PRETTY IN PINK is one of our favourite films of all time and for the first time ever, it’s released on Blu-ray™!

Synopsis:

A newly remastered Blu-ray, from a 4K film transfer supervised by director Howard Deutch, Pretty in Pink looks prettier than ever. Teen sensations Molly Ringwald (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club) and Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo’s Fire) drew rave reviews for their starring performances in this hit love story produced and written by John Hughes (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles ). Andie is a high school girl from the other side of town. Blane’s the wealthy heartthrob who asks her to the prom. But as fast as their romance builds, it’s threatened by the painful reality of peer pressure. From its bittersweet story to its hip New Wave soundtrack, the film features great supporting performances from Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, James Spader and Annie Potts.

Special Features:

New Special Features:

• FILMMAKER FOCUS: Director Howard Deutch on Pretty in Pink
• Isolated Score

Original Special Features:

• THE LOST DANCE: The Original Ending
• Original Theatrical Trailer

Artwork:

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Rules and regulations here.

PRETTY IN PINK is available now on Blu-ray™. Order a copy here.

(Photo credit: Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment)

In memory of the 40th anniversary of John Lennon‘s death, Britbox Canada has acquired and will premiere LENNON’S LAST WEEKEND, a Documentary which looks at the icon’s final days.

Synopsis:

Produced by MGMM Studios for Sky Arts UK and distributed internationally by Abacus Media Rights, Lennon’s Last Weekend features the BBC Radio interview Lennon gave in person in December of 1980, the day before being murdered. With a new album to promote, Double Fantasy with Yoko Ono, Lennon sat down and spoke candidly to Radio One D.J. Andy Peebles of the BBC about everything from The Beatles’ break-up, working with fellow music legends, producing solo albums and life in New York.

LENNON’S LAST WEEKEND arrives on Britbox Canada this December.

(Photo credit: REX)

Beginning October 1, 2020, Hollywood Suite presents a month of Horror in SHOCKTOBER with 70 classics and two new Canadian Features for you to enjoy, FAKING A MURDERER and THE SANCTUARY.

FAKING A MURDERER (2020) premieres Wednesday, October 14 at 9:00 pm ET on HS00–Filmmaking duo Adam Rodness and Stu Stone stumble upon a series of online videos which they believe contain a man confessing to a murder of someone named Stacy. With “True Crime” being the hottest genre in the industry, they decide that they too should cash in on the trend, creating a hit series of their own. After convincing a broadcaster this project is sure to be a success, their pitch earns them the green light. Adam and Stu hit the ground running and begin their investigation, hire a production crew and head out on the road. Only, they don’t know exactly where to start. As time ticks away and their bank account runs dry, they must go to any means necessary to deliver what they promised. What they believe to be a straightforward murder case turns into an unforgettable manhunt that could have deadly consequences for all.

THE SANCTUARY (2019) premieres Monday, October 12 at 10:40 pm ET on HS00– After the brutal murder of his girlfriend, killer Wade Overton escapes from custody. While on the run, Wade eventually finds refuge with an elderly couple. As Wade plots their demise, it becomes clear that appearances are not always what they seem.

Other classics, sorted by era are:

Hollywood Suite 70s Movies Channel – HS70

Blackmail (1929) Thursday, October 15 at 9:00 pm ET – The oldest title in the Hollywood Suite library, this early Alfred Hitchcock thriller is about a London woman who is blackmailed after killing a man who tried to attack her.

Gojira (1954) Thursday, October 10 at 9:00 pm ET – Director Ishiro Honda’s original Godzilla movie is not only a horror story about a seemingly unstoppable beast created by American nuclear weapons testing, but also a somber exploration of conflicted postwar emotions.

Suspiria (1977) Friday, October 30 at 9:00 pm ET – An American newcomer to a prestigious German ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amid a series of grisly murders. Directed by Dario Argento and starring Jessica Harper, Suspiria received critical acclaim for its visual and stylistic flair, use of vibrant colours and its score by Argento and the progressive rock band Goblin.

Hollywood Suite 80s Movies Channel – HS80

Chopping Mall (1986) Saturday,October 17 at 9:00 pm ET – Director Jim Wynorski’s tale of a group of young shopping mall employees who stay after closing for a late-night party. It’s all fun and games until the mall goes into lockdown and the robot security guards malfunction, setting off a killing spree.

