#FIRSTLOOK: NEW CANADIAN RELEASE DATE FOR “THE CROODS: A NEW AGE”

A new Canadian release date has been set for the theatrical release of THE CROODS: A NEW AGE.

About THE CROODS: A NEW AGE

The Croods have survived their fair share of dangers and disasters,from fanged prehistoric beasts to surviving the end of the world, but now they will face their biggest challenge of all: another family

The Croods need a new place to live. So, the first prehistoric family sets off into the world in search of a safer place to call home. When they discover an idyllic walled-in paradise that meets all their needs, they think their problems are solved … except for one thing. Another family already lives there: the Bettermans.

The Bettermans (emphasis on the “better”)—with their elaborate tree house, amazing inventions and irrigated acres of fresh produce—are a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. When they take the Croods in as the world’s first houseguests, it isn’t long before tensions escalate between the cave family and the modern family.

Just when all seems lost, a new threat will propel both families on an epic adventure outside the safety of the wall, one that will force them to embrace their differences, draw strength from each other and forge a future together.

The Croods: A New Age features the voice talent of returning stars Nicolas Cage as Grug Crood, Catherine Keener as Ugga Crood, Emma Stone as their daughter, Eep; Ryan Reynolds as Eep’s boyfriend, Guy; Clark Duke (Hot Tub Time Machine) as Thunk and Cloris Leachman as Gran. They’re joined by new stars Peter Dinklage (HBO’s Game of Thrones) as Phil Betterman, Leslie Mann (Blockers) as Hope Betterman, and Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: Episode VIII-The Last Jedi) as their daughter, Dawn.

The film is directed by Joel Crawford.

Universal Pictures Canada release THE CROODS: A NEW AGE Wednesday, November 25, 2020.

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “FREAKY”

Check-out the new Trailer for body-swap Horror, FREAKY!

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton, Blockers, HBO’s Big Little Lies) is just trying to survive the bloodthirsty halls of Blissfield High and the cruelty of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the newest target of The Butcher (Vince Vaughn), her town’s infamous serial killer, her senior year becomes the least of her worries. When The Butcher’s mystical ancient dagger causes him and Millie to wake up in each other’s bodies, Millie learns that she has just 24 hours to get her body back before the switch becomes permanent and she’s trapped in the form of a middle-aged maniac forever. The only problem is she now looks like a towering psychopath who’s the target of a city-wide manhunt while The Butcher looks like her and has brought his appetite for carnage to Homecoming. With some help from her friends—ultra-woke Nyla (Celeste O’Connor, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), ultra-fabulous Joshua (Misha Osherovich, The Goldfinch) and her crush Booker (Uriah Shelton, Enter the Warriors Gate)—Millie races against the clock to reverse the curse while The Butcher discovers that having a female teen body is the perfect cover for a little Homecoming killing spree. The film also stars Alan Ruck (HBO’s Succession), Katie Finneran (TV’s Why Women Kill) and Dana Drori (Hulu’s High Fidelity).

See the Trailer:

Universal Pictures Canada release FREAKY Friday, December 4, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW HORROR FILMS COMING TO IFC FILMS UNLIMITED IN OCTOBER

Something exciting for you Horror fans. IFC Films Unlimited is available now in Canada on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV at $5.99.

Check-out some of the classics and some of the new hits including selections from the Venice Film Festival like THE OTHER LAMB:

