Dear people who wear patchouli or other over powering odors,
Please don’t. Nobody is digging it… except you. Thanks, ROTP —ReturnOfThePrick
Love Hipocrisy
So certain charitable organizations can stand at the Willow intersection and solicit change from unsuspecting motorists in the name of good will, in the name of feeding the homeless, but the homeless cannot stand at the Willow intersection and solicit change from unsuspecting motorists to feed themselves. Yikes, systemic regulation of the poor at work.…
Thursday AFF Preview: Atom Egoyan’s Chloe
A remake of a 2003 French film Natalie… that starred Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Beart and Gerard Depardieu. Atom Egoyan transposes the French tale of marital infidelity to high-falutin’ locales in downtown Toronto (the AGO, the ROM, Little Italy and Yorkville all feature prominently) where gynecologist Catherine (Julianne Moore) suspects her professorial husband David (Liam Neeson)…
Brussels anniversaire
Last week downtown eatery Brussels Restaurant and Brasserie (1873 Granville, 446-4700) celebrated a year of serving European brews and delicacies to Haligonians. For more information on their menus (including their weekend European brunches) visit brusselsrestaurant.ca.
Private Lives worth a public view
To get underneath the mass of contradictions that is Pippa Lee, you need to watch her run. There are plenty of opportunities to do that in the movie, especially when we spend time with the 40-something Pippa, essayed by the astonishing Robin Wright Penn. Something about the way she moves; so tightly wound, yet girlish.…
lady haha
to the dude in the gym locker room singing along to his ipod. I’ve never heard a worse rendition of “paparazzi”. fucking made my day. —props
Chez Tess: crepes in the north end!
[image-1] Pretty much the perfect little restaurant has opened in the north end. Chez Tess (5687 Charles) is tucked half a block off Agricola Street in the Nile House, which I had never heard of before I went hunting for the rumoured creperie Monday. It’s a marvelous building, with two apartments above the ground floor…
Hissyfit ain’t no drag
Debbie Diamond lights up the urinals Hissyfit, everyone’s favourite rock and roll drag show, returns Sunday September 27 at Reflections, featuring drag performances by A/V, Big Time Operator (Dead Milkmen cover band with Mark Black), a Smiths tribute band featuring Jason Haywood, The Fat Stupids, The Bad Arts, Get Wrecked, The Wides, The Pinheads and…
Film Faceoff! Atom Egoyan’s Chloe vs. Mike Judge’s Extract
I’m not the only one noticing the striking similarities between the plots of Egoyan’s Chloe (screened for delegates and press this morning) and Judge’s Extract (released earlier this month). My colleague Mark Palermo mentioned the parallels in a conversation about post-screening dissection and The AV Club’s Scott Tobias mentioned the connection in his review of…
wtf, hulu?
Hulu: Just work in Canada, already. all I want is to watch everything on tv for free at any time. It’s not too much to ask. At the least, someone please use their skillz on the internets to give me an easy way to cheat their IP blocking. all media should be free for my…
East vs. West: The ultimate showdown for real with Regina’s Hot Blood Bombers
Lookin’ good, Hot Blood Bombers Regina’s Hot Blood Bombers haven’t been out east in their band career. They heard we are nice. We have heard they are “three guys sweating and playing rock and roll garage soul.” It could be a match made in heaven. Touring is an inspirational force for the band and I’d…
tuned out
how the hell do you get off charging people 24.00 an hour to record music i charged you 14.50$ an hour for my design services and in all the mitigated gull you dare to say “woh thats too much” did i not go to college – same as you?\ is my work not as worthy…
whats up doc
reading the headline about “ironic immigration” leads me to my bitch their is something to be said about our immigration system itself – to whom it would toss people like this out and leave people like my doctor here – who’s cultural background gives him some sort of free reign – or right to say…
Gettin in on in class
To the idiots in my lecture yesterday: did u really have to sit on your boyfriends lap the entire time? and dude, did u have to give her a massage?! this was all so much better when u got up to leave and he was completely red, so who knows what else was going on…
It’s Over, But That Doesn’t Mean That You are Finished
It’s not just that you had an affair. You betrayed me on so many levels. You lied constantly. You treated me like dirt in order to rationalize your behavior. You risked exposing me and my baby to STDs (you will never know how humiliating it is to have a male technician give you an AIDS…
Friday AFF Preview: An Education
Jenny (Carey Mulligan, a delight) is a 16-year-old in pre-Beatles suburban London, the cleverest one in her class and a good grade in Latin away from going to Oxford for university. She meets older man David (Peter Sarsgaard, more charm than smarm) who sweeps her off her feet, offering nights out, glamorous events, dinners and…
WORK Disability Providers
I wanna bitch about how we work for years at our jobs and pay into disabilities BUT as soon as something happens to us that we need to draw on it GUESS WHAT we get the complete fucking run around and wait and wait and wait after months of getting therapy being out of work…
Girls on Film
Yesterday Women in Film and Television – Atlantic hosted a panel discussion at the Khyber Arts Centre with Sherry White, writer-director of Crackie, and Jennice Ripley, the film’s producer. Among other things discussed, White and Ripley reflected on the history of filmmaking in Newfoundland and where their careers fit into it. That discussion was prompted…
Good Food goes international
The Good Food Emporium (2179 Gottingen, 422-3150), so essential to the lunchtime diets of many of us Coast staffers, is now offering a whole new dinner menu, available from 5-9pm, Monday to Friday. Calling it “a local take on far away food,” dinner is prepared by multitalented chef Virgil Muir, who you may know from…
Little Europe is special
Up at Little Europe (5543 Young Street, 407-7700) you can find daily specialties, different ones inspired by dishes from all over continental Europe. They include fish and pasta features, Greek moussaka, Dutch crepes and veal a la Provence. But starting this week there’ll be an all week special, too, all prepared by chef and manager…
Nasty Bus Driver
I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m tired of bus drivers who think they have a license to be pricks. This goes out to the bus driver who couldn’t answer a simple question coming from a confused rider. The driver thought it would be much more helpful (and fun apparently) to be…
Eight is enough
In 2000 the United Nations committed to eight Millennium Development Goals, an effort to halve world poverty by 2015. The goals are lofty: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, combat HIV/AIDS, reduce child mortality, and so on. In an effort to shine a spotlight on these MDGs, eight directors offer eight short…
bathrooms!!!
