The Abyss The perfect antidote to the oppressive heat and humidity of a summer’s day is the oppressive cold and dark, deep down in the ocean where Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are with a crew in an undersea oil rig under siege by a hurricane, navy SEALS gone loco and aliens. This is […]
Matthew Ritchie
Posted inLifestyle
Belle EPIC
In 1999, amateur athlete Tim Chesnutt was working out at the gym when he noticed an interesting posting on the bulletin board. A triathlon was being held in the local area, and Chesnutt volunteered to hand out water during race day. “The first third of the people ran by and they were just gone. Then […]
Posted inLifestyle
Sports
Anchors Above Zipline Adventures Anchors Above is Nova Scotia’s first zipline experience, offering two ziplines that fly across the valley that range from six storeys to 10 storeys high. Take in Nova Scotia’s beautiful scenery while sliding at death-defying heights for only $30 a ride. And hey, if your kids are pretty badass, children under […]
Posted inArts + Music
NXNE Day 3: The Anti-NXNE Day
So yesterday kind of became the anti-NXNE day (sorry, festival organizers). First off, England was facing Sweden, so there was no way I was going to miss that. So after about four hours of watching the game at The Duke of York and eating a pretty hefty meal of bangers and mash (England!!!) I headed […]
Posted inArts + Music
NXNE Day 2
I’ve always been enamoured by Asian music. Well, at least Asian interpretations of Western music. You may or may not remember (probably not) my name-dropping of Japanese kraut-rock enthusiasts Cornelius in 2011’s Best of Music year end issue. But my love of Japanese art rock doesn’t stop there. Who could ignore the stoner riffs of […]
Posted inArts + Music
Funny Bone
Christian Murray’s Bone Boy shakes up the tragic, the comic and the afterlife. by Matthew Ritchie After years starring on the stage and screen, Christian Murray returns to the director’s chair this month with Bone Boy, a self-described “sci-fi, tragi-comedy” in which Murray reflects on the meaning of life and the future of humanity. But […]
Posted inArts + Music
Funny Bone
Christian Murray’s Bone Boy shakes up the tragic, the comic and the afterlife. by Matthew Ritchie After years starring on the stage and screen, Christian Murray returns to the director’s chair this month with Bone Boy, a self-described “sci-fi, tragi-comedy” in which Murray reflects on the meaning of life and the future of humanity. But […]
Posted inArts + Music
Todd and the Book of Pure Evil
One of the lead actors in this TV series once punched me in the face during a biology class. (I won’t say which one, but you know who you are!) That being said, Space’s Todd and the Book of Pure Evil is a pretty hilarious horror-comedy that mixes Kevin Smith-inspired dialogue (hey, Jason Mewes is […]
Posted inArts + Music
Best Coast
Best Coast is hitting its sophomore slump in a big way with The Only Place, a collection of barely there pop tunes that lack way too much creativity or imagination for a band that was being heralded as the next Giant Drag a few years ago. Lead songwriter Bethany Cosentino delivers paint by numbers lyrics […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Easy as BMX
Sick of the standard bicycle commute and looking to spice it up with some bunny hops and nose wheelies? There are a few things to consider when purchasing a BMX bike for the first time. Complete beginner bikes generally range from $400 to $600. For starters, look for a bike frame that is made of […]
Posted inArts + Music
Singing in the stall
In 2000, experimental vocalist and composer DB Boyko was living in Vancouver when she was asked to become the musical director of the Songbird project, a campaign about the ecological impact urban centres have on the life of songbirds. While working on what would become the Songbird Oratorio, the director suggested she partner up with […]
Posted inArts + Music
Grimes
Grimes puts Canadian electronic music on the map with her minimalist-IDM inspired release. She sounds like the elfin love spawn of Super Mario and Princess Peach, whose steady diet of mushrooms allows her to make synth dreamscapes with haunting vocals. Compared to her future touring mates Skrillex and Diplo, Grimes sounds neither overtly abrasive nor […]