We last got paired with the Honda CRV series back in November 2020, an experience one-upped only by our Test Drive in the 2021 Honda CRV Black Edition in a a classic Platinum White Pearl. As our province has just entered Phase III of our re-opening, it has been reassuring seeing businesses and restaurants welcome us back. Having had the reassurance of being double-vaccinated, I felt comfortable enough finally to be able to go out and visit our old stomping grounds downtown again, reuniting with missed friends including Team Mr. Will, and attending some in-person events again at long last. We couldn’t have been paired with a more powerful and elegant partner in the 2021 Honda CRV Black Edition!

What is a Black Edition you ask? It is a tier available in Honda’s offerings where the vehicle has black aluminum-alloy wheels, a black grille, among other aesthetic options.

The 2021 Honda CRV Black Edition is powered by a 1.5 litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with 190 horsepower and 179 -lb.ft. of torque. As it physically is more imposing than some of our favourite Honda Sedans and Hatchbacks, it is a bit slower on the accelerate, but once it’s in motion, the CRV is sheer power.

Fuel Economy comes first and foremost for us and the 8.7/7.4/8.1 litres per 100 km of regular fuel (City/Hwy/Combined). This is aided further by is game-changing ECON mode and Idle Stop. The latter which we got plenty of use from dealing with Toronto traffic! Over five days, we drove from the east-end of the City to Hamilton, Etobicoke, Mississauga and Downtown multiple times on approximately $60 of fuel which is tremendous, considering that gas prices are on the higher side of late.

The Black Edition of the 2021 Honda CRV is a statement of style and luxury. Its perforated leather-trimmed seating surfaces and woodgrain panel finish exude pure class. Did we mention the Driver’s Seat is adjustable 12 ways?Appearing here is Honda’s beloved 7-inch Display Audio System with Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System, plus its Panoramic Moonroof is a real treat, bringing ambience to both front and back passengers, not to mention interior ambient lighting.

A litany of passenger-catering considerations show Honda‘s commitment not only to the driver’s experience, but also their passengers’. Powerful Climate Control and vents, charging ports (our favourite wireless charging plate is back!) and gracious, spacious roominess sets the vehicle aside from others. Not to mention the generous storage space in the hatchback which activates and closes with a push or a lift.

The audio experience during our drives were phenomenal, as it boasts a 331-watt AM/FM Premium audio system with MP3/Windows Media Audio playback capability and 9 speakers including subwoofer. The SUV is SiriusXM-ready and syncs easily to Bluetooth, Apple or Android enabling Playlist-curated drives.

All the bells and whistles mean nothing without safety and Honda continually has asserted itself as being best in class in this regard. How do you go for any other make when you know the 2021 Honda CRV is jampacked with a laundry list of safety and cautionary features?

A Rear Cross Traffic Monitor system; Collision Mitigation Braking System; Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system; Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system; Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low Speed Follow (LSF); Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS); Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) system; Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA ) with Traction Control; Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).  These all are working for you, in-motion while you are focused on our drive. Think of this as rolling with an entourage and a security team everywhere you go.

In the event of collision, the 2021 Honda CRV Black Edition comes armed with an i-SRS airbag system (front); Side curtain airbags with rollover sensor system; SmartVent side airbags; HondaLink Assist; and Automatic Emergency Response System, among others.

Let’s not forget that super-resourceful multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines.  You can reverse, parallel park and more with confidence knowing that you can’t get it wrong with this! And who doesn’t love a car with rear windshield wipers?  It’s as if the CRV read our minds!

Some trips down memory land this past weekend in the 2021 Honda CRV Black Edition.

Netflix Canada and Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a NEVER HAVE I EVER Prize Pack! S2 of the beloved Comedy Series is already #1 in Canada on Netflix!

Prize Packs include:

– Bucket hat –
– Shoe laces –
– Tote bag –
– Cute school folder –
– Crew socks –

Synopsis:

In Season 2 of the coming-of-age comedy Never Have I Ever, Indian American teenager Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) continues to deal with the everyday pressures of high school and drama at home, while also navigating new romantic relationships. Never Have I Ever is created by executive producer Mindy Kaling, with Lang Fisher serving as executive producer, showrunner and writer. The Universal Television project is also executive produced by 3 Arts Entertainment’s Howard Klein and David Miner.

