BEYONDTHENEXT

CALLING DESIGNERS

2010-07-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

AWESOME PEOPLE DOING AWESOME THINGS

2010-07-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

http://eugensakhnenko.com/atlas/2010/07/lisa-martin-steve-ferrara-well-and-good/

BREAKING DOWN BONNAROO 2010

2010-06-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

It is not the summer of 69. The flower power generation is long gone and in its place decades later come hybrid yuppies, high rises and lots of debt. 2010 is a time when North America is slowly coming out of the recession that hit because a small amount of people were extremely greedy and mega douche bags. Born of that recession has come the realization that money doesn’t mean happiness and family does really matter. The social and moral makeup of North America is leaning from right to centre, with a focus on reclaiming our souls. We all know work is important and being accountable is now not only mandatory but essential to sustaining our communities. In addition to that, we are looking for a new center. Trying to find a place in our hearts, minds and souls where we can connect with each other living in the same moral field. We are looking for it in many ways; our consumer decisions, our environmental impact, sharing our wealth and most importantly, our music. Music is the soundtrack of our lives, often mirroring current shifts in lifestyle and points of view and sometimes creating awareness about issues with a fresh perspective. This connection with music couldn’t be more apparent right now with artists such as Interpol, Rise Against, MIA and even Shakira standing up for what they believe in. Of all the worldwide festivals that holistically encapsulate that DIY shift from music to mosh pit, Bonnaroo hits a homerun. The following is an attempt to describe the woven tapestry in which include colors of Woodstock, Glastonbury, Lollapolloza, DEMF and a topped off with a little local mall.

Myself, and four others arrive at Nashville airport ready to rock out, put some beads on and get down with nature. Some nights I will be camping, and a few at a hotel. We are equipped with tents, sleeping bags, baby wipes and lots of sun screen. After getting our rental car, we plot out our first stop; Third Man Studio Jack White’s studio and store. As we approach the studio we realize it’s in an industrial/ghetto part of town minutes away from where the Country Music Festival is taking place. We pass the Scott Mission and what appeared to be the local hangout for every local bum in the hood. Arriving at the shop early we park only to be pulled from our spot because Conan O’Brien’s people will be arriving soon. Well, fine then. We circle the hood to find a spot. Once in the shop, we are met with limited edition LP’s, custom Meg and Jack cameras, 14” singles from Karen Elson, The Dead Wather and other acts on Third Man records. We stare, we shop, we buy, and we leave. I am now the owner of a 14” single and the cutest Raconteurs baby T for a friend.

Jumping on the highway from Nashville to Manchester, the excitement is palpable. We have our afternoon itinerary set, including The XX and Miike Snow and talk about how quickly our tent will be up. As we approach the exit we realize it’s closed. State Troopers and the dedicated Bonnaroo radio station instruct us to drive 20 exits ahead. As we drive further along, it becomes clear there is a massive car line on the other side of the highway. We make peace with sitting in a line for a few hours; how long could it really take? It could and DID take eight hours. By hour seven we had entered into a deep meditative state, keeping us from leaping from the car in a fit of rage towards the entrance. At one point each of us got out, went to the bathroom, got some food and trotted back to the car knowing we could probably go to the local Cineplex and catch a flick, returning to find the car a few feet ahead.

Once we get on-site, it’s a gong show. I am supposed to pick up my ticket, which ends up at a hotel media check in at the Holiday Inn. Over 55,000 people were checked that day, most of them camping, RV’s, Minivans and Cars navigated through the 700 acres to find a home for the next four days. Rather than attempt to persuade someone to let me in, I romance a production manager who golf carts me to a staff shuttle that takes me to the hotel, where I get my ticket and a cab back to my hotel. Thursday is a wash. Friday is a new day.

Relatively well rested, I make my way to Bonnaroo. Walking onto the grounds,

I realize how massive the festival is. In addition to the 700 acres of owned land, other surrounding property owners lease their land for the event, making the total space well over 800 acres. The Tennessee sun beats down on me as I approach my friend’s camp site. I walk past showers and washrooms, water stations and hundreds of vendors selling more glass pipes than I have ever seen. Next to the camp site is a beautiful table housing musical instruments. Guitars, mandolins and drums are laid out for all to use. No connecting wires or security tags. If someone wanted to walk away with an instrument, they could. When the festival was over, all instruments laid peacefully on the table.

When you arrive at Bonnaroo, there is no way to realize how many things are going on, how far things are and how dirty you are going to get. From my suede designer flip flops to my friend’s virgin white sun dress, there will be some casualties over the weekend. We begin the 15 minute walk into the centre passing official and non-official vendors selling food, sundries, drug paraphernalia and of course water. If there is anything I can advocate at Bonnaroo is buy a mister and drink gallons of water each day. Upon arrival at the gates, we get searched, cleared and sent our way to the first act of the day; The National. After referring to our guidebook we determine they are performing at the Which stage. Get this, these are the OFFICIAL names of the stages; Which, This, That, The Other and What. If people aren’t confused enough already, they send you on a verbal sparring match with your buds figuring out where Tori Amos will be…

Question: What stage is Tori at?

Asnwer: She’s at What stage.

Question: She’s at WHAT stage?

Answer: I already told you, What stage.

Statement: Either I am really stoned, or this place is insane.

I fall in love with the National during their performance, with a lively lead singer jumping off the stage to perform as he navigates the crowd. Post performance we walk through Centreroo where we find food vendors, volleyball nets, slip and slides and an actual post office. Knowing that stopping too long will ensure we get sucked into the vortex, we keep focused and head over to watch Conan O’Brien. The comedy and adjacent satellite viewing tent offer a great way to break up the day and keep cool for a few hours in the air conditioning. Everyone laughs, cheers and gets a surprise treat with an appearance from Triumph the Insult Dog. We enter back into Centreroo to find more awesomeness. I pop into the Silent Auction tent and bid on a picture of Alison from the Dead Weather and some tickets for Bonnaroo 2011, losing both bids within hours. Outside the auction, we can see The Garnier Fructis Hair washing tent, the FUZE/Twix barn and a fantastical water fountain located in the heart of Bonnaroo.

Approaching sensory overload, I take a seat and spent a few minutes observing my fellow festival goers. Through my oversized sun glasses and hat I see hundreds of people; some walking, some eating, and many participating in a water party under the fountain. None of us knew what kind of people came to Bonnaroo, but assumed it would have a folk feel. In a way we were right, but the variety of festivals it took its cue from extended into each individual festival goer as well. I zeroed in on a group of four people. Three girls sat in a circle eating, what was later confirmed as a sausage waffle combination. Each girl wore Abercrombie and Fitch tanks, denim shirts and large Camelback backpacks. The guys were equally as prepped out with pastel button downs, pop collars and khaki shorts. I watched as they laughed and went on like they were in a bubble nestled deep in their minds. Continuing on I spot a man wandering alone wearing a full length floral print skirt with a drawstring. He is looking at the grass as though it is speaking to him with great importance. His head is shaved bald and beard moist with the Tennessee humidity. Within minutes he seems to forget what he was doing and wanders into the Odwalla music tent for a shot of fruit nutrition and indie band entertainment. Next we have an older couple who I speak to for a few minutes. They are from Michigan and drove up in their RV. They paid $1,500 for a VIP package that included their ticket, separate entrance and exit, served dinner and an RV space. They double fist their beers and talk about the last few Bonnaroos. Living childless, they travel a lot and take vacation from their lives as a carpenter and teacher. I am beginning to see a theme as I continue to scan the crowd; there is NO theme. There are so many people from so many places in the world from both a physical and social perspective. I decided to get back into the mix and make my way side stage for Tori Amos.

Later in the evening we are ready for the first headliner; Kings of Leon. Setting our blanket down amongst the other concert goers, we are ready for something special and special it was. I have never seen such grand stage production. From the hundreds of headlights setting the backstage to the 200 foot tall stage, it takes time to realize how big everything really is. We take in the KOL hits, drink the Malt liquor and watch as girls dressed as fairies and men dressed in one piece lime green body suits float by. It is as much a people watching festival as it is a musical experience. Post KOL, we roll to The Black Keys. After the auditory assault of the main stage, our ears can’t adjust to the small stage and we retreat for the evening. Walking back to our respective homes for the evening, we pass people dancing, giving light shows and lying side by side with their friends in a meditative fetal position. And so we sleep.

