The Pop Triad

Quantum of Solace

2008-12-03T08:38:00.008-05:00

I saw Quantum of Solace a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it more than Casino Royale. There, I said it. Perhaps, it was the big screen rather than DVD viewing experience or the excitement of a jam-packed theatre, but I think the reviews Quantum has been receiving are a little harsh. It may not use the lighter tone of previous 007 movies but from what I understand, the whole idea behind the Daniel Craig incarnation of the character was to reboot the franchise. Bond is vengeful and serious but the film has moments of levity (several courtesy of Judi Dench) and features at least one neat gadget (a table that knows everything). The plot isn't very comprehensible but that's not much of a change. Maybe your chances of enjoyment are greater if, like me, you aren't a huge Bond fan because no specific expectations need to be met. On the whole, Quantum of Solace is a decent action film. One criticism I heard more than once does hit the mark though: the editing is often too frenetic. Fast cutting makes the opening car-chase sequence nearly impossible to keep up with and grows tiresome quickly. Points to Casino Royale on this score. Its free running opening was super cool.

The Roundup Lists. Already

2008-12-02T21:21:00.003-05:00

The NY Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of 2008 can be found here. As I have read exactly zero of these titles, the point that I almost never read anything based on the currency of publication is now excruciatingly obvious.

Trailer Watch

2008-11-24T18:38:00.011-05:00

Slumdog Millionaire - Because I'm a sucker for TIFF People's Choice Award winners.

The Class - Want to know what it's like to teach high school in France? Here's your chance to find out.

Nights and Weekends - Minutiae is fascinating. Small-scale love stories, equally so.

JCVD - Lots of talk about Jean-Claude Van Damme as he's never been seen before. One thing's for sure: the film is nice to look at.

Since the Weekend

2008-11-18T20:44:00.011-05:00

The L.A. Times reported on an increase in visitors to a town called Forks. All due to a little book series by Stephenie Meyer. Though I haven't read any of the Twilight titles and vampire-tourism seems a little hardcore, I can understand the appeal of trying to match up imagined locales with real-life counterparts. Tour of the Wonka factory? Um, yes please.

Pop & Hiss related a caution to musicians about licensing their music to films and television.

Reading Copy linked to this video of choreographed bookcart dancing featuring a group of librarians. Best thing about it: the token guy in the troupe. Spot-on library demographics.

I learned that Woodhands is tour-blogging for NOW Magazine. Nice.

I Love Morrissey's Verbosity, For Real

2008-11-12T12:24:00.003-05:00

Is it wrong that I'm looking more forward to the title of Morrissey's upcoming memoir than to his actual recollections? I'm sure the tales will be interesting but the revelation of the number of words that can be shoehorned onto the book's cover should be nothing short of glorious. Can't you just see it now: These are Precious Words that Need to Reach the Light of Day or After the S: My Life Beyond the Pluralized Version of the Most Common Surname in the World or Heaven Helped This Miserable Bigmouth to Get a Thorn In His Side That Made Him Into a Charming Man. Anticipating to the max!

Revolutionary Road

2008-11-11T22:09:00.000-05:00

I finished Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road awhile ago which would normally be an impediment to my recalling much of anything about the book. That I remember it enough to write something tonight is a testament to the enduring strength of the material. The story tracks the increasingly strained relationship of the Wheelers, a young, married couple living the dream in 1950s Connecticut, but secretly believing themselves superior to their environment and suffering in its blandness. Suburban malaise might seem an easy target now, but you can imagine it was a fresh and surprising theme when the book appeared in 1961. Frank has married a beautiful girl, April, created the perfectly balanced family (one girl, one boy) and settled into a low-stakes business job in the city. But he's not satisfied and neither is his wife. As Frank struggles to understand the enigmatic April, his perceptions of her stifle all but the odd glimpse of the actual woman sharing his home. His narrative grip on the unfolding story mirrors for the reader the suffocation that she feels. Yet, Frank isn't a villain. He is as clueless about the way his life has turned out as April is despairing about hers. The Wheelers' story can only end badly, but Yates' novel never takes a wrong turn. It's not easy to witness two characters floundering so miserably. Still, the book compels you to stick by them, even as they seem to be abandoning each other.

The novel gets movie treatment in December with the on-screen reunion of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the title roles. When will those two kids get it together and be happy?

Soundtrack for this post: I am a Scientist by Guided by Voices

Amal

2008-11-04T16:02:00.000-05:00

Richie Mehta's Amal is a fable of a film. The narration that kicks off the tale of rickshaw driver Amal sets the tone: we are about to learn a lesson. In this case, it is the age-old truism that money doesn't buy happiness. Amal may be materially poor but he is rich in spirit. While this moralistic bent should be cause for been-there-done-that-cliche-frustration, Mehta's film leaves the viewer anything but frustrated. It works as fable and as entertainment. It is instructive without being preachy. It has a clear story arc heightened by moments of unexpectedness. It is warm and heartening. Lead actor Rupinder Nagra is most responsible for this warmth. His gentle demeanour lends the film a serenity it might not otherwise achieve and creates a genuine protagonist worth rooting for. In an era where anti-heroes reign and irony often trumps sincerity, that's no small feat. The depth of the supporting cast (including Water's stoic Seema Biswas) gives Mehta all the power he needs to make an affecting film about the goodness of being kind.

Save the Quotation Mark

2008-11-03T21:35:00.003-05:00

In the Wall Street Journal, Lionel Shriver argues in favour of retaining quotation marks to denote dialogue. What an odd argument to have to make. They should stay. Period.

Ear Crack - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Edition

2008-11-02T12:23:00.004-05:00

Last Words - The Real Tuesday Weld
After Hours - We are Scientists
Fever - Takka Takka

One For the Books

2008-10-23T20:30:00.005-04:00

Literary journals can be shapeshifters: The Thing appears as a different object every time it's produced. On the subject of objects, Reading Copy points to a demonstration that books make excellent sculptures. Norman Foster's going to tinker with the main NYC Public Library building. I'm a little worried. Nothing against Foster but why mess with a good thing, you know? At least the exterior will remain the same. For minutes of fun, try to guess how good a book is by its cover. Thanks to the Book Bench for finding this little time-sucker. In other news, I am still reading, though it may not seem so. I recently finished (and enjoyed) Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield. A book that provides a taxonomy of mix types (radio, dishes, I want to get with you, etc.) and precisely captures my early 90s with the selection of Morrissey's We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful is a friend of mine. Sheffield on NPR here.

Good Reads at The New Yorker

2008-10-16T21:59:00.005-04:00

The New Yorker keeps writer Malcolm Gladwell busy in between books. In his latest cultural probe, Gladwell examines late-blooming artists and prodigies and spends time mulling the success of writers Ben Fountain and Jonathan Safran Foer. Also featured - recent short fiction from Roddy Doyle whose books are wonderful. Doyle appears at the International Festival of Authors at Harbourfront next week.

The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner Live

2008-10-10T20:49:00.005-04:00

As noted by Pitchfork, Ben Folds Five hooked up in September (on my friend J's birthday, appropriately enough) for a reunion show. The gig was conceived as the inaugural event in a series - Front to Back - put together by MySpace and NowWhat.com. The series concept: artists perform complete albums in sequential song order. Um, love it. What a rare treat for music fans, desperate to hear those under-appreciated Track Nines which never make it into set lists. Soon enough, the following links should lead to concert footage and interviews. In the meantime be contented with, Don't Change Your Plans, a classic album opener and Lullabye, a closer that namechecks James Earl Jones. And I haven't even mentioned exuberantly fun Army or Magic, possibly their prettiest, sad song, used fittingly for a clip tribute to The Virgin Suicides here.

