Pop Gunning

The Best Bruce Springsteen Covers of the 2000s

2012-01-26T12:55:00.001-05:00

It's nothing new for musicians to take a crack at Springsteen's songs, but through his resurgence in popularity and influence over the last few years even more artists are covering the Boss.

I guess his tunes are so damned fun to sing. And since the original versions are all so identifiable they immediately take on new life when performed by a different artist. It probably doesn't hurt either that a lot of his work can be quite dated by their production styles - especially his 80s stuff.

Anyways, here are my favorites from the last few years...

Kurt Vile - "Downbound Train"

The Hold Steady - "Atlantic City"

Tortoise and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "Thunder Road"

Camera Obscura - "Tougher than the Rest"

Marissa Nadler - "The River"

Vampire Weekend - "I'm Going Down"

Julian Casablancas - "Dancing in the Dark"

Tegan and Sara - "Dancing in the Dark"

Honorable mention to the National's "Mansion on the Hill" and Arcade Fire's "State Trooper". I think these newer takes definitely hold up to some of the classic Bruce covers like Johnny Cash's "I'm on Fire" or David Bowie's "It's Hard to be a Saint in the City", and of course Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Born to Run".

Trailer Park Thursday: Haywire!

2012-01-05T14:34:00.000-05:00

Gina Carano, former MMA fighter lady, is Mallory Kane - covert operative and ass kicker of handsome men.

You can thank Steven Soderbergh for that. Looks like he's made the invert response to his 2009 film, The Girlfriend Experience, which starred former pornographer lady Sasha Grey.

Haywire hits North American screens on January 20th.

Christmas Music That's Not Christmas Music

2011-12-20T11:51:00.001-05:00

'Tis the season for the same ole crappy holiday music that bombards us each year. Tripe like Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" invades our ear-brains over and over again.

But just because the typical Christmas jams are clunkier than a fruitcake, it doesn't mean I don't like to get my merry jolly on.

The solution? Re-purposing non-Chritmas tunes. I'm a sucker for seasonalizing my music listening anyway, and you always hear people talking about summer music. Well, the same can be said of winter music and more specifically Christmas music.

Here are some artists and albums that get me into the Holiday spirit even if the content is decidedly non-Christmas.

The Concretes - The Concretes
Although they're better known as a "summery pop" band, this album is perfect for the cold, snowy months. Same can be said for other bands of the Belle & Sebastian/Phil Spector variety.

"Warm Night"

Sigur Ros - ()
Doesn't carry the Christmas music hallmarks of quirky and cozy, but if you're looking for an epic soundtrack to your Christmas vacation on the slopes, look no further.

"Untitled 3"

Bjork - Vespertine
Seems the best non-Christmas Christmas music is made in Iceland and Scandinavia. And the queen of Nordic charms is no exception.

"Frosti"

Fiery Furnaces - Gallowbird's Bark
Fiery Furnaces' debut album is their most direct and tuneful. And I'm a bit unsure why I think this sounds Christmas-ish, but if you want to get literal about it, there's a song called "Up in the North".

The Stills - Logic Will Break Your Heart
Melancholy and sentimentalism, that's what Christmas is all about, right?

"Of Montreal"

Stornoway - Beachcomber's Windowsill
Stornoway's pastoral folk is perhaps the perfect soundtrack for a car trip to the tree lot or to cure the blues after a trip to the shopping mall.

"Zorbing"

Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
This would probably play better at your more raucous Christmas party. Once the Santa hats come off and the egg nog starts flowing (that's not sexual innuendo, promise).

"Floating in the Forth"

Wild Beasts - Limbo, Panto
Nothing like theatrical avant-pop to get you primed for the 25th. Maybe it's because it sounds a bit "churchy".

"The Devil's Crayon"

And if you're still looking for something a little more traditional, but want to say bah humbug to the humdrum, check out Toronto record store Soundscapes, which has a fantastic guide to some diamonds in the rough.

Strong Images: Gaddafi Graffiti

2011-11-04T11:39:00.017-04:00

Since he was captured on October 20th, I've mostly managed to avoid the graphic images of Muammar Gaddafi's near corpse.

Despite newspapers and websites pushing them to their front pages, I'd much rather direct my eyeballs at the anti-Gaddafi graffiti ubiquitous in Libya during the civil war.

A nice antidote to the bloody, pitiful, sensational images. This street art seems to have a lot more to do with the situation of the Libyan people - their past sufferings and new hopes.

The Origins of a "Douchebag"

2011-07-03T07:47:00.005-04:00

douche bag
noun
a small syringe for douching the vagina, esp. as a contraceptive measure.
• informal a loathsome or contemptible person (used as a term of abuse).

Nope. Neither of those definitions do the trick. Not for the way "douchebag" or the shortened "douche" is used these days. Maybe one of Urban Dictionary's 207 descriptions nail it... but probably not. To be sure, these days it's a ubiquitous term for smarmy jerks - often of the preppy or meathead variety. But like "epic", "hipster", or any fashionable slang, it's really overused. After a while everything is "epic" and everyone is a "douchebag". Just lazy, lazy communication.

So let's bring it back to the basics and at least use this (notably sexist) insult with some precision and finesse. And as with all important cultural trends, we look for illumination from Booger of Revenge of the Nerds:

Conveniently enough Booger, or actor Curtis Armstrong, appears a year later in Better Off Dead to further illustrate the characteristics of the prototypical douchebag.

And if you're not convinced of the mainstream's recent acceptance/overuse of this term, check out this list of movie quotes (from IMDb, where 56 results included only 8 references from before 2000):

The Social Network (2010)

Sorry! My Prada's at the cleaners! Along with my hoodie and my 'fuck you' flip-flops, you pretentious douchebag!

Jennifer's Body (2009)

Who cares about Jennifer, and those douchebags with their douchebag haircuts and their man-scara? People just burned to death!

The Happening (2008)
All right, be scientific, douchebag.

Cloverfield (2008)
You're not good enough for her. She's beautiful, she's charming. And you, I love you, but let's face it you're kind of a douchebag.

Crank (2006)

Bonjour, douchebag. I thought you might be interested in a little deal.

The Departed (2006)

Well, make more fuckin' money. This is America. You don't make money, then you're a fuckin' douchebag.

Hollywood: The Commander Pirate

2011-03-24T10:02:00.011-04:00

The movie business - as much as it has always been a business, and as much as it has always stolen from other properties (books, comics, other movies) - seems to continually grow more inert and cannibalistic each year. As summer approaches more sequels, remakes, reboots, and adaptations enter the fray each year. And though, this "old is new" filmmaking strategy is really nothing new, it may seem overwhelming just because of the lack of alternate fare to balance the scales these days.

"The Day the Movies Died", a recent article in GQ by Mark Harris articulates the depth of this "retreads only" trend perfectly. Harris laments the fact that the studios are so paralyzed by the size of their investments that even a refreshingly heirless blockbuster like Inception provides no motivation for innovation.

Most hilariously though, Harris meticulously outlines what Hollywood has on tap for 2011 and 2012. The absurdity is staggering:

2011...

Four adaptations of comic books. One prequel to an adaptation of a comic book. One sequel to a sequel to a movie based on a toy. One sequel to a sequel to a sequel to a movie based on an amusement-park ride. One prequel to a remake. Two sequels to cartoons. One sequel to a comedy. An adaptation of a children's book. An adaptation of a Saturday-morning cartoon. One sequel with a 4 in the title. Two sequels with a 5 in the title. One sequel that, if it were inclined to use numbers, would have to have a 7 1/2 in the title.¹

2012...

An adaptation of a comic book. A reboot of an adaptation of a comic book. A sequel to a sequel to an adaptation of a comic book. A sequel to a reboot of an adaptation of a TV show. A sequel to a sequel to a reboot of an adaptation of a comic book. A sequel to a cartoon. A sequel to a sequel to a cartoon. A sequel to a sequel to a sequel to a cartoon. A sequel to a sequel to a sequel to a sequel to a movie based on a young-adult novel.²
1. Captain America, Cowboys & Aliens, Green Lantern, and Thor; X-Men: First Class; Transformers 3; Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides; Rise of the Apes; Cars 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2; The Hangover Part II; Winnie the Pooh; The Smurfs in 3D; Spy Kids 4; Fast Five and Final Destination 5; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

2. The Avengers; Spider-Man (3D); Men in Black 3 (3D); Star Trek untitled; Batman 3; Monsters, Inc. 2; Madagascar 3; Ice Age: Continental Drift in 3D; The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2.

What Were The Best Movies of 2010?

2011-03-23T17:45:00.012-04:00

This is the fourth year in a row I've tried to come up with a list of my ten favorite movies, and it seems like each year it takes me longer to figure it out.

Looking at the final list, the common thread seems to be that all these movies surprised me in some kind of way. From 10 on down, these films impressed or prodded me in ways I didn't expect. And I guess if a movie doesn't excite or stimulate, then what's the point...?

