Celebrating its 30th year, the INSIDE OUT Festival takes place May 27 – June 6, 2021 this year virtually. After being delayed to September last year, the Film is back with several festival favourites coming right out of Hot Docs and SXSW, to be made available to viewers Ontario-wide. In addition to Features, there will be a wide selection of 2SLGTBQ+-theme Shorts and Episodic programming available as well.

Our George Kozera (Twitter: @PartyG) had a chance to preview some key titles from this year’s Festival already. See his thoughts!

LANGUAGE LESSONS (OPENING NIGHT GALA)

Not only does the opening night movie of the 31^st annual Inside Out Film Festival arrive from winning the Audience Award at SXSW, it is also short-listed to be on my personal best of 2021. In addition to Natalie Morales directing LANGUAGE LESSONS, she co-wrote and co-produced this pearl of a movie with her co-star, Mark Duplass (a brilliant indie mega force who never disappoints).

Adam (Duplass) and Carino (Morales) meet Rom-Com cute; he’s in his boxers when he hears a voice coming from his laptop only to discover he’s been gifted, by his husband, to receive Spanish lessons. Their rapport is almost instantaneously easy-going and laced with humour until the second scheduled session begins with a tremendous tragedy in Adam’s life and their relationship turns from teacher/student to a new and solid friendship with peaks and valleys.

LANGUAGE LESSONS takes Covid-restricted cinematic storytelling to new creative and elegant heights as it is more than just two people talking on Zoom. I urge all to screen this on May 27^th and experience a movie filled with love, laughter, tears and insight.

A SEXPLANATION

As a teenager growing up in Montreal, along with 100 million others, I read “Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex (*But Were Afraid to Ask) by U.S. Physician David Reuben. It didn’t answer everything I wanted to know. Years later, as a young adult, I read Kinsey’s “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male”. The mud riddled with sexual questions was getting clearer, but I was still in the dark. Oh, the things we had to do then to get answers before Al Gore invented the internet!

36-year-old queer Health Reporter turned Filmmaker, Alex Liu, was also as much in the dark as I was in my formative years. He made A SEXPLANATION for “people like me who feel so tortured about their sexuality, they feel compelled to make a Documentary about it”. This is NOT your mother’s Sex-Ed class! Due to the unimpeachable charm of Alex Liu, he makes topics as diverse as shame, the link between sexual health and mental health, parenting, relationships and the impact of pornography with insightful interviews from experts and even his immediate family with whom he opens and closes this Documentary with. Fearing this Movie would be as dry and clinical as those books I read quickly vanished when Liu opens with his “talk” with his parents and grandmother – how can one not be immediately smitten when the first thing his father asks if that’s what he’s wearing for the filmed chat and to at least straighten the collar of his tee-shirt. Rest assured, A SEXPLANATION is not played for quick and cheap laughs. A myriad of topics is discussed with insight. Ultimately, what impressed me the most with the Documentary is Liu himself. As our guide, he reacts to the information receives much like we would. He’s embarrassed asking a question or has this endearing nervous giggle at times. His reaction to the answer when filming a representative from Porn Hub telling him the top searches on that site from men and women mirrored mine!

Total sexual knowledge will always be elusive. A SEXPLANATION succeeds nicely with clearing some of my remaining mud.

BEYTO

Beyto (Burak Ate) looks to have it all. He’s handsome. He’s a talented swimmer hoping to represent his adopted home of Switzerland in competition. He is well respected at his office job. And, as the only child of Turkish immigrants, he helps at the family kebab restaurant in Zurich. Despite his large group of friends, he can’t ignore the intense attention paid him from Mike (Dimitri Stapfer). Mike is not only his swim coach, he also provides vegetables, with his shirt wide open to show off the abs, for use at Beyto’s family restaurant. We quickly learn that the attraction is a mutual and the two men start a relationship. When seen hugging and partying at a Pride parade by two of his mother’s gossipy friends, Beyto’s sexuality is no longer a secret, much to his parents’ dismay and cultural upbringing. To correct this perceived wrong, Beyto’s parents force him to join them on their annual visit back home to a small village in Turkey with the pretext that his grandmother’s health is rapidly failing but to trick him into an arranged marriage with his childhood friend Seher (Ecem Aydin). The results are catastrophic.

There’s a lot I admired about BEYTO. I loved being immersed in the small Turkish village: its traditions were revelatory to me and I genuinely admired Writer/Director Gitta Gsell’s choice to have a young person with developmental issues to be portrayed so lovingly and respectfully. Burak Ate has epic screen charisma and Ecem Aydin registers beautifully as her character copes with a marriage to a gay man, learn to adapt to a new way of life in Switzerland and dream of establishing a career for herself. I can forgive the occasional lapses into melodrama that BEYTO falls into and the character of Mike, which wavers between predatory at first then unyielding, can be perceived as soap operatic but Dimitri Stapler handles these with aplomb.

BEYTO handles its many delicate and provocative subject matters with grace and maturity, and I recommend it highly.

EVERYTHING AT ONCE

EVERYTHING AT ONCE is a Documentary about the history of Kink Magazine and the two Catalan Photographers that created it. Paco and Manolo are real-life partners who gave up their individual careers decades ago and singularly focused on photographing nude males, committing them to print in magazine form. Despite being called “Kink”, it is not about fetishes – just a bunch of dudes letting it all hang out for everyone to see! It’s easy to see that Paco and Manolo have been together for many years as they finish each other’s sentences and lovingly bicker as well as to who’s memory of an event is the correct one. Along the way, interviews are conducted with many of the “Kink” models; these chats occur before, during and after their respective photoshoots. It was fascinating to hear their many personal different thought patterns and reactions.

I’ve always felt that photography never gained the respect it is due when this unique expression of artistic vision is compared to other works of art, be they painting or sculpture or music. Whereas I gravitate more towards the work and visions of Bruce Weber, Greg Gorman and Mapplethorpe, Paco and Manolo’s end results are more naturalistic with clever use of shadows and surroundings.

