#FIRSTLOOK: “HILLBILLY ELEGY” TEASER

Ron Howard teams-up with Academy Award nominees Amy Adams and Glenn Close in HILLBILLY ELEGY, coming to Netflix next month. Here’s a phenomenal first look!

Synopsis:

J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student, is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget. J.D. must navigate the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother Bev (Amy Adams), who’s struggling with addiction. Fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), the resilient and whip-smart woman who raised him, J.D. comes to embrace his family’s indelible imprint on his own personal journey.

Teaser:

Artwork:

HILLBILLY ELEGY arrives on Netflix Friday, November 24, 2020.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT HALLOWEEN PRIZE PACK

Halloween is before us! 👻 Paramount Home Entertainment x Mr. Will are thrilled to give Readers a chance to win a Halloween Prize Pack!

One winner will win the following classics:

Stephen King 5-Movie Collection (Blu-ray)

Friday The 13th (1980) (Blu-ray)

Shutter Island (4K UHD/Blu-ray)

The Haunting (Blu-ray)

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK or Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet below:

Enter for a chance to #win this Halloween Collection from Paramount Home Entertainment!

Details: https://t.co/0BbJLwYHIW pic.twitter.com/9pnbLInril

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) October 14, 2020

Rules and regulations here. You must be following!

Open to residents of Canada and the U.S.

(Photo credit: Paramount Home Entertainment)

#COOKING: HONG KONG PORK CHOP RICE RECIPE

Hong Kong Pork Chop Rice. This is a classic. Hong Kong Cuisine takes a lot of traditional Chinese influences and combines them with European ingredients and techniques. It smells like literal heaven when it is baking. It truly is a perfect, comforting dish for the Fall. Mom approves and she’s had many variations of this dish. I too have had many renditions of this, some amazing and some made clearly with a can of tomato soup as the sauce base. Nope. I’m happy with this super-tomatoey take which uses real cheddar versus processed cheese (I’ve really seen it all!). As a bit of a food snob, I totally get those who turn-up their nose at things like garlic powder and ketchup, but they are necessary notes in the dish and the end result wouldn’t be the same without it! I hope you love this little bit of my heritage.

Ingredients:

4 pork chops, deboned and halved
5 cups of cooked white rice
1 cup of chopped green beans, chopped
1/2 white onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1 large tomoato, chopped
1 can of tomato paste
3 tbsps ketchup
3 tbsps white wine
3 tbsps water
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp organic raw sugar
4 slices of Cheddar Cheese
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Parsley

Instructions:

1. Prepare rice and allow to cool.
2. At room temperature, marinate pork chops in a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Allow to stand 30 minutes.
3. Pre-heat oven at 350°F. 4. Heat oil in large skillet. Sautée onions, beans and garlic.
5. Once caramelized, set aside half of this mixture. Shift remaining vegetable mixture to side of skillet.
6. Add about 2 tbsps oil into skillet and fry egg till just done.
7. Add rice and toss in fried egg and vegetables till combined evenly. Season with salt.
8. Add about 1 tsbp of oil into baking dish and coat bottom.
9. Place rice into dish, levelling top.
10. Add 1 tbsp oil into skillet with reserved vegetables.
11. Add chopped tomato and allow to soften (about 3 minutes on medium heat).
12. Add-in ketchup, sugar, wine, Worcestershire, tomato paste and water stirring evenly. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with a bit more salt and pepper.
13. In Air Fryer, cook pork chops for about 7-8 minutes at 350°F till just almost done. Remove from heat.
14. Layer pork chops onto rice in dish and pour tomato sauce over top.
15. Layer top with cheese slices on-top and sprinkle some parsley.
16. Bake for about 6 minutes and then set oven to broil for about 5 minutes till cheese is melted and browned.
17. Allow to stand 15-20 minutes before serving.