So without further rationalization, here are the best/most surprising movies of 2010!

Honorable Mentions: Get Low (d. Aaron Schneider) / TRON: Legacy (d. Joseph Kosinski) / Another Year (d. Mike Leigh) / Never Let Me Go (d. Mark Romanek) / Mother (d. Bong Joon-Ho)

10) The Other Guys (d. Adam McKay / w. Adam McKay, Chris Henchy)

The best of the recent rash of action-comedies, The Other Guys has a political bent to go with its hilarity. It goes on too long, but there are enough surprising moments to raise it above the usual studio comedy fare - including one of the best death sequences ever in a cop movie. trailer / buy

9) The Eclipse (d. Conor McPherson / w. Conor McPherson, Billy Roche)

I'm a sucker for movies that don't stick to any one genre or set of cinematic rules or expectations. The Eclipse does horror, romance, and family drama simultaneously and each crisscrossing thread only strengthens the previous stitch. And with all this going on, it still manages to be a bit frightening. clip / buy

8) The Wild Hunt (d. Alexandre Franchi / w. Mark Antony Krupa, Franchi)

Walk into a movie theater with nothing to hope for and sometimes you're rewarded with wit, action, terror and pathos. Nope, not often, but sometimes. This was very much the case with this LARP takeoff, which revels in pulling the rug up from under the audience more than once. trailer / buy

7) Kick-Ass (d. Matthew Vaughn / w. Jane Goldman, Vaughn)

A comic book movie that remixes and plays with comic conventions – something that's turning into a genre of all its own. 20 years from now, I'd love to see Kick-Ass sandwiched on a triple bill with Spider-Man and A History Of Violence.

trailer / buy

6) The Ghost Writer (d. Roman Polanski / w. Robert Harris, Polanski)

This was a staggering surprise for me since I'm not much of a fan of Polanski or the film's actors. But boy, did I love me some of this old-fashioned thrilla. A heavy atmosphere and dripping in tension; a proper "movie" that Hitchcock and the Cahiers-ists could be proud of. trailer / buy

5) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (d. Edgar Wright / w. Michael Bacall, Wright)

This comic strip flick is chocked-full of tricks and quirks, but somehow nothing seems like a gimmick. It's as about as refreshing a movie as a comic book nerd from Toronto could ask for. trailer / buy

4) The Fighter (d. David O. Russell / w. Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson)

A drama that is unafraid to be hilarious and over-the-top, but at the same time subdued and mechanically precise. Usually these "inspirational" bio flicks are a bore, but The Fighter is nearly everything except boring. alternate trailer / buy

3) The Social Network (d. David Fincher / w. Aaron Sorkin)

Oozing with style, Fincher and Sorkin prove that a film can be more than its subject. Sure, Zuckerberg's story is fascinating, but who would've thought Facebook's cacophony of conformity would lead to a movie this resonant. clip / buy

2) Inception (d./w. Christopher Nolan)

A mind-bending blockbuster-auteur film, of which we get so few of. Chris Nolan's universe completes itself in this unendingly cool and spectacular dream diorama. trailer / buy

1) Marwencol (d. Jeff Malmberg)

After watching this movie, I had the rare urge to jump up for a standing ovation. It's an intimate and unforgettable documentary that makes all the right decisions in telling a story that could've easily been trampled all over. trailer / buy

Thanks for reading, and if you think this list is bullshit, check out my past lists for more injustices and omissions: 2009 / 2008 / 2007

How To Drink A Pancake

2011-03-21T14:20:00.007-04:00

Whether you call it a Pancake Milkshake or Hot Cake Mix Drink or a Pancake Essence Beverage, it really doesn't matter. I just want a sip.

If you live in Japan, it's probably available in a vending machine near you (and if you live somewhere else, like Oslo or Edmonton - you can order it here: http://www.jbox.com/product/DRK014). Best served warm.

Take that Aunt Jemima!

The Arbor: Not Your Average Documentary

2011-03-03T09:30:00.012-05:00

"Unoriginal". The be-all end-all pejorative when criticizing a movie. Usually movie critics and jilted viewers reserve this bile for Hollywood re-runs and genre re-hashes. But perhaps the most "unoriginal" genre of all usually escapes unscathed - documentary.

For every documentary film that does something "original" with the genre, there are hundreds that just recycle the same interview, archive, and re-enactment techniques ad infinitum. Don't be fooled though, there's more than one way to handle non-fiction.

The Arbor is not one of these cookie-cutter docs. Directed by Clio Barnard, this film has style and guile to spare in its approaches to non-fiction representation. The film tells the story of the late English playwright Andrea Dunbar and the grave reverberations of her work and life in her children.

The film starts with this card: “This is a true story filmed with actors lip-syncing to the voices of the people whose story it tells."

And this technique of having actors sync-act to pre-recorded interviews isn't the only representation strategy at play in The Arbor. Alongside that and a variety of other techniques, strewn throughout the film are a different set of actors performing scenes from Andrea Dunbar's most famous play - also titled "The Arbor" - in the neighborhood her life and work were set in, which you guessed it, is the Arbor (in Bradford, England). And maybe the coolest part of all this, as this play within the movie unfolds, local people and members of Andrea's family look on as the real-life audience.

Yes, as The Arbor reminds us, we can expect more from documentaries. Non-fiction films can be held up to aesthetic standards just as fiction films are. Substance still leads, but style can follow.

I Am Not a Gadget (Yet)

2011-03-01T10:37:00.004-05:00

I just started reading Jaron Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto, and it's been instantaneously off-putting and refreshing through the first couple chapters.

Lanier argues for new, more humanistic tech design that unlocks us from the often arbitrary designs of software, the web, etc, that can seem so inevitable and natural. He offers a fairly pessimistic view of things so far, but with good reason.

Early on, he lists some "things you can do to be a person instead of a source of fragments to be exploited by others".

> Don’t post anonymously unless you really might be in danger.
> If you put effort into Wikipedia articles, put even more effort into using your personal voice and expression outside of the wiki to help attract people who don't yet realize that they are interested in the topics you contributed to.
> Create a website that expresses something about who you are that won’t fit into the template available to you on a social networking site.
> Post a video once in a while that took you one hundred times more time to create than it takes to view.
> Write a blog post that took weeks of reflection before you heard the inner voice that needed to come out.
> If you are twittering, innovate in order to find a way to describe your inner state instead of trivial external events, to avoid the creeping danger of believing that objectively described events define you, as they would define a machine.

That last one is especially challenging to me. I sort of love Twitter, but I consume 100x more tweets than I generate. Partially because I try to avoid those trivial external events, but if I'm going to continue to use it, I should figure out a way to actually use it.

I'm going to try to stick to these suggestions as I finish the book, and in the meantime I'm going to watch this video of the video game "Moondust", which Lanier designed in 1983.

Best Albums of 2010

2011-02-17T10:23:00.016-05:00

2010? Whuh? Yes, I'm a bit late on the whole end-of-year-list frenzy. But I require distance. I need to acquire some perspective. Okay, okay... I'm a procrastinator.

In any case, here's my favourite albums of last year - for posterity's sake.

20. Quest for Fire - Lights From Paradise

19. Harlem - Hippies

18. Curren$y - Pilot Talk

17. Roky Erickson - True Love Cast Out All Evil

16. Anagram - Majewski

15. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

14. Beach House - Teen Dream

13. Yeasayer - Odd Blood

12. Menomena - Mines

11. Vampire Weekend - Contra

10. Micah P. Hinson - And the Pioneer Saboteurs

9. Steve Mason - Boys Outside

8. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

7. The Goodnight Loving - The Goodnight Loving Supper Club

6. Stornoway - Beachcomber's Windowsill

5. MGMT - Congratulations

4. The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

3. The War on Drugs - Future Weather

2. The Radio Dept - Clinging to a Scheme

1. Foals - Total Life Forever

Honorable Mentions:
Doug Paisley - Constant Companion / Frog Eyes - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph / Das Racist - Sit Down, Man & Shut Up, Dude

Best Songs of 2010 (that missed my top 20 albums)

2011-01-02T10:29:00.007-05:00

Much sweet tuneage was made this past year.

The following are hot tracks from albums that just missed my top 20 album list - which is upcoming.

Enjoy! Farewell MMX.

