GUILLERMO DEL TORO AT TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX FOR HITCHCOCK MASTER CLASSES

Guillermo del Toro in Toronto - May 2012

Acclaimed Mexican-born Director/Screenwriter Guillermo del Toro has been enjoying his stay in Toronto since last Fall, working on upcoming Warner Bros. Epic, Pacific Rim which wrapped earlier this month.  The Monsters versus Robots Action/Sci-Fi Flick stars Charlie Hunnam, Charlie Day, Idris Elba, Robert Kazinsky, Rinko Kikuchi and Clifton Collins Jr. Earlier this year, I had the honour of doing a week's worth of scenes on the $350-million Film which will see a July 2013 release.

The Director of well-known Titles as Hellboy and Pan's Labrynth, just completed a Series of Masterclasses at TIFF Bell Lightbox in honour of Alfred Hitchcock, last week doing two appearances and this week doing a final two.  Spending almost four hours last night watching and discussing North by Northeast with his Fans and Film Lovers, Del Toro had one thing on his mind afterwards: LUMA.  Although the Kitchen was ready to close, Staff were more than willing to cater to their Star Guest and his Entourage, offering them a Private Booth.  He has been known to frequent the Restaurant often during his stay here.

Del Toro was gracious, inviting me inside for a Snap and we bonded, thrilled to hear how much fun I had working on his Film.  Also present was his Wife, Lorenza Newton.

As always, I love sharing the fun. Click "like" on this Post at Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven on Facebook to enter to win a Signed Photo from del Toro!  You should also be following on Twitter here.  

In the near future I'll be posting about my experience on-set. Stay tuned!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

CHARLIE DAY COMMENTS ON CANCELLATION OF TWITTER ACCOUNT

A Note from Charlie Day - March 31, 2012

Fans of Funnyman Charlie Day are all curious what happened when he mysteriously disappeared off the face of Twitter after having accumulated over 300k Fans!  The Actor who recently became a Father, currently is in Toronto still filming Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim and commented above in-writing why exactly he has cancelled his prolific account. 

Day writes to me, "Twitter is just not for me.".  V. well then!  You can't say he didn't try!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

IDRIS ELBA, CHARLIE DAY & CHARLIE HUNNAM CONFIRMED FOR "PACIFIC RIM"

Charlie Day

At long last, Toronto has scored another new Production!  Director Guillermo del Toro who in 2007 was nominated for an Oscar with Pan's Labrynth, will be filming his new Sci-Fi/Action flick Pacific Rim (Working Title: Still Seas) in the City beginning Halloween through April 2012. 

Pacific Rim will see Humans boarding giant Robots to fight-off gargantuan Monsters and confirmed so far are Idris Elba, star of 2009's campy Obsessed and also Horrible Bosses star Charlie Day, who for a change will be taking on a more serious role.  British Actor Charlie Hunnam also will be starring and is known best for his work on Sons of Anarchy.

Although Tom Cruise originally was considered for Elba's role, alas that fell-through.  Will be exciting to see the Cast list expand in the near future.  Perhaps newly-upgraded Pinewood Studios will play host to filming?

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

INTERVIEW: JASON SUDEIKIS ON "HORRIBLE BOSSES" | PRIZE PACK GIVEAWAY

Jason Sudeikis

Most of us know Jason Sudeikis for his work on NBC's Saturday Night Live where his sketches The Two A-Holes and his impression of American Idol Winner Taylor Hicks have brought him considerable notoriety since joining its Cast in 2005. With three Films slated for release in 2011 in addition to his on-going commitments with The Cleveland Show and SNL, it would appear that the Actor/Comedian/Writer from Kansas is now a bona fide Movie Star. Hall Pass in which he starred alongside Owen Wilson already topped to the Box Office in its debut this past February and now Sudeikis arrives in Toronto to promote another Comedy, the hotly-tipped Horrible Bosses for Warner Bros./New Line Cinema. 

Riding the same Elevator, I note Sudeikis actually is much taller in-person than imagined.  His Boy-Next-Door good looks are paired with some no-fuss Fashions: a navy blue Cardigan, a pressed white Dress Shirt and a pair of Jeans.  He tells me, "Yeah, I know Toronto pretty well as I filmed a Movie here a few years back (The Rocker) but flew in late last night and only had a chance to have Drinks.  Now I have to fly right out again after this!".

Entering the Interview Suite of his Hotel, he admits to an intimate group of Journalists that he wasn't readily sold on being a part of Horrible Bosses.  "Initially I was hesitant to sign-on as I had just finished filming Hall Pass and then Horrible Bosses got the green light from New Line Cinema. It was just go go go!", he recalls.  "I had just played a character with Ladies on his brain in Hall Pass and I spent much of my charms on that. This time around I'd have to play a Guy with Ladies on his brain and at the same time charm his Friends into murdering their Bosses.".  Sudeikis admits to having declined Director Seth Gordon's offer at one point but after chatting over the Phone over a period of three weeks and being given some creative input into the Script, he convinced himself  finally to stop taking himself so seriously and accept the role of Kurt.

"HORRIBLE BOSSES" TRAILER & POSTERS

What would you do to rid yourself of a horrible Boss? Would you murder them? Warner Bros. releases Horrible Bosses with an all-star Cast of Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Charlie Day and a barely-recognizable Colin Farrell, on July 8, 2011. 

What do you think of Aniston's Brunette locks?  The Movie looks absolutely hilarious!

Watch the Trailer in full below:

GOING THE DISTANCE REVIEW

Going the Distance travels to a territory not often visited in Romantic Comedies: Long Distance Love in this age of Text Messaging and Webcams. Erin (Drew Barrymore) is an aspiring Journalist temporarily in New York City, where she meets an A&R Representative Garrett (Justin Long) on an off-chance at a Bar one night.

Garrett is just coming out of a relationship and soon before he knows it, he's falling for Erin as the sparks fly between them right away. There's only one catch though - Erin must head off to San Francisco for school shortly after completing her Internship. The two decide to try out a Long Distance Relationship regardless off the odds being stacked against them, and the story touches upon the realities and pitfalls of lovers being apart from one another, even with todays' Technologies.

Despite their off-screen romance, Long and Barrymore seem to lack that spark for much of the movie,  in order to have us root for them. Part way through the film, we begin to wonder why they even bother fighting for their relationship without a solid enough foundation. And although I do love Barrymore, she was miscast here, struggling to be convincingly evoke that level of vulnerability required of Erin.  Instead, she comes off perhaps too self-assured for a girl who really spends most of the film not knowing what she really wants in life - career or relationship?