Richard joined “Outbreak: The Facts and Fiction of Covid-19” podcast with Dave Trafford to talk about staying in and the new web series “In isolation With.”
Here is some more info on the show: Getting back to business in the face of this pandemic…certainly won’t be business as usual. We’re all learning to work together while working in isolation. But how will that isolation culture affect our willingness to gather in large crowds in the coming months? We’ll talk to CTV’s Richard Crouse, host of Pop Life and a new YouTube show – called “In Isolation With…” That’s coming up in the podcast.
Food security has been the focus of discussion this weekend in Canada. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced non-essential businesses to close, forcing historic layoffs and job losses across the country. More than a million jobs were lost in March and that has meant added stress on food banks in every region of Canada.
That is the focus for the cast of Canadian celebrities who volunteered their time and talents for STAND TOGETHER – a virtual, multi-platform presentation of performances produced by all of Canada’s major broadcasters, including Bell Media.
The intent is to raise $150 million for community food banks. Christ Hatch is the President and CEO at FOOD BANKS CANADA and I talked to him when he and his team launched the fundraising campaign.
Richard speaks to “CTV News at Six” anchor Andria Case about television and movies to watch during the pandemic, including a series of films from the Stratford Festival and the on-line ReelAbilities Film Festival.
Each week on the nationally syndicated Richard Crouse Show, Canada’s most recognized movie critic brings together some of the most interesting and opinionated people from the movies, television and music to put a fresh spin on news from the world of lifestyle and pop-culture. Tune into this show to hear in-depth interviews with actors and directors, to find out what’s going on behind the scenes of your favourite shows and movies and get a new take on current trends. Recent guests include Ethan Hawke, director Brad Bird, comedian Gilbert Gottfried, Eric Roberts, Brian Henson, Jonathan Goldsmith a.k.a. “The most interesting man in the world,” and best selling author Linwood Barclay.
Click HERE to catch up on shows you might have missed!
The May 2, 2020 episode of “Pop Life,” features an in-depth interview with indie superstars Tegan and Sara. They stop by the “Pop Life” bar to discuss their new memoir “High School.” They talk about how music became the perfect fit for them. They tell stories about writing their first song, ‘Tegan Didn’t Go to School Today,” the important people in their lives and how music became a replacement for drugs and alcohol. Then the “Pop Life” panel, music industry insiders Farley Flex, Nathan Stein and Laurie Lee Boutet, talk about finding the perfect fit between business and art.
“I think our mom would say that we always were performers,” said Sara. “Once we got going and doing our bits, we could always draw attention to ourselves. It was mostly storytelling. Our grandparents were great storytellers I think we probably adopted their style of banter. But I do think that when we were able to actually make music and do something original, there was this sense that it was what we were born to do. I know that sounds so cheesy but like I think my mom would say, ‘You have always had this natural thing. When you were around people you performed for them.’ So when music came it sort of became a tool, a way to corral that, I think.”
Film critic and pop culture historian Richard Crouse shares a toast with celebrity guests and entertainment pundits every week on CTV News Channel’s exciting talk show POP LIFE.
Featuring in-depth discussion and debate on pop culture and modern life, POP LIFE features sit-down interviews with celebrities from across the entertainment world, including rock legends Sting and Meat Loaf, musicians Josh Groban and Sarah Brightman, comedian Ken Jeong, writer Fran Lebowitz, superstar jazz musician Diana Krall, stand-up comedian and CNN host W. Kamau Bell, actors Danny DeVito and Jay Baruchel, celebrity chefs Bobby Flay and Nigella Lawson, and many more.
Check out episode five of Richard’s new web series, “In Isolation With…” It’s the talk show where we make a connection without actually making contact! Today, broadcasting directly from Isolation Studios (a.k.a. my home office), we meet Barry Avrich, director of “Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art” (airing on CBC and the CBC Gem streaming service and documentary Channel). It’s a fascinating look into an eighty-million dollar art-forgery scandal that resulted in 10 lawsuits and brought with it the closure of one of New York City’s most venerated galleries. Barry talks about the scandal and how some of the leading art experts in the world were suckered by a scam artist with no background in art. Come visit with us! In isolation we are united!
Richard sits in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with host Bill Carroll to talk the new movies coming to VOD and streaming services including the Netflix animated movie “The Willoughbys,” the Netflix doc “Circus of Books,” the high school crime drama “Selah and the Spades” and a pair of big screen movies coming to VOD, “Bad Boys for Life” and “Run This Town.”
Richard and “CP24 Breakfast” host Pooja Handa have a look at some special streaming opportunities and television shows to help fill the hours during self isolation.
“We’ve always belonged to a synagogue,” says Karen Mason. “Although the synagogues never knew what we were doing.” In fact, Mason kept her business a secret from almost everyone, including her kids Rachel, Micah and Josh. For thirty-five years, with husband Barry, she ran Circus of Books, a gay porn store that served as the Los Angeles epicenter of LGBT culture. “At one point,” Karen says, “we were probably the biggest distributor of hardcore gay films in the United States.” Now, with the store shuttered, filmmaker daughter Rachel tells their story in the Netflix documentary “Circus of Books.”