20. Carl Barât - "Run with the Boys" from Carl Barât

19. Tokyo Police Club - "End of a Spark" from Champ

18. Bedouin Soundclash feat. Coeur de Pirate - "Brutal Hearts" from Light the Horizon

17. The Futureheads - "Hearbeat Song" from The Chaos

16. Plants & Animals - "Jeans, Jeans, Jeans" from La La Land

15. Black Mountain - "Roller Coaster" from Wilderness Heart

14. The Walkmen - "Victory" from Lisbon

13. The Soft Pack - "Answer to Yourself" from The Soft Pack

12. Drake - "Over" from Thank Me Later

11. Suckers - "It Gets Your Body Movin'" from Wild Smile

10. Janelle Monae - "Cold War" from The ArchAndroid

9. Avey Tare - "Laughing Hieroglyphic" from Down There

8. Sade - "Soldier of Love" from Soldier of Love

7. Land of Talk - "Colour Me Badd" from Cloak & Cipher

6. Shad - "Yaa I Get It" from TSOL

5. Adam Green - "Buddy Bradley" from Minor Love

4. Caribou - "Odessa" from Swim

3. M.I.A. - "It Takes A Muscle" from Maya

2. Avi Buffalo - "One Last" from Avi Buffalo

1. Los Campesinos! - "The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future" from Romance is Boring

Weirdie Beans At? & How the Internet is Killing the TV

2010-12-16T09:49:00.006-05:00

Oh, TV. How I cherish you so. I've invested so much time and effort into our relationship. And you always find a way to repay me.

Like the day I stumbled across an episode of the 1-season wonder, "Mission Hill". A humble animated series that provided this gem of a scene between main character Andy, his little brother Kevin, and Kevin's would-be girlfriend Eunice Eulmeyer - also referred to as "Weirdie" by Andy behind her back... until now:

That classic phrase "Weirdie Beans At?" was repeated endlessly by my friends and I for a year or so. It became such a popular response to anything out of the ordinary, that I once remember overhearing someone in our local university haunt use it over a game of pool. I had never met this person before, and it was obvious he had never seen the show.

In the age of the YouTube, I'm not sure this kind of customized pop culture internalization is as resonant as it was back in the age of the plain ol' tube.

I absolutely love how I'm now able to call up this clip whenever I want. But maybe that convenience eliminates any need for us to make these little gems our own - like me and my friends did with the "Weirdie Beans" moment. The ease of accessibility gives way to a disposable relationship with this stuff. It used to be freaking hard work finding interesting stuff on television. Now we're sent links to amazing videos nearly every day. Videos that would've reverberated through us for way longer in the TV era.

It's an interesting to think about this, especially at the end of a year when we'll be inundated with lists of the year's "best internet memes" and "most watched viral videos", and so on. I'd be curious to look at those lists from 2007, 2009, or whenever and see how much we access or relate to those formerly ubiquitous clips now. I'm guessing we'd barely be able to make it to the end of the progress bar on most of them.

Keeping up with "The Joneses"

2010-12-06T18:19:00.004-05:00

From Wikipedia:
"[The Joneses] had a limited release on April 16, 2010 & was released on DVD & Blu-Ray On August 10, 2010."

Hmmmmmm.....

I guess it's no longer unusual for a movie to be released on video a mere four months after its theatrical release. However, when that limited release involves an invisible marketing campaign, but still boasts an A(minus)-list cast of Demi Moore and David Duchovny, it seems like something strange is going on behind the scenes. Especially when it turns out that it isn't an entirely horrible movie.

Not horrible, The Joneses has a catchy premise and for the most part is a moderately interesting failure. (Try using that quote to sell Blu-Ray discs!) But I wonder if the fact that it skewers American consumer culture so thoroughly might be the reason for its fleeting North American theatrical run.

But that conspiratorial take doesn't quite make sense since the movie effectively promotes the consumer lifestyle as much as it satirizes it. The film takes some dark turns, but it's glossy aesthetic comes pretty close to fetishizing its stars and their wealth. And then it gives up on any kind of critical stance with its (spoiler alert) tacked on happy ending.

Does somebody smell test audience interference? Well, that makes a little more sense when I stumbled upon a comment on the IMDb message boards from somebody who saw it in France where the film ends on a more somber (and fitting) note. I guess North Americans can't handle the heavy shit like the French can, them being all existential and whatnot.

It makes for an interesting comparison of how a film is received, or more accurately, how films are perceived to be received in different countries/cultures.

The film's promotional posters betray the different angles of The Joneses versus La Famille Jones:

Sine Your Pity on the Runny Kine!

2010-11-17T10:17:00.010-05:00

It's a bit of a funeral march walking through the aisles of a closing video rental store. This twisted reenactment of a lost ritual of youth is so common these days that it won't last for long - since there's not many stores left to shut their doors.

Growing up, I probably spent more time in my local and now defunct Video 99 than any other store besides Consumer's Distributing (especially if you include the catalog in the hour count). But if there's one upside of the demise of the video rental store, it's the chance to pick up great deals on out-of-print or hard-to-find movies*.

For example, the forgotten classic Pootie Tang. Yes, I'm in love with Pootie - not unlike the women in the film who can't resist the charms of the heroic 70s throwback, crime fighting lothario. Yes, I was one of the 8 people there on opening night in June of 2001 to check out this hilarious and confusing mess of a comedy. And yes, I finally tracked down a DVD copy of it at a Movie Gallery closing sale in Barrington Passage, Nova Scotia.

I watched it again last night for the first time, and noticed a few things (which you might have also noticed in the above unreleased trailer for the movie).

1. Written and directed by Louis CK, it bares very little resemblance to his stand-up routine or his recent sitcom work. Besides a like-minded worldview that defends the little guy and roots for the working class.

2. In a deleted scene featured in the credits, a very young ~~Veronica Mars~~ Kristen Bell plays possibly the only girl on earth who can resist Pootie's charms.

3. Pootie Tang features two characters from "The Wire". Reg E. Cathey/Norman Wilson as Dirty Dee and J.D. Williams/Preston 'Bodie' Broadus as Froggy. The two are criminal comrades in the movie and I don't know if they share a single scene in the Wire. I wonder if the casting director for "The Wire" could repeat that fact.

*I should emphasize that I have zero sympathy/nostalgia for the death of the Blockbuster juggernaut. The chain's own arrogance led to their decline and bankruptcy. Not Netflix, not Itunes, and not illegal downloading. Blockbuster's tragic flaw was they sucked.

Nude Creature Double Feature

2010-11-07T08:35:00.004-05:00

Seems like all the neo-psychedelic electro-pop bands have Alf fever these days.

Here are two pretty, sappy songs from Yeasayer and MGMT, both featuring music videos with sickly beige mutants on the cusp of expiration. Is this a sign of things to come? A new trend perhaps that will have us squirming for the 201os?

Either way, these will get you suffiently grossed/blissed out for the time being.

MGMT: "Congratulations"

Yeasayer: "Mad Hatter"

Best Canadian TV Shows of Ever

2010-11-05T14:36:00.017-04:00

On Tuesday November 2nd, I attended one of the Industry Galas that made up the 25th Annual Gemini Awards. If you don't already know, the Geminis are the Canadian equivalent of the Emmy's, honouring achievement in television broadcasting from best visual effects to best documentary series.

And besides giving me a chance to creep around minor Canadian celebrities (are there any other kind!?), it got me thinking about what Canadian TV stands out for me. And I realized quickly, that the shows I think of as my favourites have a few things in common: (1) they're off the air (2) they're mostly comedic (3) they're mostly "for kids".

But without further rationalizing the subjectivity of this subjective list, here are the best Canadian television shows ever...

10) Reboot
This is more of a representative pick because there's just so many great cartoons to pick from. And of course, I couldn't bear giving a shout-out to The Raccoons or The Smoggies. Plus, being the first completely computer animated TV series has to got to count for something.

9) Kenny Vs Spenny
Brilliant both in its simplicity and stupidity, KVP is almost always entertaining. No genre? No problem.

8) The Newsroom
Consistently funny and smart (without being smug) the Newsroom is probably the most pleasantly surprising comedy CBC ever aired.

7) You Can't Do That On Television
This kids sketch comedy show not only gave little Alanis Morissette her first big break, but it was so irreverent and fun that it later bolstered the ratings of the then fledgling Nickelodeon network in the US.

6) The New Music
Canadian TV's answer to Rolling Stone Magazine, the show was ground breaking when it started in 1979 and managed to stay relevant until its cancellation in 2008.

5) The Kids in the Hall
Canadians have this comedy shit on lock. The Brits have punk rock, we have sketch shows.

4) Mr. Dressup
Next to the Simpsons and Seinfeld, I've probably watched more hours of Mr. Dressup than anything else. Please don't confuse it with the creepier, American Mr. Rogers.

3) Degrassi Jr. High
I think being a teenager was a lot easier for me since I got to see it all go down when I was still just a little kid. Teen melodrama never looked this ugly (that's a good thing).

2) Fraggle Rock
Who doesn't love the Fraggles? The music, the characters, the concept - they're all "rock" solid. Add in the fact that the left-field Canadian poet bpNichol wrote on several episodes, and you get an idea of the homespun brilliance that was FR.

1) SCTV
Second City Television was unendingly hilarious and innovative. Crap, what else can I say? Pound for pound, funnier than Saturday Night Live.