The Other Lamb  (2020) Director: Malgorzata Szumowska Starring: Raffey Cassidy, Michiel Huisman, Denise Gough Synopsis: A girl born into an all-female cult led by a man in their compound begins to question his teachings and her own reality. Walking Out  (2017) Director: Alex Smith, Andrew Smith Starring: Matt Bomer, Josh Wiggins, Bill Pullman, Alex Neustaedter, Lily Gladstone Synopsis: Father and son fight to escape an unforgiving no man’s land in this riveting survival thriller. Devil’s Pass (2013) Director: Renny Harlin Starring: Holly Goss, Luke Albright, Matt Stokow, Ryan Hawley, Gemma Atkinson Synopsis: One of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th century. The student recently recovered footage – the only clue to what happened to them – was deemed too disturbing for public eyes. Acolytes  (2011) Director: John Hewitt Starring: Joel Edgerton, Michael Dorman, Sebastian Gregory, Hannah Mangan-Lawrence, Joshua Payne Synopsis: Three teenage friends discover a buried body. They decide to blackmail the killer into murdering the brutal bully who has victimized them all their lives. What could go wrong? 4:44 Last Day on Earth (2012) Director: Abel Ferrara Starring: Willem Dafoe, Natasha Lyonne, Paz de la Huerta, Shanyn Leigh Synopsis: People cope with the discovery that the world will come to an end the next day at 4:44. Contracted  (2013) Director: Eric England Starring: Najarra Townsend, Caroline Williams Synopsis: A young girl has a one-night stand with a random stranger and contracts, what she thinks is, a sexually-transmitted disease – but is actually something much worse. The Human Centipede  (2010) Director: Tom Six Starring: Dieter Laser, Ashley C. Williams, Ashlyn Yennie, Akihiro Kitamura Synopsis: Two American girls find themselves alone at night when their car breaks down in the woods; they are wooed into the clutches of a deranged retired surgeon who explains his mad scientific vision to his captives’ utter horror. They are to be the subjects of his sick lifetime fantasy: to be the first to connect people, one to the next, via their gastric system, and in doing so bring to life ‘the human centipede’. Knives and Skin  (2019) Director: Jennifer Reeder Starring: Marika Engelhardt, Grace Smith, Ireon Roach, Kayla Carter, Tim Hopper, Kate Arrington, Audrey Francis, James Vincent Meredith, Ty Olwin, Raven Whitley, Jalen Gilbert, Emma Ladji, Robert T. Cunningham, Tony Fitzpatrick, Marilyn Dodds Frank Synopsis: A small town collapses into disarray after a teenage girl goes missing and her friends and their families become ensnared in a web of lies, suspicion, and depravity. The Wretched  (2020) Director: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce Starring: John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Zarah Mahler, Azie Tesfai, Jamison Jones Synopsis: A rebellious teenage boy embarks on a gutsy crusade to stop the terrifying evil he suspects has possessed his neighbor in this bone-chilling occult thriller.

(Photo credit: IFC Films Unlimited)

#FIRSTLOOK: “THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT” TRAILER

Anya Taylor-Joy is back in THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, coming soon to Netflix. Check-out the new Trailer.

Synopsis:
Based on the novel by Walter Tevis, the Netflix limited series drama The Queen’s Gambit is a coming-of-age story that explores the true cost of genius. Abandoned and entrusted to a Kentucky orphanage in the late 1950s, a young Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) discovers an astonishing talent for chess while developing an addiction to tranquilizers provided by the state as a sedative for the children. Haunted by her personal demons and fueled by a cocktail of narcotics and obsession, Beth transforms into an impressively skilled and glamorous outcast while determined to conquer the traditional boundaries established in the male-dominated world of competitive chess. The series is directed and written by two-time Academy Award nominee Scott Frank and executive produced by Frank, William Horberg and Allan Scott, who also co-created the series. THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Marielle Heller, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Moses Ingram, Harry Melling and Bill Camp.

See the Trailer:

THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT arrives on Netflix Friday, October 23, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#FIRSTLOOK: AMAZON PRIME VIDEO PANELS ANNOUNCED AT NEW YORK COMIC CON’S METAVERSE

Sad we won’t be in-person at NEW YORK COMIC CON after having a blast last year, but no worries – there will be tons of exciting virtual activities which you can tune-into on their official YouTube Channel right here.

Amazon Prime Video have announced their slate of Panels at NEW YORK COMIC CON this October.

SERIES:Truth Seekers
ABOUT: Join executive producer and series star Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz), along with co-stars Samson Kayo (Timewasters), Emma D’Arcy (Hanna), Susan Wokoma (Year of the Rabbit), and Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange), as they discuss the making of this hilarious eight-episode supernatural horror comedy series about a team of part-time paranormal investigators, who team up to uncover and film ghost sightings across the UK, sharing their adventures on an online channel for all to see. Discussion and Q&A moderated by IGN’s Terri Schwartz.
WHEN:  Thursday, October 8 at 2:15 p.m. EST
SOCIAL: Instagram/Facebook: @AmazonPrimeVideo; Twitter: @PrimeVideo; #TruthSeekers

SERIES:Utopia
ABOUT:  A twisted, eight-episode thriller about a group of young comic fans who discover the conspiracy in a graphic novel is real, and embark on a high-stakes adventure to save humanity from the end of the world.  Join writer and executive producer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) and series stars John Cusack (High Fidelity), Rainn Wilson (The Office), Sasha Lane (American Honey), Ashleigh LaThrop (Fifty Shades Freed), Dan Byrd (Cougar Town), Desmin Borges (You’re The Worst), and Cory Michael Smith (Gotham) for a Q&A moderated by Variety’s Danielle Turchiano.
WHEN: Thursday, October 8 at 3:05 p.m. EST
SOCIAL: Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @UtopiaOnPrime; #UtopiaTV

