TIFF have announced their Opening Night Gala this year and it will be Spike Lee-directed AMERICAN UTOPIA, which centers on Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and his 2019 Broadway show. Talking Heads are known best for their smash hit Burning Down the House. The Festival kicks-off September 10, 2020.
The Theatrical Concert which had a run at New York City’s Hudson Theatre and concluding this past February, originally was set for a Fall return prior to the pandemic. It is based on his recent seventh studio album and tour of the same name and ponders the millions of neuroconnections in our brains, challenging us to to rewire our brains, rendering them more elastic and capable of change. Timely!
American Utopia received raves from several top critics including Billboard, Variety, NME, The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter.
AMERICAN UTOPIA will debut on HBO this Fall. Screening times and formats still have yet to be confirmed, but you can visit here for more.
(Photo credit: Matthew Murphy)
The show must go on! Just for Laughs are gifting those of us missing-out on the in-person component of the 2021 Festival. You’ll be pleased to know those of you with SiriusXM will have access to the Just for Laughs Virtual Comedy Festival.
The virtual line-up is as follows. From July 20-25, the two one-hour shows will air each day on SiriusXM’s comedy channels:
Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Radio Channel 96: 2pm & 6pm ET
Raw Dog Comedy Channel 99: 12pm & 9pm ET
Laugh USA Channel 98: 1pm & 7pm ET
Jeff & Larry’s Comedy Roundup Channel 97: 3pm & 8pm ET
Comedy Greats Channel 94: 4pm & 5pm ET
Just For Laughs Canada Channel 168: 24 hours a day
Just for Laughs also have confirmed today that their Festival and their sister Festival Juste pour rire, both will entirely be digital this Fall. Just for Laughs will take place October 9-10, 2020 and the latter will be a hybrid of in-person, pre-recorded and virtual performances taking place September 29-October 10, 2020.
More details available at hahaha.com
(Photo credit: Just for Laughs)
You love her from BROOKLYN NINE-NINE. Chelsea Peretti stars in Anti-Rom-Com SPINSTER! The Film was made in Halifax!
Synopsis:
Anchored by Peretti’s signature humour, the film follows Gaby, a small-time wedding caterer who is unceremoniously dumped on her 39th birthday. Petrified she’ll be alone forever, she embarks on a dating spree only to discover that her problem isn’t that she doesn’t have a love life – it’s that she doesn’t have a life. Gaby‘s dating quest soon becomes a journey of self-discovery – and as her 40th birthday rolls around, she finds that her dreams of finding the perfect partner have given way to new dreams of empowerment and independence.
Check-out the new Trailer:
Game Theory Films release SPINSTER Friday, August 7, 2020 on iTunes Canada and Vimeo on Demand.
(Photo/video credit: Game Theory Films)
Did you know that your Amazon Prime membership also gives you free access to AMAZON MUSIC? They’ve partnered with some of the world’s hottest DJs as part of their The Summer Sessions Series now through August 28, 2020. Above this, these artists are releasing brand-new Music available only on Amazon Music.
The list includes:
Schedule as follows:
Week 1 of The Summer Sessions playlists are now live:
To access Amazon Music, log-in to your Amazon Prime account and under “YOUR PRIME“, select “MUSIC“!
(Photo credit: Amazon Music)
A new Trailer has surfaced for BLACK IS KING, coming soon to Disney+. Check-out this new Trailer including models Aweng Ade-Chuol and Adut Akech, supermodel Naomi Campbell, Tina Knowles-Lawson, author and Academy Award®-winning actor Lupita Nyong’o, singer Kelly Rowland, Pharrell Williams and JAY-Z, among others.
Synopsis:
The new film based on the music of “The Lion King: The Gift,” will premiere two weeks after the one-year anniversary of the theatrical release of Disney’s global phenomenon, “The Lion King.” The film reimagines the lessons from the 2019 blockbuster for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns.
See the Trailer:
BLACK IS KING arrives on Disney+ Friday, July 31, 2020.
(Photo/video credit: Disney)
Levain Bakery Knock-off Cookies. Levain Bakery in New York City has gained international fame for its droolworthy 6 oz. cookies. They’re dense and an entire meal’s worth of calories and literally people queue hours still to this day at their four locations. They reassure everyone that they never run out of stock – you just basically have to wait. Many a savvy New Yorker have figured out that if you order via delivery, you can bypass the wait entirely. I can’t take credit for this recipe but MODERN HONEY selflessly has deciphered an approximation of their recipe and I am just adapting it to my tastes, cutting the sugar and nuts, keeping all that gooey chocolate in.
Ingredients:
3 cups flourInstructions:
1. Pre-heat oven at 410°F.Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Bacon Okonomiyaki. This popular Japanese street food is a like a savoury pancake-omlette which we have added a Canadian twist to. This one definitely will require a trip to the Asian or Japanese grocery store, but we promise you will love this!