Honorable Mentions:
Today's Special, Dear Aunt Agnes, The Rick Mercer Report, My Secret Identity, Mantracker, Nanalan, Fashion Television, Kidstreet, The Wedge, Wok with Yan!, King of Kensington, Catwalk

And if I was looking to make a list of dramatic series, I'd probably include stuff like:
Intelligence, Slings & Arrows, Street Legal, Traders, DaVinci's Inquest

What I miss?

How To Beat The Lakers... Train a Dragon!

2010-05-20T10:10:00.006-04:00

It's hard, but I try to keep basketball references to a minimum here. However painful the truth is, I understand that most people don't share the same affection for the painful minutiae of the Toronto Raptors franchise or Manu Ginobili's latest heroics.

This analogy though, I couldn't resist. It came to be like a (tiny) bolt of lighting. If you think of the Los Angeles Lakers as the NBA's dominant, invulnerable dragons, then the Phoenix Suns just might be the workmanlike dragon slaying vikings! Steve Nash is Hiccup... and Kobe Bryant (The Black Mamba) just might be his Night Fury!

Confused? Have you seen How to Train Your Dragon? Well, if you haven't, trust me. The basic underdog plot transposes nearly perfectly to the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Suns.

My apologies.

The Ambling Kid

2010-05-17T22:59:00.003-04:00

Check out this little hybrid ditty I edited together:

Not unlike my last attempt at a movie/song mash-up, except this one is a bit more literal. "Ambling Alp" really has that inspirational thing going for it. And what movie is more inspirational than The Karate Kid ?

Hope I don't offend any Joe "Bean" Esposito fans. You guys are the best.

Diada de Sant Jordi

2010-04-23T08:14:00.006-04:00

Suck it Valentine's Day!

Today is Sant Jordi Day in Catalonia (or St. George's Day in England and elsewhere). It's the day that sees La Rambla in Barcelona packed with merchants selling books and roses to tens of thousands of people looking to honour their friends and lovers in a tradition which honours their Patron Saint, and has been for the last 575 years.

As Wikipedia puts it:

The main event is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts, loved ones and respected ones. Historically, men gave women roses, and women gave men a book to celebrate the occasion—"a rose for love and a book forever." In modern times, the mutual exchange of books is customary. Roses have been associated with this day since medieval times, but the giving of books is a more recent tradition originating in 1923 when a bookseller started to promote the holiday as a way to commemorate the nearly simultaneous deaths of Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespeare on April 23, 1616.

Today something like 20 million Euros worth of books and 5 million flowers will be sold, so it's definitely a commercialized holiday. But still, compare the exchange of items so simple as a rose and book to the vortex of commercialism on Valentine's Day in North America (see we even make sure to drop the "Saint" as much as we can). As much as Sant Jordi day reflects tradition and promotes a communal experience, Valentine's Day promotes disposable consumerism and empty gestures.

So from here on in, I officially transition my allegiances from the spurious Saint Valentine to the heroic Sant Jordi. I suggest you do the same. Or perhaps you celebrate Love Day with the Simpsons. That's fine by me too.

If you want to read more and can read Catalan (or Castilian), check out today's coverage in El Periódico de Catalunya: Sant Jordi, de gom a gom.

And you can also follow the action via Twitter: http://trendsmap.com/r/KhSG

Bring the Take 5 to Canada

2010-03-30T08:55:00.006-04:00

From Wikipedia:

Take 5 is a pretzel, caramel, peanut and peanut butter-filled, milk chocolate coated candy bar released by The Hershey Company in December 2004.

The "5" in the name refers the combination of five ingredients: milk chocolate, peanuts, caramel, peanut butter, and pretzels.

And if you haven't tried it yet, do it. It comes in two nuggets, not unlike a Twix bar, except in its superiority. But none of this goodness is available to Canadians... well, it used to be. For a while, but not any more it seems, the Take 5 was known as Max 5 in Canada.

So why the heck did Hershey stop making them for the Canadian candy bar audience? Was the lack of maple syrup too much of an affront on our taste buds?

And why the name change in the first place? Is "taking 5" not in our national character? Too aggressive, too assertive? "Okay, you can have 5 flavors buddy - that's the maximum... alright?!"

Well, I'm standing up against this chocolately-pretzel-enforced-obedience and I demand my right to Take 5s.

Thai Comic Strip Gets Tough on Magic

2010-03-29T13:20:00.005-04:00

I don't know what's going on, but it doesn't look good. Anybody read Thai?

The End of French Films

2010-03-26T21:59:00.011-04:00

Featuring (down from L to R): Viridiana, Le Salaire de la Peur, Rififi, Quai des Orfèvres, Le Plaisir, Le Million, L'Année Dernière à Marienbad, Jeux Interdits, Hiroshima Mon Amour, Les Diaboliques, Le Corbeau, Week-End, Les Quatre Cent Coups (maybe my favorite End Title of all time).

Inspired by Bad Banana's The End of Westerns

More stunning End (and Start) title cards at one of the most awesome websites dans le monde: the Movie Title Stills Collection

Akira Kurosawa: Best Director Ever?

2010-03-23T11:27:00.005-04:00

Who you got - Fellini? Welles? Hitchcock? Cassavetes? Godard? Cameron? Shyamalan?

Either way, Happy 100th Birthday to Kurosawa... so let's dance!

Guardian Blog has got a good retrospective of 10 of his essential films: link.

Even Google gives props.

NBA Jam: It's Baaaack...

2010-03-16T11:18:00.006-04:00

For Wii in December 2010.

EA Sports in Vancouver, Canada is developing the game and they're letting fans vote online for which players they want to see in the game. You can still vote here.

Goodmorning Plumber, Goodmorning Magic Elf

2010-03-14T20:38:00.007-04:00

Came across this advertisement in a Captain America comic book from 1988.

Never tried it myself, but I can imagine how amazing it must have been to start your day with a bowl of Nintendo Cereal System and then head over to the NES for a sugar-induced zombie-gamer trance.

Thanks for making me puke Mario.

Apparently you might also have a chance to relive the deliciousness for a cool $100: gameSniped. Like a fine wine, it only gets better with age.

Talking at the Movies: A Criminal Offense

2010-03-10T23:20:00.005-05:00

It's the worst. And it's never going to stop.

It especially sucks because it puts all the pressure on the shusher since the talker obviously doesn't give a flying funk if they ruin someone else's movie-going experience.

Linda Holmes at NPR gets into it in her article: "The Shusher And The Shushed: Why It Matters When You Talk During Movies"

Don't act like you don't know the contract. There are rules. You don't get mad at kids making kid-noises in the middle of The Princess And The Frog, but you do in the middle of Inglourious Basterds. Everybody's got expectations, and in some movies, in some theaters, in some moments, you're not going to bother anybody by pulling focus from the movie, because you're at a crowd-participation movie.

But you must, must, must know your moments, and if you don't, then you can't go to the movies

Here's a few ideas of how to deal with it when you do come up against as a contract-breaking jerksnake:

So yeah, there's really no easy recourse for the shusher. And if you decide to go tell the usher you're likely to get stabbed in the neck with a meat thermometer. Yes that happened just a few weeks ago. LA Times: "Moviegoer is stabbed after complaining about cellphone user". And it's happened before (and before) and will happen again.

But it's not just unruly teenage punks who talk during movies. It's just as annoying when it's an elderly couple summarizing every piece of mundane plot info. Or my personal fav - some hoity-toity hepcats laughing cynically where there are no jokes, just so they can make like they're smarter than the movie. Believe it or not, I want no part of your detachment, so laugh in your head smart guy.

All that said, there's nothing better than going to a movie that invites crowd participation with a lively, vocal crowd. So pick your spots. And hey, if you liked the movie, it's okay to clap when the credits roll.

Best in Film: 2009

2010-03-10T23:14:00.007-05:00

Sorry to make you wait, but the Poppies arrive later than most best-of lists because I like to wait until the Academy Awards winners are announced. It's a nice reminder of how little stock to put in the Oscars since they're so stiff and Biz-centric.

More to the point, I like to wait so I can catch up on things I missed that pop up on other year-end lists. Although the more you try to catch up with, the more it seems like you haven't seen. So of course, there's no such thing as a complete list, but here's my best guesstimation of what moved, shook, and took me in 2009.

To refresh your memory, last year The Dark Knight was the big winner (and in 2007 it was There Will Be Blood).

10 Best Films of 2009

10) Watchmen (d. Zack Snyder)
Alan Moore's iconic comic book is given life on the big screen. A slavish adaptation yes, but the claustrophobic style is suitably grotesque and Snyder's ending is much neater than Moore's. Maybe not so slavish afterall. The opening credit sequence's ridiculous revisionism is worth the price of admission alone.

9) Carcasses (d. Denis Côté)
This documentary/fantasy suspense film is best seen with zero expectations or knowledge of the plot. So all I'll say is that it was the best film I saw at the Toronto film festival in '09. See it if you can.

8) Goodbye Solo (d. Ramin Bahrani)
Charming and restrained as its two leads, this film is from the director of Man Push Cart and Chop Shop. It tells the story of a young Senegalese cab driver and his old, grumpy fare. And here, Bahrani makes another new American classic - touching and cliche-free.