Day three and still so much remains to see and do. Getting back into Centreoo, we hit the Canon photo experience where we print our pictures onto postcard paper and send off to our loved ones. We eat more of the amazing food, drink from the free water fountains and head over to the main stage for Dead Weather. Yet again, we listen with amazement as the sound seems to get better and better. Alison from Dead Weather goes toe to toe with Jack White and if I were judging, it would be a draw. Your body fills up with the festival spirit and although not political or social in nature, the tone of the afternoon allows you to project The Dead Weathers words within your own world:

Let's go walk to the border

Let's go walk along the inch

Let's go when no one can see us

And find the difference between us

Each listener can personalize based on their own challenge, struggle or place they are in life. After a few hours of projecting, we head back to the tents to reconvene. It’s getting dark and as I continue to observe, I notice more “dark” characters looming about. The guys you see at the back of the bars that don’t quite belong. They may have bought a hemp shirt and some Vibram sandals, but something just doesn’t feel right. They are the ones the State Troopers are here for and I feel confident they are watching every step they take. Once we attempt to wash our hands, feet and face for the 100^th time we make our way back for the main attraction: JAY-Z. Because they don’t sell vodka on-site, I stop at a local vendor for some homemade Vodka Lemonade for my walk. As they pour we make small talk and my friend asks them where they live. “We live here “ they reply. After letting that response marinate for a few seconds, I say “on one of the local farms?” To which they reply “No, we live here and travel around some during the year”. Did she just tell me the land Bonnaroo is on it a yearly commune? I have emailed the promoters for answers and am waiting to hear back.

Back at the main stage, we are ready. Pre show I throw the frisbee around for a while and talk to the locals about how the festival is so profitable, it actually affects State Tax, insane! It’s dark, warm and tens of thousands of people wait patiently. Two massive screens that flank the stage start a countdown from 10 minutes. By minute six, it’s a sight to see with all heads forward ready for the 10 second countdown. 10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1..bang. Massive direct spotlights shoot down onto Jay-Z’s back as he swaggers (I don’t think the man is capable of anything else) across the stage to start the show. From the 100 foot by 80 feet digital screens rotating imagery of the NY skyline to the thousands of lighters dancing across the crowds, people are transfixed. Irony abounds as the majority white audience is transfixed listening to one of the most influential black musician talk about Barack in office and his times of selling crack in the hood while deep in the southern states. But here was this community that seemed to transcend color, culture and personal views. It was like when I was in alternative school. We had thugs, gays, rockers and ravers all living in relative peace. It was the collective union we felt having been rejected by “normal” society that gave us the sympathy and apathy for one another. I felt that as Jay-Z sang the hell out of 99Problems.

Following Jay-Z we headed to see DeadMau5 for some, in my opinion, horrible house music. Two of the closest stages played dance music well into the morning. The problem; they were so close, they competed. After days of walking, dancing, watering and discovering I was ready to collapse, so I did.

Waking at 8AM, we headed into Centreoo to grab our last breakfast. As we crossed the rainbow shaped entrance all we could see were hundreds and hundreds of water bottles. I looked at my friend and said “I guess the cleaning crew got pretty high last night and forgot a few things”. After eating a pretty decent spinach omelet, we started to make our way back to camp to pack up. Turning the corner past the post office we were blown away. Almost EVERY water bottle was gone? Did we just eat an omelet spiked with ACID? No, we had just witnessed what a community clean up program with benefits can do. To the left of us was a 20X20 booth with dozens of items; backpacks, shampoo, food, chairs, sleeping bags. Beside each item was a number. 50 for a t-shirt, 20 for hair gel, etc. We approached a guy behind a computer to inquire and he gave us the skinny. “For every bottle you bring to the station, they give you one point towards an item. Items range from 50 points to 1000.” We sat there almost in amazement for the next two minutes. Sometimes it is that simple. Do something good and someone will do something good for you. It was a beautiful last moment to a memorable festival. There was nowhere else in the world I wanted to be.

I SHOULD HAVE BEEN A TEENAGER IN THE 80'S

2010-05-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

The music was sooo much better...So melodramatic and touchy feely. Now it's back en vogue and I can live the life of a tortured 80's teenager. With nothing to complain about other than my Apathy for everything...Enter Villa Nah

http://www.spokeagency.com/daily/2010/05/25/the-new-hot-is-villah-nah/

The Back-up Plan= William S. Burroughs, LSD, Marianne Faithfull and Brion Gysin

2010-04-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

I decide to watch The Back-up Plan last night. Wanting a more intimate screening experience, I hit rainbow cinemas knowing it's usually me, a gay couple and some random senior citizens in the theatre at Rainbow. I rip my stub, grab a seat and spend a few hours getting lost in one of the most formulaic and of course entertaining scripts of the year. I will say the storyline of a single woman concisely deciding to have a baby alone is very progressive. In most instances where a mother is single in a movie, the husband either left, was killed or died of a terminal disease. A single professional woman deciding to have a baby on her own is something relatively new. As a woman, I have no desire to raise a child on my own, but the option of freedom to choose is an amazing thing to marvel at. The Back-up Plan concludes and I leave feeling temporarily satisfied. The storyline wrapped up with a little bow and my mind is tricked into believing everyone is happy, safe and couples don't fight, they talk!

For some reason the satisfaction was short lived leaving me in need of something a little more substantial to get me to sleep. Luckily, I have FLicKeR. A documentary about The dream machine invented by Brion Gysin. The actual documentary is pretty lame, but the subject matter throws me back into my teens when Jack Kerouac came with me everywhere and Charles Bukowski taught me everything I needed to know about WOMEN. The doc is about The Dream Machine; a stroboscopic flicker device that produces visual stimuli. Artist Brion Gysin and William Burroughs' "systems adviser" Ian Sommerville created the dream machine after reading William Grey Walter's book, The Living Brain. A Dreamachine is "viewed" with the eyes closed: the pulsating light stimulates the optical nerve and alters the brain's electrical oscillations. The "viewer" experiences increasingly bright, complex patterns of color behind their closed eyelids. The patterns become shapes and symbols, swirling around, until the "viewer" feels surrounded by colors. It is claimed that viewing a Dreamachine allows one to enter a hypnagogic state.

Firstly, I will be ordering a dream machine STAT. I can't believe through all my "teenage" experimentation I never heard about this magical machine. Brion thought that the dream machine's ability could replace LSD, Peyote and other mind altering drugs that cause a distorted experience of the senses, emotions, memories, time and awareness. Instead of taking a hit, you set up the dream machine, turn the lights off and let it spin. I think that I am so curious about the dream machine right now because as you get older you get further and further away from a desire to go outside your comfort zone. You can't use a weekend for mind expanding drug use; there is laundry to be done. Who is going to mow the lawn, pick up the dry cleaning or return the Eddie Murphy stand-up DVD? There is no time for mind exploration; I need to worry about keeping my job. I don't discredit the need to keep life moving, but I think there can be a fine balance met and something like the dream machine may help.

There are many levels of consciousness. We feel them at different points, sometimes not even realizing it. During an intense yoga session; when your whole body is still and not a thought is left in your ever moving brain. When you come off a run and you feel like your body is shaking and your thoughts are as light as a cloud. When you are on your third scotch and your frame of mind has shifted ever so slightly. These are all different types and/or levels of consciousness. The neurological levels are; conscious, confused, delirious, somnolent, obtunded, stuporous and comatose. Then the hierarchy levels of human consciousness consist of; shame, guilt, apathy, grief, fear, desire, anger, pride, courage, neutrality, willingness, acceptance, reason, love, joy, peace, enlightenment. The Shaman (intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds are said to treat ailments/illness by mending the soul) believe in seven levels of consciousness which are; personal, mankind, amphibious, spherical, crystal, light and lastly sound.

All of the above mentioned levels of consciousness can be attained in different ways. The easiest way has always been drugs such as; Marijuana, hashish, LSD, Extasy, cocaine, and Peyote to name a few. Meditation, yoga and other natural practices can supposedly take you to a higher level of consciousness, although I have never had the pleasure. That being said, I think it is possible. If the dream machine can help me in the natural pursuit of exploring my mind, growing as a person and experimenting with the beauty of light and perception of thoughts; I am in.

