ISS 10 (2006) SEPT 20 - OCT 5
WHO : Tourist
WHERE : Club Azure
WHEN : 27th September 9:30pm
WHAT : Rock
It was a warm Sunday night down at the Plaza of Nations where I discovered Club Azure. A bar restaurant type place that had its doors flung open to the early night. A small stage in the beer garden was set-up with it’s back to the water. I sat outside for a while watching the last song of another band that was on. Cyclists and junkies roamed about until the latter started getting almost within arms reach of me. I decided it was time to go in and leave my locked up bike out here with these cannibals.
The rambunctious MC informed me that Crystal Pistol were about to a surprise set. And this they did fuelled by beer and showing us what hair whipping was all about. Three quick tracks rocked by that were reminiscent of 80’s LA Rock. I’m not afraid to admit that it was damn fine work from the lads and I’m motivated to check out their show next time round when their sound is mixed a better.
With a tall cold glass in front of me, a nice chair (I’m getting old friends) and table to sit at I surveyed the sound guys sorting out the audio issues. (Which they did speedily, good job lads)
The now drunken MC gave a jumbled intro to Tourist who opened up with guitar action a-plenty that reminded me of earlier Tool albums. A bit of art/rock type stuff which the front-mans’ vocals further cemented into my mind their Tool-ishness. A rolling drum n’ bass (not the music genre) duo powered Tourist into some atmospheric sounds. While two dueling guitarists strapped into Les Paul’s (Slash’s guitar) didn’t overplay but instead left enough space for the singer’s stories to sit comfortably.
Tourist too had the rock moves down like Crystal Pistol. Their music overcame my tiredness and made the trip out more than worthwhile. Between songs they did what they could to motivate the small mainly seated audience. (About 100 people) Most of us were struggling this late on the weekend. There were a few dancers around though, a lot of leg shakers, (I was one) and young kids out with their folks getting a good education in The Rock.
The five-piece were tight and by their own admission “…hadn’t played in Vancouver for a long time.” Whether this also meant they hadn’t gigged in a long time I wasn’t sure. But give me a Friday or Saturday night show and I’d bet they’d do better at amping the audience up with their music. *
Ricky Railer
Who : Keep It Secret
Where : The Lamplighter Pub
When : Friday, September 15
Who gives a shit about genres and categories? If a band wails live it isn’t going to make a lick of difference to those in attendance if monikers like pre, post, avant, or experimental are used to describe the sound. Luckily, Keep It Secret’s live show renders such conversations and questions tired before they leave the gate. Mike, Carter, Will, and Rob already know what they want to do musically and the Lamplighter bore witness to this fact last Friday night.
Guitarist Carter and drummer Mike looked like they were being stung by invisible bees all set. Both jumped and swung at their tormentors in great earnest, but only the struggle could be heard. The harder they both worked, the worse the stings, but neither could help themselves and remained engrossed in their playing throughout. It’s this kind of intensity that shouldmake most people stop and take notice, unfortunately the crowd on hand seemed relatively unmoved.
Holding a middle ground between Carter and the more subdued stage presence of Rob, Will’s bass playing rolled along inside the guitar sound, blending guitars and drums without being lost in the mix. With trucker hat pull down low and locked on, Rob delivered his vocals from a relatively controlled space compared with his six-string counterpart stage right. Streams of words emerged in cohesive and harmonic batches throughout the seven song set, punctuated on occasion by gunned vocals from Carter.
It’s a shame that Rob’s amp crapped out on several occasions because the guitar parts in Keep It Secret’s songs are all really strong. Carter and Rob have managed to create a guitar sound that ranges from up-front intensity to atmospheric; it really works in this band. This range is not gimmicky nor does it sound like a sad attempt to be everything to everyone. Instead a connectedness runs throughout extending from vocals to percussion. Their third song, “White Rain” was a beautiful example of this range. During the breakdown the guitars sounded like they had taken flight, lifting off and circling above stage pulling hard at the tether of the rhythm section as they went, but never sounding disconnected or lost. Other songs, like “Tend the Dead” off their six-song EP “Hope Slide Viewpoint”, employed an easily accessible hook surrounded by carefully constructed trails that ventured away and then returned, all the while being urged on by the galloping rhythms of Will and Mike. The short seven-song set was met with a luke-warm reception. The Lamplighter PA set up wasn’t doing the band any favours either: speakers were stacked in front of the stage on both sides limiting the view from some spots and creating a dead space down front. Nevertheless, Keep It Secret’s songcraft and stage presence still surfaced.
Perhaps it is this kind of song writing that forces a band’s hand in interviews on the issue of genre or the ‘kind’ of music that they play. It can be a frustrating conversation for musicians to have, especially if their ability to slot their sound into some established, recognizable description becomes more important than what they’re doing on stage. Judging
by a posted interview (www.punktv.ca) Keep It Secret has not been spared this fate either and, although slightly irritated by how flavour-of-the-week syndrome works, still offer up “Screamo, Emo, Post-Punk, Hardcore, Experimental and Aggressive Music with a Conscience” as descriptors on their own website. While these labels don’t actually do much to describe Keep It Secret and may even cloud rather than clarify, the band doesn’t seem all that concerned. They’re more interested in just playing, practicing, and progressing. It’s an automatic for a group that already knows who they are musically. *
Matt O.
The In-Between Season
September…it marks the transition from one blockbuster season to the next. We’ve just completed a season of summer action movies (Mission Impossible, Miami Vice, Superman) and are now fast approaching the big budget Christmas films (Harry Potter, James Bond). As producers want to release films before the end of the year to qualify for Oscar nominations, September and October are months when dramatic features that rely on fine writing, acting and directing won’t get lost in the wake of blockbuster marketing campaigns. This week we review two recently released films that should garner some serious Oscar attention, especially in the acting categories.
