Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

When popular high-schooler Sara (Mary Nepi) loses her virginity she rapidly becomes pregnant and gives birth to something other-worldly.

Directors Stephen Cedars and Benji Kleiman have created a hilarious Horror-Comedy that’s a mix between your favourite Alien genre Film and High-School Comedy Film. There is a lot of fun to be had with Snatchers, this is due to its tight Script, creepy creature and lovable characters. Those characters are shot to life by a charismatic young Cast who delight.

Snatchers screens at SXSW on March 10 at 11:30PM at Stateside Theatre, March 12 at 11:30PM at Alamo Lamar E, and March 14 at 4:45PM at Alamo Lamar A.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Run This Town follows a young reporter (Ben Platt) who gets a tip that there is a video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (Damien Lewis) smoking crack.

Writer-Director Ricky Tollman has crafted a Film told from the perspectives of the newspaper reporters – primarily Platt’s character who is eager to break his first story – those who worked at City Hall at that time. This Film offers a look into the Toronto government during the Rob Ford scandal and draws parallels to the political climate today.

The Cast, including Platt, Nina Dobrev and Scott Speedman, are great. However, all eyes are on an unrecognizable Lewis who has convincingly transformed into Ford.

Run This Town screens at SXSW on March 9 at 8:30 PM at Stateside, March 11 at 11 AM at Alamo Lamar A, and March 15 at 11:15 AM at Alamo Ritz 1.

By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

It’s day four of the SXSW Festival and things are still moving a mile a minute. We attended two different Panels today that consisted of Actors and Producers of some of our favourite movies.

The first talk was from Ethan Hawke and Jason Blum who are here promoting their newest Film together called Adopt A Highway. It follows an ex-convict who finds a child in a dumpster and changes his life. The two spoke about working on prior projects together, such as Sinister and The Purge, and how Adopt A Highway is different from those. Blum stated that 80 per cent of the Films Blumhouse produces are of the Horror genre, while 20 per cent aren’t. His newest Film falls in the 20 per cent category. He said that he makes sure he really loves the content and the people working on the project if it is going to be outside of the Horror genre. The two also spoke about their long-time friendship, which even got Blum teary-eyed.

The second Panel was for the star and Executive Producer of the new Hulu show, Shrill. Aidy Bryant stars as Annie, a woman who wants to change her life but never her figure.  Elizabeth Banks serves as Executive Producer and also  attended the Panel. Banks had a lot to talk about in regards to the Show and her career from starting out as an actress to now producing and directing some of the most successful Film and TV Shows. “I am here for the revolution, that is women making more content,” she proudly pronounced to a huge round of applause. Banks also spoke about her upcoming Charlie’s Angels Film which she is directing, producing, writing and acting in! She said she doesn’t want to give too much away, but is really excited for it.

Then the Film Premieres began down at The Paramount Theatre once again tonight. First up was the newest Film from Director Chris Morris called The Day Shall Come. It stars Anna Kendrick, Danielle Brooks, Jim Gaffigan, Marchánt Davis and more. Before the Film started, the stars arrived and each spent time with their fans.

The final Film of the night was Good Boys which has a lot of Canadian talent attached to it. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg produced the Film and Canada’s golden boy Jacob Tremblay stars in it. The Trailer for the Film also dropped today, and for those of you who have seen it, then you know this Film is going to be funny. And we can confirm it is the funniest Film we have seen at SXSW and in a while! The audience constantly was laughing or having “aww” moments during Good Boys. The boys charmed the audience in-person also in their Q&A.

Things begin to slow down a bit starting tomorrow as the Festival’s Awards Ceremony honouring those titles in competition, will take place in the evening.

By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

We are on Day Three of the SXSW Festival and the majority of our day was spent walking around some pretty great installations.

The first one we attended was a fan art installation for Jordan Peele‘s Us. The moment you walk in, you’re faced with the costumes the Actors wore and the soon to be iconic scissors they use. You are then given a card that gets you one free download for the Soundtrack of the Film. They also treat guests to two drinks as they walk around the Exhibit. The Art is stunning to look and even more amazing considering it is Fan Art based on its Trailer alone.