7) Where the Wild Things Are (d. Spike Jonze)
The fact that this got made the way it did is worth kudos enough. Old school puppetry and animatronics give this film a timeless feel to match its source material. I was never a big fan of the book, but I am a big fan of the movie.

6) Inglourious Basterds (d.

Quentin Tarantino)
What a bounce back from the mediocrity of Death Proof! Nice work Quentin. Forget about that Kill Bill prequel and keep making these historical epic genre remixes.

5) The Hurt Locker (d. Kathryn Bigelow)
Bigelow finally gets props from the mainstream for being the epic filmmaker she's always been. Although not as pulpy as Near Dark or Point Break, this movie is crammed with excitement to go along with its detailed character sketches. Anthony Mackie is awesome in his supporting role.

4) Pontypool (d. Bruce McDonald)
I love you Pontypool. You had me from the opening credits until the very end. For my money, one of the best horror/zombie movies of the last ten years.

3) Anvil! The Story of Anvil (d. Sacha Gervasi)
Realizing half-way through the film that one of the main characters lives in my old neighbourhood, only added to the relateability factor for me. One of the most poignant films on aging and relentlessness that I've seen.

2) Avatar (d. James Cameron)
I have to admit this is a bit of contrarian move to put this so high on this list, because this movie certainly has many flaws (as many have already pointed out). But I can't deny the pure action-adventure excitement I got from it when I first saw it. Michelle Rodriguez as the new Ripley - I love it!

1) Sugar (d. Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck)
As they showed with Half Nelson, Boden and Fleck have such a knack for creating stories we've all seen/heard before, but then re-framing them in subtle and profound ways. At the end of the movie, I walked out of the theater more satisfied and engaged than any other time in 2009.

Ladyhawk/Punishment Park Fan Video

2010-03-08T10:17:00.002-05:00

Hope you like this li'l video I edited attempting to honour a great song and a great movie.

If you've never heard of Peter Watkins, the director of Punishment Park, you should really check out his films. He makes speculative-documentaries that don't get caught up in mockumentary artificiality. Dystopiamentaries. Movies like the Gladiators and War are stunning and not to be missed.

As far as Ladyhawk go, this song is from their most recent album Shots from 2008. Lately, the Vancouver based band seems more occupied with side projects like Sports and Duffy and the Doubters. You can also hear Duffy Driediger and Ryan Peters on the new Phil Spector/Burt Bacharach inspired Maintenant by Gigi (myspace).

St-Hubert: Roi Du Poulet

2010-03-04T17:10:00.001-05:00

Celine knows what's up. Swiss Chalet doesn't hold a candle.

Nothing beats childhood memories of a St-Hubert dinner with the family after getting a good report card.

Ad Revivalism: You're No Jane Rivers!

2009-10-01T13:59:00.003-04:00

I say "Yes" to advertisement nostalgia. It really strikes my TV addled brain when I get a taste of an old ad that I saw a thousand times as a kid. Especially in Canada, where they used to play the same commercials endlessly.

I saw this formerly ubiquitous coffee crisp commercial being replayed the other day. Now I might not get so many blank stares when I accuse someone, "you don't know from jokes!"

Now all they have to do is bring back this infamous Oil of Olay "Ms Fitzhenry?!" ad:

The Log Driver VS Iran's President-Select

2009-09-24T07:41:00.005-04:00

An ode to Canada's Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon for walking out on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's UN speech yesterday:

"These nuclear materials we are seeking to purchase are for medicinal purposes... It is a humanitarian issue..."

Voice Swapping in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

2009-08-14T10:25:00.012-04:00

Leading up to the release of the new G.I. Joe movie, I had a sinking feeling that something was awry with Cobra Commander.

In all the movie's promotional materials, the only reference to Joseph Gordon-Levitt's portrayal of the character was snuck into the background of a single poster. Even the film's trailers didn't tease us with any glimpses of Cobra's evil leader.

At first I thought they might be keeping him hidden for a big dramatic reveal. But thinking back to Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight as a counter-example, why would producers who are desperate to build buzz and sell a movie keep something cool under wraps...? Well, because that something actually sucks.

Then a rumor emerged that director Stephen Sommers was fired from the film during post-production. That has since been denied, but either way, it speaks to problems on the set/in the lab.

Now having seen the film, my suspicions were confirmed when Gordon-Levitt's Cobra Commander was strangely absent for most of the film and didn't sound at all like the actor to boot.

It seems the filmmakers (whoever they were) swapped out his vocal performance for an anonymous and uncredited voice actor.

And unlike David Prowse's voice being replaced by James Earl Jones in the Star Wars films, this swap seems to have been unplanned. Consider these comments from Gordon-Levitt before the film wrapped:

"I love that voice [from the cartoon]," enthused Gordon-Levitt. "Chris Latta [the original Cobra Commander] is a fantastic voiceover artist, but if you did that exact voice it would sound ridiculous in a live-action movie. I guess it's half Chris Latta and half me."

Turns out the his half-and-half vocal take didn't impress. Because if this isn't another actor, then there's some serious auto-tuning going on:

I'm not even going to get into the flawed character design of Cobra Commander's mask/helmet, but that disembodied voice really got to me. And further fueling my conspiracy theory, Gordon-Levitt has been conspicuously absent from the films promo interviews and premieres.

Interpol Checks into the Waverly

2009-08-12T16:57:00.006-04:00

Interpol's Paul Banks has a new solo album out under the name Julian Plenty (Is... Skyscraper).

The first video from the album features two Toronto musicians - Emily Haines (of Metric) and Andre Ethier (of the Deadly Snakes) - in a very Toronto locale - the Hotel Waverly.

This isn't the first time this seedy hotel has played a seedy hotel on film. It was home to Mickey Rourke's Indian hitman in the unfortunate flop Killshot and it's also been the set for music videos from the likes of K-Os and Buck 65.

Buck 65's "Devil's Eyes" clip is especially notable for Toronto-centric cameos from Nick Flanagan (of the Brutal Knights) and Dan Burke (show promoter for Waverly's neighbour, the Silver Dollar).

Which video do you like better?

Yeasayer - Tightrope, Live

2009-07-21T10:35:00.003-04:00

Happy news for Yeasayer fans: According to their recording blog, the band is approaching completion of their second full length.

A fall tour is also to be announced soon. Stay tuned.

You can find this song on the Dark Was the Night compilation.

Don't Age in Japan

2009-07-14T16:20:00.000-04:00

Commercial Rock Juggernauts

2009-07-08T11:35:00.004-04:00

Back in 2001, when the White Stripes released their breakthrough album White Blood Cells, it wasn't long before the floodgates opened to the mainstream with other like-minded rock revivalists.

One of which was Andrew W.K. and his punchy I Get Wet album. But besides a common penchant for blues based no-bullshit rock (and fantastic red-splashed cover art), Jack White and Andrew Wilkes-Krier also share a serious streak for self-promotion.

To wit, both of these guys have composed a commercial jingle for a famous red&white themed snack. Which do you prefer?

Yo Gabba Gabba!

2009-06-22T17:44:00.004-04:00

You guys hip to this show?

Biz Markie is:

And so is Phoenix Suns Bball monsta Amare Stoudemire:

Amare
by bsap11

The show is so popular, the film rights have already been sold.

Other people/musicians featured on the show include: Jack Black, Tony Hawk, Of Montreal, The Shins, and Rahzel.

Fan Trailers!

2009-05-29T11:42:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple examples of some homespun genius:

Thundercats Fake Movie Trailer:

Green Lantern Fake Movie Trailer:

Definitely a welcome evolution from fan fiction.

Elmore Leonard's Rules of Writing

2009-05-28T14:28:00.004-04:00

Read the expanded rules over at NYTimes or buy the book of rules here.

My favourite rule:

4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb ''said'' . . .

. . . he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances ''full of rape and adverbs.''

This sprung to mind since Leonard's currently promoting his new book Road Dogs.

During one interview (with Charlie Rose), he said that a while back he was offered to write a review on a new Tom Clancy military spy book, but passed. "I don't read books that are more than 300 pages."

A man after my own heart (and attention span).

Worst Movie Poster Ever?

2009-05-26T11:03:00.004-04:00

Bad in so many ways. None of them good.

But Superman III shouldn't worry, I'm sure that in this new rash of comic book movies, there will come a movie/poster so bad that it'll make Chris Reeve and Richard Pryor's love-in look like a Saul Bass.

Or is the corporate/marketing machinery so anesthetizing that something like this could never slip through again?

Best Song Ever of the Week: Grizzly Bear

2009-05-25T08:52:00.005-04:00

Psychedelindie band Grizzly Bear release their new album Veckatimest tomorrow.

I can't see how they'll top the first single, "Two Weeks" [mp3], but it will at least be worth a listen thanks to this charmed piece of pop.