HOLLYWOODLAND (2006) –
Los Angeles, 1959. Actor George Reeves has died of gunshot wounds. Some say it was self-inflicted. That’s the official story. Private detective Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) is given a tip that leads him to Reeve’s mother, Helen Bessolo (Lois Smith). She thinks her son would never kill himself. She thinks he was murdered and hires Simo to find the truth. That’s the premise to this stylish journey through the film world of Hollywood circa the 1950’s. Every detective mystery has interesting characters. We meet George Reeves (Ben Affleck), the handsome, charming, ambitious actor whose main claim to fame was having a speaking part in ‘Gone With the Wind.’ The only steady acting work he has managed to land is the part of ‘Superman’ in the new television series. Acting the part of a superhero who wears a cape and red underwear is not the kind of role this actor relished (unlike today). At a Hollywood party, Reeves meets Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), a 40ish beauty married to a cigar-chomping, ruthless studio executive (Bob Hoskins). With Toni Mannix, Reeves takes on a new role, that of lover for the rich studio exec’s wife.
When Reeve’s job as a television superhero fades, so does his relationship with Mannix and he takes up with a younger, saucier babe named Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney).
The story bounces between the life of George Reeves before his untimely death and the period shortly after. Simo investigates three possible scenarios of the actor’s demise as each of the main characters has motive and opportunity. The hard drinking Simo desperately wants to prove a murder in this high profile case so that the publicity can translate into a more robust career for him and more respect as a father in the eyes of his son.
The highlight of the film is the acting. Ben Affleck shines as the frustrated, moderately talented actor. Diane Lane’s turn as the wife of the boorish studio exec is precise as her character recognizes she’s only got a few more good years left and hopes that latching onto the good-looking Reeves will invigorate her moribund life. Adrien Brody, though sometimes a little too predictable in his take on the down and out detective, is nevertheless in excellent form as both a drunk and a pain-in-the-ass private eye. This is a period piece about desperate people, each trying to find something for themselves through their selfish dependency on others.
Running Time: 126 minutes.
Four Stars out of Five.
THE LAST KISS (2006)
Zach Braff follows up his winning performance in ‘Garden State’ as Michael, a 30ish man whose life seems to be perfect. He’s got a lovely girlfriend named Jenna (Jacinda Barrett), he’s a successful architect and now his girlfriend has announced that she’s pregnant. He claims that he couldn’t be happier. And then it hits him – panic. A good job, a beautiful girlfriend, a child on the way; is that it? In his state of confusion, he meets a hot 20 year old college student named Kim (Rachel Bilson) who is very direct in her affirmations of attraction to him. With obvious internal angst, Michael follows his urges into a night of partying with her.
This is a film that contemplates the difficulties in creating a committed and loving relationship by interweaving the stories of people in Michael and Jenna’s lives. Jenna’s parents Anna (Blythe Danner) and Stephen (Tom Wilkinson) are facing their own crisis. Years of inattention have thrust Anna into considering her departure from their long marriage. Danner is marvelous as the emotionally neglected wife and Wilkinson once again proves his skill in portraying a man who hides his deep emotion and pain, communicated by subtle gestures and facial expressions. When asked by Anna what he’d do if she dropped dead, Stephen answers, “I’d iron my dark suit.” We meet Chris (the marvelously brooding Casey Affleck), a man in crisis as he contemplates his life as the husband to a demanding, self-centered wife. Michael Weston plays Izzy, who is near hysterical with loss and disappointment after being dumped by the girl of his dreams.
Eric Christian Olsen plays Kenny, the commitment phobic bartender whose vision of a perfect woman is one who does not want anything other than a night of sexual frolic.Zach Braff has created a character whose every decision is clearly not decisive. His characterization of Michael embodies the collision of commitment and self-doubt. Jacinda Barrett plays her character with full throttle anger and hurt as her traditional beliefs about one’s behaviour when involved in a serious relationship are shattered.My only pet peeve with this film is the director’s use of static sequence shots to illustrate the passage of time. For example, we see Michael camped out at his front door, waiting for Jenna to let him in. As time passes, he is standing, and then lying down, then pacing. The technique is used more than once in the film and it gets tiresome.
One of the fascinating experiences of watching a film in the theatre is being part of an audience that is so totally involved in the story that they audibly voice their reactions. This audience was clearly not supportive of Michael following the path that lead to Kim’s door and the regrettable affair. This audience participation is an indication of a job well done by the filmmakers. Ideally, the acting, the writing and the direction will pull the audience in; involve them in the characters lives. Paul Haggis who won the Oscar last year for his film ‘Crash’ penned the excellent screenplay.
This smart and funny film is not a romantic comedy in the traditional sense. It offers no solutions, no easy answers to the questions these characters ask of themselves when examining their lives and the lives of the people they love. One of the year’s best. Go see it.
Running Time: One hour and forty three minutes.
Four and a Half out of Five stars.
Allan Stanleigh
Ok summer’s over, lets face it. No matter how hard you try to hold onto your tanks and flip flops, it’s done, goodbye. The rain has set in and yes we are all dreading the next six months of wet, cold and just plain shitty weather. But don’t jump off the Lionsgate just yet, there are perks to the fall and yes you guessed right: it’s the clothes. Autumn is time to bring out the warm knitted sweaters, the gum boots and the woollen toque your mother knitted you, if you’re a senior that is. For the rest of us, Fall in Vancouver is time to sex up those comfy, covered up clothes. Think long sleek leather boots, fitted rain coats, sweaters and fedoras.
