In the time I’ve been doing the listings at Prairie Dog this Buffalo-based death metal band have been through town a few times. Tonight they are headlining a show at the University of Regina’s Riddell Centre that also includes Napalm Death, Immolation and Beyond Creation. It’s an all-ages show, and tickets are $32.
To get everyone primed, here’s video from 2010 of Cannibal Corpse performing “Priests of Sodom”:
Well, not surprising at this point, I guess:
Mark Towhey was fired as Mayor Rob Ford’s chief of staff because he told Ford in no uncertain terms to “go away and get help,” a source close to the mayor’s office has told CBC News. Towhey was unceremoniously dumped from his job Thursday in the midst of a scandal that has ripped apart Toronto municipal politics — with the city’s colourful mayor caught in the midst of allegations that he was recorded smoking crack cocaine. The story broke last week and shortly after Towhey faced down the mayor telling him he needed help. ”There’s nothing more I can do for you,” the source quoted Towhey as telling Ford. The chief of staff then told Ford to “go away and get help.”
Story here. I hope Ford resigns soon. This is painful.
Oh, and the Rob Ford Crackstarter is at $160, 397.
“I find that electoral fraud occurred during the 41st General Election but I am not satisfied that it has been established that the fraud affected the outcomes in the subject ridings and I decline to exercise my discretion to annul the results in those districts.”
That was part of the judgement Federal Court Judge Richard Mosley delivered in the “robocalls” case in Ottawa today. The case saw select voters in six ridings, with the support of the Council of Canadians, seeking to overturn the results of the 2011 election in their ridings on the grounds of fraud tied to misleading and harassing automated and call centres calls they received that have been traced to Conservative campaign workers.
Read more about Judge Mosley’s verdict, in which he declined to overturn the results, here.
Coming via Deadspin, we have what’s probably the greatest video of the year and easily the most important soccer goal ever scored.
I blogged awhile back about the debut of a BBC America SF mini-series starring Tatiana Maslany called Orphan Black. She was born and raised here, and at age 27 is carving out a pretty solid career for herself as an actress.
Quantum Black’s a particularly big challenge for her, though, because in it she plays nine or so versions of the same cloned woman (that’s one version of Sarah above). And earlier today, as other media have reported, she was nominated for a BBC America Critic’s Choice Best Actress in a Drama Award. Claire Danes, Julianna Margulies, Elizabeth Moss and Kerri Russell are the other nominated actresses. So all in all, pretty good company.
So congrats to Tatiana. And congratulations also to Weyburn-born Trenna Keating who’s become something of a sensation in the SF community for her portrayal of the alien Doc Yewll in the ScyFy series Defiance.
The Hangover foursome achieves the impossible: Makes Tijuana look dull.
Certain single words could define The Hangover Part III. “Greed” is one of them. “Laziness” is another one. This is a saga that shouldn’t exist to begin: The first film – the only half decent of the bunch- wasn’t supposed to start a franchise. It was a standalone story much like director Todd Phillips previous films (Old School, Road Trip). Only unchecked avarice could turn the paper-thin concept behind it into a trilogy.
After the pathetic Part II (which was beat-by-beat the same as Part I with a different setting), Phillips and co. put a little more effort for their third go-around. Gone are the bachelor party set-up, the noir-esque reconstruction of events and convicted rapist Mike Tyson (animal mistreatment is, however, very much present). The outcome is a complete bore, filled with people that couldn’t wait to get out of their contracts. Continue Reading →
You remember the Rob Ford Crackstarter, Gawker’s effort to raise $200,000 to buy a video of (allegedly) the Toronto mayor smoking crack? Yeah. It’s going to work. I’ve checked in on it a few times in the last day. As of right now, this second, it’s [checks] $140,832. Last night it was $118-something thousand.
I think it’s time to ask if Ford will make it to the weekend without resigning? If that video shows what two reporters and Gawker’s editor say it does, I can’t see a way out of this for Ford.
On the bright side, even people who’ve despised him are probably starting to feel bad for the guy. I know I do.
UPDATE: In the time it took to write this post (about five minutes), the crackster has increased to $141,003.
