The nearly forgotten story of Calgary blues legend Ellen McIlwaine
Director Alfonso Maiorana's new documentary, Goddess of Slide, tells the story of Ellen McIlwaine, a pioneering singer-songwriter and slide guitarist who should have been a household name.
Born in Nashville and raised in Japan, McIlwaine played with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and Taj Mahal before ultimately settling down in Calgary where she worked as a school bus driver in the last decade of her life. Now, she's finally receiving her rightful place in music history. Maiorana joins Tom Power to tell us more about McIlwaine's remarkable life and legacy.
Goddess of Slide: The Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine is available now to stream on CBC Gem.
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Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
Brownstein: Montreal producer takes deep dive in documentary Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster
By The documentary begins intriguingly enough: 'Where do you want to go in the ocean? What is the most known site in the ocean? It's clearly the Titanic.' The speaker is well-heeled, maverick American inventor Stockton Rush, whose mission it was to take paying passengers 3,800 metres into the Atlantic Ocean in his mini-sub to scope the ruins of the Titanic luxury liner that sank on its maiden voyage in April 1912 after striking an iceberg 600 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland. More than 1,500 passengers died in that disaster. Five died, including Rush, when his submersible the Titan imploded on its way down to the Titanic wreck on June 18, 2023. The documentary Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster takes a deep and disturbing plunge into the apparent arrogance of Titan mastermind Rush, the co-founder and CEO of the OceanGate undersea exploration company. The doc, co-produced by Montreal GalaFilm boss Arnie Gelbart and directed and co-scripted by acclaimed British director Pamela Gordon, begins streaming Friday on CBC Gem. It will also be broadcast on CBC Television June 20. The production team has done a thorough job in bringing this tragedy into fuller focus, aided and abetted by insightful interviews, rare footage of the Titan's final voyage and other failed dives plus access to the U.S. Coast Guard's investigation. Experts interviewed had misgivings about the Titan's structure, particularly its carbon-fibre hull, even if Rush had pulled off some dives prior to its final descent. There were other ominous warning signs, like seeping water damage and cracking engine sounds. Mutters one skeptic: 'Everyone stepping on board the Titan was risking their life.' The feeling was that Rush was 'hell-bent' on taking the Titan to dangerous new lows under the ocean, someone seeking to 'democratize deep-sea exploration.' Rush was an engineer who initially dreamed of becoming an astronaut. But when it became apparent he was never going to make it to 'Jupiter or Mars,' he turned his sights in the opposite direction. He concluded that would require a 'special sub.' Rush had the money, vision and drive to do so. He was a patrician whose roots went way back, with two of his ancestors having signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence. History, as is often the case, repeats itself here. How's this for cruel irony? Rush's wife's great-great-grandparents, owners of the fabled Macy's department-store chain, perished on the Titanic. They were rumoured to have been the richest passengers aboard. Christine Dawood is understandably livid. Among the five who died aboard the imploded Titan were her billionaire British-Pakistani husband, Shahzada, 48, and son Suleman, 19. She blames 'ego and arrogance' for their deaths. Gelbart has long been consumed by the Titanic and Titan. He brings to the documentary a wealth of factoids about both as well as Rush's participation. 'Rush had done some 88 dives prior to his last, but not all successful ones,' Gelbart says in a phone interview. 'It went down successfully only six times.' Gelbart had been involved since 2017 when Rush had come up with a working model of the Titan, which he had initially tested in the Bahamas. Then ensued a lot of correspondence with Rush, who was to move to his company's home in Everett, Wash. before heading to his last base in St. John's. 'He was looking for publicity, and I first wanted to make an Imax film, The Return to Titanic. What he was building for us was a remote camera that would go inside the hold of the Titanic, full of cars and furniture and other stuff that no one had seen since 1912.' Gelbart's project was initially to be a four-part series, retelling the Titanic story but using Rush's submersible to examine what was left of it, including its interior. 'We were looking for a Hollywood celebrity for the project,' Gelbart says. 'I would have liked to go down there myself, but because it was something like $250,000 a seat, it was not feasible. Instead, we included that price in our budget for a celebrity, someone to tell the Titanic story by being next to it.' Amid all the experimenting, failed testing and rebuilding of the original Titan, Gelbart stayed in touch with Rush. 