Near Dark (1987) Sunday, October 25 at 9:00 pm ET – It’s a western and a horror rolled into one. After he is bitten by a beautiful drifter, a small-town boy reluctantly joins a group of travelling vampires. Starring Adrian Pasdar, Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen, this Weird West work is directed by Kathryn Bigelow and features a cameo from James Cameron.

Inferno (1980) Friday, October 30 at 10:35 pm ET – A thematic sequel to Suspiria, the film is the second part of Dario Argento’s “Three Mothers” trilogy. An American college student in Rome and his sister in New York investigate a series of killings in both cities where their resident addresses are the domain of two covens of witches.

Hollywood Suite 90s Movies Channel – HS90

The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) Sunday, October 25 at 9:00 pm ET – It’s a little bit of history repeating when an outcast teenage girl is taunted by a group of high school jocks, all of them unaware of her cutthroat telekinetic powers, which leads to a horrible massacre. Amy Irving reprises her role as survivor-turned-guidance-counselor Sue Snell in Katt Shea’s follow-up to the famous 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) Saturday, October 31 at 9:00 pm ET – The seventh installment in the Halloween franchise, directed by Steve Miner and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Adam Arkin, Michelle Williams and Josh Hartnett, is a do-over ignoring anything that happened in films 3–6. Laurie Strode has faked her death in order to go into hiding from her brother, Michael Myers. But you can’t trick evil, and he finds her working at a private boarding school in California.

Hollywood Suite 2000s Movies Channel – HS00

George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead (2009) Friday, October 23 at 9:00 pm ET–Written and directed by George A. Romero and starring Alan van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh and Kathleen Munroe, this is the sixth entry in Romero’s Night of the Living Dead series and was the last film to be directed by Romero before his death in 2017. On an island off the coast of North America, local residents simultaneously fight a zombie epidemic while hoping for a cure to return their undead relatives back to their human state.

Green Room (2015) Monday, October 12 at 9:00 pm ET – A punk band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-nazi skinhead bar. The all-star cast includes Patrick Stewart, Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat and Macon Blair.

For more, visit hollywoodsuite.ca.

(Photo credit: Hollywood Suite)

By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

During the ’50s and ’60s, the Black community mobilized to fight racial discrimination across the United States. One of the most influencial voices leading the movement was Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, we celebrate the monumental work and impact King had. However, back then many Americans were critical and conflicted on his work. J. Edgar Hoover, who at the time was the Director of the FBI, viewed King’s involvement as part of a Communist plot. MLK/FBI examines Hoover’s relentless campaign of surveillance and harassment against King, with his end goal being to destroy the Civil Rights Hero.

Inspired by the work of Historian David Garrow, Filmmaker Sam Pollard uses recently declassified files to study the FBI’s motives and methods behind targeting King. Pollard, along with his Screenwriters, focus-in on King between ’55 to ’68. They cover the infamous Bus Boycott, the “I Have A Dream” speech, his stance on the Vietnam War, and his eventual assassination. These pivotal moments in history are displayed through extensive archive footage. This gives an authentic and current feeling to the historical context. 

Pollard’s focus isn’t solely on King, but also Hoover and the corrupt practices that took place within government agencies. In doing so, he examines the Sexism and Racism behind King‘s wiretapping. There’s also a good balance of information from multiple voices. Pollard includes a colleague of King‘s, a former FBI agent, and Historians who each have a different opinion on MLK/FBI’s central storyline. This makes for an inspired Documentary that’s a well-rounded examination of both King and Hoover’s FBI.

Pollard doesn’t shy away from unflattering information about King. The FBI wiretaps allegedly proved that King had multiple affairs. These tapes are said to be released to the public in 2027. This Film questions how Historians should treat these recordings, and how much of that we can believe considering Hoover’s targetting of King. It’s through examining his affairs that the Film shines a light no matter how celebrated a public persona might be, there can be a complex gray area about them as well. This however, never overshadows King‘s accomplishments in the Film.

This powerful Documentary has arrived at a pivotal time. The parallels between the work King did in the ’50s and ’60s and the Black Lives Matter movement today are striking. Sadly, so is the reality of government institutions unjustly targeting the Black community. Not enough has changed.