The other night i was stupid enough to leave the movie theatre and not pee before i left, but sometimes you just forget. So I went to a restaurant and they didn’t let me use it, told me the washrooms were closed! so my respose was” I have to pee” and he told me I…
Too Casual Greetings at Grocery Stores
When I walk into a downtown grocery store as a patron and approach you to order/purchase something, why in the hell are you, as an employee of said grocery store, greeting me with either “hey man” or “hey dude”? How about you show your customers (regardless of whether they appear to be in your general…
Express line idiots
OK , the goddamn sign says 1- 10 items , so you abacus breed fool learn to count. You come with 20 loaves of bread , who knows how many Eggo’s , 4 pizza’s , etc etc etc. Then get upset when the cashier tell you that you have too many items. OH YEAH MORON…
Lies, lies, lies.
You are not welcome in Halifax. Go back to Toronto, where you can hopefully learn from your mistakes. We’re all done giving you chances. You need to learn to grow up and stop fucking up peoples lives. Learn some respect and stop being so selfish. Also, honesty would be key. Good ridence. —from those who…
metro transit sucks
So I’m on the bus a little while ago, the number 10, on of MT’s busiest routes. The driver thought it would be a good idea to make a joke with one of his busdriver friends who was outside at the Sportsplex terminal in Dartmouth, and yell loud enough for everyone on the bus at…
Breaking news: Celebrity chef Ray Bear leaves town abruptly; future of BEAR Restaurant uncertain
An employee at BEAR Restaurant confirms repeated rumours that chef Ray Bear abruptly left town Thursday night, leaving the restaurant in limbo. The employee, Scott—he declines to give his last name– says he personally will be managing BEAR for the next two weeks. “We have a lot of large groups this weekend and next,” says…
Stone Temple Pilots land in Halifax
Here’s what I know: STP November 24 at the Metro Centre. Tickets go on sale Friday. We get some weird concerts here. I think it’s time to face that.
Uncommon Cookies
Just a shout out to whoever does the baking for a certain coffee shop on South Park St. … those giant cookies are bananas! My mom is going through chemotherapy right now, and even when she can hardly eat anything she is asking about those cookies, especially the ginger ones! —Cookies are a sometimes food
Weather
I just wanted to say thank you so much Mr. Sunshine for coming back for an encore performance…I bought a really cute dress late in the season and haven’t gotten a lot of wear out of it…but now because you decided to join us again for another fabulous warm September day, I get to wear…
AFF preview: Thoughts on Antichrist
So, I’ve seen the most controversial movie of the year. TIFF bigwig Cameron Bailey said the Danish director of Antichrist “isn’t trying to shock or offend,” with his “very personal film,” but I’d dispute that. Lars von Trier is a shit-disturber. He helped found the Dogma cinematic movement, both a rigorous aesthetic and a genius…
Mmmmm Pyrogies!
Thank you big atlantic grocery store for finally bringing in frozen pyrogies to warm the heart and tummy of a former Edmontonian. And the BEST BRAND too! AND in the giant muti-pack! (I was making do with the no-name, but this is the BEST!) Boil ’em up first, then fry in a little butter and…
Tiesto Halifax show cancelled
The Gillett Entertainment Group regretfully announced today that due to scheduling conflicts, the Tiësto Halifax concert scheduled for October 4 at Cunard Centre had to be cancelled. Ticket refunds are available at point of purchase.
