ISS 19 (2007) FEB 21- MAR 16
WHO :The Doers
WITH :SIDS, Bad Amps, and Fun 100
WHERE : Mount Pleasant Community Centre
WHEN: 2.3.7
The great thing about all-ages shows is the forgiving nature of the audience. Just happy to be in an environment full of their peers and out from under the eye of adult caretakers, underagers are easily pleased, and usually thrilled by anything with a whiff of “the scene”. Hecklers are rare and live acts not cutting it on stage can get away with either blank stares or disinterested applause.
It’s probably fair to say then that the Doers got away with one on February 3rd at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre in East Vancouver. Playing second in a four-band night that saw the farewell of two bands, Fun 100 and the Bad Amps, the Doers short set was plagued with some of the worst technical problems imaginable. In their eight song set, which began with a power outage on stage, microphones crapped out on five separate occasions, four of which took more than a minute to straighten out. The band ended up splitting their time between playing music and apologizing to everyone for the problems and as a result, very little cohesiveness developed between the music and the audience. To their credit, however, the Doers did manage to provide several small doses of what they’re all about.
The band on this night was Barry, beardless with a pipe, on four-string acoustic bass, Sean on six-string acoustic guitar, relative newcomer Shawn on drums, and making somewhat of a return, Sarah Jane on vocals. With both Sean and Barry running effects on their instruments, the Doers could best be described as eclectic. The opening song got everyone involved in a clap-along; 70’s stereotypical hippy music and pop music met and shook hands. The second song had a faint glimmer of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band to it and witnessed three pre-pubes, doing their best to look like HBs, start a whimper of a slam dance pit. This activity was supported by the tempo of the next song, driven exclusively by drums and bass and possessing a bit of a vocal chant that everyone enjoyed. Sarah Jane took on all vocal duties for the fourth number, a feat highlighted by several mics going down and her apology at the end that her voice was starting to go.
Perhaps sensing the need to keep things limping along, Sean moved to the drum set’s vocal microphone for the fifth song. Like the marching band that finally hits their stride, coherence suddenly emerged and the 150 in attendance responded. Sarah Jane and Sean delivered vocals over a bass line that Barry played way up high on the fret board, a delicious sound on any occasion. Sarah Jane provided a wind instrument interlude during the next number. The set was rounded out with “Grinding Halt”, a song that had, according to Sean, reached the Doers 5-month expiry date.
It is unfortunate that their set was mired in technical problems because for all too brief moments, the Doers did connect with the audience, proving that they’re capable of putting on a show. Fortunately, these all too brief moments were enough for the underagers concerned.*
Matt O
The Oscar Crystal Ball
The Oscars are upon us and many of you will spend over 3 tedious hours on the night of February 25th stationed in front of your plasma screen watching the stars parade as the winners carry off the awards. Personally, I find sitting through the entire show tiresome and won’t be sitting through that long night’s journey towards day. I’ll probably go out to a movie instead. It’s been a very strong year for actors and directors and some very interesting films were produced. This week, Kira’s Eye makes bold predictions on who will revel in ecstasy and who will howl in disappointment at the Academy Awards.
Category: Best Picture
The nominees: Babel, The Departed
Letters From Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen.
You couldn’t find a more diverse field of films than the nominees for best picture. ‘The Departed’ marks Martin Scorsese’s return to the urban drama, a style that best suits his talent. The Academy will finally give an award to Scorsese, but not for best picture. ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ is the story of the American invasion of that Pacific island during World War II as told by the Japanese soldiers. It is hard- hitting and dispassionate in its presentation. ‘The Queen’ opens the curtain of the Royal family to reveal the humans behind their questionable behaviour during the week of Princess Diana’s death. ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ is a wonderful example of a comedy done well with clever dialogue, excellent acting and a storyline with a bite. ‘Babel’ takes place in four different locations on the planet, each narrative interlinked in the overall theme of communication and language. Last year’s winner, ‘Crash,’ was a multi-layered story, similar in style to ‘Babel.’ The Academy will not stray from this model and will vote for the emotionally intense ‘Babel.’