A must have is a hot fall coat; think black, beige, browns, whites, long and fitted. Check out Aritzia for a tasty selection of cute and cuddly jackets ranging from about $100-$250.
Boots, boots and more boots. Even the gum boot has made its way back into the scene with girly designs and colors that would make the roughest woman say “aw”. Check out Gravity Pope on 4th Ave for the hugest *#@&* selection of shoes you’ve ever seen. If you’re going to trudge out into the rain you might as well look hot doing it. $60-$100
If I was to choose something to wear other than my teeny bikini it would be a sweater, seriously. There is nothing better than waking up on a cold morning, putting on jeans, a cute tee, warm socks and a comfy fitted sweater. The worn-in look is definitely in and it’s no wonder why. Who likes clothes that are so stiff they can’t even laugh when someone says the word dinky? Check out Happy 3 consignment store on 4th and Alma, designer consignment clothes, and insanely low prices. Although you do pay the price with the owners following you around like flies on, anyways you get the idea. $5-$100
Mintage Vintage in gas town is a must for any fashion conscious femme. They have a large assortment of original old and new fashions and accessories including some sexy fedoras that would make Al Pacino envious. $35-$60
Can you say makeup? It's a hugely important fashion accessory. For this fall think pink, well more like red. Red lipstick has always been good but there’s something great about it in the fall. So get out there and work it like Gwen Stefani before she had a kid. Even if you wouldn’t be caught dead with oh so bright lips, try it anyways and you’ll be amazed how many people will stare, just be sure it’s not because you have it on your teeth. (Mac on Granville, $25-$40)
Another fall must have for les madames is a thin cotton scarf; blowing in the wind, a cute scarf compliments any outfit, and makes up for your fashion sense or lack thereof.
Well that’s my advice, take it or leave and don’t forget when you get where you’re going to take off your pants and jacket. *
Charity West
The Grays by Whitley StrieberTwo disagreeing government factions fight to save humanity. They have been keeping dark secrets about life on other planets secret from the public for years and have much differing opinions as to what it means for life on Earth. On one side we have those who think that the emergence of the Grays equals slavery and annihilation for humanity. On the other side we have people who have communicated with the Grays and feel that they are not just benevolent but necessary for humans survival. Both groups, and the grays themselves, all fight for supremacy over on small human boy who was created over many generations of the Grays manipulation to become their liaison to the people of Earth.
Whitley Strieber was a well known fiction author up until the mid 80’s when, he says, he had an alien abduction experience that became the basis for his knock out bestseller Communion. After the success of that book he focused on ‘non-fiction’ books about aliens. The Grays is a fantastic welding of the authors two greatest strengths- it is a fiction novel that is heavily influenced by what we know about aliens and alien abductions.
The Grays is meant to be a fast paced, beach read type, thriller. But in truth it comes across as Whitley Strieber trying to sell some alien abduction theory propaganda. Strieber clearly has an agenda as far as what he thinks about aliens, and what he wants you to think as well. Interesting enough only a quarter or so the way through the book the entire plot and motivations of all the characters is revealed, then the reader is left to decide if they’re going to put the book down (since they clearly already know what’s going on and what’s going to happen) or if they’re going to just keep on reading, hoping for a twist or surprise that never comes. Hate to tell you, but things are exactly as they seem in The Grays.
While The Grays was certainly an entertaining read, it was a bit to clichéd. The whole big bad government keeping what they know about aliens secret, and the child created by aliens to save the world type thing has been done before. Many, many times. Although, perhaps not quite as well as Strieber does it. Cardboard characters and not so thrilling thriller aside, Strieber is a master storyteller and at least some of that does shine through.*
Renee Mallett
Title: Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Playstation 2 / September 2006
Price: $59.95
# of Players: 1
Graphics: 5
Sound: 5
Control: 5
Overall: 3
You might look up at the score there and wonder how in the hell I came to three for the overall when the component scores are perfect all around. Well I’ll tell you. Because it’s boring as all hell. Because it’s too damn easy. And because I want Final Fantasy VII to D. I. E. End. Finite. Someone put the fucker in the ground already.
Based on the original FFVII, a pillar of the 32-bit community and the first traditional RPG to truly catch North America's attention, Dirge of Cerberus isthe latest in a string of bad decisions to milk the franchise until the cow is bloody and calloused in it’s nether regions. First there was the CG flick Advent Children. Now I’ll admit, it had some mind-numbingly gorgeous visuals and a pretty sweet soundtrack, but the story was a nonsensical POS and it was edited together by a kid with ADD. Now we have Dirge of Cerberus and yet another example of Square-Enix not only beating the hooker dead, but cleaning out her pockets afterwards.
The game centers around an optional character from FFVII, Vincent Valentine, and deals with the mysteries surrounding how he came to be and why he has the ability to kick so much ass (not to mention mutate - not such a common thing to see in a guy). It’s not a bad story per se, but it is exceedingly unnecessary. FFVII and it’s stories should have ended when that game finished. It had a weak enough story to begin with (easily one of the worst of a Final Fantasy, mainly due to a terrible translation, characters that bordered on emo, and a villain that was nothing more than a momma’s boy who didn’t get the attention he needed. And he had a big sword that he speared some chick with. Boo hoo (right now the fanboys are ready to kill me).
But back to the game. Dirge is a shooter, first and foremost, which seems a bit odd considering the epic length RPG it follows, but if it were an RPG it would be overkill for what really doesn’t have to be too long a story. The story would actually be pretty cool if it was the start of a new franchise rather than being tacked on to an established one, but I digress. But as a shooter, the game falters in a few areas, namely fun and difficulty. The game has been made a bit harder from it’s Japanese counterpart, but it still pales in comparison to others in the genre. And as a result, the fun factor takes a serious hit. The enemies are moronic and pointless, and if it weren’t for the attractive looking story scenes between the action, you’d wonder why you were playing in the first place.