Atlantic Film Fest: Monday’s Picks
Sadly, the work week may be on, but there’s still lots of AFF fun. Here’s where we are: Wings of Desire (Dal Art Gallery, 5pm): Wim Wenders’ beautiful film is an all-time classic, also inspiring one of the worst remakes ever, starring Nic Cage and Meg Ryan. Atlantic Shorts (Park Lane 8, 7pm, 9:20pm): Stomp,…
Stolen Music Collection
I had put my whole music collection onto an external hard drive, and what my sister decided to do is go and copy all of my music, over to her laptop. Today I wake up listening to her playing my music. I’ve put many years and money into making this collection of music I like,…
Fid loves local
Fid Resto (1569 Dresden Row, 422-9162) is seeing a lot of positive response to its brunch menu, served Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 2pm. People are getting on board with the idea that it changes depending on what’s freshly available from the Halifax farmers’ market. A couple of things the restaurant has in the…
AFF review: Funday Sunday!
L-R: Josh MacDonald, Sherry Smith, Don Ritchie, Michael McPhee, Sara English and Scott Simpson Coast coverboy, Nathan Fielder’s doc (and that is a loose description of it) Love and Cameras in America has the gloss, feel and tone of an ambitious experiment, and often feels like a success, though some elements keep it from greatness.…
No longer a residence
So I know this place may have had a reputation in the past, but lets get some things straight. This isn’t a residence. It is not okay for you to blast you music and scream all night long. And yes, I will call the cops on you every single time. It is also not cool…
recycling + plastic?!
okay, I’ve just about had it with having to put my newspapers in PLASTIC BAGS to be recycled. I know people who occasionally don’t take their reusable bags shopping because they need to “stock up” on plastic so they can put their newspapers out. I don’t know, something just doesn’t gel here. There has to…
Kind Deed
Thank you so much to the girl who found my friend’s phone last night at The Paragon. He was very upset, and it sort of soured his experience of Halifax thinking maybe someone stole it. Getting your phone call this morning saying you had it safe and sound completely turned both our days around. It’s…
Thursday night robbery…
To the asshole who smashed in the window to our new (and first) car to steal two bags, behind the Welsford. Hope it was worth the $70 and my $15 sunglasses. Now I have to pay to have the window fixed and the seal around the window that you wrecked while unsuccessfully trying to unlock…
AFF Day 3: Ladies come out on top of docs
Already one of my highlights for the festival, Become a Microscope, is a short doc about 1960s pop artist Sister Corita, an inspiring nun who taught at a Catholic LA college, and who became an influential force in the art world, making friends with the Eames brothers and Hitchcock. The doc’s by Aaron Rose (with…
Atlantic Film Fest: Sunday’s Picks
It may be day of rest for some, but not us! Here are a few picks for Sunday: Atlantic Shorts || (Park Lane 8, 2pm): See our story on Ariella Palka’s short film Burning Rubber, about the connections between rural car culture and contemporary art. Ten points if you spot the arts editor. Love and…
AFF: Jiggers With Attitude
(From L-R) Dir. Adam Perry, Cast members: Jeremy Larter, Lennie MacPherson, Graham Putnam and Jill McRae The Saturday afternoon screening of Adam Perry’s Jiggers made history, according to programmer Erin Oakes, as being the first feature from PEI to be selected to be screened at the AFF. Even if it wasn’t history making, Jiggers would…
AFF: Back and forth through time
As film curator Ron Foley MacDonald explained before this afternoon’s screening of Wim Wenders’ Paris,Texas, Wenders is the German director with the most international vision—with Werner Herzog a close second. Wenders is fascinated with the creative impulse—he’s made documentaries about other filmmakers and musicians, including his award-winning film about the Buena Vista Social Club—and a…
GAG
To the numb asshole that had a shit explosion all over the public restroom the other day: WTF!!!! It actually looked like someones bowels had a temper-tantrum and reared out 40 tacos, donair chunks and SALSA JUICE EVERYWHERE. MmmMmMm!! My mouth is watering!! Like a waterfall! Fortunately enough I recoiled just in time to slip…
Fisher wins Dartmouth byelection
Darren Fisher has won election to the East Dartmouth council seat vacated by Andrew Younger. Fisher’s victory, in a field of seven, was convincing: he received 1,994 votes, while the next closest challenger, Brian Warshick, who had previously held the seat, received just 856. See the complete election results here.
