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Oscars

7.07 Reviving History in MANK

December 11, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Set in 1930s Hollywood, Mank tells the story of Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman), a screenwriter with a scathing wit and a passion for alcohol, as he channels his experiences with the cultural elite into what will become his greatest achievement… the script for Citizen Kane. This week, we welcome Pop Life’s Richard Crouse and In The Seats’ Dave Voigt to chat about reading the present in our past and the relationship between integrity and power.

You can stream the episode on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

7.07 MankDownload

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Netflix, Podcast Tagged With: Academy Awards, Amanda Seyfried, Atticus Ross, Citizen Kane, David Fincher, Gary, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Mank, Netflix, Orson Welles, Oscars, Richard Crouse, Trent Reznor

6.20 Emancipating the BIRDS OF PREY

February 14, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

After her debut in SUICIDE SQUAD, fan favourite Margot Robbie gets her time to shine brightly in BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN). After stepping out from the shadow of her ex—the Joker—Quinn quickly finds herself in the cross-hairs of every hitman in Gotham, especially maniacal crime boss Black Mask (Ewan Macgregor). However, Harley isn’t the only woman in Gotham who needs emancipation and she finds some unlikely allies in tough cop Rene Montoya, Black Canary and The Huntress. In a fantabulous episode, Mira Ibrahim joins me again to talk about the meaning of emancipation and pop culture’s portrayal of gender.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

Want to continue the conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

6.20 Bird of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)Download

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Podcast Tagged With: Birds of Prey, Cathy Yan, DC Films, Harley Quinn, Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Oscars, Rosie Perez, Warner Bros.

Parasite: Staring From the Outside

February 4, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

“It’s all so metaphorical.” (Choi Woo Sik, Parasite)

Written and directed by Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer), Parasite introduces the viewer to the Kim clan, a destitute Korean family struggling to make ends meet. When a young friend encourages the son, Ki-woo (Choi Woo Sik), to apply as an English tutor to the Parks, a wealthy family who live in an extravagant mansion, he believes that he may have found an answer to their financial problems. As the lies and deceptions increase, the Kims and Parks become intertwined in a symbiotic relationship that will threaten all of their lives. 

With the Oscars fast-approaching, Parasite has slowly crept its way into awards contention, continuously winning audiences over with its unique storytelling and shocking finale. Featuring Joon-ho’s signature brand of humour and horror, Parasite also has a social conscience that also challenges perceptions and stereotypes regarding the boundaries of social status. As a result, the film is truly one of the year’s most engaging and interesting scripts, worthy of all the accolades that have come its way. 

Essential to Parasite is the concept of lines and boundaries. As Mr. Park speaks repeatedly about his demand that his staff do not ‘cross the line’, their luxurious home is designed with clean edges, squares and sections to indicate the proper location for both items and people. Put simply, the Parks live in a world of control and separation. Their highest priority remains maintaining the quality of life that they have achieved. Meanwhile, however, the Kim family live in a world where boundaries are blurred as they constantly reach upwards. Open windows let in everything from water to fumes. They scurry feverishly until they find Wi-Fi signals, often in the strangest of areas of their basement apartment. In fact, even their bathroom appears virtually upside down as the toilet approaches the ceiling. Struggling to pay their bills, they find themselves constrained by the social boundaries that have been laid in place by families such as the Parks. (Incidentally, this notion of exclusion is also beautifully represented by the Park family home’s many walls and windows, suggesting that they both want to be left alone and admired at the same time.)

Nevertheless, despite the social division between them, there seems to remain a symbiotic dependency between the two families. While the Kims slowly gain access to the Park residence, they could clearly be viewed as the titular ‘parasites’, leaching off of their benefactors’ food and finance. Though, with that in mind, the Parks too find themselves relying on their servants to perform the most menial of tasks, suggesting that they too find themselves in a similar role. In Parasite, there remains an interconnectedness between class cultures that those in the upper class either remain unaware of (or refuse to acknowledge). For example, the film recognizes the self-imposed blindness of the wealthy as they treat the disenfranchised as less than human. Broken and ignored, the Kims represent an entire section of the population that the Park family choose not to see. Blinded by forged documents and business cards, the Parks are only willing to acknowledge the worth of the Kims based upon their credentials, as opposed to their value as human beings. As such, Parasite plays out like a cautionary tale, it also serves as a call for justice for the oppressed as well.