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw an extra chance!

NEVER HAVE I EVER S2 arrives on Netflix Thursday, July 15, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Walt Disney Studios Canada and Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Screening Passes to see Disney‘s JUNGLE CRUISE! We will have tickets available in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton for the screening on July 28, 2021.

Synopsis:

Join fan favourites Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt for the adventure of a lifetime on Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” a rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet below for an extra chance!

Get your tickets now here.

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

By Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

Musical lovers, old and new will rejoice with the new Musical Comedy from Apple TV, Schmigadoon! Audiences will fall in love with the magic of the ’40s and ’50s again through reinterpreted classics and parodies on the shows that brought so much love and joy to their hearts. Schmigadoon! is one for the books, that will leave audiences with that underlying sense of happiness and joy.

The Series focuses on the couple of Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) and Melissa (Cecily Strong) as their relationship is unfortunately on the rocks, and they stumble across a bridge called Schmigadoon while hiking on their couples retreat. As they cross the bridge everything turns from bleak to vibrant life, and full of colour and dropped into a different time. Cue the first big musical number with our Principal Cast. After the first musical number, we start to meet some of the members of Schmigadoon, Reverend Layton (Fred Armisen) who is under the thumb of his rather hostile wife, Mildred (Kristen Chenoweth). Then all chaos seems to break out.

There are two stories that are the focal point of the Show, the first being that Josh and Melissa need to work on their relationship and figure out if they can work. This is another serious issue, because to escape Schmigadoon, and return to reality, they can only do so by crossing the bridge with their loved one. The second story is that within the town of Schmigadoon, where there is conflict between the very aggressive, wretched Mildred and the rest of the town specifically against Mayor Menlove (Alan Cumming). There are several characters that pose at obstacles to either the townspeople of Schmigadoon now that Josh and Melissa are new forces they have to contend with, or for Josh and Melissa themselves, with possible love interests appearing Betsy (Dove Cameron), Emma (Ariana DeBose), Danny (Aaron Tveit), and Doc Lopez (Jamie Camil). With Josh and Melissa’s relationship already on the rocks, being transported to a new world that Josh simply hates and Melissa is falling in love with their rocky relationship and possible faster way home seems to be fading.

What makes Schmigadoon! so great is how meta it is. It makes fun of itself, with Josh constantly calling out the musical nuisances and songs with modern takes. The music itself though is what shines throughout the Series, as they’re changing songs from mainly Rodgers and Hammerstein with the towns problems. However, even with a great premise and incredible music, it would fall short if the cast was unable to deliver. The chemistry between Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong just glows, audiences can sense that dwindling flame between them but knowing it came from a candle that burned at both sides previously, they are believable as a couple whose going through a rough patch. Then you have the Broadway royalty between Alan Cumming, Aaron Tviet, Kristen Chenoweth, and the explosive Ariana DeBose who all shine and dazzle with their performances, whether they be playing ecstatic over the top closeted mayors, outcast and misunderstood, someone truly evil, or someone who just wants best for themselves, they all shine and excel in their performances bringing life and depth to Schmigadoon!

Everyone gives their all in these performances, ensuring that Schmigadoon! succeeds as a Musical Comedy that appeals both to fans of Broadway and Comedy.

SCHMIGADOON! arrives on Apple TV+ on Friday July 16^th, 2021 with episodes airing following Fridays!

A dating show with personality! SEXY BEASTS really tests its contestants’ personalities and if they can get by on just that, over six episodes! Think The Masked Singer, but dating.

SEXY BEASTS premieres on Netflix July 21, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

By Mr. Will Wong

1996’s SPACE JAM not only had the distinction of being Warner Bros. Feature Animation‘s first ever film, but went on to become the highest-ever -grossing Basketball film and won several awards including ANNIEs and GRAMMYs, among others. To say it was a cultural phenomenon is by no means an exaggeration. 25 years later comes Malcolm D. Lee‘s SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY, coming to audiences with a new message, a new Cast, Lebron James, and of course some of the most beloved Warner Bros. characters of all time!