'He was a great salesman and really believed in the Titan. As an engineer, he could talk the talk. We trusted him. We didn't think he was creating something that was fatally flawed. He explained the technology, but what do I know about carbon fibre? 'He moved his operation to St. John's for a number of reasons, one of which was so he wouldn't need to certify it in Canada. But on the downside was the weather there. And with water freezing, then thawing on the Titan lining outside, this could have created damage. In the final report of the U.S. Coast Guard, we heard this could have been one of the mitigating factors in the disaster.' That official report has yet to be released. Why? 'When (U.S. president Donald) Trump took over this year, he fired the head of the U.S. Coast Guard. So they're not allowed to release it until they get a new head.' Gelbart was shocked like most everyone else upon learning of the implosion. 'But 24 hours later, we had the commission from the BBC, Discovery U.S.A. and the CBC to make this documentary. It was such a whirlwind turnaround for a story that much of the world had been watching and waiting for news about what happened to the Titan and its occupants, until the fate was learned.' Gelbart's GalaFilm has more than 120 film and TV credits and has won dozens of awards, including multiple Gémeaux/Geminis and one Prime Time Emmy Award for the Cirque du Soleil series Fire Within. 'But this was the first time in my life I was involved with anything as well-known as this one.'
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Universal Language' leads film contenders heading into Canadian Screen Awards
An absurdist Winnipeg-set fever dream and a millennial identity dramedy are among the leading contenders heading into tonight's Canadian Screen Awards. Matthew Rankin's 'Universal Language' picked up five awards in the film categories at a ceremony over the weekend and will compete for several more tonight, capping off a multi-day celebration of Canadian film, television and digital storytelling. It's vying for the best film trophy against 'The Apprentice,' 'Darkest Miriam,' 'Gamma Rays,' 'Village Keeper' and 'Who Do I Belong To.' Jasmeet Raina's Crave dramedy series 'Late Bloomer' won four awards at a gala for scripted television on Saturday, and is in contention tonight for best comedy series. It's up against CTV's 'Children Ruin Everything,' CBC's 'One More Time' and Crave's 'Don't Even' and 'Office Movers.' Edmonton-born comedian Lisa Gilroy says there's no better time to spotlight homegrown talent as she hosts tonight's Canadian Screen Awards, airing live from Toronto on CBC and CBC Gem. 'I know how hard it is to get TV shows and movies made (in Canada), and I'm so excited to celebrate the stuff that has been made,' she said in an interview earlier this month. 'It is so good and so funny. And we deserve to party.' 'Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent,' which led all nominees overall with 20, is up for several trophies tonight. It won two awards on Saturday for best writing in a drama series and best sound in fiction. It will square off for best drama series against CBC's 'Allegiance' and 'Bones of Crows,' Hollywood Suite's 'Potluck Ladies' and CTV's 'Sight Unseen.' 'Law & Order Toronto' actors Kathleen Munroe and Aden Young compete for best lead performer in a drama series against Grace Dove of Crave's 'Bones of Crows,' Mayko Nguyen of Citytv's 'Hudson & Rex' and CBC stars Supinder Wraich of 'Allegiance,' Hélène Joy of 'Murdoch Mysteries, Michelle Morgan of 'Heartland' and Vinessa Antoine of 'Plan B.' 'Universal Language' stars Rojina Esmaeili and Pirouz Nemati are nominated for best performance in a leading comedy film role. They're up against Maïla Valentir of 'Ababooned,' Paul Spence of 'Deaner '89,' Taylor Olson of 'Look at Me,' Emily Lê from 'Paying for It,' Cate Blanchett of 'Rumours' and Kaniehtiio Horn of 'Seeds.' Up for best performance in a leading drama film role are Sebastian Stan of 'The Apprentice,' Oshim Ottawa of 'Atikamekw Suns,' Britt Lower of 'Darkest Miriam,' Carrie-Anne Moss of ':Die Alone,' Chaïmaa Zineddine Elidrissi of 'Gamma Rays,' Sean Dalton of 'Skeet,' Christine Beaulieu of 'The Thawing of Ice,' and Olunike Adeliyi of 'Village Keeper.' Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. In a last-minute programming shift on Thursday, the Canadian Screen Awards announced it would broadcast live on television — reversing earlier plans for a streaming-only show. Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television CEO Tammy Frick previously said going online-only allowed the show to be more 'flexible.' Some top nominees had expressed disappointment in March, telling The Canadian Press that a televised broadcast is key to spotlighting Canadian talent. The Academy said the decision to return to CBC TV came down to NHL scheduling — with no playoff game on Sunday, the two-hour show could air live. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025.
