Planning to see ‘Sinners' at Cineplex Vaughan this weekend? Here's where to eat nearby
I've been — as they say on social media — influenced by my colleague Richie Assaly, who recently wrote about Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan being one of only 10 theatres in the world showing writer-director Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' in IMAX 70mm, the format Coogler intended: fuller frame, more immersive and visually lush. I have no idea what the movie's actually about (going in completely spoiler-free), but it's only screening in this format for one final week starting May 15. So if, like me, you're planning a trip to Vaughan for the experience, you might want to make a day of it — and think about where to eat. Yes, this stretch of Vaughan leans heavily on SmartCentres and big-box stores — one film critic swears by the Costco hot dogs just south of the theatre — but there are some solid food spots within walking distance worth checking out. Here's four of them.
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Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Sinners' puts ‘truth on screen' for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
CHOCTAW, Miss. (AP) — It's a small part in a big movie, but for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, their scene in 'Sinners' is a huge deal. The horror movie blockbuster, starring Michael B. Jordan as a gangster turned vampire slayer, paints a brief but impactful portrait of the tribe using Choctaw actors and cultural experts. For some, it's the first time they've seen the Choctaw way of life accurately portrayed on the big screen. In the scene, a posse of Choctaw, riding on horseback and in an old truck, arrives at a small farmhouse to warn the couple that lives there of coming danger. When the couple refuses their help, a Choctaw man wishes them luck in his native language before riding off. 'I've not seen another movie that has our language, like, spoken correctly,' said Cynthia Massey, a cultural consultant for 'Sinners.' Massey runs the tribe's Chahta Immi Cultural Center alongside Sherrill Nickey and department director Jay Wesley. All three were hired as cultural consultants to ensure a genuine depiction of the tribe in the film. Together, they sifted through archives, researching how their ancestors would have dressed, spoken and acted in the 1930s, when 'Sinners' takes place. 'I was honored and humbled by the fact that they wanted a true representation,' said Wesley, who also acted in the movie. Wesley connected the filmmakers to Choctaw actors and artifacts like the beaded sashes the Choctaw characters wear in the movie. Those sashes are now part of a 'Sinners' display at the cultural center. The movie's introduction also features a short snippet of a Choctaw war chant, performed by Wesley's daughter, Jaeden Wesley, who is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles. While recording, Jaeden Wesley said the filmmakers told her they wanted the Choctaw people to hear their music in the movie. 'We were catering to our own people, even in that short little second,' Jaeden Wesley said. Shining a spotlight on often overlooked cultures and topics, like the Choctaw people, is part of the mission at Proximity Media, which produced 'Sinners.' The company was founded by 'Sinners' director Ryan Coogler, his wife and film producer, Zinzi Coogler, and producer Sev Ohanian. 'It was never a question for us that if we were going to portray the Mississippi Choctaw, we got to have the right people who can tell us, who can tell Ryan, what we're not knowing, what we're not thinking,' Ohanian said. 'It was all because we're trying to serve Ryan's story of like putting truth on screen.' Ohanian and his co-founders didn't stop with Choctaw consultants; they enlisted a small army of experts who advised on the confluence of cultures mingling in the Mississippi Delta, where the film is set. The resulting cinematic world was so well received, community organizers penned an open letter, inviting Coogler and his fellow filmmakers to visit the Delta. Last week, the Cooglers, Ohanian and others took up the offer, attending a 'Sinners' screening in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Clarksdale is where the film's events unfold. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. 'I hope this encourages other filmmakers to find opportunities to be authentic in their storytelling and to look at this rich tapestry of culture that's right here in America,' Ohanian said, noting the film industry has historically misrepresented nonwhite groups. For Wesley and his fellow consultants, the hope is the film will cultivate curiosity in audiences, encourage them to learn more about Choctaw culture and visit the Chahta Immi Cultural Center. 'It's important to be connected to this culture because this was here before the public was here,' Massey said. 'Probably three-quarters of Mississippi was Choctaw land, and now we only have 350,000 acres.' They say Choctaw participation in the film has cultivated a sense of pride among tribe members. Nickey hopes it will encourage a sort of cultural renaissance at a time when she says fewer and fewer Choctaw speak their native language. 'I know for a fact that there are a lot of kids out there that don't even know how to speak our language. They only speak English,' Nickey said. 'I hope they know it's okay to speak our language.'
