Well, it's Oscar season and yours truly has decided to weigh in on the nominees. Not that the Oscars are a particular favourite of mine (Cannes being my film festival holy grail for all its agony and ecstasy), but I can't seem to resist joining the hubbub. Below, I have selected a few of my … Continue reading And the Oscar Goes to…
A Calendar of Films: Part Two (2006)
To date, I have only had one truly life-changing film experience. Undoubtedly, cinema has offered me plenty of magical, moving, and memorable occasions the deposits of which have only burrowed deeper over time - but what I am speaking of is something that evokes a little more violence. You see, things were processing quite happily … Continue reading A Calendar of Films: Part Two (2006)
A Calendar of Films: Part One (2005)
Ever since the summer of 2005, I have kept a record of every film I have watched, whether it be in the cinema or on DVD. It was a class I took that year - in my last semester of university - called "Cinema" that did the trick, ushering me from Hollywood fluff (which I … Continue reading A Calendar of Films: Part One (2005)
Best of 2012
Though I'm just as much a sucker as the next guy when it comes to end-of-the-year lists (see below), I would like to engage in a few moments of reflection as a means of taking stock of the past year. After all, Socrates said that "The unexamined life is not worth living" and seeing as … Continue reading Best of 2012
Bat for Lashes: The Haunted Man
Have you heard the (stunning, perfect) new Bat for Lashes album "The Haunted Man?" I have decided to attempt a review but before I begin, I thought it prudent to spend a few moments talking about the album artwork, which features perhaps the most compelling cover (warning: NSFW) I've seen in quite some time: Natasha Khan (aka … Continue reading Bat for Lashes: The Haunted Man
Propagandhi at the WECC
I've already written in rather gushing terms about my favourite band, Propagandhi, here. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that they were going to be playing a show at the West End Cultural Centre on the 19th of October (last month). My friend Amanda and I share a deep love for these … Continue reading Propagandhi at the WECC
Getting Parental Advice from Big Shot Rappers
I'm ashamed to admit that when I was younger, I used to say that I liked virtually all kinds of music except rap, claiming that it could hardly be called "music." I thought I was so clever in pointing out that "r," "a", and "p" were the last three letters in a popular excremental word … Continue reading Getting Parental Advice from Big Shot Rappers
“Confess” and other Compact Disc Compulsions
Ever since I was about fifteen or so and bought my first CD (it was either Yanni's "Live at the Acropolis" or the Speed OST), I have been rather attached to this silvery, circular medium. Back in those days - when none of us had cell phones and we were on 56k dial up modems … Continue reading “Confess” and other Compact Disc Compulsions
Postals de Barcelona
This past August, I had the privilege of traveling (at last!) to Barcelona with my father. It was a chance-of-a-lifetime trip and I won't soon forget it. Thanks dad. Not the same without you, mom. David and Camille: you, Avignon, and Venasque were the perfect combination. Mercat de la Boqueria Taking a brief respite from … Continue reading Postals de Barcelona
Why You Shouldn’t See Sarah’s Key
In a truly bold (aka lazy) move, below I re-publish (aka copy and paste) a piece I wrote for HK Magazine last year. I had a lovely time hanging out with the editorial team at the magazine, and to be honest having to watch this film was perhaps the only lowlight of my entire experience. … Continue reading Why You Shouldn’t See Sarah’s Key
Writing Is Prayer 