Boo!

"Child with Hallowe'en mask". Toronto, 1957. Credit: Archives of Canada

Here's a couple more neat-o photos from the vault of Canadian Halloweenin':

t.A.T.u on the "Big" Screen... Finally?

You and I. A t.A.T.u movie. Yes, that t.A.T.u.

The pseudo-lesbian techno lolitas have a movie based around them, which itself is based on a novel about them. The movie stars none other than The O.C. pout mistress Mischa Barton (with a fake Russian accent no less).

Directed by Rolan Joffé, him of past films like The Mission, and more recent fiascos like Captivity. I wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't even make it to video in North America.

Below is the trailer. Starts off awesome: "Lana was a beatiful girl..." and keeps getting better (ie. worse).

On the Road with Obama

Photojournalist Callie Shell's beautiful and unusually candid photos of Barack Obama:





Visit full gallery here.

REAL People in Political ADVERTISING

Okay, so we're all aware that's a barely reconcilable contradiction, right?

Real People/Advertising. Guess it depends on your definition of "the real"....

Well, whatever that is, it hasn't stopped politicians off all stripes from hoisting up the everyman in their TV ads since the 1950s. Framing them with their respective marketing strategies, and basically robbing them of any personal agency, or "realness". In effect, they are often reduced to an instrument of the campaign.

Errol Morris has an Editorial rundown in the NY Times today about these "Real-People Ads."

The impetus behind this article is his recent work on a new campaign ad for Barack Obama. "People in the Middle for Obama". It does better to let the 'real-people' speak for themselves (seemingly), but Morris's signature editing style does just that - it edits their soundclips to echo those of their chosen candidate.



Poor (pun intended) John McCain is getting seriously outspent (4:1) and now outclassed by Obama's advertising campaign (for President). Most expensive election ever.

Check out past campaign ads starring Joe Schmo. From 1952 on. (McGovern's ad is sick).

No matter who gets elected, the Dark Knight broke this thing open...

Over at the LA Times, there's a really interesting 2-part interview with The Dark Knight director Chris Nolan. In the first part he thankfully dismisses the direct political allegories some have attached to the film, and discusses the prospect of a third film:

Is there a story that’s going to keep me emotionally invested for the couple of years that it will take to make another one? That’s the overriding question. On a more superficial level, I have to ask the question: How many good third movies in a franchise can people name?

I'll name you some good 3rd movies: Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Return of the Jedi, Back to the Future III, Godfather III, Spiderman III, errr... wait, Nolan might have a point there. Well, I haven't seen The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift yet... where there's Bow Wow, there's hope.

Anyways, in the second part of the interview, Nolan dissects his favourite sequence from the film. Peep it here.



And if you're bugging out for more TDK treats, don't worry. The DVD's on it's way in December and the film is reportedly to be re-released in theaters in January - just in time for awards season. The NY Times has an article on its chances in what might turn out to be the 2008 Pop Oscars.

Best Song Ever of the Week: Alton Ellis

Sadly, the "Godfather of Rocksteady" passed on recently. Alton Ellis, 70, died of cancer on October 10, 2008.

His soul was legendary - the tough cryer from Trench Town, Kingston, Jamaica.

This song does some justice to his legacy. Listen to it: If I Could Rule This World, from the album Mr. Soul of Jamaica (later repackaged as Cry Tough).

As a side note, check out artist Keith Warren Greiman visual interpretation of the song "Cry Tough" by Ellis.

Listen here. Look here. Via Said the Gramophone.

Norm Macdonald: Comedic (Un)Genius

Norm pulls an Andy Kaufman style stunt at the Bob Saget Roast a couple months back:



Speaking of Norm, here's a blast from the past where he steals an interview away from "Melrose Place" star Courntey Thorne-Smith on Conan.

Did you know that Neil is his brother? One of Canada's best TV journalists.

It's Alive!

The post-indie experimental pop outfit Animal Collective have a new album out on January 20, 20009.

This is the artwork for Merriweather Post Pavilion:























Does it move for you? It does for me, and I kind of hate it - i'm now questioning my capacity for objectivity. And I was never even able to do those damned magic eye things....