In truth the ability to do so is a somewhat frivolous pursuit. A personal quest that will become less and less a priority once I subject myself to long term copulation with a man and god forbid bare a child. But that is not now, that is the future. A future I don't know yet. Until then, I will buy my dream machine and set my sights on crystal consciousness. I could shoot for light, but I want to manage my expectations. I get disappointed enough in my day to day life, I'm going to keep it easy breezy on the heightened state of awareness front.—

REVIEWS- CLICK IT

2010-04-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.spokeagency.com/daily/?p=973&preview=true

CHECK IT///

2010-04-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.spokeagency.com/daily/2010/04/17/the-magic-the-mystery-the-junos/

AWESOME MUSIC OVERLOAD

2010-03-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

There are too many awesome sites out there now to access new music...Here is one of them:

http://hypem.com/#/popular

ART FORM MENTIONS

2010-03-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

MOVIES Boondock Saints 11: All Saints Day

For all of you who know the Cult Classic, Boondock Saints, you know that it was a TALLLLLL order for there to be a worthy follow up. I was very skeptical going into All Saints Day knowing how awesome the first one was. The layered story line, the killer editing, the kick ass soundtrack and the charisma both leads shared all came together to give viewers a film that still holds a room today. All Saints Day was yet another killer piece of entertainment that wove the original story through the new adventures with great ease. I had fun, laughed and got surprised at more than one turn. The addition of a third sidekick was a welcome surprise, adding a new element of hyper humor that complimented the boys. All Saints Day is worth seeing and maybe, just maybe becoming part of the permanent collection.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1300851/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmDhSNssaOI

DARK SHIT

I remember when I first decided I was going to get a tattoo. I was 16 and had so idea how painful and intense it would actually be..So what do I do? I decide I want an HRGieger piece on my back. Super intricate creepy piece that would probably have looked like a sketchy mess afterwards...I go buy the book, cut out the piece, then bring it into the shop. I immediately got the look " are you insane" from the artist. So I decided to play it safe and throw a celtic piece on to pay some respect to the fam and keep it simple. My love of Gieger remained and recently I found out there is a bar in his hometown with all his work. Take a look. If there was ever a reason to hit the swiss alps, this is one of them...

http://www.hrgiger.com/barmuseum.htm

A FOND FAREWELL TO THE CFC

2010-03-03T09:37:00.001-08:00

After four splendid years I will be leaving the CFC on March 5th. From my first years in marketing to my time in development, I have been invigorated and challenged every step of the way.

I have accepted a role as Director of Brand Strategy for SPOKE AGENCY, a digital creative agency formed to produce experience-driven campaigns for brands in the lifestyle, retail and entertainment sectors..

Below is my new contact information and Mark Fellion’s contact information. Mark has been promoted to Manager, Strategic Partnerships and Events. For all CFC event matters, Mark is the main point of contact.

Have a great day.

Rachel Noonan
Director of Brand Strategy
www.spokeagency.com
rachel.noonan@spokeagency.com
32 Britain Street, Suite 400
Toronto, Ontario M5A 1R6
416-999-6454

Mark Fellion
Manager, Strategic Partnerships and Events
www.cfccreates.com
mfellion@cfccreates.com
2489 Bayview Avenue
Toronto Ontario M4L 1A8
Canada
416-445-1446X285

Canadian MOVIES can't stand on their own feet....

2010-02-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years there has been substantial government cuts to arts funding in Canada. Organizations, artists and companies have has to downsize, adjust and seek other forms of funding to continue creating or else they may cease to exist.

This situation should encourage people to think about why they are being funded and if it actually supports their objective. It's a slippery slope with non-profit arts orgs as, traditionally, their objective has been to generate engaging content, foster the creative process and help grow domestic talent in Canada. For-profit orgs, which have a business model built on subsidies, are in danger of crumbling if funding is pulled and this is truly concerning and lacks good business sense. It causes me to wonder who within the arts community has been affected and who stands to be affected if Canada cuts ALL arts funding. Being in content (Film, TV and New Media), I started thinking of commercially successful TV shows,films etc. I found this list with some highlights:

CRAZY
Jean-Marc Vallée

TRAILER PARK BOYS
Mike Clattenburg

BON COP/BAD COP
Erik Canuel

EASTERN PROMISES
David Chronenberg

LES 3 P'TITS COCHONS
Patrick Huard

VIDEODROME
David Cronenberg

THE SWEET HEREAFTER
Adam Egoyan

WATER
Deepa Mehta

LAST NIGHT
Don McKella

I'VE HEARD THE MERMAIDS SINGING
Patricia Rozema

TALES FROM THE GIMLI HOSPITAL
Guy Maddin

Mon Oncle Antoine
Claude Jutra

AWAY FROM HER
Sarah Polley

KISSED
Lynne Stopkewich

THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE
Denys Arcand

BARBARIAN INVASIONS
Barbarian Invasions (2003)

ONE of The problem with the Canadian System.

JUNO
Jason Reitman
Although it was written and directed by a Canadian, filmed in Vancouver and two of it's main cast members were Canadian, JUNO was funded by an American production company, which means that it is classified as an American Film. WHAAATT?

PORKY'S
Bob Clark
Although it was written and directed by an American and was filmed in Miami, Florida, Porky's was funded by a Canadian production company, which means that it is classified as a Canadian film. So NONE of the talent came from Canada, but the money did so it's Canadian. Boooo...

Does anyone see the obvious above? Most Canadian OR American would NOT recognize the names above. And two of the them that we do, are backwards in their thinking...It is basically saying the most important part of the equation is money...Well, that has really been a great success to us up until now, hasn't it...We can't take American money and call something Canadian in any way..So we can't leverage the largest entertainment superpower to help promote our little country..Promote it and there by bringing it into the masses forefront and increasing overall awareness that will help producers get more money to make more stories and content that people will hopefully go see because they recognize the names, faces, etc. This is not brain surgery people...Gosh...If I was to research ALL the films above I bet @ least 45% of the financing is government..Which means if the gov stops giving all art funding, Canada (English Canada) will just stop making movies? Really? We need to look at the rules of engagement and find a way to strike a balance between the artistic process and generating revenue so we can build a robust industry that can stand on its own two legs...Next, I will look at Canadian Music...Which ACTUALLY makes a lot of money and is an amazing export we are all proud of..Is there a fundamental difference between how we engage the music business process against the Film or TV process? Thoughts? Will throw more down later.

2009 WAS A TEST OF OUR RESOLVE

2010-01-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

Bonjour,

Today is my Birthday. This day 31 years ago my mother did her thing and now I am here. I have passed the quarter life mark and am poised to take on my 30's with a little more perspective than I thought I would. It made me think back. Its what birthday's do. Birthday's give us time for pause and reflection. And so I have been doing so. It is weird. Although there are 31 years to reflect on, it is the last year that has been so intense that I can't shake it. I think the reason is that it's not only my life that has been traumatic and insane, but many of the people who make up my life. If I put together a chart of the increase of occurrences of things like deaths, job losses, pregnancies, marriages, divorces, moves, lifestyle changes, surgeries, career changes, cutting habits, picking up habits, falling in love, falling out of love, and so on, I am certain there would be a significant increase from previous years. As I took a mental snap shot, I started to think of specific people and how they have all dealt with the unplanned shakeups in their lives. Each person had a unique way of dealing. One person took trips they had put off for years. One person decided to just breath and relax. One person decided to change career paths. One person decided Canada was no longer for them. As I continued to mentally article my friends I realized almost everyone has dealt with some pretty intense stuff over the last year. Stuff that can sometimes break a person. Break their strength and resolve. But it didn't. As we walk into 2010, they are still pushing, still growing and still optimistic about the days ahead. I document these things because I know I will have moments in 2010 when I think I have had enough. Been pushed aside enough. Been told no enough. And I will need something to renew my resolve and remind me that someone else somewhere is dealing with things far worse than me. And so I will use this post...every once in a while when things get bad and out of focus I will come back and be reminded I need to suck it up and love who I have, what I have and where I am going.

HOLIDAYS = FRIENDS, MUSIC, MOVIES AND ONE TV SERIES

2010-01-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have just eaten one truffle, half a french mint chocolate bar, 1/3 of a quiche and a salad..I am jacked and am going to list some movie and music that is/are worth checking out. I managed to really enjoy my holidays and balance friends, family and enlightenment with relative ease. Luckily I can say any holiday tears I shed were not a result of repressed anger bubbling up from mass alcohol consumption and complete loss of emotional control, but from some pretty amazing journeys I went on courtesy of some new, returning and prolific artists. Ok, highlights of 2009 Holiday funtimes:

MUSIC

NIN @ V-FEST
Ok, this one has nothing do to with the holidays, but was one of the most notable performances of 2009 in Toronto. It was seamless, powerful and honest. The band was so on point and so committed, they got a standing ovation and posted it on the NIN website. http://beta.media.nin.com/gallery/index?g_type=token&g_val=2124&g_sort=newest&g_tag=&g_media=video&page=1

PHOENIX
A friend brought me to a show this spring and I am happy my first Phoenix experience came from the stage. They are a true live performance band, and that's rare nowadays. Go buy their album.

