bradley cooper
#EDITORSNOTE: MR. WILL’S BEST OF 2018 LIST
2018 will go down as one of the best years in recent Cinema. While I’m not loving the current sound of what’s dominating the airwaves, there were a few Pop Gems that filled my heart and ears with joy. Those of you who are following me on Social Media know that my year was all about A STAR IS BORN. I had few expectations of it at the beginning of the year, but then came the Trailer in June and then came news of it premiering at TIFF ’18. Seeing it at the Festival, my year and life would be changed forever, single-handedly owning my two favourite realms, Music and Film. I am still not healed of the heartbreak I experience and can imagine what it’s like to be Lady Gaga or Bradley Cooper and carrying their characters with them after filming. If you still haven’t seen it, please do.
We loved the resurgence of the Musical with the likes of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Bohemian Rhapsody and Mary Poppins Returns performing v. well in numbers. The World needs a lift in spirits and these all came to save the day at the right time.
Music wise, we are ever-excited about Dua Lipa‘s blooming career and she has gifted us with several earworms which still stand the test of time at the end of year. While there wasn’t really a big single off it, Mariah Carey‘s critically-acclaimed Caution is definitely a smooth, cohesive listen. Cardi B‘s Invasion of Privacy gave us life in a big way this spring and likewise, there wasn’t one particular 2018 single which impacted us, the Album was on repeat for quite a while for us.
Here are my Best of 2018 Lists:
MUSIC
One Kiss – Calvin Harris ft. Dua Lipa
The Middle – zedd ft. Maren Morris
Electricity – Silk City ft. Dua Lipa
I’ll Never Love Again – Lady Gaga
Shallow – Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga
God is a Woman – Ariana Grande
Breathin – Ariana Grande
Lights Down Low – M△X
Nothing Breaks Like a Heart – Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus
Youngblood – 5 Seconds of Summer
FILM
A Star is Born
Green Book
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Crazy Rich Asians
Ben is Back
Love, Simon
A Quiet Place
Vice
The Favourite
Mary Poppins Returns
Check-out Team Mr. Will’s Best Picpicks of 2018 here.
2018 also was my best year for Selfies ever. Will I ever stop? Why stop at something you love this much? Sorry, haters!
Adam Brody
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Trevante Rhodes
We’ve been at this game for what is approaching our tenth year and we’re showing no signs of stopping. We are indebted to you, our Readers for all the support and love you’ve shown all these years and we’ll never forget being named NOW Magazine Readers’ Choice Best Blogger this year. Thank you. To a stellar 2019!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#GOLDENGLOBES: “VICE” AND “VERSACE” LEAD NOMINATIONS AT 2019 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS
Nominations were unveiled this morning for the 76th edition of the Golden Globe Awards from the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Coming out of nowhere to lead the tally was Adam McKay’s VICE, which still has yet to open in theatres. The Dick Cheney Biopic starring Christian Bale, comes out ahead with six nods, including Motion Picture – Comedy, Actor in a Comedy and Director.
Not far behind with five nominations, is Bradley Cooper’s Box Office and commercial success A STAR IS BORN which sees the Film nominated for Motion Picture – Drama and himself cross-nominated for Director and Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Already a Golden Globe winner, Lady Gaga gets recognition again for her performance, up for Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. Very shockingly, Sam Elliott didn’t get a nod for Supporting Actor after a win in the National Board of Review Awards last week.
THE FAVOURITE and GREEN BOOK, the latter which won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and also Best Picture at the National Board of Review Awards, likewise get five nominations. All three stars of the former are up for Actress in Motion Picture – Comedy (Olivia Colman) and Supporting Actress (Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz). Both stars of the latter are up for awards also in the category of Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy (Viggo Mortensen) and Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali).
In Television categories, we saw AMERICAN CRIME STORY: THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE validated with four nominations including Best Limited Television Series, Actor in a Limited Series (Darren Criss), Actor in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series (Edgar Ramirez) and Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series (Pénélope Cruz).
There is a six-way tie between BARRY, THE KOMISNKI METHOD, HOMECOMING, SHARP OBJECTS, THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL and A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL.
Click here for complete list of Nominees.
Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh host the Golden Globe Awards, which air January 7, 2018, 8:00 PM EST on NBC.
(Photo credit: eOne Films)
#NEWMUSIC: LADY GAGA x BRADLEY COOPER – “SHALLOW”
At risk of becoming an A STAR IS BORN fansite, here is an amazing duet with stars Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga featured prominently in the Film’s Trailer. This is just one of several gorgeous songs from the Film to surface on its Soundtrack, out next Friday!
Check it out:
Warner Bros. Canada release A STAR IS BORN Friday, October 5, 2018.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada/Universal Music Canada)
#FIRSTLOOK: NEW “A STAR IS BORN” TEASER – “IS THAT ALRIGHT?”
You know how much we loved A STAR IS BORN and the countdown is on till it’s release next Friday! To get you in the mood, Lady Gaga shared a gorgeous one-minute Teaser soundtracked to the song IS THAT ALRIGHT? While the Song isn’t heard in the Film till the credits, we need to hear more of this version! Get ready to cry.
