Another week starts off with a bang over at Amazon Canada. Up for grabs today are savings of up to 40 percent off its popular streaming sticks, the Amazon Fire TV Sticks.
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Apple introduced Visual Look-Up with iOS 15 back in 2021.
The feature allowed users to identify plants, flowers, landmarks and animals in their ‘Photos’ app or via the phone camera. Then, last year, the Cupertino-based company expanded the feature to allow users to virtually ‘pick up’ any object (person, animal, building plant, and more), then separate it from its background, kind of like the ‘Quick Selection Tool’ on Photoshop.
Now, Samsung is taking a page from Apple’s book and introducing ‘Image Clipping’ to its S23 series. This is one of the many features that wasn’t highlighted by Samsung during its Unpacked Event.
The feature works similarly to how it does on an iPhone and doesn’t require you to toggle any setting on. You simply click a photo or open an older one from Photos and long-tap the subject of the image; any object/person/animal/plant/etc. Once you long-tap, the subject will get highlighted and pop-out of the image. At this moment, you’re free to drag around the cropped-out subject.
Once you let go of the screen, you’ll see three prompts, namely ‘copy,’ ‘share’ and ‘save as image.’ Saving the image results in a new image creation in your Photos, with just the cropped-out subject without any background. Similarly, ‘copy’ allows you to paste the image into a different application, while ‘share’ would pull up the regular prompt asking you how you want to share the image.
Though not a groundbreaking new addition, it’s a cool little feature that’s nice to have up your sleeve.
Apart from Image Clipping, the S23 series also boasts other features to edit photos. Adobe and Samsung have partnered to utilize Adobe’s Lightroom software to exclusively handle editing RAW format photos. One of the main benefits of the RAW format is that it captures more data from the camera sensor, which gives photo editors more room to play with when editing. The process normally requires software like Adobe’s Camera Raw. But with support for Lightroom, S23 series owners can edit their RAW photos directly on their devices.
According to Samsung, once you shoot a photo using the Expert RAW camera app, you’ll be able to open the photo in Lightroom with just a tap. “We’re excited to see Samsung enhance the Expert RAW app as a native camera option, with Lightroom as the default and only photo editor,” Scott Belsky, chief product officer and executive vice president with Creative Cloud at Adobe, said.
The new Samsung S23 devices come with a free two-month Lightroom trial.
Learn more about the S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra here.
Dean Daley and I recently went to San Fransisco to cover the launch of Samsung’s S23 series smartphones, and much to our surprise, Bell’s Crave streaming service seemed to work on our iPads while in the United States.
This is strange because usually when I’m in the U.S., I can’t access Crave since other U.S.-based streaming services hold the rights to most of its content and because of this, the platform is region-locked to Canada.
When testing Crave out on my laptop, it didn’t work, but the iPad app skirts the region-lock for some reason. Dean and I used an iPad mini, with mine on 5G and his on Wi-Fi. The MacBook I tested this on was also on Wi-Fi.
There’s no way to say for sure if this is a bug, but if you want to catch up on the latest episodes of The Last of Us in the U.S., this might be a simple way. I’m reasonably sure the last time I tried to watch Crave in the U.S. on an iPad was at WWDC in the summer, so something within the Crave app seems to have changed since then.
I’ll also mention that I was able to watch content on Paramount+ on my iPad for a few days of my trip, and then on the last night, it stopped working and I was locked out.
Have you been able to watch Crave on an iPad when outside of Canada? Let us know in the comments below.
Tim Hortons’ mobile app, unfortunately, collected data without users’ consent. Those who used the fast food chain’s iOS or Android app between April 1st, 2019 and September 2020 are affected.
Starting February 1st, Tim Hortons started reaching out to customers to inform them that they can sign into their Tim Hortons account to claim free items in the ‘Offers’ section. But to get your free beverage or baked goods, you need to download and sign back into Tim Hortons’ mobile app. If this sounds somewhat backward, you likely aren’t alone in those thoughts.
Will you return to the Tim Hortons app for free goodies even though the company knowingly stole your data?