We had the pleasure of chatting with Scarborough’s very own Eric Bauza, a Voice Actor, Animator and also Co-Founder of Retrokid, a nostalgia-based apparel brand which right now has several exclusive and licensed Space Jam-inspired pieces. We ask him about what Space Jam means to him and voice multiple characters in the Film including Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn and Marvin the Martian.

What does the legacy of SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY mean to you?

Eric: “Being a part of SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY is so important to me. I could be here all day doing all the press in the world and still not be able to describe how thrilled I am that I get to be a part of this and that my son gets to watch it with me! It is definitely a laundry list of characters that everyone knows so well, so the pressure is on. Not just to win a cyberspace Basketball game, but to make sure that these characters live on the way that we all remember them.”.

We all know Nike‘s message of “Just Do It”, but the Film has a unique message to us to “Just Do You”. What do you hope the audience will take away from the Film?

Eric: “The nugget of the Film is that it has such a family aspect to it that I think will be the biggest surprise. It’s not just this big fireworks show. It really has heart and meaning behind it. I think it does it well. I found myself a little choked-up watching the first screening. I was watching of course, to make sure that I did my job well, but I was really pleasantly surprised with how it all wrapped-up in the end. I hope the audience experiences that.”.

You were a Scarborough boy growing-up watching Mr. Dressup and drawing sketches. Walk us through how you got to fulfill your dream today being a part of Space Jam and also co-owning Retrokid?

Eric: “It’s a crazy journey that did start in Canada and will always be a part of me. I live here in Los Angeles now, but in any given year I’m back at least three to four times. Being part of Canada, there’s just something in the water that keeps us humble, but funny at the same time. Maybe it’s those long winters. I haven’t forgotten how to shovel a driveway! But it really was just being in a country that is very multi-cultural. And I think that’s the one big thing, that you really do feel welcome in Canada. I feel we’re in this secret club not only being from Toronto, but being from Scarborough. There’s something about being from that town. Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, John Candy – there’s something in the water in Scarborough that makes us a little Schizophrenic. Being able to capitalize on that is something.”.

“Retrokid is really a love letter to Toronto. It is a nostalgic apparel brand, but it ties into this too. I grew-up watching this Movie in Scarborough, seeing the ads at Kennedy Station. To now fast-forward 25 years later and know that I got to be a part of this, there’s no better way to celebrate than producing this line.”.

See Video from our Chat:

Warner Bros. Canada release SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY in theatres on Premium Video-on-Demand Friday, July 16, 2021.

Don’t forget, we’re giving away a SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY Prize Pack to one lucky winner, which includes a pass for two to see the Movie!

Head-on over to MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK for details how to win!

Don’t forget to check-out Retrokid‘s exciting Giveaway here where you can win a Space Jam: A New Legacy BMX bike! Built and designed by local artist Duro The Third.  

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)

Wrapping-up what’s been a huge hit for Netflix, comes this new Trailer for FEAR STREET: PART 3! See the new Trailer.

Synopsis:

In 1994, a group of teenagers discover the terrifying events that have haunted their town for generations may all be connected — and they may be the next targets. Based on R.L. Stine’s best-selling horror series, FEAR STREET follows Shadyside’s sinister history through a nightmare 300 years in the making.

FEAR STREET PART 3: 1666 CAST:
KIANA MADEIRA
ASHLEY ZUKERMAN
GILLIAN JACOBS
OLIVIA SCOTT WELCH
BENJAMIN FLORES JR.
DARRELL BRITT-GIBSON
SADIE SINK
EMILY RUDD
McCABE SLYE
JULIA REHWALD
FRED HECHINGER
JORDANA SPIRO
JORDYN DiNATALE
ELIZABETH SCOPEL
JEREMY FORDR
ANDY HAVENS

FEAR STREET: PART 3 arrives Friday, July 16, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Nelvana, which has and continues to produce and distribute some of our favourite children’s programming worldwide, is partnering with Telefilm Canada and the Youth Media Alliance to bring us CANADIAN CHILDRENS MEDIA DAY on July 26, 2021. The day celebrates Canada’s accomplishments as a trailblazer in Children’s programming, also aligning with Nelvana‘s 50th anniversary. There even will be a CN Tower lighting to commemorate!

