By Mr. Will Wong & George Kozera

Celebrating Sci-Fi, Horror, Anime, and Gaming, TORONTO COMICON returned once again this weekend March 18-21, 2022, after a short absence amidst the Pandemic. The event at Metro Toronto Convention Centre brought out fans with a chance to meet their favourite stars and Artists, and also a chance to connect with likeminded fans. Did you know collectively, all Fan Expo HQ events bring-in a combined 500,000 attendees annually?

More than ever this year, activations focused on family with a section devoted to kids’ activities, including a meet and greet with Disney Princesses, and a Super Mario photo op on the floor, which was a big hit!

A huge draw always is Celebrities and while the event saw some last minute cancellations from the likes of John Cusack and Jenna Coleman, some marquee names like Lou Ferrigno, Aaron Ashmore, Laure Vandervoort, Adam Baldwin, Brian Herring and the stars of the original Degrassi outfit, came out to speak at panels and meet their fanbase.

Our George Kozera had a chance to sit-in a few popular Panels at Toronto Comicon and he shares some highlights.

“YOU MADE ME QUEER”

YMMQ Podcast Host, Trevor Campbell, interviewed award winning Comic Book Artist and Writer Dan Parent on how the first gay character (Kevin Keller) in the ARCHIE Comics empire came to exist. Influenced by two diverse worlds…the characters in the teenaged comic world of Riverdale as well as Director John Waters’ “Pink Flamingoes”…Parent’s first pitch to introduce a gay character fell on deaf ears “as it would not go over well in Middle America”. With new management in charge of publishing the Archie comics, a years later subsequent approach was positively received, mostly due to “the success of that TV show, Will & Grace”. Rather than out Jughead, perceived as asexual, the new character was a media sensation and that issue sold out completely. The only other time an issue was sold out when the character of Kevin was predominant was a storyline set when Kevin and was 23 years old married to a man. It created a furor when the militant left wing Million Moms Movement deemed it immoral, causing Parent to say: “Want loads of publicity and make lots of money? Piss off a million moms!”.

Q&A WITH STAR OF “KILLJOYS” AND “LOCKE & KEY” AARON ASHMORE

While identical twin brother Shawn can be currently seen on TV’s “The Rookie”, Aaron Ashmore (best known for playing Jimmy Olson on “Smallville”) regaled the audience with entertaining stories from his many projects, from being stuck in a small confined space after “Warehouse 13” Co-star Eddie McClintock broke wind, to not really getting along with Saul Rubinek or his backstage stories on working in “Killjoys” and “Locke and Key”. When we asked if there was anything Shawn had done that he was jealous of and vice-versa, he said how incredibly proud he was of his brother after watching in “X Men” and “as for Shawn, you’d have to ask him” he replied with a great smile. My favourite of Aaron’s recollection was the time he was at the Montreal Comiccon: “I saw these millions of people in line near my booth and was surprised all these people were here to see me. Then I heard a voice behind me say “Hello, young man” and it was for Patrick Stewart! And I was oh man, and said “I’m not Shawn because I knew you worked together” and he said “I know”. He’s (meaning Stewart) such a nice man and very laid back.”.

“DEGRASSI JUNIOR HIGH” REUNION Q&A

The camaraderie between the three stars on stage was palpably positive and loving. Pat Mastroianni explained that the original audition took three weeks of daily workshops with all the hopeful cast members. “We started with 80 people and then next week it was down to 50. It was like the first reality show”. When we asked if they all had issues finding work after the show ended, only Mastroianni confirmed that he really wasn’t typecast as “Joey Jeremiah” and was able to pursue a career in the business. Because Degrassi was on air before Social Media, “we knew we were hits from the media reports in the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun but we never really knew the impact we were making”. It was also fun to hear that Mastroianni’s mother was supportive and encouraging of his, now famous, walking naked in the school!

Fan Expo and Comicon are always a chance to buy some cool merchandise from local fandom-minded vendors!

It’s always a thrill seeing some of the amazing Cosplay and this year was no exception. See some Snaps (always remember to ask for permission!):

Don’t forget, FAN EXPO Canada is back August 25-28, 2022 and it is looking pretty epic. More details on some of what’s been announced so far. Get your tickets now here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/George Kozera)

By Mr. Will Wong

Following the global phenomenon that was Netflix Docu-Series TIGER KING, comes Limited Series JOE VS. CAROLE, based on the second season of the Podcast OVER MY DEAD BODY by Robert Moor and Matthew Shaer. The adaptation gives us eight episodes of the purrrocious back-and-forth between Joe Exotic (John Cameron Mitchell) and Carole Baskin (Kate McKinnon) that we were so obsessed with in 2020.

