Posts Tagged ‘The Whale’

iHEART RADIO NETWORK: WE MEET FOUR OF THIS YEAR’S OSCAR NOMINEES!

This week on the Richard Crouse Oscar Special we meet four Academy Award nominees!

First up, Ke Huy Quan, nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the most aptly titled movie of last year, “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” You can say a lot of things about “Everything Everywhere All At Once” but you can’t say you’ve ever seen anything quite like it before. An eye-popping reflection on the power of kindness and love to heal the world’s problems, it is exhilarating that mixes and matches everything from family drama and tax problems to martial-arts and metaphysics into a whimsical story that moves at the speed of light. The result is a singular film that milks intentionality out of its madness.

You know Ke Huy Quan as Short Round, the plucky kid companion to Indiana Jones in The Temple Of Doom and from a role in cult classic comedy-adventure The Goonies. We’ll talk about why he chose to return to acting in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” after a twenty-year break from Hollywood.

I caught up with Best Director nominee Baz Lurhmann and the stars of “Elvis,” Best Actor nominee Austin Butler, who hands in a terrific performance as Elvis and Olivia DeJonge who plays Elvis’ wife, Priscilla. We talked about what the story of Elvis’s life can tell us about America, Priscilla’s role in the singer’s life and much more.

Then, we meet Best Actor nominee Brendan Fraser, whose performance as a 600 pound man in “The Whale” earned him a six minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, and the film’s screenwriter Sam Hunter, to talk about what Fraser learned from playing the character, how Hunter changed the script from the original stage play and more.

Listen to the whole thing HERE! (Link coming soon)

Here’s some info on The Richard Crouse Show!

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 Chris Pratt, Elvis Costello, Baz Luhrmann, Martin Freeman, David Cronenberg, Mayim Bialik, The Kids in the Hall and many more!

Listen to the show live here:

C-FAX 1070 in Victoria

SAT 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

SUN 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

CJAD in Montreal

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

CFRA in Ottawa

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

NEWSTALK 610 CKTB in St. Catharines

Sat 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM

NEWSTALK 1010 in Toronto

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

NEWSTALK 1290 CJBK

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

AM 1150 in Kelowna

SAT 11 PM to Midnight

BNN BLOOMBERG RADIO 1410

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

Click HERE to catch up on shows you might have missed!

THE WHALE: 4 STARS. “a swirl of love, understanding and empathy.”

Despite its dark subject matter, “The Whale,” Oscar nominated director Darren Aronofsky’s latest film, is coloured by a swirl of love, understanding and empathy.

Brendan Fraser, in his first leading role in nearly a decade, plays Charlie, a house-bound, 600-pound online English professor. Agoraphobic and unable to leave his apartment, the only outside contact Charlie has is his nurse and only friend Lis (Hong Chau) and the occasional visit from a pizza delivery guy (Sathya Sridharan). He is large to the point where even simple tasks, like standing up to retrieve a dropped remote from the floor, becomes a Herculean task.

“You will die by the weekend,” Lis says, clocking his blood pressure at 238/134. “Then I have to get to work,” he says optimistically. “I have papers to grade.”

Charlie suffers from a twice broken heart; once by congestive heart failure, the second by the death of his partner Alan. “Someone close to me passed away and it had an effect,” he says with great understatement. “I was always big,” admitting he binge-eats to make himself feel better. “I let it get out of control.”

Now, with just days left to live, he has one wish. He wants to repair the relationship with his estranged daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink), a 17-year-old he hasn’t seen since he left his family after falling in love with Alan, one of his students. “I need to know I did one thing right in my life,” he says.

Ellie, just eight-years-old when he deserted her, wants nothing to do with him—“I’m not spending time with you,” she says. “You’re disgusting. You’d still be disgusting even if you weren’t fat.”—but reluctantly relents when he offers to pay her and tutor her in exchange for spending time together.

As Charlie’s condition worsens, Ellie spends more time at the apartment, uncovering aspects of her father’s life with the help of a new friend, a naïve missionary named Thomas (Ty Simpkins).

Aronofsky brings us into Charlie’s world, a place where grief and forgiveness live side by side to create an intimate and compassionate portrait of a man who allowed his life to spiral out of control.

The specter of death hangs over every frame of “The Whale,” and yet Fraser manages to bring optimism to a character not long for this world. He’s looking to set things straight and make sure Ellie will have the tools to have a decent life after he goes. It is a tremendous performance that soars, transcending the stage-bound nature of the story.

