Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby) always will be known as a Trailblazer in his aesthetic, his keen ear for Music and the emotions he arouses with his Films. Did you know that Netflix and Luhrmann have partnered on new Music-driver Series, THE GET DOWN?
Synopsis:
From visionary Baz Luhrmann, and told through the lives and music of a ragtag crew of South Bronx teens, The Get Down is a mythic saga of transformation in 1970s New York City.
Watch the Teaser:
Netflix Canada streams all 13 episodes of THE GET DOWN in 2016.
(Photo/video credit: Netflix)
It was a memorable year indeed! Join me as I recall some of 2013’s brightest moments in Celebrity, Film and Music with a Toronto twist! As a true Connoisseur of Pop Culture, I certainly was spoiled with several delights this year on all three fronts. Toronto witnessed what could well be the strongest years this City ever has seen in terms of Star Power. Also, as an experienced Digital Photographer of sorts, I am sharing some of my favourite Snaps taken around the City this year too. If you’re a #NOFILTER kinda Guy or Gal, I apologize! A few of them are Horse-related, spending many of my weekends at scenic Woodbine Racetrack, my fave Place since Childhood to escape and recharge from the City. Come Wongsters, let us walk down this luminous Memory Lane together!
TOP TEN SONGS OF 2013
2013 was solid for Pop Music and I was thrilled to hear a return to great, strong melodies. What a year it was for Miley Cyrus who not only wowed us with We Can’t Stop, but slayed us hard with Wrecking Ball! Coming in like a Wrecking Ball she managed to turn all eyes her way in a year which saw Albums released from some Marquee names like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and more. Lana Del Rey put us in a state of euphoria this Spring with her chilling Ballad for The Great Gatsby, Young & Beautiful. Flawless and timeless. Mariah Carey and Miguel provided much of the Soundtrack for my early Summer with their gorgeous Collabo #Beautiful, while Robin Thicke undisputedly had the Song of Summer 2013 with Blurred Lines. His Album of the same name easily is my favourite Disc of 2013.
1. Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
2. Lana Del Rey – Young & Beautitul
3. Mariah Carey ft. Miguel – #Beautiful
4. Justin Timberlake – Mirrors
5. Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
6. Robin Thicke ft. Pharrell & T.I. – Blurred Lines
7. Capital Cities – Safe and Sound
8. Katy Perry – Roar
9. Icona Pop – I Love It
10. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Same Love
Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
TOP TEN FILMS OF 2013
I don’t recall a year in recent memory where the Films were quite as strong as this year. It is as if Filmmakers have studied critiques, knew precisely what to avoid and owned it. Time after time I’d make it out to the morning Media Screenings and just when I thought I’d seen my favourite Film of 2013, another would come along and usurp the throne. In all, AIDS Drama Dallas Buyers Club would leave the strongest imprint with Jared Leto touching the core of my soul with his phenomenal performance. 12 Years a Slave left me shaken and speechless and made it really tough to decide a Fave. Saving Mr. Banks truly affected and inspired me, moving me to tears and I could never forget Cate Blanchett‘s empathic portrayal of a Woman battling her own demons in Woody Allen‘s Blue Jasmine. And yes, I really loved Spring Breakers. James Franco is just on another level.
1. Dallas Buyers Club
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. American Hustle
4. Blue Jasmine
5. Saving Mr. Banks
6. Gravity
7. 42
8. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
9. Enough Said
10. Spring Breakers
Watch the Trailer for Dallas Buyers Club below:
TOP CELEBRITY MOMENTS
It was a good bloody amazing year. My experience in New York City seeing the Met Gala is unforgettable, as a revolving door of Celebrities came my direction. I didn’t even know which way to go or who to ask first for a Photo! TIFF ’13 brought me several amazing memories finally getting to meeting one of my favourite Actresses, Nicole Kidman – not to mention getting to meeting personal Heroes Seth McFarlane, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Baz Luhrmann and several more throughout the year. My ultimate Highlight however was finally after 15 tries, getting my Lady Gaga moment in November!