The Series, directed by Justin Tipping (Kicks), recounts how the drama began between Exotic and Baskin. The former is introduced as larger-than-life and attention-hungry, willing to do just about anything to keep his G.W. Zoo afloat, including subbing a sick cat with a spray-painted sheep. The far more reserved Baskin however, is onto him and out to take him and other cat traders at large, down. Exotic however, won’t go down without a fight and the Series explores the tensions between both, leading to his plotting of her murder, landing him in jail eventually. Along the way, we explore their troubled pasts and relationships, including Exotic‘s troubled relationship with the lovers John Finlay (Sam Keeley) and Travis Maldonado (Natt Wolff). We also get a more intimate glimpse of Baskin‘s world including her relationship with her daughter Jamie (Marlo Kelly) and husband Howard (Kyle MacLachlan), and what ignited the fire in her to upset Exotic to murderous rage.

Part of the challenge of re-telling a story that was just recently in the collective conscience, is that we find ourselves looking for things we didn’t already know. To be honest, with this drama being so widely talked-about, the Series which we were so stoked about initially, actually feels a bit redundant. This is not to take away anything from the superb work from John Cameron Mitchell who is just mesmerizing as Exotic. A role like this is no easy task, being unhinged and unapologetic but still captivating enough to keep our interest. If anything, JOE VS. CAROLE does give us a more sympathetic view of Baskin. McKinnon grounds her with empathy and while I’m sure many of us knowing her comedic chops, were expecting this portrayal to be a bit ‘loopier’, based on how our perceptions of Baskin were shaped by the Netflix Docu-Series. I admit it, I was Team Tiger King. Baskin should rest well knowing that McKinnon allows her to have a final say. Dare I say, you wouldn’t think she could’ve been responsible for Don Lewis’ disappearance after watching this?

The Series premieres in Canada on Showcase March 23, 2022 at 9 PM ET and will be available to stream on STACKTV and the Global App.

Funnyman Ronny Chieng has become a staple of the Just for Laughs circuit and tonight he brought his HOPE YOU GET RICH Tour to Toronto at Massey Hall! Despite losing his luggage, he was able to pull together a sharp outfit from Uniqlo (he tells me) at Eaton Centre, just in time for tonight’s gig before a packed house.

Chieng got a huge boost starring in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021 as Jon Jon and it was just announced his new Comedy Special – only his second ever – SPEAK EASY will arrive April 5, 2022 on Netflix! The Special promises more of this The Daily Show Correspondent’s hot takes on things like the Pandemic, Cancel Culture and more! Chieng can be seen in upcoming Features M3GAN alongside Allison Williams and Joah Jordan‘s Helvellyn Edge.

Such a joy meeting him and Supporting Act, two-time Canadian Comedy Award winner, Toronto’s own Julie Kim who is touring with Chieng. Learn more about her here.

..,and how is this for a surprise? Meng’er Zhang, who played Xialng in Shang-Chi also came out to Toronto to show support!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

THE BATMAN takes the #1 spot again at the Box Office for Warner Bros. with $36.8 million from 4,302 theatres. This takes its three week tally to $300 million.

In second is Animate Feature JUJUTSU KAISEN 0: THE MOVIE with $19 million from 2,297 theatres for Funimation. The Film is playing at theatres in Canada and received 100% on the Tomatometer.

Third goes to UNCHARTED with $8;3 million from 3,700 theatres for Sony Pictures. To date it has grossed $126.2 million domestically.

DOG is in fourth with $4.3 million from 3,307 theatres for United Artists Releasing/Elevation Pictures. It has made $54.4 million in total.

X debuts in fifth with $4.1 million from 2,865 theatres for VVS Films/A24, the SXSW selection getting a stellar 96% on the Tomatometer.

By David Baldwin

When the title of your movie is BITCH ASS, it is safe to assume you will attract some attention. Add a splash of ’90s-inspired horror and the gritty, independent flavour of the ’70s Blaxploitation era, and you have all of the hallmarks of a future cult classic in the making.

The Film opens on legendary Horror icon Tony Todd (in deliciously over-the-top Cryptkeeper mode) popping in a VHS tape and introducing us to the titular character (played by Tunde Laleye). He is hideously-scarred, obsessed with board games and lives in his late grandmother’s house, rumoured to be filled with cash and all kinds of valuable items. When a group of teenagers break into the house as a form of gang initiation, the so-called “first Black serial killer to don a mask” springs into action and forces his prey to play a game…to the death!