Special features on the Blu-ray disc are sparse, especially when one considers how immensely popular the film has become. However, the sole feature—an interview with director Bong Joon-ho—is especially good and delves into many of the film’s key themes and ideas. (Though, if extras are what you’re looking for, you may want to wait to see if Criterion eventually offers a release in their collection.) 

Sharply-written, visually stunning and shocking at times, Parasite is an experience well worth investing your time into. Through his distinct brand of story-telling, Joon-ho embeds his tale of interconnectedness and social injustice with levity that somehow enhances the moments of surprise when they arrive. 

Parasite has moved in onto Blu-Ray and Digital now.

Filed Under: DVD, Film, TIFF Tagged With: Bong Joon-ho, Oscars, Parasite

6.18 Setting Off the BOMBSHELL of Truth

January 31, 2020 by Steve Norton 1 Comment

Back in 2016, after Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson raised allegations about FOX Executive Roger Ailes, the fallout helped further survivors of sexual misconduct to speak out against their attackers sparking a movement that reverberated throughout the industry. Now, with his latest film, Bombshell, director Jay Roach attempts to give light on the truth of the story in the hopes of continuing the ongoing conversation surrounding sexual misconduct in our culture. In an honest and challenging conversation, we welcome back ScreenFish’r Julie Levac and TO Film Files’ Jolie Featherstone to discuss the relationship between power and voice.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

6.18 BombshellDownload

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Podcast, Reviews Tagged With: #Metoo, Bombshell, Charlize Theron, Jay Roach, John Lithgow, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman, Oscars

GIVEAWAY! Parasite on Blu-Ray!

January 21, 2020 by Steve Norton 3 Comments

As Oscar season ramps up, ScreenFish wants you to bring home the film that everyone is talking about!

In PARASITE, meet the Park family, the picture of aspirational wealth and the Kim family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kim’s sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. 

The winner will receive a copy of Parasite on Blu-Ray.

To enter, simply like or share our post on Facebook and answer the following question in the comment section: Name one other film directed by Bong Joon-ho.

For a bonus entry, like or share the post on Twitter and Instagram.

All entries must be completed by 11:59pm on Monday, January 27th, 2020

A special thanks to TARO PR!

PARASITE

Facebook: https://facebook.com/parasitemovie

Twitter: https://twitter.com/parasitemovie

Instagram: https://instagram.com/parasitemovie

#Parasite

Filed Under: Film, Giveaways Tagged With: Bong Joon-ho, Oscars, Parasite

6.16 Pouncing on CATS

January 17, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Featuring iconic songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and starring such talents as Jennifer Hudson, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift and more, the first big screen portrayal of the Broadway smash musical CATS seemed like a sure-fire hit over the Christmas season. However, despite its award-winning pedigree, terrible reviews and troubled special effects have caused the film to suffer at the box office. But does the film deserve to be in the centre of Oscar buzz or does it really cough up a hairball? This week, we’re joined by Allen Chabot and newcomer Naomi Bain to talk about welcoming outsiders, T.S. Eliot and what went wrong… horribly, horribly wrong… 

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

6.16 CatsDownload

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Andrew Lloyd Webber, cats, Dame Judy Dench, Idris Elba, Jason Derulo, Jennifer Hudson, musical, Oscars, Taylor Swift

Green Book: Navigating the Space Between Races

March 12, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

The tension was palpable.

In the moments (and days?) following Julia Roberts’ announcement that Green Book had won Best Picture at the 91stAcademy Awards, there were almost as many cheers and celebrations as there were anxious and angry responses. While some denounced it for simplifying racial arguments and a ‘White Savior’ complex, others proclaimed that it was a worthy winner due to its depiction of diverse ethnicities coming together and tearing down of stereotypes. While there are fair arguments on both sides, the truth may lie somewhere in the middle—and depends entirely on your perspective.

Directed by Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber), Green Book tells the story of Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali, who won an Oscar for his performance), a world-class African-American pianist, who is about to embark on a concert tour in the Deep South in 1962. In need of a driver and protection, Shirley recruits Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), a tough-talking bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx. Despite their differences, the two men soon develop an unexpected bond while confronting racism and danger in an era of segregation.