Ingredients:
4-5 cups finely chopped Napa Cabbage
1 cup flour
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sweet potato starch
1/2 cup Tenkasu (Fried Tempura Bits)/Panko
5 strips bacon, cut in halves
2 eggs
2 stalks green onion, minced
1 3/4 tbsps baking powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsps Aonori (finely shredded seaweed)
Canola oil
Maple-Oknonomi Sauce:
1 1/2 tsps maple syrup
4 tbsps Ketchup
2 tbsps Oyster Sauce
3 tbsps Worcestershire Sauce
Mayonnaise/Kewpie Mayonnaise/Miracle Whip
Optional:
Pickled ginger
Bonito Flakes
Instructions:
1. Heat oil large skillet on medium-high heat.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat flour, starch, baking powder, water, salt and pepper.
3. Beat-in eggs and Tempura Bits/Panko.
4. Add cabbage and green onion. Mix enough to coat, but do not over-mix.
5. Shape mixture onto skillet in disc shape. Pancake should be about 2″ high. Flatten top with spatula. Fry about 3 minutes with bacon strips lined on top.
6. Flip pancake over carefully, using hand to guide if needed.
7. Fry for 5 minutes.
8. In small bowl, prep Okonomi Sauce. Mix sauces together with syrup and allow to stand a few minutes.
9. Flip pancake over again and cook 2 more minutes.
10. Transfer pancake carefully to plate. Dollop or drizzle mayonnaise and Okonomiyaki Sauce on-top. Sprinkle Aonori on-top. Optional: add Bonito Flakes and pickled ginger also. Serve.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Air Fryer Doughnuts. We honestly cannot be trusted with our Ninja Kitchen Air Fryer! Nothing beats fresh doughnuts and these are a great way to start your day. We have three different versions for variety! This recipe yields 6-8 doughnuts and you can keep them out at room temperature in an air-tight container for 1-2 days. Just refresh in the microwave for about 10 seconds!
Doughnuts:
1 3/4 cups flour
Maple-Bacon Glaze:
1/2 cup + 3 tbsps icing sugarVanilla Glaze:
1/2 cup + 3 tbps icing sugarCinnamon Sugar:
3 tbsps granulated organic sugar
Instructions:
1. In small bowl, heat milk till lukewarm (not too hot). Add 2 tbsps sugar and stir well. Mix-in yeast and let sit for about 10 minutes to activate.
2. Add 1 cup flour, egg, remaining sugar and salt into milk mixture, mixing with handmixer till smooth. Add remaining flour in and mix again till smooth. Add a small bit of flour in bit-by-bit if required till dough no longer sticks to bowl.
3. Turn onto flat, clean and floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes to elastic.
4. Coat clean large bowl with coconut oil and transfer dough ball into it. Cover with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm for 80-90 minutes till dough doubles in size.
5. Transfer dough again to flat, clean and lightly-floured surface and knead for another 5 minutes.
6. Roll dough flat to about 1/2″ thick. Use cutter to cut circles. Use smaller circle cutter to cut-out centers of doughnuts. You can re-shape that dough to make extra doughnuts or use as doughnut holes.
7. Place doughnuts on platter and cover with plastic wrap. Place somewhere warm to rise for 30 minutes more or if you like, refrigerate overnight.
8. Preheat Air Fryer on Air Fryer mode for 3 minutes at 350°F.
9. Brush doughnuts lightly with coconut oil. Divide doughnuts into 2 batches and fry 5 minutes each.
10. Prepare any or all of the glazes above in separate bowls, mixing till smooth.
11. Allow doughnuts to cool completely at room temperature (30 minutes) and dip into glazes. Garnish with respective toppings (sprinkles, bacon). If making Cinnamon-Sugar, brush doughnuts lightly with coconut oil and toss into a resealable storage bag to coat.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
It continues to be a hot month and what better way to stay cool than staying-in and streaming it till we make it out of this pandemic?
INDIAN MATCHMAKING (NETFLIX)
This eight-episode Series was a surprise delight! Often the term “arranged marriage” has a negative connotation. What INDIAN MATCHMAKING sets-out to do successfully is explaining the challenges that this generation of single people of Indian descent face in finding a life partner. In turning to their cultural traditions in finding romance, we see how this works in a modern framework in a world that is entirely different from that of their parents. Leading the way is world-renowned Matchmaker Sima Taparia who is tasked with finding fits for men and women in the U.S. and in India. Some individuals are a bit more challenging than others to pair, but we love joining them along the way in the process. If anything, you should walk away from this experience feeling more informed in understanding the nuances of how socioeconomic status, astrology, faith, age and even how despite being Indian how there are so many divisions which dictate one’s romantic fate. In one storyline, we see an effervescent Guyanese-American woman named Nadia struggles finding an Indian man as she often isn’t considered “Indian” despite sharing the same ancestry. While some storylines aren’t tied-up quite as well as others as new characters get introduced throughout the Series, this leaves potential for a forthcoming season and we’re totally in!
