MONDOmagazine

The Hurt Locker. A triumph for film?

By Shane McNeil

The Oscars are a fickle, fickle business. Whichever picture emerges at the end of the night is gauged not only as the preference of the select few voting Academy members (and, somehow, the Three-6 Mafia) but, as the years pass, the picture that best defined an encapsulated the year that was.

It’s not always about picking the best film, as other factors contribute to which film ends up as the last one standing. The social and political mood of the voters comes into play as sometimes does the track record of the filmmakers and where it stands within the canon of their work.

Sometimes it’s a matter of a film that just struck at the right time (American Beauty, Ordinary People), sometimes it’s about giving someone their due (The Departed, Unforgiven) and sometimes, it’s just a film that’s too big to ignore (Titanic, Return of the King).

It’s what makes the Oscars a tricky barometer of cinematic history and what makes Oscar prediction a slippery science. When it goes wrong, the idiocy of an aging group of voters gets heinously exposed (Rocky, Crash) however, when it goes right, you get the lasting films and smart choices that at the very least make a lot of sense in hindsight… like picking The Hurt Locker over Avatar!

With that in mind; I give you the 10 best choices of the last 40 years.

Read the rest of this entry »

Neil Patrick Harris steals the show.

By Sean Kelly

It is no secret that the biggest problem with the Oscars has always been its length. It is by far the longest of the award shows and I remember a time, not so long ago, that the ceremony would end at nearly 1am (or 10pm if you are going by the local time of Oscar’s LA location). The Academy has tried many methods in the past to cut down on the show’s length, one of the most infamous being the year they either had all the nominees on stage or presented awards in the crowd.

This year, the Academy had the added trouble of having to show highlights from ten nominated films. As such, there were some stricter time-saving rules. After being compressed last year into a single performance, the best song performances were axed altogether. In addition, the Academy vowed to be more strict on the 45 second acceptance speech limit – though based on what I saw, the major winners seemed exempt.

After watching this year’s show, I have to say that some of those time-saving choices seemed questionable when one takes into consideration what actually turned up in the program. So let me go through some of the Oscars’ filler segments that may or may not have been a waste of time – dependingly mainly on whether or not you enjoyed them.

Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Communion
Written and directed by Daniel MacIvor
Starring Sarah Dodd, Caroline Gillis and Athena Lamarre
Runs until April 4 @ Tarragon Theatre Mainspace

By Daina Valiulis

Daniel McIvor’s newest work is about a mother and daughter trying to reconnect after years, and the barriers they face, including a drinking problem, a secret that needs to be told, a troubled teenage-hood, a stint in jail, and some fundamentalist religious beliefs — not to mention the balls of fiery anger shooting from both cannons, and a lesbian therapist in the middle of the battleground.

Short and sweet, the piece runs for 85 minutes, which is Read the rest of this entry »

Denise Fujiwara's solo Lost & Found. Photo by John Lauener

DanceWorks presents
Denise Fujiwara and Susie Burpee
Part of Harbourfront’s NextSteps Series
Runs until March 6, 2010 @ Enwave Theatre

By Helen Fylactou

Choreographed and performed by Fujiwara, Lost & Found is the story of the slow progression of a woman losing her mind. Fujiwara exclaims to the audience, “I know I have issues, but who would I be without my issues.” It’s a heart-wrenching performance examining the duality of a woman dealing with mental instability; she’s struggling to find herself while trying not to lose what defines her. Fujiwara appears in multiple outfits and with an empty nest on her head. As the performance continues, Fujiwara begins to shed the layers, enacting different stages of her depression.

Fujiwara expresses so much without much movement — Read the rest of this entry »

Adventure Comics #8
Sterling Gates, James Robinson, Eric Trautmann (w), Travis Moore, Julian Lopez, Pier Gallo (p), Julio Ferreira, Bit, Pier Gallo (i), Pete Pantazis, Blond (c). DC Comics.

Uh, well, this is the first issue of Adventure Comics post Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul, and it starts with a Legion of Superheroes story. This is what I expected so far. What I didn’t expect was that there would be three stories, all mini-prologues to the new Superman crossover.  As much as I like Superman, I get his stuff in trade, so this issue offers me nothing to get excited about. Well, besides having Superboy in the second prologue of course. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 2.5 out of 5

The Amazing Spider-Man #623
Mark Waid, Tom Peyer (w), Paul Azaceta (a), Andres Mossa (c). Marvel Comics.