Then we headed to Amazon Prime Video’s Good Omens exhibit, taking place over an entire outdoor parking lot, and had quite the queue to get in. Once inside, you are given a free umbrella and tote bag that displays the Show’s title. As you walk around, Top 40 music is blared from Drake, Ariana Grande, Cardi B as you are treated to free chicken and pork, drinks, beers and wines. There is an area for people to get their hair and nails done, once again for complimentary, and a huge floor chess board for people to use. However, one of the greatest parts for us was getting to see the adorable puppies they had for guests to pet and swoon over! It is hands down one of the best times I’ve experienced so far this SXSW. It’s also certainly put the new show Good Omens, starring David Tennant and Martin Sheen, on our must-see list with all its hype. Check out the Trailer if you don’t believe us!

When it came to the evening, the Premieres started down at the Stateside and Paramount Theatres. The first of the evening was Netflix‘s The Highwaymen, starring Woody Harrelson and Kevin Costner. Word has it that Willie Nelson and Matthew McConaughey came to the Premiere also.

Next was Adopt A Highway, it’s a Blumhouse Production and stars Ethan Hawke, Betty Gabriel and more. While fans were waiting to catch a glimpse of Hawke from outside the theatre, they were surprised by two actors who were waiting to go in. Both André Holland (Moonlight) and Sterling K. Brown (This is Us) were outside Stateside Theatre talking on the sidewalk. When fans noticed it was them, they formed a crowd circling around them. Both were very patient and took Selfies with any fans who asked.

The final Premiere of the night was Booksmart, which is the directorial debut for Olivia Wilde. Nearly everyone in the Cast was on-stage for the affair. When they arrived at the Red Carpet, many were friendly with the fans, but none more so than Wilde and her partner, Jason Sudeikis who stars in the Film too. Both came over immediately from exiting their vehicle and took time with fans. It was an extra special night for Wilde as she was celebrating her birthday. When she came on-stage to intro the Film, the SXSW team surprised her with a cake and the entire audience serenaded her with Happy Birthday. When the Film was over, the audience gave a standing audience with loud cheers. It’s true, Wilde‘s first Feature is a beautiful and near-perfect coming-of-age story. Review here.

There are no signs of SXSW slowing down as there are even more Red Carpet Premieres are taking place tomorrow. There will also be some Panels consisting of Jason Blum, Ethan Hawke, Aidy Bryant and Elizabeth Banks. So stay tuned!

(Photo credit: Amanda Gilmore)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

On the last day of high school before graduation two education driven best friends (Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever) decide to go into unchartered territory and attend a high school party.

Booksmart is a beautiful study of how strong the bond between best friends can be, while being an authentic and hilarious coming-of-age story. Director Olivia Wilde’s precision makes it hard to believe this is her first time directing a feature. When it comes to the performances every actor is perfectly cast in each of the multi-layered characters. Feldstein and Dever make star-turning leading roles that are infectious. The two of them together light up the screen with their magnetic chemistry.

Booksmart screens at SXSW on March 10 at 9:40 PM at The Paramount Theatre.

Boys being real bad! See the hilarious new, expletive-filled Trailer for Vancouver-made GOOD BOYS starring our v. Jacob Tremblay! Producer Seth Rogen intros the Trailer with the Film’s three young stars, but notes how they aren’t old enough yet to see their own Trailer!

Synopsis:
Max (Jacob Tremblay), 12, and his three friends skip school to embark on a day-long adventure in the San Fernando Valley to fix a broken toy before their parents get home.

See the NSFW Trailer:

Universal Pictures Canada release GOOD BOYS Friday, August 19, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

This Documentary takes an in-depth look into the breakthrough called CRISPR, technology that can be used to edit genes within organisms. This has the ability to cure disease, reshaping the biosphere and designing future children.

Human Nature is an eye-opening look into the world of CRISPR and what it can possibly achieve in the future. Director Adam Bolt takes a look at both sides, one opposed to what CRISPR can achieve and one who can’t wait to see what it does accomplish. It will open minds and also shape the way we look at what Science beholds.

Human Nature screens at SXSW on March 10 at 11:45M at Atom Theatre at Austin Convention Center, March 12 at 8PM at Alamo Lamar A, and March 14 at 5PM at Alamo Ritz 2.

Eight episode series TURN UP CHARLIE, the passion project of People Magazine’s reigning Sexiest Man Alive, Idris Elba, is that ray of light we need amidst out winter doldrums. The American production filmed in the UK, surfaces on Netflix in March.