What I truly disliked about EVERYTHING AT ONCE were the subtitles. Replete with spelling errors, grammatical errors and head scratchers like “Dedicated to all those names that now are part of the firmament”, so much more sense could have been made with a quick grammar check before the final print. That said, considering two thirds of this Documentary has handsome Mediterranean men au naturel, I suspect many in the audience won’t even notice!

POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA

Based on true events, POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA takes us on a magical journey of Director Wes Hurley’s life. First as a young gay boy growing up in Vladivostok USSR in the ’80s and then in Seattle with his mail-order bride mother. Two different settings, each unique in tone and execution, and just when you think you are getting a grasp on the situation, this Movie smacks you on the outside of your head and says “ya think??”. It defies expectations and I haven’t been this captivated and entertained since “The Shape of Water”.

I will give away no plot points or outlines because the beauty of POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA is in its humour and the progression of the characters’ lives. But I will say this…as young Potato, Hersh Powers gives the best screen performance I have seen since in some time. In my fantasy movie awards world, Lea DeLaria will win copious awards for Best Supporting Actress playing the grandmother. Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls, Dancing with the Stars) and Dan Lauria (TV’s The Wonder Years) were pleasant surprises.

When one character says “our lives are like Russian movies. Nothing good ever happens. Bad guys always win” and is told “then believe in American movies” how could I not love POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA so much so that I have to say it twice. Emphatically. I LOVED POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA.

SUMMERTIME

Set in Los Angeles, SUMMERTIME uses its large, diverse Cast of unknowns and high school performers and we watch as their lives intersect and the storylines progress with most of the dialogue articulated with poems, prose, rap, hip hop and even dance. Director Carlos Lopez Estrada‘s creative vision is enhanced with the stunning Cinematography from John Schmidt (Netflix’s “Stranger Things”) bringing new depth and appreciation of L.A. landmarks. With a cast of almost 30 cinematic neophytes on screen, one does run the risk there are going to be some less than talented performances, but the weaker ones are earnest and watchable. However, special mentions must be paid to Tyris Winter, Gordon Ip, Marquesha Babers and Maia Mayor for outstanding work.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have never been able to develop an appreciation for Poetry. It started in high school with Emily Dickinson and continued when I was bartending at a bar that had a monthly poetry night. But I enjoyed SUMMERTIME more when I equated the poems said to characters breaking out in song in musicals. I also loved the one Twyla Tharp inspired dance routine.

SUMMERTIME is unique and I applaud all involved for taking risks and showing us a new way to see movies.

BOY MEETS BOY

BOY MEETS BOY is described in its press release as a movie inspired by the Mumblecore genre. I had to look that term up as it was new to me. Funny enough, it has nothing to do with Benicio Del Toro’s performance in “The Usual Suspects” but it is used to define independent movies that are low budget, dialogue driven and about characters in their 20s and 30s. BOY MEETS BOY meets that criteria.

With 48 hours left before Harry (Matthew James Morrison) must leave Berlin to return to the U.K., he sends his online hook-up home and hits the bar where he sees Johannes (Alexis Koutsoulis). They share a kiss. Eventually, in the harsh light of day, Harry realizes he needs to print out his boarding pass and Johannes offers to help with that task. Once that’s accomplished, the two decide to spend the day together and walk around as the drugs they’ve ingested start to dissipate and get to know each other better. Topics discussed range from insipid to personal and include favourite sex positions, favourite foods, dating apps, employment status, religion and so on. They talk a lot, and we see that a genuine connection between them is occurring.

Much like the Inside Out Audience Award winner in 2011 “Weekend”, BOY MEETS BOY is an honest love story where the characters seek authenticity, validation and commitment. The performances from the two lead actors are extraordinarily strong and truly believable. I am a fan of dialogue driven narratives and BOY MEETS BOY ticked all the right boxes. And it has a killer remake of the KC & the Sunshine Band’s classic “Please Don’t Go” from K.W.S.

YES I AM – THE RIC WEILAND STORY

In truth, the sad reality is that since the dawn of time, every Film Festival shows a “less than good” movie. What makes the pain more poignant is when that movie is one you were genuinely excited to see. That was the case with me and the Documentary YES I AM – THE RIC WEILAND STORY. I never heard the name before but read that not only was he the high school friend of Bill Gates and Microsoft’s first Computer Programmer, he eventually turned to philanthropy leaving hundreds of millions of dollars in support of LGBTQ causes. The Documentary started off well as we learned, through interviews with Gates and others, that as straight-laced as he was in business, at night he partied to excess with a group of guys whose motto was “our heels are high, our morals are low” and his car had personalized licence plates which read YES I AM in case someone saw him making out with a guy in the front seat. Then, inexplicably, screenwriter Wade Laurels and Director Aaron Bear switch gears and devote around 30 minutes of the movie to the AIDS crisis in America, a topic significantly better addressed in many award-winning Documentaries and has nothing to do with Weiland other than the fact that he was diagnosed with the, then, deadly disease. Returning to the subject matter at hand, now Weiland is just too rich for words, describing himself as a strategist activist and is suffering with extreme self-loathing and depression. Whereas the last act of this Documentary features some laudatory statements from the recipients of Weiland’s generosity, it focuses more on his friends who spew “armchair psychologist” babble rather than any valuable insights as to why Ric Weiland committed suicide.

I’ll give the Filmmakers responsible for getting YES I AM – THE RIC WEILAND STORY made a B- for intent, but a solid D- for execution.

MA BELLE, MY BEAUTY

Musicians Bertie (Idella Johnson) and Fred (Lucien Guignard) have been married for two years and are living at Fred’s family home in Anduze France, a place so beautiful it is proof of a higher being. We can ‘t help but notice that when MA BELLE. MY BEAUTY opens, that Bertie seems out-of-sorts and is throwing major attitude in her husband’s direction. We quickly then see Fred picking up Lane (Hannah Pepper) at a local train station to see if she can cheer Bertie up with the surprise visit. The reception is only cordial at first but slowly warms-up. At a party the three attend, Lane meets Noa (Sivan Noam Shimon), a stunningly beautiful Israeli artist and they quickly hook up, having sex in the bedroom next to Bertie and Fred’s. This does not sit well with Bertie.