Is it possible to like a concept and idea more than the execution? That is the question I found myself asking constantly during BITCH ASS. Writer/Director Bill Posley has constructed a very, very fun idea with the demented serial killer forcing his victims into high stake manifestations of classic board games you will immediately recognize. It may be easy to think of the Saw films after reading that, yet Posley’s elaborate games are not nearly as sadistic or mean-spirited (though he may have borrowed some of those films’ editing cues). Where he falters – beyond the budget-conscious, lo-fi look of the Picture – is in his storyline, which seems to never know when to end or where to stop giving out exposition. It is clear from the start who the players are and their relationships/connections to the other characters. You did not need multiple flashbacks to spell it out further. Worse, Posley’s game scenes are so slickly-produced that practically everything else around them suffer (including some horrific lighting effects that should not have been added in post).

While the acting is well-done all around and the gore and makeup effects are solid, I feel like BITCH ASS could have been tightened up. More to the point, it works better as a feature-length proof of concept versus anything else. The ideas and characters are all here, as is the humour and the blood. Posley just needs a healthier budget to bring it altogether.

BITCH ASS screens at SXSW‘ 22 as follows:

In-Person:
Monday, March 14 at 11:00PM EST – Alamo Lamar D
Wednesday, March 16 at 11:15PM EST – Alamo Lamar D
Saturday, March 19 at 4:15PM – Alamo Lamar B

Online:
Tuesday, March 15 at 10:00AM EST – Available for 48 Hours

By David Baldwin

It’s Mid-Term time and Ben Palmer (Connor Kalopsis) is desperate to get his grades. He needs to submit them to his choice colleges, and science teacher Mrs. Wheeler (Oscar-winner Rita Moreno) is holding him up. Seems like someone cheated in her class, and Wheeler is adamant to discover who – at the expense of giving every student an F as she waits. Freaking out, Ben confides in his slacker and coding genius friend Mei (Ramona Young from Never Have I Ever), but strongly discourages her from doing anything about it. Mei does not listen of course, and ends up constructing an elaborate online prank suggesting that Mrs. Wheeler is a serial killer. And it just went viral.

THE PRANK is an outrageously-silly film that would fit in well with the crop of ’90s Horror films that popped up in the wake of Scream. It does not take itself seriously, it dials-up the tension well past plausibility and it has a satirical edge that it consistently tries to inject into the proceedings. It has an amusing tongue-in-cheek style as it lampoons social media and those gullibly-pesky Boomers. If any of those words make no sense to you, than you are not well equipped for what THE PRANK is all too excited to throw at you. Or at least, what it is willing to throw at you during the first two acts. When the Third Act hits, it becomes genuinely chaotic, unruly, and completely unsure of itself. It comes to its logical conclusion, only to continue on a through line ripped from an entirely different movie that trades humour for becoming substantially more preposterous.

While the acting is hit and miss (minus a very campy Keith David, who seems to be acting on an entirely different plane of existence away from everyone else), what remains rock solid throughout is Moreno. From the very start, she is having an absolute blast diving into this mysterious, diabolical character. She chomps right through the scenery and feasts on anyone that gets in her way. She understands the assignment all too well, and relishes in playing such an awful individual. The sinister energy she brings to the picture is reason enough to watch THE PRANK. She just deserved a better outlet to showcase it in.

THE PRANK screens at SXSW ‘22 as follows:

In-Person:
Sunday, March 13 at 12:45PM EST – ZACH Theatre
Tuesday, March 15 at 9:30PM EST – Alamo Lamar B
Thursday, March 17 at 3:45PM EST – Alamo Lamar E

Online:
Monday, March 14 at 10:00AM EST – Available for 48 Hours

By David Baldwin

The first game I got for Playstation 2 was Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3. I played the hell out of that game and its predecessors, yet could barely keep my balance on a real skateboard (never mind try to pull off tricks!). In the years since, my skills have worn off, as has my knowledge of what a monumental talent Hawk was in the world of Skateboarding. TONY HAWK: UNTIL THE WHEELS OFF changed all of that and tells his story with insightful, candid detail and even more than that, celebrates how influential, stubborn and determined an athlete he is.

