… yeah, I know. I did it again. Got swamped, didn’t post a Friday post, it happens three weeks out of four nowadays and it’s only going to keep happening until things level off, assuming they ever do.

But! Today you get to enjoy a brand new episode of Someone Else’s Movie featuring Scare Me and Werewolves Within director Josh Ruben on Clive Barker’s Nightbreed, which is a fascinating if deeply flawed attempt to launch a franchise from a nascent filmmaker who didn’t really know how to do that. (He’d try again with Lord of Illusions, with similarly messy results.)

But even if Nightbreed doesn’t ultimately work, what resulted is a weird, compelling snapshot of Barker’s obsessions and issues at the time, and Josh and I get into all of that — while also somehow pitching a Darkman remake to each other — in a really energetic conversation. You’ll enjoy it, I think, even if we never really crack what Anne Bobby was supposed to be doing.

So get on it! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher to get the episode instantly, or download it directly from the web. And then you can move on to two whole episodes of NOW What: Last Friday, I talked to Jocelyn Reynolds and leZlie Lee Kam about Reynolds’ Pride installation Return, Seek, Carry, and today I’ve got a panel with Glenn and Daniel about Disney’s problem with queer representation. They’re both good! Give ’em a listen!

And then there’s all the writing. Here’s last week’s What to Watch column, and here’s a stand-alone review of F9. Also, previews! Here are NOW’s July lookaheads for Netflix, Crave, Disney+, Amazon and CBC Gem.

Like I said, it’s been a busy time.

This week’s episode of Someone Else’s Movie marks a first for the show: In 345 episodes, I’ve never had a guest use a vehicle as a recording booth. But Ilya Naishuller, director of the immensely entertaining Bob Odenkirk shoot-em-up Nobody, is a resourceful man, and managed to find the quietest space on a Moscow movie shoot for our conversation. It worked surprisingly well!

Also, we were talking about Christopher McQuarrie’s The Way of the Gun, a movie I had completely forgotten even existed. But I rewatched it, because I am responsible! Sarah Silverman is in it! I’d forgotten that as well!

Here you go: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher to get the episode instantly, or download it directly from the web. And then you can get to today’s NOW What, in which Enzo and I chat about his Hidden Toronto series; that’s a fun one, even if things in town are a little less fun right now.

Also, yes, I missed out on a Friday update. I blame the NOW Streaming newsletter, that thing takes forever to put together. But you can still catch up on all the stuff you missed — an episode of NOW What in which Rad, Richard and I use the arrival of Bo Burnham’s Inside to discuss the pandemic’s effect on entertainment, a whole new What to Watch page and expanded reviews of Kevin Can F**k Himself and Luca, and a little piece on the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show’s announcement that it’ll be holding screenings in Fort York later this summer, pending the green light from the province.

Sorry about that. I’ll try to get a post up on Friday but … well, work is a lot right now. You may have noticed I didn’t get this up until almost dinnertime.

… because I’m on three podcasts today! Wild, right?

First, there’s that bonus episode of Someone Else’s Movie I was talking about — a giddy ride through Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse with filmmaker Patrick White, a veteran writer-producer whose feature directorial debut Queen of Spades comes to VOD next week. It’s a remake of a 2015 Russian horror movie, and it does some interesting things with the source material … which makes it an interesting counterpoint to Sony Animation’s Oscar-winning Marvel movie, which similarly uses animation to reinvent and refresh its familiar text.

… I mean, you could do Spider-Ham with photorealistic CG, but you probably don’t want to.

Something else you don’t want to do? Miss this episode. So get on it, true believer: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher to get the episode instantly, or download it directly from the web.

Also! There’s a new episode of NOW What, in which I ride along as Glenn talks to Toronto theatre folk Monica Esteves and Mitchell Marcus about their plans for the summer, and why they’re not looking to the provincial government for help. You can find it everywhere, and also at the bottom of this Hot Summer Guide piece.

And then, I’m on today’s episode of The Big Story, talking about how Disney has resurrected event television by returning to a weekly release model for its exclusive series. It’s just a chance to relax and talk about Loki, really.

Text stuff: There’s this week’s What to Watch page, of course, and stand-alone reviews of Netflix’ disappointing Awake and Showcase’s delirious We Are Lady Parts. And I wrote a quick thing about drive-in theatres reopening today, which will be nice.

Have a good weekend, everybody. Stay safe.

Today’s episode of Someone Else’s Movie is one of two I’ll be releasing this week, thanks to a fortuitous alignment of release dates. So you’ll definitely be getting a Friday blog post! That’s a promise!

First, though, let’s look at what’s right in front of us. And it’s singer, songwriter and Bloodthirsty screenwriter Lowell on Bong Joon-ho’s magnificent monster movie The Host, which is still just as weird and fun and intense and thrilling as it was when it first crashed onto the festival circuit fifteen years ago.

Good times, good times. So share the joy!  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher to get the episode instantly, or download it directly from the web.

And then you can get on to the latest episode of NOW What, which finds me discussing the importance of affordable rehearsal space for Toronto’s musicians with Richard and Flatliners drummer Paul Ramirez. That’s also on podcast platforms everywhere, or right here at the bottom of Richard’s story. Weirdly enough, it ties into the episode I recorded with Ali Weinstein almost exactly a year ago!

And there’s more! NOW’s Hot Summer Guide is already rolling out online, and I’m all over our Movies and TV picks, of course. I also reviewed Marvel’s new Loki series, which premieres on Disney+ tomorrow and is an awful lot of fun.

So that’s plenty, right? Go to listening and/or reading, and I’ll see you back here Friday with more of everything. I promise.

We don’t often talk about public bathrooms, but trust me: Sooner or later, you’re going to need one. Good weather and the end of the stay-at-home order mean people are about to spend a lot more time out of the house … but COVID has made a lot of public facilities inaccessible, complicating things for city planners and individuals in need of a pit stop.

Because this week’s NOW is all about getting outside, for today’s episode of NOW What I talked toilets with Lezlie Lowe, author of No Place to Go, and Toronto parks and rec spokesperson Jane Arbour. It’s a complicated issue — though it doesn’t need to be — and I actually learned stuff! You can too!

And of course there’s my usual beat. Here’s this week’s What to Watch page, and here are my expanded reviews of Sweet Tooth and the new season of Feel Good … you know, if you need a reason to stay inside this weekend.

On this week’s episode of Someone Else’s Movie, I’m joined by Alyson Richards — writer and producer of the new queer survival thriller The Retreat — to talk about a movie that couldn’t be further away from that project if it tried.

That’s because it’s The Goonies, Richard Donner’s frenetic 1985 family adventure which is still beloved by people who grew up watching it as kids themselves … and of which those of us who were just a little older when it came out are not entirely fond. But that makes for a really fun conversation, and I’m delighted to have been a part of it. We even discussed the octopus!

You know you want to be part of this. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher to get the episode instantly, or download it directly from the web.

And then you can go listen to today’s NOW What, which is also a film episode! I talked to Shelter‘s Ron Chapman and Lune‘s Aviva Armour-Ostroff about what it means to be bringing features to this year’s Toronto Jewish Film Festival. I’ll have more TJFF stuff online tomorrow, but this should get you rolling. (Update: Here’s more stuff!)

Also! There’s a new Saw movie, and it’s just as frustrating and unimaginative as the previous eight Saw movies! My review of Spiral: From the Book of Saw is right here on the NOW site, so you can’t say I didn’t warn you.