This recent Audience Award winner at Sundance had me very confused. MA BELLE, MY BEAUTY is being sold as a study of polyamorous relationships. Whereas there is a quick throwaway line directed at Fred that implies he was the third in the relationship between Bertie and Lane, but that is never made explicitly clear. Did their relationship include him or only just other women? We know that Bertie is upset that Lane did not attend the wedding and was incommunicado for two years, but much of their historical background is kept out of reach to the audience.

Despite not enjoying the somewhat surly nature of Lane, there is much I liked about MA BELLE, MY BEAUTY. The Jazz soundtrack and songs and music performed in the Film were luscious as is the beauty of the French countryside. I just felt that I bought into something that was incorrectly packaged.

POPPY FIELD

Inspired by a real-life event that occurred in Bucharest Romania, POPPY FIELD is one of the more important movies of the Festival that should be seen. We first meet Cristi (Conrad Mericoffer) as he welcomes his boyfriend Hadi (Radouan Leflahi) arriving from Paris. Their reunion is joyous, if somewhat strained. When Cristi’s sister surprises them with an unannounced visit, he becomes distressed, despite his sibling’s virtually immediate acceptance of Hadi. We quickly learn why. Cristi is a member of the Romanian gendarme, deep inside the closet who continues the charade with his fellow military officers of complaining about failed relationships with women. When the gendarme is called in for an intervention at a local movie theatre showing “The Kids Are All Right” by a homophobic, religious fundamentalist and ultra-nationalist group, Cristi is visually taken aback. When threatened to be outed by a protester, he responds violently.

POPPY FIELD must be commended for tackling many sensitive issues surrounding homophobia and hypermasculinity. Listening to the hatred spewed by the religious zealots is no different to the gay slurs made by the military, including from Cristi himself, as they make similar impacts. They are ugly. They damage one’s psyche and soul. Mericoffer’s performance, which won him a Best Actor award at the Torino Film Festival is remarkable, an astonishing blend of volatility and self-refection with some self-loathing and angst thrown in. Director Eugen Jebeleanu must be commended for his straightforward storytelling.

POPPY FIELD is not easy viewing, but it is essential viewing.

CAN YOU BRING IT

In 1989, New York critics were unanimously and overwhelmingly enthralled with “D-Man in the Waters”, renowned Choreographer Bill T. Jones‘ groundbreaking Ballet about the devastating AIDS crisis at that time. Dealing with the loss of his partner of 17 years from the disease, Arnie Zane, it is piece that encapsulated all the fear, grief and sadness that affected many due to the epidemic with athletic, muscular, poignant and exuberant motions and musicality. CAN YOU BRING IT is not only a Documentary about the original production, it intersects with a revival of the piece in 2015 by the students from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. With interviews from some of the original dancers, as well as Jones himself, we also watch the rehearsal process of the new interpretation of the original and how motivated these young classically-trained dancers are.

It took “Best Boy”, the feature length Documentary I saw at TIFF during its infancy, to introduce me to a movie genre I would always ignore as I, then, associated the word “Documentary” with the ultra-dry, overly-educational stuff on national public broadcasters. Having since seen hundreds upon hundreds, I can honestly say that after I finished watching CAN YOU BRING IT, the first thing I said to myself that I felt privileged to view it. Not only was I mesmerized by the dance piece itself, the back stories of how “D-Man in the Waters” was created and the love and testimonials from the original troupe were heart wrenching, especially when remembering the people they lost to AIDS. In contrast, The University scenes were equally fascinating as these young dancers equated the feelings explored in the original production to their own personal fears or concerns whether it be gun violence or the misinformation many social media outlets spew.

CAN YOU BRING IT is a fascinating account of a pivotal piece of art and not only honours Bill T. Jones, but it will inspire those who wish to make a mark on the world.

HOW TO FIX RADIOS

HOW TO FIX RADIOS is the only Canadian full-length narrative feature screening this year at the Festival from a uniquely gay male perspective. Set in rural Ontario, this debut work from Filmmakers Emily Russell and Casper Leonard focuses on a new friendship between Ross (Dmitri Watson) and Evan (James Rudden) who work together to clean up the debris of an unused bait shop for the owner to sell it as land property. Evan is soft-spoken, introspective and a dedicated to the tasks at hand. Pink-haired Ross is more outspoken, quick to judge and slow to work. Slowly…very slowly…a bond between these two (and Ross’ sister) develops.

Whereas the Filmmakers undoubtedly have a great eye as HOW TO FIX RADIOS to nicely photographed, they need significant experience in the art of storytelling. The secondary characters border on cliché; why are homophobes overweight or have an IQ lesser than their waist size? As much as I enjoyed the cinematography and the earnest performances from Watson and Rudden, nothing of importance happens until the 62-minute mark in the 90-minute movie. By then, I was quite uninterested in the outcome.

A DISTANT PLACE

Jin-woo, alongside his five-year-old niece, works at a sheep farm owned by people who have become like a second family to him. Far away from the stress of city life, he basks in the tranquility and solitude. When his former male lover, Hyun-min, arrives from Seoul to start a new job teaching Poetry at an adult education class, their embrace is loving and they quickly restart what they once had together. Their life at the farm is idyllic but in the closet. Shortly after, Jin-woo’s twin sister arrives to take back the daughter she left in the care of her brother and tensions begin to appear. When a loud fight between the twins occurs at a public event, what was once speculated upon by all in the countryside was confirmed and Jin-woo’s sexuality was no longer a secret. His once quiet life was now in emotional turmoil.

One rarely sees a movie as beautiful as A DISTANT PLACE. Filmed in the countryside of Hwacheon County in South Korea, the Cinematography is exquisite. Whereas the pace of this Movie is languid, never boring, scene after scene took my breath away. The performances by the ensemble are subtle and sublime, never encroaching an iota of falsehood.

With the well-deserved critical acclaim and audience attendance paid to “Parasite” and “Minari”, Korean cinema is no longer a niche and has ridden to the forefront. I am hoping Korea submits this film for consideration to win the Academy Awards.