Is that alright? #AStarIsBorn pic.twitter.com/aTsNiTmMXD
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) September 25, 2018
Warner Bros. Canada release A STAR IS BORN Friday, October 5, 2018.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)
#TIFF18: HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
By Mr. Will Wong
And in a blink of an eye, another TIFF has passed and this one had us working right to the finish line! It’s only after the fact that we have a moment to take it all in how much we went through. We estimate double our average in Celebrity Snaps this year. That’s how star-studded TIFF ’18 was. It was that kind of a year!
We had the pleasure of previewing several of this year’s Awards Season contenders and we are waiting with baited breath to see A STAR IS BORN and GREEN BOOK, both outstanding, duke it out for Oscars glory in coming months. We loved both, are thrilled the latter was honoured with the People’s Choice Award at the Festival, but something about the former makes our heart sing. We cannot stop thinking about it or its Soundtrack. It takes a magical Film to do that.
Let’s relive some of my favourite star-studded moments of the Festival, as lensed through the Nikon D3400. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without this amazing camera which worked amazingly-well with our Blackberry Key 2 in terms of file transmission to ensure we were able to get our photos uploaded and edited within moments for you all to enjoy! The clarity of these snaps speak for themselves.
A STAR IS BORN Press Conference
Lady Gaga
We will never stop taking our signature Celebrity Selfies and TIFF ’18 was unforgettable even if we saw many returning faces. We wouldn’t have been camera-ready without the right gear and depending on each scenario, sometimes the Blackberry Key 2 worked best for those Selfies, sometimes the Nikon D3400 worked better. What matters is that more often than not, we got the snap! And many we did.
Here’s some of our faves!
Alexander Skarsgård
Amandla Stenberg
Amber Heard
Anthony Ramos
Boyd Holbrook
Cara Delevingne
Chris Pine
Claire Foy
Daniel Kaluuya
Elizabeth Debicki
Gwendoline Christie
Hari Nef
Jacob Tremblay
Jamie Dornan
Jamie Lee Curtis
John David Washington
Julianne Moore
Kelly Marie Tran
Lady Gaga
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Margaret Qualley
Olivia Munn
Parker Sevak
Peter Sarsgaard
Quincy Jones
Riz Ahmed
Ryan Gosling
Steve Carell
Steven Yeun
Timothée Chalamet
Trevante Rhodes
Troye Sivan
Zhang Yimou
In case you missed our Television appearances during TIFF ’18 this is our first year hitting-up the three big media giants: Global, CITY and CP24 (Bell Media). Thrilled! Our brand continues to thrive as a Festival go-to and we are so happy for the recognition.
CP24 with George Lagogianes
Breakfast Television with Winston Sih
Until next year. We’re already ready!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#TIFF18: “A STAR IS BORN” PRESS CONFERENCE
Words and Photos by Mr. Will Wong
The buzz for A STAR IS BORN is undeniable. On the day of its Premiere, the TIFF ’18 Press Conference was held for the directorial debut from Bradley Cooper. Joining him at the event moderated by Richard Crouse, were Lady Gaga, Dave Chappelle, Anthony Ramos and Sam Elliott. This is the first time the Cast reunited since they had shot the Film.
Crouse notes that the Film contains the theme of being true to one’s self at a time where funding in a time where the Arts are under siege with cuts to funding, and whether this was a conscious decision.
Cooper: “This was never anything conscious as funding for Arts is age-old tradition dating back to the ’40s and ’50s. As long as you want to create content that’s compelling, that’s the biggest motivator.”
Crouse asks what drew Cooper and the Cast to the story.
Cooper: “There was not one thing, but a sequence of sonic ideas, compositions and meeting people. I love faces, eyes and voices and all of these people have an incredible character I was obsessed with putting on film. I have such a unique dynamic with each one and they have with each other. In terms of the human element, that was all inspirtation and kept evolving depending who was going to be in the Movie.”.
“But really, it started about six years ago at Metallica concert and I was behind Lars Ulrich‘s drumkit. Just to be on stage, that’s how I wanna see a movie. I also wanted to tell a love story and not to be too specific, watching Annie Lennox‘s cover of I Put a Spell on You, looking at the veins on her neckand wanting to have that in a movie. You can’t hide when you’re singing. Lady Gaga propelled the whole thing being the epicenter of it all.”.
Crouse asks about creating the character of Ally, whom is played by Lady Gaga.
Gaga: ‘I have acted before , but I’ve never been a lead actress in a Feature Film. Every day was such a thrill to watch, act and work in this environment he created. He (Cooper) operates with such precision and has such a vision. You can see the gears turning while he’s working and even while he’s in character at the same time.”.
“He’d whisper things to me like ‘Tony (Bennett) ‘Ninja’ and ‘Come on, assassin!’ and we would pound each other. I had the lines memorized. He told me the important thing is to know what I’m trying to say, to tell the story I was meant to tell in that scene. I could just throw it all away on set. It wasn’t rigid. I could exist in this precise an compelely liberating environment.”.