Winner: Babel
Underdog Possibility: The Queen
Category: Best Actor
The nominees: Leonardo DiCaprio,‘Blood Diamond’
Ryan Gosling, 'Half Nelson'
Peter O'Toole, ‘Venus’
Will Smith, ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’
Forest Whitaker, ‘The Last King of Scotland’
Good acting requires that the viewer become completely entranced by the character. You laugh and cry and cheer as the character moves through the narrative. If you are watching the film and are thinking, “wow, is Peter O’Toole ever good,” then the performance has failed. The five nominated candidates excelled in their roles. Leonardo DiCaprio was exciting and intense as the South African mercenary looking out for number one. Ryan Gosling’s crack addicted high school teacher was convincing. Even in his drug induced haze, his teaching remained focused and passionate. Peter O’Toole was worth the price of admission; his soliloquies elegant, his character mesmerizing. Will Smith, playing the smart, personable down-and-out salesman was the rhythm in the life of a man experiencing the blues. Forest Whitaker, whose acting talents have always been exceptional, demonstrates his vast range in his characterization of Idi Amin, the dictator whose emotions ranged from periods of jocularity to madness.
Winner: Forest Whitaker
Underdog Possibility: Peter O’Toole
Category: Best Actress
The nominees : Penelope Cruz, 'Volver'
Judi Dench, 'Notes on a Scandal'
Helen Mirren, 'The Queen'
Meryl Streep, 'The Devil Wears Prada'
Kate Winslet, 'Little Children'
The word on the street is that Helen Mirren will take the Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the film, ‘The Queen.’ I agree with this prediction. Mirren’s Elizabeth is a woman of complex emotions who must, by proxy of her position as Queen, portray fixed emotional states to the public. She balances these expectations with great skill. Penelope Cruz is sensual and strong as the woman who must deal with the ghost of her mother in ‘Volver.’ Judi Dench steals the show as a woman who personifies the word bitch as she manipulates the struggling art teacher, as played by Cate Blanchett. Meryl Streep is the witch with the hidden heart as she rules the magazine roost in ‘The Devil Wears Prada.’ Kate Winslet is convincing in her portrayal of a selfish, suburban mom who must come to terms with how her behaviour affects those she loves.
Winner: Helen Mirren
Underdog Possibility: Judi Dench
Category : Best Supporting Actor
The nominees: Alan Arkin, 'Little Miss Sunshine'
Jackie Earle Haley, 'Little Children'
Djimon Hounsou, 'Blood Diamond'
Eddie Murphy, 'Dreamgirls'
Mark Wahlberg, 'The Departed'
The Best Supporting Actor category is a very difficult one to predict. Most film reviewers seem to think that Eddie Murphy is going to win for his take on the drug addicted musician. This is a more serious characterization than his usual acting comedic roles and he is quite good. Alan Arkin gave a touching, spirited performance in ‘Little Miss Sunshine,’ and Mark Wahlberg was terrific as the straight ahead, no bullshit cop involved in undercover operations. Jackie Earle Haley who played a convicted sexual deviant in ‘Little Children’ delivered the most riveting performance of the group. I don’t think the voters with the Academy will look beyond the role of the pervert and see the actor inhabiting a very difficult character. Djimon Hounsou, the poor fisherman caught up in the politics of diamond mining and smuggling was an explosive force on the screen and deserves the Oscar in this category.
Winner: Djimon Hounsou
Underdog Possibility: Eddie Murphy
Best Supporting Actress
The nominees: Adriana Barraza, 'Babel'
Cate Blanchett, 'Notes on a Scandal'
Abigail Breslin, 'Little Miss Sunshine'
Jennifer Hudson, 'Dreamgirls'
Rinko Kikuchi, 'Babel'
I don’t believe the Academy will give the award to the young Abigail Breslin for her fine work in ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ simply because of her age and the talent she’s up against. Jennifer Hudson may be a favourite to some but her singing skills far surpassed her acting abilities and an award to her would be unfortunate. Rinko Kikuchi was exceptional as a Japanese deaf mute in ‘Babel,’ as was Adriana Barraza who played a Mexican domestic in the same film. I don’t expect the Academy will stray from the straight and narrow and choose either actress. Both of the these actresses deserve the Oscar but I believe it will be awarded to Cate Blanchett for her work as the confused art teacher caught in a web of her own making in ‘Notes on a Scandal.’