As seen top to bottom, left to right in the above Collage are:
Supermodel Cara Delevingne, Shoe Visionary Christian Louboutin, Actress Mia Wasikowska, Actor Jesse Eisenberg, Actor Kit Harington, Astronaut Chris Hadfield, Singer/Songwriter Lorde, Singer/Songwriter Robin Thicke, Television Personality/Actress Kelly Ripa, Domestic Goddess Martha Stewart.
Director Baz Luhrmann, Actress Emma Thompson, Singer/Actress Ariana Grande, Actress Léa Seydoux, Actress Adèle Exarchopoulos, Actress Toni Collette, Singer/Songwriter Lady Gaga, Singer Kylie Minogue, Actress Nicole Kidman, Actress/Singer Selena Gomez.
Writer/Actor Mike Myers, Comedian, Writer/Actor Seth MacFarlane, Writer/Actor Seth Meyers, Writer/Actor Jim Carrey, Actress Dakota Fanning, Actress Taylor Schilling, Singer/Songwriter/Fashion Mogul Pharrell, Television Personality/Actress Rosie O’Donnell, Kentucky Derby-winning Jockey Joel Rosario, Breeders Cup Classic-winning Jockey/Actor Gary Stevens.
Spice Girl/Actress Mel B., Actor Armie Hammer, Actress Kerry Washington, Actor Sam Rockwell, Actor Nicholas Hoult, Actor Tom Hiddleston, Actor Adam Driver, Actor Josh Brolin, Actor Daniel Radcliffe, Actress Dakota Fanning, Actor Sam Claflin, Actress Jena Malone.
TOP SNAPS
And now the ten best Photos of 2013 snapped through my lenses (Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Olympus E-PL5):
I truly am blessed and can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store for us here in this sight-filled City of Tastemakers!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
With The Great Gatsby hitting theatres this Friday, one of the things you will be mesmerized about is the Music in this latest Masterpiece from Baz Luhrmann! With Hip-Hop Mogul Jay-Z serving as Executive Producer for the Soundtrack, a star-studded Lineup is featured including Beyoncé Fergie, Gotye, Lana Del Rey, Emeli Sandé, will.i.am, The xx, Kanye West, Sia, Florence Welch and the Man himself!
The Tracklisting is as follows:
Stream the Soundtrack on YouTube, courtesy of Rdio:
Rdio is streaming the Soundtrack here also for Members.
If you love it, you can order it on iTunes now here!
We’ve had Gatsby Fever here for quite some time and here are some links:
(Photo credit: Universal Music)
Just landed in New York City earlier today and what a night it’s been! And the Met Gala festivities haven’t even begun! I stumbled upon an Advance Screening for The Great Gatsby, held at the Museum of Modern Art and after sticking around for a bit, the Stars just poured out of the Venue unlike anything I’ve ever seen!
A merging of Fashion and Film Worlds collided tonight including the likes of: Vera Wang, Emma Roberts, Michael Shannon, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ezra Miller, Kylie Minogue, Aubrey Plaza, David Schwimmer, Dane DeHaan, Anna Wood, John Leguizamo, Meg Hilty, Piper Perabo, Oliver Stone, Katy Perry, Solange Knowles and of course Star Carey Mulligan. Unreal.
Stay tuned for more Stars as I capture Stars of the Met Gala tomorrow night. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Gatsby giving us Goosebumps! If this doesn’t get you excited for The Great Gatsby, I don’t know what will. Warner Bros. has just released this 1:34 minute Extended TV Spot for one of this Summer’s most eagerly-awaited Films. Paired together with Young & Beautiful by Lana Del Rey, which gets prominent placement in the Film, there is something just absolutely resonant and emotional about this.
I’m completely obsessed with the Track and have been repeating it non-stop of late. Such a pity that in what could be her biggest Crossover Hit, Del Rey is busy touring in Europe right now versus present Stateside giving Young & Beautiful the promotion it really deserves.