National Observer
30-05-2025
- National Observer
MOVIES: Number 6 in a popular series and ultra-controversial topics in three other films
The Canadian screen awards will be on TV this Sunday. They're on CBC GEM which means they'll get 90 minutes, not just an hour as has been the usual recently. The popular Edmonton comedian Lisa Gilroy will host and Universal Language leads the nominations with 13. David Croneberg's The Shrouds is next with nine. I'm rooting for The Apprentice, which has five. It's the film about and not to the liking of Donald Trump. Incidentally the first film I review today is exactly the kind he wants to slap with a tariff. Karate Kid Legends was developed in Hollywood and Georgia but ran away to film in Montreal. Karate Kid: Legends: 3 stars Bring Her Back: 2 ½ KARATE KID: LEGENDS: The original film came out in 1984 and remains much loved in many a DVD collection. It spawned several sequels and here, number six in the series, is short, speedy and entertaining. With much the same story arc too, well eventually. Early on, the teenager at the center teaches the tricks of his fighting style to an adult, quite a reversal that. Then it turns right side and has adults teach him to prepare for the big showdown these films require. How that comes about both echoes and builds on the original. A kung fu whiz kid from Beijing (Ben Wang) is relocated to New York City because his mother was hired by a hospital there. (Does that happen?) He gets drawn into a multi-faceted story line: attracted to a girl at school (Sadie Stanley), helping out her ex-boxer father (Joshua Jackson) by training him for a bout to earn money and payoff a loan shark, and getting menacing attention from her ex-boyfriend (Aramis Knight) who is a local champion fighter. The answer is to face him in a rowdy tournament held on top of a skyscraper. That requires training. Enter Jackie Chan as a wise coach and Ralph Macchio as the now-grown up Karate Kid who he played in the first film. Chan entered the series a few films back and here spouts pearls of wisdom (like the deceased Mr. Miyagi used to do). 'In life you have only one question,' he says. 'Is (something) worth fighting for?' Apparently this is. It'll resonate with any kid thinking about growing his own strength and courage. The mom in the film insists 'No fighting.' But sometimes you have to, says the film, and gleefully shows a lot of it. Take that as a content warning. And note a surprise late cameo, another case of melding diverse parts of this series. (In theaters) 3 out of 5 MOUNTAINHEAD: If you enjoyed the terrific series Succession about a media family's turmoil, check out this film from its creator, Jesse Armstrong. He again gives us an acerbic view of rich men who think they're special, surely better than the people who rule countries. One actually has his eye on Argentina. Another runs a social media app that is causing turmoil in several countries. There's panic buying in Tokyo. Violence in Pakistan. Riots in several cities all caused by a new example of Artificial Intelligence, which a tech mogul (Ramy Youssef) has built. He hosts three other tech execs (Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman and Cory Michael Smith), all self-satisfied, at a Utah mountaintop modernist mansion that gives the film its title. He gets fawning praise ('You built a great AI') and they all watch the TV news reports of what it has caused. The script lays out the case against AI directly. It's being used for deep fakes, promoting genocide, sectarian division, market instability and fraud, it says. 'What we have is toxic,' says one. The four dismiss the negatives easily and instead delight in comparing their personal net worth. Three are multi-billionaires. They turn on one among them suspecting he's a traitor and secretly advocating government regulation. Their answer and the over all caustic view of the leaders of big tech is typically Jesse Armstrong. And timely and intelligent. (Starts tomorrow, May 31, from HBO, streaming on CRAVE) 3 ½ out of 5 APRIL: Pretty well every discussion point about abortion comes up in this powerful film from Georgia (the country not the state). Women's rights, their health, dangerous procedures, and more are part of the story of an esteemed obstetrician defending herself. A birth she supervises (and is shown full frontally) goes wrong. The baby is still-born. The father protests to the hospital administration, alluding