Antidotes: Drunk History Volume 4

The "Drunk History" series of web videos is hilarious and learn-ed. With cameos from the likes of Jack Black and Michael Cera, the concept is simple - get someone drunk and have them narrate an event from American history... and then come the over the top recreations.

This new one stars Paul Schneider of Lars and the Real Girl and All the Real Girls. He keeps it real in this too:

Indeed. "Don't elect an old dude for President". Sorry McCain fans.

Volume 1 (with Michael Cera). Volume 2 (with Jack Black). Volume 3 (with Danny McBride).

Sexy Canadian Dinosaur!

Pachyrhinosaur lakustai = One sexy motherf- (shut your mouth).

Seriously, take a look at this relative of the Triceratops. He/She is a hottie.

The bones of which were found in along the Pipestone Creek riverbed in Alberta, Canada.

Despite their less-than-cuddly appearance, researchers believe other Pachyrhinosaurs would have found the sharp adornments appealing.

Philip Currie, a paleontologist at the University of Alberta, said "it's generally conceded that these horns on the face and the frill were to make [the dinosaurs] attractive to potential mates."

Via National Geographic.

The Knack of: Jonah Samson

Jonah Samson: Master of the Disturbing Diorama!

You get the idea what he's grooving on with titles like "Fucking", "Bear Mauling", "Grave Digger", and "Peeping Tom".

Check out more of his work on his website. Via Weekly Teinou.

The Smallest House in Toronto

This weekend I took a little detour... to the smallest house in Toronto - on 128 Day Avenue near Dufferin & Rogers in the former City of York. The house is so small in fact, that you can hardly see it on Googlemaps.



It's sorta kinda near where I grew up so I used to stop by every once in a while. But I had no idea it was so famous. It was on the market for a while in the winter and I guess everybody was in a frenzy about it.

The house has a website. A tribute song. Neatorama has a post on the history of the petit dwelling. And Ellen Degeneres did a whole bit about it on her show - watch the clip here.

Photocredit: Moi

President Palin

When do you think it will happen? 2012? 2016?

If you can't wait until then to see the zany results, then head to PalinAsPresident and click around the interactive photo.

Trailer Park: JCVD

Besides Watchmen and The Day the Earth Stood Still, this is about the only trailer that's got me excited these days: Jean Claude Van Damme is JCVD!



Looks awesome, eh? Don't be so surprised. I missed it at the Toronto Film Festival, but I will be sure to check it out opening week once it hits theaters.

Don't you wish you were on a first name basis with Steven Seagal? After all, he is God.

Enduring Classic: NHL '94

NHL '94. Quite possibly the greatest sports game ever (the Genesis version of course).



I don't know what beats it - maybe Super Mario Kart or NBA Jam for SNES, perhaps Blades of Steel for NES. What d'ya think?

I recently saw an interview with Jeremy Roenick (the strongest player in the game), and he said that it's by far the most common topic fans will bring up with him.

Immortalized in this clip from the movie Swingers, the game's capacity to make players bleed from the head with no fighting is one of the reasons it's so pure and amazingly playable.

As a testament to it's greatness, there's an entire website devoted to the classic game: NHL94.com.

Under The Thumb

5 Days Left...

Courtesy of the Linux Caffe in Toronto.

Terrible photos courtesy of me.

Don't Eat Bison Burgers

Eat Wolf Burgers.

The Dark Knight Pinball Machine = Easy Peasey

I played the new Dark Knight pinball machine the other day (at the perfect Toronto bar The Only).

I lasted forever.

I am very bad at pinball.

I was bored.

Whenever I've played pinball, I've wished it I could last longer. It happened and it wasn't that great. Is pinball inherently boring?

If you're interested in checking it out yourself, then buy it for only $4,395USD. Don't trust me, then watch a 7minute review of it on the Tube (pfft).

Doppelgängers: John McCain Edition

Actor Kevin Tighe is John McCain (and he's even a bigger jerk).



You might remember him as Jersknake Supremo from "Freaks and Geeks", Newsies, and more recently as the villainous Anthony Cooper in "Lost".

Star Wars Film Strip

Do the time warp back to the days of film strips - this Star Wars pictorial rundown is beautiful (kinda long though at 20something minutes).

"Kids today" would never appreciate this. "Kids today" watch horse porn on the internet before they've even played spin the bottle. Rant over.