At the center of the film are odd couple Karen and Barry. Married for decades, she is devoutly religious; he shakes his head no when asked if he’s a believer. She harbors reservations about selling pornography, treating the raunchy magazines and sex toys they sell as a product, nothing more. For Karen their wares are a means to an end. One former employee sums up Karen’s attitude toward the merchandise as “like selling apples in an apple cart.” Barry is more supportive of both the business and the community it served. Both, according to porn star Jeff Stryker, are “good, honest, trustworthy people,” a rarity in the adult film biz.
Using old family home movies, archival footage and loads of new interviews with everyone from LGBT activists, porn icons like Larry Flynt and former employees (including Alaska, who later became a “RuPaul’s Drag Race” all-star) Mason’s movie is not simply a tribute to an influential institution like the Tower Records doc “All Things Must Pass.” Instead she uses the book store, and the safe space it provided for LGBT people, to provide an intimate look into her unusual family. When they aren’t being pressured to plead guilty to a federal obscenity charge or ordering sex toys at a porn convention—“I don’t particularly like looking at it,” Karen says as she passes a sex toy display, “I notice it without ever really looking at it.”—they lead a life that is more “Leave it to Beaver” than “Boogie Nights.”
That dichotomy provides and interesting narrative push and pull that is deepened by the history of the store’s thirty five year run. The devastation of AIDS, the persecution by religious groups and conservative politicians are all handled with care but it is the personal story of Karen’s crisis of acceptance when her son Josh comes out as gay that provides the biggest emotional moments.
“Circus of Books” details the “aging, ailing business’” last days. The legendary store (and its second location in Silverlake) closed in 2019, victim of changing times, Pornhub and Grindr. Mason’s camera details the last gasps of the once powerful place, right up to Karen taping a closed sign to the door. The store may be long gone but its ethos of embracing who you are, is well represented in this charming documentary.
Based on a book by Lois Lowry, “The Willoughbys,” a new animated film now available on Netflix, is a parody of “old fashioned” classic children’s stories where terrible things happen, babies are abandoned, long-lost relatives show up and nannies look after the kids. Yet somehow, a happy ending and a lesson or two always emerge from the chaos.
Narrated by Ricky Gervais—”I’m the narrator. And a cat. Get over it, yeah.”—the story takes place at the Willoughby mansion, a home tucked away between two skyscrapers, hidden from the modern world. The family has a long and distinguished legacy of tradition, invention creativity and courage. “Their greatness passed down from generation to generation like their magnificent facial hair,” says the narrator, “until this one.” Enter the youngest son (Martin Short) and his new bride (Jane Krakowski). Madly in love, they only have eyes for one another. They don’t even care for their kids. “I am your father and that woman in there you insulted with your rude burp is your mother,” father says to eldest son Tim (Will Forte). “If you need love, I beg of you, find it elsewhere. Thank you.”
All they gave Tim was their name, and siblings Jane (Alessia Cara) and twins, both named Barnaby (Sean Cullen). “Let’s face it this Willoughby family isn’t great,” says the narrator, “and by the looks of it, they never will be. Not without a little help.”
So the kids hatch a plan to create a better life for themselves. “We can send them away!” says Tim. “What if we orphaned ourselves? We shall craft a murderous adventure that gives our insidious parents exactly what they want.” “To be left alone with their love!” says Jane.
Tim concocts a “a romantic get-a-way hiding deadly orphaning opportunities. If they do not melt in the hottest places on earth, they shall drown in the wettest. Cannibals will feast on them unless they freeze in glacial ice.” They create a travel brochure from the Reprehensible Travel Agency—No Children Allowed!—and make sure the folks see it. They love the plan but fear the children will destroy the house. The solution? Get a nanny. “But aren’t good nannies expensive?” wonders mom. “Yes, so we’ll hire a not good nanny! For cheap!” says father.
Thus, begins a wild adventure for mom, dad and the kids.
“The Willoughbys” It’s not as dark as “A Series of Unfortunate Events” or as magical as “Mary Poppins.” Instead it finds its own tone, deriving much humour from the dire circumstances. “If you like stories about families that stick together and love each other through thick and thin,” says the cat narrator, “and it all ends up happily ever after, this isn’t the film for you OK?” Director and co-writer Kris “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2” Pearn energizes the story with characters that look like they’re shaped out of bubble gum; colourful and highly stylized. Then he puts them in constant motion. It’s frenetic and fun, even when the kids are plotting to kill their parents.
There’s strong voice work from Will Forte, Alessia Cara, Jane Krakowski, Martin Short and Terry Crews but Gervais and his droll narration steals the show. “It’s hard to leave home for the first time,” he says, “although I was six days old when I left. All my folks ever did for me was lick my eyeballs open and sent me packing.”
“The Willoughbys” isn’t remarkably original story wise. It mixes and matches from a variety of sources. There’s a taste of Roald Dahl, a hint of “Despicable Me” and a dollop of “Mary Poppins,” but, all spun together, they form a delightfully dark (but not too dark) story about finding the true value of family.
Richard joined “Outbreak: The Facts and Fiction of Covid-19” podcast with Dave Trafford to talk about staying in and the new web series “In isolation With.”