They even debuted the song on Letterman months ago. I guess they knew it was good straight off.

Here's the brand new video for it:
Two Weeks

Definitely ranks up their with the hit off their last album, "The Knife". Girl Talk's remix of that song is also stellar.

Pour Some Sugar

2009-05-14T15:48:00.003-04:00

This movie is awesome. Go see it.

It somehow avoids formula and stereotypes but is never anything but natural and subtle. Perfect film for Spring.

Koko to the Infirmary! Cab Calloway VS White Stripes

2009-04-19T09:46:00.001-04:00

Rock Scars Live! Harlem Shakes VS Constantines

2009-04-16T17:18:00.001-04:00

People as Animals / Animals as People

2009-04-15T10:40:00.005-04:00

I remember the times when people were people and animals were animals... here's a reminder.

Photos Via Planet Tampon.

A Productive Waste of Time

2009-04-01T09:35:00.006-04:00

This one's for those with that insatiable thirst for knowledge. For the heroes who are sick of drowning in a sea of information and tidbits and want some thick, dense, and viscous, honest-to-god knowledge!

Academic Earth.

A user-friendly website that hosts video of 60 full academic courses and and a few one-off lectures from Yale, MIT, Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Princeton. That's over 1300 hrs of mind climbing. The subjects range from "Death" to "The American Novel Since 1945" to "The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in an American Century".

Here's a lecture entitled "Somebody (Everybody?) Goofed: Origins of the Financial Mess" from Princeton's Alan S. Blinder.

Fora.TV and BigThink are also sites to look into if you've got some time on your hands.

Nothing is as it seemed...

2009-03-31T12:56:00.005-04:00

Hopefully you are secure enough in your adulthood that you'll allow me to drop a bomb on your childhood.

Remember Super Mario Bros 2 for NES? Well then, surely you'll fondly remember throwing turnips at snakes jumping out of ancient urns. On the flip side, you'll probably remember how freaking weird that was... turnips?! The game definitely stretched plumber tropes way beyond your puny 1988 imagination.

Here's why... Mario Bros 2 is really Doki Doki Panic! Check it out:

Trailer Park: Where the Wild Things Are

2009-03-27T10:36:00.003-04:00

Just in case you haven't watched this yet, watch it. [high quality or YouTube].

It's nice to have a movie on the horizon to get excited about. October 16 2009 - circle your calendars.

Apparently it's been in different stages of filming since 2006 and was originally supposed to come out in May 2008. Leading up to that Maurice Sendak personally approached Spike Jonze to direct before sometime before 2000.

Another interesting rumor is that co-screenwriter Dave Eggers is also writing a novel[ization] that will accompany the release of the film.

Perfunctory Movie Review: One Week

2009-03-26T10:01:00.004-04:00

I'll begin by stating that Michael McGowan's Canadian road trip flick (starring Joshua Jackson) is hardly a movie at all. Un-cinematic to the point of stasis, One Week is more of a slide show put to music. A slide show put to music, narrated by a self-centered bore.

Not to imply that there's any inherent crime with that. I once put on a slide show with my friend of my trip through Tunisia. It was set to Destroyer. The thing is, it lasted all of 8minutes and we didn't charge admission.

Another key distinguishing characteristic of McGowan's slideshow is its ridiculous surfeit of overstretched patriotic/nationalistic images and stereotypes. I'm all for localization - the denial of which is typical of too many Canadian films - but this film takes it overboard. Seriously, we can do better than the Stanley Cup, cottage docks, and lovable Newfies.

To be fair, the film is cut and shot very nicely. And there are a couple cool enough musical cameos to grab your attention intermittently - Emm Gryner sings the timeless Un Canadien Errant (made famous by Leondard Cohen amongst others) and Joel Plaskett does a pretty rad version of his own A Million Dollars.

And if you haven't seen this advertisement yet, I think One Week has to be the first movie that sold the movie using pull-quotes from Twitter users.

That's definitely better than making up a fake reviewer, and it probably rates higher in my book than quoting hackneyed local affiliate critics or Larry King.

Let The Right Subtitles In!

2009-03-25T13:01:00.004-04:00

Ever watch a subtitled movie on DVD that you already saw in the theater and find it a bit of a different experience?

Well, it's not just the absence of a sticky floor. It is not uncommon that the subtitle track is considerably different from the one on the film print. I don't know why this happens, but it happens often and it can really diminish the subtlety and complexity of a movie's dialogue (I won't even get into the fact of the unreliability of translation in the 1st place).

To this effect, Icons of Fright have compared the subtitles of the Swedish vampire-romance film Let The Right One In. And seems the subtitles have suffered a substantial simplification from theater to home video. Check out the evidence of the crime here.

Both AVClub and Rotten Tomatoes are carrying this story and it just goes to show that thanks to the Internet, it's getting harder to get away these kind of cross-cultural mistakes/omissions/distortions/transgressions in film. Thanks be to the web. Now hopefully the DVD distributor retracts and corrects - something that would never have happened 10 years ago.

UPDATE!! Looks like the DVD distributor is going to reissue with the film with the original subtitles. Victory!

Happy Birthday Gloria Steinem

2009-03-25T11:22:00.001-04:00

Read her very long wiki page.

Pontypool Changes Everything

2009-03-22T10:07:00.003-04:00

See this movie:

Probably the most surprisingly intelligent thriller I've seen in ages. Now I'm pumped to read the book it's adapted from.

The Periodic Table of Fonts

2009-03-12T13:03:00.003-04:00

Use it. Memorize it. Save it to your desktop. [click to enlarge]

What?! No Curlz? No Bradley Hand? No Papyrus? Yes. Use those and you shall be hunted down by the font police.

Table brought to you by Squidspot. Post brought to you by instantfundas. Blog brought to you by Garamond [G6].

Saturday Morning Watchmen

2009-03-09T17:33:00.002-04:00

Can't bring yourself to watch nearly 3 hours of angst-ridden super heroes?

Miss the days of happy-go-lucky men in tights?

This one's for you. Watch out!

Instant Coffee/Everlasting Love

2009-03-09T11:04:00.006-04:00

Remember the Gold Blend couple?

Featured in a series of commercials from 1987 to 1992 for Nescafé (or Taster's Choice in N. America), the couple was caught in a cat and mouse game of instant coffee drinking and upper-class romantic liaisons.

Over-the-top and truly hilarious, check out a compilation of all the ads:

If you want more, you can always track down a copy of the novelization, Love Over Gold, the 1993 literary adaptation/extrapolation of the couple's exploits. Yes! It exists and you can get it for a penny over at Amazon.

Watchmen Continues a Legacy of Leather

2009-03-06T08:55:00.013-05:00

Watchmen debuts in theaters today, and it seems everybody is talking about how slavishly Zack Snyder has translated the comics to film.

I haven't seen it yet, and I'm sure the movie will fall short and/or verge away from the Watchmen comics in many ways, but I've already noticed an interesting difference: Silk Spectre's costume.

Seems Laurie Juspeczyk's flowing linen has been traded in for a tight latex number.

Of course, this seems like an inevitable decision considering the prominence of the leather/latex clad action heroine in the last decade or so.

The skin tight ensemble is the only option for the contemporary super lady. Starting as far back as Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman in 1989, it's been the go-to look for combining toughness and sexiness. It could be traced back even further to 1915 with Musidora as Irma Vep in "Les Vampires".

It doesn't get much more "to-be-looked-at-ified" than this. Encouraging a voyeuristic and fetishistic audience reaction, the skin-tight pleather/leather/latex clad action-heroine demands the gaze be glued to the screen.

To get an idea of just how prevalent this is lately, I prepared a sample continuum. Let me know what I'm missing [please click to enlarge:

Update: How did I forget Trinity?!

Tron + Daft Punk = Cyber Heaven

2009-03-05T09:07:00.003-05:00

Yes, they are making Tron 2. Yes, Daft Punk is scoring the film.

It's such a fit that it feels like it already happened. Even the youtubes were all over it a year ago:

Inside the Lego Factory

2009-02-26T19:26:00.002-05:00

Featuring one of the best jobs in the world (around the 3:50 mark):

On second thought, cooped up in that red room, might drive a man to do all sorts of weird and illegal things with those bricks.

The Green Hornet: TV to Film

2009-02-25T17:39:00.006-05:00

Heard of the Green Hornet film adaptation written and starring Seth Rogen? Stephen Chow was supposed to direct and star as Kato, but he abandoned directorial duties because of creative differences. Luckily, he will still try to fill Bruce Lee's shoes as Kato.

And now reportedly, they have found a replacement director... Michel Gondry.

Sounds like it could be a pretty cool project, especially if we get to see a darker side of Gondry's oddball sensibilities. Now all they have to do now is recast Rogen as the lead and this might turn out to be an interesting picture.

Jake Gyllenhal was attached to star at one point. Maybe he'd be good. Maybe Matthew Goode? How about Matt Damon? Any ideas?