30 SECONDS TO MARS (THIS IS WAR)
Don't judge. There is an epic quality to most of the tracks. They make a major effort to build solid songs that come from somewhere and end up in another place. They use their fans for some of the choir bits and I have Stranger in a Strange land on my shuffle. I imagine myself climbing up Victoria Peak in Hong Kong where I once gave myself the worst shin splints of my life.

BRYN CHRISTOPHER (THE QUEST)
I have had this album for over a year, but it is so good, I need to mention it each year for the rest of my life.

MOVIES

500 DAYS SUMMER
Beautiful on all accounts. It is well written, well acted, beautifully created by the Director, DOP, Cinematographer, etc. Love is a series of emotions that are interconnected. You can't have the sky without the sea. 500 days is a fav.

NINE
Pretty to look at. Pretty to listen to. Pretty to watch. It's a series of scenes that come together to tell a story about a man. A tortured man who can't keep his hands to himself and physically cripples himself with his deceit and lying. The final scene is worth watching the whole movie. My only problem with the movie is I really don't care about the male character played by Daniel Day-Lewis. He can breathe air into a bag and it will entertain, but the soul of this character is bare and the contribution he makes to the world sort of neutralizes his

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR.PARNASSUS
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Heath Ledger passed away during the filming of Dr.Parnassus, so the movie got a little over hyped. It was good and was other worldly, but it's not a complete film. It's a small, tiny, little look into the window of the minds and imaginations of Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown. Worth watching and will have a lasting effect.

SHERLOCK HOLMES
Whataver...That's pretty much all I have to say. They should have donated the money that it took to make the movie to youth shelters around the world or donated it to the makers of the COVE. Waste of my time and truly a waste of time for some amazing actors.

THE NARROWS
So the Bush family is good for something and that something is Sophie Bush. She's a pretty good actress..Very surprised. Kevin Zegers plays a 19 year old Brooklyn boy who is torn between two worlds; life of crime in Brooklyn and the high art world of NYU when his photography portfolio wins him a partial scholarship. Bush is the love interest, Vincent D'Onofrio plays Zegers dad and does a good job. A nice surprise.

EXTRACT
Disappointing and weak use of talent like Kristen Wig and Jason Bateman. There were a few funny scenes and may be worth a watch on a Sunday afternoon when nothing else is on. Don't spend time looking for it.

ALL ABOUT STEVE (Don't judge me)
Sandra Bullock is a neurotic crossword puzzle engineer. Bradley Cooper (The new hot thing...Why I ask) is a cameraman who goes on a blind date with her and within five minutes runs for his life. So what does any intelligent , sophisticated woman do; run after him. It's a lame movie with some funny parts. Katy Mixon is a highlight of this film and many others such as Four Christmases and Eastbound & Down. http://www.imdb.com/media/rm352163072/nm1737500. Check her out!

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS (Yet again, Don't judge me)
Wow, so there was nothing else in the theater I hadn't seen and felt like punishing myself...And punish myself I did! Sarah Jessica Parker yet again plays a New Yorker, but this time an uppity neurotic one A la Family Stone. Hugh Grant plays a lawyer who gets caught up in himself and forgets to pay attention to his wife. They get separated, then witness a crime and get placed in the witness relocation program and what ensues is an exercise in patience for the viewer. I really wish I had those two hours of my life back, but I don't so please don't make the same mistake I did!

THE COVE
Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renown dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.

AVATAR
Ok, so it was amazing and it was industry changing and it really truly is a film that puts all the other animated/live auction films to shame..My friend Randall said " It is something I have never seen or experienced and you only say that about films a few times in your life. The story was even good. It was very topical and at the same time spoke to the century long battles that have raged over land and power. The more things change, the more they stay the same. A truly timeless story set against some of the most advanced cinema and GC ever created in the world. I am not going to illiterate and go on with any attempt at further describing AVATAR. I would embarrass myself and do the movie no justice. Just go see it and remember it's 3D...Takes time for your eyes to adjust.

BROTHERS
Boring. Good acting. Boring. Good cinematography. Boring.

SINGLE MAN
Beautiful. A visual symphony. A Beautiful and poetic story that marries harmoniously with the aesthetic and tone of the film. Please go see it.

INVICTUS
A Disney version of a time in history when Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Matt Damon is pretty with his blond highlights and Morgan Freedman does what he does, acts the shit out of things. The story moves as if we are watching Evan Almighty; light and fluffy. There is no grit, no dirt. I could actually visualize the talent wranglers behind the screen waiting with towels and water bottles for the "acting" rugby players so they can get the "set dirt" off their face as soon as the director yells cut. There is ONE thing that is worth watching this movie for. Through all the Hollywood shine that is Invictus, you get a small picture of a man who defied all odds and truly exemplified a person who can forgive and extend empathy with a whole heart. He sacrificed his personal life for his country. We can only aspire to be a 1 10th of the man Mandela is.

THE LIFE BEFORE HER EYES
A waste of Evan Rachel Wood and Uma Thurman's talent. It was an interesting spin and story, but nothing about the film left a permanent impression. If it is in your hands and free, watch it. Otherwise, keep scanning the shelves.

TELEVISION

WONDERFALLS
An awesome series about an over educated Brown graduate who chooses to live in a trailer park and work in a Niagara Falls souvenir shop rather than get a "respectable job" and live in the lap of luxury in her parents house. It is smart, funny and so sadly only got one season. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361256/

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY

2009-12-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

It is December 10th and the pressure is starting to build. Do I have everyone covered off on my holiday list? Does friend X get a small token of love or the limited edition book on Paris's most influential designers that will cost me a half day's pay? Do I donate $500 to Children's Aid and send everyone a card? In previous years, I have gone the baked goods route; filling small white boxes with my best confectionery creations. This has been a smashing success in the past, but I have opted to see if I can go the more traditional gift route and not pull my hair out.

The first day in the mall wasn't too painful. I aimlessly wandered in and out of chain stores trying to find inspiration for the gifts I will give to my loved ones. As I spend more time in each store I start examining things; scarfs, hats, books, pens, and other gift items that have promised to satisfy all your holiday gifting needs. Many of the items I examined were pretty and shiny and colorful. They almost put you into a coma like state where everything around you bleeds into itself and you are left with a rainbow of colors and a very perky salesperson to help you pick your color of choice! I tried desperately to find something; anything that I could feel safe buying someone that said I care. Not "I don't really know you so here is a basket from Bath and Body Works". Please don't assume that statement applied to everyone. There are people you and I know that we like and respect, but really don't know enough to get them a Best Friends Forever pendant. It is those people that do appreciate the kind gesture of a more general item like a gift certificate or the always awesome "Spa in a bag". I am talking about the people you have fought battles with, endured break-ups and make-ups with. The ones that can tell how you are feeling by the temperature in the air around you. They are the ones that you know and want to surprise with something they would adore, but never think to buy for themselves.

Perhaps I am placing the present bar too high. Creating a sort of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" situation where I am setting expectations so high, they are doomed to be missed. Following my first trip at the mall, it was clear I needed to really flush out the presents before entering the building of stuff and things with no home. I layed all the people out, their favorite things, their secret passions, their most prized possessions and built a wish list of things for each person. Back to the mall I go with a game plan and my trusty ipod to block out the screaming children and chattering teenagers. After two hours or dogging, weaving, sorting and lots of waiting I came out with three presents. THREE out of FIFTEEN. Although I felt a small success, the three bricks I pulled down were nothing in comparison to the other fifteen that remained.

After my mall visits and my attempt to personalize each gift I made a decision. I am not going to do holiday gifts in the month of December anymore. I am going to explain to all my peoples that they will get awesome things. They will get surprised. They will get these awesome things and surprised at ANY point during the year. It will be when the moment is right and the stars have aligned to bring me and their gift together in a meeting of wonderment. In addition to the mall visits and challenges reconciling a manufactured holiday dictating when and why I should buy somebody something, I came to my final decision after listening to a Toys R Us commercial aimed at parents. The commercial painted this picture of the old days when Christmas was about family and egg nog and stringing the tree with fresh cranberries and popcorn. It said " Remember when Christmas was about family and friends, not toys and presents". then is continues to say " old days are gone and new are here to stay, so get your kid the best toy on the market". Basically saying without saying "get your kid the cool toys or he will be judged". I am being slightly dramatic, but can't we try and strike a fine balance and throw in a carol with the newest addition to the Sony Playstation family. Hey, maybe they can create a game for Rockband where the family gets together to sing custom carols, they get recorded and you email that out as your holiday card. Just a thought.