SERIES: Alex Rider
ABOUT: Join author and executive producer Anthony Horowitz (Foyle’s War) and series star Otto Farrant (Salmon Fishing in Yemen) for a Q&A discussion as they preview this coming of age spy-thriller series, based on the best-selling, global phenomenon book franchise, prior to its November 13^th premiere on IMDb TV, Amazon’s free streaming service. The series follows a London based teenager named Alex Rider, who has unknowingly been trained since childhood for the dangerous world of espionage, and now finds himself reluctantly working undercover to investigate his uncle’s death in a remote boarding school called Point Blanc.
WHEN: Thursday, October 8 at 3:55 p.m. EST
SOCIAL: Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @IMDbTV; Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @AlexRiderTV

SERIES:The Boys
ABOUT: Join The Boys’ cast and showrunner as they answer fans’ burning questions and tease what’s to come in advance of the shocking finale of the critically-acclaimed second season. Based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boys is a fun and irreverent take on what happens when superheroes – who are as popular as celebrities – abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. The even more intense and insane Season Two, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, finds The Boys on the run from the law, hunted by the Supes, and trying to regroup and fight back against Vought.
WHEN: Thursday, October 8 at 4:15 p.m. EST
SOCIAL: Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: @TheBoysTV; #TheBoys

SERIES: Invincible
ABOUT: Join creator and executive producer Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) live as he teases what fans can anticipate from this upcoming adult animated series, based on his iconic comic book by the same name, which revolves around 17-year old Mark Grayson, who’s just like every other guy his age – except his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man.
WHEN: Thursday, October 8 at 4:50 p.m. EST
SOCIAL: Instagram/Facebook: @AmazonPrimeVideo; Twitter: @PrimeVideo

(Photo credit: Amazon Prime Video)

#COOKING: MEATBALLS x PASTA RECIPE

Meatballs x Pasta. Fall means comfort foods and our favourite always has been Spaghetti & Meatballs. Of course now that we’ve grown-up we’ve found little ways to elevate and make it a bit more sophisticated. We hope you like our take!

Ingredients:

17.6 oz Alfetra Pasta (i.e. Vesuvio)
1/2 lb medium ground beef (or lean if you prefer, medium makes for more tender results)
1/2 lb ground pork
1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
3 tbsps unsalted butter
4 slices of Mozzarella/Havarti Cheese, sliced into small squares
1 egg
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 white onion, minced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped Parsley
1/4 cup chopped Basil
4 Bay Leaves
4-5 Anchovies in oil
2 tbsps organic raw sugar
2 tbsps Truffle Oil
Sea salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In large bowl, use hands to mix ground beef and pork, egg, half of onion, parsley, basil and garlic, Panko, milk, Parmesan, 1 tbs of truffle oil, salt and pepper. Roll into about 20 meatballs, stuffing each with a bit of cheese slices.
2. Cook in Air Fryer at 400F for about 9 minutes, dividing meatballs in two batches. Transfer to platter.
3. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve a few ladles of the water for later. Strain pasta.
4. In large sauce pan, sautee on medium-high heat the remaining garlic, onions and red pepper, in 1 tbsp truffle oil.
5. Add tomatoes and paste and about 1/3 cup of water. Bring to boil.
6. Add bay leaves, anchovies, sugar and remainder of parsley and basil.
7. Add in meatballs, season sauce with salt and pepper and reduce to simmer. Cook for minimum two hours on low heat, stirring occasionally.
8. When ready to plate, take a large skillet and on medium heat, melt butter. Toss-in pasta and season with a bit more salt. Pour-in a couple ladles of reserved pasta water and add a bit of chopped basil, stirring gently.
9. Pour a couple ladles of sauce from the meatball mixture into the pasta, again stirring gently. Remove from heat.
10. Plate pasta. Spoon meatballs and sauce on-top of pasta. Garnish with Parmesan and basil.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “TRUTH SEEKERS”

After an announcement at Comic-Con@Home earlier this Summer, now comes the brand-new Trailer for TRUTH SEEKERS from the people who brought us SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ!

Synopsis:

Truth Seekers is a supernatural comedy drama series about a team of part-time paranormal investigators who team up to uncover and film ghost sightings across the UK, sharing their adventures on an online channel for all to see. However, as they stake out haunted churches, underground bunkers and abandoned hospitals with their array of homemade ghost-detecting gizmos, their supernatural experiences grow more frequent, more terrifying and even deadly, as they begin to uncover a conspiracy that could bring about Armageddon for the entire human race. 