Peer-to-peer carsharing app Turo is launching a very Canadian rental service for its SK8 mini ice resurfacer. Over the course of the winter, those in the Greater Toronto Area can use Canada’s largest car-sharing platform to book a four-hour window with the SK8. During this time, the tiny Zamboni can be used to turn their neighbourhood rink into professional-quality ice.
Turo’s SK8 is made in Canada thanks to a partnership with Porta Ice, a company based in Calgary. Porta Ice has been able to take the traditional ice resurfacing machine and scale it down for something more portable and usable for everyday drivers. Best of all, the Turo SK8 is fully electric and has a battery life of around 10 hours.
Turo has tapped Canadian professional ice hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin as the ambassador of the project. Poulin is an Olympic and three-time World champion with the Canadian national team. She has won three gold medals, including one in the recent 2022 Beijing games. The SK8’s $29 booking fee is a direct reference to Poulin’s jersey number, 29.
“Most people can’t believe how tiny it is,” Poulin tells MobileSyrup. “This mini ice resurfacer can come to your backyard and give you perfect ice. I feel every kid wants that in their life! Especially when you play hockey for fun or even for a living. So it’s always good to have so it’s awesome to see. It’s pretty sharp.”
This is in the Top 3 ‘Most Canadian Moments’ for me. The #TuroSK8 is a mini Zamboni you can actually rent in the GTA! 🏒⛸️ pic.twitter.com/LVIma0RUY5
In a hands-on demo of the Turo SK8, I was able to sit in the hot seat and live out one of the most common Canadian dreams — driving a Zamboni. Thankfully, Turo and Porta Ice not only scaled down the size but controls. The SK8 has a streamlined turnkey start-up. There is only one pedal which controls both the acceleration when pressed down and brakes when easing up on the pedal. The steering wheel is well-proportioned. There’s also an onboard switch to control whether you navigate forward or in reverse.
Much like a traditional Zamboni, the Turo SK8 has a thin blade on the back that shaves the ice. It then applies a thin layer of water from the back. An attached resurfacer towel then ensures the water is dispersed evenly and freezes smoothly. There are onboard controls to raise and lower the blade when you’re not driving on the ice. And yes, I’m also happy to report there’s also a horn.
In terms of driving, the Turo SK8 is surprisingly smooth and quiet. Despite not being a traditional electric vehicle (EV), the ice resurfacer doesn’t really make a sound outside of scraping the ice. Steering is exceptionally smooth after a moment of getting a hang of the acceleration. The front tires of the SK8 can easily catch and slide on the ice if you’re going too fast. Once I got a hang of steering, though, I could see how easy resurfacing a smaller rink could be.
“Whether it’s a spacious SUV to hit the slopes or the latest EV to experience a longer test drive, or, now, a resurfacer that turns your backyard into a professional ice rink, Turo offers an unparalleled selection of vehicles available to Canadians,” Cedric Mathieu, the vice president and head of Turo in Canada said. “Turo is proud to make transportation more fun and accessible in over 700 cities across Canada and we are thrilled to offer local communities a truly unique experience by introducing the Turo SK8, a first of its kind on our platform.”
Starting now, those in the GTA can book a Turo SK8 rental via the company’s website or app on iOS and Android. After successfully booking, Turo actually delivers the SK8 resurfacing machine directly to your door. Following this, the machine can then be used for a four-hour window to resurface a backyard or neighbouring ice rink. The Turo SK8 is available to book for $29. For each booking, Turo is donating and matching all proceeds to KidSport. This charity focuses on supporting financial assistance to children and associating costs of sports registration fees and equipment.
Toronto bookings are available now and slots are available through March 4th. The company has announced that availability in Montreal is “coming soon.” For further terms and conditions on bookings, see the Turo website. Alongside the SK8, Turo offers a selection of over 800 EVs for bookings.
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ are mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Original theatrical release date: August 5th, 2022
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: February 1st, 2023 Genre: Black comedy, horror Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes
A group of 20-somethings plan a party at a remote mansion, only to discover there’s a killer among them.
Bodies Bodies Bodies was directed by Halina Reijn (Red Light) and stars Amandla Stenberg (The Hate You Give), Maria Bakalova (Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm), Myha’la Herrold (Industry), Chase Sui Wonders (Generation), Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby), Lee Pace (Halt and Catch Fire) and Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island).