UPDATE-2:22 p.m.: $141,943
UPDATE-2:37 p.m.: $143,158
UPDATE-3:23 p.m.: $144,690
UPDATE-4:01 p.m.: holy shit, $155,240. Also, Ford has fired his chief of staff. Bad week for Conservative politicians’ chiefs of staff in this country today.
UPDATE-7:55 p.m.: $159,382. Earlier today someone donated $10,000. Alas, Gawker’s contact can’t contact the guy with the phone, so this my all be for naught. More here.
Hey there sports fans! In the spirit of sassiness and sweet tunes photographer Kim Jay and I are making the mighty trek to The Gorge, Washington, USA to take in the 4-day Sasquatch Music Festival.
Reputably one of the most laid back, accessible music festivals for Canadians to enjoy (Canadian beer brand Kokanee is the major beer sponsor) Sasquatch Music Festival plays home to cool evening temperatures and beautiful scenery. The natural amphitheatre nestled amongst the curves of the Columbia River has potential to make for a most magical 4-days. Continue Reading →
Fans of action/adventure TV might remember a show called Tropical Heat that aired in the early ’90s. It was a Canadian co-pro with Israel and Mexico and featured a retired Drug Enforcement Agency agent named Nick Slaughter who set up a detective agency in Florida where he solved crimes with the help of a local travel agent.
For some reason, the series became a cult favourite in Serbia. In this Canadian documentary which screens tonight at the RPL Theatre at 9 p.m. and Friday night at 7 p.m., the actor who played Slaughter (Rob Stewart) journeys to Serbia to explore his folk hero status in that country.
Here’s the trailer:
Like Someone in Love opens this Thursday at the RPL.
One of the most fascinating auteurs at work today, Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami should be reason enough to prevent the US from ever bombing Teheran. After a remarkable run in his place of birth that included minimalist masterpieces Taste of Cherry and The Wind will Carry Us, Kiarostami not only ventured outside his zone of comfort, but also his native tongue and his country. The results couldn’t be any less than striking.
The Iranian wunderkind takes pleasure in destroying westerners’ notion of narrative. In the remarkable Certified Copy, an artistically inclined couple starts the day as strangers and by the end of it, they have been married for fifteen years, no explanation provided. Like Someone in Love is similarly packed with blind spots and remains fascinating.
Two lost souls in Tokio find each other at a low point. Young Akiko has landed in the prostitution business in order to pay for school. Grandma is waiting for her at the train station, but an utterly ashamed Akiko can’t bring herself to meet her (it’s painful to watch). Across the city, the elderly professor who has hired the girl mostly for company has problems of his own: He must fend a demanding would-be employer while keeping things polite.
They could be the answer to each other’s problems, but -as in real life- there is no such thing as a perfect match, especially when a third party (Akiko’s violent boyfriend) objects any possible arrangement.
Despite the sexual undertones, Like Someone in Love is a lot more wholesome than it sounds. These are lonely people who yearn for human connection but have forgotten how to establish one. Kiarostami pulls a fast one on the audience by holding on to most answers. He makes you work for them, which is why his movies become engraved in your memory.
Four prairie dogs out of their element.
As you’ve probably already observed with your own eyes, either by passing through our fine city, or via, here, here, and here, something’s finally happening around the Capital Pointe site at Victoria and Albert – though, technically, not on it. In a nutshell, Sask Power has begun the process of moving an electrical duct (work that has to be completed in order for construction to begin on Capital Pointe itself) and traffic is being rerouted around the area.
So, while Sask Power’s subcontractor is beavering away, it must have seemed like as good an excuse as any for a photo-op. Which is what happened at 10am this morning* when the developers, BrightStar Corporation, made a “major media announcement”. In the end, that announcement wasn’t so much about construction as it was about their new partner: Augustine Group, a developer based in Niagara Falls, ON.
BrightStar’s VP and Capital Pointe’s project director Greg Black said that they’d taken the project “as far as they could”, and had arrived at a point where they felt they had to bring a new partner on board to start construction.
According to Brian Tilley, Augustine Group’s VP of sales and marketing, they are now the controlling shareholder of Capital Pointe. They expect to start construction on the site after Sask Power is finished with their electrical infrastructure work – in about 5 months – with occupancy now anticipated for Fall 2015.