A DISTANT PLACE opens with the death of an old sheep and closes with the birth of baby one. In between, we see how life can be filled with adversity but with love and family, it does prevail positively.

DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR

Shelley Thompson’s assured directorial debut with DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR impressively explores the themes of acceptance, understanding and family. Dawn returns home to Antigonish, Nova Scotia to mourn the recent death of her mother much to the surprise of her father and older sister. When she left home five years prior, she was still Donald. With Dawn being mechanically skilled, father and daughter work together to restore an old tractor that will end years of estrangement.

This Movie is beautifully-photographed and the story, laced with some humour, moves briskly and efficiently. Whereas, as Dawn, Maya Henry is just shy of being ready to carry a Feature film, the Supporting Cast shine bright. Robb Wells (Trailer Park Boys) as the father, Amy Groening (related to Matt, Creator of “The Simpsons”) as the older sister Tammy and, especially, Reid Price (as Tammy’s fiancé Byron) illuminate the screen. I can forgive the occasional lapses into clichéd territories DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR falls into as the Movie tackles many emotional and uplifting scenarios with grace.

Titles will be available after May 27, 2021. More on the Festival here.

“Throughout the years we have never interfered, until now.” See the new Teaser for Marvel’s ETERNALS.

Synopsis:

Marvel Studios’ “Eternals” welcomes an exciting new team of Super Heroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The epic story, spanning thousands of years, features a group of immortal heroes forced out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s oldest enemy, The Deviants. The outstanding ensemble cast includes Richard Madden as the all-powerful Ikaris, Gemma Chan as humankind-loving Sersi, Kumail Nanjiani as cosmic-powered Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as the super-fast Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as the intelligent inventor Phastos, Salma Hayek as the wise and spiritual leader Ajak, Lia McHugh as the eternally young, old-soul Sprite, Don Lee as the powerful Gilgamesh, Barry Keoghan as aloof loner Druig, and Angelina Jolie as the fierce warrior Thena. Kit Harington plays Dane Whitman.

Marvel’s ETERNALS is in theatres this November.

(Photo/video credit: Marvel Entertainment Canada)

Based on the iconic villain in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Disney’s CRUELLA follows the path of Estella/Cruella de Vil (Emma Stone) from being orphaned at a young age, to an aspiring Fashion Designer, and eventually achieving notoriety. Getting there isn’t easy, as she must contend with Fashion’s wicked Queen Bee, The Baroness (Emma Thompson), whom she also happens to works for. Directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya, Lars and the Real Girl), who might know a thing or two about telling a story about a misunderstood hero, this dazzling spectacle combines revenge, phenomenal fashion and family for one of this year’s must-sees.

We had the joy of attending a Press Junket with the talent behind Disney’s Cruella, including:

Jenny Bevan, Costume Designer on CRUELLA, details costuming two characters, Estella and Cruella, for Emma Stone.

Jenny: I think it’s actually quite clear in the Script. There’s a real arc for her. Hopefully we found that arc that you see her change from a child and does things to her school uniform much like I remember my wonderful Associate Designer Sarah Young‘s younger sister was quite the inspiration for that because she used to turn her blazer inside out. But you just see how she develops and I think when she gets to The Baroness, who is a little old-fashioned but a very good designer, she learns quite a lot and hence her skills. So you can use all the elements in the story to make that change come about very naturally.

Fiona Crombie, Production Designer talks to building the fantastical world we see in CRUELLA.

Fiona: I’ve thought of that quite a lot and I think the biggest challenge was actually the number of sets. The Film has great pace and we move around a lot and there’s lots of little moments that are important moments that require different sets. So we were very busy, there were 120 odd sets to do across the course of the shoot and some of them were enormous and some of them were really tiny, like little rooms. One of the things I’m most pleased about with the Film is the level of detail in every single one of those sets. I feel at the moment I’m not busy enough and wonder why that is and it’s because of CRUELLA. It really set the benchmark how to block my day… I’m a bit still at the moment.

How does Hair & Makeup change between the two characters, Estella and Cruella?

Nadia: Her Hair & Makeup is kinda used as a tool of deception. She’s got to disguise herself from The Baroness. When we first see Estella, she needs to be believable she’s a girl growing-up in London at the time and then she’s creating this persona in Cruella who when she first starts arriving to these red carpet moments, there’s kind of a mask-like quality to the Makeup because she’s got to disguise herself. I needed the difference to be huge between the two looks. We had to make Estella quite simple, so we had somewhere big to go for Cruella. I feel very much like Fiona in that it’s never going to be the same again! I’ll never have that many looks to do again!

The Soundtrack heard in CRUELLA is superb, taking us to the time and place this is set in the ’70s. Director Craig Gillespie talks about incorporating Music into the Film.

Craig: I actually designed the Movie knowing that I was gonna have Music, so I had to design shots that give space for Music. I cut on the set as I go so I’ll be putting Music on the scenes as we’re shooting them. So that The Doors track heard when we first meet The Baroness, that I threw on that day and it never changed. There’s a great Nancy Sinatra song which was kinda spontaneous when we’re shooting. She’s (Cruella) in The Liberties and she’s in the elevator, we did four takes and I thought what could she be singing here and I went to my phone and I had Nancy Sinatra‘s “These Boots Were Made for Walkin‘” and she came out dancing to that. So there’s always Music in my mind as we’re looking for opportunities throughout.

The Film features some very talented dogs, which give us glimpse into Cruella‘s character. Gillespie talks to the integral part they play to the story.

Craig: Obviously, the dogs are a large part of One Hundred and One Dalmatians, but I wanted to bring them in, in a more grounded way and definitely we worked on the story a lot with the Dalmatians and her role in relationship to them. One you get into it, you see they’re very intertwined with her emotional journey. And also having these mutts that were part of their crew, and just to be able to have fun with that, we designed these set pieces that were almost grounded in reality and plausible for dogs to be able to do. They were supporting characters in a way and they had their own personalities and concerns. It was great always being able to keep an eye on that and you know what? Let’s see cut to a reaction shot of them here when Cruella‘s going off, just to keep them engaged and present. There were some great little moments.

The Film goes to some dark places, star Emma Stone is asked about this unconventional move for a Disney film.