An Amazon Prime Video subscription is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which is priced at $99/year.
The full list of movies and shows that hit Amazon Prime Video Canada in January can be found here. A round-up of February’s new content is available here.
Apple TV+
Dear Edward [Apple Original]
Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: February 3rd, 2023 (first three episodes, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Drama Runtime: 10 episodes (around one hour each)
After losing his family to a plane crash, a young boy connects with others affected by the tragic incident.
Based on Ann Napolitano’s 2020 novel of the same name, Dear Edward was created by Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights) and stars Colin O’Brien (S.W.A.T.), Connie Britton (Nashville) and Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black).
Toronto’s Hubert Davis (Hardwood) examines the marginalization of Black players in hockey. Some of the featured athletes include Hamilton’s Sarah Nurse, Toronto’s Akim Aliu and Toronto’s P.K. Subban.
Two siblings who are struggling to find their place in the world find their lives turn upside-down when their younger brother becomes incredibly famous overnight.
The Other Two was created by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider (Saturday Night Love) and stars Vancouver-born Heléne Yorke (Graves), Drew Tarver (Bajillion Dollar Propertie$), Case Walker (Monster High: The Movie) and Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live). It’s worth noting that Brampton, Ontario’s Alessia Cara (The Pains of Growing) appears as herself in one episode.
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows that hit Crave in January can be found here. A round-up of February’s new content is available here.
Disney+
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Original theatrical premiere date: November 11th, 2022
Disney+ Canada premiere date: February 1st, 2023 Genre: Superhero Runtime: 2 hours, 41 minutes
The people of Wakanda must grapple with the loss of King T’Challa while protecting their country from invading forces.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was co-written and directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) and features returning Marvel stars Letitia Wright (Shuri), Lupita N’yongo (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Martin Freeman (Ross) and Angela Bassett (Ramonda), while Dominique Thorne (Judas and the Black Messiah) and Tenoch Huerta (Narcos) join the cast.
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Season 2) [Disney+ Original]
Disney+ Canada premiere date: February 2nd, 2023 Genre: Animated comedy Runtime: 10 episodes (28 to 32 minutes each)
African-American teen Penny Proud and her family get up to more misadventures.
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder hails from original Proud Family creators Bruce W. Smith (Tarzan) and Ralph Farquhar (South Central) and features the returning voice talent of Kyla Pratt (Penny), Tommy Davidson (Oscar), Paula Jai Parker as (Trudy), JoMarie Payton (Suga Mama) and Alisa Reyes (LaCienega).
Directed by Ryan White (Good Night Oppy), this documentary looks the life and career of Ladysmith, B.C.’s Pamela Anderson, including her time on Baywatch, rocky romances and sex tape scandal.
During the event, you can get up to $65 off when you redeem 50,000 PC Optimum points. You can get up to $140 off when you redeem 100,000 PC optimum points and $300 off when you redeem 200,000 optimum points. That’s anywhere from an extra $15 to $100 off, depending on how much you redeem.
Rogers’ takeover of Shaw has dominated telecom headlines for the last two years. While it is the largest telecom acquisition in Canadian history, it’s not the only recent one. Bell has quietly acquired Distributel and Telus has also reportedly taken over two independent providers.
For more information, here’s a recap of some of the biggest telecom stories in Canada this week.
Business
Rogers, Shaw, and Québecor have extended the deadline to close their associated acquisitions to February 17th. The parties are still waiting for Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne to approve the transfer of Shaw’s wireless licenses to Vidéotron. Rogers and Shaw previously set their voluntary deadline as January 31st. But the Minister has stated he’s in no hurry to provide approval and wants Rogers and Québecor to commit to wireless affordability.
As the new chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Vicky Eatrides wants to waste no time revamping wholesale internet pricing. In an interview with MobileSyrup, she promised a new model is coming soon.
The CRTC has a new Ontario commissioner. Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez has elected Bram Abramson to the position.
Bell Aliant says a software update led to a 911 landline outage in the Atlantic provinces. The problem occurred in the early hours of January 31st and impacted residents in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. The outage lasted two and a half hours and resulted from a 10-digit dialling change in New Brunswick.