Winner: Cate Blanchett
Underdog Possibility: Rinko Kikuchi
Category : Directing
The Nominees : Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu 'Babel'
Martin Scorsese, 'The Departed'
Clint Eastwood, 'Letters From Iwo Jima'
Stephen Frears, 'The Queen'
Paul Greengrass, 'United 93'
Each of these films was exceptional and all of the directors deserve kudos. Clint Eastwood clearly deserves the award for his duo of ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ and ‘Flags of Our Fathers.’ Both are exceptional takes on the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Stephen Friars’ take on the Royal family during the week of Princess Diana’s death is interesting and enlightening. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Babel is an emotional, intense menagerie of interconnected stories that leaves you breathless. United 93 is a documentary style take on the events of one of the hijacked planes of 9/11 but the subject matter may be too sensitive for the voters of the Academy. The Academy has passed over Martin Scorsese too many times in the past and though some have argued that ‘The Departed’ may not be his best film, this is his year to win.
Winner: Martin Scorsese
Underdog Possibilty :: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu *
Allan Stanleigh
THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS
A Fact for Factory Girl Edie Sedgwick
These words, from the title of enigmatic ambisexual writer J.T. Leroy’s collection of autobiographical stories, lend themselves well to
the theme for ‘Factory Girl,’ Edie Sedgwick’s final slide into personal turmoil and addiction.
Factory Girl, directed by George Hickenlooper (Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, Mayor of the Sunset Strip) is a film that
focuses on the brief flame and ensuing downward-spiral of the most well-known of Andy Warhol’s ‘Superstars,’ Edie Sedgwick.
Starting from the time that Sedgwick, - a California heiress whose family had long been established in Massachusetts history - was introduced to Andy Warhol, and up to her death from an overdose of barbiturates in her Santa Barbara apartment, the film’s heroine embarks on the commonly travelled spiral from glamour girl to a helpless, sad and disenfranchised wreck of her former self.
Her short-lived role as Warhol’s arm-candy and latest ‘it-girl’ spanned from January 1965 when she first met Warhol, until November of the following year when an ugly public argument took place at the Gingerman restaurant. It is a pivotal moment in the film that delineates the famous Warhol dictum “Everybody will be famous, for fifteen minutes.” The film presents Edie at her best for about that long, and for the rest of the film her wonderfulness is spent and exhausted through a giggling transformation from elfin-like doe-eyed wonder, into the brutal reality of a gamine loosing control amongst the glamorous and heady atmosphere of New York’s cognoscenti, and, in particular, the outrageous coterie of denizens who inhabited Warhol’s ‘Factory.’
Though Sienna Miller embodies Sedgwick in a flawless performance that will surely resonate with those who knew the real thing, it is Guy Pearce as Andy Warhol who carries the film. Pearce’s Warhol is exceptional. Bowie came close in ‘Basquiat,’ but had a tenth of the dialogue. It is dialogue that Pearce delivers with ease and exactitude. As well, his mannerisms throughout the film conform to all those personal quirks that have been identified as ‘Warholism’s.’ Naïve and child-like, shrewd and cruel, Pearce tapped into all of these emotions with a subtle ownership that coloured his character in a completeness that leaves little doubt that we are watching Warhol. Credit must go to Hickenlooper’s direction as well as a screenplay that afforded these two performers enough substance in which to develop their characters.