GET BANNED FROM FACEBOOK?

2009-12-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/12/facebook-ban.html

SAW HI TO AWESOME...THE NEWEST SEXY MOBILE DEVICES..OR I LIKE TO CALL THEM MY LIFE TOOL

2009-12-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

http://blog.e-tms.com.my/top-10-smartphones-of-2010

A FEW MOVIES AND THE CURRENT STATE OF TELEVISION!

2009-11-30T07:03:00.000-08:00

Hey, how is it going out there? I have started to catch up on my movie watching since TIFF.
I always need to go through a detox after TIFF to scrape all the images, thoughts, reflections and random lines out of my brain.

Recently, I have seen:

In The Loop- Awesome satire of the British Parliament's back door activities.

AntiChrist- Artistic, disturbing, self serving (on the director's part) and choppy. I saw the film as a commentary on female sexuality but many have countered that interpretation with their view that it was about misogyny. If you decide to see it, I had nothing to do with it.

Away we go- Awesome, go see it. Leaves you knowing that there is beauty in the flawed. May be hard to find it at first, but it is there.

Up in the Air- More of a downer if you ask me. I got it. I just didn't care all that much. It was an story about a guy that fires people for a living and the parallels that come out of the stories between him, those he fires and the firm he works for. There is more to the movie, but I really don't want to waste your time.

Terminator- Salvation- Holy awesome Batman. The newest addition to the Blockbuster shelves does not disappoint. It is everything it should be and more. Find a friend with a killer entertainment system and hijack it for the day.

New Moon- People reviewing this film need to LOWER their expectations to that of a 13 year of girl. Every young teen entering the new world of sexuality and love needs something to reflect their delusional, unrealistic and unhealthy romantic ideals onto. Just sayin.

The Blindside- True story about Michael Oher who went from extreme poverty to an NFL Ravens left tackle player with the help of a family of strangers. He is black and from the hood, they are white and own a big house and some fast food chains. The Blindside was not given much love from the critics, and one reviewer said that it was a shame they didn't talk to the racial tension that MUST have existed between the family and Michael. Who is to say that there was any. The reviewer assumed there must have been some and they kept it out of the movie. For me, its not a racial thing so much as a rich and poor thing. I grew up around poverty and numerous ethnicities. There were divides in high school between races to some degree, but the thing that really created a divide was money. Kids without it got into trouble and did bad things. Kids with it were taught to stay in school, take up extra curricular activities and to get a job at Starbucks. I never felt out of place until I was with the rich kids. Throughout my youth I realized that money doesn't solve problems and people with or without it are all equal. But I grew up in Toronto, not Mississippi, so I may need to suck it up and realize there are racial tensions around the world and there may have been some in the Tuohy household.

During my movie catch up I decided to give TV a try again. I don't have cable. The last time I moved, I decided to get the cable connected. It had been a while and I thought maybe the cycle of suck TV had come to an end. It didn't, and two months later I disconnected it. This last attempt was at a friends and I can tell you right now, I have NO intention of reconnecting my cable anytime soon. I will preface this with I know there is SOME good TV out there. I am judging from channel 2 to lets say 40. Anything above 40 and on specialty is in a different category. The Category that I can purchase in full series format or episode by episode either in the store or online. All I have to say is I can't believe someone paid someone to follow Tori Spelling around. It actually gives me a stress rash..Not going to lie. Go online...Broadcasters are adapting and making it possible for us to consume what we really want, not what's been programmed for our ideal enjoyment. It is exciting to think about how my kids will live and consumer their entertainment and stories. The world is moving quickly and the further from traditional format TV we get, the happier I will be! Ciao for now...

TIFF MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

2009-10-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's done. It's over. It's a distant memory. It was here and now it's gone.
The 34th Toronto International Film Festival touched down with a whirlwind of people, parties and prolific filmmakers like Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Adam Egoyan.

During it's nine day city invasion, TIFF reminded local and visiting filmfans why it really is the best and most consumer friendly film festival in the world. In addition to the regular mini tornado's comprised of heavyhitters like Le Weinstein, Lowe, Barrymore and Connellly, TIFF made a huge statement by hosting numerous free screenings and live performances including films about U2, The Dixie Chicks and Bob Marley. They told the world that TIFF is for the people and spent a considerable amount of money making it happen.

I got to see a few movies in between planning our CFC Annual BBQ fundraiser that helps keep the CFC training tomorrow's film, television and new media content creators. Each year, the team works tirelessly and we raise close to $200,000 from an amazing group of sponsors who make it possible for us to host over 1,000 visiting and local members of the industry. They come, they drink, they make plans to talk deals, then they are off to the next of dozens of stops on the TIFF tornado!

So what did I see worth mentioning? Out of the 10 films I saw, three of them are worthy of checking out.

1. The first pick is The Invention of Lying with Ricky Gervais. As my friend Dustin said, " It's a totally original idea and story". The Invention of Lying takes you on a journey into a world where people don't lie...EVER. It's an awesome, and you would assume idealistic place to live,
but Mr.Gervais takes the story from the clouds to the mean streets quicker that you can say ' no, your ass doesn't look fat in that". Its a cute movie that will make you laugh, done.

2. Whip It is my second pick. I totally wished I was a thirteen year old girl watching this movie about a young girl living in a small town near Austin, Texas. She is the odd ball, the quirky one, the purple haired, Doc Marten wearing rebel chick who needs a home. While in a head shop, she
finds out about roller derby and as soon as she sets foot into the warehouse space to see her first game, you know this little one has found her people. She tries out, and it's clear she can handle her own. The rest of the movie was as predictable as the beginning, but this movie is about sending a message to young ladies that you can be all that you want...Smart, tough, pretty and a little crazy all at the same time..Why this was not taught to us in grade eight sex-ed, I do not know...But I would have saved a lot of time had it been!

3. Micmacs (Micmacs à tire-larigot) is my third pick. This film is from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who co-wrote and directed Amelie. Micmacs is a film about optimism. Based on a character named Brasil who was orphaned as a youngster when his soldier father was killed by a roadside bomb. Working in a video store and trying to find his place in the world, Bazil is hit by a stray bullet in a freak drive-by shooting incident. Emerging from hospital, he finds himself jobless and penniless. Brasil finds support in a group of underground gypsies who take him in as family and help him create plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers, one of which made the roadside bomb
that killed his father. The journey takes a few left turns and you are more than happy to go for the ride with a beautiful sensory experience only the likes of Jeunet and his team of free thinkers could create. Mic Macs is beautiful, subtitled and will become a classic like Amelie.

P.S: I also saw two NON TIFF movies recently.

THE INFORMERS: If you are doing a project on period pieces from the 80's, watch it. Otherwise, it will bore you and remind you that the 80's sucked..was a vacuous period of self-indulgence.

SUNSHINE CLEANING: Awesome, sweet and considerate storytelling, motivating and an overall good movie that makes your heart feel.

WIN SINGLE TICKETS TO THE TIFF WAVELENGTH PROGRAM PREMIERS

2009-09-05T11:32:00.001-07:00

The first four people to post a correct response to four questions listed below, get one single ticket to the following:

Wavelengths 2: Pro Agri, Sat., Sept 12th at 6:30PM
or
Wavelengths 3: Let each one go...Sat., Sept 12th at 9PM
or
Wavelengths 4: In comparison, Sun., Sept 13th at 4PM
or
Wavelengths 5: Une Catastrophe, Sun., Sept 13th at 6:30PM

Winners get to pick the ticket they want based on who posted first. Ticket pickup responsibility of the winner. Ok, here we go succas:

#1: What movie does this line come from " You shut your mouth when your talkin to me"
#2: What is the longest movie in history?
#3: Who created the costumes for " The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover"
#4: What movie sucked really bad and should have just remained a book? HINT: The word Devil is in the title.

Once four correct answers are listed, I will post my email address on the blog for winners to contact me and get their tickets!

SIN NOMBRE- BEAUTY FROM THE SADNESS

2009-09-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

"Honduran teenager Sayra reunites with her father, an opportunity for her to potentially realize her dream of a life in the U.S. Moving to Mexico is the first step in a fateful journey of unexpected events".