What's Being Done

2008-10-07T18:39:00.009-04:00

First and foremost, Tina Fey is publishing a book so I am contemplating breaking my 'no buying hardcovers' rule. The NY Times is pondering the Nobel Prize snubbing of American literature. The funny, drunk girl from Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is getting deserved props from places other than The Pop Triad. Weezer is loving the Internet and world records.

Less is More

2008-10-01T19:20:00.001-04:00

Last week, I attended a screening of Bravo!FACT short films (Thanks E). On the whole, the selections were very good. Favourites included sweetly choreographed Sigh, funny The Perfect Match and Facebook of Revelations: Heroes and visually stunning, not to mention eerie, The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow. Keep your eyes on the tube for a shot at seeing these little gems. Bravo!FACT Presents airs on Bravo! at 7:30 on Sundays evenings with repeat showings throughout the week. Hooray for arts funding!

Not a Trace of Irony

2008-09-28T00:26:00.000-04:00

For unknown reasons, I own and also appreciate the random play of The Bellamy Brothers' Let Your Love Flow in public. It's all the fault of the end credits in that damn Little Darlings movie with Kristy McNichol and Tatum O'Neal. Little Darlings, for the record, is essentially The Facts of Life at summer camp minus Tootie, Natalie and Mrs. Garrett, plus teenage sex and smoking, with dopey Matt Dillon as dopey George Clooney and wee Cynthia Nixon (long before her Miranda days) for extra weirdness.

Captain Mike Across America Vanishes

2008-09-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

Michael Moore is offering his new film, Slacker Uprising, as a free download. Just in time for the Obama/McCain showdown later this year. In 2007, he screened a cut of the film at TIFF under the title, Captain Mike Across America. M and I were waiting in line for another movie and saw Moore being escorted into the Scotiabank Theatre for the premiere. M recently asked me what happened to Captain Mike and I told him I didn't know. Well M, this is what happened to it. Should be an interesting experiment for the new frontier of no cost, full-clip Internet entertainment. Would love to know how many people download it. Stats, anyone?

On a Completely Unrelated Note, I Am Stealing Tina Fey's Phrase "Turkey Burger of a/an..." About Everything

2008-09-24T00:43:00.006-04:00

Nice to know that old books are not forgotten but when will there be enough time to read them? It's already nearly impossible to keep up with current titles and contemporary or classic classics. Somehow I haven't read any of Miriam Toews books yet. Her new one, The Flying Troutmans, sounds appealing and Pickle Me This' praise certainly helped pique my interest. More on Toews here. Paper Cuts reports that Rolling Stone recently asked comedians to select the funniest ever novels, movies, etc. Finally, this woman is living one of my dreams. Normally, having other people do things for you is a treat, except when your thunder is stolen in the process and you are reminded how very non-thunderous you've been about the thing being done on your behalf.

Word on the Street

2008-09-23T20:24:00.003-04:00

Coast to coast, we celebrate reading on Sunday the 28th. Scads of books and magazines to be had. Goodness.

IMDb Does One Better...Sort Of

2008-09-18T22:31:00.005-04:00

As if IMDb wasn't already the source of all things helpful, the site is now going to be offering streaming video of films and TV shows for free. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but let's hope they put up some good stuff. What we don't need is an Internet version of the 'Under $5' bin in retail stores. Oh, and let's hope they change their minds about restricting content to users outside the U.S. It's not called the Worldwide Web for nothing, folks.

Discreet Adulation

2008-09-16T19:00:00.000-04:00

The Scotiabank Giller Prize nomination process is shrouded in mystery. The nominees list is not.

TIFF Roundup: My Mother, My Bride and I

2008-09-15T20:27:00.000-04:00

My Mother, My Bride and I tells the story of mama's boy Erwin (Matthias Brandt) who shakes up his sheltered existence by bringing a fiery Romanian woman (Maria Popistasu) home to his native Germany. The film contains a number of small, charming moments expertly handled by the three excellent leads. The quirk factor is above average in a good way and the story is engaging. Unfortunately, the tonal shift, two-thirds of the way through drains much of the movie's vitality. Surprises are nice in that they subvert the tedium of telegraphed plots, but occasionally stories are better when they stay the expected course. Worthwhile viewing for parts-are-just-as important-as-the-whole-types because many of the parts are wonderful. Not so much for types who require consistency as an absolute requirement for enjoyment. Variety gives an accurate summation with slightly more spoilerific detail than is ideal here.

The Line Between Bizarre and Intriguing is Fine

2008-09-14T20:30:00.006-04:00

A nod to J for the wonkiest cover of the day (likely wonkiest for the foreseeable future) - W. Shatner does Pulp's Common People as spoken word.

TIFF Roundup: Kisses

2008-09-10T00:03:00.007-04:00

Kisses deserves accolades and wide distribution. It has much to recommend, from the beguiling performances to the shifting colour palette to the score. The story unfolds as two Irish kids run away from their dysfunctional homes into Dublin. Writer/director Lance Daly creates a film that is both starkly realistic and playful. Kylie and Dylan lighting out for freedom is exhilarating for them and for the audience. But Daly knows that whimsy is easily interrupted by unpleasantness and the consequences of Kylie and Dylan's escape eventually intrude on the pair's fun. Though the film flirts with implausibility a couple of times, Daly largely avoids the trap of movie contrivance (e.g. a Bob Dylan-related scene is cleverly handled). Throughout he crafts a series of mini-adventures that are thoroughly enjoyable and sometimes unexpectedly so. Two otherwise dreary locales are invigorated in sequences where the kids tear up a shopping mall and climb aboard a river dredger.

Kelly O'Neill (Kylie) and Shane Curry (Dylan) are wonderfully natural and compelling. If the post-screening Q&A is any indication, they are much like their characters - Kylie, the adventurous, vivacious spitfire and Dylan, the reluctant, taciturn accomplice. This film is the first for both and O'Neill, particularly, should end up with a busy career if she wants one. Kisses is Daly's third outing. With luck he will make many more films of its quality.

The TIFF Ad

2008-09-09T00:06:00.005-04:00

Every year TIFF creates a short spot about sponsors and such that precedes each screened film. It's always accompanied by a bit of music (usually instrumental) and somehow they choose a fabulous tune every time; so fabulous that I look forward to the spots deeply. I can't remember recognizing any of the songs. They've always seemed unique to the ads. This year the Festival is using a song that's definitely not TIFF-specific. Despite the change, TIFF impresses once again with the opening bars of Patrick Watson's socks-knocking off Luscious Life. Piano at its hauntingly loveliest.