Bicylces
Ok I know that we don’t have bike lanes in Halifax, but that doesn’t mean that you bikers shouldn’t obey the rules of the road. You had a stop sign and went through the 4 way stop when it was my right of way. You could have been hit…follow the same rules we all have…
I dub thee Stompy
Holy son of a fucking deity of your choice! I’m now sure that Ironman lives above me, and I’d appreciate it if he’d take off his fucking boots before drunkenly running around his flat at 3am. Can’t you fly?. We also don’t need the shitty baselines driving on all day. We know your badass, we…
Tonight: Frame x Frame preview
My favourite part of AFF is always the Frame x Frame program, you just never get this kind of access to animation anywhere else here. Tonight’s programs are divided into two themes. Frame x Frame 1 (7pm, Park Lane 8) is called Let’s Get Weird, and features 10 short animated films, including Runaway, the latest…
Crazy lady in the Alderney Library on Friday
I’m sure the rest of the library users didn’t appreciate you ripping into the female staff member sitting at the resources desk after you encountered a man jerking off in the washroom around 12:45pm on Friday. You have every right to be upset that such an incident occured but cursing up a storm and yelling…
Compulsive Hypocrites
Remember the other day when we all stopped into the pub for a beer, and you guys all proceeded to tear up our friend who slipped into the VLT room? “He has a problem” you all agreed. “I would never be owned like that” you all said. Is that right? Well, I know for a…
AFF Day 2: French separatism and British music parties
Les Colocs get the crowds into a frenzy. I started the film fest off with a healthy dinner—let’s see how the diet deteriorates over the week—and then it was off to Dédé, à travers les brume, a Quebec film, directed by Jean-Philippe Duval and produced by Roger Frappier, who introduced the movie. The mostly francophone…
Brit bus gal
I always find plenty complain about as it relates to the bus…but the driver I had last week on the 18 was excellent!, she British, blond and very friendly, she made the bus wait go quick by just being so bright! we need more bus drivers like her! —buses not all bad!
Bumper to bumper
I understand that parking was tight this afternoon, but you really didnt have to back into my new car. You also really didnt have to deny it when my roommate came down to speak with you, after he witnessed the whole event. And you really, really didnt have to drive away in your little white…
Once more unto the breach…
Though I share some of Hillary’s sentiment about Crackie, I don’t think I enjoyed it quite as much as she did. I did like its grit and unglamourous view of life ‘round the bay. The performances were excellent, especially from Maghan Greeley in her first film role. Joel Thomas Hynes as bad boy Duffy reminded…
I Killed My Mother n’avec pas English Subtitles
I killed My Mother, J’ai tue ma mere en francais, the multiple prize winner at the Cannes Film Festival from Quebecois wunder-kinder Xavier Dolan, is apparently without English subtitles, as both a volunteer and the box office manager told me. This is frustrating as I was excited to see this film. Please, if you attended…
new festival
i didn’t realize today was the day for healthy young adults to ride on the side walk with no helmet day congratulations you are officially tards… but hey folks don’t you forget about talk like a pirate day…shiver me timbers —paingirl
Parallel Universes
Parallels in tone, motifs, stories, etc. is emerging as a recurring theme among the films I’ve already seen at this year’s Fest (4 so far). Today, I saw the the gritty yet beguiling entry from NFLD, Crackie. Following young Mitsie (Meaghan Greely, not ‘Kristie’ Booth as it says in the AFF guide. Kristen Booth makes…
Busta Rhymes show is busta
We’re just the messenger. If you have a ticket, it will be refunded at point of purchase, but a new date will be announced soon.
Photo gallery: Atlantic Film Fest gala
Last night’s Atlantic Film Fest was an odd affair, but definitely memorable. You still had your sparkle-gowned ladies and skinny-suited men, but they were eating chips under the halo glow of trailer lights. Some looked confused; others, relieved to be let loose in an arena (someone suggested a few were helped by cocaine, but I…
women vs men a bus story
I wonder why female and male bus drivers are so different – I am not saying all – but many male bus drivers seem to hate their jobs and all the people in the world especially those that get on their bus – the women drivers in general do not seem to be so angst…
Like, stop, like, talking like an idiot.
To all the girls who think saying the word “like” 5 times in a sentence is the way people talk..you’re wrong. You sound like a stupid idiot. It’s not “cute”, or a “bad habit”, it just makes you sound stupid. Talk like a normal person. —Like, fed up, like, with people who, like say like.
Auuugghmmppffhhh
I just got my driving licence. I never want to drive again. You’re all psychotic. Please stop tailgating me. —Love, Herman Billingsley III
Stand up for Woodside
I wish Metro Transit would spring for some more benches in the Woodside ferry terminal. Whenever I’m there there are 30 to 40 people standing around and seating for 9. There are plenty at the Halifax and Alderney terminals. —Ferry Godfather
You think you are so good that you have to make your own bike lane?
Unless you like getting hit by other vehicles I would advise you that you should abide by the rules that are set out for road safety. Stop making your own lane down the middle of the fuckin’ road!!!!! Just because there is a 1 foot wide space for you to fit your bike between 2…
Money Grabbing Bastards
I popped in to my favourite chicken place in The Passage and was saddened to see they now charge a 50 cent fee for the pleasure of using my debit card to pay for my artery-clogging vice. To all the stores out there that think they are right to recoup their costs for the debit…
Beggin …
So now we have Feed N.S. begging for change at intersections.Is it just me or does this seem to be getting out of hand? You would think by now they would have a better process already established for receiving donations, rather then begging for change at intersections . I have to say I am getting…
This is why we can’t have nice things.