But, in terms of how Capital Pointe itself has progressed, it doesn’t appear that much has changed. According to Tilley, they are still only 40 per cent sold, and they have yet to secure a buyer for the hotel – though they say they are in serious negotiations with five interested parties, and should be making an announcement about the hotel portion of the development in late June.
They also announced that they will make 36 new units available, starting at $189,000. These are being sold as studio suites, and will result in the development having a total of 180 residential suites, and 144 hotel rooms.
“All the less expensive suites sold out very quickly on the first launch,” Tilley said. “We believe, with the affordability of that price, and what rent prices are here — it’s crazy how high the rent is here — that product will be very, very affordable.”
Are they concerned about the lower price point of these units affecting the “luxury brand” of Capital Pointe? “No,” Tilley said. “Because I think, at that price, even for the lower units, it’s still a luxury condominium.”
When one of the reporters assembled questioned whether construction had really started in earnest, when it’s Sask Power that is doing all the heavy lifting at the moment – not Augustine or BrightStar – Tilley responded: “Well, I see trucks moving dirt, and, to me, that’s construction. We had to pay for this work to be done,” he said. “We’re not paying money to put a duct bank in if we’re not going to start construction.” He declined to disclose how much Sask Power has been paid to start this electrical work, but according to a statement from Sask Power last fall, the developers had to pay a deposit to start this infrastructure work, not the entire amount.
So… something’s happening at the Capital Pointe site. And, as usual, we’ll find out what it’ll mean in a few months time.
Prairie Dog will follow up on this story in a future print issue.
(photo: BrightStar Corporation’s Greg Black (left) passes the Capital Pointe torch to Augustine Group’s Brian Tilley).
*Prairie Dog prides itself on bringing you breaking news, as it happens!
Toronto’s Catholic school board has banned Toronto mayor and alleged crack-smoker Rob Ford from coaching football. Meanwhile, his brother, Doug Ford, who also sits on Toronto’s city council, says Ford is under no obligation to speak to media: “If the mayor stopped and held a press conference every time the media made up a story about him, we would never have accomplished what we have,” he said. You can read more on CBC Toronto. Oh, and Toronto police say that if “any evidence of a criminal act arises”, they’ll “deal with that”.
Two men apparently spouting Islamic rhetoric killed another man in London in broad daylight. The Daily Beast says the victim was beheaded. The Guardian is somewhat reserved while I’m typing this, I assume pending confirmation of details, but does have video of one of the, um, well, is he still an “alleged” killer when he’s filmed covered in blood, holding a cleaver and talking about the murder?
What a world.
I’m worried I haven’t been smoking enough crack to reach the heights of “prominent hockey analyst.” SAVE ME, BROADCASTING SCHOOL! (Pow! You’ve been goofed on roughly one week after it was relevant, Rob Ford scandal!) Let’s Aw NHL Naw.
I have been waiting AGES for an excuse to write about all those vacant lots around town that are former gas stations and thanks to last night’s council meeting I finally have one.
What happened was a report came forward from city administration about a nightclub proposed for 2151 Albert Street (pic at right). That’s a two-storey building next to the Chamber of Commerce that used to house offices of some sort. And the idea of putting a nightclub there raised some hackles among local businesses because the new nightclub doesn’t fulfill the minimum parking standards as laid out in Bylaw 9250.
And by “local businesses” I mean Adam Sperling, the owner of La Bodega and Slow Pub which are restaurants across the street from the proposed nightclub. He came out to address council, saying that he wasn’t opposed to the nightclub as such, just to the fact that city administration is recommending it be allowed despite it lacking sufficient parking.
Which it lacked, there only being three parking spots on the lot while the bylaw calls for a minimum of 12.
1 DISPATCHES FROM THE SCIENCE FRONT The CBC learned at the start of the month that Canada’s federally-mandated and -funded scientific body has been ordered to march to the beat of Canadian industry’s drum. And, because Stephen Harper’s science minister is apparently just fine and dandy with sitting and letting his portfolio crumble like a dried leaf (the social conservative tendency to do this, by the way – put in charge of a cabinet portfolio somebody grossly unqualified who has no interest in the thing they’re ostensibly supposed to be functioning as a minister for – is so frequent these days that most ministries in Canada should probably be renamed to the opposite of what they’re currently named), well, that also involves letting us get dumber. We just welcomed a Canadian guy back home from space – where he proved very popular! – but if current trends continue we’ll be lucky if we’re able to figure out how to fart in a bag and let the wind carry it upward til we can’t see it anymore.
