Brian Setzer never strays far from his rockabilly roots
Brian Setzer …. musical legend ? A case can be made for the rockabilly mainstay and guitar guru, who plays the Edmonton Events Center tonight. (Tickets here, or at the box office.) You can list on two hands the number of guys who transcend their genre, who aren’t just stars, or superstars, but legends. B.B. […]
OPINION: A tale of two hospitality laws
In Edmonton, it is now illegal to drive a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .05. As of this year, it is also illegal in Edmonton to drive while eating a sandwich. One of these laws has science and some common sense behind it. The other doesn’t. Can you guess which is which? This […]
Gordon Lightfoot keeps moving forward
When Gordon Lightfoot showed up at the Occupy movement in Toronto to support his protesting daughter, a lot of people jumped to interesting conclusions about the man. Internet boards were full of Canadians either decrying him as an aging hippie, or cheering him … as an aging hippie. It was selling the man a wee […]
Nov. 11: The debt that every artist owes
In Flanders Fields The Poppies blow Between the Crosses, Row on Row In 1933, one of the first political moves Adolf Hitler took to solidify his control over the population of Germany was to control the media. He nationalized newspapers so that he could sow propaganda , then begin a pogrom against the Jewish community, […]
Shatner. One name is all that is required.
How does William Shatner stay so damn young, exactly? (And Bill, if you drop dead at 80 on the day this runs, we all apologize in advance.) It’s a worthwhile question to ask, as no amount of investigation on the internet would’ve told you in advance of Sunday night’s one man show at the Shaw […]
EIFF REVIEW: Green Wave a call to arms short on solutions
As with the documentary Crime After Crime, which screened yesterday, Edmonton International Film Festival entrant The Green Wave suffers from a heavy directorial hand and some arch overacting. Nonetheless, it succeeds in its purpose: illustrating the brutal crackdown on rallies for political reform in Iran. This job is made easier, of course, by the fact […]
EIFF REVIEW: Fightville captures humanity behind mixed martial arts
There’s a moment early on in the documentary Fightville that elegantly summarises a key theme: that success demands discipline, while life demands honesty. Young Albert Stainback is explaining his motivation for wanting to be a pro fighter. It’s about his difficult life, his father’s murder, the abuse his mother suffered. He’s a smart, perceptive young […]
COMMENTARY: Oscars like cheese from a can
Posted on February 27, 2012 By LH Thomson Front Slider, TV and Radio
The Oscars make us wince, generally. Oh, there are those moments, like Octavia Spencer being genuinely overwhelmed, a character actress with a so-far background career, suddenly achieving the pinnacle of her craft and getting a standing ovation for giving a damn. Christopher Plummer finally getting the recognition he deserves at 82, and bringing best supporting […]