August 24, 2010
Book Review: Andrew Potter’s The Authenticity Hoax
Sure, it’s easy to be disenchanted with society: its corporate lies, political impotence, and information overload. The hunt for authenticity “has become the spiritual quest of our time,” Andrew Potter, famed co-author of The Rebel Sell, writes in his new book, The Authenticity Hoax. A way to escape all we believe to be fake and wrong is to seek the opposite, something authentic—which somehow... [More >>]
August 4, 2010
In Google’s spat with China, the legacy of colonialism still echoes
Illustration by Matt Daley. When Google, citing concerns over security and censorship, pulled their operations out of China in March this year, they were widely praised for taking a stand for democracy. But Google’s move wasn’t the first time a Western entity had taken the moral high road in regard to China. In fact, almost 200 years ago, the British government also stood up for its beliefs. After... [More >>]
July 6, 2010
A new generation of Quebec filmmakers captures a culture adrift
Young Québécois filmmakers are rejecting the commercially successful nostalgia movies of recent years in favour of suburban ennui, substance abuse, and suicide. Get ready to get gloomy! Still from 'Continental, un film sans fusil' (2008) directed by Stéphane Lafleur. The title of Quebec director Stéphane Lafleur’s Continental, un film sans fusil (Continental, A Film Without Guns) is not... [More >>]
July 2, 2010
Interview: Pride Toronto Executive Director Tracey Sandilands
[Editor's note: This interview was conducted and published ahead of the final decisions about the fate of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid. Eventually, the Pride Toronto board of directors decided to ban the phrase "Israeli Apartheid," then retracted the decision after community outcry. See today's blog post by Natalie Samson for a different—and considerably less sunny—outlook on Pride 2010.] Tracey... [More >>]
June 2, 2010
My video-game forum fosters real political discussion. No, really.
Online communities bring together people who would never talk in real life. Illustration by Matt Daley. Though you can count the joys of graduate school on one hand—without even using all of your fingers—spending an evening with like-minded friends just chatting is definitely one of them. As the drinks flow and discussions stretch late into the night, it’s easy to feel the glow of both comfort... [More >>]
May 26, 2010
A graffiti artist ditches toxic spray-paint for eco-friendly DIY pigments
"Chickadeeday" (2010) by Stefan Thompson. Image courtesy the artist. Click to enlarge. Pablo Picasso had his so-called blue period. Ottawa artist Stefan Thompson is exploring a green period. Thompson first made a name for himself on the streets of the capital as a graffiti artist. Working under the pseudonym Maki, Thompson populated nooks and alleys throughout the city’s downtown with a... [More >>]
May 21, 2010
In Canadian film’s small world, creators and critics are too close for comfort
The epic wars of the past between filmmakers and critics—Vincent Canby’s mano a mano with James Toback, James Cameron going cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs on any critic who looks at him funny, or the minor dustup that happened at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, in which a producer’s rep was punched in the face by critic John Anderson—are now few and far between. As German director Wim Wenders... [More >>]
May 19, 2010
Po’ Girl sings out against childhood abuse with 2010’s “No Shame” tour
Po' Girl band members, from left: Benny Sidelinger, Allison Russell, and Awna Teixeira. Photo courtesy the band. When her adopted father and longtime abuser was let out of prison, Alli Russell channeled her turbulent feelings into a deeply personal song called “No Shame.” That song has become a continent-wide charity tour by Russell and her urban roots band, Po’ Girl, to support victims of... [More >>]
April 28, 2010
Mainstream success threatens cult cinema’s sleazy charm
Tell someone you like science fiction, fantasy or horror films and you might get “the look.” A look that says, “Are you silly, immature or, worse, pervy?” Fans of genre cinema—the term applies to many different categories of film but is most commonly applied to sci-fi, fantasy and horror—have long had a bad rep as freaky weirdoes, social misfits, gore hounds and so on. I know because I... [More >>]
April 19, 2010
The gruesome genius of Michael Ondaatje, destroyer of worlds
Twice over the endless winter of 2007-08, I finished a pleasant-enough telephone conversation with my mother only to have her call me back a couple of minutes later. “I know what I wanted to tell you,” she said both times, “so-and-so died.” The first unfortunate object of forgotten conversation was a dear old great aunt in Vancouver I hadn’t seen in a decade. The second was my childhood family... [More >>]