MLK/FBI screens at TIFF ’20:

By Mr. Will Wong

The 2020 TIFF TRIBUTE AWARDS, now in its second year, took place tonight virtually and were aired on CTV. Hosted by eTalk’s newest addition Co-Anchor Tyrone Edwards and Chloe Wilde, the Awards in the absence of an in-person gala this year, were comprised of taped introductions and speeches from recipients in five categories.

Recipients tonight included Director Mira Nair at TIFF ’20 with A SUITABLE BOY; Terence Blanchard who scored Regina King‘s acclaimed TIFF ’20 selection ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI; Tracey Deer who directs this year’s BEANS; Sir Anthony Hopkins who stars in THE FATHER at the Festival; Director Chloé Zhao, at the Festival with NOMADLAND; and Kate Winslet who stars in very buzzed AMMONITE.

Presenters and speakers on the broadcast included: Regina King, Martin Scorsese, Delroy Lindo, Colin Farrell, Rosamund Pike, Ava DuVernay, Jodi Foster, Olivia Colman, Brie Larson, Jason Reitman and more.

Performing Stevie Wonder‘s Stevie Wonder’s “Love’s in Need of Love Today“, Toronto’s Shawn Mendes appeared on the broadcast announcing that his Shawn Mendes Foundation will launch an annual Changemaker Award for Filmmakers making film with a social message.

Frontline workers from Toronto area hospitals also have been invited to attend special screenings of some of the Festival’s marquee Films like CONCRETE COWBOY as a special gesture of thanks for their hard work amidst these challenging times.

Those honoured tonight and some memorable quotes:

TIFF IMPACT AWARD – MIRA NAIR

Nair: “When I work, it feels like fun. Thanks TIFF for an award to have my fun and the extraordinary privilege to make Cinema. To know my fun and art have made change which is a beautiful feeling. If we don’t tell our stories nobody will, but more so in this, I’ve learned the great power of listening and being porous.”.

TIFF VARIETY ARTISAN AWARD – TERENCE BLANCHARD

Blanchard: “I’m humbled by this entire experience. My life in Film has been one of growth and expansion for decades. I originally set-out to be Jazz performer but being in this realm has expanded my creative ability beyond my belief. I love Toronto and have been coming many years. To get award from place I love so much, warms my heart.”.

TIFF EMERGING TALENT AWARD – TRACEY DEER

Deer: “I’ve wanted be Filmmaker since I was 12 and now I’m living my dream come true. Thank you my community… and the biggest thanks to my mother who told me when I was a girl that I can do whatever I want and not let anyone get in my way. My mother is always right and this is something indigenous kids need to hear. Their voices are important and we need to create an environment they can feel safe in and I put out a challenge to do all we can to make it better for them.”.

TIFF TRIBUTE ACTORS AWARD – SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS

Hopkins: “I’m astonished I’m still in work at my age. I want to thank front-line workers and first responders around the world. This award is yours. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Have a great day, have a great life.”.

TIFF EBERT DIRECTOR AWARD – CHLOÉ ZHAO

Zhao: “I’m so amazed by the hard work TIFF has done putting a festival together, to help us take a break from all the craziness this year. It’s incredible what you have done. One most important takeaway I have from my four films is that when I entered the industry I felt it was competitive and didn’t know anyone. If I fail or make mistakes, I carry this with me for a long time. I feel lucky people I work with are there when I succeed and when I fail. Would like to share this with them.”.

TIFF TRIBUTE ACTOR AWARD – KATE WINSLET

Winslet: “It does feel odd to get an award in a time like this. Since I am able to say few words., I’d like to offer my deepest sympathies to families and individuals whose lives forever have been altered over the past six months. I commend TIFF for keeping the poignancy of storytelling alive. Even more so as we piece together this world and everything happening in it. However minor my thoughts might be, my feelings are heartfelt that we can return to a healthier reality with kindness and respect regardless of race, gender, beliefs or sexual orientation.”.

More on the Awards here.

(Photo credit: TIFF)

Lucasfilm‘s THE MANDALORIAN sure has won legions of fans since it debuted on Disney+. Fans will be thrilled to know that Season Two is before us and here’s the Trailer!