Set in a mysterious world filled with dread and just-out-of-sight monsters, Truth Seekers mixes the very funny with the very scary in an exciting take on genre storytelling, and stars Nick Frost as Gus, Simon Pegg as Dave, Samson Kayo as Elton, Malcolm McDowell as Richard, Emma D’Arcy as Astrid, and Susan Wokoma as Helen.

See the Trailer:

TRUTH SEEKERS arrives on Amazon Prime Video October 30, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Amazon Prime Video)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7”

Aaron Sorkin‘s THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 is one many of our most-anticipated lists. We get a new glimpse of this Drama with a brand-new Trailer!

Synopsis:

What was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. The organizers of the protest—including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale—were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot and the trial that followed was one of the most notorious in history.

Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, Alex Sharp, Jeremy Strong, Noah Robbins, Danny Flaherty, Ben Shenkman, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Caitlin Fitzgerald, Alice Kremelberg, John Doman, J.C. MacKenzie, Damien Young, Wayne Duvall, C.J. Wilson

See the Trailer:

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 arrives on Netflix Friday, October 16, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Aaron Sorkin

#FIRSTLOOK: NETFLIX CELEBRATES 10 YEARS IN CANADA

Netflix this month is celebrating its 10th year in Canada. To ring-in the occasion. several Canadian stars have come together in this reel to commemorate the occasion.

Starting September 22, Netflix members will be able to access a collection which houses films and series spanning across different categories that have a Canadian connection – from categories such as animation, Canadian talent, filmed in Canada and so much more.

We still remember being among the first Media outlets invited to preview the first couple episodes of HOUSE OF CARDS!

Check-out the Reel here:

Stars include:

Ryan Reynolds (6 Underground)

Antoni Porowski (Queer Eye)

Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things)

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever)

Connor Jessup (Locke & Key)

Amanda Stephen (Orange is the New Black)

Momona Tamada (The Baby-Sitters Club)

Laysla De Oliveira (Locke & Key, In the Tall Grass)

Enuka Okuma (The Sleepover; Slasher)

Justin Chatwin (Shameless; Another Life; Summer Night)

Amir Bageria (Grand Army)

Malia Baker (The Baby-Sitters Club)

Anna Cathcart (To All the Boys I’ve Loved; To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love you)

Kris Pearn (The Willoughbys; Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2; Arthur Christmas)

Guillaume Laurin (The Decline)

Ben Hollingsworth (Virgin River)

Cameron Britton (The Umbrella Academy, Mindhunter)

Florence Longpré (Can You Hear Me?)

Charlie Gillespie (Julie and the Phantoms)

(Photo/video credit: Netflix Canada)

#NEWMUSIC: AVA MAX – “HEAVEN & HELL”

AVA MAX exploded onto the Pop scene in the Summer of 2018 with Top 10 smash hit SWEET BY PSYCHO and after leaving such a mark, we were hungry for more. Finally, after some two years later comes her debut studio album HEAVEN & HELL and it proves well worth the wait.

The 15-track collection which she co-wrote with the help of Toronto’s Cirkut, is banger upon banger. She manages to infuse synthy nostalgia into her tunes, which draw focus not only to her stellar vocal range, but her songwriting talent. The Album at 44 minutes is a quick listen which we can loop multiple times over easily, culminating in her smash hit Sweet By Psycho saving the best for last on the sequence.

This is not to say this the only bright moment. Literally every Track start to finish is a cohesive fun Pop experience. Her melodies are reminiscent of infectious Euro-pop, but her production has a sonic sophistication to it. We hate drawing comparisons to another fashion-forward female Pop Icon, but HEAVEN AND HELL at times makes us feel the same way we did we first heard that one’s debut Disc.

The party begins with recent single, the gender-positive KINGS & QUEENS which samples Bonnie Tyler‘s If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man) .

NAKED is just about as seductive as it sounds, that hook crawling into our ears and sticking. Ava Max sings about really getting to know her soul and not just her body, “Well you can take off all my clothes and never see me naked/You don’t know how heart/You’re never gonna break it”. The Track is single-worthy. Gorgeous.

Charlie Puth sneaks-in a writing credit on the fun TATTOO which keeps the fun momentum going.

BORN TO THE NIGHT is pure authentic ’80s-inspired Synth-Pop. The type that transports you to a land of melancholic euphoria you never want to leave.

BELLADONNA takes us into darker territory, complete with gothic bells and really takes flight late, as she sings about being the type of dangerous woman a boy can get addicted to.

Our ears have only known such joy a few times in 2020 and this stellar debut counts among them.

Warner Music Canada release AVA MAX‘s HEAVEN & HELL.

Click here to buy a copy.