Farewell Conan, Love the White Stripes

2009-02-25T17:18:00.003-05:00

Last week (Feb 21) the last episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" aired (now that he'll be moving to Leno's time slot come June).

Always known for having interesting musical acts on his show, Conan ended things off nicely with The White Stripes offering a stark version of "We're Going to Be Friends". Watch until the end, and you'll catch Conan saying to Jack White, "that meant the world to me."

You can watch the whole episode hosting at GreenGoldFilm, but if you're in Canada you'll need to activate Hotspot Shield.

Urban Beast Brawl

2009-02-24T11:35:00.005-05:00

Found this series of photos on The Pet Blog and thought it deserved the comic treatment (click to enlarge).

The Best of Film in 2008

2009-02-23T10:11:00.020-05:00

Okay, so the Oscars got it wrong again last night (no big surprise). Don't fret, the Poppies are here!

Last year There Will Be Blood was the big winner. This year, well... take a look:

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor (male or female)
Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler
Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder
Dianne Wiest in Synecdoche, New York
Josh Brolin in Milk
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight WINNER!

Best Performance by a Lead Actor
Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man
Jean-Claude Van Damme in JCVD
Anamaria Marinca in 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
Asia Argento in Boarding Gate
Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler WINNER!

Best Ensemble Cast
Ballast - JimMyron Ross, Michael J. Smith, Sr, Tarra Riggs, Johnny McPhail, etc.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, etc.
Slumdog Millionaire - Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Freida Pinto, and "the kids"
Milk - Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Alison Pil, etc.
The Dark Knight - Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Ekhart, etc. WINNER!

10 Best Films of 2008
(Click the Title to see the film's trailer / Click the image to supersize)

10) Speed Racer - Fast, fun, annoying, stunning. Refreshingly touts family and community over the standard quest of the self-centred individual. Don't be fooled by the flop hype.

9) The Fall - Pure movie bombast. Somehow maintains a charm despite being stylish to the point of overload.

8) Waltz with Bashir - Don't be put off by the Waking Life-esque animation style, the film is leagues more subtle than any of its rotoscoping antecedents (besides maybe His Mother's Voice).

7) Chop Shop - The story of a poor little kid. This time with more feeling, and less sentimental manipulation. Taking it back to the streets, Bicycle Thieves style.

6) The Class - I really thought this Cannes winner was going to be a bore. Turns out it's mesmerizing. Quite a feat considering the whole film takes place in a school.

5) 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days - Works on every level - style, story, acting, historical portrait. Unbelievably grim and good.

4) Happy-Go-Lucky - This movie stuck with me for weeks after I saw it. It's simplicity is it's deadliest weapon. I like to call it, "the kitchen sink Amelie".

3) Reprise - A shockingly good first film from Danish director Joachim Trier. A coming of age story that's not puke inducing. Fascinated filmmaking in the the spirit of the French New Wave.

2) The Wrestler - The Dardenne Brothers meets professional wrestling. American decay captured truthfully and not without crazy entertainment value.

1) The Dark Knight - I can go on and on about how smart this movie is or how stylish it is or how technically proficient, and no movie this year combined all of these essential movie-ingredients so seamlessly. A picture for the ages.

Best Song Ever of the Week

2009-01-30T09:37:00.002-05:00

This one's an oldie, but a greatie. "Enola Gay" [click for MP3] from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - better known as OMD.

I was recently re-introduced to this song via the animated docunmentary, Waltz with Bashir:

The rest of the score to this movie is similarly awesome, along with mesmerizing original music, there a song by PiL and a re-working of Cake's "I Bombed Korea", as "I Bombed Beirut."

Now if you want to figure out the English translation for the dialogue in this scene, then go see the movie already.

Trailer Park Tuesday

2009-01-27T16:21:00.002-05:00

Check out the trailer for this rad looking independent socio-romantic comedy. The movie is set in San Francisco and was directed by Barry Jenkins:

Shot on digital video. Stars a Daily Show correspondent. Holds SF's racial stratification in contempt. Wow, this movie's got all the right ingredients. Looks like Before Sunrise except less earnest and divorced from reality.

And as this NY Times feature on the film alludes to, Medicine for Melancholy fits nicely within a recent trickle of neorealist-ish and super localized American independent movies. See Ballast, Wendy and Lucy (& Old Joy), and Goodbye Solo (& Chop Shop).

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-01-26T11:55:00.003-05:00

Gong hei fat choi!

Let's celebrate the year of the ox with 60s Japanese garage rock band, Ox:

Here's some video of how they celebrated in Hong Kong in 1953.

Join the Snuggies (or Die)!

2009-01-25T18:29:00.003-05:00

No, not "The Smoggies" - admission to this cult comes free of any environmental guilt:

Read your Stonecutters manual all comfy and anesthetized:

Also, check out this rare photo of the Snuggie shipping dock.

MLK in Comics

2009-01-19T23:46:00.003-05:00

Read the full 1956 comic here.

Read about Ho Che Anderson's "King" graphic novel series here. And more awesome art here.

For a soundtrack, listen to the I Have A Dream Speech [right click for MP3 to full speech].

I had a dream...

2009-01-19T21:53:00.008-05:00

...and Spider-Man and Barack Obama came to me in that dream. They told me that I have nothing to fear but our own inner nerd.

For other dreamy Super-Presidential team-ups, check this out. Clinton hits the pages of Superman, Reagan gets sent up in The Dark Knight Returns, Nixon in Watchmen, amongst a couple other gems.

Here's a couple panels from the issue, now available in stores (if you can find one):

Big Black Love

2009-01-19T12:09:00.002-05:00

Anybody catch the premiere of season 3 of "Big Love" last night? I didn't, but the trailer for the long-awaited season looks poly-mazing! Featuring the Black Keys song, "Lies".

Er...uh, I don't live in Canada...

2009-01-18T18:43:00.006-05:00

Hey, non-USAers, ever find yourself trying to watch the latest greatest SNL skit or catch a Howard the Duck on hulu, but then you're told by the internet police that "this video is not supported from your current location"?

Well, there's a solution: Hotspot Shield. Just download a free! simple program and it blocks your IP origin and watch away.

PC Magazine rates the program as one of the best free software programs of 2008.

The program will also protect your data from prying eyes on the public airwaves when you're on a Wi-Fi hot spot.

Pizza Party Anyone?

2009-01-16T17:44:00.003-05:00

Does anyone still do pizza night on Friday nights? Order a pie, and maybe rent a movie? Or is everyone hooked into their virtual reality sets nowadays?

Which reminds me, does anyone still play "Pizza Party"?

Number Six: R.I.P.

2009-01-15T21:15:00.006-05:00

I missed this yesterday, but Patrick McGoohan died. He was 80yrs old.

McGoohan created and starred in one of the best television series of all time - "The Prisoner". Weird, stylish, and smart, it puts more recent sci-fi mind-benders like "Lost" to shame.

The show is actually getting updated and will debut on AMC in 2009. Bad news: Jim "Jesus" Caviezel plays the McGoohan character #6. Good news: Ian McKellan will play #2. Hopefully it will do some justice to McGoohan's vision, or will at least shine some light on his amazing work in the '67 series.

Glenn Kenny has an interesting celebration of his legacy on his blog:

Much, I dare say most, of McGoohan's film work is in "genre" stuff, but in every performance, he's got a rough, almost (if you will) kitchen-sinkish presence; he is always somehow naked. It could make for some weird but bracing contrasts.

Check out this clip:

Patrick also guest starred on "The Simpsons". A great honour. A great synthesis of two great shows.

Yes.

2009-01-15T21:10:00.001-05:00

In Toronto right now, truer words were never spoke.

No wonder this illustration won a contest over at Drawn!

Best Song Ever of the Week

2009-01-08T18:48:00.004-05:00

Here it is, pop gunning's first mp3 of the new year!

Unfittingly, it's a humble cover of last year's best hit song. Pale Young Gentlemen do MIA's "Paper Planes" [click song title for MP3].

If your ears agree, you can hear this Madison Wisconsin band's new tuneful album Black Forest (Tra La La) on their website.

Part of Your Complete Breakfast (?)

2009-01-07T13:05:00.005-05:00

By golly, can you believe what they were feeding the youth of the mid 20th century!

In the new millennium, we're selling and buying a new image - one that stresses nutritional value, organic certification, etc.:

Sure, you can still get Fruit Loops and Alpha-Bits, but the market has turned against the multi-colored excess and questionable attitudes of yesteryear (ie. cutey orientals selling Rice Krinkles). Ergo, no more free Freakies inside.

Here are 100 other box designs. Or for a million more trips down nostalgia lane, head to the Imaginary World. Via Drawn!

Post script. That whole "part of your complete breakfast" line has to be one of the most shrewd and enduring marketing tactics eva. It's right there along with pricing things on the 9s .

One of these presidents...