The Comedy centers on former one hit wonder-turned-DJ, the titular Charlie (Elba), who still is figuring it out in life, sharing a living space with his aunt. Struggling to make ends meet, he encounters a change of luck when his best friend David (JJ Field) and wife Sara (Piper Perabo) return from the U.S. and entrust him as the nanny of their problematic daughter Gabrielle (Frankie Hervey). Charlie just may have find his soul mate in tough-talking Gabrielle, who inspires him with the honesty he needs to hear to get his life in order.  In the meantime, we get laughs at the expense of Elba‘s self-deprecation.

This is Idris Elba like you’ve never seen, getting a challenge in lighter fare, giving the real-life DJ and Musician a chance to stretch his wings in showing us a different side to his creativity.  Both Charlie and Gabrielle grow in different ways from one another and to be honest, it is a quick watch making these eight episodes highly-digestible.  We even foresee the series going a bit further and Perabo‘s Sara gives Turn Up Charlie a sense of familiarity that is warm. Keep your eyes peeled for some cameos including Craig David!

Learn more about TURN UP CHARLIE here. It streams Friday, March 19, 2019 on Netflix.

By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

We are onto Day Two of SXSW and it feels as though things are just taking flight!

We started our day at The Daily Show‘s Presidental Twitter Library for Donald J. Trump. This was one hell of an experience. As soon as you walk in there are caricatures of people Trump has given unique nicknames. As you walk through the wide lobby and go into different rooms there are many of his famous Tweets, and also some of his deleted ones. Nothing compares to the back room where there is a golden toilet that guests can sit on and get their photo taken. One unique, and hilarious, addition to this event is the startling alarm that blares whenever Trump actually publishes a new Tweet. The Daily Show has truly raised the bar high making this a memorable experience for Festival-goers at SXSW.

We then headed over to the Hilton Hotel where the ACLU was holding the Making Change On and Off The Screen Featured Session. On hand to talk was the Executive Director of the ACLU Anthony Romero, Actress Amber Heard, Author and Top Chef Host Padma Lakshmi, and Actor and Director Ike Barinholtz. Heard, Lakshmi and Barinholtz spoke about what it means to be ACLU Ambassadors in Women’s Rights, Immigration Rights and Voter Rights respectively. A big topic the four were speaking about was how everyone can be an Activist in the world today. “Everyone has the power to start a revolution,” Heard said. When it came to speaking about the change that has happened in Hollywood since the #MeToo Movement began Barinholtz said he sees change happening. “I think Showbiz is heading in the right direction,” he affirmed. After the hour-long discussion fans rushed up to the stage to take photos with Heard who was more than willing to spend time with fans.

Then it was time to hit the red carpets and premieres of some of the biggest movies at the Festival. First up was The Beach Bum, which is the latest Film for Director Harmony Korine. Two surprise appearances on the Red Carpet and at the Q&A following the Film were from Martin Lawrence and Jimmy Buffett, who both act alongside Matthew McConaughey. McConaughey and Isla Fisher were front and center at the Premiere. Review here.

The last Premiere of the night at The Paramount was Long Shot, starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen who were both in attendance. When guests first got into the theatre they were handed a complimentary concession token worth $10. Director Jonathan Levine, Rogen and Theron introduced the Film and contributed to a short Q&A following because they had another surprise in store for the audience. That surprise was that Boyz II Men were there and performed for all of us! They sang two songs, the second was “I’ll Make Love To You” with the band give roses to the women in the audience. The audience went absolutely insane. It appeared like Rogen and Theron enjoyed the performance also, as both were singing to the music. When the performance was over guests left the venue and realized another treat was in store. They gave everyone a jacket that is identical to the one Rogen wears in the Film. Review here.

It was a very eventful day, one we would love to relive all over again! We can only look forward to tomorrow which will be another eventful day. There are more Pop-Ups to be seen and Olivia Wilde will be making her directorial debut with Booksmart which will have its World Premiere tomorrow night. Check back for more!

Check out our gallery of the day below. Hover cursor right to move forward:

(Photo credit: Amanda Gilmore)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Recently unemployed journalist Fred (Seth Rogen) reunites with his first crush, now Secretary of State Charlotte (Charlize Theron). When Charlotte decides to run for President she hires Fred to be her Speech Writer and the two fall for each other.

Long Shot is a hilarious Film with a bunch of heart. The Filmmakers have interwoven social rights issues, particularly on gender biases, into their Comedy. Making this an entirely entertaining Film that also has important, topical messages throughout. Theron is given a role that displays a different kind of vulnerability than we have seen her exhibit before, and she shines. Overall, this Film is a joy from start to finish.

Long Shot screens at SXSW on March 9 at 9:30 PM at The Paramount Theatre.