In the end, my feelings towards the game are tainted in that I think it is completely unnecessary. It feels like Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money - artistically useless and obviously financially motivated (Square-Enix could print FFVII on a bag of manure and that shit would sell like it cured cancer). It’s not a bad game and for fans of FFVII, it will be a wet dream, but for the average fan, save your cash and just get FFXII when it streets in November.
Title: Tetris DS
Nintendo DS / March 2006
Price: $39.95
# of Players: 1
Graphics: 5/5 (it’s about as good as Tetris is ever gonna look)
Sound: 3/5
Control: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
Okay, so I realize this review is a hell of a lot later than it should be, but so sue me. I just got my DS a couple months ago and have been scrambling to pick stuff up for it, you know, to make up for lost time (and give myself something to do on a bus besides read or wear down my iPod’s batteries. Besides, eventually every handheld gamer needs a copy of Tetris on their platform of choice. When this little Russian puzzle game came out for the original Game Boy back in the day - when portable consoles were still monotone - it was the videogame equivalent of crack. Very little has changed.
Tetris DS gives exactly what it promises and then some. Everyone knows what to expect from the basic gameplay by this point: four-piece block formations fall from the sky in various orders and patterns, and you line ‘em up to fill up complete rows from side to side, and each finished row disappears and you get points for however many lines you manage to clear at once, going from one to four (a tetris). Let the blocks pile up too high and it’s game over. Pretty simple if it wasn’t for the fact that the game speeds up every ten lines. New to the basic game is a finite goal - 200 lines. Reach that and it’s victory for you, but once you reach rather simple milestone (he says with the cockiest attitude possible) you get the option of turning off the limit and just raking up the points ad nauseam. This feels more like Tetris of old - no restrictions (so far my line record is 465).
To really round out the package and make you feel like you’re not just buying another colour of the same old shoe, Nintendo has added in five other game modes: Push, Touch, Catch, Puzzle, and Mission. Push is a competitive task where the two screens of the DS each provide a different field of play. On the top half, you are trying to clear lines, while your computer opponent does the same on the bottom half. Each time a line is cleared it pushes the opponent’s screen further to the limit, the goal being to push them over the edge.
Touch uses the DS’ stylus to move blocks that are already in place to complete tasks set forth (like clearing all the blocks in a certain amount of moves, or in the other version of the Touch mode, to clear a large tower of blocks down to the bottom by slowly working away at the monolith. Catch is an odd one that gives you a central block that you shift along a continuously moving screen, catching other pieces that fall your way and lining them up to create a given shape or line, thus eliminating what you’ve collected so far. Puzzle gives you a set amount of blocks and a series of other blocks that need to be eliminated in a certain fashion with the few that they’ve given you. And lastly, Mission plays somewhat like the standard game, but with direction and time-based goals given every few moments. Fail to complete them and the blocks rise - fast.
Sound and music in a game like Tetris is kind of moot. The sound is just passable - does the job and doesn’t get too annoying. As for the music, it mainly features remixes of a number of classic Nintendo themes, and as a result it can be entertaining in a nostalgic manner but is by no means a work of art. It gets the job done.
In the end there are only two faults one could level against the game. The first is the six block preview it gives. The original versions of Tetris only ever told you what the next block was. Giving a six-block preview takes away some of the challenge, but it adds a bit more strategy and planning to it as well. Call it a catch 22 and be done. The other problem, and this is a bit more of an issue, is the infinite spin. This means that a block can be kept moving infinitely, even after it’s hit the bottom, so long as you keep spinning it. It doesn’t break the game (and is a necessity in the higher numbers) but it also takes away a lot of the challenge in the old school sense of things.
In the end, the game is still as much fun as it was when it came out for the Game Boy all those many years ago. Buy it and try not to think about how much your nostalgia dates you. *
Andrew Wilmot
Throw a Perfect Party
School is in, work is back in full force, and summer seems like it was years ago – when did I have my last margarita, anyway? Just because the weather has gone south, that is no reason to lock yourself up for the winter – you need to have a party to pass around the new “daily grind” gossip, and to reflect upon the summer so recently past.
Don’t be afraid! Although throwing a successful get-together might sound hard, with this simple recipe, you will be ready for anything. The ingredients are simple – you need: a guest list, music, food and drink. With only simple variations of these, any party can be a hit. Here are some easy examples to get you started!
The Back-to-Class Party
For those of us going back to class, a “group gathering” definitely is necessary to meet your classmates, whether for scholarly or “recreational” purposes. Besides, what better way to stave off the dreaded homework than with a hangover?
The Guest List for this type of party is easy: Invite all of your friends, and anyone you see on campus that is hot. Tell your friends to do the same. The more hotties, the better, since college is the time for flirting (and possibly some anonymous sex).
Food and Drink is also simple for this group. Tell everyone to bring their own beer, since everyone knows that as a student, you are just too damn poor to provide for the masses. Then, go to the closest store, and buy several bags of chips. If you are feeling ambitious, you can dump them in a bowl, but that really only makes more dishes for you.
As for Music, the internet has made everything a whole lot easier. As long as you have great computer speakers, you can customize a play list from your library for the night. Some songs sure to get the party going are: The Beastie Boys’ Girls and Fight for your Right to Party, and AC/DC is always a winner. For lists of newer songs, check out local radio sites,
like www.cfox.com or www.thebeat.com for the Top 30 etc. And if you are a little unsure about what you want to play, a good site for sourcing new music is www.pandora.com. You type in your favourite song or artist, and it will compile a list of similar music.