TIFF Roundup: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

2008-09-08T19:23:00.010-04:00

Insight gleaned at Saturday's screening of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist: staying out all night is a lot of fun when you're watching other people do it at the reasonable dinner hour of 6:00; offering film-goers the chance to witness the genesis of a romance is like offering catnip to a kitten; Seth Meyers should do more cameos, Michael Cera is a teen heartthrob. Girls were screaming like crazy for him. When N and N is released widely next month, the crushes will multiply tenfold. He's a sweet guy in a sweet and endearing film that follows two teens around NYC as they search for an elusive gig and possibly fall in love. As is obvious from the title, music plays a key role in their tentative bonding. Nick and Norah have the astute musical taste of cool kids, however, they aren't condescending about it. Neither is the movie. The score and soundtrack are excellent (The Submarines! We Are Scientists!) but an uninitiated audience won't be made to feel inferior if they don't recognize it acts like Vampire Weekend. While the film covers conventional territory it's just different enough to feel original. For example, the du jour drunk girl is actually funny and Nick's gay wingmen are more concerned for his heart than his libido. This movie is the kind of movie that puts you in a great mood almost instantly and keeps you there the whole way through. It's worth seeing if you enjoy the state of happiness. It's must-see viewing if you want to understand why Where's Fluffy propaganda is popping up everywhere. Definitely this year's Vote for Pedro.

Thanks to J for the poster.

TIFF Roundup: Country Wedding

2008-09-06T19:03:00.000-04:00

My Film Festival began with Valdis Oskarsdottir's Country Wedding on Thursday evening. The premise - a young Icelandic couple spend a day travelling to their rural wedding with oddball family/friends in tow - seemed a good source of outlandish hijinks. Hijinks are plentiful though they are more predictable than you would hope for (the age-deluded grandmother who keeps wandering off, the emotional bride who breaks down regularly at the slightest upset). Near the end of the film, proceedings threaten to go off the rails of reality into comic melodrama. That said, the characters and their plights grow on you as the story progresses and the circumstances of the film's development demand lenient judgment. At the Q&A, the director and several charming cast members revealed that the film was largely improvised. Rehearsals of character backstories had been conducted pre-shoot but none of the scenes on screen were rehearsed. To top off that laudable feat, Oskarsdottir shot the whole thing in seven days. Seven! After hearing that information, I mentally revised my middling reaction upward. You've got to give credit where it's due.

The Friday File

2008-09-05T18:39:00.006-04:00

Peter Howell argues that films screened in the Special Presentations programme at TIFF are often better than those that screen as glitzy Galas and I agree. U.K. scientists have linked personality traits to the type of music a person likes to listen to. And the New York Times spent a night out with Elisabeth Shue. Why is that interesting? Because she engendered lifelong goodwill for her role in the teen classic Adventures in Babysitting and she did it in the first two minutes of the film, dancing around her bedroom to The Crystals' And Then He Kissed Me. The babysitting blues are way more fun than they're entitled to be.

Ear Crack

2008-09-04T15:58:00.000-04:00

The National - Apartment Story
Sigur Ros - Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur
Nada Surf - Treading Water

Then We Came to the End

2008-09-02T11:25:00.001-04:00

Then We Came to the End was a delight to read. Anyone who's ever worked in an office (or worked at all) will appreciate its humour. Joshua Ferris' novel is aided greatly by his decision to employ first person plural narration. The collective "we" (used to great effect in Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides) draws the reader in as a co-conspirator; just one of many workers enmeshed too closely in the lives of their colleagues. Even when Ferris breaks from the technique for a short section to focus on one character, he maintains narrator/reader symbiosis with observations about recognizable human preoccupations such as this one: "Imagine if one night in a lifetime were looked upon as a scientist might look upon it, or some other life form studying our species, and from that one night, the worth of the entire life were derived. Well, she'd rather hers not be evaluated by the TV she's watched or the closet she hasn't cleaned." Impossible not to be captivated.

Powells interviewed Ferris about Then We Came to the End last year.

Music Gets Analytical

2008-09-01T10:39:00.007-04:00

Anything can be turned into a competition. The proof is in the announcement of the annual world air guitar champion. Competition is decidedly less apparent when it comes to the most referenced body part in song lyrics. It's the eyes.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-08-29T13:17:00.003-04:00

The 2008 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, September 4th. As always, it’s jam-packed with films from around the globe, although the latest installment showcases fewer Oscar-oriented features. The countdown begins.

The Visitor

2008-08-17T11:31:00.003-04:00

The Visitor has been heavily praised and it deserves the good words being said. Lead actor Richard Jenkins turns in an understated performance as Walter, a professor reawakening to vitality through friendship with Haaz Sleiman's charismatic drummer, Tarek. The two men bond over music and solitary Walter is able to find a point of entry into a connected life. As Walter warms to his new companion, Tarek's arrest threatens to upset their relationship. Director/writer Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) is steadfast in his commitment to making an empathetic, but realistic film. He veers close to cinematic contrivance with the story arc of Tarek's mother, but avoids obvious string-pulling nicely in the end. Good performances from the women in The Visitor, Hiam Abbass and Danai Gurira, round out the well-acted, affecting drama. The drum sequences are also a highlight.

To Novel or Not to Novel

2008-08-15T11:29:00.005-04:00

93 years of age is not too late to publish your first novel. Of course, some novels should never be published, as the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest for bad opening lines attests. The Globe and Mail ran a few of the 2008 lowlights yesterday.

The Grandfather Clause

2008-08-12T19:51:00.005-04:00

Just read a nice post at Soundboard about the importance of music to youth. August Brown wonders "if the music you fall for between 18 and 22 is hard-wired to be the only music you really love in that insane, possessive, identity-crafting way for the rest of your life. Do we lose our capacity to be devastated by art as adults? What does it mean when you stop listening to the songs that sent ice up your spine at that age -- does that make your youthful music lust irrelevant today, or is all art meant to have a time and place you're supposed to grow out of?" I haven't an answer for Brown but I do know that even as tastes change, the music of your younger days retains its hold. When I hear raucous music now I usually don't like it. This dismissive tendency cannot be reconciled with the fact that I will happily listen to Hole (Celebrity Skin particularly) for example, and not find it at all over the top. It's grandfathered, as most youthful predilections are.

Free Books and Other Goodies

2008-08-09T17:53:00.008-04:00

An obvious spot for free books is the closest public library. But libraries carry all sorts of media these days. Not simply content to stock their shelves with expected classics and mass-market paperbacks, libraries are keeping up with the times by making strides in the area of digital collections. In addition to books, it's also possible to "borrow" music and movies for use on iPods and other portable players. Toronto Public Library is in on the action. If the need to own precludes library use, book swapping may be the answer. If the problem isn't related to ownership but forgetful delinquency, Elf can help you remember what's due before coin-payable fines turn into dollar debts.

Now Reading

2008-08-06T19:14:00.007-04:00

Smile When You're Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer by Chuck Thompson. It's decently funny so far, if a bit sophomoric (e.g. author regales reader with details of Japanese colleagues participating in the Penis Olympics). Thompson's intention is to avoid glossy, happy ending vacation stories and he achieves this goal by sharing some of his most inappropriate anecdotes. I'm only at the fourth chapter but the running theme thus far is whores. Whores everywhere for the weary backpacker. It's all pretty rogue-ish, apart from the egregiously banal confessions sub-title. Check out Thompson's appearance on The Hour, where he tackles the subject of sucky travel writing.

