I join NewsTalk 1010’s John Moore of “Moore in the Morning” to talk about Norman Jewison and tyhe impact he made on filmmaking and culture.
Listen to the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 17:55)
I appear in a CTV National News report by Genevieve Beauchemin on the life and career of the late Norman Jewison.
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join CTV National News anchor Sandie Rinaldo to discuss the life and legacy of filmmaker Norman Jewison, who passed away on Saturday in Los Angeles at age 97.
Watch the whole thing HERE!
Check out the star-studded photo array by George Pimentel from the Hazelton Hotel’s unveiling of the state-of-the-art screening room as the Norman Jewison Cinema I hosted in celebration of the iconic Canadian filmmaker.
See the whole thing HERE!
I’m hosting a special event during the Toronto International Film festival at The Hazelton Hotel, the only Forbes Five Star independent boutique hotel in Canada located in the heart of Yorkville, to rename their state-of-the-art screening room as the Norman Jewison Cinema in celebration of the iconic Canadian filmmaker.
More details HERE from the Hollywood reporter!
The press release here:
The Hazelton Hotel, the only Forbes Five Star independent boutique hotel in Canada located in the heart of Yorkville, today unveiled plans to rename their state-of-the-art screening room as the Norman Jewison Cinema in celebration of the iconic Canadian filmmaker. Since opening its doors in 2007, the hotel has been a hub for the film and entertainment industry. With recent renovations and new DCP projection capabilities, the hotel remains the premier destination for exceptional cinematic experiences and events.
Today, The Hazelton Hotel confirms their continued commitment to cinematic arts and is honoured to recognize director Norman Jewison, whose films (which include Moonstruck, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler on the Roof and In The Heat of the Night) have collectively received 46 nominations and won 12 Academy Awards®. The Norman Jewison Cinema aims to celebrate his many contributions to the film industry, including founding the Canadian Film Centre in 1988.
“I am pleased to have this beautiful cinema at The Hazelton Hotel in Toronto named in my honour. There is nothing better than watching a film on the big screen! I’d like to thank everyone at The Hazelton Hotel for this generous tribute” said Norman Jewison of the recognition.
The Norman Jewison Cinema will be officially unveiled on Monday, September 11 during the Toronto International Film Festival when The Hazelton Hotel hosts an exclusive
private event. The hotel anticipates high-profile guests from the global film and entertainment industry and previous collaborators of Jewison’s to be in attendance.
“Norman is a national treasure that has always made Canada his home and yet had global success as one of the great directors of all time. He is beyond an inspiration and mentor that has inspired some of the most iconic cinematic storytelling” says filmmaker Barry Avrich who facilitated the theatre naming.
“The Hazelton Hotel’s iconic cinema is an exquisite venue that offers an unparalleled experience which we firmly believe aligns with Norman Jewison’s legendary career” says Gaurav Dutta, General Manager at The Hazelton Hotel. “We are honoured to dedicate this one-of-a-kind cinema to such a distinguished filmmaker.”
The Norman Jewison Cinema is a one-of-a-kind luxurious venue those looking to highlight
a private celebration in style and features:
25-seat private cinema.
Adjoining event space with a capacity of up to 50 guests, reception-style.
All-new DCP projection capabilities, Dolby® surround sound, and a stunning 300-inch screen with full soundproofing.
Culinary excellence for your event, including tailored menus created by ONE Restaurant.
Richard speaks to “CTV News at Six” anchor Andria Case about the best movies and television to watch this weekend. This week we have a look at the Alanis Morissette documentary “Jagged,” now streaming on Crave, the Norman Jewison retrospective on Hollywood Suite and the South African crime drama “Reyka” on BritBox.
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 19:44)
By Richard Crouse – Metro Canada
Since the release of the first Hunger Games novel in 2008, literary sleuths have picked it apart, searching for connections to other books and films.
The scrutiny increased when the first film in the tetralogy set records for the biggest opening weekend for a non-sequel in 2012, and continues unabated with the release of this weekend’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1.
Based on Suzanne Collins’s mega-successful series, the movies are set in a dystopian world ruled by a fascist-style president (Donald Sutherland) who presides over The Hunger Games, a televised battle-to-the-death between 24 young players, two from each of the country’s districts, including Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson).
The series draws on things we’ve seen before, in everything from the human sacrifices of Greek mythology or Survivor-style television shows to news stories of government corruption to create a world with its own rules, style and customs.
The most often-cited influence is Battle Royale, a 2000 Japanese movie based on a book by Koushun Takami. Like The Hunger Games, it’s a story of school kids in a televised government-sanctioned death match.
Battle Royale’s DVD box set even included a quote from a critic suggesting there’d be no Hunger Games without the Japanese film. “This is the movie that started it all,” it reads.
Hunger fans were quick to point out differences in the two films. The Japanese movie is about survival, they said, while Collins wrote about revolution. The author revealed her main influences were reality television and the Iraq war.
“I had never heard of that book or that author until my book was turned in,” she told the New York Times.
It’s worth noting that the idea of humans being preyed upon for the entertainment of the upper classes dates back at least as far as 1932’s The Most Dangerous Game. The story of a big-game hunter who tracks humans for sport on an isolated island is based on a Richard Connell short story that also loosely inspired episodes of everything from Gilligan’s Island to Lost in Space. Since then, Norman Jewison’s Rollerball, Roger Corman’s Deathrace 2000 (and its 2008 Jason Statham remake) and The Running Man have mined similar territory.
As for the author who wrote Battle Royale, he gave ABC News a very diplomatic answer when asked about the similarities between the two stories. “I think every novel has something to offer,” he said. “If readers find value in either book, that’s all an author can ask for.”
Based on a series of short stories by a Ukrainian writer, the musical Fiddler on the Roof landed on Broadway in 1964. Seven years later Canadian director Norman Jewison brought the popular story to the screen. Bolstered by popular songs like If I Were A Rich Man and To Life the movie became a big hit and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three.
This week, thirty-six years after its theatrical run Fiddler on the Roof is being re-released in a handsome two disc DVD set. It features a great transfer, terrific sound and loads of special features, including a deleted song not heard for over three decades. Better still, the DVD restores half-an-hour of the movie that was cut out for a late 70s theatrical re-release. Now running at its original three hours the story of patriarch Tevye and his efforts to find husbands for his daughters is a visual treat, features great performances and a great attention to detail.
