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HOLLYWOOD SUITE TREATS CANADIANS TO A FREE PREVIEW FOR THE HOLIDAYS

• Nationwide Free Preview Available December 1 to January 5
• Exclusive Canadian Premiere of HBO Max Original Series Valley of Tears
• Premiere of Season 2 of Hollywood Suite Original Production A Year in Film
• “Keanussance” Film Collection Celebrates Canada’s Keanu Reeves
• Plus, Dozens of Feel-good Family Favourites

NOVEMBER 26, 2020:  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

With a holiday season like no other, Hollywood Suite is offering viewers the perfect December watchlist to enjoy during its annual Free Preview, with hours of thoughtfully-chosen programming. Viewers will be treated to the premiere of the critically-acclaimed HBO Max Original series, Valley of Tears. Film history buffs will love season two of Hollywood Suite’s original documentary series, A Year in Film. Family Favourites will bring comfort and joy during the holiday season, plus we’ve lined up a “Keanussance” collection no Keanu Reeves fan will want to miss. The nationwide Free Preview, which runs from December 1 to January 5 allows viewers to enjoy free unlimited access to all four of Hollywood Suite’s TV channels and Hollywood Suite On Demand.

“Our team is proud to showcase their skillfully curated lineup of premium content to all Canadians during this National Free Preview” said David Kines, President of Hollywood Suite. “This year, we are proud to present Season two of our successful original series A Year in Film backed by a supporting lineup of films featured in each episode. We built ‘Keanussance,’ a tribute to Canada’s favourite dude, Keanu Reeves. We acquired exclusive access to HBO Max’s original series, Valley of Tears. And, we assembled a heartwarming lineup of family favourites for everyone to enjoy.”

VALLEY OF TEARS
Hollywood Suite is the exclusive Canadian home of the all-new HBO Max Original 10-part war drama, Valley of Tears. The biggest budget Israeli TV series of all time, Valley of Tears comes to Hollywood Suite following the smashing success of its debut in its home country and on HBO Max in the US. The series is inspired by the true events of the 1973 Yom Kippur War in Israel.

Episodes 1 and 2 of Valley of Tears will premiere back-to-back Saturday, December 19 on HS00, with a new episode airing each following Saturday. Each episode will be available On Demand immediately following their air date. The series will be broadcast in the original Hebrew with English subtitles. Subtitled and English-dubbed versions will be available On Demand. 

A YEAR IN FILM – SEASON TWO
The Hollywood Suite original documentary series A Year in Film explores how movies reflect the events, mood, politics, and culture of their time. A Year in Film immerses you in film history and pop culture with insights and movie memories from filmmakers, industry insiders, and critics. Season two dives into the films that shaped the years 1975, 1986, 1994 and 2000.

A Year in Film: 1975
With Watergate and the fall of Saigon dominating the news, people were looking for an escape.

• New Hollywood delivered with films like Nashville, Shampoo and Dog Day Afternoon
• Women directors crafted an independent vision with Hester Street and Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
• And in Canada, David Cronenberg clashed with the Canadian government over his first hit Shivers

Premiering December 6, 2020 at 9:00pm ET on Hollywood Suite 70s Movies (HS70)

Films featured in A Year in Film: 1975 airing or On Demand in December : Dog Day Afternoon, Barry Lyndon, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles.

A Year in Film: 1986
Celebrations like Vancouver’s Expo 86, Hands Across America and the passing of Halley’s Comet were tempered by the sadness of tragedies like Chernobyl, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and the uncovering of the Iran-Contra affair.

• Robots dominated the box office with hits like Short Circuit
• Decade-defining hits like Pretty in Pink, Top Gun and Stand by Me cemented their iconic status.
• And in Canada, Canadian directors scored big in Hollywood with The Fly, Aliens and The Decline of the American Empire
• Featured in the episode, director Jim Wynorski looks back on Chopping Mall

Premiering December 13, 2020 at 9:00pm ET on Hollywood Suite 80s Movies (HS80) 

Films featured in A Year in Film: 1986 airing or On Demand in December: The Fly, Aliens, Top Gun, Platoon, Chopping Mall, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, River’s Edge, The Decline of the American Empire, and Stand by Me.