During the “what’s been going on in the storyline thus far” part of the book there’s an interesting line touting the new Vulture as having real wings. This grates me because it assumes an environment where character doesn’t matter, only the checklist of fantastic powers they may have. The recent Web of Spider-Man story which featured the original Vulture had him create a device to break someone else out of prison only to kill him by dropping him from hundreds of feet in the air. It’s his twisted mind that makes him a villain — this new Vulture has barely said two sentences (to be fair his mouth isn’t really designed for speaking) he just doesn’t leave much of an impression. This whole “Gauntlet” storyline is completely overblown, it doesn’t feel like he’s getting hammered from all sides, which is fine by me, great even — except Spider-Man keeps telling me how much he’s getting hammered by all sides. When Mayor Jameson is accused of a scandal Spider-Man actually thinks “dear lady luck: how many more directions can you keep hammering me from?” Spider-Man is self absorbed, but I can’t believe he’s THAT self absorbed. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 3 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

By Rachel West, Sean Kelly and Shane McNeil

Best Adapted Screenplay
District 9 – Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
An Education – Nick Hornby
In the Loop – Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
Precious – Geoffrey Fletcher
Up in the Air – Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

Rachel: It would be great to see Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell win for District 9. And Nick Hornby delivered a witty and insightful screenplay for An Education. But the award will likely go to Jason Reitman for Up in the Air. Up in the Air was an all-around enjoyable film, a little unremarkable, but still an intelligent script.
Will win: Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Should win: Nick Hornby, An Education

Sean: If Up in the Air wins any Oscars, it will be this one. I also wouldn’t mind if the screenplay for District 9 wins.
Will win: Up in the Air
Should win: District 9

Shane: Up in the Air was the early frontrunner and the AMPAS just seems to love Jason Reitman. This is their chance to do it despite my personal vendetta against the guy and my stance that Nick Hornby’s script was far superior and lasting.
Will win: Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Should Win: Nick Hornby, An Education

Read the rest of this entry »

By Rachel West, Sean Kelly and Shane McNeil

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Penélope Cruz for Nine
Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air
Mo’Nique for Precious

Rachel: Mo’Nique should win and will win this award. She’s picked up pretty much every trophy this awards season, each one well-deserved for her role as the abusive mother in Precious. She’s terrifying on screen, and often hard to watch. Look for her to collect the gold.
Will win: Mo’Nique, Precious
Should win: Mo’Nique, Precious

Sean: This is another Oscar that was essentially pre-picked. I have no immediate plans to see Precious, but based on the clips I’ve seen, Mo’Nique is definitely the most deserving.
Will Win: Mo’Nique, Precious
Should Win: Mo’Nique, Precious

Shane: While I’d love to whine about the Julianne Moore, Melanie Laurent and Diane Kruger snubs, Mo’Nique was clearly the standout performance among the group. It doesn’t hurt that the AMPAS loooooves when comedians go very, very dark.
Will Win: Mo’Nique, Precious
Should Win: Mo’Nique, Precious
Read the rest of this entry »

Isaac’s Book of the Month

Blackest Night #7
Geoff Johns (w), Ivan Reis (p), Oclair Albert, Joe Prado (i), Alex Sinclair (c). DC Comics.

There was a lot I skipped over in my Blackest Night review — but that’s what the Book of the Month is for. I purposely didn’t spoil too much, but I’m going to spoil a lot more here. That was your warning, if you haven’t read it yet and don’t want some premature knowledge, then get rid of your internet a week ago. Seriously, this has been spoiled all over the place all ready. So here is a list of awesome things in this book Read the rest of this entry »

image via harbourfrontcentre.com

confluence
Presented by Peggy Baker Dance Projects
Part of Harbourfront’s Next Steps series
Ran February 24-28 @ Enwave Theatre

By Helen Fylactou

confluence is loosely inspired by scientist Lewis Thomas’s essay “Lives of a Cell” and Sylvia Safdie’s artwork on insects. Divided into three contemporary dance works, confluence results in a complex interconnectivity between isolation, embodiment and performance. An original evening of dance, it features two works choreographed by Peggy Baker herself – a new solo and a trio for three dancers, plus a duet by legendary New York choreographer Doug Varone.

The first work of the evening was the solo piece performed by Baker. Titled earthling, it exposes Baker on a dimly lit stage, crouched on the edge of a sloping platform.  She takes the form of some unidentified creature that is drained of all emotion. Her movements are reptilian-like and as she rocks back and forth, she begins to resemble a beetle stuck on its back. Considering Baker’s age, her athleticism and strength is remarkable. Her infamous extensions did not fail to impress. Baker’s tightly choreographed solo reflects how solitary one person can feel despite the fact that they are part of something much larger.