Gallery:

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Hong Kong Pork Chop Rice. This is a classic. Hong Kong Cuisine takes a lot of traditional Chinese influences and combines them with European ingredients and techniques. It smells like literal heaven when it is baking is a perfect, comforting dish for the Fall. Mom approves and she’s had many variations of this dish. I too have had many renditions of this, some amazing and some made clearly with a can of tomato soup as the sauce base. Nope. I’m happy with this super-tomatoey take which uses real cheddar versus processed cheese (I’ve really seen it all!). As a bit of a food snob, I totally get those who turn-up their nose at things like garlic powder and ketchup, but they are necessary notes in the dish and the end result wouldn’t be the same without it! I hope you love this little bit of my heritage. How: mrwillwong.com/hkporkchoprice #PorkChop #PorkChopRice #HongKong #HK #Cooking

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Oct 13, 2020 at 3:42pm PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#REELASIAN: PREVIEW OF THE 2020 REEL ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Now in its 24th edition, the Reel Asian Film Festival runs November 12-19, 2020, this year in a digital format available Canada-wide for the first time.

Opening the Festival this year is Ursula Liang‘s Documentary Down a Dark Stairwell which looks at how two coloured communities in New York City navigate a criminal case. The Closing Night selection is a live script reading with cast, the directors, and author of upcoming screenplay Scarborough, following three kids who find community, compassion, and resilience at a drop-in literacy centre over the course of a school year.

Other selections include:

Dust and Ashes, which unfolds over three days as a woman tries to navigate bureaucracy, her mother’s death, and a desperate desire to escape impoverishment; and A Rifle and A Bag, a documentary about a former communist rebel couple’s work to integrate into an unwelcoming Indian society following surrender. Making their Canadian Premiere at the Festival are The Horse Thieves. Roads of Time, a Western about fractured families and survival in the wake of violence; and documentary short I Do My Work, following students as the school year begins at the Afghan National Institute of Music ahead of the 100th anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence; as well as the Ontario Premiere of Moving On, chronicling family relationships, growing up, and getting old as a family moves in with their ailing grandfather in the wake of failed marriages and money troubles; and the Toronto Premiere of Mogul Mowgli, co-written by and starring Emmy-winner Riz Ahmed (Rogue One) which explores self-expression, identity, and intergenerational trauma in a story of a British-Pakistani rapper whose international breakthrough tour is compromised by a debilitating medical condition. The lineup also includes the first French-language Canadian feature to screen at the Festival, The Greatest Country In The World, set in an alternate universe with Quebec borders closed by an anti-immigrant government, desperate people try to make the best of their crumbling world; Goodbye Mother, a Vietnamese LGBTQ story chronicling a son subverting his community’s expectations of patriarchy and legacy, leading to the unearthing of family secrets; The Taste of Pho, which explores the different meanings of home to a father and his daughter; Labyrinth of Cinema, the swansong of the almost 60-year career of the late Japanese director Nobuhiko Obayashi; and an archive presentation of A.K.A. Don Bonus (1995) directed by Spencer Nakasako, a forerunner to the now-popular diary and vlog-style documentary format.

Tickets priced at just $7.99, are on sale October 15, 2020. This and more on the entire slate of selections available at http://reelasian.com.

(Photo credit: Reel Asian)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TEASER TRAILER FOR SEASON FOUR OF “THE CROWN”

A new Teaser Trailer for Season Four of Netflix’s THE CROWN is before us. We’ve seen the costumes, now see Emma Corrin as Princess Diana.

Synopsis:

As the 1970s are drawing to a close, Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) and her family find themselves preoccupied with safeguarding the line of succession by securing an appropriate bride for Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor), who is still unmarried at 30. As the nation begins to feel the impact of divisive policies introduced by Britain’s first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson), tensions arise between her and the Queen which only grow worse as Thatcher leads the country into the Falklands War, generating conflict within the Commonwealth. While Charles’ romance with a young Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin) provides a much-needed fairytale to unite the British people, behind closed doors, the Royal family is becoming increasingly divided.

See the Teaser Trailer:

THE CROWN SEASON FOUR arrives Sunday, November 15, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW CHARACTER POSTERS FOR SEASON TWO OF “THE MANDALORIAN”

These new character posters have been released in advance of the second season of THE MANDALORIAN, coming soon to Disney+.

Synopsis:

The Mandalorian and the Child continue their journey, facing enemies and rallying allies as they make their way through a dangerous galaxy in the tumultuous era after the collapse of the Galactic Empire. “The Mandalorian” stars Pedro Pascal, with guest stars Gina Carano, Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito. Directors for the new season include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Carl Weathers, Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez. Showrunner Jon Favreau serves as executive producer along with Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson, with Karen Gilchrist serving as co-executive producer.

