"Are movies more important than life?"
- François Truffaut

RICHARD CROUSE’S MOVIE SHOW airs on Canada’s Independent Film Channel on Friday's at 10:30 am and on the E! Channel on Sunday's at 6:30 pm.

What’s the show all about?

RICHARD CROUSE’S MOVIE SHOW combines probing analysis of new theatrical films and DVDs, fascinating interviews with actors, directors and cult heroes and investigative journalism to understand what it is about the medium of movies that holds us in such a state of thrall. Richard draws on ten years experience hosting Reel to Real to bring the viewer the most informed and entertaining movie commentary on television. He’ll answer pressing film trivia questions like “Why do all movie phone numbers begin with 555?” and “Whose picture is on the Sheik condom wrapper?”

Along the way he’ll welcome guest critics who specialize in various topics. For instance a musician might join Richard to review The Last Pogo or a barber might share some insight to the DVD release of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street!  The half-hour weekly show will be breezy but informative, in depth without being intimidating and will be appointment viewing for movie fans.

Q&A with Host ~ Producer Richard Crouse

Q: How is Richard Crouse’s Movie Show different than Reel to Real?

A: Richard Crouse’s Movie Show is the evolution of Reel to Real. We’re still doing the same kind of in depth movie coverage, but the show itself is a bit faster paced with tighter reviews and longer interview segments, but the basic idea of covering an eclectic range of movies—everything from foreign language documentaries to Canadian features and Hollywood blockbusters—hasn’t changed.  

Q: Where will the show be shot?

A: We’re shooting Richard Crouse’s Movie Show in the same studio that I do my radio show in at CFRB in Toronto. I love the irony of shooting a television show about movies in a radio station.

Q: What is your methodology when it comes to writing your reviews?

A: I have a rule when it comes to reviews; I either write them 24 hours after seeing the film or wait 24 years. One is a gut reaction, the other a considered response with the benefit of hindsight and reflection. In my new book Son of the 100 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen I mostly used the latter approach but most often I write the reviews within hours of seeing the film.

Q: Will you feature celebrity interviews on Richard Crouse’s Movie Show?

A: Yes, but that won’t be the focus of the show. We live in an age of celebrity overdrive and I sometimes think that it’s actually more exciting, and these days, even revolutionary, to simply shine a spotlight on the movies and not the star’s personal lives.

Q: You’ve been interviewing celebrities for years, but do you remember your first celebrity encounter?

A: It was probably in 1982. E.T. had come out and become a huge hit. I was standing in a movie line at the Cumberland Theatre in Toronto to see something, I can’t remember what. The line was moving really slowly because of a hold up at the ticket booth. I noticed a little girl being told she couldn't go in to see whatever movie was playing because she was too young. After some interjecting from an older handler of the “do you know who this is?” type the little girl was finally allowed in. Later she was sitting in front of me at an R-rated movie and I saw it was Drew Barrymore. She might have been 7 or 8 years old.

Q: Do you plan on covering Canadian movies on every show?

A:  Absolutely. The biggest problem Canadian film has is a lack of awareness. Audiences simply don’t know the movies are out there. We make good movies in this country but often they go unseen because there is rarely enough money to mount really effective marketing campaigns. I aim to make people aware that there are good movies that reflect their Canadian experience playing on screens in their neighborhoods.

Q: What kind of shape is the Canadian film industry in these days?

A: Around the time of Bill C-10 and other proposed funding cuts to the arts I was asked what killed Canadian film, and I said ‘You and I did because we didn't go see them.’ Now, I’m happy to report, the industry is far from dead. The last while has been really good with filmmakers like Bruce MacDonald, Guy Maddin, Benoît Pilon and David Cronenberg making the best films of their careers and the future is bright. It's hard making films in Canada, but as long as some kid picks up a camera in Victoria or Winnipeg or Newfoundland and starts making home movies in their basement there is a hopeful and exciting future.

Q: What have been some of the stranger experiences you’ve had while shooting Richard Crouse’s Movie Show?

A: Aside from Faster Pussycat Kill Kill star Tura Satana almost breaking my arm during an interview as she demonstrated a karate move on me, the strangest and most dangerous part of the job happened when I interviewed the cast of Twilight.

I had no idea how popular the movie Twilight was going to become until I interviewed the cast and then shot a stand-up on Queen Street in Toronto in front of hundreds of teenage girls, most of whom had waited in the rain all night to get a glimpse of the cast. While we were shooting I thought it might be fun to talk to them, so I walked over and mentioned that I had just interviewed Robert Pattinson, the movie’s heart throb. Two things happened. First there was a collective shriek—the kind only young girls are capable of producing—that made my ears ring for a week afterwards, and then they started grabbing at me, wanting to touch me because I had touched him. It was scary, but that little bit of hands-on market research taught me how popular that movie was going to be.   