As for little “extras” to make your party a hit, you might want to bring out the drinking games, like “High or Low” or “Kings.” Check out www.webtender.com/handbook/games/ for more. If you are wary of the throw-up factor, maybe a game of Texas Holdem would be a better idea.
The House Party
This party is a little more refined than the back-to-school party, since the goal isn’t to get as drunk as possible in the first hour. Instead, you want there to be time to gossip with friends before you are too drunk to stand.
For Guests, I recommend only your immediate friends. It will likely be raining, so you can’t push extra guests outside into the yard like in the summer. I like to invite no more than twice what my place can seat comfortably. People don’t usually spend a whole lot of time sitting, anyhow (why does everyone always end up in the kitchen?), and this way my place
feels full without being cramped.
For Food, a common trend is the potluck dinner. Have everyone bring a dish, and set it out so people can eat at will. Finger foods like veggie trays or chicken wings work best. There is not a lot of structure here, but that is okay, since there isn’t a seat for everyone anyhow! If you have a covered patio, think about BBQing for that last taste of summer.
It is nice to have some drinks for your guests, like pop or juice for mix, and maybe a bottle of vodka or some beer for those that don’t bring their own. Unless you can afford it, I’d still suggest getting your guests to bring their own alcohol.
Music for a house party needs to be fun to energize the atmosphere, but still let people talk. I recommend checking out the “Top 101 Beer Drinking Songs” from Rock 101 at http://www.rock101.com/music/song_lists/101_beer_songs.cfm. It’s got some party songs on there, but also some mellower, bluesy tunes. It is great background music that you can
crank up and dance to if the mood strikes you.
Lastly, keep some cards on hand. With poker being so popular now, it is almost inevitable that someone is going to want to play.
The Dinner Party
This is a great way to invite a few friends over, and have a more intimate time together, even in the middle of the week. It really is made for good conversation and good food. No bags of chips or cans of pop here.
Guests should be limited to no more than eight. It gets too hard to seat everyone at a table or in the living room comfortably. Having a couple’s night is fun if your friends are all paired off. If not, just invite those you like the most!
Now is the time to let your cooking skills shine. For Food, it is easy to impress without too much work. I suggest making something that you can cook in the oven – like lasagna, a casserole or even chicken. Most of those dishes can be prepared in advance, and the smell of the food baking is a nice way to greet your guests. Check your grocery store for a Caesar salad kit – they are always a fast way to make a tasty starter. Try www.foodnetwork.com to find easy recipes. They even have a “party ideas” section. For Drink, it is nice to have wine with dinner, but have a few beer on hand just in case. An after dinner coffee is easy enough to make with Bailey’s and/ or some Kahlua, too. If this is a mid-week event, having simply non-alcoholic drinks ensures that your guests won’t overstay their welcome. Tea, anyone?
Music should be limited to tunes you can just play in the background. Classic rock groups like CCR, Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles are ideas. Johnny Cash is popular right now, too. If that is not your style, try throwing the radio on or popping in a few of your favourite CDs on “random.” Just don’t turn it up too high – the goal here is to actually speak to one another.
Turning your dinner party into a games night is always fun. You can’t go wrong with the old standards of Pictionary or a quick game of Thirty-One. Taboo, Scattergories and Monopoly are good for groups as well. I’d stay away from Risk, though, unless you want to end up hating your guests when the night is over.
So you see, with only a few small changes to the “ingredients,” you can throw a successful party with only minimal planning. So get out your phone book, make a few calls, and have fun!*
Carolyn Sapach
Art : Jason Willmann (c) 2006
How to Improve Your Man’s Etiquette Via the Inter-netiquette
Have you ever been on a date, and bared witness to the guy you’re with doing something hideous - like biting his nails, or talking with his mouth full? Have you ever wondered why some men just don’t have a clue when it comes to manners? Have you ever wished that your boyfriend could all of a sudden be the King of Etiquette? I have wondered all of the above and assumed it was a lost cause, until lately.
There is hope for your bad table mannered-white-after-Labor Day-wearing-haven’t-showered-in-days dude! There is a place, an informative, sexy inducing, wondrous place you can send him. And guess what? It’s FREE!!!!
SO you are wondering where this magical land this and if there are pixies and unicorns frolicking under a golden sun? You are close, but it is in the World Wide Web! BeBetterGuys.com is a website designed to refine men, help them learn the do’s and don’ts in life, and for the love of God to get them to shower more often!
I had the pleasure of interviewing website co-creator Brian Joyner, learning all about him. The whole concept of the site makes proper sense to me; women have so many website to visit to learn all the little faux pas’ yo mama never taught you, so why should men be left out?
Essentially, when you visit this website, you will love the layout. Its easy to follow, has great advice, and the best part is the writing, it’s hilarious! Joining Brian is David Boris as the fabulous site’s creator (they are the ones you should thank for the etiquette makeovers your man will have once he’s read through the site AND the shower he will no longer dodge). They met waiting tables a few years back, and found they had similar views in the etiquette, style and what class really meant. They found that after working together for awhile, the people around them started coming to them for help, advice and tutelage. Out of this experience, the concept for the site was born.
They realized that there really wasn’t much of an avenue for men to learn the important things you need to know as you get older ; things like selecting wine, grooming, and ways of truly being a gentleman. The website has slowly gained popularity over the past little while, most commonly by word or mouth. They have some sponsorship on the website, but
Brian says he does it for fun!