NEWSTALK 1010: TEDDY WILSON + ENUKA OKUMA + HUMBLE THE POET + JANELLE MONÁE

On this edition of the Richard Crouse Show we get to know Teddy Wilson, co-host of “The Mightiest,” a six-episode docu-series, airing on Wednesdays on the Discovery Channel, that examines the science and ingenuity behind some of the biggest and most complex planes, trains, and ships that humankind has ever made and operated. From re-engineered Chinook helitankers fighting wildfires 24/7 in Southern California, to a train that helps sustain life and connect communities, the series gives viewers an all-access pass to every aspect of the vessels and the people around it as they embark on new and dangerous journeys.

Then, we meet Enuka Okuma. You know here as detective Traci Nash in the police drama series, Rookie Blue. She is also known for her work on the television series “Madison” and “Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye.” Today we talk about her work as one of the stars and writers of the hit CBC show “Workin’ Moms.”

We’ll meet meet Humble the Poet. He is a Canadian-born rapper, spoken-word artist, poet, internationally bestselling author, and former elementary school teacher with a wildly popular blog with over 100,000 monthly readers. After the international best-selling success of his book “Unlearn,” Humble The Poet is back with a new book, “How to be Love(D).” With short chapters filled with insight, advice, and personal anecdotes from his own journey, this book is a guide to self-love that helps clarify your path inward toward the inherent love and value that is within each of us… perfect reading for the start of a new year.

As we get closer to Awards Season, there is an embarrassment of riches of movies playing in theatres this month. IN this segment, we meet two of the stars of two of the season’s best movies.

First, we meet Brendan Fraser. In his first leading role in a decade, he is garnering Oscar buzz for playing a 600-pound man trying to reconnect with his daughter in “The Whale.” The specter of death hangs over every frame of “The Whale,” and yet Fraser manages to bring optimism to a character not long for this world. He’s looking to set things straight and make sure Ellie will have the tools to have a decent life after he goes. It is a tremendous performance that soars, transcending the stage-bound nature of the story.

Now let’s meet Janelle Monáe. The Grammy nominated singer, rapper and actor is one of the stars of of “Glass Onion,” the sequel to the 2019 hit “Knives Out.” In the movie tech billionaire Miles Bron, played by Ed Norton, invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, is put on the case.

Listen to the whole thing HERE!

Here’s some info on The Richard Crouse Show!

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 Chris Pratt, Elvis Costello, Baz Luhrmann, Martin Freeman, David Cronenberg, Mayim Bialik, The Kids in the Hall and many more!

Listen to the show live here:

C-FAX 1070 in Victoria

SAT 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

SUN 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

CJAD in Montreal

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

CFRA in Ottawa

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

NEWSTALK 610 CKTB in St. Catharines

Sat 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM

NEWSTALK 1010 in Toronto

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

NEWSTALK 1290 CJBK

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

AM 1150 in Kelowna

SAT 11 PM to Midnight

BNN BLOOMBERG RADIO 1410

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

Click HERE to catch up on shows you might have missed!

NEWSTALK 1010: LINWOOD BARCLAY + YANNICK BISSON + BRENDAN FRASER

This week on the Richard Crouse Show we meet Linwood Barclay. He is the best selling author of thrillers like “No Time for Goodbye,” “The Accident”, which was turned into the six-part television series in France and “Never Saw It Coming” adapted into a movie, starring Eric Roberts and Emily Hampshire, have made him a favorite writer of thrillers. So much so, that Stephen King calls him, “a terrific writer. ‘A suspense master. ‘In a class of his own.’

Today we’re talking about his latest novel, “Look Both Ways.” In the book he envisions a world in which automotive technology outpaces our wildest dreams—and our darkest nightmares—as self-driving cars become sentient.

Then, we’ll meet Yannick Bisson. You know him from sixteen seasons as Detective William Murdoch on the very popular “Murdoch Mysteries.” But did you know he is also a director? We talk about “Baking All the Way,” a new holiday movie he directed and stars in, playing in theatres for one night on December 5, then premiering on Super Channel Heart & Home on December 10.

Listen to the whole thing HERE!

Here’s some info on The Richard Crouse Show!

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 Chris Pratt, Elvis Costello, Baz Luhrmann, Martin Freeman, David Cronenberg, Mayim Bialik, The Kids in the Hall and many more!

Listen to the show live here:

C-FAX 1070 in Victoria

SAT 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

SUN 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

CJAD in Montreal

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

CFRA in Ottawa

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

NEWSTALK 610 CKTB in St. Catharines

Sat 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM

NEWSTALK 1010 in Toronto

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

NEWSTALK 1290 CJBK

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

AM 1150 in Kelowna

SAT 11 PM to Midnight

BNN BLOOMBERG RADIO 1410

SAT 8 PM to 9:00 PM

Click HERE to catch up on shows you might have missed!