Emma Stone: They really let Craig and Tony write and make what they wanted to make and it’s definitely dark for a Disney movie, but maybe not for a really intense R-rated film. It was darker than I’ve seen Disney do in a really long time.

Emma Thompson is asked about The Baroness’ meanness and where she channeled that from.

Emma Thompson: I think if my husband were in the room, he’d say ‘No acting required really!’. I had such fun doing her because I’ve been asking for quite a number of years if I could be a proper villain. I’ve spent decades playing what my mother would call ‘good women in frocks’. And now I got to play a really evil woman in frocks. Oh boy, the frocks! They wore me actually really is what happened. I had just the best, best time. And every time Em (Stone) and I’d come on-set, we’d just look at each other and walk around each other like we were sculptures or works of art – which we were! It was in a way, everyone created The Baroness and I sort of just stepped-in and just said the words!

Of course, we’re acting so we’re not really being mean. There is nothing more fun than pretending. And I found when being mean came horribly easily, I was very well brought-up by a kind and wonderful woman, my mom and my dad. I was surrounded by lovely, kind people. My experience of people who are truly mean and hardened and narcissistic is quite rare. But there are quite a number of them in Show Business. And some of those names have come to light recently. So awfulness in any profession and walk of life is always possible. I suppose The Baroness is a mix of all kinds of people. She’s quite venal, her greed is really just for herself. It’s like she can’t bear anyone else to succeed in any way. She has to destroy all the competition, instead of thinking the competition might make her better. In fact, she appears and presents as this very strong personality, but in fact she’s very weak and contains the inevitable seeds of her own destruction because she can’t acknowledge talent in any other person. So when she finally sees someone more talented, younger and more beautiful than her, she finds it very difficult. And of course, I found it very difficult being with Emma Stone who’s more beautiful, young, talented, etc. But I swallowed my bitterness and I dealt with it mostly through drinking Negronis, one after another late into the night. (chuckles)

What was it like getting into these unbelievable outfits, our two stars are asked.

Emma Thompson: My underwear was sort of like a ships rigging – there were people hauling on ropes. It was a lot. So peeing was hard and involved a team of people. Also the shoes were a real challenge because I don’t wear anything higher than a flip-flop really in real life. And also I had wigs that made me a great deal taller than I am used to being. I had to go in and out of spaces sideways. And generally I had three Dalmatians at my feet too. So the underwear was a big old deal – not for Emma Stone, as she’s slender as a lily.

Emma Stone: Your costumes had such structure like that Marie Antoinette look and that silver dress at the end. You had really some very intense, shapely costuming.

Emma Thompson: If you have flesh – which is what they did in the olden days is you take the flesh, like me – and if you squeeze it in the middle, it moves up and down like toothpaste in a tube. So you can really make quite extreme shapes. And that’s really good fun. That’s not fantastically comfortable at the center of the toothpaste tube, but they are wonderful Tailors and Designers, they had such a good time pulling-in the corset tightly enough so that bits of me would squish out the top of the costume and they would push a bit back again and squish it back down and pull-in again. It was kinda kookery.

Like Scarlett O’Hara, The Baroness is only allowed to eat little bits of cucumber here and there and throws her rubbish out the window because she’s monstrous. That was one of the things I really loved hating about her was the fact that she didn’t eat. I don’t trust people who don’t eat. There, I’ve said it!

Emma Stone: My very, very favourite outfit which absolutely was ludicrous, was the dress I wore on the garbage truck because there was a 40 ft. train and that wasn’t attached to the dress because obviously I wouldn’t be able to move anywhere. So they added that to the dress at the last minute when I got on the garbage truck to shoot that part and it was just nothing you’d ever be able to remotely wear in real life. But to be honest, there also was that insane skirt when I cover the car and that was epic too, trying to walk up on a car and cover an entire car with the switch of a skirt was just fantastic. That really is the moment I’m like, ‘I am in a movie right now!’.

Emma Stone is asked about what she found most challenging filming CRUELLA.

Emma Stone: The accents are always a little bit of a learning curve, but I think any time a character has a very important emotional scene – a scene that you know is incredibly poignant and moves the story along in a way that is necessary. I think that is always a little bit of pressure because you only have that little bit of one day and that one time to do it, which is the difference between Theatre and Film. It doesn’t matter how tired you are or how you feel that day. If you’re doing that scene, that’s what the scene will be. I think that always is a sleepless night the night before, when it’s something I know is a pivotal moment that we’re shooting the next day. So that’s probably the most challenging thing, but that’s also why I love it.

The more present you can be, the more the nerves go. That’s why I wanted to become an Actor in general because I’m naturally very anxious. The time I found I was most present was when I was doing Improv, Comedy or Theatre because you don’t have time to think about all the other things you are worried about. You have to just be in the moment. That’s the great gift of acting I think – not getting rid of the nerves, but using presence to move through it.

Emma Stone and Emma Thompson reflect on their experience working with the dogs in the Film.

Emma Stone: There was quite a bit of Dog CGI, but those dogs were always on-set. As many scenes as we could possibly have those dogs be comfortable in, they were in!

Emma Thompson: They were great and they were very sweet. They CGIed them to be a bit nasty. They were such sweet dogs, they were so nice, and they worked so hard. And they had little crosses, were sent back to their marks like little canine actors and they would just go stand on their marks and wait. And then get a little treat.

Emma Stone: Estella’s dog Buddy, whose real name is Bobby, is genuinely the cutest and sweetest dog I’ve ever known in my life and I’ve had a lot of dogs, so that’s saying something.

I’ve been jealous of Wink (Bluebell) since Day One and I’ll say it right here. I saw Bluebell and would say ‘You bitch!’. But that just means ‘female dog’.

Emma Thompson: I tried to get Wink fired and said she’d come and widdled on one of my costumes and nobody believed me. They just knew I was lying and that it was a vicious attempt to get rid of this dog that was frankly upstaging me and getting in my light!