Sayonara Nana

2008-08-03T09:22:00.000-04:00

I was disheartened to read that Nana Mouskouri is retiring from touring. When I was a kid, one of my favourite things to do was to play LPs at my aunt's house. Selections were limited and I was a slave to the albums I liked, so that usually meant one of four choices: The Best of ABBA; Michael Jackson's Thriller; the St. Elmo's Fire Soundtrack or Mouskouri's Roses and Sunshine. Childhood memories are a funny thing. I had to look up Roses and Sunshine because the title was gone from my head and I really only ever put it on for the song Nickels and Dimes anyway. I remember adoring that song twenty five years ago, but listening to a clip of it today stirs no emotion. It doesn't sound familiar at all and is far removed from the music I listen to now. Yet, I do still have a nostalgic fondness for Mouskouri, the lady with the black glasses, whose life I know nothing about. I wonder why some favourites stick with you and others fade away. The Winner Takes It All brings to mind vivid recollections of being in the living room where the turntable resided, singing/humming my foolhead off (internally). Ditto for Man in Motion, St. Elmo's Instrumental Love Theme and Georgetown. Oh, and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'....but Nickels and Dimes is without rhythm now; just a tuneless phrase that runs through my head on occasion. Funny.

Coldplay at the ACC

2008-07-31T20:24:00.008-04:00

Good seats. Check. Enthusiastic crowd. Check. Humble and thankful band. Check. Spectacle-like visuals. Check. High quality sound. Check. Friendly company (J, K, Y). Check. Fantastic evening. Check.

People slag Coldplay for being thinly disguised versions of U2 or Radiohead. In two reviews I read today (1 and 2), their July 30th show at the ACC received glowing but qualified accolades. As in, great show, too bad Coldplay's musical legacy is and will always be insubstantial. All I know is that the crowd last night was wholly preoccupied with the band on stage, loving every minute of the energetic set and feeling no need to justify their enraptured state. (Wouldn't it be nice if critics saved the qualifiers and just embraced the band for a change?) The foursome indulged the audience by playing popular old hits, singing two songs among the crowd at the stage-opposite end of the building and changing up the static light and laser show commonly employed at stadium-sized venues. Instead, we were treated to music video-style editing of the concert on the enormous screen behind the stage - quick cuts, colour shifts - and on a series of large globes suspended from the ceiling, as well as butterfly-shaped confetti dropping from overhead. My one complaint - Reign of Love's omission from the set list - isn't fairly lodged. No concert features every song you want to hear. The above image comes courtesy of rainbow xperience on Flickr. More good shots can be found here.

Trailer Watch

2008-07-29T19:51:00.003-04:00

Boy A - I've been waiting for this pic to come out since last September when I saw it on the TIFF schedule. By the looks of the trailer it should be riveting. As I understand it, the main character's past is revealed slowly in the film. Not so in the trailer, which basically spells everything out. Be warned.

In Search of a Midnight Kiss - A movie about misanthropes searching for love via craigslist on the most overrated holiday of the year sounds like an improbable love story and a bad film at that; therefore, it has to be brilliant (100% fresh as of today). I'm sensing a distinct Before Sunrise vibe and because that is one of my all-time favourite screen stories I hope Midnight Kiss is more homage than derivative. Trailer here.

Mamma Mia!

2008-07-28T18:56:00.002-04:00

I was going to write about Mamma Mia! but the Georgia Strait took the words out of my mouth (although I didn't mind Christine Baranski). Yes, the first thirty minutes features reprehensible, stereotypical screeching behaviour from the female leads. No, this film will not change your life. But you'll very likely leave the theatre in a good mood. As soma, it works quite well. MM's perfect if light and funny is the kind of escapism you are prone to enjoying. It may not be.

Commercial Songs

2008-07-24T12:32:00.000-04:00

What's That Called? aims to put you in touch with that song you heard in that commercial that caused your ears to perk up, your toes to tap, your interest to engage. It focuses on U.S. ads only, but the idea is helpful all the same.

Apologies in Advance...

2008-07-22T13:11:00.008-04:00

...for how ranty I'm about to be. The Globe and Mail published a seemingly innocuous article on good summer reads in which the author divided her fiction and non-fiction recommendations under the headings "Distract Me" and "Enlighten Me". It really pisses me off when people draw a distinction between fiction and non-fiction along the lines of usefulness/quality/potential for life-changing impact and lump the former into a category devoid of the preceding evaluative measures. Certainly some fiction is frivolous, just as some non-fiction is frivolous (e.g. easy target, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose by Paris Hilton). Fiction is a distraction, but all books are. Reading steals you from the sensory world around you and immerses you in the interior world of the pages in front of you. The temperature and sounds of the place where you sit to read, your seat itself, are irrelevant. You could be anywhere because you are already elsewhere.

If someone must put a finer label on a book than General Diversion they should at least categorize the book according to the writing not according to whether the story is true. Fiction is rife with truth; with precise observations about humanity and jarringly real evocations of human emotion, and it can be just as enlightening as accounts of unimagined subjects. What rankles me most about the Globe piece is that the first example under "Distract Me" is Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth. I haven't read it yet, but Lahiri's other work stands up against anything I've read (non-fiction or otherwise) as enlightening. I'm sure the author of the article meant no intentional disrespect when she formulated her summer reading categories, but maybe it's time to reconsider our collective mindset about the kinds of books that are distractingly enlightening and the kinds that are simply distracting.

John K. Samson Recommends

2008-07-21T17:50:00.005-04:00

There's nothing I like more than a musician with an opinion on books, except maybe a writer with good taste in music.

Son of Rambow

2008-07-20T11:21:00.004-04:00

Son of Rambow pays tribute to the 80s, to the rough and tumble nature of boyhood and boyhood dreams and to friendships forged by shared outsider status. Bill Milner and Will Poulter are perfectly cast as the class square and troublemaker, respectively, who endeavour to add to the Rambo legacy with their own filmed version. The movie-within-a-movie exploits result in a very funny film that is far removed from the action series from which it takes its name (phonetically, of course). Rambow also gently reminds the audience that childhood is coloured by more than carefree afternoons spent indulging in unstructured fun. There are expectations and responsibilities to live up to at home and kids are grappling with the transition to adulthood's paradoxical decision-making freedom/behavioural constraint even as they hurl themselves from ropes into swimming holes. Even as they learn that play eventually gives way to work, Rambow's young filmmakers discover that a good laugh wipes the stress-slate clean, if only for a time. They'd do well to remember that little trick and so would we.

Ira & Abby

2008-07-19T11:18:00.000-04:00

Ira & Abby was written by Jennifer Westfeldt, who stars as Abby and who also wrote and starred in Kissing Jessica Stein. I missed that but remember it getting decent buzz. Chris Messina's Ira is neurotic and nerdy but good-hearted and Westfeldt's Abby is an empathetic charmer who lives just west of centrefield. Without undermining Ira & Abby's merits, a basic encapsulation is that the movie is what would happen if Ross married Phoebe. Others might describe the film as Woody Allen without Allen's involvement. It is set in New York and it is a comedy about the messy romantic entanglement of opposite personalities, but to write it off as an Allen-template trifle isn't a fair judgment. New York and romance are rich, unique experiences that Woody Allen can't rightly trademark. Westfeldt's performance, especially, is lovely and provides an emotional weight that anchors the film. It and the excellent supporting cast (including Judith Light, Fred Willard and Frances Conroy) make the whirlwind courtship of Ira & Abby and its aftermath an enjoyable experience. Liked the Rilo Kiley on the soundtrack too.

Legit Lit

2008-07-16T20:27:00.000-04:00

CBC poses the question of whether it's possible to write a good rock n' roll novel here.