Watch the TV Spot below:
Veteran is a fit word to describe Harold Perrineau, whom I spotted today on a walk with Billy through Yorkville! Along with his lovely Wife Brittany and two of Daughters, Wynter and Holiday. Being the cool Parents they are, their four-year-old Daughter Wynter was spotted rocking an iPad even! And while we’re on the topic of Holidays, that also would be the exact reason the Actor is here in Toronto.
Perrineau is known for his superb Body of Work which includes Lost, Oz, Sons of Anarchy, Zero Dark Thirty, Romeo + Juliet (Director Baz Luhrmann was just in town this week!) and tells me he’s in-town filming Follow-up to Malcolm Lee‘s 1999 Comedy, The Best Man Holiday alongside Morris Chestnut, Eddie Cibrian and Terrence Howard. Howard in fact was spotted last night on Queen Street West supporting a great cause along with Rachel McAdams at Our Future Without Aids, a Benefit organized by the CANFAR Young Professional Council. Meanwhile, Cibrian and Wife LeAnn Rimes were spotted out at Whole Foods earlier in the week before flying back to Los Angeles.
Both Perrineau and his Wife were super-nice to stop and snap a Photo, as he reached over rocker in one hand, handshake with the other. I am actually looking forward to his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. in Inferno, one of two Biopics about Adult Film Actress Linda Lovelace coming soon.
See our Snap below:
The Best Man Holiday hits theatres this November via Universal Pictures, wrapping in the City late May.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/FX)
I arrive extremely early for my One-on-One with Baz Luhrmann, sitting at the Hospitality Suite with plenty of time to spare. You see, Toronto has a horrible issue with Punctuality and I am convinced that I am one of the reasons why. The bottomless Coffee makes me even more anxious than I already am. I nibble on some v. sharp cheese, but really am not hungry due to nerves. Ever since being invited earlier this week to interview the visionary Filmmaker, excitement and distraction had preoccupied much of my headspace. The thing is, I legitimately am a huge Fan of Luhrmann and quite literally I had to touch my neck to see if it still was sore (as has been the case for weeks) in search of evidence that I wasn’t dreaming after receiving the invitation. I’d close the e-mail, open it again repeatedly to ensure it wouldn’t disappear on me like a cruel prank, as if almost expecting that sobering “XX would like to recall this message” notification. It never came, thankfully.
Few Directors consistently have affected me viscerally as Luhrmann. His Films are a Spectacle – an Escape if you will – taking us away to a place where Love is magical, splendorous and truly romantic. His distinct sense of Tragic Romance almost has come define him, hence there could be no other as fitting as he to helm an Adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s bittersweet Classic, The Great Gatsby.
Luhrmann walks into the room as I sit there fidgeting with my pencil – double, triple, quadruple-checking to ensure my questions were of a standard fit for the Man from whom the likes of Claire Danes, Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Leonardo DiCaprio have taken direction. He is lovely Man, indeed. His hair a bit grayer than I’d seen in photos – not at all as imposing as I’d imagined for someone with such grand, extravagant vision; his demeanour personable. I felt right at ease, feeling rather foolish for all the hoo-ha I’d conjured in my mind. “I’ll just sit right here on the couch and you can direct me”, he says with a smile. Was he kidding me? The Man responsible for Films like Moulin Rouge, Australia and Romeo + Juliet telling me to direct him?
I asked Luhrmann the question on many of our minds after we so cruelly were made to endure a prolonged wait for The Great Gatsby‘s release, originally slated for December. Some cited Studio Conflict, while some cited Funding issues. Setting the record straight, he explains “We got rained-out five times – it wasn’t just once or twice. It put us into the following year. We had to shut down just because of the rain.”. After also being struck in the head by a crane during production, which resulted in stitches, he comes to the realization, “Now if there was no rain, it would’ve been the first time in my life I was on-time because we were very prepared in what we were doing.”.