A Star is Born screens on Sunday, September 9 at 6 PM, Roy Thomson Hall and 7:30 PM at Elgin Theatre. Monday, September 10 at 9:15 AM at TIFF Bell Lightbox and Friday, September 14 at 6:45 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
#TIFF18: “A STAR IS BORN” REVIEW
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
After stunning Venice and Telluride, Bradley Cooper has brought the highly-anticipated A Star is Born to TIFF. Jackson Maine (Cooper) is a Country Singer whose best years are behind him. He’s become an alcoholic and drug addict. Ally (Lady Gaga) is an incredible singer at a drag club. The two meet by chance, become lovers and start writing music together. But the pressures of the tour and the rising tide for Ally may signal some big changes for in the future.
In a word, A Star is Born is spectacular. Cooper (who acts as Producer, Co-Writer, Director and Star of the Film) has created a spectacle of beauty and sure-fire Oscar-nominee. He relies too often on slow-motion and overuses all manner of close-up, but his directorial debut is solid and assured. His acting is just as great (channeling his inner Sam Elliot), and is only topped by Gaga. She dives deep into what truly makes Ally tick, leaving her on-stage persona at the door, delivering a strong, resilient woman that is unmatched by so many. Elliot is pretty great as well and Dave Chappelle shows-up for a particularly memorable arch in the second act.
But the Music is what really kicks every scene up a notch. It is composed and sung magnificently. While they both get plenty of time and songs to shine, the showstopping Finale from Gaga is the Film’s clear standout. They even cue in when it’s appropriate to clap.
A Star is Born screens on Sunday, September 9 at 6 PM, Roy Thomson Hall and 7:30 PM at Elgin Theatre. Monday, September 10 at 9:15 AM at TIFF Bell Lightbox and Friday, September 14 at 6:45 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
#TIFF18: GUESTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2018 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
By Mr. Will Wong
The time has arrived. We waited every year with baited breath for those Toronto International Film Festival guest announcements and finally they have been announced! While several marquee titles like Beautiful Boy, First Man, Destroyer, Wildlife, High Life, A Star is Born, If Beale Street Could Talk and Ben is Back embark on their Awards Season trails, Toronto once again readies itself for the massive onslaught of starpower and talent set to shut down the City post-Labour Day.
With multiple titles at the Festival, stars like Jake Gyllenhaal, Dev Patel, Amanda Steinberg, Lucas Hedges and Nicole Kidman are set to make the best of the Fest!
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mahershala Ali and Hilary Swank also will be having In-Conversations-With! More on that here.
Toronto’s own Drake also will introduced highly-buzzed MONSTERS AND MEN, Jason Reitman is back with fan favourite Live Read of The Breakfast Club and THE FIRST MAN will be presented at Ontario Place‘s Cinesphere!
Announced to attend TIFF ’18 earlier today are:
Who are you most excited to see?
Our Team are prepping feverishly for this our biggest and best year yet at TIFF as we get ready to bring you the buzz on all the biggest stars and Films of the Festival.
More on some of TIFF ’18’s most-talked-about titles here.
In the meantime, start planning your Festival, who and what you’ll see right here.
(Photo/video credit: TIFF)
#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “A STAR IS BORN”
We love Lady Gaga and we love Bradley Cooper and we’re beyond excited to see their working chemistry in the upcoming A STAR IS BORN Remake. Check-out the new Trailer!
Synopsis:
“A Star is Born” stars four-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (“American Sniper,” “American Hustle,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) and multiple award-winning, Oscar-nominated music superstar Lady Gaga, in her first leading role in a major motion picture. Cooper helms the drama, marking his directorial debut.
In this new take on the tragic love story, he plays seasoned musician Jackson Maine, who discovers—and falls in love with—struggling artist Ally (Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer… until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.
The cast of “A Star is Born” also includes Andrew Dice Clay, with Dave Chappelle and Sam Elliott.
In addition to playing Ally, Gaga, who earned her Oscar nod for the song “Til It Happens to You” from “The Hunting Ground,” performs original songs in the film, which she wrote with Cooper and a handful of artists, including Lukas Nelson, Jason Isbell and Mark Ronson. All the music is original and was recorded live.
See the Trailer:
Warner Bros. Canada release A STAR IS BORN Friday, October 5, 2018.
We’re hearing rumblings of a TIFF ’18 Premiere…
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)
#FIRSTLOOK: “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2” SNEAK PEEK
True to form, this new sneak peek of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 delivers the same quirky fun that we loved so much in its first volume!
See the new Sneak Peek below:
Also see the new Poster unveiled today!
#GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 new poster! pic.twitter.com/gQZNaX7S5n
— MR. WILL WONG (@mrwillw) October 19, 2016
Marvel Entertainment Canada release GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 on Friday, May 5, 2017.
(Photo/video credit: Marvel Entertainment Canada)
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