In truth, one can make compelling arguments for either the inherent dangers or merits of the film. While scenes where an ignorant Tony Lip attempts to ‘educate’ Dr. Shirley on what it means to appreciate African-American culture, these moments are also played to show the dangers and limitations of stereotyping as opposed to reinforcing them. Meanwhile, other scenes where a drunken Dr. Shirley is rescued from advancing racists by Tony Lip struggle to evade the echoes of a ‘white savior’ complex, despite their initially noble intentions.

Mahershala Ali as Dr. Donald Shirley and Viggo Mortensen as Tony Vallelonga in “Green Book,” directed by Peter Farrelly.

Though flawed, Green Book wants badly to be viewed as a film that seeks to explore the humanity underneath the stereotypes. As Dr. Shirley, Mahershala Ali portrays the man with dignity and courage in the midst of horrendous racial discrimination. (After all, we soon discover that accepting the dangers of this tour was ‘his choice’ in an effort to display the strength of the African-American culture.) However, there is also a complexity within him, as he battles social expectations upon him. In other words, Dr. Shirley is a man who doesn’t ‘fit’ into any particular social mold and this is a truth that becomes somewhat shocking to the uninformed Tony Lip. While Tony believes he sees the world properly, his experience with Dr. Shirley shatters his preconceived notions about social boxes and barriers. Whereas he once thought he understood what Dr. Shirley’s ‘people’ are like, he slowly begins to change his racist tendencies, whether they be conscious or unconscious.

Viggo Mortensen as Tony Vallelonga and Mahershala Ali as Dr. Donald Shirley in “Green Book,” directed by Peter Farrelly.

For its release on disc, Green Book contains several special features, including Virtuoso Performances (a look at the two lead characters with commentary from Ali and Mortenson), An Unforgettable Friendship (which looks at the relationship between Tony and Dr. Shirley) and Going Beyond the Green Book, a short feature that discusses the meaning of the book itself and its significance during the days of racial segregation. (The last segment is of particular interest given the fact that the film itself falls short in explaining the Green Book and its relevance.)

Despite its failings (in fact, arguably because of them), Green Book is an important view. Regardless of whether you support or despise the film’s description of race, this is a film that wishes to speak to our common humanity, despite the social barriers that we build between ourselves.

Green Book is now available on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD or Digital Download.

Filed Under: DVD, Film, VOD Tagged With: Dr. Don Shirley, Green Book, Mahershala Ali, Oscars, Peter Farrelly, Tony Lip, Viggo Mortensen

Giveaway! GREEN BOOK in 4K

March 5, 2019 by Steve Norton 1 Comment

Dr Don Shirley (Oscar winner Mahershala Ali) is a world-class African-American pianist, who is about to embark on a concert tour in the Deep South in 1962. In need of a driver and protection, Shirley recruits ‘Tony Lip’ Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), a tough-talking bouncer from an Italian-American neighbourhood in the Bronx. Despite their differences, the two men soon develop an unexpected bond while confronting racism and danger in an era of segregation.


The winner will receive a copy of the Green Book 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Edition and a Grinch hat.

To enter, simply like or share our post on Facebook and answer the following question in the comment section: What is your favourite Mahershala Ali role? Why?

For a bonus entry, like or share the post on Twitter and Instagram.

All entries must be completed by 11:59pm on Monday, March 11th, 2019.

 

Green Book is currently available on digital and will be released on Blu-Ray on Tuesday, March 12th, 2019

Mahershala Ali as Dr. Donald Shirley and Viggo Mortensen as Tony Vallelonga in “Green Book,” directed by Peter Farrelly.

Filed Under: Film, Giveaways Tagged With: Best Picture, Green Book, Mahershala Ali, Oscars, Viggo Mortensen

5.11 Problems and Praise in GREEN BOOK

March 3, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

https://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/5.11-Green-Book.mp3

When the name Green Book was read aloud as the winner of Best Picture at the 91st Oscars last week, it erupted a firestorm of controversy. While some pronounced the film as outdated and problematic in its portrayal of racial issues in today’s culture, others defended the film and authenticity. This week, we welcome back ScreenFish’rs Chris Utley and Shelley McVea to challenge the film’s arguments about stereotypes, the merit (or not) of its depiction of dignity and its responsibility to get the facts straight. 

