andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

A superstar in his own right, Russell Peters is to comedy lovers what Robert Pattinson is to pre-pubescent girls. The Canadian humorist born to Anglo-Indian parents became the first comedian to sell out the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and is one in a handful of comedians to perform at the Madison Square Garden to a sold out audience. Peters’ new tour celebrating his 20th anniversary kicks off this January.

Anyone who’s seen him perform knows that one of the many things that distinguishes Peters from other acts is his dead-on accuracy when it comes to accents. What’s his secret?

“I listen,” he tells andPOP. “You’ve got to listen to get the inflections and the intent of what people are saying.  That means listening to people when they’re happy, sad, angry.  That’s how you learn how they speak. I still can’t do a Scottish accent though – doesn’t matter how much I listen and try it… those tricky Scots!”

Fans can hear him and his array of accents when Peters hits the road with “The Green Card Tour” in celebration of his 20th anniversary. But rest assured the jokes will focus on a variety of cultures as usual, not only on Americans. “The reason it’s called The Green Card Tour, is because I’ll be getting my Green Card in 2010,” he explains.

And if you’ve ever dreamed of opening for Peters during one of his shows, here’s your chance. He’s looking for a Canadian BFF (not a la Paris Hilton) through SIRIUS Satellite Radio and Russell Peters’ Search for Canada’s BFF. “In this contest we’re looking for anybody’s and I mean anybody’s ‘Best Funny Five Minutes,’ ” says Peters. “This is a chance for all those people who watch stand-up and say, ‘Hey!  I could do that’, to actually get up on stage and do it, with a chance to open for me somewhere in North America.”

READ MORE »

At andPOP we are all about creating efficient interviews that get straight to the point. In that spirit here is our interview with Chris Rock after the Toronto premiere of Good Hair.

Beautiful scenery, beautiful people, and drama galore nestled in the slopes of Whistler, British Columbia. Sound intriguing?

MTV’s latest documentary series Peak Season, surrounded by much buildup, debuts Monday night (Oct. 19).

So what’s all the hype about?

First, it’s a bold new approach to Canadian-focused television. It’s also unscripted, raw, and features personal stories that hit closer to home.

MTV Canada has ordered 10 episodes of this fresh series which follows the lives of a tight-knot group of people in Whistler, British Columbia. Peak Season offers an up-close look into their personal struggles and achievements, ranging from a tearful break-up in the first episode, to the distinct possibility that you will always run into that  certain someone you were avoiding at the bar. This tight-knit group consists of Dre Morel, Lauren Horton, Amanda Scheller, Ian Ross, Matthew James, Stephanie Just and Elle Hetherington. Each 20-something-year-old has their own story to tell, and all is revealed in the long days, and even longer nights, in the town of Whistler.

Stephanie Just and Dre Morel are ambitious Whistler locals, while others such as Scheller (Morel’s ex-girlfriend) moved to Whistler when she started dating him.

READ MORE »

Carmen Reece is what you would call the epitome of the term, “triple-threat.” The 22-year-old singer/songwriter/pianist/dancer boasts an impressive musical resume, and is emerging as a serious presence with the upcoming debut of her album, “Love in Stereo.”

The talent Reece has demonstrated is a product of hard work and natural ability fused together. The soul singer began playing piano and flute at the age of seven, earned a place in the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain at 11, and entered the prestigious Brit Performing Arts and Technology School at 16. Along with Reece, The Brit School has consistently provided society with world-class artists such as Adele, Leona Lewis, Imogen Heap, and the paparazzi-ridden Amy Winehouse.

“From an early age I’ve always been crazy about music, and my parents always said that my ear pricked up listening to anything on the radio, and I was always singing around the house,” Reece tells andPOP. Of her admission into the Brit School, she says “it was wonderful because I got to work with a lot of students that were very talented, recording, writing, and that kind of set me up for breaking out [into the industry] and recording with professionals and writing.”

READ MORE »

Season two of “Sanctuary” premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET on Space and andPOP caught up with one of its stars to talk about one of the most high-speed sci-fi series. Why high-speed? Well, the series actually had its beginnings on the web but “Sanctuary” has since grown into a phenomenon of its own and moved into the small screen during its first season.

“We have a blast. I mean, sometimes we think we’re in the wrong genre, we should be doing comedy because from morning to night we’re laughing the entire time, Amanda [Tapping] leading the chart being the constant giggler,” says Canadian-born Robin Dunne who plays Dr. Will Zimmerman on the show. “If she was a superhero she’d be The Giggler…I hate to use an overused cliche but it really is like a family, that’s how it feels.”

But don’t be fooled, “Sanctuary” — which follows the adventures of scientist Dr. Helen Magnus (played by Amanda Tapping) who shelters a population of strange and at times terrifying beings with the help of Dunne’s character — is far from a comedy, although it has its fair share of tongue-in-cheek moments. This time around, things are about to get darker.

READ MORE »

So we went to the red carpet for the premiere of the new film (now in theatres) but we also had a one on one sit down with The Trailer Park Boys creator Mike Clattenburg, and the hardest rapper from the East Coast, J-Roc.

When you think of a red carpet The Trailer Park Boys don’t exactly come to mind, but that’s where we met them. The boys from Sunnyvale are back for the second major movie release and Jordan caught up with them at the Toronto debut. Also stay tuned for an in depth interview with J-Roc and Mike Clattenburg coming soon!

Glazing the city of Toronto in celebrity magic for one week in September, the Toronto International Film Festival has always boasted the ability to create a buzz and shed the spotlight on industry newbies.

Such is the case for Toronto native Mike Lobel -widely formally known as Jay Hogart from Degrassi: The Next Generation- who is experiencing his first induction into TIFF this year with the rock n’ roll comedy vampire-flick Suck.

READ MORE »

Eight seasons running. A cult in Canadian pop culture. Winners of the Gemini, Teen Choice and Directors Guild of Canada Awards.

And now Degrassi: The Next Generation finally boasts its first red-carpet TV movie.

But known as a “show of the people”, the season 8 finale Paradise City: Degrassi Goes Hollywood premiere last Wednesday night at Toronto’s Bloor Cinema, allowed tons of lucky special-bracelet-wearing fans bask in Degrassi glory. A free-for-all for snagging autographs and pictures from their favorite cast members, and what’s more- the opportunity to enjoy the movie side-by-side with them too.

And the word got out not only to lucky fans. Among a packed-to-the-brim theatre audience was Camp Rock 2 stars Jordan Francis and Matthew “Mdot” Finley, So You Think You Can Dance Canada winner Nico Archambault, MuchMusic VJ Devon Soltendieck and MTV Live’s Nicole Holness.

READ MORE »

Bo Burnham is a new generation of entertainer and comedian. He found his audience after gaining millions of views on YouTube with his unique brand of satire. Now he is releasing albums and selling out venues, and also causing some controversy with a comedic voice that some are saying is too edgy. Jordan sat down with Bo before his recent performance at Just For Laughs in Toronto. Oh ya – he’s also working with Judd Apatow!