Here are a list of celebrations taking place July 26, 2021.

·10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Corus Entertainment’s top kids’ networks, YTV, Treehouse and TELETOON, will be featuring the best of Canadian content with back-to-back episodes of fan-favourite series, including:

·10:10 a.m. – 1:30pm – Babar and the Adventures of Badou, Toon Bops, Max & Ruby, Franklin and Friends, Esme & Roy, Miss Persona, and more, on Treehouse

·12:50 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Hotel Transylvania, Detentionaire, D.N. Ace, and more, on TELETOON

·1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Grossology, Scaredy Squirrel, Ollie’s Pack, Go Away Unicorn, and more, on YTV

·6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Northern Star: How Canada Shines in Animation & Children’s Media – Canadian Children’s Media Day panel event with:

·       Moderator: Angela Pacienza – Executive Editor, The Globe & Mail

·       Athena Georgaklis – Head of Development, Nelvana

·       Francesca Accinelli – Vice President, Promotion, Communication and International Relations, Telefilm

·       Ted Gervan – Dean, Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design, Sheridan College

·       Magali Simard – Program Manager, Film Sector Development, The City of Toronto

After sunset: CN Tower Lighting in Blue and Gold for Canadian Children’s Media Day

Additional celebrations to follow:

Wednesday, July 28

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Animation Coffee Break with Nelvana’s Past & Present Talent with Ottawa International Animation Festival

Thursday, July 29

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: A Behind-The-Scenes look at Nelvana’s Daytime Emmy® Nominated Series, Esme & Roy with Animaze Montreal International Film Festival

Tuesday, August 10

8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.: Get a Head Spark on Your Career in Animation! with Spark CG Society

More to come.

For more information on Nelvana’s 50^th Anniversary, please visit: nelvana.com

To register for the Canadian Children’s Media Day panel, please visit: bit.ly/Nelvana-CCMDPanel  

In case you missed some of these fan favourites that did the Festival circuit this year, now’s your chance to see some compelling films this Summer outdoors, brought to you by INSIDE OUT, the world’s premiere 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Playing this Summer as part of the Series in around Ontario:

July 23
FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK (in co-presentation with Hot Docs)
Directed by: Bobbi Jo Hart
Fanny: The Right to Rock tells the story of one of the best bands—Filipina-American and LBGTQ+ bandmates included—that you have likely never heard.

July 24
SWAN SONG
Directed by: Todd Stephens
An aging hairdresser escapes his nursing home and embarks on an odyssey across his small town to style a dead woman’s hair for her funeral, rediscovering his sparkle along the way.

*Preceded by short film: I AM GAY
Directed by: Ajahnis Charley
After working abroad for five years, filmmaker Ajahnis Charley returns home to Oshawa, Ontario, in the age of quarantine.

*Includes pre-show musical performance by Tafari Anthony

July 25
SUMMERTIME
Directed by: Carlos López Estrada
Inspired by a showcase featuring diverse high school performers, Carlos López Estrada collaborates with young poets, many of whom are LGBTQ, to develop their work into an inspiring narrative and love letter to the youth of Los Angeles.

*Preceded by short film: NOOR & LAYLA
Directed by: Fawzia Mirza
Noor and Layla are breaking up. It’s the end of the road for these two Muslim women…or is it just the beginning? Five life-changing moments in their relationship are marked by the Muslim call to prayer.

*Includes pre-show musical performance by TÖME

MUSTANG DRIVE-IN (LONDON)

Address: 2551 Wilton Grove Rd, London, ON N6N 1M7
Doors Open: 7PM
Program Start: 8PM

July 28
DOUBLE FEATURE: SWEETHEART & BEYTO

SWEETHEART
Directed by Marley Morrison
As sun-soaked as one can get at a caravan park in Dorset, Sweetheart follows A.J. as she attempts to balance an embarrassing family vacation with the terrifying adventure of first love.