This plot is but a fragment of the full picture. SIN NOMBRE also tells the story of El Casper, a young gang member who can no longer rationalize the violent and morally reprehensible behavior him and his fellow homies not only take part in, but seek out. Sayra and El Caspers roads cross paths in the most unlikely of manners. What ensues is the ability for both characters to go through a series of self realizations that serve the story well and roll out in a natural and uncontrived manner.

SIN is set up from the first shot to make the viewer feel like this is a legitimate window into the world of these characters many people have only heard about. Riding illegally on train tops, avoiding border patrol and gang initiations are things read in books or in the occasional article about immigration laws and what we are doing to reduce gun violence.

There is no attempt to buy the viewers sympathy for future storyline outcomes or to pave a path for ultimate salvation. You are taken on a journey with flawed people who are trying to make just decisions and have hope for a future.
It's rare when you can say a story is honest in every way. SIN is honest in the broken lives, the anger that drives people and how salvation is a path of muddy terrains many never make it out of.

I think one of the things that made such a violent and sad story one that leaves the viewer with some love and hope in their heart is the way the story was set against the most spectacular bckdrops. Hundreds of travelers sitting on top of a train with an amber sky and mountains for miles gives perspective that there is beauty everywhere; inside and out. SIN tells us no life is perfect and we all have the capacity to forgive. It makes the viewer think on a humanistic level very movies could ever do. Please go see it.

If I was to pick a top 10 right now for 2009, SIN NOMBRE would be on it.

MOVIES BASED ON MUSIC===

2009-08-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

I would like someone to create a movie based on the new WHITE LIES album "TO LOSE MY LIFE...It's like a story starts to write itself as I go from "death' to "Unfinished Business". Each song doesn't literally tell a story, but it paints a picture..AND ITS DARK, WITH THE SILHOUETTE OF A MYSTERIOUS CHARACTER, LOVER AND FRIEND.

It like the movies Desperately seeking Susan, Lean on me and Blade Runner keep crossing paths in the album. "I live on the right side, sleep on the left...That's why everything's gotta be love or death".. POETRY...POETRY I SAY.

15 movies I like---in no order

2009-08-25T07:22:00.001-07:00

1. Once were Warriors (1994)
2. Pump up the Volume (1990)
3. Crash (2004)
4. Zoolander (2001)
5. Fight Club (1999)
6. All about Eve (1950)
7. Working Girl (1988)
8. Old School (2003)
9. Roger and Me (1989)
10. Edward Sizzorhands (1990)
11. The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
12. Drug store cowboy (1989)
13. Wall-E (2008)
14. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
15. Braveheart (1995)

(AND A SHOUT OUT TO TEEN WITCH. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098453
.I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE THE MOST POPULAR GIRL IN SCHOOL)

INGLORIOUS BASTERDS--

2009-08-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

With the Toronto International Film Festival fast approaching, Beyond the next will be all film and film related funtimes for the months of August and September!

The first film to kick off the cinema celebrations is INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (IB).

Quentin Jerome Tarantino and Eli Roth showed up to introduce the film. It was quick, messy and over before I could blink an eye. Roth told everyone Tarantino was a god and that he loved working on the movie..Wow, that's a revelation. Thanks for being so insightful about the movie we are about to see. It was cool to see Tarantino in all his glory for two and a half minutes..I was hoping for a Q&A, but immediately following the intro, he got on a plane for the NY premier and Eli Roth held it down for a few questions. Can we talk about Tarantino being on American idol.
I was confused by this and a little dissapointed. Ok, sorry, back to the movie.

To be honest, I was expecting it to be mediocre. I didn't think Dianne Kruger and Brad Pitt could really pull off what the trailer was selling; sophistication, revenge and yet another attempt at cross pollinating film periods/gengres. I pretty much ate my assumptions within the first 15 minutes of the movie. Inspired by 1978's "Quel maledetto treno blindat" (Inglorious Basterds), Tarantino's IG was filled with kick ass suspense, top notch acting and more than a handful of "creative kills". IG is based In Nazi-occupied France during World War II. The main storyline revolved around a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" who are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. They excel at their task and I may have spent more time looking at my neighbor to the left in the theatre trying to avoid some of the more gruesome kills scenes like the eye gouging or back skull stabbing.

IG's main storyline is actually not the main highlight for me. What made me leave the theatre saying, "Wow that was one of the most bad ass, entertaining and enlightening movies I have seen in a long time" was the way the other storylines married with the Basterds and that each characters personal history with the occupation allowed for a group of amazing stories, of which, each could fill a script for a full movie.

In addition to the layers of deep and diverse experiences, the movie gives the viewer the ability to sympathize and empathize with the occupied Jews during that time; making you almost beam watching the SS and Gestapo pay for their Sin's in some of the most inglorious fashions!

All the actors were stellar, story was satisfying, sets and shooting location were perfect and Tarantino yet again takes mixed genres to the next level. With strong lighting, immaculate makeup and a tip of the hat to war films of years past, IB is a triump in every way. I hope it spreads the world entertaining all and leaves the viewer wishing IB was not a fictional story, but inspired by true ones.

http://www.inglouriousbasterds-movie.com/

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

2009-07-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092633/

“Used-car liquidator Don Ready is hired by a flailing auto dealership to turn their Fourth of July sale into a majorly profitable event”.

Jeremy Piven makes you laugh, forget everything going on in your life and keeps you entertained for ALMOST two hours. THE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL HARD is a funny and slightly memorable story of Don Ready (Piven) and his band of merry men (and a lady), who make their way from dealership to dealership helping broken salespeople bring some buzz onto their lots and clear cars. With an awesome ensemble cast with the likes of Ving Rhames, Catherine Hahn (Anchorman), Ken Jeong (Roll Models and The Hangover), Ed Helmes, James Brolin, David Koechner and Will Farell, they keep the gut crunching one liners going throughout the film.

First and foremost, there are actually people who travel the country helping badly performing dealerships bring their numbers up. We were lucky enough to have Jeremy Piven at the screening for a Q & A and he told us about a doc called Slashers about people in the “Car moving biz”. Weird; yes. Tres American: Yes.

In The Goods, set in a small town in California, does what a quirky off-beat comedy should do; entertain, confuse and surprise. I’m not going to talk about the narrative or the character depth. Why you may ask? Well, there really isn’t any. It's a punch you in the face comedy with shiny colors. They try and pull a few heart strings to create some connections with the characters, but at the end of the day they serve up a funny movie that makes you laugh.

Can we end on a super random note. I asked Piven how the script for THE GOODS made its way to him and he said the name of the person and then went on to tell the story of how the movie got made. When he put it in his brother-in-laws hand, Adam Mckay (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0570912/), it moved quickly and was made within a year…ok, did you just hear what I said, Adam Mckay..What the H#$*…his bother-in-law is Adam Mckay…Crazytown. Adam McKay is married to Shira Piven, Jeremy’s sister. Ok, so there is your random fact for the day.

www.wired.com

2009-07-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

WIRED MAGAZINE

Time and time again Wired magazine comes out with the most well rounded articles I have ever read. Sure, tons of publications pump out quirky headlines, amusing stories and new spins on the records of the past, but it's a rare occassion when you can say a story is smart, funny, educational and entertaining. Wired meets that tall order ALMOST every issue.

Case in point; HOW TO BEHAVE: NEW RULES FOR HIGHLY EVOLVED HUMANS. The piece is written by Brad Pitt and promotes his new movie Inglorious Basterds.

The piece is a how to's of supremed douchness..How TO and NOT be a douche. Numerous questions are posed by "readers" with varying topics and interests. Below is an example of a question from HOW TO BEHAVE: NEW RULES FOR HIGHLY EVOLVED HUMANS;

I exaggerated my salary on my online dating profile. Should I fess up?
Hell no. Everyone lies online. In fact, readers expect you to lie. If you don't, they'll think you make less than you actually do. So the only way to tell the truth is to lie.

Clearly the "ironic" answer.... The next one is my favorite and I totally concur with the reader response.

Can I answer my cell during a movie if it seems urgent?
Never. It may be a brief interruption—just a few seconds—but what if someone sitting near you is trying to make a decent bootleg? Did you ever think of that? Now all those street-corner copies are permanently defiled by your so-called "emergency." Don't be so damn selfish.