Captain Mauzner (Wonderland) aka Josh Klausner (Highway, Reobu Reobu aka Rub Love) deserves credit for a screenplay that sticks to the subject at hand without wandering into a 60’s nether land of extraneous information and gratuitous commentary. The focus is tight while at the same time there are few iconic personalities from the Warhol scene left out. Illeana Douglas is a little scary as Diana Vreeland, but then Diana Vreeland was a little scary. Shawn Hatosy (Alpha Dog) as Sedgwick’s college pal was the right pick for the rare appearance of anything resembling a protagonist in an otherwise collective of self absorbed and self medicated individuals.
Hickenlooper is masterful in portraying the pulse of the 60’s throughout the film and Michael Grady’s cinematography has more than a few striking moments that afford the audience an uncannily exact view of the era and the inside machinations of the oft’ reported goings-on at Warhol’s ‘Factory.’ If one was not there the first go round, one could easily imagine having been there after immersing themselves in this film.*
Devorah Macdonald
Promise Me by Harlan CobenDuring a party at his house Myron Bolitar overhears his friend’s teenage daughters talking about the ride they took with a drunk driver the night before. Well intentioned Myron makes them a deal - so they don’t take anymore risks like that, the girls can call him for a ride anytime, anywhere. No questions are asked and he promises he’ll never tell their parents about it. Two nights later the call comes in from one of the girls, she’s in trouble and no one can find out about it.
Case closed, right? Myron fulfills his promise and drops the girl off at a friend’s house. Only the next day the girl can’t be found, the ‘friend’ doesn’ t exist, and suddenly Myron is the lead suspect in the disappearance. Now the girl’s mother makes Myron make a promise to her, one to bring her daughter home unharmed one way or another. Considering it’s the only way Myron can clear his name, it’s an easy promise to make, just not such an easy one to come through on.
I’m not a big thriller/mystery/beach read type reader but I loved Promise Me. It has twists and turns aplenty, and more surprisingly all the loose threads are neatly dealt with by the end of the book. It’s smart, it’s believable, and best of all it reconfirms all your high school dislikes and complaints about the rich kids/jock crowd. Myron is a little hard to relate to, but I loved the quirky cast of misfits he surrounds himself with, like Win, a preppy psychopath, or his employees, a former Fabulous Lady of Wrestling champ and her outrageous former wrestling partner.*
Renee Mallett
Climbing My Way to Success
Don’t want to be broke, a joke
Prove to the world I’m free to be
Successful, young, talented and
wealthy before twenty years of age.
It’s possibly destiny, destined for me to
be all that I desire and require.
To have peace of mind
Rejection, no, sorry, try again, not
interested, all stepping stones to the word Yes.
Definitely, lets do it, we love it, you’re in , for sure.
May be broke today but you’re building
and putting in place the stepping stones for your future success.
Do not regress by letting stress get in the way
worrying about pay that is idly
squandered.
Go for the big dollars the flow you know
will sustain you through life
make you a bread winning wife like Kelly Mason.
You know she is chasing the right dream
in which I will scream up to the heavens.
Until God has given me the things I need
in order to succeed in this life I was
given not chosen this breath breathed
in to me.
You know you will be famous,
successful don’t doubt it
because your thoughts are projected
into what you think is what you
become, no doubt. Don’t depend
solely on any one person to give you
the things you need,
you know you have indeed the power
to materialize anything at will.*
Charity West
Photo : Charity West
There is Nothing Wrong with Being a Waitress
I waitressed for six years, and only recently have I got a “real” job. I say “real” because to many, waitressing isn’t a reputable career choice.
Everyone knew that I was waitressing while I went to school, so after I graduated with my useless English degree, I heard daily “when are you going to get a real job, Carolyn?” Needless to say, I started to tire of it.
To the naysayer, I say this: waitressing is hard work. Near the end of my six-year stint, I started to go to massage therapy and the chiropractor on a regular basis to get the kink out of my neck and relax my tight back muscles. It is not natural to hold a tray of full pints in one hand all day! You are on your feet eight hours at a time, you don’t usually get regular break times since if it busy, you can’t just tell your customers that they have to wait for their lunch until YOU have had yours, and you deal with some of the rudest people on the planet.