Her Mix Tape's a Masterpiece

2008-07-15T18:55:00.002-04:00

Mix tapes are all the rage again. Though they've been overshadowed by similar projects in other formats (CDs and MP3 playlists), they never really went away. Devotion to cassettes abounds at Art of the Mix . For obsessive mixers (read: originality and song appropriateness are paramount to the end result), Art of the Mix is an excellent resource for sussing out what songs are making the rounds and for finding inspiring titles and themes that make you want to do one better than the last guy. Best titles from the last week - I accept that it is time for a change but not in places like these with people like this!, Punch with no Judy and Rappy Birthday. Best theme (as revealed by the title) - halcion daze: music to soothe the 60's housewife.

As Herself/Himself

2008-07-13T21:34:00.004-04:00

The L.A. Times considers the movie cameo. Cameos can be brilliantly funny in their unexpectedness (Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito in Austin Powers: Goldmember, Bob Barker in Happy Gilmore, Neil Patrick Harris in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle) or provide gravitas to a role where it's needed (Kevin Spacey in Seven). They can also be painful.

Fiction Fan = Smooth Operator

2008-07-11T21:24:00.005-04:00

Reading isn't an activity that requires justification, but if scientists want to trumpet reading as a boon to social astuteness, justify away.

Word Fogs

2008-07-08T18:17:00.005-04:00

If you're incapable of remembering lyrics to new songs but ever cognizant of the words that accompany your youthful favourites, you are not alone. Just because translators are paid to remember languages doesn't mean that all the words they work with are equal correlates. Go here for a fun quiz on "Transloosely Literated" books.

A Show

2008-07-04T13:39:00.002-04:00

"There are nights in this city when, deep in the core of winter, people need to escape the indoors. Despite the minus-thirty wind chill, despite the flaking of dry skin and a belly full of wine, winter's frustration becomes enough and these soldiers of spring layer on their hats, socks, and coats and leave their apartments. They desert dinner parties; they leave wooden tables covered with candle wax and cheese plates, abandoning rosy-cheeked friends in mid-air guitar solos. They leave these rooms filled with stunned laughter to see a show." - Ibi Kaslik, The Angel Riots

Ditto for ditching air-conditioned spaces or the enveloping warmth of a not too humid summer evening for the sweaty confines of a grungy bar, where dull city sounds are replaced with ear-splitting bass lines. Sometimes you just have to go. Despite my wavering stamina, J and I checked out Woodhands at Metropolis (a very good venue, actually) in Montreal on Sunday night. The two-man band set up their stage like a duel. Keytar and keys facing drum kit and off to electronic battle we go. I can't remember the last time I've seen such an energetic, fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants show, and from an opening act, no less! Awesome. Highlights included: Under Attack (this version recorded live at Sneaky Dee's) and In the Woods. Woodhands plays for free this Saturday at Harbourfront as part of Beats, Breaks & Culture.

Women With Kitchen Appliances

2008-07-03T17:18:00.000-04:00

WWKA (Women With Kitchen Appliances) are currently featured as part of The Quebec Triennial exhibition at the Musee D'Art Contemporain de Montreal. Their work is part performance art, part concert, all bizarro entertainment. See a short feature on the women here.

Reframe

2008-07-01T13:12:00.001-04:00

Despite the surge of love from festivals in recent years, indie films don't always get the recognition they deserve. Reframe is devoted to making those that slip through the distribution cracks commercially available. Read more or visit the beta site.

The Best of the Booker

2008-06-29T12:19:00.000-04:00

On July 10th, The Best of the Booker award will be handed out and you the people can vote for the winner until July 8th. Odds are that one of the nominated books will win.

Ear Crack

2008-06-27T14:19:00.003-04:00

Trahison - Vitalic
You, Me and the Bourgeoisie - The Submarines
Life in Technicolor - Coldplay

Collectibles vs. The Planet

2008-06-26T11:57:00.001-04:00

Soundboard raised the alarm on the environmental impact of vinyl LPs earlier this week. Even CD packaging seems excessively plastic these days, but it's not easy to give up the pleasure of unwrapping a new disc to discover its colour and hold the accompanying liner notes/artwork in your hands. Surely, musicians appreciate the tactile benefit of producing a clutchable version of their songs too. What's a semi-head-out-of-sand music fan/musician to do?

Tutorial

2008-06-24T18:55:00.002-04:00

Jay Ferguson, 1/4 of Sloan's songwriting team, tells you how to write a song.

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

2008-06-23T18:34:00.003-04:00

David Sedaris' Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim hit some funny bones when I read it recently. It's standard practice for essay collections to be spotty and this one was no exception. Most of the time though, it's enjoyable to be immersed in the details of the Sedaris clan's lives. He has a new book out called When You are Engulfed in Flames - review here, interviews with DS here and here (the latter one, conducted by Rick Mercer, is excerpted in print or available as a full-length audio clip).

Cultural Studies

2008-06-21T11:00:00.002-04:00

Rob Walker takes a shot at explaining what consumerism means to consumers in Buying In. Benjamin Nugent investigates an often-maligned (more recently celebrated) culture in American Nerd: The Story of My People. The L.A. Times reports on a recent downturn in documentary box office returns and research claims that my bummed out brain may require sad music to cope with such disappointing news.

Polaris

2008-06-18T18:53:00.000-04:00

The long list for this year's Polaris Music Prize is going to be difficult to pare down. Much too much Canadian talent to sift through!

They Have Music in Canada?

2008-06-17T18:38:00.004-04:00

The Guardian speculated about NXNE's status as the "new" SXSW yesterday, which amused me, given that it's been happening annually since 1995. I suppose we're all guilty of discovering and trumpeting great things that may be new to us but aren't really new at all. We aren't all guilty of using the word Toronton in place of Torontonian however. That's an honour reserved for The Guardian alone. I wonder how that's said? My preferred pronounciation is Toron-tawn rather than Toron-tun.

Scene Not Herd

2008-06-14T11:17:00.006-04:00

Attended Scene Not Herd, a program of music videos, at the Worldwide Short Film Festival last night. Generally, the selections were good (but uncharacteristically heavy on North American and indie rock content I'm told) and the event is worth adding to your annual must-see list. On the way into the screening we were handed 3-D glasses for the last video of the night, Bjork's Wanderlust. It's been awhile since I've seen anything in 3-D but I wasn't blown away. Thankfully, several other videos did impress. Check out: The Bumblebeez' Dr. Love (humour), Menomena's Evil Bee (visuals), Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton's Our Hell (music and visuals), Utah Saints' Something Good '08 (music and humour) and The New Pornographers' Challengers (music and music). I love this last song so much that setting it against a solid black screen would still rate a seal of approval.

The Beginners, Will Currie & the Country French and Laura Peek at Over the Top

2008-06-13T17:22:00.001-04:00

Mike O'Neill, the bass-playing half of The Inbreds, is back with a new band called The Beginners (see Chart Attack for a refresher on what he's been up to in recent years). The band played as part of the Over the Top Fest last month. The set was a little loose but fun all the same and peppered with songs from O'Neill's solo albums, like Are We Waiting and Camera Shy from 2000's What Happens Now?. Additionally, I can report that I've now seen a band begged for an encore but lacking enough material to comply. They tried valiantly though, botching at least one song part way through, so credit for effort.