The piece continues with similar questions that both educate and entertain,,,oh yeah, and make you laugh...They achieve the honor of most well rounded article by providing

- Relevant content that applies directly to the reader
- Promotional integration that truly fits. Brad Pitt is an actor with many facets..The article is a reflection of that and seamlessly builds in the Inglorious Basterds identity with the sub headlines
- The responses to the questions are both compelete insanity and totally on point. When they say you should take your "bluetooth headset" off when your not using it, that makes total sense....
- The photoshoot that was done to marry with the Q&A were almost stand alone---I could have been happy with the pictures and a quick caption!

Wired rules...FYI: Not only can you see it in print, but Wired has it online as well..Why, because they rule.

REVIEWS AND STUFF

2009-07-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

WORTHY DOCS

OUR DAILY BREAD
In the vain of Naqoyqatsi, OUR DAILY BREAD is a visual montage of different ways we grow, treat, harvest and consume our food. There are some amazing and disturbing images that leave you seeing the agricultural industry in a new light. OUR DAILY BREAD provides yet another opportunity for us, the consumer, to become more educated about how our food gets to us. It empowers us to make smarter purchasing decisions and to the part of the process that will hopefully effect positive change in the way food is farmed and distributed. Everyone has an opinion and OUR DAILY BREAD gives you a bit more info to strengthen or to question your existing opinions.

ADDICTED TO PLASTIC
Smart, well made, global perspective, relatively impartial, great education tool, gives true and feasible alternatives to ecological options to plastic. Rent it.

WWW.FUNNYPLACE.ORG

2009-07-06T07:45:00.001-07:00

THREE WORD MOVIE REVIEWS

2009-07-04T16:42:00.000-07:00

STAR TREK = Awesome, Beautiful, Entertaining

GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE= Fragmented, Anti-Climactic, Confusing

PUBLIC ENEMIES= Unnatural, Confusing, Disappointing

TV SHOWS

DAMAGES = Amazing, magnificent, Essential

TORONTO CITY STRIKE

2009-07-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know "At 12:20 a.m. on Monday, June 22, 2009, the City of Toronto's unionized employees represented by the Toronto Civic Employees' Union Local 416 (CUPE) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79 began a legal strike". The strike has affected many services in the city, including garbage pick-up. As a downtown dweller, I have seen the deterioration of the city streets over the last few weeks. I am writing this to talk about what this strike has highlighted about many people who live in the city of Toronto.

As I walked the length of Queen Street running from Dufferin to Church ( approx 45 min walk), my sense of smell was assaulted with a mixture of discarded foods left in overflowing garbage bins, alleyways and in places, right on the sidewalk. I was stepping over shopping bags full of take-out packaging, plastic bottles, plastic bags and other random garbage that didn't have a home. It highlighted two things:

1. People clearly don't feel that they have to take responsibility over their own waste
2. Most of the waste littering the streets doesn't have to exist. The items have been created over time to make our lives more convenient and to make the cost of doing business lower. Gone are the days of glass milk cartons and ONLY tupperware for lunches..We have been conditioned to think that single use items that are not recyclable and end up taking up much needed living space are ok to use. Only recently has the buy local and sustainable mantra become hip. There are not enough environmentally conscious people yet to make that a financially viable option for businesses, so it will remain a cottage industry until the education and empowerment spreads.

To help create awareness about the problem and try and help empower the community to effect change, I thought about creating a facebook group for people who want to volunteer their time to do neighborhood garbage clean up. I was embarrassed by the way my city looked and wanted to help clean it up. Then I thought that would be too easy..The ones who would volunteer would probably be the people bringing their garbage home, trying to reduce their impact on the waste issue and also looking for solutions. Those are not the ones who should be cleaning up after others....It should be the ones who have removed themselves from the responsibility of taking care of their own space, their city.

The strike has caused the situation, but it's not an excuse for relinquishing personal accountability. At the end of the day there is nobody to pick up our garbage right now. We need to take care of it and we are not. It is sad and I wish I could say that people took what their parents taught them as young ones to heart and CLEANED UP AFTER THEMSELVES, but they aren't. It doesn't mean they can't...But right now, they aren't and people's attitudes need to change about the city their live in or we will continue to fall apart even after the strike ends...What to do? Suggestions anyone?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(band)

2009-06-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

PHOENIX- GOOD, I THINK YES...

ONE WORD REVIEWS...

2009-06-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

WENDY AND LUCY = LAME

TRANSFORMERS = DISAPPOINTING

YEAR ONE = FUN

THE HANGOVER = SUPERGREATFUNNYNESS

MY SISTER'S KEEPER = DECENT

SAVE ME = WORTHY

TV SHOW TOSH.0 = HILARIOUS

WORLDWIDE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL LIKES MUSIC http://www.antilabelblog.com/?p=1819

2009-06-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/

2009-06-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

D.A. Therrien
BEAUTIFUL LIGHT: FOUR LETTER WORD MACHINE, 2009

D.A. Therrien's BEAUTIFUL LIGHT: FOUR LETTER WORD MACHINE will suspend four giant light sculptures in the air above Council Chambers, blasting an ever-changing array of four-letter word patterns all night long.

Suspended 65 meters in the air between the Viljo Revell-designed Toronto City Hall towers, the four 7m square alphanumeric quartz lamp arrays will display codes, DNA sequences and elemental words. With each of the four “characters” consisting of 16 light segments, the machine is capable of displaying nearly 4.94 billion distinct graphic combinations, facilitating the expression of any word in any language.

Human operators, themselves controlled via a system of computers and unusual interface devices, determine the final outcome of the display, directing surges of electricity through large scale electro-mechanical switching systems. The light/machine itself is 33 meters across and will be visible and readable for several miles.

Since 1984, D.A. Therrien has been creating large scale spectacles as “rituals of technology” – utilizing machines, computers, information displays, high intensity light, robotics and live electricity in complex interactions with human performers/operators. His performances in Europe, Asia and North America address humans’ relationship to political and religious systems, medical technology, surveillance, information systems and other 20th and 21st century technologies that are now pervasive in everyday life.

Installations in D.A. Therrien's BEAUTIFUL LIGHT series are derived from the phenomenas of light and electricity and the role of light in our belief systems, language, biology, natural world and cosmology – light as illumination, energy, information and as a metaphor for good and evil.
– www.beautifullight.org

TEEN WTICH- REVEALED

2009-06-17T12:51:00.001-07:00

SOOO GOOD--GENUIS OR INSANITY--YOU BE THE JUDGE

2009-06-17T12:41:00.001-07:00

Can't Tell Me Nothin' from Zach Galifianakis

http://www.jaman.com/

2009-06-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

JAMAN is in my opinion the slickest site to access an amazing array of content from around the Globe. It's easy to use, has features that customizes suggested content for you like ITunes does JAMAN offers both independent and studio productions in long and short form. I am one of the consumers who is cool with paying for my content online, I just want it easily and quickly...JAMAN does it...

UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS

2009-06-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

THIRD INSTALLMENT OF THE UNDERWORLD SERIES==I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THERE WILL BE MORE AND WILL THEN BE BY DEFINITION " A SERIES"

Quick info on RISE OF THE LYCANS: Viktor (Underworld)|Viktor, the ruthless king of the vampires, has captured werewolves and turned them into slaves that would toil for him and guard his vampire clan during the day. These lycanthrope|lycans are less volatile than the original breed, which cannot revert back to human form. The first of these Lycans was Lucian (Underworld)|Lucian, whom Viktor spared after killing his werewolf mother. As Lucian grows up at Viktor's home, he and Viktor's daughter Sonja (Underworld)|Sonja are attracted to one another and secretly become lovers.

I will be honest and let you know I did see the first UNDERWORLD. I did not see the second, UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION. When I sat down to watch LYCANS, I actually thought I was about to see the sequel. Shame on me for not keeping up on my vampire/werewolf flicks. So I decide to watch it and see if it really matters that I missed the second movie and let me tell you, it didn't. They did a good job of doing an intro recap of what's going on, who's who and what evil lurks for the vampires around the next corner. LYCANS does a great job of telling a story, keeping you engaged and setting the stage for the next UNDERWORLD. You are taken on a journey through the lives of both vampire and lycan; using the age old feuding families lovers story to create certain conflict. As per the original UNDERWORLD, vampires and lycans are doing ok until a few ruin it for the rest...Sonja (King's Daughter) falls for Lucien (head lycan)and it causes nothing but mayhem. She's stubborn, he's pushy, she doesn't take direction well, he's half man/half werewolf..Never a good combo. At this point they have hundreds of lycans working the kingdom under slavery. They are shackled and mining what appears to be coal..They are all sweaty and not a happy lot. They establish at the beginning of the film that there are other lycans outside the kingdom keeping watch, waiting for the chance to get in the door and cause some damage. When the humans and vampires get scared, the decide to have a meeting. People start coming from neighboring villages to the vampire kingdom to figure out how to deal with the lycans. Of course they decide to travel in the dead of night, when the lycan's blood lust is at its peak. Sonja decides to leave the kingdom walls to help the humans arrive safely and at that point it's a bloodbath worthy of a human/lycan fight..People are animals, animals are people..Blood is everywhere and you are thoroughly entertained. By the end of the movie you get just enough and can honestly say it was time well wasted. As long as your expectations are reasonable, you will enjoy a really cool movie that has tolerable acting, good CG and the satisfaction that UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS will not bleed into your subconscious and influence life decisions...It entertains you and then you go away..DONE, PEROID

http://www.whitelies.com/

2009-06-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

BBE = BEST BAND EVER----FOR NOW AT LEAST...