He also mentioned that their demographic ranges from 24-34 year old men, some just out of school trying to find themselves, not knowing what direction they are headed, but most wanting to learn about life. Enter Brian and the website. The site is updated every couple days with new articles about real life situations. Those who have been reading it from its inception are still devoted to their advice! When I asked Brian what his favorite article was, he said it was the one on getting his first facial. I encourage you to read it, its quite entertaining, (especially for a female to read about a male’s interpretation of the services we get so often). When I asked if he was “metro-sexual” he laughed and said no, that he just valued being groomed and well mannered.
I asked Brian a couple fun questions like what his thoughts about tattoos in the workplace were, cell phones in public and if white after Labor Day is still taboo. He impressed me with all of his answers, because of his honesty and careful consideration. Brian felt that tattoos in the workplace were a no-go for men, and only if they were tasteful for women. I like that he said women tend to get away with more than men at work, because I am that rule!! He felt that cell phones in public should be used with care; on public transportation they should be kept to a dull roar, in clubs and bars they are ridiculous, and if you even pick up your phone while on a date, you clearly aren’t interested in your company. And white after Labor Day? He felt the further south you go; the more acceptable it is to don those white linen pants.
In regards to any particular trends we might see over the next little while for men? Brian’s answer was simple; with the help of websites like his, we will see a trend in men becoming more comfortable spending their time and money on grooming supplies like fancy shaving kits, and skin care regimes. We should also see a small rebirth of elaborate drinks like the 1940’s style cocktails that come with side carts, and strong scotch on the rocks type indulgences. I have to say, I would be delighted to live in his utopia!
I have put it on my boyfriend’s list of things to read, and I encourage the readers to check out this site. You will definitely find advice, interesting articles and of course a good laugh. Happy surfing! *
Lisa Powell
Logo : www.bebetterguys.com
What: Happy Hour
Where: Fox
When: It’s probably best you don’t know (Thursday, 8:30pm)
If television can now be considered an art form, Fox’s Happy Hour is the equivalent of Piero Manzoni canning his shit and selling it as art. At this point in time I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that any show with a laugh
track is a borderline hate crime against the viewing public. In other words, based on the pilot episode, this is craptacular.
The show revolves around its main character getting dumped by his air-head girlfriend and moving in with the stereotypical eternal bachelor up stairs, Larry Coen, who views any attached male as another one lost in the field.
He’s a callous, asinine fool who runs an online t-shirt company (very creatively titled tshirtsahoy.com) and is most likely jacked off by his own ego. His best friend Brad has recently moved out and in with his fiancé, who of course, despises Larry and his affect on Brad. The “witty banter” has some lovely chestnuts, such as when Larry stuffs a remote down his pants and Tina, the bitter and bitchy fiancé remarks “Well I’m sure there’s plenty of room down there.” I really, truly believe that I could pull a better line out of my ass.
In short, this is the type of show that makes you beg for a quick, painful demise. In a post-Arrested Development world, half-assed comedy just doesn’t cut it anymore, and this show hasn’t even been worth the ten minutes and 250 words it’s taken me to bitch about it. God, I hope the axe falls quickly. *
Andrew Wimot
What : Prison Break: Manhunt, Episode 2.05 - Map 1213
Where : FOX
When : Monday, 8:00 pm
Fox’s Prison Break came out of the gate last year with a hell of a bang and an equally cool concept - breaking into prison to break someone out. Over the course of the first year it established a host of fairly unique and cool characters, each with their own histories, atrocities and motivations, and all of it revolved around the titular break out that took place at the end of the first season. Hence, the subtitle for year 2: Manhunt.
Season 2 started rocky, with some piss poor writing and some seriously questionable plot twists (Veronica’s dead? Sarah survived?! WTF?!?). But in the last couple of weeks, the show has found it’s balls again. At it’s worst, the show is the airy blonde, but at it’s best it’s actually quite compelling. It’s still popcorn TV, but then so is 24 and you do NOT mess around with that show.
Last week saw the departure of the first of the Fox River 8 to make the break - Arbuzzi, gunned down by the FBI while trying to nail the mob informant who sent him to jail in the first place. This week saw another important milestone - the first time since the second episode that some of the convicts have reunited and found their way to the first destination, Utah, to dig of Westmoreland’s stash of cash (confused? Watch season 1). The big twist of it all though comes at the very end, when T-Bag, Linc and Michael find where the money is supposed to be buried and instead find a frickin’ town built on top. Oh, and the FBI are on their way there.
The episode finally felt like it got the show back on track, juggling all of the disparate threads across the country without caving in on itself and also without focusing on just the two brothers at the center of all of this. But easily, the best part of each episode continues to be the new main character added to the show this year, FBI Agent Mahone.
The character works like a perfect parallel to Wentworth Miller’s Michael Scofield, the man with the plan (and the full body tats to prove it) and it gives the entire season so far a feeling like The Fugitive show had, but with more to hunt and a heightened adrenaline level (thanks in no small part to bigger budgets and capabilities these days). On one hand you have the plan slowly unfolding for the cons, and on the other you’ve got the hunter, scrambling and bringing himself to a mental and physical brink to figure out the next step before the cons take it. Makes for some damn exciting tv, even if it is just a bit on the airy side of things. So far so good. Here’s hoping the bumps are behind us now. *
Andrew Wilmot
What: Studio 60
Where: NBC
When: Monday, 10:00pm
Aaron Sorkin rarely missteps in his creative endeavors. With the West Wing now out to pasture and Arrested Development canned well before its time, there’s been a pretty obvious gap in terms of quality television writing. Most shows today are all pulled out of the ass of the laziest writers and hackneyed focus groups. This is where Studio 60 comes in.