2 BOYS CLUB Hey, did you guys know that Google thinks you might be looking for “RCMP Sexual Harrassment” before you look for “RCMP Sex Offender Registry”? That is probably not a good sign, and it’s probably because of stories like this. Anyways here’s another (alleged) reason why that may be: a former member of the musical ride says that she was sexually harassed by her male colleagues and discriminated against because she’s a woman – discrimination that involves the dragging of a new recruit through literal horseshit. If true, this is the fucking worst.
3 SCRAPING BY A third of Canadians live paycheque to paycheque, which is a lifestyle I’m sure I know nothing about. Incidentally, what does “RRSP” mean and what does an RRSP do and what is being alive, even.
4 DUFFYGATE ROLLS ON The Senate speaker will be proposing new rules on travel today, which, like, sure, that’s the main problem. That the rules were unclear and that there weren’t enough of them. Not the confluence of wealth, influence, and power that put a man with deep personal wealth in an office where judgement, not liquid assets, ought to be one’s primary trait; it’s not like that ended with the dude inevitably trying to make the problem go away by using money.
5 SOMETHING IS BROKEN HERE Chief Terrance McArthur of the Pheasant Rump Nakota Nation in southeast Saskatchewan pleaded guilty to sexual assault [i]on a teenager[/i] last month and is somehow still in office. Worth noting how few people on the reserve come to his defence.
6 CAPITAL IDEAS The Leader-Post is reporting that the construction of Capital Pointe has been handed off to a third company. Because I like the idea of saving a fun way to kill some time for the last link in a Six post, this is the spot where I link the L-P’s interactive Capital Pointe timeline, because hee hee! Look at baby Capital Pointe on the second slide! My, how they grow up.
After reaching notoriety thanks to his documentary Sharkwater, filmmaker/environmentalist Rob Stewart found his next subject while taking his movie around the world. In China, a student asked him about the point of trying to save the sharks in circumstances aquatic life is in dire jeopardy as well.
His response took the shape of Revolution (now playing at the Roxy in Saskatoon, coming soon to Regina), a documentary in which Stewart goes around the world visiting areas affected by climate change, deforestation and the most pressing threat, Ocean acidification. I talked to Rob recently about his movie. Even though he seems weary of talking about the subject, Stewart is not done trying to get his message to the people.
- While making the film, did you make an effort to separate your job as a filmmaker and your activism?
- There is no real difference to me. I’m making movies because I’m an activist. This is the way I believe I can change the world most profoundly. I’m not in it to make the greatest piece of art.
- Did you know where you were heading to, every step of the way?
- No. There were a lot of surprises. Canada’s involvement was a huge surprise (tar sands, withdrawal from Kyoto), the involvement of children in changing the world… We went from having giant budgets to small ones, so the movie changed quite a bit along the way. We made a US$ 5 million film for a million bucks.
- Revolution is a very optimistic film, but I failed to discover the reasons of this optimism.
- Every successful revolution worked because people knew where they needed to go. Right now, this is the first time we have the tools to tackle this problem: There is a billion people connected through Facebook, there is more technology in your phone than what got us to the moon, we have a million of conservation groups working for the same cause. Instead of fighting against corporations, we should be fighting for a brighter future, a world that works.
- Just as a filmmaker, how do you feel you have changed from Sharkwater to Revolution?
- Sharkwater was like film school for me. I never went to film school or operated a camera. I learned everything on the job. It taught me I could educate people to take better decisions and sent me on a career path.
- You have a number of roles in Revolution (director, writer, producer, editor). Which one would you hand off in a future project?
- I don’t think I’ll produce the next movie. This was too much for me. I would like someone else to focus on the business side while I worry about the creative side.
With music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, and story by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, this musical serves as both a tribute to and parody of the Jazz Age and all the glamour and excess that the decade sandwiched between World War One and the Great Depression entailed.
The Drowsy Chaperone runs on the main stage at Globe Theatre from May 22-June 9. For ticket information call 306-525-6400. You can read more here.