Walt Disney Studios Canada release Disney’s CRUELLA on Friday, May 28, 2021 in theatres and Disney+ with Premier Access.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

After 13 Tony Award nominations and four wins, Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s Musical IN THE HEIGHTS, based on the Novel by Quiara Alegría Hudes, is ready to be seen by the world. A dazzling love letter to the people of Washington Heights in New York City, the story centers on a bodega owner named Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) who is in a relationship with Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), but longs to go to the Dominican Republic to reconnect with his roots. Vanessa works at a beauty salon but dreams of a career in fashion. We meet also Nina (Leslie Grace), finishing her first year at Stanford, but what her proud family and the tight-knit community don’t know is that she is dropping-out. Through Latin rhythms, Hip-Hop and breathtaking choreography, stories of love, dreams and the uphill battle immigrants and descendants of immigrants face, are told through this Jon M. Chu-directed Adaptation of this beloved Musical.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Chu and several cast members in advance of the Film’s eagerly-awaited release, including:

See the Trailer:

Was ask Gregory Diaz IV, Daphne Ruben-Vega and Dascha Polanco about the experience of working with Jon M. Chu and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Gregory: I think the combo of Jon, Lin and Quiara, their minds are just so creative and you see the bigger picture that I know for me personally, I could never really see at first when it came to the Film. Jon is just great and thinks on a such a big spectrum. If there was a scene where I was struggling to reach that point that I wanted to get to, he would take me to the side and tell me one, two or three things and immediately I was like, ‘Yeah! That’s what I wanted.’. Lin and Quiara, it’s such a beautiful story they’ve crafted. I think it’s really evolved from the Broadway production.

Daphne: For me it was one of the first movies where the Director brings you in and has a conversation with you and shows you the Mood Board and the skeleton of the story and so forth.

Dascha: At first I was wondering, the Director’s calling me in… I was wondering if I still had a job or not! (laughs) And it was like, ‘Oh! You want me to see what the sets are going to be like and what I’m thinking, what you want me to bring to life and what my thoughts are.’. That doesn’t really happen, especially when we do this for a while and IN THE HEIGHTS was really that. Everybody was included. We had a set vision, but wanted to incorporate what everyone artistically can bring forth. In that regard, Jon was really careful of – to stay respectful and authentic to the community and beyond. So as an Actor, I then understood how necessary it is for you to be included and feel it, but when you’re actually doing it, it makes sense.

Daphne: Jon‘s just a Homie, a guy who’s so approachable. And that allows us to have a conversation. So we’re no longer just the Talent, we’re the participators in a collective experience. With Jon, Lin and Quiara leading the way, we feel comfortable that we can bring our A-Game and trust them.

Olga Merediz’s performance as Abuela Claudia, the woman who helped raise Usnavi and many of the kids in the neighbourhood, delivers the Film’s showstopping moment. She embodies what it meant to be an immigrant in a country that speaks a language she can’t. Having originated the role both off and on Broadway, we ask what different approaches she took in the Film.

Olga: So much to talk about. I’m so happy you were touched. She touches me. When I think of Abuela Claudia, I think of women like her, like your mother. I just tried to maintain her dignity even though she went through so much. There’s a big difference between the stage and the Movie because Jon Chu really just broke the barriers of the Fourth Wall and his visual genius allowed me to just to be in it and for him to all around me create that magical world of Paciencia y Fe (Patience and Faith) – which is the number I sing. I just wanted to make her into this quintessential matriarch we all wanted in our lives, whether you had a wonderful mother or not, because that’s complicated. So I took a little bit of my mother, my aunties, my grandmothers and I wanted to give her that giving nature where the people in the community could go to her for advice, or wisdom, or a cooked meal, or just to rest their heads. And I’m humbled that I was able to have this incredible journey with this character from workshops, to readings to off-Broadway to the Movie.

Jimmy Smits and Merediz are asked where this Film ranks in their careers.

Olga: This is number one for me. It’s a climactic point in my career and life.

Jimmy: I have been fortunate to have been in a couple ensemble pieces throughout the decades and we always feel this is the one that’s going to break through. But then there’s always that one or two. The difference is – and I think this relates to so many topics, not just in the Latinx community. And now that we’re coming out of this pandemic, where the world got jolted and we had to think about other social things that relate to inclusivity, this is gonna be a little bit of joy that I think the audiences are really gonna relate to because of the universal themes. Not just because of the specificity of the culture. We’re trying to be as authentic, spot-on and positive as possible. Because it’s time. Because the population in both Canada and the U.S. are changing and different, but are the same having immigrants come with a dream. Whether you’re from Ireland or the Caribbean, you want community and you want your children to do better than you. Am I thinking about the home that I left, or the new home that has all of those things? I think this resonates really well in the Film and I’m hoping audiences will take this little bit of joy and go with it!

We ask Melissa Barrera and Leslie Grace about landing the gig of a lifetime here and the fantastic vocal work we hear, and what it took to get to that level.

Leslie: The gig of a lifetime. I felt so many times I felt unworthy of the experience because I felt I was being spoiled. I was reminded every day by my lovely castmates, ‘Yo! It’s not always like this!’. And so I was walking around like I was in Disney World every day. And even in production when we were sweating and sometimes bleeding on each other learning all these dance steps, it just felt like home and I just feel so fortunate and blessed to have gone through this process. So much of our hearts are in this. They are our stories. We finally get to tell what feel like our stories on the big screen and in a feature film, so it is the gig of a lifetime with amazing people.

Melissa: We both had really long casting processes. It took us over a year from the first time we auditioned. She auditioned, I sent a tape and then over a year I got called-in and she also over a year later got called-in, so it was a long process. But I think for both of us, it was perfect because it gave us time to prepare. For Leslie she was like, taking acting classes because she was an incredible singer already. And for me, I needed to work on my voice, so I had the time to take voice lessons and really feel comfortable with the material because Lin writes really hard songs to sing! (laughs) For me it was that, nailing the vocal aspect.

Leslie: And that you did, darlin’!

Melissa: But I think the amount of time, the timing was perfect because it let us get to where we needed to take on these roles.

At the heart of IN THE HEIGHTS’ story is community, but also the love stories. We ask the two stars how they built that believable chemistry that jumped-off the screen.