Opening acts Laura Peek and Will Currie & the Country French both delivered entertaining sets. Peek played solo, commenting that she'd left her band, the Winning Hearts, in Halifax due to financial constraints (the life of an independent musician isn't so glamorous). To like - her shy but friendly interaction with the crowd between songs and her discerning musical taste in choosing to cover The Magnetic Fields' I Don't Really Love You Anymore. A bright future for Peek may well be in store.

Will Currie & the Country French were a big ball of fun musically (think of the energy of Ben Folds Five), but Currie's between songs banter needs a bit of fine-tuning. The Country French's piano-centric tunes were super-catchy and the whole band, particularly Aaron Mariash who drummed with panache, seemed to be having a great time (visit their youtube channel for behind the scenes tour shenangians). Locals would be wise to see them soon, before their album, A Great Stage, blows up and tickets are hard to come by. They play tonight at NXNE.

Do You Know That Book About....?

2008-06-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

Booksellers are invariably helpful, which is quite amazing considering the customers - and antics - they have to put up with. (Image and answers courtesy of the NY Times).

Briefly

2008-06-11T09:03:00.001-04:00

The Worldwide Short Film Festival is on this week. The Globe and Post weigh in here and there on what to see. Thanks to M, I'll be checking out Scene Not Herd.

Hooray for Handclaps

2008-06-10T19:17:00.010-04:00

Sloan's latest album, Parallel Play, is out today and that's great news. Songs from Sloan should always be celebrated. Patrick Pentland and Jay Ferguson spoke to Exclaim about the new disc while Chris Murphy spoke to the Post about everything else. Hear signature Sloan hand sounds on I'm Not a Kid Anymore.

Whispers

2008-06-06T20:39:00.006-04:00

The National gets some play from the Post. Their most recent album, Boxer, is getting all the buzz, but it's worth perusing the archives for 2005's Alligator. Opener Secret Meeting is spectacular. Autumn de Wilde is Annie Leibovitz for today's young rock musicians. iTunes will now offer movies for rent or sale in Canada. Operation Filmmaker documents how an attempt at giving a hand up to an unproven talent can go awry. Electronic books may still be viable. Profitable even. The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction goes to Rose Tremain for The Road Home. And James Frey attempts a fictional comeback.

In the News

2008-06-02T19:27:00.004-04:00

Martha Wainwright talks about her second album, I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too. Augusten Burroughs talks about his umpteenth memoir, A Wolf at the Table. And Kurt Cobain's ashes were stolen (?).

For the Populist in You

2008-05-31T12:20:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, Peter Howell ranted in the Star about the anti-audience sentiment of Steven Soderbergh's new Che Guevara film. He has a point. Art doesn't have to alienate or confound its observers to be considered great. If it resonates with the observer, even in a straightforward way, it's done its job as art.

Mixed Messages

2008-05-30T18:54:00.003-04:00

Movie reviews occasionally cause me to wonder whether the authors of said reviews have watched the same film. Case in point - the newly released horror flick, The Strangers which is gushed about and panned today. Looks suitably creepy to me.

Narrow Stairs and Feel the Noise

2008-05-28T19:18:00.000-04:00

Initial impression - Narrow Stairs isn't as wholly listenable as Death Cab for Cutie's previous two albums, Plans and Transatlanticism, but is still worthy of attention. Standout tracks include You Can Do Better Than Me, Your New Twin Sized Bed, No Sunlight and the first single, I Will Possess Your Heart. These are favourites from a musical standpoint (particularly the first two songs which invoke sunny afternoons in completely different ways). Haven't yet had time to digest lyrical strength. Fortunately, CBC recently introduced a weekly feature called Feel the Noise where two writers debate the merits of new discs and Narrow Stairs got the treatment earlier this month. The comments section is filled with disparaging remarks about the personal nature of Feel the Noise's concept but I like it. Anecdotes and life reflections are a nice break from the pretentious and unduly snide commentary that often comprises "proper" music reviews.

On a related Death Cab note - Ben Gibbard and Chris Walla cover Billy Bragg's fantastic You Woke Up My Neighbourhood here. Nice choice.

Saturdays = Youth

2008-05-27T19:57:00.007-04:00

Graveyard Girl from M83's new album Saturdays = Youth is definitely my song of Spring and possibly the song of Summer too. It's synth heaven. Kim & Jessie first seemed like "bad 80s" but now seems like something I want to listen to a lot. Opener You, Appearing and closer Midnight Souls Still Remain are also good. Thanks to J for the introduction. Thanks to M83 for inspiring nostalgia for the days of Slush Puppies, Video Hits and listening to The Kinks' Come Dancing on vinyl in the Murphys' basement.

No Writing

2008-05-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

Emdashes pointed to Slate recently for an article on the difference between writer's block and procrastination. I understand how distinguishing the two can matter to a writer because they may be perceived more favourably if they are blocked rather than lazy. Not sure perception really matters though when the end result - no writing - is the same.

Utility

2008-05-23T12:00:00.002-04:00

Hardcovers are best avoided because they're heavy and awkward to carry around. But what if instead of trying to cram an ill-fitting hardcover into a bag filled with stuff, you carried your items inside the ill-fitting book?

Only in Europe

2008-05-22T20:47:00.002-04:00

Eurovision seems a lot more fun than Canadian Idol or any of those other singing shows broadcast in N.A. Ireland's entry, Dustin the Turkey, is a controversial choice this year. Here's why.

Trailer Watch

2008-05-20T22:31:00.001-04:00

American Teen - Follow the Jock, the Geek and the rest of the lot in this documentary about Senior Year. Why does the high school setting remain magnetic no matter your age? Maybe it's that the train wreck potential is great. High school is the only place where you're likely to hear this awkward crash and burn line uttered on a date, "there's a lot of grease on the table now, cuz I put my face on it."

Brick Lane - The story revolves around a young Bangladeshi woman who moves to London after entering into an arranged marriage. Found the novel by Monica Ali a bit less impressive than I'd hoped it would be. The pace was slow and the book dragged at points but movie adaptations are usually good at trimming the fat. Some of the secondary characters were really well done and that leaves me hopeful that their film counterparts will make the whole more enjoyable.

Hard Drive

2008-05-17T14:31:00.007-04:00

"These are the feet I’m standing on
These are the hands that built a world
This is the bed I’m sleeping in
This is the shirt I’m buttoning
This is the pace I’m moving at
This is the tune I’m humming now
This is the road I’m walking down
These are the lips that form my words
This is the stone that I wanna turn
These are the people that I love
These are the eyes that look up above
This is the town I’m living in" - (Vocals - Evan Dando, Lyrics -Ben Lee)

True Notebooks

2008-05-13T19:43:00.008-04:00

I've been suffering through a stretch of mediocre books. No one's to blame, I choose my own reading material. It's almost more disappointing to find yourself faithfully sticking with a 'just okay' title than it is trying to slog through something awful. I've learned to abandon works that are awful. But mediocrity often threatens brilliance and so you continue on, sometimes rewarded, sometimes not.

Thankfully, Mark Salzman's True Notebooks: A Writer's Year at Juvenile Hall disrupted all the so-so of late and was brilliant from the get-go. Salzman sits in on an L.A. writing class for teenage offenders and then begins his own. He starts the book with a list of reasons not to get involved. One of the most striking is that crime victims don't get free writing classes so it may be inappropriate that criminals do. His hesitation here speaks to the larger questions of offenders' rights and the role rehabilitation can play in prisons but his book doesn't draw black and white conclusions. Salzman doesn't sugarcoat the bad deeds of his students though he finds it difficult to reconcile their violent actions outside the prison with what he sees in their class work (fear, hope, depth).