Two ever-prevalent themes in Luhrmann‘s Films – particularly his Red Curtain Trilogy and consistently so again in The Great Gatsby – are Romance and Tragedy. “I keep saying to myself how I end up doing these things. If you look at any creative person – I suppose I’m old enough now to say ‘I am creative’, really we all do the same things over and over in different ways and different flavours”, he tells me. “Puccini basically does a lot of Tragic Romances. Shakespeare changes the genres but he always has some idea of Love or Anti-Love… I guess I’m some sort of Romantic. I suppose I have to say ‘yes’ to that now.”.
One key line in The Great Gatsby has Nick Caraway (Tobey Maguire) telling Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), “The past cannot be repeated”. Reliving the past becomes somewhat of a fixation for Gatsby in his limitless ambition to win back the love of his life in Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), who so happens to be married to Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton) after he goes off to war, coming back re-incarnated as a wealthy, dashing Playboy. I am curious whether or not repeating the past – a largely successful one I might add – is something of which Luhrmann is conscious. “I always think this is it. This is the last Movie I’m making… I may just go into Architecture or Diving”, he says perhaps half-joking. “I think I’ve gone through the Catharsis of Gatsby. I think I’ve gone into this period where I actually am who I am – that I sorta am stuck being this Guy making those Movies.”. “I want to do it now so that it enriches life and that it’s a Circle – the give and take is there.”.
Several are excited about DiCaprio‘s Gatsby Reunion with Luhrmann, last having worked together over 17 years ago on Romeo + Juliet, but the name on everybody’s lips is Elizabeth Debicki – an unknown entity in an Ensemble of familiarity, winning the Plum Role of observant and gossipy Jordan Baker. “This is the first Movie she’s ever done – she was in Drama School. My Casting Director Ronna Kress and I heard about Elizabeth – this Girl who’s so tall and gorgeous – she’s a bit like Cate Blanchett meets Nicole (Kidman). I flew her to Los Angeles and she was such a strong choice.”. As numerical proof to what a role in a Baz Luhrmann Film can do for one’s Career, he notes, “They put a picture of her on the Website the other day… and within an hour there were 150,000 hits. She’s making an impression.”. On Mulligan, he has nothing but praise for her stating, “She’s just absolutely lovely inside and out!”.
In a Career which already has seen its share of pinnacles, one must wonder just what Luhrmann considers a success. He replies, “That it pays its bill, first of all. People come up to me and they go, ‘I bet you’re sick of hearing this’ – and they can be entirely mature Human Beings – or ‘You probably don’t want to hear this but I just loved blah blah blah‘ and I just go, ‘Are you kidding me?’.”. Luhrmann adds, “My Movies don’t get banged-out once a year. I make them every five or ten years, so if one person goes ‘Gee, that did something for my life, that was beautiful…’, he pauses. “That sorta stuff that will be good enough for me.”.
Enjoy my Interview in full with Baz Luhrmann below:
Fans have every reason to be excited about The Great Gatsby and after having witnessed its magic in 3D, I eagerly am awaiting another go at it. Warner Bros. releases on Friday, May 10, 2013.
Luhrmann was amazingly gracious to sign a Photo for my Readers and one of you will be lucky enough to own it! Simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook before June 1, 2013. Double your chances by sharing this Post on Facebook with your Friends!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
He’s never looked better. Check-out this dazzling new Trailer for The Great Gatbsy 3-D which we finally get an update for after a lengthy pause. Leonardo Dicaprio looks amazingly dapper in this gorgeous looking latest effort from Moulin Rouge Director Baz Luhrmann. It’s been ages since we’ve seen a proper Romance and nobody translates love to the Big Screen with such elegance as the Australian Filmmaker.
For those of us who aren’t familiar with the Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerland, The Great Gatsby is about a Midwesterner named Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) who becomes entangled in an unfamiliar and glamorous World of Jay Gatsby (Leonardo Dicaprio) his after moving to Long Island, drawn-into a world of obsession and tragedy. Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Isla Fisher and Joel Edgerton star also.
Watch the Trailer in full below:
Warner Bros. releases The Great Gatsby 3D on May 10, 2013.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros.)
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