Bell announced its plans to acquire Distributel in September 2022, only to quietly complete the transaction months later. Bell didn’t share any details of the regulatory approval process or how much the transaction was worth.
Rogers released its last quarterly report for 2022, showing it added 193,000 wireless post paid customers. The telecom company also increased its profits by 25 percent.
Telus has grown its banner by quietly adding internet service providers Start.ca and Altima to its business profile.
Deals
Samsung has revealed its new Galaxy S23 lineup and devices will be available in Canada starting February 17th. New releases are always expensive, but Samsung is offering more than $800 in savings through trade-ins. More details are available here.
Each month MobileSyrup does separate rundowns of what’s coming to streaming services. We also so a curated guide of the hottest shows and movies coming to streaming services each week.
However, if you don’t want to go through each and every one of our links, here is your television guide-like list of everything coming to Netflix, Crave, Prime Video, Paramount Plus and Disney Plus this month.
If you want a more curated list, check out our weekly roundups here.
In Canada, a Disney+ subscription costs $11.99/month or $119.99/year. While a Paramount Plus subscription costs $9.99 CAD/month. Crave subscriptions start at $9.99/month for a Mobile plan, which includes access to HBO content. A $5.99 Starz add-on is also available.
In this article, we didn’t separate Starz from other Crave content, so it’s worth noting some of the content will cost an extra $5.99. A Prime Video subscription costs $8.25 per month, and lastly, Netflix starts at $5.99, but plans increase depending on whether you want multiple viewers, ad-free, and 4K content.
February 1st
Gunther’s Millions — Netflix
American Assassin — Netflix
Blow — Netflix
Blue Valentine — Netflix
Closer — Netflix
Crazy, Stupid, Love — Netflix
Fury — Netflix
Girls5eva: Season 1 — Netflix
John Q — Netflix
Legend — Netflix
Legion — Netflix
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous — Netflix
Mystic River — Netflix
Resident Evil: Retribution — Netflix
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter — Netflix
Spawn — Netflix
The Wedding Planner — Netflix
Vacation — Netflix
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies — Prime Video
The Mummy — Prime Video
Schindler’s List — Prime Video
Before 30 — Prime Video
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Disney+
The Chorus: Success, Here I Go (O Coro: Sucesso, Aqui Vou Eu): Season 1 — Disney+
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder: Season 2 — Disney+
The Challenge: Season 1 — Paramount Plus
Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Loretta Lynn (special) — Paramount Plus
That Girl Lay: Season 1 — Paramount Plus
February 2nd
Freeridge — Netflix
Black Ice @9pm ET — Crave
Gary and His Demons: Season 1-2 — Prime Video
Mendarat Darurat — Prime Video
Beyond The Light Barrier — Prime Video
South Park: Season 25 — Paramount Plus
February 3rd
Class — Netflix
Infiesto — Netflix
Stromboli — Netflix
True Spirit — Netflix
Viking Wolf — Netflix
The Other Two: Seasons 1-2 — Crave
Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon — Crave
Firestarter — Crave
The Games Maker — Crave
Escaping the Taliban: Reporter’s Notebook By Genevieve — Crave
Bauchemin — Crave
The Colony — Crave
The Dirties — Crave
The Inhabitant — Crave
Get On Up — Crave
Madea’s Family Reunion — Crave
Madea Goes Jail — Crave
120 BPM — Crave
Beginners Guide to Endings – — Crave
Born to be Blue — Crave
Closet Monster — Crave
Toppen — Prime Video
The Estate — Prime Video
Harlem: Season 2 — Prime Video
Sing — Prime Video
Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter — Disney+
Soul of a Nation Presents: Mi Gente: Groundbreakers and Changemakers — Disney+
As Seguidoras (The Followers): Season 1 — Paramount Plus
Infamously in Love — Paramount Plus
Murder in Big Horn: Season 1 — Paramount Plus
Stepping Into Love — Paramount Plus
February 4th
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile — Prime Video
February 5th
The Spectacular Now — Netflix
February 6th
Outlander: Season 6 — Netflix
Vinland Saga: Season 2 — Netflix
C.B. Strike: Troubled Blood: Season 1 @9pm ET — Crave
February 7th
Medieval — Netflix