A Year in Film: 1994
Gen X controlled the narrative in a big way. While Hollywood struggled with the generation gap, independent films connected with mainstream audiences more than ever.

• Pulp Fiction cemented Quentin Tarantino as a bold voice in Hollywood
• Jim Carrey hit big with three massive films: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber
• And in Canada, Canadian filmmakers gained notoriety with hits like Double Happiness
• Featured in the episode, director Atom Egoyan discusses his classic Exotica

Premiering December 20, 2020 at 9:00pm ET on Hollywood Suite 90s Movies (HS90)

Films featured in A Year in Film: 1994 airing or On Demand in December: Forrest Gump, Double Happiness, Pulp Fiction, Reality Bites, Dumb and Dumber, Clifford, Speed, The Crow, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Eat Drink Man Woman.  

A Year in Film: 2000
The dawn of the new millennium saw a mix of frustrations over a contested U.S. election and relief after Y2K fears fizzled. The film landscape seemed wide open for new and exciting voices to emerge.

• Asian cinema took the art-house spotlight with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Yi Yi and In the Mood for Love
• Steven Soderbergh made an Oscar double-play with Erin Brockovich and Traffic
• And in Canada, Canadian directors mined horror and satire with films like American Psycho
• Featured in this episode, director John Fawcett reflects on Ginger Snaps

Premiering December 27, 2020 at 9:00pm ET on Hollywood Suite 2000s Movies (HS00)

 Films featured in A Year in Film: 2000 airing or On Demand in December: Erin Brockovich, Traffic, Yi Yi, American Psycho, Ginger Snaps, In the Mood for Love, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

KEANUSSANCE
December is all Keanu, all the time. His name means “cool breeze over the mountains,” and he’s

a well-rounded, well-loved, low-key Canadian guy who kicks ass and has serious acting chops. Raised in Toronto, his three-decade long filmography is prolific and filled with an alarming amount of Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster franchises. The cinematic homage to The One includes:

Hollywood Suite 80s Movies Channel (HS80)
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) – December 5, 9:00 pm ET
River’s Edge (1986) – December 6, 9:00 pm ET

Hollywood Suite 90s Movies Channel (HS90)
Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991) – December 5, 10:35 pm ET
Speed (1994) – December 5, 12:10 am ET
My Own Private Idaho (1991) – December 6, 10:45
Chain Reaction (1996) – December 6, 12:30 am
The Matrix (1999) – December 12, 9:00 pm
Johnny Mnemonic (1995) – December 12, 11:20 pm
Point Break (1991) – December 13, 9:00 pm
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) – December 13, 11:10 pm

Hollywood Suite 2000s Movies Channel (HS00)
The Replacements (2000) – December 20, 9:00 pm
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) – December 12, 11:20 pm
The Matrix Revolutions (2003) – December 12, 1:40 am
Something’s Gotta Give (2003) – December 20, 11:00 pm
John Wick (2014) – December 30, 9:00 pm
John Wick 2 (2014) – December 30, 10:45 pm
Constantine (2005) – December 31, 9:00 pm 

FAMILY FAVOURITES
These family films are like your favourite PJs and a weighted blanket. Here’s a list of Hollywood Suite comfort films to ease your mind: The Holiday (2006), Grease (1978), Labyrinth (1986), Little Women (1994), The Karate Kid (1984), Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights (2002), Ella Enchanted (2004), Grown Ups (2010), Pitch Perfect (2012) and The Princess Bride (1987).

ABOUT HOLLYWOOD SUITE
Hollywood Suite owns and operates four exclusive HD channels featuring the iconic movies that defined the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s, plus essential Hollywood classics from the Golden Age, always uncut and commercial-free. With hundreds of movies every month on four HD channels and Hollywood Suite On Demand, Hollywood Suite provides an unparalleled value to consumers.

Hollywood Suite is available to over 10 million households across Canada, exclusively through Canadian television service providers and Amazon Prime video channels. Visit hollywoodsuite.ca for more information.

CONTACT
For screeners for A Year in Film, Valley of Tears and all other media inquiries, please contact:
Julia Caslin
PR Lead for Hollywood Suite
416-993-6766
pr@hollywoodsuite.ca