Allison Russell (Contemporary Roots Album of the Year), Andrea Jin 金玉琪 (Comedy Album of the Year Presented by SiriusXM Canada), Charmaine (Rap Single of the Year Presented by ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective), youngest ever JUNO winner Kairo McLean at age 13 (Reggae Recording of the Year), MONOWHALES (Breakthrough Group of the Year Presented by FACTOR, The Government of Canada and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters), Mustafa (Alternative Album of the Year Presented by CBC Music) and more. Global Pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo also won International Album of the Year for her debut LP SOUR.

Major honourees tonight also included Denise Jones, posthumously awarded the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award. Accepting the award on behalf of Denise were her two sons Jesse and Jerimi. Three-time JUNO Award winner, Susan Aglukark, was recognized with the 2022 Humanitarian Award Presented by Music Canada. Aglukark was honoured for her commitment to improving the lives of children and youth in Northern Indigenous communities. Dallas Green was named the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award Presented by Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation with the award for his dedicated support of MusiCounts and music education.

Complete list of winners here.

The Broadcast Gala, hosted by Simu Liu, airs 8 PM ET on CBC.

(Photo credit: CARAS)

The JUNOS celebrations continue in Toronto, honouring the best in Canadian Music! The Cadillac Fairview JUNO FAN FARE took place this afternoon at Eaton Centre as some of the biggest names to emerge in music from Canada graced the stage at the Meet & Greet, giving fans an opportunity to meet some of their new faves! A welcome return to in-person events, encouraging safety protocols to be observed despite social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines loosening-up recently in Toronto. Delighted fans even walked away with Cadillac Fairview Gift Cards!

Appearing at the event were Toronto’s own JP Saxe, who has built a massive following worldwide, and his smash hit “If the World Was Ending” with Julia Michaels, has dominated airwaves globally. Vancouver Island’s Lauren Spencer-Smith, who is known for advancing to the Top 20 of American Idol, but also her 2019 effort UNPLUGGED, VOL. 1 EP also garnered her a JUNO nomination. Among the others to appear were Regina’s Tesher known for his viral hit on TikTok, “Jalebi Baby”; double nominee Savanna Ré from Toronto; JUNO-winning Rap Artist TOBi from Toronto; Ottawa’s Elijah Woods who was nominated in 2020 for hit “Ain’t Easy“; and of course, Toronto Band Valley, who also are JUNO-nominated.

While we didn’t get a chance to see them in-person based on scheduling during Saxe‘s slot, Manitoba’s Faouzia and London’s Emanuel also were at the event too – a shame as we wish we didn’t have to choose!

Saxe performed a two-song set for the audience and will be back in Toronto this July for a two-night stint at The Danforth Music Hall as part of his Feelings are Stupid Tour. He also is building his following internationally collaborating with American-Chinese Megastar Eric Chou on “A Little Bit Yours“.

Some Snaps from the event:

… and of course, we’re just like you. We’re a fan too! Do you think we’d miss our chance to meet these stars?

The JUNO Awards take place tomorrow night at Budweiser Stage, and air on CBC at 8 PM ET!

(Photo/video credit: CBC)

Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS reigns a second straight week, taking $75 million from 4,534 theatres for Disney, bringing its total to $230.4 million in North America.

THE BAD GUYS lands in second with $7.4 million for Universal Pictures, taking its tally to $66.7 million.

Debuting in third goes to the remake of Stephen King‘s FIRESTARTER, with $5.3 million from 3,412 theatres for Universal Pictures. The Horror partly-filmed in Toronto starring Zac Efron, also arrives on streaming service Peacock. It gets 13% on the Tomatometer.

Fourth is SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 with $4.9 million, for a total $176 million in its domestic run for Paramount Pictures.

At the bottom of the Top Five is EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE with $3.3 million, a total $47 million grossed thus far for A24/Elevation Pictures.

The 2022 Cannes Film Festival kicks-off Tuesday, May 18, 2022 and runs till Saturday, May 28, 2022. This will be our first official year at the Festival as our Amanda Gilmore will be on the French Riviera covering the Festival!

Returning to its traditional May slot, the Festival serves as a major precursor to what we might see Awards Season later this year. But timed perfectly, some huge Blockbusters like TOP GUN: MAVERICK and Baz Luhrmann‘s ELVIS will be getting their chance to premiere before the world. Many eyes will be on Openight Night film Michel Hazanavicius’ FINAL CUT, David Cronenberg’s Athens-filmed CRIMES OF THE FUTURE and Closing Night selection SHOWING UP from Director Kelly Reichardt.

Amanda previews for us her six-most eagerly-anticipated titles of the Festival.

CRIMES OF THE FUTURE

Canada’s David Cronenberg is finally back at Cannes and is bringing Kristen Stewart, Lea Seydoux and Viggo Mortensen with him. Crimes of the Future takes place in the not-so-distant future where the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations. In a recent interview, Cronenberg said he’s expecting walkouts at the Festival screenings. This only makes us want to see it more! It will compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or.

