There is an excellent, clever and effective commercial invading our airwaves, and it drives me freakin’ crazy. Unilever, the maker of Axe deodorant spray, has hired ex-Newlywed Nick Lachey as their flirtatious, dimpled spokesman for its new fragrance, Clix.
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
POP MONTREAL: Born a ramblin’ man
What does Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, a 75-year old country folk guitarist, have to do with Pop Montreal, the city’s ecstatic embrace of the “next big thing”? Perhaps the most significant asset that Elliot’s Wednesday night set at the Ukrainian Center brought to the festival was authenticity.
POP MONTREAL: Spektor is simply spek-tacular
The National is a quaint theatre, the ambience a familiar one, ideal for Regina Spektor. The singer/songstress stepped onto the stage with a glittery shape in her hair and smiling red lips, her very presence giving the room a soothing glow. She began an acapella wonder and the crowd became entranced.
Putting Canada back on the television map
Tuesday evening saw the debut of CBC’s latest prime time original broadcast, the brainchild of Chris Haddock, nationally revered creator of decade-spanning Canadian success Da Vinci’s Inquest. His new series, Intelligence, examines a new facet of West Coast criminality, this time turning the camera towards the perpetrators rather than the victims and investigators.
THEATRE: Off with your head!
In the beginning, there was lust, and in the end, there was still lust. Alexandre Marine’s latest stage production, L’evangile selon Salome, is a harrowing tale of a struggling youth, Salome, trying to resolve internal and external conflicts. The classic tale follows a series of modern theatrical twists, boasting musically inspired moments complemented by a world of incestuous perversion, deception and homoeroticism.
POP RHETORIC: Moshing to Mozart
Let’s talk about a typical concert experience. First, there is the jazz concert, the one at a trendy bar downtown. You go to swanky clubs such as Upstairs and listen to some whacked out players spin out jazz tunes. These tunes are so full of energy and funk that you won’t hesitate to scream and shout, whistle and holla’, especially considering all the noise from the drunken 45-year-olds in the back of the room.
TVMcGill shines a spotlight on student films
With online video clips already a welcome distraction at the library, it’s hardly surprising that the Fokus Film Festival’s popularity has expanded exponentially in the past four years. The festival, hosted by TVMcGill, showcases the works of film-savvy, creative McGill students and awards prizes to the best films in each category.
Newest Sparks adaptation fails to ignite
Starring Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, and Liam Hemsworth, The Last Song is a too heavy on subplots and a too light on actual content. The casting directors unearthed some hidden gems in supporting actors Bobby Coleman and Carly Chaikin. Coleman plays Cyrus’ younger brother and warmed my cold black heart in ways that only a small child can, especially when sharing the screen with his terminally ill father (Kinnear).
You Say Party! We Say Die! learn how to stay sane
A little over two years ago, the future of You Say Party! We Say Die! was bleak. It was week 14 of a 16-week European tour – an exhausting amount of time for even the most seasoned touring musicians. Fatigue had set in for the Vancouver band, communication had broken down, and everything came to a head when singer Becky Ninkovic attacked drummer Devon Clifford during an argument at a bar in Germany.
The Runaways is more gritty than girly
The Runaways, directed by Floria Sigismondi, is based on the story of the all-girl punk-rock group of the same name, formed in 1975 and headed by Joan Jett (played by Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning). The opening scene is a close-up of Cherie’s first drop of hot menstrual blood hitting the even hotter Los Angeles pavement, in a strange way marking both her territory and her entrance into womanhood.
