Two thousand five has been a year of opportunity for independent theatre artists. With the launches of so many new companies, the sudden growth of indie productions proves that even with obstacles like few venues and small budgets, for our theatre community, the shows must go on. In March, one of Halifax’s few full-time veteran […]
Arts + Music
Live theatre, art exhibits, comedy, literary, spoken word – The Coast guide to Halifax and Dartmouth, NS . The downtown, local arts scene – plays, writers, actors, artists and performers. Painting, sculpture, photography, stand-up, stage.
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Film flam
Production boom “I did various commercials,” says Shauna Hatt, a film production coordinator who works on a contract basis in film. “And I did two CBS TV movies back to back.” She’s referring to the Tom Selleck movies, sequels to the popular movie of the week Stone Cold, based on the Robert B. Parker novels. […]
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Picture show
Every year, critics complain how it was a bad year for movies, and then I point out that that they’re paying attention to the wrong ones. This year is a different matter. Big movies came from directors like Roman Polanski, Tim Burton, Hayao Miyazaki, Terry Gilliam, Cameron Crowe, David Cronenberg, Jim Jarmusch, Richard Linklater, Deepak […]
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Love the way we Bitch
Off your chest and on the web / Too hot for the printed page.
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Carded
Remember that episode of Friends where Selma Blair tried to get Chandler to cheat on Monica when he was stuck in Oklahoma or wherever the hell for the holidays — stop your lies, you know it as well as we do — and his company’s Christmas bonuses were donations made in every employee’s name to […]
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Main streets
While most bands are occupied with last-minute holiday shopping, on top of it all, the Danny Mainstreet Band will squeeze in a last-minute show December 23 at The Attic. Frontman Ben Hughes says the band is anxious to help Halifax relieve any holiday stress it may have. Just don’t expect Santa Claus. “I suppose if […]
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Wanting
The first time Molly sees a peacock, an expression comes to her: “I never forget a face.” Where the phrase comes from, she isn’t sure. Maybe it’s something her grandmother says. More likely, she’s lifted it from a lipstick commercial, or a movie about a stalker. Late movies on cable are usually about stalkers. It’s […]
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Punk politics
Since forming two years ago, hardcore punk group Raygunomics have become used to performing for a loyal all-ages following. Now that all four members are of legal age, they are facing the challenges associated with making the transition from dry to drinking establishments. “We’ve played shows for literally two and five people, and that never […]
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King Kong
Scale and spectacle are the two words most apt in describing the new King Kong. Peter Jackson’s three-hour remake is nothing if not big. It’s an impressive feat and — with generous frequency — a thrilling one. Yet it’s also this reach for monumental status that keeps it from greatness. Were the movie an hour […]
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Draft pick
Jay Dahl doesn’t have many compliments when he talks about his home province. “I always wanted to make films,” he says. “I’m from northern Alberta, so that possibility just did not exist. There’s no such thing there as the arts, I guess.” Dahl isn’t someone who’d let that keep him from getting what he wants. […]
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Get with the progamming
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — the Sundance Film Festival line-up announcement! The fest has announced a return to its independent roots, to which we say we’ll believe it when we freakin’ see it. (Or see the movies, as it were.) But after reading the New York Times this week, we have […]
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Duke Murray
Oshawa, Ontario’s Cuff the Duke have added some Dartmouth flavour to their line-up in the form of ex-Guthrie Dale Murray. The alt-country band released a statement on their website on November 29 announcing their parting of ways with founding member Jeff Peers. “The deal is that I am taking over guitar, keyboard, pedal steel and […]