Documentarian Sam Jones and his team have assembled a treasure trove of vintage photos and footage of Hawk’s early days, right through his performance at the first X-Games and into the present day that he captures himself. All of it is incredible to watch, even if you are not that familiar with skateboarding. Jones also brings together Skateboarding royalty such as Stacy Peralta, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero and more to talk about the sport, their careers and their feelings on Hawk. Some of them have great things to say, while others are decidedly more bitter in their commentary. What they all have in common is their vulgarity and not pulling any punches. There is no sugar-coating here. Just raw, unfiltered thoughts.

What I think I appreciated even more about the doc – and what I wish it tapped more into – was the profound sadness, grief and worry many of these skaters have for Hawk’s well-being and their own. They are still skating well into their 50s and have no intention of slowing-down (hence the Film’s title), even with the knowledge and acceptance that they cannot keep doing it forever. The introspective discussion around the injuries they have sustained and not knowing what impact they will have on their lives in the decades to come is moving and so much less glossy than I ever would have expected from a film like this. The way they talk about inevitability is downright tragic, and I am still getting choked-up days later just thinking about it. It really shines a light on the price these athletes pay for the sport they love, and though the Film runs a pinch too long, I really think they miss an opportunity by not diving into it more. It is genuinely exhilarating to see Hawk land The 900 on camera, but watching him fail 10+ times before that is just plain exhausting.

TONY HAWK: UNTIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF screens at SXSW ’22 as follows:

In-Person:

Saturday, March 12 at 12:30PM EST – Paramount Theatre

Online:

Monday, March 14 at 10:00AM EST – Available for 48 Hours

Sienna Miller stars is upcoming six-part limited series ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL, coming soon to Netflix.

Synopsis:
A psychological thriller and gripping courtroom drama, the series infiltrates Britain’s elite through personal and political scandal, where the truth lies between justice and privilege. James and Sophie Whitehouse live in a blissful and rarified world. A Minister in Parliament, a loving family at home, James’ trajectory appears without limits. Until a scandalous secret suddenly comes to light. Barrister Kate Woodcroft has a trajectory of her own, and her prosecution threatens to tear into Westminster, the Whitehouse marriage, and her own personal esteem.

ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL arrives April 15, 2022 on Netflix.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

By Amanda Gilmore

More Than Robots is about adversity, sportsmanship, giving back, and ultimately finding who you are.

This inspiring Documentary from Actor-turned-Director Gillian Jacobs follows four teams of teenagers from around the world as they prepare for the 2020 FIRST® Robotics Competition. Jacobs narrows-in on the teams from Los Angeles, Mexico City and Chiba, Japan as they work on their unique designs with the goal of competing in the global championships.

Jacobs gets us access to this highly-competitive world of Robotics right before the pandemic hit. Therefore, showing them as they are meant to be: big sporting events. With the fans in the stands and mascots pumping them up, the atmosphere is infectious. Jacobs makes us want to be there right along with it, which makes the final minutes of the Doc all the more upsetting. The teams who made it to the Championship never got to go due to the pandemic.

Jacobs manages to use the pandemic to show us the resilience of these engineers. During this disconnected time, the teammates realize they’re stronger together. Instead of being upset about the cancelled competitions, they mobilize to make changes in their communities. That’s the heart of More Than Robots, the effect this club has on its members. They learn perseverance, patience and collaboration. In doing so, these members learn who they are and what they want to do in the world.

Jacobs’ brilliant turn as a Director with the inspiring More Than Robots will have you rushing to get to the next Robotics Competition in your area.

More Than Robots will release on Disney+ on Friday, March 18, 2022.

More Than Robots screens at SXSW ’22 as follows:

In-Person:
Monday, March 14 at 7:30 PM EST – SXSW Film Theatre

Tuesday, March 15 at 7:00 PM EST – Satellite Venue: AFS Cinema

Wednesday, March 16 at 8:15 PM EST – Alamo Lamar D

Online:
Tuesday, March 15 at 10:00 AM EST – Available for 48 hours

The Red Carpet was rolled out at Imagine Cinemas Carlton Cinemas in celebration of upcoming CBC Gem Series REAL BLACKITY TALK. The ground-breaking Docu-Series, hosted by sisters Aiza and Kamana  Ntibarikure. The Show explores the voices of Black Women and non-binary Black people. How amazing seeing in-person events again at long last!

See the Trailer:

It was a festive affair on the Red Carpet as the Ntibarikure Sisters were joined by some up-and-coming local talent, including TIFF Rising Stars and stars of new, acclaimed CBC Series.

REAL BLACKITY TALK premieres March 18, 2022 on CBC Gem.

Learn more about the Series here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/CBC)