"Even though it is abbreviated, these three days represent what is happening in contemporary moving picture culture,” said David Dinnell at the opening of the 52nd Ann Arbor Film Festival Tour in Montreal. “Even just tonight contains most of the field’s genres,” he continued. “The nine pieces from six countries[Read More…]
Articles by Jack Tokarz
Look Back in Anger
Sharing a one-bedroom apartment with four emotional young Brits for two and a half hours as they push through the most difficult part of their lives does not sound like an ideal night out, but the fluid direction and engrossing emotion of TNC’s Look Back in Anger make it a[Read More…]
Panel discusses building consent culture on campus
Students hosted a panel discussion on “Building a Culture of Consent on Campus” last Thursday as part of #ConsentMcGill, a week-long event organized and run by McGill students and administration. The panel responded to broad questions relating to the idea of a consent culture before opening up discussion with the[Read More…]
Gangs of Tokyo: Not your typical mobster movie
The threshold for widespread shock or novelty has increased exponentially due to the sheer breadth of available internet content. That being said, Tokyo Tribe is a film unlike anything anybody has ever seen before. Hilarious, gross, sexist, confusing, and silly, it’s not the easiest film to boil down to a[Read More…]
Shortform, longform, we all scream for MPROV
“Welcome to Montreal’s MPROV Festival, the place where everything is made up and the points don’t matter.” That Whose Line is it Anyway tagline may be what some audience members would expect to hear at the beginning of any of the improv comedy festival’s shows over the past week, seeing as[Read More…]
From prison to Hollywood
In 1972, New Yorker John Wojtowicz was captured attempting to rob a bank. Despite his arrest, he had no regrets—but why would he, now that he has two films made about him?
Heroes of Hebrew humour
Although Jewish people represent only 0.2 per cent of the world’s population—according to a Hebrew University of Jerusalem study—they hold a much larger portion of social attention when it comes to comedy. Director Alan Zweig made the documentary When Jews Were Funny to investigate why Jewish people have been so[Read More…]
Ryan Hemsworth – Guilt Trips
With a confusing mélange of tempo and genre, Ryan Hemsworth’s Guilt Trips is not a trip to feel guilty about, but rather a twisting, uncertain journey through EDM. Although technically well put-together, this short album could not possibly fulfill any function; Guilt Trips would not fit into any mood, situation[Read More…]
tick, tick…BOOM! is no bust
It’s a musical where “everybody we know wants to be something else.” With a cast of three actors and a live four-piece band, Tuesday Night Cafe (TNC) presents tick, tick..BOOM!, by Jonathan Larson, best known for bohemian rock musical Rent. Choosing love, success, or passion as life’s top priority is[Read More…]
This is PFFR
Known for their absurdly irreverent comedies, produced for MTV2 and Cartoon Network’s sister channel Adult Swim, writers/producers/comedians John Lee and Vernon Chatman are showcasing several special video clips, and holding a Q & A during POP Montreal this weekend.
An eclectic phaeleh
Under the stage name Phaeleh, Bristol-native Matt Preston creates and performs electronic music of an indeterminate genre. Also indeterminate, for some, is the pronunciation of his stage name. Matt corrected my initial pronunciation of Phaeleh to “fella,” although he added, “I did not have a certain pronunciation in mind when[Read More…]
Akron/Family: Sub Verses
Ranging from creepy, melancholic songs, to energizing anthems and droning ballads, the experimental rock band Akron/Family’s seventh album Sub Verses intrigues the listener with layers of repetitive sound, rewarding them with each additional listen. The album starts off alarmingly loud and captivating, surrounding the listener with many sounds that together,[Read More…]
Art Mûr goes for the jugular and leaves a bloody mess
With the pervasive yet varied theme of the human body, Art Mûr’s latest exhibitions push the social boundaries of comfort and originality. A striking feature of this free contemporary art gallery and studio is its intimate layout, which immediately takes hold of visitors ,and forces them into a new mindset[Read More…]
Breakout Montreal comedian aims for baskets of laughter
Comedy is not typically thought of as a strenuous field. Performers go on stage, talk for a few minutes about their lives, and get paid. However, Andrew Searles, the energetic and affable comedian performing a special show called C’est Moi! C’est Chocolat! at Théâtre Sainte Catherine this weekend, does much[Read More…]
Snitch peddles emotion rather than explosion
The synopsis of Snitch seems to confirm the modern critique that Hollywood has run out of plausible ideas, and simply makes any excuse for action to occur. This sentiment, however, is doubly incorrect for the newest Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson action-drama. The story follows an ordinary citizen named John (Dwayne[Read More…]
Flux Pavillion: Blow the Roof
Today, some listeners are voicing concerns that dubstep is a dying genre—a fad that existed solely as an exciting, contrarian alternative to the growing popularity of catchy electronic pop. Likewise, they argue that with new mainstream acceptance, the genre is floundering—the limelight brings the destruction of a genre that can[Read More…]