There has to be a reason people stay in the service industry so long, and it is this: MONEY. I know girls who make a grand a week on a regular basis (which isn’t all taxed, either). Therefore, you can work less and make the same cash as someone working forty hours a week. It is also extremely flexible around school schedules and is great for single parents for the same reason. Lastly, it is a great “social” job where you can make friends with your co-workers and customers in a way that I have never experienced elsewhere. There is nothing like dealing with people when you compare it to dealing with a computer all day.
So why did I leave? I felt the pressure of “you have a degree, so you should use it,” I was tired of working all weekends and holidays, and I was looking for a predictable income on PAPER, so that I could potentially qualify for a mortgage one day. Still, though, I catch myself contemplating going back to it…
I just want some respect for myself and my fellow servers. We bring you your food, people, so lay off. Don’t look through me while you order your sandwich “lightly toasted with no butter, extra onions on the SIDE (and can you sautee those?), cut diagonally, with CRISPY bacon – and I’m in a hurry”. Servers are people too, and they work damn hard. So please stop asking when that “real” job is going to come along. Don’t raise your eyebrows when you hear your server is a single parent. And for you OWN sake, don’t ever, ever, snap your fingers to get service! Trust me…*
Carolyn Sapach
JOHN DENVER: “I Enjoy Hash!”
Reported in Rona Barrett’s Hollywood, February 1976, the all-American boy, singer “John Denver” recently shocked the nation when he announced that he doesn’t get all his “highs” from the Rocky Mountains.
In a recent visit to Australia, Denver is quoted as saying, “sure, I enjoy hash, I use it. I have a lot of fun with the stuff.” As reported, Denver was referring to the drug “hash,” which (was stated,) is the strongest part of the marijuana plant.
“But it’s like alcohol,” he went on to explain. “It should be handled with responsibility. You shouldn’t let it get out of hand. You can get stoned on marijuana…but you can get high just being up in the mountains. He went on to say, “I’m not suggesting that kids ought to use it, I’m just saying that I use it and I don’t figure it’s doing me any harm. Everyone should make up their own mind on that sort of thing.”
The article goes on to say that his comments came as a complete surprise to his legions of fans who considered him one of their leading organic, homespun citizens. After his comments were heard around the world, countries expressed their surprise and disappointment over the singer’s announcement. After a press conference upon Denver’s arrival in Australia, an Australian newspaper reported that Denver’s comments “endangered” his status in the country. The Reverend Fred Nile, director of Australia’s “Festival of Light,” stated that he felt that Denver should be deported if he continued to smoke marijuana in Sydney: “He should be dealt with in the same way as other pop stars caught with drugs,” he said.
The article finishes with: “the ‘clean-cut’ image Denver worked for so many years to achieve looks like it may be gone forever…Far-out!”
HISTORY:
One of the world’s best-known and best loved performers of the 60’s and 70’s, John Denver, earned international acclaim as a songwriter, performer, actor, environmentalist and humanitarian. Spanning three decades, he received many music awards as well as honours, including the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Music Award in 1993 and being inducted into the American Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1996.
In 1963, Denver left home and moved to Los Angeles to be a part of the nascent California music scene. With his new home came a new name. The former Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. chose the stage name John Denver, in homage to the beautiful Rocky Mountain capital city of his home state, Colorado. He never looked back.
In no time Denver was climbing the Pop charts with songs like “Take me Home, Country Roads,” “Rocky Mountain High,” “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” “Thank God I’m A Country Boy,” and “Calypso.” These Pop-hits, (today’s background music for the geriatric crowd) cemented his position as one of the decade’s top pop stars. During his peak, sales included 14 gold, and 8 platinum albums in the U.S. as well as numerous gold and platinum sales overseas.
On October 12, 1997, Denver was killed when the Long-EZ aircraft he was piloting ran out of fuel just off the coast of California – although the experimental aircraft is designed for fuel-efficient long range flight and can fly over ten hours and up to 1,600 miles on 52 gallons of fuel (it is equipped with a rear fuel tank which allows a Long- EZ to fly for 4,800 miles.) Although Denver was an experienced pilot, he had only flown the Long-EZ for a one-half hour orientation flight the day before the accident.