Oh, cyclist. I know you have the same rights to the road and all, but you can’t just do a u-turn and start weaving around the traffic lane, trying to decide which direction to take. I haven’t driven for a long time and that kind of thing terrifies me. I don’t know where you’re going!…
Atlantic Film Fest: Friday’s picks
How are you going to spend your first full day of the Atlantic Film Fest? Here’s where you’ll find us: Act of God (7pm, Park Lane 4): Lightning only needs to strike once to have a life-changing impact. Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes) speaks to survivors in this gorgeous documentary. Dede, a travers les brumes (7:15pm,…
3 Inches of Blood and The Most Serene Republic at the Paragon
Coochie coochie coooooo! 3 Inches of Blood are cuddly The Paragon have a couple of big tickets just around the corner to ease you into fall: 3 Inches of Blood (October 14 and 15, guests TBA, tickets $13 in advance or $15 at the door, available at www.ticketpro.ca) and The Most Serene Republic (November 27,…
TIFF: The last day
The most unheralded director of women in contemporary cinema is Rodrigo Garcia (just shut your fucking mouth about Scorsese). The Colombian filmmaker, who pays the bills directing HBO shows, has helmed two of the best female ensembles of the past 10 years: Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (Calista Flockhart, Kathy Baker,…
Mary’s Place Renovates
Fans of Mary’s Place Cafe (2752 Robie Street, 454-2558) will be surprised at the changes to the place when you walk through the door. “We did some renovation,” says a jovial Roy Khouri on the phone. “New walls, new tables, new floor.” Khouri’s actually reduced the number of booths and added tables to better accommodate…
Things I learned at the AFF Gala Bash
• The floor of the Metro Centre is a weird place to have a party. It’s like the world’s biggest high school dance. The urbanity of the street event was missed according to my informal poll of attendees, though I do agree with my colleague Hillary, it was nice without the velvet rope partitions this…
P-A-R-T-WHY? Because I Gotta!
People I saw: Josh MacDonald: His Halo movie (not based on the video game) is in the final stages of post-production. Look for it in 2010. Jason Eisener and Sean Flinn: Eisener, a local filmmaker, and Flinn, a local journalist (if you read The Coast, you see his name often) both asked where my usual…
TIFF DAY 8: Who’s talking?
Let’s talk about some things. Instead of wondering how Sandra Bullock looks so smooth or when Megan Fox had her boob job or how Blake Lively got her nose did, let’s please mention Jeremy Piven’s hairline, which was in the middle of his skull during Ellen. Or Steve Carell, whose spray-on hair is awfully low-rent…
Analysis: City Hall fails secrecy test
Halifax council is needlessly secret, stretches the justifications for holding secret meetings and uses secret meetings to resolve political issues that should rightly be discussed in public. That’s the result of an analysis of the 30 secret council meetings held in 2008. In those meetings, 71 issues were discussed; my analysis finds that 23 of…
Cats vs. Kitties
In addendum to Mr. Knox’s recent post on Bright Star and Love and Savagery, I would like to point out what makes Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day and Bright Star unlikely bedfellows: cats! Trailer Park Boys, of course, features renown cat-lover Bubbles and Countdown to Liquor Day doesn’t disappoint. I always admired films…
Love and poetry
Sometimes the screening gods are kind, serving up two films in a row with genuine parallels. The two I’m thinking of, they’re both period films, they both feature poets as the male lead characters. Both wrestle with impossible love. One asks us to believe perfect love can be mined in three days, the other lets…
Compassionate photo display on Spring Garden Road
Shari Tucker, Nova Scotia Now 27, Ryan Joudrey has been cancer-free for over five years. Although shy at times, he was determined to overcome the obstacles facing him during his fight with acute lymphocytic leukemia. He says, “I sincerely doubt I would be alive today without the love and support of family, friends, doctors, and…
Hey crafters, visit Handmade Nation tonight
On Thursday night (9:30pm, Park Lane 4), crafty types are getting all geared up for Handmade Nation, a documentary that explores the connections between handmade goods, the popular DIY movement, punk, feminism and anti-consumerism. But if you’d like to connect with your fellow Hali-crafters, there’s a meet-up beforehand, appropriately at Love, Me Boutique, from 7-8:30pm.