True Notebooks does assuage another of Salzman's early concerns about getting involved: that his writing class will be futile because art doesn't matter enough. It does matter. A student writes, "I can create anything with my imagination, pencil, and paper, and before I know it I've created something that was in me the whole time, my pencil and paper just helped me let it out, freely."

Reprise

2008-05-12T18:05:00.008-04:00

Way back in 2006, Joachim Trier's Reprise played the Toronto Film Festival. It's a shame it took almost two years to appear in North American theatres because it's a great movie that also happens to feature a good (and integral) soundtrack. The story follows the divergent paths of two young, Norwegian friends with grand literary aspirations. Read an article/interview here and then put it on your "should see" list.

World Music

2008-05-10T14:41:00.001-04:00

Ever wonder what people are listening to around the globe? Gracenote's Music Map has intel.

Will Paul Pfeiffer Finally Get His Due?

2008-05-08T18:05:00.004-04:00

Film sidekicks are stepping out of the shadows of their dreamy, perfect counterparts and Tina Fey is one step closer to ruling the world. How lucky we'll all be in the days of Tina-Rule.

Hot Docs Roundup: The Beetle

2008-05-07T20:22:00.005-04:00

I understand, with absolute empathy, how difficult it is to part with a beloved, old car. An enamored owner believes signs of wear and functional deterioration are badges of character to admire. Maybe placing a towel over the driver's seat to catch leaky water drops when it rains isn't something the neighbours have to do, but so what? Some cars deserve infinite chances.

In The Beetle, Yishai Orian lays bare his love affair with a decaying, 40-year-old Volkswagen by documenting his attempt to infuse the car with renewed life. Along the way, he visits previous owners and discovers the Beetle has a surprisingly interesting history (celebritiy drivers, government cover-ups and more). None of this news is enough to convince his pregnant wife that the vehicle is safe or reliable. Despite her pleas to trash it, Orian grows increasingly desperate to restore it as the baby's birth nears. The salvage job is a literal pursuit but also representative of his desire to retain a sense of unencumbered individualism. Like many first time fathers, he isn't sure what to expect of the transition to parenthood and doesn't always know how to make decisions like a parent would. With humour and some sweetness, the film negotiates the space between youthful selfishness and the collegial outlook that having a family demands. For his trouble, Orian landed in the #7 spot on the list of audience favourites.

After

2008-05-06T12:49:00.000-04:00

Posthumous works are not always a good idea. They can be undeveloped and unrepresentative. They can also be well worth the effort (hear the rough but lovely Jewel Box, among other songs, from Jeff Buckley's posthumous Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk). News of Armageddon in Retrospect, a new book of unpublished writing by Kurt Vonnegut, is welcome either way. Here's hoping it's a drunk sweetheart kind of read.

Hot Docs Roundup: Waiting for Hockney

2008-05-05T20:10:00.005-04:00

From the Waiting for Hockney website:

"Billy Pappas is a true American original. An art school graduate from a working class background living in rural Maryland, Billy has decided that his mission in life is to reinvent realism. He spends eight years on a single drawing of Marilyn Monroe working to show a microscopic level of detail he hopes will reveal something deeper than photography. Literally, he hopes to create a new art form. Aided, one might even say enabled, by an eccentric cast of characters including a clergyman, a professor and an architect calling himself “Dr. Lifestyle,” Billy finally completes the portrait and then begins a quest to show it to renowned contemporary artist David Hockney, the one person he thinks can validate everything for which Billy has been striving."

Director Julie Checkoway introduced her film with a caution that it isn't just about art. She's right. Discussion of art features prominently (the limitations of photography are considered, just as the limitation of film in reproducing the densely layered drawing was raised in the post-screening Q&A). But the film's also about obsession, self-belief, family and reinvention. Billy Pappas is a classic underdog who dreams of the one big break that will change his life. On that level he's easy to identify with; not so on the level of his intensely focused 8-year drawing odyssey. That's what makes the story work. It seems an unbelievable amount of time to spend on a sole pursuit and an audience wants to know why and how he did it and whether he will succeed as an artist. The film is careful to give the unveiling of Marilyn and the Hockney quest a necessary buildup. Revealing too early whether or not Pappas' portrait has a game-changing effect would defeat a large part of the film's purpose: exploring how artistic/life success is determined. Is it measured by profit, new commissions, family pride, the approval of an admired hero or a sense of personal achievement? Waiting for Hockney throws all those balls up into the air for the audience to catch or drop as they see fit.

Read an interview with Billy Pappas here.

Ear Crack

2008-05-04T14:42:00.004-04:00

Black Balloon - The Kills
Dead Sound - The Raveonettes
Surprising Me - Will Currie & The Country French

Hot Docs Roundup: Planet B-Boy

2008-05-02T12:42:00.004-04:00

Planet B-Boy showcases the moves of the world's best breakdancing crews as they prepare for and compete in the Battle of the Year finals. Voted #2 favourite documentary by Hot Docs audience members, it's easy to understand why. If the performances were shown with no story framework, no context at all, they would still be enthralling. The film's success hangs on the dancing and director Benson Lee is fortunate to focus his lens on highly-skilled B-boys. As the film explains, world crews are know for particular skill sets (e.g. technical mastery in Korea, elegant dance style in France) but every crew shares common ground: amazing athleticism, a sense of creative expressionism and a devotion to dancing. The only major complaint to register is that the Battle of the Year shows weren't shown in their entirety (the intricacy and originality of the Japanese crew's routine demands full-length viewing). But wanting two additional hours of film is hardly a criticism.

Value

2008-04-30T17:42:00.002-04:00

How much is a flying pig worth? $10,000 U.S. according to the organizers of the Coachella music festival (see follow-up article here). Following in the footsteps of Radiohead, Coldplay is offering a free download of the song Violet Hill from the forthcoming album Viva La Vida for the next week. A magnanimous gesture and one worth repeating even if Radiohead has decided free is out from now on.

Hot Docs Roundup: Man on Wire

2008-04-29T21:14:00.004-04:00

Man on Wire is stunning; the feats of tightrope walker Philippe Petit will leave you stunned. Director James Marsh's film focuses on Petit's plan to perform a high wire walk between the rooftops of the World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974. The deftly paced story of how he and a team of accomplices achieve this goal is revealed through recollections of those involved and the buildup of excitement is buoyed by awe-inducing footage of previous adventures in the sky (watching Petit lie down on a piece of cable between the towers of Notre Dame in Paris is a religious experience of sorts). In addition to the effect of this beautiful and terrifying footage, the film's pace is aided greatly by Petit's ability to be an interesting talking head. He exhibits the characteristics of a natural storyteller: enthusiasm and a keen sense of how to draw in an audience. His energy, confidence and physical appearance are reminiscent of another charismatic character born for film - Malcolm McDowell's insouciant Alex from A Clockwork Orange - minus the violent streak. To be sure, Man on Wire is worth whatever they're charging for admission.

3 of the short films in Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno series screened the same evening. Each film is devoted to the sexual practices of different insects (I saw flies, snails and spiders) and stars Rossellini as the insect. They came off better than the unusual premise would seem to allow for thanks to her deadpan delivery and the visual style employed. Humourous, educational and strange. More Hot Docs roundup is on the way. Stay tuned.