2009-01-07T12:59:00.003-05:00

is not like the others:

The President Elect might as well be hanging upside down....

Source.

1st Team Allstars: Albums of '08

2009-01-03T11:05:00.008-05:00

After much wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth, here it is... the 10 best albums ever (released in 2008)!

Fucked-Up, The Chemistry of Common Life – Hardcore gets caught in swirling shoegaze; as beautiful and brutal as a house getting torn apart in a tornado.

Video / Myspace

Born Ruffians, Red, Yellow, & Blue - At first listen, this kind of unabashed pop might seem a bit disposable, but it eventually reveals itself as a gem of a debut.

Video / Myspace

Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lie Down in the Light – It's tough to make a low-key folk album this interesting, but Will Oldham does it with tunes that come together as much more than just background music.

Video

Wild Beasts, Limbo, Panto – Keeping it real dramatic, Wild Beasts debut a solid and polychromatic sound in the tradition of fey British rock.

Video / Myspace

Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend – Another of this year's great debut albums, it promises great things to come from a band who does simple real well.

Video / Myspace

Sigur Rós, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust – The Icelandic quartet spring back to relevance with a sneakily joyful album. The best since their Ágætis Byrjun.

Video / Myspace

Ladyhawk, Shots – Dark and paranoid without being melodramatic or self-indulgent. A no-bullshit rock album for the young and the restless.

Video / Myspace

Destroyer, Trouble in Dreams – Dan Bejar follows up his indomitable Rubies with an album that's as sweet as it is drunk.

Video / Myspace

TV on the Radio, Dear Science – Probably their most consistently beautiful album since their debut EP Young Liars. Immediate and rousing.

Video / Myspace

Why?, Alopecia – A tangle of hip hop and rock where every lyric is worth rewinding for and catchy hooks are everywhere. Essential for 2008 and beyond.

Video / Myspace

2nd Team Allstars: Albums of '08

2008-12-23T10:53:00.006-05:00

2008 was such a good year for music (almost as good as 2007 was for movies) that I've decided to post the runners-up for the best albums released this year.

(10)The Black Keys, Attack & Release (9) Kanye West, 808s & Heartbreaks (8) Plants & Animals, Parc Avenue (7) Spiritualized, Songs in A&E (6) Foals, Antidotes (5) The Gaslight Anthem, The '59 Sound (4) Santogold, Santogold (3) Okkervil River, The Stand-Ins (2) Titus Andronicus, The Airing of Grievances (1) Bon Iver, For Emma Forever Ago.

Stay tuned for the 1st Team Allstars....

Wii Mamma!

2008-12-19T14:35:00.005-05:00

More wii remote accidents here and here.

Though it's obviously a dangerous lifestyle, there's also proof that wii gamers can live a long and healthy life.

Shrimpies! Don't Be Afraid to Use It

2008-12-18T10:15:00.004-05:00

Perhaps one of the funniest moments in television history:

Headline of the Day

2008-12-18T10:10:00.002-05:00

Foot found in baby's brain

read article here

Toronto & San Francisco Let the Right Ones In

2008-12-17T09:32:00.009-05:00

Film critics from my current home city and my former home city have both recently announced their year-end awards for motion picture excellence.

Now let's see who has the better taste... is it the poutine and veal sandwich types or the garlic fries and clam chowder in a breadbowl crowd (Toronto in blue / SF in orange):

BEST PICTURE
“Wendy and Lucy" / "Milk"

BEST DIRECTOR
Jonathan Demme, “Rachel Getting Married” / Gus Van Sant, "Milk"

BEST PERFORMANCE, MALE
Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler” / Sean Penn, "Milk" & Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler” (Tie)

BEST PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
Michelle Williams, “Wendy and Lucy” / Sally Hawkins, "Happy Go Lucky"

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE
Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight” / Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
Rosemarie DeWitt, “Rachel Getting Married” / Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"

BEST SCREENPLAY
Jenny Lumet, “Rachel Getting Married” / Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
“Let the Right One In” / “Let the Right One In”

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“Man on Wire” / "My Winnipeg"

I'm not sure, but I think it's a tie. The SFFCC loses points for making the obvious homer choices with "Milk", but the TFCA loses the same amount for loving the shit out of "Rachel Getting Married" (and boy, that movie is sure full of shit).

Toronto might get the edge in the Documentary category, since "My Winnipeg" can barely, barely be categorized as such. (Toronto also gets props for naming Jean Claude a runner-up for Best Actor in "JCVD").

All in all, they both got Heath right, and that's all that really matters this year. Check out the full Toronto list here and the full SF list here.

Trailer Park Tuesday: Wolverine!

2008-12-16T14:00:00.001-05:00

Gambit! What? This actually looks pretty cool.

200 & Counting!

2008-12-16T10:01:00.008-05:00

Voila! Pop Gunning's 200th post.

And to celebrate, I'm going to let you all in on the "Pop Gunning Secret" - it's kind of like the Caramilk secret, in that nobody really cares.

You've always been wondering about the origins of Pop Gunning, right? Keeping you up at night? No?

In any case, here it is. This is where the name for this blog comes from - Mister Edgar Allen Poe:

We now demand the light artillery of the intellect; we need the curt, the condensed, the pointed, the readily diffused—in place of the verbose, the detailed, the voluminous, the inaccessible. On the other hand, the lightness of the artillery should not degenerate into pop-gunnery—by which term we may designate the character of the greater portion of the newspaper press—their sole legitimate object being the discussion of ephemeral matters in an ephemeral manner.

I wholeheartedly agree with Poe. On the other hand, I completely disagree.

Here's to the discussion of ephemeral matters, ephemerally or otherwise!

Best Song Ever of the Week: Double Shot!

2008-12-15T10:31:00.006-05:00

Welcome to the Special Year-End Preview version of "Best Song Ever of the Week".

Here are 2 tracks that might show up on Pop Gunning's best of lists:

The Gaslight Anthem - Old White Lincoln [right click link for MP3]
Maybe it's the bouncey Cure-ish bassline ("Just Like Heaven"), but this song caught me quick and hard with its irrepressible chorus and Springsteen via Killers world-weariness.
From the album The '59 Sound.

Chairlift - Evident Untensil [right click link for MP3]
Features some of the most awesomely hilarious lyrics I've heard in a while, and at the same time boasts a Brooklyn meets Miami (see Jan Hammer) sound.
From the album Does You Inspire You?

Listerical!

2008-12-15T10:18:00.004-05:00

It's mid-December and the Year End Specials are upon us.

So if you're looking for a solid list of anything from music to movies to the Top 10 Worst Toys or the Top 10 Iphone Apps, then head over to Fimoculous' 2008 List of Lists.

It's the ultimate resource for that wonderful holiday pastime of arbitrary enumeration.

Speaking of which, Pop Gunning will release it's own Top 10 Lists starting next week. They'll include best-of lists for 2008 music, movies, movie trailers (and any other requests you might have).

Poster Farts

2008-12-10T17:15:00.003-05:00

Each of these posters tell us exactly three things (and nothing more).

1) Will Smith is in a movie this xmas season
2) It is dramatic!
3) It will be bland and formulaic

1) Jim Carrey is in a movie this xmas season
2) It is comedic!
3) It will be bland and formulaic

My nose is running...

2008-12-08T08:29:00.002-05:00

Cold season's got a hold of everyone these days... (I am the pupil, coo coo kachoo!)

The Banana Diet!

2008-12-04T18:26:00.002-05:00

Are you on it?

She is. And I'm convinced.

According to an article in Time:

The Morning Banana Diet regime is simple: A banana (or as many as you want) and room temperature water for breakfast; eat anything you like for lunch and dinner (by 8 p.m.). A three o'clock snack is okay, but no desserts after meals, and you have to go to bed before midnight.

It's so huge, you'd be hard pressed to find a banana in Tokyo. God does it again.

New Raptors Coach = Huge Broadway Geek

2008-12-04T17:57:00.004-05:00

According to an interview from a couple months back, the Toronto Raptors new head coach (former Team Canada coach) has seen Rent more than 10 times!

Here's what he says about his first time:

I was in awe of the talent, the story, and the professionalism. I couldn’t wait to get back to NY and every time I got back there I went and tried to get in again. The second and third time I couldn’t believe how much more I had missed, and walked away feeling the same excitement. I guess after the third time you become a “RENT HEAD”.

Astro Pop, I Miss You

2008-12-03T16:36:00.003-05:00

Why would anyone ever discontinue this wonderful space age three flavour sucker?

Quick, someone write a haiku...

Read the whole delicious history here, complete with tales of punctured throats and business crippling lawsuits.

Lunch Bag Delight

2008-11-28T08:11:00.006-05:00

Check out Lunch Bag Art, where a dad draws on his kids' lunchbags everyday:

Geez, his kids must be the most popular in school. Maybe not as popular as I was when would go to the Portuguese chicken place at lunch and bring back a bag of fries to the schoolyard, but I digress...

Via Drawn!