Leslie: It’s all real. We were just on Zoom for the first couple weeks together and every time each of us started to talk, we’d cry. Just having these people in your life, it’s not something everyone gets to experience and it’s not every day you come across people you just met and feel like you’ve known your whole life. If we had just done the experience of this Movie and nobody ever really saw it – which would be sad – the experience alone changed our lives. Sometimes you do a movie, waiting for everyone to see it so your life will be changed. But there’s a before and after for me in my life, after doing this Film with Melissa, Anthony, Corey, Jon, Lin and all the family. So that joy you feel from the screen is real.

Melissa: I think we were lucky we got such a long rehearsal period. We got ten weeks. During those ten weeks, we spent a lot of time together bonding over our frustrations, bonding over not getting Choreography. And going into a corner and wanting to cry, wondering if we were ever going to get this! All of that being there for each other really brought us so close and we became family. So the love and the chemistry that you see is real. We got so close that we became family and I think in a way it was perfect. These characters grew-up together and knew each other their entire lives. They live in this neighbourhood and it’s like a tight-knit community and for that to feel so real, I think we needed to have that in real life.

Leslie: You definitely can’t fabricate that in a Movie like this which has so much heart.

We ask Jon M. Chu how as a Taiwanese-American from the West Coast, what are some of the conversations and questions he had to ask when coming into a Film like this, which is so deeply-embedded within the Latinx community and set on the East Coast?

Jon: I had so many questions, even the question ‘Should I be doing this?’. And I think that’s a fair argument to have. What a great argument to be able to go back and forth on. But the fact they allowed me to ask stupid questions was huge. I couldn’t understand things like, ‘The blackout in this show is a really big deal, but we get blackouts all the time, what’s the thing?’. Lin and Quiara explained ‘You don’t know how one feels when the plug goes out and you don’t know when you’re gonna get it back and you’re the last person to get it back. And that’s what power is essentially about. And I was like, ‘So is it all negative and do bad things happen?’. And they were like, ‘Actually it’s the opposite. It’s about love. When God pulls that plug, you turn to the people you take care of and who take care of you.

So this brilliant night that was supposed to happen – this brilliant dinner – never happened because of a fight. And in the end it did happen because they turned to Abuela Claudia for safety and they all came together and had this moment. In a weird way, I look at right now. The world has gone through a really tough year where we feel isolated and we turn to all the people that we care about the most. Usnavi actually says that in the Movie. Once you get there, how do you get back up, how do you get back out? Daniela goes out and does her last makeover for the evening for the neighbourhood and says, ‘Believe in yourself, you are beautiful. You never needed me for the Air Conditioning for your hair to be done. Grab your flag and be proud and dust yourself off, and you have each other!’. This is the message that the world needs right now and how appropriate that the neighbourhood is Washington Heights showing the world how to survive, how to get back up and it’s going to guide the world out of darkness and into the next light.”.

See our Chat on Video:

Warner Bros. Canada release IN THE HEIGHTS in theatres and on-demand Thursday, June 10 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)

As we approach Pride month, Hollywood Suite is gearing us up with the opportunity to see HBO Max Docu-Series EQUAL! The Docu-Series recalls the trail of Activism and all its unsung heroes that landed us where we are today. It also speaks with several high-profile subjects including Cheyenne Jackson, Anthony Rapp, Shannon Purser, Heather Matarazzo, Jamie Clayton, Isis King, Samira Wiley and Gale Harold. Most of all, Billy Porter narrates.

Schedule is as follows:

Episode 1 – The Birth of a Movement

Broadcast premiere Monday, June 7 at 9pm ET

Available on demand Tuesday, June 8

In response to a repressive 1950s culture that considers homosexuality illegal and immoral, two iconic gay rights groups organize, fight back, and lay the foundation for the modern LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. 

The episode 1 premiere will be followed by the Hollywood Suite premiere of Luca Guadagnino’s Oscar, BAFTA and Spirit Award-winning film Call Me by Your Name (2017).

Episode 2 – Transgender Pioneers

Broadcast premiere Monday, June 14 at 9pm ET

Available on demand Tuesday, June 15

The incredible stories of three trans trailblazers from across the ages help illuminate the significance of the 1966 uprising at San Francisco’s Compton’s Cafeteria. 

The episode 2 premiere will be followed by Colette (2018) and Kinsey (2004).

Episode 3 – Black is Beautiful, Gay is Good!

Broadcast premiere Monday, June 21 at 9pm ET 

Available on demand Tuesday, June 22

We meet three very different activists whose lives and work epitomized the intersection of gay and civil rights in the 1960s: Lorraine Hansberry, Bayard Rustin, and José Sarria. 

The episode 3 premiere will be followed by Moonlight (2016).

Episode 4 – Stonewall: From Rebellion to Liberation

Broadcast premiere Monday, June 28 at 9pm ET

Available on demand Tuesday, June 29

The events of the historic Stonewall Uprising are told through the voices of the activists and icons who were there, and who helped usher in a new era of being, out, proud, and EQUAL. 

The episode 4 premiere will be followed by the Hollywood Suite premiere of Xavier Dolan’s Cannes Grand Prix, César and Canadian Screen Award winner Juste la Fin du Monde (2016) and A Single Man (2009).

Other Queer Cinema selections airing during Pride month include: The Children’s Hour (1962), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), The Times of Harvey Milk (1984), The Color Purple (1985), My Beautiful Laundrette (1986), Paris is Burning (1990), My Own Private Idaho (1991), The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994), The Celluloid Closet (1995), The Birdcage (1996), Fire (1996), Mulholland Dr. (2001), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Closet Monster (2015) and Sleeping Giant (2015).

(Photo credit: HBO Max)

In case you couldn’t get enough BORAT, there’s plenty of content coming your way on Amazon Prime Video!

