Plenty of people stopped to watch the dance spectacle today at Grand Parade, in honour of Unesco’s International Day of Dance. First, Sarah Cox’s beautiful piece, Open Fan, soothed the crowd with its meditative gestures, based the traditional movements of Japanese Bugaku. I saw Susanne Chui’s The Longest Now, back in January, when it was choreographed for about 10 dancers on a small stage. Now with 30 and in an open public place, it has an entirely different context, almost like a flash dance mob or protest. In fact, when it started, a few people watching looked really confused. The
Video
Posted inArts + Music
Wearable Art Show photo recap
So I’ve been sorting through a thousand photos of the Wearable Art Show from Wednesday night—so much eyecandy! Here are just a few to begin with. More photos and captions to follow.
Posted inArts + Music
Crank: High Voltage
Having fallen from a helicopter, bounced off a car and landed face down on the pavement, it looked like Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) was dead at the end of 2006’s Crank. The only explanation Crank: High Voltage needs for keeping him alive is that he’s in an ultra-sadistic, live-action equivalent to a Road Runner cartoon. […]
Posted inArts + Music
State of Play
The crime-solving journalist genre is a sure-bet with critics. State of Play finds its pedigree in a rich ensemble. Russell Crowe, looking like Jeff Bridges with his frumpy dress and grunge-era hair, plays luddite Washington Post investigative reporter Cal McAffrey. He’s paired with blogger Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) to cover a pair of murders that […]
Posted inArts + Music
17 Again
Resurrecting the age-transplant movies of the late ’80s (18 Again, Big, Vice Versa, Like Father Like Son), 17 Again hits every obvious beat. Yet it’s still a giant miscalculation. The real template is Back to the Future, which director Burr Steers tries to pitch in reverse. Dissatisfied 37-year-old Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) has his wish […]
Posted inArts + Music
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana is introduced as the world’s most popular teenager in the film version of her Disney Channel series. She’s a fitting icon for this era’s egotism, where artistic impulse is a desire for fame. Hannah Montana: The Movie is about as content-free as its star. It’s an undistinguished mediocrity, only surprising in that a […]
Posted inArts + Music
Andrew WK is ready to die, or, um, play in Halifax
International party-rock icon Andrew WK is coming to Halifax this July 16 at the Paragon Theatre. It’s a solo tour, for what that’s worth to you, but his positivity is really what will carry this show. I used to carry a photo of him in my wallet, for when times got tough. There’s a reason […]
Posted inArts + Music
Our City is a Dance Floor
A couple of weeks ago I bumped into Lucas Dambergs, and he was telling me about this dance video he shot in various locations around the city. It’s up on YouTube, and it’s so much fun. But not only is it set to a song by one of the best bands ever, Le Tigre, there’s […]
Posted inArts + Music
Adventureland
After graduating university, book-smart virgin James (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to get a summer job when his father is demoted. Working a game booth at theme park Adventureland doesn’t just seem beneath his education, it’s also his induction into the working class. Coming-of-age is a narrative device. It’s rare that an event represented in a […]