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, 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. 

See the Trailer:

Season Two of THE MANDALORIAN arrives Thursday, October 30, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

Kirsten Johnson won much acclaim at Sundance earlier this year with her Documentary DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD, winning the Special Jury Award for Innovation in Nonfiction Storytelling. The Film is coming soon to Netflix!

Synopsis:

A lifetime of making documentaries has convinced award-winning filmmaker Kirsten Johnson of the power of the real. But now she’s ready to use every escapist movie-making trick in the book – staging inventive and fantastical ways for her 86-year-old psychiatrist father to die while hoping that cinema might help her bend time, laugh at pain and keep her father alive forever. The darkly funny and wildly imaginative DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD is a love letter from a daughter to a father, creatively blending fact and fiction to create a celebratory exploration of how movies give us the tools to grapple with life’s profundity. DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD was filmed, produced and directed by Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson), produced by Katy Chevigny and Marilyn Ness, co-produced by Maureen A. Ryan and executive produced by Megan Ellison.

See the Trailer:

DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD arrives on Netflix Friday, October 2, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

SOCIAL DISTANCE is an eight-part anthology series coming soon to Netflix produced during the Quarantine.

Synopsis:

Set in the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, SOCIAL DISTANCE is an eight-part anthology series that showcases the power of the human spirit in the face of uncertainty and isolation. Each standalone episode is told through a virtual lens and captures the unique emotional experience of being forced apart by circumstance and having no choice but to communicate remotely and rely on technology to maintain any sense of connection. Through these varied and deeply human stories, SOCIAL DISTANCE aims to provide some much-needed catharsis during a tumultuous time while also capturing a snapshot of this singular moment in history.

Some stills:

SOCIAL DISTANCE arrives on Netflix Thursday, October 15, 2020.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Cole (Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things) has been expelled from his Detroit school for fighting. With nowhere else to go, his mother drives him to stay with his Dad, Harp (Idris Elba), for the summer in North Philadelphia. Cole does not really know him, and is not aware that Harp spends his time caring for the horses with other local cowboys at the stables down the street. With few options available, Cole starts working at the stables during the day and spends his nights hanging out with his drug-dealing friend Smush (Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome).

My central issue with Concrete Cowboy is how exhausting and longwinded it feels. Does Staub want to focus on Harp, his fellow riders and the urban cowboy subculture they are a part of, or does he want to focus on the strained relationship between Harp and Cole? Or should the focus be on Cole and Smush’s friendship and the dangerous path it is leading towards? The Film never seems content enough to settle on one through line, and spends far too much of its 111-minute running time jumping between all three of these Subplots and the assortment of intriguing but underdeveloped characters that populate them. Worse, Staub shoots the Film with handheld, digital cameras and no tripods. So no matter what is happening in the scene, the camera is always shaking and never steady. It is certainly an eclectic choice for a Film like this, but it makes watching it an increasingly frustrating experience.

Concrete Cowboy is an admirable debut feature from Co-Writer/Director Ricky Staub. He tells a story about a subculture few of us were aware of previously, and he strives for authenticity in every frame. The story is personal and his direction reflects that. Elba is not the lead here, but he is just as rock solid and dependable as he always is – and he looks wicked riding a horse (is there anything he cannot do?). McLaughlin holds his own against him and does a great job as the Film’s Lead. He digs down deep into Cole’s psyche, playing into his confused, emotionally fragile state with ease. He is keenly aware of the expectations the audience has of him as a Child Actor in one of their favourite Netflix series and is all too pleased to subvert and flip them around entirely.

As the Credits roll, we are treated to brief talking head clips from the real life cowboys starring in the Film discussing the challenges that urban development and gentrification have created for them. The clips are far too short, but their words are fascinating and illuminating. I found myself immediately much more interested in what was happening, and then really disappointed when they ended so quickly. Why this was not the immediate and only focus of the Film?