See the new Posters:

THE MANDALORIAN arrives on Disney+ Friday, October 30, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

#FIRSTLOOK: WHAT TO WATCH OCTOBER 2020 – “THIS IS PARIS”, “THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME”, “FATHER OF THE BRIDE 3(ISH)”, “TEHRAN”, “ENOLA HOLMES”, “THE CHEF SHOW”, “EMILY IN PARIS”, “YELLOW ROSE”, THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERISON”, “AMERICAN MURDER: THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR”, “HUBIE HALLOWEEN”

As we roll into Autumn, we get some of the weightier subjects and programming arriving. Here’s our thought on some recent releases worth your attention.

THIS IS PARIS (YOUTUBE)

This one was a pleasant surprise! Free to view for all right now on YouTube is this compelling look at Paris Hilton, known best as “the original influencer” and tabloid staple in the early 2000s, occupying much of our attentions whether we wanted it or not. Director Alexandra Dean really gets intimate with Hilton as for the first time ever, the Socialite discussed some past emotional trauma she had in solitary confinement as a rebellious teenager. Above this, she discusses her public persona and the character she has crafted. We’ve always known there’s a deeper layer to Hilton and this proves it. She is incredibly hard-working, tired, raw and vulnerable here and one cannot help but feel for her. A fascinating and eye-opening watch that digs deeper in a way that no others have before with our subject.

Also important to note this happened!

Okay, so that happened. Love you @ParisHilton. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Fz1nn9rrsa

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 23, 2020

THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME (Netflix)

Director/Writer Antonio Campos gave us something truly riveting in 2016’s CHRISTINE. He’s back with Jake Gyllenhaal-produced THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME, which he co-wrote with brother Paulo, adapting the Novel of the same name by Donald Ray Pollock. The Film with a copious amount of blood and violence, explores religion and corruption in a small rural American town. The First Act gives us back story behind the Film’s central character Arvin (played both by Tom Holland and Michael Banks Repeta), setting-up a backdrop to a world where violence is a form of justice, co-existing in a world of prayer and repent. Arvin loses his parents at a young age and the Second Act sees an intersection of story lines as we meet Sandy (Riley Keough) and Carl (Jason Clarke) who are in pursuit of male victims to photograph, luring them in with a promise of sex before murdering them. We also meet a crooked Sherriff named Lee (Sebastian Stan) who is in pursuit of Arvin, not knowing the twisted things his brother-in-law and sister are up to. Some fantastic performances including that by Holland and interesting character studies here, even though the Film suffers from some issues with pacing, too many characters and hence, story lines and ultimately saying what it needs to say. That doesn’t mean that the 138 minutes aren’t without some rewarding moments, including Robert Pattinson as a flawed Reverend and Bill Skarsgård as Arvin‘s dad, Willard.

FATHER OF THE BRIDE (Netflix’s YouTube Channel)

This was incredibly-sweet. The Cast of FATHER OF THE BRIDE reunite in 2020 as does Director/Writer Nancy Meyer who helms this Short Film reuniting your favourites once again. Four new Cast additions arrive, played by Florence Pugh, Ben Platt, Alexandra Shipp and Robert De Niro. The video conference-set story takes place current day as the family under caring patriarch George (Steve Martin) and Nina (Diane Keaton) are navigating the Pandemic away from one another. Despite the Short Film taking place over split-screen, Meyers still manages to make this experience feel intimate, as if they family are all in a room together as Matty (Kieran Culkin) has an important announcement to make! Martin particularly is wonderful and you really feel everything he is going through as he goes through a spectrum of emotions. A heartwarming watch which many of us didn’t realize existed before now. There also is a call to donate to WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN, details here. And note, right now you can only see this on Netflix‘s YouTube channel.