Ricky, Julien, Bubbles and Hillary
I just got back from interviewing the Trailer Park Boys for an online feature for The Coast. Though extremely excited for the opportunity, I was a little weary of the prospect of the Boys being in character, which I was assured they would be. I suppose that I was just concerned that I would be…
Matthew Good at the Cunard Centre, December 4
Mr. Matt Good Matthew Good comes back to Halifax to promote his upcoming album, Vancouver (released October 6), with Mother Mother ($30/$35 doors at 7:30pm, show at 8:30pm, Cunard Centre, all ages with a licenced area). Tickets on sale tomorrow at 10am. Buy them in person at the United Bookstore, Greenlyph Computers, Alderney Landing, Halifax…
Atlantic Film Festival opening gala promises you Bubbles
Looking for something in between fancy and ridiculous to do tonight? I’d suggest the Atlantic Film Festival opening gala. I’m just going to pull the info directly from the press releases, because sometimes they say it best: “The Metro Centre will be turned into the city’s biggest celebration of the World Premiere of Trailer Park…
Full Halifax Pop Explosion schedule now online
Ladies, meet Barn Burner Why don’t you peep the heck out of the Halifax Pop Explosion full schedule? Who are you most excited for? I’m stoked to see Dog Day (with new drummer Rob Shedden from Beat Material and The Got To Get Got), Bike Rodeo with the Pack A.D. and The Memories Attack with…
Review: Rum and Vodka
Rum and vodka is a miracle elixir, or so says the hard-drinking, shit-out -of-luck young man in Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s one-man play of the same name. No matter how low this guy slides, and believe me, he reaches some pretty low lows in his three day alcoholic bender, this concoction gives just the jolt…
Atlantic Film Fest: Saturday’s Picks
Our first full day of films! If you see us roaming around, say hi. Here’s where we’ll be: Shorts |||: Women on Top (Park Lane 8, 2pm): Hey ladies! Short docs about a pop-art nun, an electronic musician and a 70-year-old woman who makes Demi Moore’s thing with Ashton into a big yawnfest. Jiggers (Park…
Smokin’ bluegrass
The band, made up of Amy Lounder (fiddle, vocals), Ben Sichel (guitar, vocals), Jason Dionne (percussion, vocals), Dave Ron (mandolin, vocals) and Graham Kerr (double bass, fingertaps), normally plays for contra dances—a style where dancers line up parallel to each other and execute dance steps as instructed by a caller, with a live band to…
Tell your friends about The Informant!
Steven Soderbergh has spent the ’00s committed to making lightweight genre experiments. It can at least be said that The Informant! is one of the better ones. Though never bridging the dramatic disconnect that hurt The Good German, this film realizes its story isn’t that interesting. What keeps The Informant! on its toes is its…
Lower Deck Celebrations
"I hired Great Big Sea16 years ago for their first show on the mainland, so they were the first band I called to see if they'd consider coming and doing a show for us; they accepted our offer to come and make it a real celebration," says Mike Condy, owner of the Lower Deck. Great…
Fun with Fantods
Unsatisfied with their previous three studio albums, The Fantods lugged recording equipment through subzero temperatures and slushy puddles down stairs to the Blue Moon Bistro last January to record their latest album, Ride the Moose, during a free show. “It was just surprising how a live recording could be exactly what we wanted,” says drummer…
Jennifer’s Body goes for gutsy
Oscar winner Diablo Cody goes for the gutsy with a ’80s-style horror romp. Megan Fox, right in her tiny wheelhouse, is the titular Jennifer, who’s sacrificed to Satan by emo band Low Shoulder (fronted by Adam “Seth Cohen” Brody!) so the band can hit it big. She becomes a half-demon instead, feeding on boys to…
Down and Durty
Honestly, when I think of Irish pubs, I generally think of establishments that have based their business plans on two things: a handful of stereotypes and a Celtic font. But—-barring an appearance by Colm Meaney or a musical tour of the restaurant by Anna McGoldrick—-it is pretty much impossible to cram any more authenticity into…
Porn to Run
Q My boyfriend and I have been living together for a year. He knows I am an insecure person when it comes to my body. I’m not overweight, I’ve been told my whole life how good-looking I am, and my boyfriend tells me he loves my body. We have an active sex life. Here is…
Thriller Whiteout freezes
Even though Whiteout is set in one of those locales that begets the tagline “In … no one can hear you scream,” the film can’t even pass muster as a pulse-pounding whodunit, nor resemble Antarctica as anything more than inconveniently blowy and cold. Kate Beckinsale plays South Pole-based g-woman Carrie Stetko, who is investigating a…
Losing the enviro war
Here’s a typical environmental campaign: Step one, get annoyed by a problem behaviour. Step two, rally other people and groups who are equally annoyed. Step three, create some posters and stickers and flyers about it. Step four, put out a press release. Step five, hold a public event with a dash of fun, a splash…
Parks and Recreation: Season One
The better a show’s deleted scenes, the better the show itself. In one chopped scene from Parks and Recreation: Season One, an irate town hall-meeting eccentric (Loudon Wainwright III) declares: “And then there was that ‘fire.’ That’s what killed my snake!…Now, I have a few things I want to say about Laura Linney…” (Success!) Yes,…
It’s the end of the line for the Trailer Park Boys
After almost a decade in front of cameras documenting their every boneheaded and reckless move, the Trailer Park Boys, Ricky, Julian and Bubbles, seem pretty comfortable holding court in a downtown hotel suite. With a bare-bones short, One Last Shot, a decade ago appearing at the 1999 edition of the Atlantic Film Festival and after…
The Irony Generation
Just wanted to comment on the piece by Tara Thorne in the Back to School Guide (“Ironic, man,” September 3). That was hands down one of the best opinion pieces I have ever read—sad, funny, honest and regrettably all too true. I was actually a little shocked that The Coast even ran it. After all,…
Dexter’s duplicity
What was a peace-loving lefty like me doing at the Halifax armaments show last week? Why was I was marching with 1,300 weapons makers, military types and government bureaucrats past shiny displays of naval guns, aircraft engines, mortars and tanks? The answer can be summed up in one famous name: Darrell Dexter. I wanted to…
Asterios Polyp, David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon)
Since its release in August, David Mazzucchelli’s original graphic novel Asterios Polyp has been praised by critics as a masterpiece, and deservedly so. I have no doubt this book will be at or near the top of every comic reviewer’s Best of 2009 list. The book tells the story of a middle-aged, pretentious, semi-successful architect…
The Cost of Power
After reading Chris Benjamin’s story (“Breaking wind,” September 10) I felt compelled to comment on several sides of the wind power argument. As an electrical engineer working for a consulting firm directly involved in many of the operational and planned wind energy projects in Nova Scotia, I have experienced the polarization of public opinion regarding…
Jennifer’s Body talk
A lightning storm of flashes goes off two feet from Megan Fox’s face. Caught up in the assault is the rest of the creative team behind Jennifer’s Body: producer Jason Reitman, screenwriter Diablo Cody, actors Adam Brody, Amanda Seyfried and Johnny Simmons, and director Karyn Kusama. “Red hat, Megan!” a photographer shouts. “I can’t see…
The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave (HarperCollins)
Nick Cave has created one of the most sorrowfully pathetic, misogynistic jerks to ever grace the printed page, and that takes talent. Philandering beauty product salesman Bunny Munro would make Martin Amis proud, with his chronic masturbation and obsession with Avril Lavigne’s vagina. Boozing, sexing and all coked-up, Bunny is caught off guard by his…
Low tuition a good thing!