CONCRETE COWBOY screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:

Sun, Sep 13
TIFF Bell Lightbox
9:00pm

Mon, Sep 14
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm

Sat, Sep 19
TIFF Bell Lightbox
9:00pm

By Mr. Will Wong

She’s been nominated for Oscars, juggling Writer, Producer and Director caps and TIFF was fortunate enough to have Ava DuVernay appear virtually for an In Conversation With… tonight with TIFF‘s Artistic Director and Co-Head, Cameron Bailey. DuVernay reflected on her career path which has included many firsts including being the first ever black female Director to be nominated for an Oscar with 2014’s Selma.

On the success of Netflix Documentary 13th which looks at the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which outlawed slavery:

“Though you’d think it would be Selma and A Wrinkle in Time, most people know me internationally for 13th as those two didn’t get a wide release.”.

On the impact of Netflix‘s When They See Us. Bailey let DuVernay know that No. 1-ranked Tennis Player Naomi Osaka has been wearing masks donning the names of black people whose deaths have been named in protests against racial injustice. She was inspired by the DuVernay-created, written and directed Mini-Series.

“Did she do that really? This is a story of Black Criminalization. The idea black people are inherently criminal. It doesn’t matter that Cameron Bailey is the Maestro to one of the biggest Film Festivals in the world. He’s a black man and he will be suspected for whatever’s gone wrong within a two mile radius. This is ingrained in our systems. When you can find a story that allows you to interrogate this – like this particular story – about five boys and how young they were and their story was catapulted to the top of the news in the U.S. What did they do? Are you sure? Should they stop resisting? Where were their parents? All those questions make the victim accountable for a crime against them. As much as Trisha Meili (the victim) was traumatized, these boys and all their families were traumatized. When you convict one person, we see the tentacles of that accusation on a family and a generation. Making a five-hour Movie was an adventure, but a forum I really embraced because it allowed us to tell this story from boys to men and how the system applied to every stage of their lives.”.

Bailey asks DuVernay how she feels about this age of using image and video as evidence.

“We’re able to use it to further our cause, but it’s always been used as that. You saw white folks who’d go to lynchings and see bodies hanging as entertainment. Martin Luther King – and I wish I had time to name the rest – all the people who made Selma and the Civil Rights Movement happen. They all did it before cameras so that it could be talked about by following generations.”.

“Images bear witness to tell the story to change the story. We have to make sure it’ts not used as propaganda and is used for truth-telling and protection. I look forward to using image in a fashion not to state that we matter, as much as I’m an advocate and participant in the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m resentful we even have to say the words. Images help that conversation be had. Hopefully, we can keep looking at these things and get to a time when it’s not needed.”.

On balancing real-life trauma with her own vision:

“Asking people to relive a tough time in their life is difficult. But to be able to get them to participate, say their truth, see the Script, be on-set and look at Editing Room material – to be involved in a progressive way – helps them to recreate the process so it’s not so traumatic when they see it on screen and so they feel it’s part of their story.”.

On casting Toronto’s Stephan James in Selma:

“A friend of mine had seen him as a side character in something else. We couldn’t find his agent or the kid. Aisha Coley (Casting Director) found the kid and the agent, and the agent didn’t call back. We are down to the wire to cast this and we needed to see him. We say it’s for Selma and it’s Canada and they don’t know what that is! We get him on tape, off to Atlanta and he’s spectacular and sublime. He’s beautiful and eager and gave a great performance. I just see him and go ‘My little Stephan!’.”.

On creating a creative space:

“I’m always welcoming you into my space, ‘Come on in, this is my space!’. I expect everyone to treat the space with respect and others with respect. This is space we’re sharing, it’s like our home while we’re shooting. These are Mama’s rules and stay within rules you’ll be just fine. I believe in just being welcoming to people and being kind from Actors to Crew to Executives.”.

On “safe spaces”:

“We’ve progressed from 5, 10 years ago. You put the onus of nervousness on them. You didn’t do anything. We need to change our perspective on these things and not see yourself as a victim, but a victor. I went into a meeting where I was the only one like me and asked, ‘How many women, how many black people, are there any indigenous people?’. These are questions I need to know if i want to participate. Put the onus on those people who keep things looking one way and not on us.”.

In addition to producing a Netflix Series with Football star Colin Kaepernick which will be shooting in the next 4-5 months, DuVernay has series of Warner Bros. projects to come. Her Series Queen Sugar is now shooting with Crew and Cast having moved back to new Orleans.

(Photo credit: TIFF)