Q: Do you have a catch phrase or a slogan for the show?

A: I Watch Bad Movies So You Don’t Have To… I’ve been using that for a while now and the other day a guy yelled, “Hey, you watch bad movies so I don’t have to!” out of his car window as he passed me on the street, so I guess it’s catching on.

May 10, 2009
Watch Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 6:30 pm tonight on the E! channel. On this encore presentation Richard reviews the DVD release of Last Chance Harvey, discusses the new Channing Tatum film Fighting, looks at the documentary Actof God, talks about the new family drama Lyme Life, takes a peak at the Toronto Urban Film Festival, has a look at Anne of Green Gables and Inglorious Basterds!  Richard interviews Lyme Life writer Steve Martini and star Jill Hennesey and Act of God director Jennifer Baichwal. 

May 8, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this encore presentation Richard reviews the DVD release of Last Chance Harvey, discusses the new Channing Tatum film Fighting, looks at the documentary Actof God, talks about the new family drama Lyme Life, takes a peak at the Toronto Urban Film Festival, has a look at Anne of Green Gables and Inglorious Basterds!  Richard interviews Lyme Life writer Steve Martini and star Jill Hennesey and Act of God director Jennifer Baichwal. 

May 3, 2009
Watch Richard Crouse's Movie Show tonight on the E! Channel at 6:30! On this show Richard reviews the DVD release of Last Chance Harvey, discusses the new Channing Tatum film Fighting, looks at the documentary Actof God, talks about the new family drama Lyme Life, takes a peak at the Toronto Urban Film Festival, has a look at Anne of Green Gables and Inglorious Basterds!  Richard interviews Lyme Life writer Steve Martini and star Jill Hennesey and Act of God director Jennifer Baichwal.    

May 1, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this show Richard reviews the DVD release of Last Chance Harvey, discusses the new Channing Tatum film Fighting, looks at the documentary Actof God, talks about the new family drama Lyme Life, takes a peak at the Toronto Urban Film Festival, has a look at Anne of Green Gables and Inglorious Basterds!  Richard interviews Lyme Life writer Steve Martini and star Jill Hennesey and Act of God director Jennifer Baichwal.

April 26, 2009
Watch Richard Crouse's Movie Show tonight on the E! Channel at 6:30! On this encore presentation Richard reviews the DVD release of The Wrestler, discusses the new Zac Efron film 17 Again, talks about the touching new film Only, takes a peak at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, has a look at Iron Maiden: Flight 666 and Easy Virtue!  Richard interviews Only director Ingrid Veninger, Iron Maiden: Flight 666 directors Sam Dunn and Scott McFayden and Paul Gross drops by to discuss Passchendaele. 

April 24, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this encore presentation Richard reviews the DVD release of The Wrestler, discusses the new Zac Efron film 17 Again, talks about the touching new film Only, takes a peak at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, has a look at Iron Maiden: Flight 666 and Easy Virtue!  Richard interviews Only director Ingrid Veninger, Iron Maiden: Flight 666 directors Sam Dunn and Scott McFayden and Paul Gross drops by to discuss Passchendaele.

April 19, 2009
Watch Richard Crouse's Movie Show tonight on the E! Channel at 6:30! On this show Richard reviews the DVD release of The Wrestler, discusses the new Zac Efron film 17 Again, talks about the touching new film Only, takes a peak at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, has a look at Iron Maiden: Flight 666 and Easy Virtue!  Richard interviews Only director Ingrid Veninger, Iron Maiden: Flight 666 directors Sam Dunn and Scott McFayden and Paul Gross drops by to discuss Passchendaele.    

April 17, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this show Richard reviews the DVD release of The Wrestler, discusses the new Zac Efron film 17 Again, talks about the touching new film Only, takes a peak at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, has a look at Iron Maiden: Flight 666 and Easy Virtue!  Richard interviews Only director Ingrid Veninger, Iron Maiden: Flight 666 directors Sam Dunn and Scott McFayden and Paul Gross drops by to discuss Passchendaele.

April 12, 2009
Watch Richard Crouse's Movie Show tonight on the E! Channel at 6:30! On this show Richard reviews the DVD release of Slumdog Millionaire, discusses the great new film Hunger, talks about the documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil, takes a peak at the new short doc Amerika Idol: A True Story, has a look at Before Tomorrow and The Hilarious House of Frightenstein DVD Igormania!  Richard interviews Anvil stars Lipps Kudlow and Robb Reiner, Amerika Idol director Barry Avrich and Hunger director Steve McQueen.  