DOWN TO EARTH WITH ZAC EFRON (NETFLIX)
This eight-episode Series is something we didn’t realize we would enjoy so much. Idol Zac Efron pairs with buddy Darin Oilen to travel around different parts of the world to understand how they are consuming energy and food differently from the United States. The conscious Series blends many of the obvious reasons one would want to look at shirtless Zac Efron with an awareness that we can all grab takeaways from in how we look at consumption in our own lives. The duo visit Iceland, France, Costa Rica, Lima, Puerto Rico, Sardinia, London and Iquitos and have some fun along the way going outside their comfort zones. There’s even a famous face or two along the way who join them, like Anna Kendrick! The explanations are clear and simple and this was an innovative, entertaining way to speak to a younger audience about issues that are important to our future.
FATAL AFFAIR (NETFLIX)
We admit it – we love crazy, over-the-top “fatal attraction”-type flicks. They usually are packed with thrills, the right amount of juiciness and end with a feeling of catharsis, because the obsessed one usually never survives and we can go once again to our mundane lives. The Thriller centers on former flames Ellie (Nia Long) and David (Omar Epps) who reunite one day by chance (or not) at the former’s work place. They decide to catch-up over drinks and after Ellie confesses she feels distanced from her husband Michael (Stephen Bishop), things heat-up as their passions ignite. David still is not over Ellie clearly and keeps surfacing unwelcomed and Ellie learns some dark secrets about his past that had occurred in the years they were apart. Soon Ellie and her family find themselves in danger as he infiltrates their lives. Peter Sullivan (Secret Obsession) directs and co-writes this Film which is pegged where right it should be as an at-home release. While introducing nothing new to the genre, we still got a rush and wish it went even more over-the-top and gave us a bit more David as we wanted better to understand his obsession and the whys.
THE OLD GUARD (NETFLIX)
Charlize Theron is back and ready to kick some ass. This Superhero-Drama directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Beyond the Lights) and based on Greg Rucka‘s Comic Book of the same name. The story is about a group of immortal mercenaries consisting of Andy (Theron), Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli), who are sent to Sudan to rescue a group of kidnapped children, only to realize that they were set-up to be exposed by former CIA Operative James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Joining them is Nile Freeman (KiKi Layne), a Marine whom after getting fatally-wounded in Afghanistan, realizes her own immortality and Andy is able to track her down and help protect her, assisting her in harnessing her new-found power. Enter the picture, greedy pharmaceutical empire CEO Steven Merrick (Harry Melling) who seeks to capture the group of mercenaries to find out their survival secrets. In a fight to protect their anonymity and avoid being captured for study, we wonder if they will be able to keep their secret guarded from the world. While from a pacing standpoint it feels a bit long at times, The Old Guard is loaded with adrenaline and high-octane action, giving Blockbuster fans a much-deserved thrill in the absence of cinemas this summer. Inclusive and unconventional casting gives the Film a fresh element, although all eyes go to its fierce star Theron who balances Andy‘s strength and vulnerability perfectly in what looks to be the start of a Franchise for her.
TED LASSO (APPLE TV+)
Jason Sudeikis reprises his role as Kansas College Football Coach sent overseas to oversee a soccer team in England. The funnyman developed this character prior and appeared on NBC Sports and has some fun with him in this fish-out-of-water Comedy which sees him adapting to language, personalities and cultural differences. Sudeikis is great, playing his character straight and well-intentioned yet fumbling, not exactly receiving the warmest reception. Sex Education‘s Hannah Waddingham is great as Rebeca, fearsome boss lady who inherited the said soccer team from her late husband. Why? She may have a reason or two why which you’ll find out. Under-appreciated Juno Temple also is delightfully-funny as a flirty minx who lands Lasso in a bit of trouble! We’ve previewed the first few episodes and are looking forward to the rest of the ten episodes which surface on Apple TV this August.
RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE SEASON 12 (CRAVE)
It’s RuPaul‘s world and we’re all just living in it. One of the greatest joys of this isolation period I’ve experienced is catching-up on RuPaul’s Drag Race and you’ll be pleased to know all seasons from the very start are available on Crave. This latest season sees 13 – and then 12 Drag Queens compete for fame, with one being disqualified after catfishing allegations surfaced after the season aired earlier this year. Compared to Season 11, these Queens may lack the sass their predecessors had, but more than make-up (pardon the pun) for with their showman – or should I say showwomanship?! Tons of celebrity guest judges surface including Nicki Minaj, Chaka Khan, Robyn, Jeff Goldblum, Olivia Munn and more. These Queens go through some positively-amazing and tough challenges including a Madonna “Rusical” and toughest of all, the final three compete for the throne from their own living rooms as the Finale had taken place amidst this pandemic. Truly the most heart-filled, entertaining hour on Television. We totally were rooting for Canadian Queen, Jackie Cox!