Winnipeg Free Press
01-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bills QB Josh Allen and actor Hailee Steinfeld marry in Southern California
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and actor Hailee Steinfeld tied the knot on Saturday, according to multiple media reports. Pictures emerged from the power couple's wedding that took place in Southern California, where both Allen and Steinfeld live. Photos obtained by 'People' magazine show Steinfeld, in a white strapless gown, walking down the aisle as well as the couple sharing a kiss. The timing and location of the wedding were closely guarded secrets, though Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins let the cat out of the bag in March by revealing the date as May 31. He later backtracked, saying he didn't know anything. Despite the pending wedding, Allen was present for the start of the Bills voluntary series of spring practices, which opened on Tuesday. The Bills return to practice on Monday, though Allen isn't scheduled to address the media until the Bills open their mandatory sessions on June 10. Allen, who turned 29 last week, and the 28-year-old Steinfeld were engaged during the Bills bye week in November, when the quarterback proposed on a California cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The two were first linked in the spring of 2023, when they were photographed dining together in New York City. Steinfeld has since begun attending Bills home games and the couple was inseparable at the NFL Awards ceremony in February, when Allen credited Steinfeld upon accepting the league's MVP honor. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Allen followed suit in April in being spotted with Steinfeld arriving for an after-party following premier of the movie 'Sinners,' which stars Steinfeld. Steinfeld began her acting career at the age of 10, and earned an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role as Mattie Ross in the Coen brothers' 2010 remake of 'True Grit.' Allen is entering his eighth NFL season. In March, he signed a contract extension worth $330 million. ___ AP NFL:
CBC
30-05-2025
- CBC
Mississippi town at heart of Sinners refused to be left out of the movie's success
The Mississippi town of Clarksdale is, in many ways, the heart and soul of the movie Sinners. But, until this week, its residents had no way to benefit from the film's massive success at the box office. In fact, many of them couldn't even see it, because the town doesn't have a movie theatre. That all changed when community members joined forces to organize a local screening of the film, featuring filmmaker Ryan Coogler and other members of the cast and crew. "We had people from all over the world that came into Clarksdale to experience our culture," business owner Dave Houston, who helped organize the event, told As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal. "It was a great thing for our city." 'The birthplace of blues' Sinners, a blues-infused vampire horror starring Michael B. Jordan and set in Jim Crow-era Mississippi, has grossed $339 million US at the box office so far. It's set in Clarksdale, a town of roughly 14,000 people in the Mississippi Delta, an area widely known as the " birthplace of blues." Jordan plays twin brothers hustling to open a juke joint where Black residents can eat, drink, gamble, and most of all, enjoy live music. But they face violent opposition from monstrous villains, both human and supernatural. "The juke joints still live on in Clarksdale as we speak," Houston said. "So to see that being on a big screen, man, it makes you feel great about your city." But while Clarksdale is the soul of Sinners, the movie was filmed in neighbouring Louisiana, as Mississippi lacked the necessary infrastructure. And when Sinners hit theatres, Clarksdale residents who wanted to see their town portrayed on screen had to drive more than 130 kilometres to the nearest cinema in Tennessee. "To use a likeness of Clarksdale and not acknowledge Clarksdale, that didn't sit well with me," said Brenda Luckett, a retired teacher, historian, and local tour guide. Seizing an opportunity As Sinners generated more and more buzz, Houston couldn't let this opportunity to shine a light on Clarksdale slip by. He teamed up with community organizer Tyler Yarbrough, who wrote an open letter and petition addressed to Coogler, Jordan and the rest of the film's cast and crew, inviting them to collaborate on a public screening of Sinners. "We know that Sinners was born from a deeply personal place, inspired by your uncle, a Mississippi native, who often played blues music and told you stories about Mississippi," Yarbrough wrote to Coogler. "Just as your uncle's blues music and making this film lit a fire in you, we believe a visit to Clarksdale from you could light an even bigger one for the next generation." It worked. The petition garnered thousands of signatures. The town's mayor joined the effort. And, eventually, Coogler got wind of the campaign. On Thursday, the director, along with Sinners actor Miles Canton, composer Ludwig Göransson and others, were on hand for the first of six screenings at the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium, which Warner Brothers outfitted with a big screen, projector and sound system. Local vendors and food trucks were on site, local musicians performed, and Coogler did a Q&A with the audience. "We had a lot of emotions pouring out," Houston said. "We had a line all the way out around the building yesterday, and we're expecting the same thing today." Shelby Simes arrived at 7 a.m. from nearby West Helena, Ark., earning first place in a line that had grown to hundreds by the time the doors opened a few hours later. She said Sinners, which she had already seen seven times, was particularly important in an era where the U.S. President Donald Trump is actively silencing Black history in schools, targeting what he sees as "anti-American ideology." Brandice Brown Williams, a theatre teacher, brought two of her students to the screening. "Anytime that filmmakers take the time out to pay homage to the Delta, especially, because we're the root of music, the blues culture, that means a lot," Williams said. Clarksdale is 'open for business' During Thursday's screening, Coogler shouted out the people of Clarksdale for having the organizing skills and entrepreneurial spirit to bring the event to life. "The thing that you guys have is a thing that can't be taught," he said. The next day, Houston spoke to CBC Radio from Dooney's Barbershop, one of several Clarksdale businesses he runs. In the background, his customers, some of them musicians, were still buzzing about the previous evening. One of them, blues singer Jaye Hammer, performed at the event, and even hopped on the phone with Köksal to croon for CBC listeners and plug his newest single, Turn This Party Out. Houston says the town has fallen on hard times in recent years, but he knows Clarksdale is full of talent, and he believes the future looks bright. "If we get the eye on Clarksdale, I think the people will invest," he said. "We're open for business."
