Sarah SleanThe Baroness(Warner)“And I don’t play the game with liars and cowards…like you,” sings Slean on her first single from The Baroness, called “Get Home”—a gorgeous expression of resignation in an album spiked with heartsickness. Slean’s played the part of “the other woman” before, in songs like “California” from her 2004 release Day One, but […]
Carsten Knox
Posted inArts + Music
Bigger films need bigger spaces
Steve Gilmour keeps largely positive about the future prospects for the Nova Scotia film industry. For one, his Atlantic Film Studios is developing feature film scripts with European financers backing them. Those projects will be shot in Nova Scotia, taking advantage of what Gilmour calls “the best tax credit in the world.” But one problem […]
Posted inArts + Music
The Gutter Twins
The Gutter TwinsSaturanalia(Sub Pop)You can’t stay angry forever but you can get asphalt-dark or swampy. This is the tale former Screaming Tree vocalist (and Queens of the Stone Age and Isobel Campbell collaborator) Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli (Afghan Whig, Twilight Singers) tell in the bones of their first record together. Like a pair of […]
Posted inLifestyle
Diet and supplements
The sampler plastic package has a big, yellow happy face on it, with the predictable expression in one corner: “Don’t Worry, Be Happy!” It’s 100-percent vegetarian 5-Hydroxytryptophan, a serotonin building block. According to the label, it’s something to take to help with “PMS, mood and sleep,” amongst other things. It’s but one of a number […]
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No-brainer
There was a big one in December: I Am Legend, starring the world’s biggest movie star Will Smith, which broke box-office records. There were a couple last summer: 28 Weeks Later (the sequel to Danny Boyle’s shockingly good 28 Days Later), and Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror segment of Grindhouse. We even had one homegrown: Fido, […]
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Interview
InterviewDirected by: Directed by Steve BuscemiCinemavault ReleasingPierre (Buscemi) is an embittered political pundit, the kind of talking head who crops up on CNN and bores within seconds. After a falling out with his editor, he’s assigned off his beat, an interview with New York loft-dwelling superstarlet Katya (Sienna Miller), more famous for her party lifestyle […]
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Bambi II
Bambi IIDirected by: Brian Pimental(Disney)Once Walt Disney was at the forefront of animated family entertainment, creating classic fables that spanned generations. Even theatrical efforts from the ’90s such as Aladdin are full of imagination. Now The Mouse ruthlessly screws the back catalogue with straight to DVD sequels aimed at babysitting the kids with something familiar. […]
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Entourage: The Complete Second Season
Entourage: The Complete Second Season(HBO)Movie star Vincent Chase and his buddies make millions off his getting the lead in the Hollywood blockbuster Aquaman. This show is Sex and the City for men, serving up decadence, lifestyle wish-fulfillment, celebrity cameos and great characters with the snappiest dialogue on TV.Carsten KnoxCategories: Best of the year (2006)
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Angel: Season 5
Published December 08, 2005. Angel: Season 5 Directed by: Joss Whedon (Fox) Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s shadow haunted this spin-off series for a few seasons, but in this, the last, it finally came into its own. The final eight episodes are both tragic and spectacular, besting Buffy’s finale by a good stake’s length. Carsten Knox […]
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Deadwood: The Complete Seasons 1-3
Deadwood: The Complete Seasons 1-3Directed by: David MilchHBOAlthough three brief seasons hardly seem like enough, this is the full package: the gritty, profane historical drama all in one place. In years to come, people will look back and call The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Deadwood, all series produced by HBO, the best TV of […]
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The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Directed by: Wes Anderson(Criterion)Anderson’s quirky comedy was criminally underappreciated when released last year. Many critics seemed confounded by the subtle, oddball humour; a shame because the beauty and charm of the movie becomes more pronounced with repeat viewing. The multi-hinged plot centres on middle-aged oceanographer/adventurer Zissou (Bill Murray), launching […]
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Humphrey Bogart: The Signature Collection Volumes 1 & 2
Humphrey Bogart: The Signature Collection Volumes 1 & 2(Warner Home Video)If you ever wondered how this short guy named Humphrey got to be the biggest movie star in Hollywood, it’s all here in these two box sets. Get the first for the two-disc editions of Casablanca and The Treasure of Sierra Madre, and the second […]