All That Breathes @9pm ET — Crave
Baby Shark’s Big Show: new episodes — Paramount Plus
Coach Carter — Paramount Plus
A Crime on the Bayou — Paramount Plus
House of Lies (all seasons) — Paramount Plus
The Last Black Man in San Francisco — Paramount Plus
Polyamory (all seasons) — Paramount Plus
Selma — Paramount Plus
SpongeBob SquarePants: New episodes — Paramount Plus
Vanilla Sky — Paramount Plus
February 8th
Bill Russell: Legend — Netflix
The Exchange — Netflix
Alone: Season 6 — Disney+
American Pickers: Seasons 3-4 — Disney+
American Pickers: Seasons 21-23 — Disney+
Arranged: Season 1 — Disney+
Atlanta Plastic: Season 1 — Disney+
Broke-Ass Bride: Season 1 — Disney+
Dance Moms: Miami: Season 1 — Disney+
Dance Moms: Season 7 — Disney+
Empire of Light — Disney+
The First 48: Seasons 17-18, — Disney+
Forged in Fire: Seasons 2-3 — Disney+
Ice Road Truckers: Season 11 — Disney+
Intervention: Seasons 19, 21-22 — Disney+
Kindred — Disney+
Love at First Flight: Season 1 — Disney+
Me and Mickey: Season 1 — Disney+
Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir: Seasons 1-3 — Disney+
Santo Maldito: Season 1 — Disney+
Storage Wars: Season 2 and 14 — Disney+
Storage Wars: Unlocked: Season 1 — Disney+
Oasis — There We Were… Now Here We Are (special) — Paramount Plus
February 9th
The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem — Netflix
Dear David — Netflix
My Dad the Bounty Hunter — Netflix
You: Season 4, Part 1 — Netflix
February 10th
10 Days of a Good Man — Netflix
Forgetting Sarah Marshall — Netflix
Love Actually — Netflix
Love is Blind: After the Altar: Season 3 — Netflix
Love to Hate You — Netflix
Your Place or Mine — Netflix
Pleasure — Crave
Downton Abbey: A New Era — Crave
Milton’s Secret — Crave
The Swearing Jar — Crave
Leverage: Redemption: Season 2 — Crave
Mr. A & Mr. M: The Story of A&M Records: Episodes 1-2 — Crave
Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News: Season 1 — Crave
Transplant: Season 3 — Crave
The Grand Seduction — Crave
Into The Forest — Crave
Leap Year — Crave
Mack & Rita — Crave
Madea’s Witness Protection — Crave
Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas — Crave
Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween — Crave
Good Neighbors — Crave
Let Me In — Crave
Mean Dreams — Crave
Men With Brooms — Crave
Milton’s Secret — Crave
My Awkward Sexual Adventure — Crave
Somebody I Used to Know — Prime Video
Clarkson’s Farm: Season 2 — Prime Video
Farzi — Prime Video
Montana Story — Prime Video
For One Night Only — Prime Video
Palava — Prime Video
Crocodiles Revealed — Disney+
Dug Days: Carl’s Date — Disney+
Marvel Studios Legends: Season 2 — Disney+
Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine For You — Disney+
At Midnight — Paramount Plus
Boys in Blue (docuseries) — Paramount Plus
Orphan: First kill — Paramount Plus
February 11th
Marc Maron: From Bleak to Dark @10pm ET — Crave
Chupke Chupke — Prime Video
February 13th
Squared Love All Over Again — Netflix
Jodi — Prime Video
February 14th
All the Places — Netflix
A Sunday Affair — Netflix
In Love All Over Again — Netflix
Jim Jefferies: High n’ Dry — Netflix
Perfect Match — Netflix
Re/Member — Netflix
Planet Sex — Prime Video
Divorce Mubarak — Prime Video
Wild Wild Punjab — Prime Video
Lights Guns and Actions Season 2 — Prime Video
Dollface: Season 2 — Disney+
The Hair Tales: Season 1 — Disney+
Mila in the Multiverse (Mila No Multiverso): Season 1 — Disney+
Prime Time (Horario Estelar): Season 1 — Disney+
Wu-Tang: An American Saga: Season 3 — Disney+
American Gigolo (1980) — Paramount Plus
Failure to Launch — Paramount Plus
Gigolos (all seasons) — Paramount Plus
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days — Paramount Plus
La La Land — Paramount Plus
The Loud House: The Really Loud House: new episodes — Paramount Plus
United States of Tara (all seasons) — Paramount Plus
With that in mind, we wanted to take a look at some other notable productions in the province. Of course, if we go back several years, we’d have titles like the award-winning movies Brokeback Mountain (the Canadian Rockies in Southern Alberta) and The Revenant (Calgary and Kananaskis). But for the purposes of this piece, we’ll focus on some other movies and TV shows that, like The Last of Us, were recently shot in Alberta. We’ll also make note of where you can stream them.