RUPAUL’S SECRET CELEBRITY DRAG RACE (CRAVE)
Our obsession with Drag Race continues even after season 12 with this limited-run, four-episode special Series which pits celebrities against one another with the winner of each episode getting a prize of $20,000 to a charity of their choice. We get some Canadian representation with Schitt’s Creek star Dustin Milligan appearing, plus some familiar faces like Hayley Kiyoko, Madison Beer, Loni Love, Vanessa Williams and more surfacing for a shot at drag glory. Most of all, it is fascinating seeing the cultural impact the Drag phenomenon has had on the world and a diverse set and we see that even celebrities are battling their own troubles which they overcome over the course of their time on this Show.
RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS SEASON 5 (CRAVE)
We honestly can’t get enough of this and RuPaul’s Drag Race has been our saviour amidst this Pandemic. Catching-up with all its branch-offs has been a thing of joy for me. This season pits returning stars of the past (some coming back a third time!) including Jujubee, Miz Cracker, Shea Couleé, Ongina, Alexis Mateo and Derrick Barry. While it is unable to avoid its drama, the bond of sisterhood among the contestants is stronger than ever and it truly is a nailbiter to the finish as the top three are evenly-matched. Celebrity guest judges include Jane Krakowski, Ricky Martin, Nicole Byer, Madison Beer, Tessa Thompson and more. RuPaul throws-in an added twist of a surprise Lip Sync Assassin each episode instead of the old format where the top two compete against one another. Instead, the contestant with the top score of the week competes against an unknown past star.
LITTLE VOICE (APPLE TV+)
We love Sara Bareilles and were so thrilled to hear she is responsible for the Music behind this Musical Young Adult Romance Series, joining forces with Mega-Producer J.J. Abrams. The Series centers on Bess (Brittany O’Grady) a talented younger Singer-Songwriter who is trying to find her voice. Part of the issue with the Series is that you really have to be invested in Bess to want to take this ride with her as the story takes a bit to progress and for a bit you have to sit through a phase of awkwardness. Some solid performances and nice Music on this Series, new episodes premiering weekly.
PALM SPRINGS (HULU)
Max Barbakow makes his directorial debut in charming Rom-Com PALM SPRINGS, which sold for a record $17.5 million after its Sundance Premiere earlier this year. While the pandemic has led to an altered course in its release, those in the U.S. already are able to enjoy this Groundhog Day-esque tale of a duo who cross paths and may be each other’s match. Nyles (Andy Samberg) already has a girlfriend in Misty (Meredith Hagner) and tags along for her best friend Tala‘s (Camila Mendes) wedding, in which Misty is a bridesmaid. Meet Sarah (Cristin Milioti), the older sister of Tala who’s made a few bad choices in her life. She and Nyles hit it off quite well, until an angry crossbow-wielding man named Roy (J.K. Simmons) shows up is in hot pursuit of Nyles. The odd thing is that the day keeps beginning over and over for the pair and they can’t quite understand why. Their storyline however keeps moving along in a linear motion despite the day lining-up differently each time and they realize that they aren’t going to be able to move ahead further until they confront some of the most toxic things that are holding them back in their lives. PALM SPRINGS uniquely combines raunchy Comedy, a bit of Physics and some heartfelt romance for a worthwhile watch that equally tugs a bit of the heartstrings as it does elicit the chuckles. The lead pair are perfect together, with Samberg delivering some of his best work yet.
(Photo/video credit: Netflix/Crave/Hulu/Apple TV)
Paramount Home Entertainment x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a download of MIGHTY OAK!
Synopsis:
MIGHTY OAK tells the story of Gina (Janel Parrish, “Pretty Little Liars,” To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before), a band manager who struggles after losing her brother/lead singer (Levi Dylan, 12 Mighty Orphans) in a fatal car accident while traveling to a gig. A decade later, Gina meets a 10-year-old music prodigy named Oak, played by newcomer Tommy Ragen, a real-life prodigy whose music inspired the screenplay. Oak seems to possess the same qualities as Gina’s late brother, inspiring her to pull her life back together and try to reunite the band with Oak as its new front man. See the Trailer:
Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet the below for an extra chance!
Enter for a chance to #win a Digital Download of #MightyOak starring @JanelParrish. https://t.co/ceWP2UB01v pic.twitter.com/TLQudMOeho
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) July 16, 2020
Rules and regulations here.
MIGHTY OAK is available now on Digital platforms.
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Home Entertainment)
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