Two weeks ago, Tim Bousquet wrote that reducing tuition fees “would be good for our young people, and good for our economy”(“Lower tuition rates,” September 3). We need only look to our neighbours in Newfoundland and Labrador to see how true this statement really is. Students in Newfoundland pay half as much for a university…
Jessica Paré is bloody nice
Way to tap the zeitgeist. How could Toronto-based writer/director Rob Stefaniuk have known years ago—when conceiving of his new rock ‘n’ roll vampire movie Suck—that in 2009 bloodsuckers would be pop culture fixtures, more adored than even zombies? He was ahead of the bloody wave, but he got the picture made with actual rock stars:…
Goodbye Solo
Solo’s the name of Goodbye Solo’s protagonist—a friendly Senegalese taxi driver (Souleymane Sy Savane). Solo’s also the way William (Red West), the film’s other main character—a cantankerous man quietly determined to commit suicide—wants to die. The men’s lives co-mingle when William hires Solo for a one-way cab ride to a precipice called Blowing Rock. Solo…
Bill Forbes obituary humiliating
I do not often read your publication but I learned that you recently published a tribute to Bill Forbes (“Farewell to Forbes” by Alison Lang, July 30). I have been following the glowing tributes to this wonderful actor since his days with Mermaid Theatre 25 years ago. Did you have to add humiliation to his…
Playing the Fielder
Last summer, the producers of This Hour Has 22 Minutes sent the show’s man-on-the-street Nathan Fielder to the US to make a documentary about the presidential election. He got as far as Virginia. And although Love and Cameras in America features a brief encounter between Fielder and then-candidate Barack Obama, the movie has very little…
Ariella Pahlke’s smoke signals
Living in rural Halifax, filmmaker Ariella Pahlke is used to sounds of the wild. And not just the chorus of chirping crickets and shushing leaves, but the piercing squeal of the real wild ones—drivers burning rubber. The activity, also called laying a patch, burning out, squealing tires or simply just givin’er, was foreign to Pahlke.…
Cut from the same cloth
In Sherry White’s directorial debut, Crackie, the feature film’s main character, Mitsy, wears a red coat. But she does more than just put it on for a few scenes: She recedes into it. The winterwear envelops Mitsy, becoming part—an emblem—of the character, played by Meaghan Greeley. “That red jacket that she wears, which I loved,…
Picks for every personality
Tickets are $9 students/$10, unless otherwise stated. Special packages available from atlanticfilm.com. IF YOU’RE… … The romantic fool Your bosom heaves at the sight of a lacy petticoat. You can sustain yourself for at least a week on a longing look, or the news of someone else’s break-up. What young lady wouldn’t want An Education…
Strategic Partners’ business hours
W>e know where you’ll be this week. You, like everyone else in town, will become a cinephile, seeing documentaries, short films and features at the Atlantic Film Festival. What you might not realize is while you’re opening your mind in darkened screening rooms, the wheels behind the scenes are turning. For the 12th year, the…
Spiral Beach
Let the boomers keep their recent Woodstock anniversary, their hazy memories. Psychedelia has left them behind, residing now in bands like Spiral Beach. On their third release, The Only Really Thing, this Toronto-based quartet serves sugary jolts with frosty-icing-coloured imagery. But there’s nothing artificial about them. The album opener, “Battery,” establishes the nocturnal motif, with…
Super Shad
In an age where Paris Hilton wins her celebrity with poorly filmed pornography and you need a reality TV show to become a rock star, it is refreshing to meet a man whose art speaks for itself. To truly understand the greatness of Shad, come out to the Paragon on Thursday and watch as the…
Art Brut
These slap-happy lovers of post-punk scrappiness have found a most unlikely kinship in producer (ex-Pixies) Black Francis, who tightens up the band’s sound while simultaneously retaining its slackerish mantra. With songs about The Replacements (the band, not the movie), DC Comics, not learning to drive and having a song stuck in your head, there is…
Zoning out on Quinpool
The zoning laws, adopted nearly 30 years ago, prohibit bars and restaurants from serving alcohol unless the customer also orders food, and also restrict business hours and live entertainment. Only two businesses—Freeman’s Little New York and the Seasons Bistro and Wine Bar in the Atlantica Hotel—are exempt from the restrictions, because those businesses were grandfathered…
Rich Hope