to the OB-GYN's well-known side activity, providing abortions for women in the surrounding rural areas. The hospital investigates and we get a stark and moving look at the case sharply written and directed by Dea Kulumbegashvili. The film has won awards at festivals including a special jury prize at Venice. As she is questioned we get her side: she did everything she could, she didn't make a mistake, she's not a murderer as the father charged. Why no C-Section? The woman didn't want it. She wanted a natural birth. One startling line: 'That woman was relieved. The child was dead.' Chilling statements like that come up at times although the film explains very positively why she also does abortions. She's helping women who have to hide their pregnancy and women who can't afford birth control pills. At the same time, she's a loner, says she in this sympathetic performance by Ia Sukhitashvili 'There is no space in my life for anyone,' she says. We get much of her backstory to explain why and a startling scene that shows her coming on sexually to a man. Also doing two abortions, not graphic but powerful. There are too many overly long, almost static scenes, but it's a very strong and thoughtful film. (Montreal and Vancouver for now) 4 out of 5 BEAUTIFUL EVENING, BEAUTIFUL DAY: This submission to the Oscars earlier this year is nominally from Croatia but also a co-production with Poland, Cyprus, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Canada. That may indicate the length the producers had to go to get funding. Their original backers stepped away when they heard what one of the main themes is: discrimination against gays. That's shown during the 1950s, when Croatia was part of Yugoslavia and Tito was in power and often seen on TV decrying 'foreign influences diverting our socialist principles.' The film keys on one 'decadent manifestation' with a story of four friends who make films with government support but become shunned when word gets around that they are gay. An official from Agit Prop (Agency for Agitation and Propaganda) is sent to sabotage their work. The film by writer-director Ivona Juka is a plea for freedom in the arts anytime, though the events are specific to the Tito era. Films were supposed to be propaganda, not realism. A debate over a script ends with an official saying: 'I wrote it. The party approved it. That means it's good.' There are many other swipes at the system: examples of nepotism, shortages of consumer goods, even mandatory sharing of residential space and recurring anti-gay attitudes. And worst of all, life in a notorious prison colony, where beatings in a gauntlet and rape are the toughest scenes. The message is stark: anti-Communist and anti-regime. And well-staged. (Select theaters: Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver now; Victoria late June) 3 out of 5) BRING HER BACK: Here's a horror film that's considerably better than the death-after-death versions we're getting these days. This one has a real story and, though it ends weakly, it is unsettling and full of growing dread. It spares us from too much body horror trying to make us gag. Although there are two incidents that might have that effect, a character eating his own skin and a shocking meet of a mouth and a knife. I heard even hard-core horror fans gasp at that one. But there's the story around them and it may be what attracted twice-Oscar-nominated Sally Hawkins to star in it. She's English; the film is by twin brothers Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou in Australia. Sally plays a woman grieving the loss of a daughter and now asked to be foster mother to two children who have lost their parents. Grief is the main theme and it gradually evolves with a growing sense of unease. Billy Barratt and Sora Wong play the siblings, Andy and Piper, and we watch them get fearfully accustomed to their new home. There's another child there, a boy who is more and more creepy whenever we see him. And Sally's character acts strangely, watches old VHS tapes about a cult that believes in bringing people back to life. The spirit, she says, stays alive for quite a while after death and can be revived. A bit of cannibalism is advocated, like in some primitive societies that anthropologists have studied. The film grows the horror smartly, even makes the two kids feel blame, but can't keep the tension at high level all the way. The ending fades. (In theaters) 2 ½ out of 5