BEYTO
Directed by Gitta Gsell
Adapted from a novel by Swiss-Kurdish writer Yusuf Yesilöz, Beyto, which won the Prix du Public audience award at Switzerland’s Solothurn Film Festival, wrestles with the tension between cultures, and between a family’s sense of honour and a person’s need to be true to themselves.

*Preceded by short film: NOOR & LAYLA
Directed by: Fawzia Mirza
Noor and Layla are breaking up. It’s the end of the road for these two Muslim women…or is it just the beginning? Five life-changing moments in their relationship are marked by the Muslim call to prayer.

TORONTO OUTDOOR PICTURE SHOW (TORONTO)

Address: “Walled Fort” of Fort York National Historic Site – entry at west gates of 100 Garrison Road
Doors Open: 7:00PM
Program Start: Sundown
*This is an outdoor screening, not a drive-in

August 20
CHUTNEY POPCORN
Directed by: Nisha Ganatra
As a struggling artist and Honda-riding out-lesbian, Reena (Nisha Ganatra) feels she has nothing on her older married do-perfect sister Sarita (Sakina Jaffrey) – except her ovaries, that is. When Sarita and her husband discover that they cannot have children, Reena offers to serve as a surrogate mother. All that stands in the way is convincing her sister, mother, friends, and commitment-phobic girlfriend, Lisa (Jill Hennessey,) to go along with it.

*Preceded by short film: NOOR & LAYLA
Directed by: Fawzia Mirza
Noor and Layla are breaking up. It’s the end of the road for these two Muslim women…or is it just the beginning? Five life-changing moments in their relationship are marked by the Muslim call to prayer.

MUSTANG DRIVE-IN PICTON (PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY)

Address: 1521 Prince Edward County Rd 1, Bloomfield, ON K0K 1G0
Doors Open: 7PM
Program Start: 8PM

August 24
DOUBLE FEATURE: SWEETHEART & BEYTO

SWEETHEART
Directed by Marley Morrison
As sun-soaked as one can get at a caravan park in Dorset, Sweetheart follows A.J. as she attempts to balance an embarrassing family vacation with the terrifying adventure of first love.

BEYTO
Directed by Gitta Gsell
Adapted from a novel by Swiss-Kurdish writer Yusuf Yesilöz, Beyto, which won the Prix du Public audience award at Switzerland’s Solothurn Film Festival, wrestles with the tension between cultures, and between a family’s sense of honour and a person’s need to be true to themselves.

*Preceded by short film: PITOC E ICINAKOSIAN
Directed by: Gerry Ottawa, Jos-Onimskiw Ottawa-Dubé
Gerry and their big brother Jos show us that there is more to being different than bullying, discrimination, and harassment.

THE DRIVE-IN EXPERIENCE OTTAWA WEST (OTTAWA)

Address: RBC Festival Field – Wesley Clover Parks, 401 Corkstown Road, Nepean, ON K2H 8G2
Doors Open: 7PM
Program Start: 8PM

August 27
FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK (in co-presentation with Hot Docs)
Directed by: Bobbi Jo Hart
Fanny: The Right to Rock tells the story of one of the best bands—Filipina-American and LBGTQ+ bandmates included—that you have likely never heard.

*Preceded by short film: I AM GAY
Directed by: Ajahnis Charley
After working abroad for five years, filmmaker Ajahnis Charley returns home to Oshawa, Ontario, in the age of quarantine.

August 28
BEYTO
Directed by Gitta Gsell
Adapted from a novel by Swiss-Kurdish writer Yusuf Yesilöz, Beyto, which won the Prix du Public audience award at Switzerland’s Solothurn Film Festival, wrestles with the tension between cultures, and between a family’s sense of honour and a person’s need to be true to themselves.

*Preceded by short film: PITOC E ICINAKOSIAN
Directed by: Gerry Ottawa, Jos-Onimskiw Ottawa-Dubé
Gerry and their big brother Jos show us that there is more to being different than bullying, discrimination, and harassment.

Click here for more and tickets.

(Photo credit: Inside Out)