Studio 60, Sorkin’s new child, turns his attention from the politics of the West Wing to a fictional television program, very much in the vein of Saturday Night Live. It starts innocuously enough with a provocative skit getting cut at the last second, a skit that was supposedly brilliant, but also too racy risk airing. So the network had it cut. And about two minutes later, the head of the show bursts into one of the sketches, while it’s running live, and goes on an anti-television, anti-standards and practices rant that costs him his career. In that one 53-second rant, he says everything I’ve ever wanted to say about what’s wrong with the entertainment industry. It was brilliant writing.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that all of this happens on the same day, Jordan McDeere, a new, young, and very pretty network president is appointed (Amanda Peet). Within minutes of all of this, she vaults into action, figuring out how to spin this disaster to the networks favor and also how to bring the show back to it’s glory through the appointment of two new studio heads, Danny Tripp and Matt Albie (Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry respectively), both formerly employees of the show, ousted four years earlier for somewhat murky reasons (creative “issues”).
What follows is a lot of various characters being set up through the cast, crew, and the studio heads that oversee everything. In short, through one episode Sorkin managed to set up a dozen or so personalities with another couple of dozen riding just in the background, and in a show like this it’s hard to imagine that they’ll stay as just background figures.
Studio 60 is sorely needed at this point in time where there is only a handful of shows that exhibit intelligent writing that strives to elevate the industry (Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls and Grey’s Anatomy also come to mind) beyond the stereotypes of its intellectually stunted past. Here’s hoping it survives through to the end of the year and on to many more.*
Andrew Wilmot
Laura V's family has been in the restaurant business for 25 years and she has 10 years personal experience with bartending and serving combined.
Mark's Fiasco
2486 Bayswater, Vancouver
Tel: 604-734-1325
My first thought (aside from “odd name”) was that this place looks nice from the outside. I wasn’t really sure what to expect and was pretty surprised to see a pub on one side and tables with crayons and drawing paper tablecloths on the other.
The menu includes burgers, pasta and steak to name a few which range in prize from $9.99 - $19.99 and they offer great specials as well. On this particular night (Sunday) , they had 39 cent wings and the entire pizza/pasta menu was $7.99 which basically works itself out to half off. This was great! I wanted a pizza anyway and opted for the Fiasco Special which had prosciutto, goat cheese, roasted red peppers, banana peppers and caramelized onions and Italian parsley. The 6 sliced thin crusted pizza came relatively quickly and looked yummy.
After two pieces, I had the rest boxed and decided to try a dessert. I went for the Crème Brulee Cheesecake which came on a plate with gaudy garnishes that took away from the beauty of the actual cake. The brulee was a bit too crispy for my taste but aside from that, it too was enjoyable.
As for the service, our waitress was great. She knew the answer to any questions you might have and had patience for all the tables around her, from the two elderly ladies who wanted to switch to another section to the guy who actually asked her is she has been working out. It would have been nice if things moved a little more quickly – I did wait 15 mins for my dessert but seeing as how on the menu they claim to brulee the cake before they bring it to you, there was a good reason for that.
All in all, it was nice. Me, being Italian was really looking forward to the prosciutto which could have been of better quality but other than that the meal was good. If you are in the area, I would recommended stopping in. It is suitable for families with kids, couples who want a laid back dinner or anyone who wants a few drinks at the pub with friends. *
service : ***.
atmosphere : ***
food : ***
final grade : B
Tomoya Japanese Restaurant
1-6285 Nelson Avenue
Burnaby BC
V5H-4T5
I LOVED this place when I lived in Burnaby last year. The food was great and really inexpensive – I would have paid twice as much as it was all well worth it. The service was great ; really friendly staff who checked on you and were there to get you anything you needed. However… there is now new ownership and things have changed.
The décor is beautiful. Instead of stools with a McDonald’s feel, there are wine colored velour plush chairs and glass panes on top of solid wood table. There is a whole section with bench and pillows and gorgeous paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling …so why is the staff wearing yellow t-shirts with the restaurant logo? Unfortunately, the only good
thing about this place now is the furnishings.
I went in last week, eager to have my old favorites. The waitress asked if I wanted to stay or go – 3 times, basically insisting I get take-out. I had a seat and they brought me complimentary hot tea and miso soup. She was very unfriendly. No smiles, no patience. The place wasn’t busy so there really wasn’t an excuse to seem like she had to rush. I had part of my meal but got full fast and had to take my gyoza home (which hadn’t come to the table yet). I paid for my meal on an interact machine that actually has tips in % form options. I took the gyoza home and voila! Burnt. There’s $4.00 in the trash.
I went in again tonight because I figured, they are fairly new and last time was probably a fluke. The same waitress was working. I was sitting down for 10 mins before she brought me a menu. She took my order and again rushed me and she didn’t write any of it down. I have waitressed for 8 years and only avoid writing things down when i KNOW I can remember them. She brought my sunomono salad and it was horrible. The noodles were hard and it was flavorless. I had my rolls and they were fine. She then brought my spring rolls – veggie when I ordered cheese. I had never had cheese spring rolls before so was curious. She argued with me and said “ no, they are original”. Yes I know they are – and that’s the problem. I asked her to cancel it and bring me my bill.
My hopes were shattered. Last time wasn’t a fluke – it was the way things are now and are going to stay. I wouldn’t recommend it.
service : *.
atmosphere : ****
food : ***
final grade : C (used to be an A!)
Taisho Japanese Restaurant
15E - 4700 Kingsway, Burnaby
Tel: (604) 435-1211
I've been here about 10 times in the last year. It has always been " ok". I went once last December and it was horrible ; wrong order twice, service took forever and the food was horrible.