April 10, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this show Richard reviews the DVD release of Slumdog Millionaire, discusses the great new film Hunger, talks about the documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil, takes a peak at the new short doc Amerika Idol: A True Story, has a look at Before Tomorrow and The Hilarious House of Frightenstein DVD Igormania!  Richard interviews Anvil stars Lipps Kudlow and Robb Reiner, Amerika Idol director Barry Avrich and Hunger director Steve McQueen.   

April 5, 2009
Watch Richard Crouse's Movie Show tonight on the E! Channel at 6:30! On this show Richard reviews the Harrison Ford drama Crossing Over and the horror film The Haunting in Connecticut, talks about the documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil, takes a peak at the Easter bunny comedy Hank and Mike and has a look at Polytechnique.  Richard interviews Crossing Over star Alice Eve, The Haunting in Connecticut stars Virginia Madsen and Martin Donovan, Hank and Mike writers and stars Thomas Michael and Paolo Mancini and Polytechnique star Karine Vanasse.

April 3, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this show Richard reviews the Harrison Ford drama Crossing Over and the horror film The Haunting in Connecticut, talks about the documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil, takes a peak at the Easter bunny comedy Hank and Mike and has a look at Polytechnique.  Richard interviews Crossing Over star Alice Eve, The Haunting in Connecticut stars Virginia Madsen and Martin Donovan, Hank and Mike writers and stars Thomas Michael and Paolo Mancini and Polytechnique star Karine Vanasse.

March 29, 2009
Watch an encore presentation of Richard Crouse's Movie Show tonight on the E! Channel at 6:30! On this show Richard looks at the new Canadian film Nurse. Fighter. Boy., meets with a cast member from Gran Torino, talks about the wild new wrestling doc Vampiro and chats with Colm Feore.  He interviews the cast of Nurse. Fighter. Boy.; Gran Torino’s Ahney Her, Colm Feore and Vampiro director Lee Demarbre. 

March 27, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for an encore of Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this show Richard reviews Watchmen and the DVD release of the Oscar winning Milk, talks about the documentary In the Moment, takes a peak at Knowing, has a look at Pinocchio: 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition on DVD and features a sneak peak at Deepa Metha’s Heaven on Earth, now on DVD.  Richard interviews In the Moment director Sandra Chwialkowska,  Knowing star Rose Byrne and long-time Disney associate and puppeteer Bob Baker. 

March 22, 2009
Watch Richard Crouse's Movie Show tonight on the E! Channel at 6:30! On this show Richard reviews Watchmen and the DVD release of the Oscar winning Milk, talks about the documentary In the Moment, takes a peak at Knowing, has a look at Pinocchio: 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition on DVD and features a sneak peak at Deepa Metha’s Heaven on Earth, now on DVD.  Richard interviews In the Moment director Sandra Chwialkowska, Knowing star Rose Byrne and long-time Disney associate and puppeteer Bob Baker.    

March 20, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard's show Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this show Richard reviews Watchmen and the DVD release of the Oscar winning Milk, talks about the documentary In the Moment, takes a peak at Knowing, has a look at Pinocchio: 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition on DVD and features a sneak peak at Deepa Metha’s Heaven on Earth, now on DVD.  Richard interviews In the Moment director Sandra Chwialkowska,  Knowing star Rose Byrne and long-time Disney associate and puppeteer Bob Baker.

March 15, 2009
Watch Richard Crouse's Movie Show tonight on the E! Channel at 6:30! On this show Richard looks at the new documentary RiP: A Remix Manifesto, talks about the new Jason Segal comedy I Love You, Man, reviews the DVD of Let the Right One In and doles out some Watchmen info.  Richard interviews RiP: A Remix Manifesto director Brett Gaylor,  I Love You, Man stars Paul Rudd and Jason Segal, and Watchmen’s Silk Specter II, Malin Akerman. 

March 13, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard's show Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this show Richard looks at the new documentary RiP: A Remix Manifesto, talks about the new Jason Segal comedy I Love You, Man, reviews the DVD of Let the Right One In and doles out some Watchmen info.  Richard interviews RiP: A Remix Manifesto director Brett Gaylor,  I Love You, Man stars Paul Rudd and Jason Segal, and Watchmen’s Silk Specter II, Malin Akerman.

Sunday March 8, 2009
Watch Richard Crouse's Movie Show tonight on the E! Channel at 6:30! On this show Richard looks at new Joshua Jackson road trip movie One Week, reviews the Bruce MacDonald zombie flick Pontypool, and looks at three other films, Virtual JFK, and the short films The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow and The Internal Monologue of Gill the Goldfish starring the voice of Sean Cullen.  Richard interviews One Week star Joshua Jackson and director Michael McGowan, Ponypool’s Bruce MacDonald and Steven McHattie, The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow’s Rodrigo Gudiño and The Internal Monologue of Gill the Goldfish’s director Jim Goodall.

