By Peter Hemminger, Kyle Francis and Rob Scherf
40-Year-Old VirginThe 40-Year-Old Virgin won’t pick up any Oscar nominations and quite frankly it shouldn’t, but it succeeds admirably at everything it attempts. It is a one joke gross-out sex comedy, a bizarre coming-of-age film, a heartwarming romantic comedy and an affectionate character study all in one. Considering it balances each of those elements without… Continue reading 2005: Best in show
By Rob Scherf, Kyle Francis, Chris Courtice and Ben Hoffman
God of War–PlayStation 2Killing hookers on the mean streets of San Andreas is so passe. This year, if it’s sex and violence you want, look no further than Sony’s surprise hit, God of War. The game’s focus, an ancient greek man named Kratos, won’t hesitate to tear in half any minotaurs, gorgons, or demons standing… Continue reading 2005: Best in games
By Rob Scherf
“A film is, or should be, more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what’s behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.” -Stanley KubrickAutumn is a time of rejuvenation and preparation for a new year of work. From the festive tradition of the harvest… Continue reading Film Scoop: Finding culture through film
By Rob Scherf
A great deal of fuss has already been raised over local film maker Aaron Sorenson’s Hank Williams First Nation. What raised filmgoers’ eyebrows in recent weeks is Sorenson’s tale of getting, or trying to get, funding for his project. No production company wanted to touch Hank Williams First Nation as it was, nor did they… Continue reading Hank Williams First Nation disappoints
By Rob Scherf
Last week on these humble pages Alan Cho, our own Entertainment Editor, lambasted CanWest’s new daily magazine Dose, calling it a “smug,” “flimsy” publication. Cho called Dose (and its editorship) out on perpetuating the negative trend in the news media toward less meaningful content and less relevance for the readership. “News,” we are told, “should… Continue reading The Internet generation
By Rob Scherf
Take a moment to consider the immense amount of information the average person intakes every day. Discounting the things our minds are required to internalize–class notes, conversations–there are always thousands of incidental details around us demanding notice. Imagine the millions of tiny and disposable bits of human life that those unremarkable details are built from,… Continue reading Art Review: This exhibit brought to you by the word “the”
By Rob Scherf
There’s something intoxicating about the last week of September in this city. All at once the leaves start to change, the mornings start to crispen, and Calgary–much like Cinderella–realizes just for an instant that she, too, can be a world-class broad. Our little film festival is just one of many in Canada, and although its… Continue reading Calgary’s arts a blessing
By Rob Scherf
Quick, think of four things common in all Canadian films. You’re thinking slow, dark, gloomy, and boring? We may have a long history of drab cinema, but a new school of Canadian filmmakers aims to change all that. Mark Lewis’ new film Ill Fated, screened this year at the Calgary International Film Festival, is a… Continue reading No ill fate for this Canadian film
By Rob Scherf
While some would call the mockumentary outmoded or downright obsolete, several films over the last few festival cycles (Fubar being chief among them) have proven the old gal still got some life left. The immediacy of a single camera and smart script can affect audiences by blurring the line between reality and fiction.Or they can… Continue reading Film Fest Preview: Memron
By Rob Scherf
As we enter Aussie Rules on Dueling Pianos night I’m not nearly as drunk as I should be, but as soon as I step into the bar something definitely feels altered. I’d never heard so much noise in one place before, nor had I ever heard a crowd roar so indescriminately. These people were going… Continue reading Dueling with pianos