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... A star-studded cast turns out for Marc Shaiman's "Prop 8 - The Musical."

2009-06-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... from Jack Black

WORLDWIDE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL - CHECK IT

2009-06-07T18:16:00.001-07:00

Check-out Critic-Cal’s music video on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KCnqbNQom4

A CRUDE AWAKENING- THE OIL CRASH

2009-06-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

I feel privileged to be part of the DOC generation.

Through out my life, there have been a wide range of documentaries that have both educated and entertained me about the planet, the gods, the spoken word, the way we love, and much more. I can honestly say I am more aware, more empowered and more open to the possibility that there are multiple sides to every story. This ability to easily find well documented, concise and impactful information is not something that has been available for a long time. Only in the last 20 years did the interest of the Doc come into awesomeness. Then came the evolution of access to information, which made the filmmakers ability to make Docs well rounded; offering information from multiple perspectives and historical facts to substantiate the subject matter. This offers a great segue into the most recent doc I saw, A CRUDE AWAKENING, THE OIL CRASH.

CRUDE AWAKENING offers a wide span view into the world's VERY, VERY short history and romance with OIL. It marries interviews, historical data and fore sighting to give the viewer a picture of where we could be in 40 years. It reminds us that less than a century ago the world didn’t rely on oil at all, and the thought of it was but a distant twinkle in Texas’s eye. It was a time when coal was king and horses still ruled the roads. Of course that was then and this is now and we are looking at a future of continued oil dependency.

The best part of CRUDE AWAKENING is not the top experts in the field or the numerous statics referenced such as the millions of barrels a day the current oil producing countries must make to keep our cars on the road. The best part of CRUDE AWAKENING is the traumatic imagery shown of places in Baku and Venezuela. At one time they were major oil producing regions with growth, wealth and prosperity. Baku and Venezuela’s rusted oil rigs line the waterfront by the dozens reminiscent of dinosaurs and how they ruled the Earth. But now the rigs litter the shoreline that was once home to rich and diverse ecosystems. The water now thick with sludge leaves a haunting picture of things to come in current oil producing communities.

It is clear through the picture painted in CRUDE AWAKENING that we will run out of oil; it’s just a matter of when. By referencing Marion King Hubbert (October 5, 1903 – October 11, 1989) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubbert_peak_theory, there will be a point when we will need to reduce, if not eliminate, the amount of oil we need. We can now drill off shore and deeper than in 1975 when Hubbert put his peak theory forward. This means we will have more time than he suggested, but how much?

So what are the world leaders doing to get infrastructure, the manufacturing sector, technology and the economy ready for the next stage of fuel and energy innovation? CRUDE AWAKENING does not answer this question, but it does arm us with the knowledge that we need to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. WATCH IT!! TRY AND GET YOUR MIND BEYOND THE NEXT

POWDER BLUE- MOVIE REVIEW

2009-06-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Four Los Angelenoa – a mortician, an ex-con, a suicidal ex-priest, and a stripper – are brought together on Christmas Eve by a mixture of circumstances

Hi, my name is Powder Blue and I am the poor man's version of an intersecting storyline...Like the movie CRASH by Paul Haggis. The cast is stacked; Jessica Beil, Forrest Wittaker, Lisa Kudrow, Patrick Swayze (weird role, but he made me believe it and Ray Liotta (Whatever)...random Liotta story. I was working at a photo lounge years ago and their were some photo props including fine jewellery for talent who wanted to throw something on...Liotta walks by and says "Is this free". The individual taking care of the pieces says "no", and Liotta replies with "then what's the point". In addition to the above cast there was this guy Eddie Redmayne who was creepy and sexy and really interesting to watch. The whole movie is washed out with a light blue color and the movie carries this super depressing tone that sort of takes you somewhere...The question is wither you want to go to that "somewhere" they take you. I'm not going to give you a play by play of each storyline. Only that it's all been done before better in other films. The talent makes Powder Blue watchable, and it should be the other way around. The story should bring the actors to life with the depth of the characters. At least that's what I thought watching the film. I will say on the final tip that the sound editing and the chosen soundtrack was done so amazingly...the last 20 minutes were really beautiful and I almost gave it two high fives out five. But I didn't..If you are at home and it's on TMN, watch it...I wouldn't pay for it in the theatre...

I WISH I HAD MONEY--IF I DID, I WOULD GIVE IT TO THEM TO DO A WORLD TOUR

2009-05-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

HIGH-FIVE INAUGURATION! - watch more funny videos

MOVIE REVIEWS A LA NOONAN- FIGHTING http://fightingmovie.net/

2009-05-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you have a movie with Terrence Howard and Channing Tatum...And it's about fighting.
Could be amazing and super awesome...There are a few ways the film could have played out.

1. It could have been a straight up dude flick with well choreographed fight scenes that have a UFC tone. Nothing more, nothing less.

2. It could have been a film that shows the evolution of a character through his life as a young wrestler who battles his inner demons to fight a peace with his surroundings, his relationship with fighting and where his future is looking towards. Fighting would play as a metaphor for this evolution, providing a visual poetry to the storyline

3. It could have been a two dimensional film about a dude who fights and dates a chick with a kid.

The problem with Fighting is it was all of the above and none of the above. It made weak attempts to be deep and superficial and pretty and urban..and, and, and...You were suppose to care about the main character, Shawn MacArthur, who is befriended by a street hustler, Harvey Boarden. Within five minutes Harvey has witnessed Shawn's natural skills of the fight and has duped him into fighting. You don't get any history about Shawn's character until the middle of the movie, and by then you have no attachment or interest in Shawn's success or well being. Mid film, there is this secondary storyline dropped about Shawn being kicked out of wrestling school for hitting his dad after he got in the middle of a match with Shawn's rival, Evan Hailey....which he lost.

Of course Evan is now a pro fighter and shows up at the local club where Shawn is...where else would he be! This sort of establishes what Shawn ends up "fighting for". He has to finish the fight he lost so many years ago. Then he finds a girl that is hot, stalks her, has an akward date and they do it. Let's sum up the romantic storyline with "I have more chemistry with my tea kettle". Two hot and talented people do not always = on screen magic! Some other irrelevant scenes take place and everything is wrapped up in a pretty bow. FYI: Harvey boarden, Terrence Howard's character starts out with this bitchy high pitches voice,,sort of like Tyson meets Jewel,,By the Fourth act he was flat and clear as a bell,,,which made the audience happy, but the continuity person was clearly getting a latte when they were doing his voice work..

To close up this review I will wrap it up on a positive tip. Fighting had two things that made it tolerable...Channing Tatum in all his sexytime glory..If anyone has seen "http://www.saintsthemovie.com/" you know he has chops...But they were shelved for this flick..The second is the film was honestly flawed...There was an attempted honesty that gave you the impression the film makers were from NYC..It was beautiful..the arial shots at night made you want to be part of the big lights that power the New York night....The problem is I didn't sit down to watch an homage to New York Skylines..I sat down to watch Channing Tatum be hot and charming, Terrence Howard be awesome and awesome....Better luck watching chick cat fights on youtube..

2009-05-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

www.blip.fm .....LAST FM say bye, bye.....

TWITTER is the LAZERDISC of communication tools

2009-05-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

ANYONE REMEMBER LAZERDISC----I DIDN'T THINK SO

I am not sure how you feel about Twitter, but its frustrated me and actually decreased the quality of my life...I may not be embracing it as much as the "others", but with the busy lives we lead, it's important to multi-task and get stuff done...and done.. friend feed is some sweet action...And I hope more aggregators make their way to our browsers...But WITHOUT Twitter as an option...I am sure I will find another way to read about what David Miller's "assistants" are saying David is doing...