DECISION TO LEAVE

After spending some time making television, Director Park Chan-wook has returned to Film with Decision to Leave. It’s a mystery thriller that follows a detective who falls for a widow after she becomes the prime suspect in his latest murder investigation. We are fans of Chan-wook’s prior films such as Oldboy and Stoker. We can’t wait to see what he’s got up his sleeve for Decision to Leave. It will compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or.

ELVIS

We have been waiting for this biopic of Elvis Presley for some time now after production was halted at the beginning of the pandemic. Finally, it will be having its world premiere at the Festival and we couldn’t be happier. Baz Luhrmann is bringing his dazzling direction to the Rock Legend’s life and he’s assembled quite the cast. We can’t wait to see Austin Butler become the man himself and Tom Hanks’ portrayal of his manager Colonel Tom Parker.

THE SILENT TWINS

This Film tells the true, eerie story of twin sisters who were entirely silent, communicating only with each other as children. As teenagers, they became obsessed with writing fiction, then with teenage boys, and finally, with crime. It’s Written and Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska and stars Letitia Wright as both sisters. It will screen in-competition for the Un Certain Regard Award.

THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING

Writer-Director George Miller is returning to Cannes for this Fantasy Romance starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. It follows a lonely scholar on a trip to Istanbul who discovers a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. What she wants is love, but can and should he grant it to her? We can’t wait to see what epic journey Miller brings us on this time.

WAR PONY

Actress Riley Keogh is making her Director Debut with War Pony. She Co-Directs with Gina Gammell and the Film is based on real events. It follows the interlocking stories of three Lakota men living on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The three tales explore the concept of belonging: a child belonging to a family, a man belonging to “America,” and an elder belonging to his Tribe. It will screen in-competition for the Un Certain Regard Award.

Stay tuned for our coverage and bookmark this link for updated Reviews and coverage!

Apple TV+ are making their foray into animated features. LUCK will arrive on the streaming service this coming August! Here is your look at the brand-new Teaser!

Synopsis:

“Luck” centres around the story of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world. When she discovers the never-before-seen Land of Luck, Sam must unite with the magical creatures there to turn her luck around. Eva Noblezada (“Hadestown,” “Miss Saigon,” “Yellow Rose”) will provide the voice for “Sam.” When she ages out of foster care, Sam discovers the Land of Luck and embarks on a quest that could change her luck forever. Simon Pegg (“Mission: Impossible,” “Ice Age,” “Star Trek Beyond”) will provide the voice for “Bob,” a lucky black cat from the Land of Luck, where “The Captain,” voiced by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner Whoopi Goldberg, stands guard as the Head of Security. Bob becomes Sam’s partner in the quest to find a lucky penny in hopes of preserving his lucky life. 

Also joining is Flula Borg (“Suicide Squad 2,” “Pitch Perfect,” “Trolls World Tour”), who will provide the voice for “Jeff the Unicorn,” a larger-than-life facilities engineer who maintains the magical machine that distributes good and bad luck to the human world and who dreams of one day being reunited with his one true love, The CEO of Good Luck, The Dragon, voiced by two-time Academy Award winner Jane Fonda. Lil Rel Howery (“Free Guy,” “Vacation Friends,” “Judas and the Black Messiah”) will provide the voice for “Marv,” the owner of the “Flowers & More” store where Sam gets her first job, who is upbeat, sharply-dressed, and always ready with an encouraging word for unlucky Sam. 

Additional cast members include Colin O’Donoghue (“Once Upon a Time,” “The Right Stuff,” “The Rite”) who will provide the voice for “Gerry,” a loyal leprechaun who adores his job working with Bob at “Arrivals and Departures” in the Land of Good Luck and is the first to volunteer for any task, bringing good cheer wherever he goes. John Ratzenberger (“Cheers,” “Empire Strikes Back,” “A Bridge Too Far”) will provide the voice for “Rootie,” a bad luck root and the self-appointed mayor of Bad Luck, who runs “The Lucky Shot,” the one and only Bad Luck watering hole, where he specializes in free advice. Adelynn Spoon (“Watchmen,” “Tell Me Your Secrets,” “Sweet Magnolias”) will provide the voice for “Hazel,” Sam’s roommate and best friend at the Summerland Home for Girls, who is five years old and believes that she’ll be adopted by her forever family just as soon as she finds a real lucky penny, which Sam is determined to find her.

Check-out this adorable Care Package for LUCK which we received!

LUCK arrives on Apple TV+ August 5, 2022.

(Photo credit: Apple TV+)

By David Baldwin

Cora Seaborne (Emmy-winner Claire Danes) is a widower in London circa 1893 who has never been able to make her own decisions, never mind pursue any of her own interests. When she hears of a possible mythical serpent terrorizing a small town in Essex, she moves into a cottage nearby and begins investigating. The more she learns however, the more things become stranger.

