#EDITORSNOTE: MR. WILL’S 2013 TOP TENS!

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):

Clarence Square ParkMy Balcony – YorkvilleRosedale ValleyMy Balcony – YorkvilleNorth YorkWoodbine RacetrackWoodbine RacetrackWoodbine RacetrackWoodbine RacetrackYorkville

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)

#SPOTTED: MR. WILL IN NEW YORK CITY

So you might’ve heard I was in New York City this past week enjoying the Met Gala (see the Photos!) and it was an amazing thrill seeing the Fashions and the Celebrity in-person after admiring them online for many years now.  Red Carpets and flashing Cameras are something I vow to never get sick of!   Promise.  Hoping to visit again next Spring!

Although I did get to meet Met Gala Host Rooney Mara in-person and she was lovely to stop and say “hi” and blow me a kiss, unfortunately she didn’t do the Photo but I still will have the memory!  One day I’ll have my Gwen Stefani and Anne Hathaway moment!  I did get Photos with Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon a Time) and Tommy Hilfigger but unfortunately they just didn’t turn out:(

Fortunately, most of the Celebrities I met were more than obliging and here are some of the Stars I got to get  Snap with below. And yes, that is KYLIE MINOGUE!!!!  She is just as lovely as I’d dreamed!  Ditto for Kelly Ripa!!  Armie Hammer too!! And I don’t believe Zooey Deschanel said “yes”!  She never does!!

See it all:

(Photo video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#SPOTTED: QUENTIN TARANTINO AT TORONTO SCREENING OF “DJANGO UNCHAINED”

A Legend is before us. One night before the big Premiere of his DJANGO UNCHAINED in New York City, iconic Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino brought a Crowd out to Scotiabank Theatre tonight here in Toronto.  Journalists and Fans alike lined the Red Carpet tonight to catch a glimpse of Tarantino who hasn’t been in the City since premiering his Oscar-worthy Inglorious Basterds here back in 2009 at the same venue.

This new Action-Thriller-Drama centers around an enslaved Bounty Hunter’s revenge against the gross injustices witnessed against others – including his Wife – at the hands of a sadistic Plantation Owner. It stars a brilliant Cast including Jamie Foxx, Leonardo Dicaprio, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson. Tarantino tells The Toronto Star‘s Peter Howell, “I feel shame for my Country that it happened”, on the topic of Slavery.

Measuring Fan reactions, the Filmmaker sat-in on the Screening tonight for well-over two hours before being escorted into his Escalade by two Security Guards.

Thanks to my dear Friend Keith McCalmont who was super-kind to send a Photo of Tarantino on the Carpet with another good Friend, Melissa DiMarco below.  And of course, I had to have my moment with Tarantino also, although when he reached over to grab my Camera to take a Selfie of us, the lens seemed to have been knocked out of its socket!  Oh well, if it was going to be one person whom it would be fitting to break my Camera, it definitely would be him!  Special thanks to John Vassal who was awesome to capture the moment on his Camera still!

 

 I’ll be out in NYC tomorrow capturing some of the Highlights at the Premiere. Wish me luck!

Alliance Films releases Django Unchained  in theatres Christmas Day.

(Photo credit: Keith McCalmont/John Vassal/Mr. Will Wong)

#FIRSTLOOK: OFFICIAL POSTERS FOR “DJANGO UNCHAINED”

Looks good!  Official Character Posters for Quentin Tarantino‘s DJANGO UNCHAINED have just been released and here we get some intense Staredowns from: Jamie Foxx as Django, Christoph Waltz as Dr. King Schultz, Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin, Kerry Washington as Broomhilda, and Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen.

Christmas just can’t come soon enough!

(Photo credit: Alliance Films)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “DJANGO UNCHAINED”

“In my world you’ve gotta get dirty. And that’s what I’m doing. Getting dirty.”

Could they stuff any more clever One-Liners into a Trailer?  Quentin Tarantino does it again with this just-released Trailer for Django Unchained, giving us a good long look at what we can expect from this Western Opus starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, Samuel Jackson, Amber Tamblyn, Don Johnson and Jonah Hill (who knew?!).

Foxx stars as Django, who teams with Christoph Waltz to rescue his Wife (Washington) from a ruthless Plantation Owner (DiCaprio).

Tarantino always has gone on about his love for Spaghetti Westerns, so at long last he gets to indulge himself (and us!) by fulfilling this long-time wish of his.  DiCaprio is channeling some delicious evilness here  – I need more of that!

Watch the brand new Trailer in full for Django Unchained here.

Alliance Films releases on Christmas Day.

(Photo credit: The Weinstein Co.)