This was a tricky movie to make, no one’s going to argue that. There’s never been more sensitive ground for modern American filmmakers to tread than the memory of 9/11. But Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close should have moved me. It made me cry, I’ll admit to that, but it didn’t move me- and yes, […]
Giacomo Puccini’s three-act ode to fidelity and sacrifice plays out with predictable beauty on the stage of Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre. The Canadian Opera Company, as usual, dresses the production with lush and expansive set and costume design by Kevin Knight, and while such stunning aesthetics are an expected treat of attending the COC, it’s […]
I’m always a fan of the plus-sized odd couple sitcom model- you know, the trope that throws more than 2 people together as roommates even though they have nothing in common. The Golden Girls, for example, or, more recently, New Girl; it’s a setup that often pays off with fun misadventures and heartfelt common-ground-achieving. So, […]
The Trojan Women, Alumnae Theatre’s latest effort, was the best thing I’ve seen from the company since 2010’s Hedda Gabler. It was not, however, as good as it should have been. With a strong cast led by a wizened Molly Thom as the beaten-but-not-yet-broken Hecuba and My Theatre Award nominee Sochi Fried as the defiantly […]
The latest offering at Toronto’s Factory Studio Theatre comes from TheatreRUN, a quirky collective created by Jaques Lecoq-trained artists (translation: theatre professionals with some of the best movement and mime training in the world). Known for the Dora-winning hit Spent, Adam Paolozza once again explores dark comic territory with his oldschool, jazzy take on modern […]
*Originally Posted: June 21, 2011* In January I read a pretty harsh review of Showtime’s new “comedy”* Shameless, calling it crass, preachy, pretentious and easy. Of all the features of a series I might hate, those are probably the four I have the hardest time getting over. But then I heard the series’ praises sung […]
The Superbowl had plenty of highlights (check My Sports in the coming days for Jason’s full coverage of the game) but hands down my favourite moment came courtesy of the network airing the festivities. Time was, NBC was the be-all and end-all of television. It was home to my all-time favourite series (The West Wing […]
This week, the CW’s first hit not born on the WB or UPN hit the 100 episode milestone. That all-important right of passage not only proves a show’s lasting appeal and lends it a bit more gravitas, it’s the point at which the syndication money becomes a major factor (most shows sell their rights at […]