I went in today and sat there with a menu for 5 mins before anyone came and took my drink order. 5 mins is a long to be sitting before anyone notices you. I ordered sunomono salad and a California roll combo (I know that must be so boring to you sushi lovers!) The California roll combo consisted of regular, spicy and crispy. I asked the waitress if i could have regular instead of spicy. She said " no spicy? ok". But of course, she brought me all regular. The sunomono came AFTER the sushi...which makes no sense since it is an appy. My bet is that she forgot the sunomono but saw me sitting there with an empty plate and remembered what I ordered afterwards.
I wish she had just forgotten it altogether. It was mushy and had no flavor. It should be tangy! It shouldn't taste and look like old Mr.Noodles in cold water. I took one bite then got up for my bill. I was charged for the full Cali roll combo, even though they gave me less than what they were supposed to - they didn't forget to charge me though! They took off the sunomono because I told them it was horrible.
In short? $8.43 wasted. Don't believe me? Read these other reviews : Dine Here Restaurant Reviews
service : *1/2
atmosphere : **
food : **
final grade : C -
TWO FILMS ABOUT 9/11
Before the release of the films ‘United 93’ and ‘World Trade Center’ many writers questioned the timing, wondering if it was too soon to release films about the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. That sentiment is no longer relevant as 2006 is the year that 9/11 has become a common theme on television and the silver screen. There are nine television specials slated for airing during the anniversary week of September 11th, 2006. The two recently released films reviewed in this issue of Kira’s Eye are very respectful to the families of victims and the many people who put their lives in harms way to save others. Both of these films focus on ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. They are not films extolling the virtues of the American way of life or U.S. politics wrapped in the flag of patriotism.
UNITED 93 (2006)
It would be easy to make a film that was a flag waving, get the terrorists story complete with emotional, swelling music to accompany the courage of the people aboard United Flight 93. On route from New Jersey to Los Angeles, the plane was one of four hijacked that fateful morning. Two of the planes took out the World Trade Centre towers and the third flew into the Pentagon (allegedly). United Flight 93 was delayed on take-off. Once in the air, a team of terrorists took control of the plane by murdering the pilot and co-pilot. As the flight was delayed, the passengers, through the use of cell phones and the phones located on the back of the airline seats, communicated with the outside world and became aware of the other hijackings and the fate of the twin towers. The people on board United Flight 93 were staring at the probability of being a part of a suicide attack. The passengers talked amongst themselves, discussing a strategy for action. One of the passengers identified himself as a pilot. With this knowledge in hand, the passengers decided to attempt to wrestle control of the plane from the terrorists and, hopefully, land the plane.
This is not an easy film to watch. It is a dramatization of real events filmed in documentary style. The director, Paul Greengrass, presents the story in a methodical and dispassionate manner. The timeline of the film follows the length of time between the boarding of the plane and its inevitable demise. The story alternates between events onboard the flight and events in air traffic control rooms, both military and civilian. Many of the people who were personally involved in the event (air traffic controllers, military personnel) played themselves in the film, providing credibility to both their responses as the events unfolded and to historical accuracy. For example, we learn that a military response to the situation was delayed.
When jets were finally scrambled, they were unarmed. Two fighters were inexplicably sent east, over the Atlantic Ocean. To the screenwriter’s credit, the story does not introduce any background character history to create drama. You do not know anything about the people who boarded the flight except that which is revealed during the flight. We meet the characters as they are, ordinary people getting onto a plane bound for the west coast. This is a dignified and heroic film. United 93 is now available for rental.
WORLD TRADE CENTER (2006)
Oliver Stone directs this film in a restrained manner (as in no overt flag waving or blame the terrorists speeches). It’s the story of two of the survivors of the disaster. In the aftermath of the collapse of the twin towers, only 20 people were pulled alive from the rubble. This film focuses on the firemen; police and paramedics who responded when the buildings were first struck by passenger airlines. In particular, we meet Jack McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena), both members of the New York Port Authority Police. With a small group of volunteers, they enter the first tower that was hit. Their simple and noble goal was to save lives. They were caught on a lower concourse as the building collapsed. Playing the part of a 21-year veteran of the force, Nicholas Cage gives an intense yet restrained performance, very different from anything he’s done in the past. Will Jimeno is also very good, expressing his physical pain as struggles to hang on to life.
The film follows two tracks: one storyline follows the hours that pass as the two men struggle to stay conscious, pinned under rubble. They have extremely limited physical movement. The drama is expressed by their conversations and also their hallucinations. The other storyline follows their immediate families who are trying to obtain information about the missing men, not knowing if they are dead or alive. Maria Bello as McLoughlin’s wife and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Jimeno’s wife are superlative. The only slip on Oliver Stone’s part is the character of Dave Karnes (Michael Shannon), an ex-marine who dons the uniform and goes to ground zero to search for survivors. He’s the only character who speaks of revenge and war. His declarations are not unusual, given his military background but felt out-of-step with the tone of the film. This is an intense and engaging film, created with skill and class. World Trade Center is still playing in selected theatres. *
Running time: 125 minutes.
Four Stars out of Five.
Allan Stanleigh
OVEN BAKED COOKIE
DANICA MCKELLAR
Recognize her? Who doesn't remember The Wonder Years's
Winnie Cooper ?
She was a part of our childhood! When I was a kid, I thought she looked like an alien. I never knew why Kevin was so in love with her - although her sweetness did play into it.
She hasn't done anything amazing but I was actually thinking about some actor that lead me back down the 80's child stars road and found pics of her from a MAXIM magazine spread and thought I had a duty to share it with everyone else.
Check her out in 2006's HACK!...like if you're desperate for something to watch. *