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, SoundCloud or on Spotify! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or more!

5.11 Green Book

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

Thanks Chris and Shelley for joining us!

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: BlackkKlansman, Green Book, Mahershala Ali, Nick Vallelonga, Octavia Spencer, Oscars, Peter Farrelly, Spike Lee, Tony Vallelonga, Viggo Mortensen

A Star is Born: A Movie with Soul

February 19, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

A Star is Born tells the story of veteran musician Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) who, stumbling into a bar after a show, discovers—and immediately falls in love with—struggling artist Ally (Lady Gaga). Having just about given up on her dreams as a singer, Ally has never had an opportunity to showcase her talent until Jackson charms her into the spotlight. As Ally’s career takes off, the two must fight to keep their relationship together against the trials of celebrity and Maine’s battle with his personal demons.

For his directorial debut, Cooper shows tremendous poise behind the camera, especially in his ability to shoot live performances which pop off the screen with vibrant colors. However, rather than get too distracted by the soundtrack (and it would be easy to do so), much of the film focuses intently on the faces of its leads. Although Gaga and Cooper are hardly inexperienced in front of the camera, the choice to concentrate on their faces refuses to let them escape behind the music. Given Gaga’s inexperience as an actress, one could argue this to be a risky move but Cooper’s direction and her surprisingly honest performance makes the most of these moments. This story is not going to be told solely by star power or the quality of the soundtrack. Cooper’s intent is clearly that this story is going to be told by the soul of their eyes.

And soul is an appropriate term, given the film’s interest in fighting to keep one’s own.

Co-written by Cooper, his vision for the film continues to remind us of the importance of finding your voice in a world that lusts primarily at surface imagery. World-weary from both his career successes and battles with his personal demons, Cooper’s Jackson Maine has been broken from all sides. Although, despite his ongoing struggles, Maine continuously reminds Ally that she must ‘have something to say’ in order to maintain her soul in an industry that cares little about anything but their ‘look’. As such, 2018’s A Star is Born proves to be an appropriate vehicle for Gaga. As an aspiring ingenue who’s star power begins to overshadow her talent as a singer/songwriter, there are several moments in the film that suggest Gaga reminding the audience of her own desire to share her soul with the world. Though her talent is undeniable (except from her father), Ally goes unnoticed until a chance meeting with Maine brings her into the limelight. As she begins to embrace her moment in the sun, Ally fights to maintain her credibility in an industry that embraces the visual.

It’s here that reality meets fiction.

Best known for ‘meat dresses’ and wild costumes, Gaga clearly seeks respect in a role that strips her down to the simple waitress from the local bar. As such, Ally becomes a conduit for Gaga to respond to her critics in her own voice. “I just want them to remember that I’m talented,” she cautions during one meeting with her image consultant. (In fact, this potential breaking of the fourth wall is even echoed in a brief but important cameo by Dave Chapelle whose character addresses ‘why he got out’ of the industry.) While the film is hardly a critique of fame itself—Ally and Maine both fully embrace their superstar status—it is a reminder of what people should be famous for. Maine and Ally both understand that the platform of celebrity means nothing if you have nothing to say to the culture at large. Though their lives have been repackaged for mass appeal, both stars recognize that it is their ability to share their soul that gives their music value. It is a reminder that the depths of our heart matters, not only for our own spiritual health, but also to make an impact in the world around us.

There is little question that Star has its eyes set on the Oscar race and, incidentally, all signs point to the fact that this is a reasonable assumption. Cooper and Gaga have worked diligently to craft a film that will make waves, both at the box office and during awards season. Make no mistake, however. While much will be made of the film’s incredible soundtrack and performances, A Star is Born still maintains its soul and has something to say to our culture.

A Star is Born is in theaters now.

Own A Star is Born on 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD Special Edition on February 19. Special features include Jam Sessions and Rarities: “Baby What You Want Me To Do”, “Midnight Special”, and “Is That Alright”; the featurette “The Road to Stardom: Making A Star is Born,” and music videos for “Shallow,” “Always Remember Us This Way,” “Look What I Found,” and “I’ll Never Love Again.”

Filed Under: DVD, Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: A Star is Born, Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Oscars, Sam Elliott, Shallows

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