Recent Posts

 

For the past three years, I’ve been ranking every film I see- just the new releases, from January 1st to December 31st. The rankings are subjective, based entirely on how much I enjoyed and/or connected with or appreciated the film rather than on some sort of objective artistic criteria. Basically, this is a list of […]

Before we announce the winners of the 2015 MyTheatre Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series.   At the helm of Severely Jazzed Productions’ take on Canadian cult classic Trout Stanley, Daniel Pagett reframed the larger-than-life play as a twisted fairy tale recounted by a snarky narrator, raised the absurdity, and focused on […]

One of my favourite music teachers once observed how challenging it can be to write music with a positive tone. Personally, I’ve never tried my hand at it, but I can certainly recognize that going the other way and digging into and indulging negative emotions is a potent source of inspiration. The one possible exception […]

How well do you remember James Cameron’s Avatar? I’m sure you remember the look of the film- the groundbreaking visuals, the swooping excitement, the one time the headache you always get from 3D somehow seemed worth it. It’s the #1 highest grossing film of all time (unless The Force Awakens makes another 1.2 billion before […]

[Editor’s Note: I shouldn’t need to warn you about language and “adult themes” in an editorial about The Hateful Eight but… yeah] When Quentin Tarantino burst onto the scene with Reservoir Dogs, it was clear the trajectory of his career was going to be built off scintillating dialogue, violence, and an underlying theme of men […]

 

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit Courtney Barnett has a way with words. Freewheeling and deadpan with a heavy Melbourne drawl, Barnett delivers some of the year’s best hooks to a backdrop of poppy, gently psyched-out rock. These eleven story songs focus on such everyday topics as insomnia […]

Though it may not be quite as contradictory to my Canadian self-identification as my dislike of maple syrup, I’ve never felt particularly drawn or sympathetic to the character of Wolverine. I’ll grant he’s somewhat endearing when portrayed in films by that charming Aussie song-and-dance man – and a less mystifying object of admiration than Deadpool […]

Before we announce the winners of the 2015 MyTheatre Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series.   Our first interview of the year is just in time for the Next Stage Theatre Festival where writer/director Chloé Hung’s play All Our Yesterdays is making its highly anticipated return after a successful run at the […]