ENOLA HOLMES (Netflix)

Based on Nancy Springer‘s popular Young Adult novel series, ENOLA HOLMES is a delightful coming of age Mystery-Thriller which likely will be the first in a Series of Films for Netflix. Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown stars in the titular role as a young woman whom on her 16th birthday finds her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) has disappeared. She is the younger sister of world-renowned Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin), the latter who insists she be sent-off to school against her wishes, to become a lady after Enola had spent her childhood being schooled by her mother. Along the way, she meets Tewkesbery (Louis Partridge), a young man on-the-run while he and Enola learn that his uncle wants him dead. Enola must find her mother, while escaping to clutch of her brother Mycroft and protecting her new friend. Brown is fantastic in the Film’s Lead Role, capturing her character’s essence of youth, rebellion and also possessing that special strength which makes her more than just an average teenage girl. While an at-times whimsical adventure, Director Harry Bradbeer tightens the reins at the right moment, creating suspense and tension which make this a fun watch.

TEHRAN (APPLE TV+)

This was a pleasant surprise! TEHRAN is an Espionage-Thriller Series which centers on Niv Sultan as our protagonist Tamar Rabinyan, a Secret Agent and Computer Hacker who was born in Iran, but raised in Israel. She is on a mission to disable an Iranian nuclear reactor, swapping identities with a worker at the company named Zhilla. Just as she’s about to succeed in her mission, in an act of self defense, Tamar winds up killing Zhilla‘s predatory boss. Things begin to spiral horribly out of control and Tamar finds herself hiding from the Head of Armed Forces in Iran, Faraz Kamali (Shaun Toub) who is determined to find her. As the story unfolds, we see Tamar begin to connect with her lost past. The intense eight-episode Series manages to capture well also the tensions between Israel and Iran through its characters including its central character, giving us deep insight into what it means to be caught between the crossfires.

THE CHEF SHOW – SEASON 2 (NETFLIX)

We honestly adore this Series with Chef Roy Choi and Jon Favreau. Our mouth waters at everything they make and finally we get to see how some of the famous treats at MILK BAR are made with Christina Tosi including their famous Cornflake Cookies, Grasshopper Pie and Chocolate Birthday Truffles! We also learn how elevated twists are made to Italian Wedding Soup, Meatball Lasagne and Spaghetti & Meatballs and more! We enjoy the friendly banter which never feels pretentious and some times we learn a thing or two about the history of dishes. Some of the most educational bits of the Show are where things go wrong and Choi shows us how to overcome.

EMILY IN PARIS (NETFLIX)

Darren Star (Sex and the City) returns with his latest brainchild, EMILY IN PARIS which stars Lily Collins. While travelling to Paris right now might not be an option for many amidst the pandemic, the ten-episode Series sweeps us away in the most timely manner. Emily (Collins) works for an American marketing company which acquires a French marketing firm, and is hired with being the American voice for their Social Media platforms. The stylized Series is gorgeous and borrows elements of Sex and the City including its take on romance and searching for love and of course the fantastic fashion, but also it possesses of that fish-out-of-water perspective on life that helps draw us into Emily‘s new world, clumsily learning the language an in turn, so do we. Emily‘s character navigates some acceptance issues from her colleagues, being “The American” in the office and this propels much of the journey as Emily struggles to find her place amidst all this. Collins is cast perfectly. We foresee more seasons to come!

And thank you Netflix for this!

THANK YOU @Netflix_CA FOR THE DARLING CARE PACKAGE. LILY COLLINS STARS IN #EMILYINPARIS, STREAMING FRIDAY! pic.twitter.com/ReEPxnmPyx

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 30, 2020

YELLOW ROSE (Sony Pictures Canada)

This Diana Paragas written and directed Musical Drama did the Festival rounds and is set for a limited theatrical release. The Film centers on an undocumented Filipina teen named Rose (Eva Noblezada) from a small town in Texas, who dreams of becoming a Country Music singer. She also must decide between staying with her family or leaving the only home she has ever known. At the center of the YELLOW ROSE is a story about the unbreakable bond between mother and daughter that is truly affecting, while also dealing with a frightening reality for many in America today. Front and center is the talented Noblezada who carries the entire Film on her own navigating Rose‘s youth, but also displaying a wisdom beyond her character’s young age. She excels both in the Film’s Drama and Comedy, and more so the musicality required of her role. Liam Booth as Rose‘s love interest Elliot possesses an organic awkwardness which pairs well with her and the Film’s biggest surprise is Broadway legend Lea Salonga as Rose‘s unlikable aunt, Gail. The timely Film opens our eyes to a reality many are facing today in America and succeeds largely in making a statement, while exploring the world from the view of an outsider hoping so much to find her place in the world. YELLOW ROSE is in select theatres Friday, October 9, 2020.

THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (Netflix)

Starring, directed and written by Radha Blank, this Sundance U.S. Dramatic Competition Directing Award winning Comedy makes its way to Netflix for us to enjoy. The Film centers around Radha (Blank) who once showed great potential as a Playwright but finds herself struggling and teaching a community class, to a group of snappy young adults. She re-invents herself as a Rapper, RadhaMUSPrime, and with the help of her friend Archie (Peter Kim), sees a play of hers brought to life as a stage production. The Film grapples with what it means to Radha to put out something authentic as a Black Artist, versus something that is expected of her. Along the way, she meets Producer D (first-time Actor Oswin Benjamin) and a romance looms between him and Radha which helps set her on the path to finding herself in her craft. The Comedy is searing and the insults burn, but THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION leaves a mark and we look forward to more from the fresh voice that is Radha Blank.

HUBIE HALLOWEEN (Netflix)

Happy Madison Productions are back and they delivery some goofy, spooky antics in time for Halloween. Make no mistake, HUBIE HALLOWEEN won’t be up for any Awards, but if you’re a fan of Adam Sandler and his zany brand of humour, this might be a worthwhile way to be entertained. Sandler plays Salem’s resident “Halloween Helper” Hubie Dubois (Sandler) often the butt of others’ jokes. After a disappearance takes place, coincidentally of one of Hubie‘s bullies, Hubie finds himself both suspected and in the thick of investigating what happened. Sometimes the answers are closer than you think. The star-studded HUBIE HALLOWEEN is what it is and it means well as Sandler has a knack for tackling these underdog roles and delivering some laugh-out-loud moments along the way.

AMERICAN MURDER: THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR (Netflix)

Jenny Popplewell directs this concise and riveting Documentary which centers around the murder investigation of Shanann Cathryn Watts and her daughters Bella and Celeste. What makes Popplewell’s storytelling so compelling is the access she had to footage as Watts had been very active on Social Media and she was very candid with her friends in sharing details of her marriage. Through this she is able to paint a vivid picture of the events leading-up to this great tragedy. Her husband Christopher finds himself at the center of the investigation as a suspect and as the story progresses, we get a clearer picture of the shocking motives behind this heinous act. Definitely an intriguing watch.

We also have reviews for new releases THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7, ON THE ROCKS, POSSESSOR (UNCUT) and SPONTANEOUS right here.

(Photo/video credit: YouTube/Netflix)

#FIRSTLOOK: “PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN” TRAILER

We can’t wait! We’ve been obsessed with PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN since all the buzz coming out of Sundance. Here’s a new Trailer and Artwork.

Synopsis:
From visionary director Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) comes a delicious new take on revenge. Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman… until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be: she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past in this thrilling and wildly entertaining story.

Trailer:

Artwork:

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN will be in theatres Christmas Day via Focus Features and Universal Pictures Canada.

(Photo/video credit: Focus Features)

#FIRSTLOOK: “UNSOLVED MYSTERIES VOLUME 2”

As if we weren’t mortified enough from Volume 1, here come a new set of six Unsolved Mysteries! We’re so intrigued by the episode about Tsunami Spirits, perfect for Halloween!

See the Trailer for Volume 2 of UNSOLVED MYSTERIES:

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES VOLUME 2 arrives on Netflix Friday, October 19, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#FIRSTLOOK: “THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2”

Great news! Bill Hader and Javon Walton have joined the Cast of THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2. Hader voices a new character, Cyrus, while Walton will voice the youngest Addams sibling! While it won’t be out till later next year, here’s a little sneak peek to get us excited!

Some new Artwork from the Movie:

Superfans also will have a shot at entering for a chance to be heard in the Film. More details here!

THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2 will be in theatres via Universal Pictures Canada Halloween 2021.

(Photo/video credit: MGM)