THE ESSEX SERPENT, based on the novel by Sarah Perry, is the type of series that opens rather mysteriously, before instantly becoming a grim slowburn that fills every frame it can with intense fog and pale, washed out colour schemes. Cora’s bright red hair and elegant fashion pieces – at least in comparison to the impoverished locals she tries to befriend – are some of the only real colours that pop throughout the first two episodes I viewed of the six-episode mini-series. That is of course, if you do not count the blood from the gruesomely evasive surgery scenes. Those scenes are excruciating in their attention to detail, as is the sumptuous period production design, lighting and costuming. The level of authenticity and tangibility is staggering, blowing away any form of competition in one fell swoop.

Where I worry with this series is with its multiple storylines. The aforementioned graphic surgery scenes have not been very relevant to the larger story just yet, nor has a storyline built around the Socialist beliefs of Cora’s servant Martha (Haley Squires). Both elements just kind of get in the way of Cora’s investigation and her grappling with the abuse she endured at the hands of her late husband. Her burgeoning friendship with the local Vicar Will Ransome (Tom Hiddleston, decidedly less comical than he was in last summer’s Loki series) is another one of the mysterious elements I wish the Series focused and explored more. My curiosity is genuinely peaked by what is quite likely going to come to fruition. That said, with only four episodes to go, I am not extremely confident all of these storylines and the three others I did not mention will come together as cohesively as they should. I will continue watching, but will try my best not to raise my expectations too high.

What I will keep my expectations raised for is the acting, which has been quite enjoyable so far. Danes is just as terrific as always (though she is substantially more reserved here than she was on Homeland), as is Hiddleston, who slips into the skin of that vicar a bit too smoothly. Squires puts in solid work, with Frank Dillane and Jamael Westman stealing scenes as the mysterious surgeons just waiting to factor into the larger story. The Ensemble is great, and help keep THE ESSEX SERPENT moving – even at its most glacial moments. Here is hoping our patience will be rewarded.

The first two episodes of THE ESSEX SERPENT begin streaming on AppleTV+
on Friday, May 13, 2022, with fresh new episodes arriving every Friday.

Lana Condor is back in BOO, BITCH! Check-out some new Stills from the upcoming Netflix Feature.

Synopsis:

Over the course of one night, a high school senior, who’s lived her life safely under the radar, seizes the opportunity to change her narrative and start living an epic life, only to find out the next morning… she’s a motherf*%king ghost.

BOO, BITCH arrives July 8, 2022 on Netflix.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

RESIDENT EVIL, the first live-action series, will redefine the legendary horror franchise for Netflix on July 14, 2022 Your first look at the brand-new Teaser from the Series!

Synopsis:

Year 2036 – 14 years after a deadly virus caused a global apocalypse, Jade Wesker fights for survival in a world overrun by the blood-thirsty infected and insane creatures. In this absolute carnage, Jade is haunted by her past in New Raccoon City, by her father’s chilling connections to the Umbrella Corporation but mostly by what happened to her sister, Billie.

CAST: Lance Reddick (he/him); Ella Balinska (she/her); Tamara Smart (she/her); Siena Agudong (she/her); Adeline Rudolph (she/her); Paola Nuñez (she/her); Ahad Raza Mir (he/him); Connor Gossatti (he/him); Turlough Convery (he/him)

(Photo credit: Netflix)

After a successful run in London, BOB MARLEY ONE LOVE EXPERIENCE is making its way to Toronto in advance for the Toronto Caribbean Festival! Like other immersive experiences before it, the exhibit takes place at the Lighthouse Immersive Artspace at 1 Yonge Street, celebrating his positivity and impact on humanity.

About:
 
A unique multi-room exhibit that brings together original art, music, and immersive, experiential rooms, BOB MARLEY ONE LOVE EXPERIENCE showcases previously unseen Marley photographs and memorabilia while taking audiences on a journey through his lifestyle, passions, influences, and enduring legacy.  Moving through six distinct spaces in the exhibit, visitors will venture through the One Love Forest, visit the Soul Shakedown Studio, and delve into a multi-sensory celebration of one of the world’s most beloved and unifying musical and cultural figures in this unique exhibition. 
 
Tickets for the limited 6-week engagement go on sale Thursday, May 19, 2022 at 10:00am. The exhibit will open to the public on July 1^st, running through to August 14^th. More info here.

By far my favourite Movie of ’22 thus far. I saw CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH at Sundance where it won the Audience Award and haven’t forgotten about it one bit. Here’s the new Trailer!

Synopsis:

Fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old Andrew is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey. But if there’s one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it’s how to get a party started, which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. When Andrew befriends a local mom, Domino, and her daughter, Lola, he finally discovers a future he wants—even if it might not be his own. Cooper Raiff writes, directs, and stars alongside Dakota Johnson, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann, and newcomers Vanessa Burghardt and Evan Assante in this tale of unconventional love that brims with emotional honesty. 

“Cha Cha Real Smooth” premieres Friday, June 17, 2022 on Apple TV+.

(Photo/video credit: Apple TV+)