Apache’s Taylor Black Provides Color to “John Candy: I Like Me” Premiering at TIFF 2025
Apache’s Taylor Black provided Color to the new documentary film “John Candy: I Like Me” from Director Colin Hanks and lifelong John Candy fan Ryan Reynolds. The film makes its World Premiere at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) on Thursday, September 4th. An exploration of the life of the Canadian comedic icon John Candy and his story as a son, husband, father, friend, and professional driven to bring joy to audiences and loved ones while battling personal ghosts and Hollywood pressures.
"John Candy had that rare magic,” comments Apache Founder & EP/Managing Partner LaRue Anderson. "He could turn pain into punchlines and still make it feel like love. His comedy wasn’t just funny, it was brave. Helping bring that truth to the screen was a privilege for Apache.”
The World Premiere Screening of “John Candy: I Like Me” will be followed by a Q&A with Director Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds at Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe St.) beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 4th. The film’s run time is 1 hour and 15 minutes, and will be available on Prime Video beginning on October 10th.
“I grew up watching John Candy’s films, and they shaped so much of my love for movies and comedy,” says Apache Senior Colorist Taylor Black. "He had this rare gift of making people laugh while also making them feel seen and understood. His work has stayed with me throughout my life, and I’m still inspired by him to this day. I’ve always been a huge fan, and to play even a small part in telling the story of such a kind, genuine, and quietly extraordinary person is a privilege I’ll never forget."
On creative process, Taylor notes that when grading both the interviews and the home archival, he really tried to give the footage a photochemical feel. "This was largely achieved using the Genesis plugin in Resolve,” explains Taylor. "You can 100% feel that the photochemical modeling they’ve done to produce the image — versus the usual matching of film stocks — makes a huge difference. It’s almost impossible not to create something beautiful quickly. Even your basic lift, gamma, gain controls feel like you’ve hopped out of a Go-cart and into a Ferrari."
Taylor concludes, "I’m so thankful to Colin Hanks, Sean Stuart, Ryan Reynolds, and the entire Candy family for including me alongside some of comedy’s true giants — many of whom were also John’s closest friends. To be part of this with them is an honor I’ll carry with me always.”
