“It’s a true story about Joseph Howe, about a duel that he fought in 1840,” says director Michael Fox about his new film, A Lesser Sort of War. “He was challenged to a duel by a man named John Halliburton, who accused him of libel. What happened at the end is John Halliburton misses and […]
Tara Thorne
Posted inArts + Music
Hobo with a laptop
The suffix “-ploitation”—blaxploitation, sexploitation, Holmesploitation (free Katie, now more than ever!)—is a favourite of film wankers, but did you know that the term “grindhouse” covers all of that too? (We did not.) Shown mostly in tiny American dollar theatres from the late ’60s through to the ’80s, featuring plots, actors and production values of the […]
Posted inArts + Music
Going for broke
It’s mid-September in Toronto and it’s unseasonably chilly. Many of assembled journalists, the ones based in LA and Europe, are grumbling about unexpectedly having to buy sweaters. But they don’t need them here in this cramped hotel conference room filled two-to- one with photographers and camerapeople trying to get pictures of Jude Law, a star […]
Posted inArts + Music
Horror show
Sure, Hollywood churns out a new horror film every week. And by “new” we of course mean “remake of a Japanese or classic 1970s film starring hot young stars from The CW.” So skip the multiplex this week and on Wednesday, February 28 head out to Ginger’s Tavern (1662 Barrington) for Night of the Killer […]
Posted inArts + Music
Near, far…well, near, actually
Though we’re more against Titanic-related things than the rightful soul under the J.Dawson grave marker over at Fairview Lawn, a few years ago we saw a production of Scotland Road close out the most ambitious, awesome season Shakespeare by the Sea has ever had. That’s why we’re in full support of Theatre Arts Guild’s version […]
Posted inArts + Music
Show time
This ain’t a scene, it’s a goddamned awards show and conference! And an alternative festival! And a bunch of in-stores, church gigs and casino shows! And 72 hours of jamming! And more drinking than those 3,200 pub-crawling lame-os could hope to accomplish in their Guinness-regulated time. Observe: Music Nova Scotia Stage The goal of this […]
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Strike through
As the strike of Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists members over salary and internet rights issues drifts into its second month, the Atlantic branch of the actors’ union moves into legal position on February 13. Members in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have been on strike since January 8, though little production […]
Posted inArts + Music
Happy Dance
Like every man who came to his senses in any romantic comedy ever, Sundance won me back in the end. It chased me through an airport. It climbed my fire escape even though it was afraid of heights. It stood outside my window blasting Peter Gabriel. When last we met I was wallowing in the […]
Posted inArts + Music
Wintersong
At this time last year, the dead of winter wasn’t fucking around. Dropping into the middle of three of the coldest days of 2006, the inaugural In the Dead of Winter festival—packed full of more than 30 singing songwriters—brought out music lovers bundled to their eyes, glasses fogging in the sudden warmth of the Khyber […]
Posted inArts + Music
Depraved in Utah
Two of my biggest pet peeves are a sense of entitlement and casual rudeness, so it really doesn’t make much sense that I make a habit of spending part of January at the Sundance Film Festival. Yet here I am, back in Park City, Utah, for the fourth time in the last five years. The […]
Posted inArts + Music
Young’un
A new online venture—and Canada’s first internet TV station—launched this week, and the best part is it’s based out of Halifax. Created by locals Dawn Harwood-Jones, Roberta Hancock and Steven Morrison, untv.ca features 10 original shows starring faces you’ll recognize, from comic Candy Palmater (The Candy Show) to Cory Bowles (Afterlife Bar and Grill). Other […]
Posted inArts + Music
Open your body. And your face
With the rollover of the calendar year comes a new round of workshops from the city’s various arts organizations. First out of the gate is the venerable Irondale Ensemble Project, which is offering two classes. The first is its annual Open Workshop, which is a free theatre games night from 7 to 9pm at Irondale’s […]