Synopsis:

On the heels of the massive global success of BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM: DELIVERY OF PRODIGIOUS BRIBE TO AMERICAN REGIME FOR MAKE BENEFIT ONCE GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN,  Amazon Prime Video will premiere BORAT SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTINGS RETRIEVED FROM FLOOR OF STABLE CONTAINING EDITING MACHINE, a multi-part special featuring never-before seen footage from BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM: DELIVERY OF PRODIGIOUS BRIBE TO AMERICAN REGIME FOR MAKE BENEFIT ONCE GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN – which was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Maria Bakalova), and winner of two Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Actor (Comedy or Musical). The specials feature never-before-seen footage from Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat and Maria Bakalova as Tutar, and reveal some of the danger and high wire acts that went into the creation of the smash hit film.

BORAT SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTINGS RETRIEVED FROM FLOOR OF STABLE CONTAINING EDITING MACHINE features the following parts:

BORAT: VHS Cassette of Material Deemed “Sub-acceptable” By Kazakhstan Ministry of Censorship and Circumcision

Never before seen footage from the Oscar-nominated movie Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

Borat’s American Lockdown

See the 40 minute reality show  of Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) as he spends five days at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic with two conspiracy theorists.   

Debunking Borat (Documentary Short Specials)

In six documentary shorts, watch Borat’s two roommates have their theories debunked by some of the world’s leading experts. 

“Vaccine Microchip”

“Mail-in Ballots Scam”

“Soros”

“China Virus”

“Gates’ Bricks”

“Hillary Clinton & Blood Libel”

BORAT SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTINGS RETRIEVED FROM FLOOR OF STABLE CONTAINING EDITING MACHINE arrives May 25, 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.

(Photo/video credit: Amazon Prime Video)

18-year-old Actress/Singer/Songwriter OLIVIA RODRIGO absolutely is owning the Pop game right now. The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star debuted earlier this year with DRIVERS LICENSE, taking her straight to the top of the charts, the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100 importantly – a huge feat for a new artist and a first single.

While it is a tall order to top that, her follow-up singles from debut Album SOUR cohesively follow post-breakup teenage angst, but she does it in such a delicate way that connects and is so relatable. Her lost love found new love quickly and she isn’t quite ready to cope with it. And so the 11-track collection explores the various emotions – sadness, anger and envy – and subsequent feelings of victimization. As she sums-up in single-worthy TRAITOR, “It took you two weeks to go off and date her/
Guess you didn’t cheat/But you’re still a traitor”. HAPPIER has her wishing them happiness but not happier than when they were together. Understandable.

The mostly Pop-Rock-driven Disc is produced by Dan Nigro who is responsible for Rodrigo‘s musical counterpart Conan Gray‘s debut Disc also, plus working with the likes of Lewis Capaldi and more. Taylor Swift even has given her blessing openly calling Rodrigo her “baby”, also allowing her to interpolate her track NEW YEARS DAY into the newcomer’s track 1 STEP FORWARD, 3 STEPS BACK. The two finally met recently at The BRITS!

Check-out some selections from SOUR, which quickly has gained critical acclaim and is primed for great commercial success.

DRIVERS LICENSE

GOOD FOR YOU

DEJA VU

TRAITOR

1 STEP FORWARD, 3 STEPS BACK

BRUTAL

HAPPIER

SOUR is available to purchase and stream now, via Universal Music Canada.

Stream it in full below:

(Photo/video credit: Universal Music)

The final group of Canadian Screen Awards were announced tonight, capping-off a seven-part celebration honouring Canada’s best scripted and non-scripted Digital, Film and Television. While traditionally held in-person, the Gala again went virtual this year.

In its sixth and final season, CBC Series SCHITT’S CREEK took home Best Comedy Series, Best Direction, Comedy* honour for Director/Screenwriter Andrew Cividino and Daniel Levy; and the sixth win in a row for Actress Catherine O’Hara in the Best Lead Actress, Comedy category.

The first season of Canada’s Drag Race also took home five Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Reality/Competition Program or Series. Season Two currently is being filmed in Toronto.

After gaining much acclaim out of TIFF’ 20, Tracey Deer’s BEANS went on to win Best Motion Picture tonight, while it was BLOOD QUANTUM that would sweep seven awards in the Film categories, including Michael Greyeyes for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role category.

Christopher Plummer also would be awarded posthumously for his work in TV Series DEPARTURES for Supporting Actor. Television icon Alex Trebek also posthumously was given the Academy Icon Award award, one of eleven 2020 Special Awards handed-out throughout the week. 

Complete list of winners can be found here.

(Photo credit: CBC)

Great news! If you loved BIG LITTLE LIES, you’ll love Hulu Original eight-episode Series NINE PERFECT STRANGERS starring Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy, coming this Fall to Amazon Prime Video.

Synopsis:

The highly anticipated drama series Nine Perfect Strangers, starring Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy, based on the 2018 novel by Australian author of Big Little Lies Liane Moriarty and directed and produced by Jonathan Levine, will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in countries outside the U.S. and China later this year.

Set at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation, nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this ten-day retreat is the resort’s director Masha (Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.

Filmed on location in Australia, the cast includes Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy,in their first project together, alongside Luke Evans, Tiffany Boone, Bobby Cannavale, Melvin Gregg, Regina Hall, Manny Jacinto, Asher Keddie, Michael Shannon, Grace Van Patten, and Samara Weaving.

(Photo/video credit: Amazon Prime Video)

Some 28 years after its release, HOCUS POCUS finally sees its Sequel begin production this Fall! Details below.

Synopsis:

Singer/actress Bette Midler (“The First Wives Club,” “Beaches”) returns as Winifred Sanderson, with Sarah Jessica Parker (“Sex and the City”) and Kathy Najimy (“Sister Act”) back as her sisters, Sarah and Mary, respectively. In “Hocus Pocus 2,” three young women accidentally bring the Sanderson Sisters back to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on the world.

“Hocus Pocus 2” will begin production this fall under the direction of Anne Fletcher (“The Proposal,” “27 Dresses”), who is taking over directing responsibilities from her friend and colleague Adam Shankman (“Hairspray,” “The Wedding Planner”), with Lynn Harris (“The Shallows”) serving as producer. Shankman is currently in production on “Disenchanted” for the studio, which he is directing, but will remain on this project as an executive producer along with Ralph Winter (“Adrift”) and David Kirschner (“Curse of Chucky”). Steven Haft (“Tigerland”) is co-producer.

(Photo credit: Disney)