March 6, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard's show Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this show Richard looks at new Joshua Jackson road trip movie One Week, reviews the Bruce MacDonald zombie flick Pontypool, and looks at three other films, Virtual JFK, and the short films The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow and The Internal Monologue of Gill the Goldfish starring the voice of Sean Cullen.  Richard interviews One Week star Joshua Jackson and director Michael McGowan, Ponypool’s Bruce MacDonald and Steven McHattie, The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow’s Rodrigo Gudiño and The Internal Monologue of Gill the Goldfish’s director Jim Goodall. 

Sunday March 1, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard's new show Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this show Richard looks at the new stop motion animation film Coraline, reviews the Leonardo DiCaprio / Russell Crowe movie Body of Lies, and looks at three Canadian films, The Necessities of Life, Under the Sea 3-D and Saving Luna.  He interviews Coraline writer Neil Gaiman, The Necessities of Life director Benoît Pilon, Saving Luna’s Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit and Under the Sea 3-D’s producer Toni Myers.

February 27, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard's show Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this encore presentation Richard looks at the new stop motion animation film Coraline, reviews the Leonardo DiCaprio / Russell Crowe movie Body of Lies, and looks at three Canadian films, The Necessities of Life, Under the Sea 3-D and Saving Luna.  He interviews Coraline writer Neil Gaiman, The Necessities of Life director Benoît Pilon, Saving Luna’s Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit and Under the Sea 3-D’s producer Toni Myers.

February 22, 2009
Richard Crouse's Movie Show is preempted tonight on the E! Channel for the Academy Awards Red Channel.We'll be back next week!

February 20, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard's new show Richard Crouse's Movie Show at 10:30 am. On this show Richard looks at the new stop motion animation film Coraline, reviews the Leonardo DiCaprio / Russell Crowe movie Body of Lies, and looks at three Canadian films, The Necessities of Life, Under the Sea 3-D and Saving Luna.  He interviews Coraline writer Neil Gaiman, The Necessities of Life director Benoît Pilon, Saving Luna’s Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit and Under the Sea 3-D’s producer Toni Myers.

February 15, 2009
Richard Crouse's Movie Show airs tonight on the E! Channel at 6:30 pm! On this episode Richard looks at DVD re-release of the Xmas slasher classic Black Christmas, the irreverent documentary Religulous and the Toronto punk rock classic The Last Pogo. He interviews Black Christmas’s John Saxon and Art Hindel; Religulous’s Bill Maher and Larry Charles and The Last Pogo director Colin Brunton.

February 13, 2009
Tune into the Independent Film Channel today for Richard's show Richard Crouse's Movie Show today at 10:30 am. On this show Richard looks at the new Canadian film Nurse. Fighter. Boy., meets with a cast member from Gran Torino, talks about the wild new wrestling doc Vampiro and chats with Colm Feore.  He interviews the cast of Nurse. Fighter. Boy.; Gran Torino’s Ahney Her, Colm Feore and Vampiro director Lee Demarbre. 

Here's Richard's blog about the show:

What is Richard Crouse’s Movie Show (Fridays at 10:30 am on the Independent Film Channel)?

It’s kind of a mash-up of my old movie review show Reel to Real, a really cool DVD extra, Inside the Actor’s Studio and The Jack Paar Show (that’s where I got the glasses and the slicked back hair). With all due respect to Mr. Ebert and Mr. Siskel there are no thumbs, there’s no gossip, no yelling host and no celebrity sightings. Just movie chat and reviews, simple and straight up.

I’ll walk you through the most recent releases, add in a dash of historical perspective with a Did You Know segment that could cover anything from the early days of Warner Brothers to the classic Ray Harryhausen sci fi movies of the 1950s to Salvador Dali’s work with Alfred Hitchcock or why Rudolf Valentino’s picture is on the Sheik condom wrapper, and let you know what’s hot on DVD. I’m hoping for an eclectic mix that looks beyond what is available at first run theaters or the front rack of the video store. Blockbusters are great, and I’ll review them, but so are foreign movies and documentaries. Expect the unexpected.

We’ll also have guests sit in from time to time. Already we have shot interviews with Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Piven, Bill Maher, Larry Charles and even Seasame Street fairy-in-training Muppet Abby Cadabby. As I said earlier, expect the unexpected. I have plans for a variety of theme shows as well, including one on unusual music movies. Just know that it won't include any movies with the words "High School" in title unless the next word is "Confidential"... and not "Musical." This will be a HSM-free zone. Stay tuned.

Richard Crouse’s Movie Show won’t look or sound like any other movie show on television… I mean how many other movie shows have a twangin’ surf guitar theme song? Hear it once, hum it forever!

So check us out on IFC every Friday at 10:30 am—watch it live, set your PVRs, crank up your VCRs, whatever. If you’re a movie fan you won’t want to miss it.