Prior to the accident, the FAA found that Denver did not meet the medical standards prescribed in Part 67 of the Federal Aviation Regulations due to his ongoing drinking problem, and a determination was made that he was not qualified for any class of medical standards at the time of the accident. Reports state that there was little left of the wreckage and that dental records were needed to identify the pilot as John Denver.*
Devorah Macdonald
OUR FUTURE SOULS
I enjoy music, I really do. I’ve seen John Lee Hooker live, met BB King, interviewed Steel Pulse and even stage dived at a Nine Inch Nails gig in London. I am a firm believer that music, like film and all art, has a significant influence on us, especially when we are young. However big or small this influence can of course be good or bad and I think it is our duty, as members of society, to act when something unquestionably unpleasant is coming around the corner.
I recently discovered some disturbing news, which really made my blood curdle. News that will certainly burn deep in our guts and if this group of people are allowed to act on what they have threatened, I believe that our societies will be negatively affected to the point of crumbling from within. This event will destroy the souls of out teenagers, as it had already done so to past youth. The long lasting effects from being brainwashed by these people is that you eventually see no bad in them and maybe even think that they are good! They will annihilate your character, ruin your soul and consequently your future relationships. We have yet to discover what happens to those in their middle age, let alone old age, from these people’s influence but from the current scientific findings I am not happy for our future
souls. Therefore, I put it to you folks out there that if we build up the power and we pool our strength together we can influence the relevant industries and put a permanent and total block on the reformation of the… Spice Girls!
I think there are many people out there who right now are sympathizing with me, nodding their heads and saying, “The guy’s right, man! We don’t want those annoying teeny boppers polluting our airwaves again! We’ve had enough of all these rubbish girl/boy bands who squeal terrible lyrics over the sounds of a cheap keyboard. What’ s this, the next generation of girl/boy bands are simply the same ones coming back?” And that’s exactly what I was thinking! So I would like to put it out there that we don’t want the Spice Girls to reform. Ok, I don’t want them to reform.
I enjoy music, I really do. Please let me continue to do so.*
Andreas Lambis
WHAT: The Greg Behrendt Show
WHERE: FOX
WHEN: Mon-Fri 1P
If you don't know who he is, he coined the term "he's just not that into you". Avid Sex and the City fans and basically anyone who has been paying attention to anything relationship related in the last few yeahs have heard that - it was even homaged on The Family Guy and I will even admit that when I found out he was getting a show, I said to myself " are you fucking kidding me?He coined a phrase and gets a show?" But I was wrong, the guy has a talent.
Being a writer for the afore mentioned HBO series and a stand up comedian, Greg seems to relay love advice to people in a way that is less serious and therefore easily related to most. His show's themes aren't all based around love however - they focus on money, addictions,friendships and all that good stuff which can be entertaining for both sexes to watch - this isn't an Oprah type audience here.
One thing I could do without is, "The Uncomfortable Phone call". Basically, someone who has a problem with or secret from a friend/parent/lover/etc but is too much of a wuss to tell them face to face, makes a call from the studio speaker phone and breaks the news live to an in house and TV viewer audience. It kind of sucks and even though the receiver acts like it's OK, you just know that those relationships are DONE once those people see each other in person again. Aside from the, the show is cool and I watch it whenever I can cos I'm cool like that.
Laura V
OVEN BAKED COOKIE
JENNY MCCARTHY
I first saw her as co-host of MTV's Singled Out in the mid 90's and thought she was annoying - until she was replaced by Carmen Electra and I started to miss her.
She is a former Playboy model so it was crazy hard for me to find a pic without her everything showing but she is the one cookie so far that I find not the least bit attractive on the outside.
Her usually blonde buffant, heavy makeup and tiny waist is not what I tend to admire but she is a nut.
She's funny, spunky,crazy,candid and while she did originally marry John Mallory Asher and have his kid, she is now with Jim Carey and a spokesperson for Weight Watchers.
Crazy what 10 years will do.*