Synopsis: This anthology series follows various crimes in Fargo, North Dakota.
Plot details are under wraps on the upcoming fifth season, though we know it will include the likes of Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Juno Temple (Ted Lasso), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) and Joe Keery (Stranger Things).
Alberta connections: We’re cheating a bit by including the entire FX series, but outside of Season 4, it was filmed completely in Calgary. This includes the undated fifth season, which began shooting last year in the city.
Where to stream: The first three seasons are available on Amazon Prime Video (via the MGM channel). The fourth season, however, isn’t currently streaming anywhere beyond PVOD platforms like iTunes and Google Play.
Synopsis: A single mother and her children move to an Oklahoma farm inherited from her estranged father, original Ghostbusters member Egon Spengler.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was co-written and directed by Montreal’s Jason Reitman (Juno) and stars Carrie Coon (The Leftovers), Vancouver’s Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), McKenna Grace (I, Tonya) and Paul Rudd (Ant-Man).
Alberta connections: The Ghostbusters sequel was shot in Calgary between July and October 2019.
Synopsis: One of last year’s surprise hits was this prequel to the Predator franchise which follows a Comanche warrior’s first encounter with a deadly alien hunter.
Prey was directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) and stars Amber Midthunder (Roswell, New Mexico), Dakota Beavers (debut acting role), Dane DiLiegro (American Horror Stories) and Calgary’s Michelle Thrush (Blackstone).
Genre: Drama Runtime: Seven episodes (63–88 minutes each)
Synopsis: A police detective finds his faith shaken when investigating the murder of a Mormon mother and her daughter that appears to involve the Church of Latter-Day Saints.
Based on Jon Krakauer’s 2003 non-fiction book of the same name, Under the Banner of Heaven was created by Dustin Lance Black (Milk) and stars Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick… Boom!), Sam Worthington (Avatar), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Cold Feet), Wyatt Russell (Lodge49) and Denise Gough (Angels in America).
Alberta connections: Under the Banner of Heaven was filmed in Calgary between August and December 2021.
Skinamarink (2023)
Genre: Horror Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Synopsis: Two children who cannot find their father and must deal with mysterious happenings in their home.
Alberta connections: Skinaramink is perhaps the most quintessentially Albertan title here. This viral experimental horror flick was shot by YouTuber Kyle Edward Ball in his childhood home in Edmonton over the course of seven days in August 2021. Due to the small $15,000 USD (about $20,000 CAD) budget, Ball actually had to rent equipment from the Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta, a non-profit that supports local independent filmmakers.
Turo has tapped Canadian professional ice hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin as the ambassador of the project. Poulin is an Olympic and three-time World champion with the Canadian national team. She has won three gold medals, including one in the recent 2022 Beijing games. The SK8’s $29 booking fee is a direct reference to Poulin’s jersey number, 29.
In terms of driving, the Turo SK8 is surprisingly smooth and quiet. Despite not being a traditional electric vehicle (EV), the ice resurfacer doesn’t really make a sound outside of scraping the ice. Steering is exceptionally smooth after a moment of getting a hang of the acceleration. The front tires of the SK8 can easily catch and slide on the ice if you’re going too fast. Once I got a hang of steering, though, I could see how easy resurfacing a smaller rink could be.
Starting now, those in the GTA can book a Turo SK8 rental via the company’s 