There is not much new to what Rich Hope does, save the crunchiness. You could call his blues a white-boy, minimalist sock-hop strain were it not for the many twists and turns his guitar navigates. On the slow numbers like “Death Bed Blues,” he’ll remind you of The Black Keys. When the tempo’s up, it’s…
Council fun resumes
Councillor Jim Smith has asked that council revisit the perpetually ridiculous cat issue—he’d like the city to embark on a “catch, neuter, release” program for strays, an idea that has merit in the abstract but will no doubt prove well beyond the city’s financial capability. And councillor Jennifer Watts wants council to ask the new…
Smokin’ Contra Band
CBC Studio H has played host to many local artists’ album-making. Smokin’ Contra Band checked in as one of the latest to work with producer Glenn Meisner and Patrick Martin, who records and mixes. The Meisner/Martin sound favours a polished, balanced mix. On Slim Pickins, the ragged edges of a fun, feisty folk/traditional band disappear.…
Seven for Dartmouth
Residents of East Dartmouth’s District Six go to the polls Saturday to elect a replacement for former Halifax councillor Andrew Younger. Younger had to vacate his council seat when he won election to the provincial legislature in June. The byelection is one of the more interesting in recent memory—seven candidates are vying to fill Younger’s…
Darwin Deez
Self-described as “happy music for sad people, white music for black people,” Darwin gives a surprisingly accurate rundown—his music sounds like he’s trying to convince listeners to be happy, and it works. The events in his lyrics sound tempting, but don’t “ding-dong-ditch a Televangelist” until you finish dancing.
Landmark to be razed
The building dates back to the mid-19th century, but has long been in disrepair. While many councillors mourned the loss of the structure, none argued that it was salvageable. Two other buildings on the site, which will also be razed, have historic interest—most notably the 1790s-era Charles Morris building, constructed as the home for the…
Immigration irony
We want to put our best face forward when selling ourselves to tourists, so when the provincial tourism department placed an ad in the Chronicle-Herald promoting its “Doers and Dreamers” guide for visitors, it made sense to put some pretty faces on the cover. There’s a smiling old guy paddling a pumpkin boat, a mixed-race…
I Love Halifax. Haligonians, not so much.
Listen, Canada-born white canadians, you’re a dying breed. You need us, new immigrants. You need us to keep your housing market moving, to work in the IT sector, to fill up your schools and daycares, to take care of your elderly. Especially in the Atlantic, which has something like 0.4 percent of the country’s immigrants.…
are you fucking kidding me
this is to the lady, probly mid 30’s standing at the bus stop with her son..couldnt be any older than 10.. i watched you pull your pack of cigarettes out, hand him a smoke and light the damn thing for him and actually LET HIM smoke it. are you fucking out of your mind? jesus…
Crotch Rocketeer
to the dipshit on the sport bike that nearly rear-ended my little car on the off-ramp to Waverly Rd. on Saturday, then proceeded to get crazed when I gave you the finger. Fuck you. So what if you are on a bike? You are allowed to tail-gate? Your excessive speed could have resulted in my…
cycling family
To the family of four cycling down Cunard St. Wednesday morning – I didn’t realize I held you up as I walked in front of you; it wasn’t until we were clustered together waiting for the crosswalk light and there was a pause between songs on my iPod that I heard you complaining about me.…
Absent Listening Skills
To a certain Porter’s Lake gas attendant… I said good morning. You ignored me and demanded money for the gas I just pumped in my car. I ask for a pack of Players Standard King. You look at me stupid and ask, “JOHN Players?” I nod with suspicions beginning to show on my face that…
Forsyth’s fortune
Halifax’s Walter Forsyth was one of 25 filmmakers chosen to be part of TIFF’s Talent Lab (September 9-12), an intensive program where lucky participants spent time with heavy-hitting industry professionals, like Tilda Swinton, Miranda July and Brian DePalma. On his way to a screening of Chris Rock’s Good Hair, Forsyth found a few minutes to…
Missing bike rack, Blowers and Barrington.
What’s wrong? Missing bike rack, Blowers and Barrington. Who’s responsible? Allen Taylor, transportation planner, 490-6680. REMARKS Getting the city to install new bike racks is like pulling teeth, so it’s especially maddening when perfectly goodexisting bike racks disappear, like the one across thestreet from Venus Pizza did sometime in the past year. “Probably we’ll replace…