2008 Songwriters' Circle

2008-04-22T21:31:00.009-04:00

Plagues of the computer and human varieties have been raging in the vicinity these last few weeks. But health is making a comeback on both fronts.

Pre-plagues, the CBC broadcast a lovely two hours of acoustic performances from the Songwriters' Circle during Calgary's Juno Awards weekend. Hosted by Joel Plaskett, the first-half featured Jeremy Fisher, Serena Ryder and Alex Cuba. The three performers did a bang-up job of capturing the audience's attention by improvising communally on each other's songs. It was sensational stuff that included the following highlights: Alex Cuba's Spanish mini-cover of Blue Rodeo's 'Bad Timing', Serena Ryder's vocals, in general, and the final song, added on the spot to fill a few leftover minutes.

In the second-half, Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara, Jay Malinowski of Bedouin Soundclash and Corb Lund took the stage. Highlights: Tegan Quin, singing sick, but still sounding good and telling medicinally-influenced stories, Corb Lund commenting on how all of his songs end up being about horses and Joel Plaskett covering Anne Murray's infamous 'Snowbird'. Quality Sunday afternoon listening - Part One and Part Two.

It's a Shame About Ray

2008-04-06T18:57:00.004-04:00

Some albums are destined to become iconic. They are either of the time or of your own personal time. The Lemonheads' fine, breakthrough album, It's a Shame About Ray is both. It's representative of the alternative scene of the early 1990s and a time capsule of high school for me personally; so burned in the brain that even the typography used on the album cover would be instantly familiar in another context. The disc has just been reissued. I hope the kids who weren't old enough to appreciate it in 1992 buy it up now because they'll be rewarded with 33 minutes of zippy, compulsively listenable, pop songs. Standout tracks include: Confetti, It's a Shame About Ray, Bit Part and Frank Mills.

Resurrection of the Fave New Kid Debate

2008-04-02T18:08:00.006-04:00

Didn't realize I'd wake up today and find it was 1988. Oh, the world surprises. It does, it does.

Book Chopping

2008-04-01T20:30:00.001-04:00

Writers on books they would pare down if they could. I fully appreciate Joyce Carol Oates on Ernest Hemingway: "There’s much too much smoking, drinking, fishing and hunting in Hemingway, and it could all be cut out. If that is cut out about 70 percent of Hemingway would go." In Our Time (the only Hemingway I've read) is probably not the example to judge him by, but it was enough to stop me from wanting to investigate further. Ruggedness has never seemed more tedious.

Your Bookshelf Isn't Sexy

2008-03-31T19:29:00.001-04:00

Books can be the end of love.

Hot Pick at Hot Docs: Planet B-Boy

2008-03-30T14:12:00.004-04:00

No scientific tests or popular surveys were employed to determine that Planet B-Boy (reviewed here) is a good bet at Hot Docs. Personal taste is the measurement in this case, but rest assured, breakdancing never gets old.

Dangling Carrots

2008-03-29T09:36:00.006-04:00

The Globe just published an article on indie musicians' struggles to record. Lack of studio space and time are cited as obstacles. The real focus of the piece is The Banff Centre's Indie Band Residency, a two week program that hooks up artists with music producers, engineers and good studio equipment. As I read about the appreciation for the opportunity felt by Ohbijou (one of the chosen bands) it all sounded like an indie dream come true. Until I reached the third to last paragraph and heard in my head the hideous movie touchstone sound that signifies all is not well; a record scratching beyond repair. The WTF moment: "As for the recordings, the centre is still working out who owns the rights, but the bands are all hoping to release at least some of the tracks they recorded." Really? Way to nullify the most significant benefit of the experience. CBC Radio 2 was going to air performances by the bands in residence earlier this month but the recordings don't appear to be available on the website. Radio 3 has posted a session with Ohbjiou from April 2007.

Summoning Patio Lanterns

2008-03-27T20:39:00.005-04:00

Once overheard in a Blockbuster Video store:

Employee 1 - ".....Kim Mitchell."
Employee 2 - "Kim Mitchell, who's she?"
Customer Me - Snorts inconspicuously and thinks internally, "Sacrilege! Don't you know that when he wasn't going for a soda he was stuck on Joy and also a nervous boy? How old are you? How old am I?"

Frankly, it's about time that the sun comes up, the mini-snows retire and the local backyards get gussied up for patio lantern weather. I'd post a link to Patio Lanterns in the spirit of coming warmth but there's no point. It's too easy to hear elsewhere (i.e. EZ Rock any day of the week) and the mere mention of the song automatically sticks it in the brain. Like glue on glue.

Nomenclature

2008-03-26T19:06:00.003-04:00

What a band's name says about the band's music. Sorry, but these bad book titles are taken. Although titles can't be copyrighted, so the bad titles could be inflicted upon the reading public again some day.

The Catcher in the Rye (DNF)

2008-03-25T17:51:00.009-04:00

It's true. I bailed halfway through The Catcher in the Rye. I was in high school and I just didn't care all that much about what boyish Holden Caulfield was up to. The book's on my "attempt again with fresh adult perspective" list and its failure to enthrall didn't put me off the rest of J.D. Salinger's work, especially his stories about the Glass children. I became interested in them after reading that Wes Anderson's loopy Tenenbaums in The Royal Tenenbaums bore the influences of the Glass family and Booth Tarkington's The Magnificent Ambersons. Stories about Seymour are often praised but of the Glass tales I've read I'd recommend Franny of Franny and Zooey. Probably because I bailed on Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction too. Well, just the Seymour part. But Franny is good and I feel confident saying that since I've actually read its last sentence and all that comes before. The New York Times recently weighed in on the legacy of the Glass children.

When the Earth Rotates, It's Another Day

2008-03-21T12:29:00.005-04:00

I wouldn't consider myself ill-informed about the world, but I'm often surprised by events that fly beneath my radar. Case in point - the dislocation of millions of Chinese citizens due to the construction of a mega dam that will flood the Yangtze River. This happening is well-documented in Up the Yangtze (a Q&A with filmmaker Yung Chang offers good detail on the production and its subjects). The title of this post is a lyric from a karaoke ballad that appears in the film. Its banality made me laugh, but its meaning relative to the view of the dam as a symbol of China's economic advancement isn't funny. Near the end of the movie, a time-lapse sequence of the river rising startles in spite of its inevitability. Never mind that lives are being permanently disrupted, change is a part of progress. So the song says.

Hot Docs: Flashback

2008-03-20T11:54:00.006-04:00

The 2008 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival runs from April 17th-27th (film list available here). I love documentaries because they let you into worlds you wouldn't otherwise have access to and make you want to learn about subjects you didn't even know you were interested in. A trip down memory lane turns up the following recommended highlights from previous festivals:

The Monastery - 86-year-old bachelor, Mr. Vig, has always wanted to turn his run-down Danish castle into a monastery. He finally realizes his dream when a small group of Russian Orthodox nuns agrees to move in if he undertakes extensive repairs. The film was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2008 Spirit Awards.

Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story - A Japanese girl is kidnapped by North Korean spies in 1977. Her fate is revealed two decades later, when information about the not uncommon abduction practices of North Korea comes to light.

The Other Final - Bhutan and Montserrat, the two lowest-ranked world soccer teams, play an alternate match on the day of the 2002 World Cup final.