In The Seats with...

In the 80's and 90's in the movie business it wasn't music or people that made the world go around, it was rubber....In advance of the film's world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal we got the opportunity to dive into the life and times of the masters of the practical VFX game.  It's time for 'Rubberhead: The Life & Monsters of Steve Johnson'.Steve Johnson was a child of the movies whose journey led to creature shop of Rick Baker all the way to big budget classics like 'Ghostbusters' and the indie gore darlings like "Night of the Demons'.  As the 90's came around he built his own  groundbreaking FX studio that would work with the likes of Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro.However when the studios started to favour digital effects over practical ones, his success started to wain which led to being a man out of time, as divorce and the non-stop party like it's the 1980's started to see an actual end..While 'Rubberhead' doesn't skimp on the fan service which is well deserved and plentiful it's also a really interesting story of a mad creative genius being undone by his demons like many before him have gone through.  That being said, with Johnson serving as narrator he gives this time period the unabashed rock star treatment that it so richly deserved.  He created on a level like no other, and played in is excesses without regret.  Iconic geniuses never seem to fit anywhere, and that's exactly what Steve Johnson.A film seven years in the making, we had the pleasure of sitting down with director Nick Taylor about following this immensely interesting life,  paying homage to the time period and acknowledging unhinged brilliance when it stares us in the face.

Even when they are doing us wrong, we always have an unexpected pull towards family....On this very special episode we dive head first into some high quality Can-Con that has finally hit theatres for the masses to see after a successful festival run that kicked off last TIFF.  It's time for 'Blood Lines'.'Blood Lines' is the story of an estranged Metis mother who are struggling to overcome years of differences and neglect only to have their worlds come crashing down when an alluring woman enters their lives.Ultimately this was a very well told love story that was still very genuine to the indigenous community as it put the characters first more then anything.  This is thanks to the masterful writing and directing from filmmaker Gail Maurice.We talked about the origins of the story, casting an indigenous with some excellent leads and making sure this story lead with a very humanistic tone more then anything.'Blood Lines' is in theatres now.

It's nice that we have nice things....We're still deep in the throws of Emmy consideration season and on this episode we get to go behind the scenes on one of the best TV shows out there on Apple+.  It's time to talk 'Shrinking'.From creator Bill Lawrence; 'Shrinking' is the story of grieving therapist starts to tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge changes to people's lives - including his own.Filled with fun, charm, heart and ethos it makes perfect sense that this show was born from some of the same team that gave us 'Ted Lasso' and there's a lot of cross over there.We had the pleasure of sitting down with composer Tom Howe to talk about his work on the show, getting to have a bulit in second hand relationship with show runner Bill Lawrence and so very much more.'Shrinking' is on Apple+ now.

When you're turning the world upside down, you need to be working with people you trust....On this very special episode we're back on the Emmy march and considering as much as we possibly can as we get dive into one of the more unique shows out there on the docket right now.  It's time for 'Pluribus'In a world where the one miserable person has to save us from an unnatural state of bliss you need to come at things from a different angle,  Obviously show runner Vince Gilligan has some experience on this front and he surrounds himself with people he's worked before and trusts to achieve what he wants.Enter cinematographer Marshall Adams who working with Gilligan extensively on 'Better Call Saul' comes into this show to help craft the dystopian and the absurd that this show so readily embraces.  Marshall gives us real perspective on crafting the visual esthetic of the show and so very much more.Go watch 'Pluribus' on Apple+ now.

Sometimes it's the music that's the thing....On this very special episode we dive into one of the beating hearts of what makes a show so special and why it has expanded into so many iterations.  It's time for 'Rupaul's Drag Race'.Part of why this show is just so damn fun is the original over the top musical numbers that the show gets to highlight and at the heart of that is the man who wrote them.  The man's name is Leland.He works on so many different aspects of the music of the show and we talk about how he got on board with the show, letting his creativity fly and so very much more.

Even the classics can do with a fresh look once in a while....On this very special episode we're diving into what just might be the hottest new show of the season and it's gorgeous visual stylings.  It's time for 'Spider-Noir'.Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage), a seasoned, down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York, is forced to grapple with his past life, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city's one and only superhero.Like a shot of adrenaline into a familiar franchise, 'Spider-Noir" couldn't have come at a better time and comes with some unique visual trappings that make it stand out from the rest.  This show was shot so that it would like amazing not only color, but in Black and White as well....and contrary to popular belief there's more to it then flipping a switch or pressing a button.That's where cinematographers Darran Tiernan and Peter Deming come in.  Both men were kind enough to sit down with me to talk about the in's and out's of shooting a show that is very much a love letter to the classics Film Noir's that looked amazing in both Color and B&W.  We talked about all that and so very much more.'Spider-Noir' is available on Prime Video now.

It's the profound arts that are usually the most delicate...On this episode as we wade into the deep end of Emmy consideration season, we take a look at a very specific episode from a series that created a very specific tone for the rest of the show going forward.  It's time for 'Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette'This show explores the undeniable chemistry, whirlwind courtship and high-profile marriage of one of the most iconic couples of the 20th century, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.Without giving too much away, we looked in on Episode 5 of this series where John and Carolyn have a very public confrontation which sets both their stories down a very different path.  We talked with editor Franzis Muller about the work she did on this episode because while it's about John and Carolyn having a fight, it's one we see through the eyes of the paparazzi who are following them from a pretty considerable distance.  It was on Franzis to craft a sense of distance yet intimacy that unfolded at the same time.Franzis gives us some insights on the art of editing and so very much more. 'Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette' is available on Hulu and Disney+ now.

Getting in the ring certainly requires a different perspective...On this episode we're getting into the squared circle to get a unique perspective on one of our new favourite shows.  It's time for 'Margot's Got Money Troubles'.From creator David E. Kelley, this is the story of a young mother (Elle Fanning) struggling to make ends meet. When her estranged father (Nick Offerman offers help, she starts an OnlyFans account using his advice from pro wrestling. Though successful, she wonders if Internet fame comes at too high a cost.This is a story with some wild edges that has to have some wild visual esthetics to it.  On that front we had the unique pleasure of sitting down with cinematographer Tari Segal who worked on a number of episodes and even found that right stylistic look for when the characters got in the ring.'Margot's Got Money Troubles' is available on Apple+ now.

Music is so very vital when it comes to crafting mood....On this very special episode we're back with our friends at Prime Video for a continuation of one of the better page to screen adaptations out there today.  It's time for 'The Night Manager'.While it picks up nine years later, the vibe is still very much the same and so much of that comes to play in the music.  We had the pleasure of talking with composer Federico Jusid about diving into this world of John Le Carre and 'The Night Manager'.  We get some great insights into the art of composing and so very much more....'The Night Manager' is on Prime Video now....

The right piece of music turns a simple scene, into a memory that will last a life time....There's a song in our hearts on this episode as we're deep in the TV weeds during this Emmy consideration season as we jump head first into a show that being run by one of the greats of our time.  It's time for 'Young Sherlock'.This show gives us the classic feel with some modern beats and much of that comes from the work of Music Supervisor Ian Neil.  He's a long time collaborator with show runner Guy Ritchie and we got some insight into what it takes to do the job in a great conversation that gave us real understanding on that secret sauce that is the moving image and the music that goes with it.'Young Sherlock' is streaming on Prime Video now....