The world premiere and centrepiece of the evening Read the rest of this entry »

People per Hectare (E.R.A. Architects - image via harbourfrontcentre.com)

Inside the City
Part of Harbourfront’s View Points Series
Moderated by Ian Chodikoff

By Tina Chu

When the snow blew me in to Harbourfront’s Inside the City lecture, Helena Grdadolnik of Public Workshop was already presenting her works and was just beginning to delve into explanations of the reactivist and activist approaches to architecture.

Essentially, the difference between the two is a difference between being a problem-solver and a problem-identifier. In other words, instead of waiting for clients to present their needs, the activist architect is someone who actively seeks improvement by identifying setbacks in design, and then engages community collaborators and financial partners to devise a solution together.

Not a right approaches, it is more simply one Grdadolnik prefers when designing Public Workshop’s installations and interactions to examine the use of public space and to help people to reconsider and repurpose public spaces that are conventionally overlooked and/or negatively perceived.

Operating with the same approach, Michael McClelland and Graeme Stewart of E.R.A. Architects focuses the process on conducting research.

In the instance of Community Centered and Inside the City, McClelland and Stewart are specifically concerned Read the rest of this entry »

The Amazing Spider-Man #622
Fred Van Lente, Greg Weisman (w), Joe Quinones, Luke Ross (a), Rob Schwager (c). Marvel Comics.

I was really happy with the characterization of Black Cat in the previous issue, so naturally they go ahead and mess it up here. I freely admit that this will sound nerdy, but here it is: she sold a vial of Spidey’s radioactive crazy power blood to some vampire fetishists. That’s insane, right? Other than the fact that the premise to kick off the adventure is, you know, insane, the rest of the story is pretty good. They play with a bunch of vampire conventions while poking fun at Twilight fans, and Morbius returning is handled really well. The bad guy dies in a classic “Spider-Man’s fault but not really” scenario, a long time strategy for keeping Spidey’s gloves bloodless — I kind of thought we’d moved beyond that kind of device, but okay, we’re playing things up 70s style. There’s an okay Flash Thompson back up, I just wish they hadn’t narrated the story as “going through the stages of grief backwards” it’s a clumsy and annoying way of telling it. An okay filler issue, but way too expensive. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 3 out of 5

Avengers The Initiative #33
Christos Gage (w), Jorge Molina (p), Vicotr Olazaba (i), Edgar Delagado (c). Marvel Comics.

I’m going to level with you — I haven’t read this series post-Secret Invasion. Besides this issue and the one I reviewed last month, I mean. And in the meantime a lot has happened and I’m pretty lost now. I’m glad stuff happened, but I’m finding it hard to break back in.  Most of the characters I really liked are gone, and the ones I don’t know have taken centre stage. But the issue is well executed so I can’t pan it, but I’m not moved to extol its virtues either. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 2.5 out of 5. Crossover rating: take it or leave it. Read the rest of this entry »

John Mayer with Michael Franti & Spearhead
At Toronto’s Air Canada Centre,
February 14, 2010

By Sara Starkman

This Valentine’s Day, I got to spend the evening with the two men I love the most: my father, and the very talented, very sexy, John Mayer. Enraptured by the buzz of Toronto’s jam-packed Air Canada Centre, the energy was almost tangible.

Opening band Michael Franti & Spearhead had the entire stadium on their feet as Michael Franti, with guitar and a microphone, made his way through the crowd and personally serenaded audience members along the way. This hip-hop meets funk meets reggae band has been together for ten years, and has just recently cracked the Billboard Top 40. Although it has seemingly been a long and arduous journey for this talented group, rest assured that they will be selling out arenas with countless fans of their own in no time.

The energetic performance of Franti & Spearhead left a magical atmosphere in the arena, and as Mayer walked on stage and asked the audience at large to be his valentine, the magic only grew.

Photo credit: Phil Carpenter / Montreal Gazette

Dressed in a white collared shirt, converse sneakers, and a red tartan plaid vest, Mayer resembled a Palm Spring’s resident on his way to shuffleboard. Old and slow, however, are the last two words to describe John Mayer. Accompanied by a group of worthy musicians, Mayer and company played a selection of songs both old and new. The group also decided to have some fun and perform covers of timeless pieces like McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” and “Real Love” by Mary J. Blige. Both songs had every audience member on their feet, in awe of the passion, soul, and flawlessness that came with Mayer’s personal spin of these great songs. His artbitrary outburst of rap improvisation also solidified his quick wit and lyrical aptitude.

Brilliant lyrics and audience rapport aside, Mayer’s musicianship was jaw-dropping. A modern-day Hendrix stood before us on stage, and played with his heart and soul for two and a half hours. He repeatedly paid gracious dues to his talented accompaniment, insisting the sincere honor he felt standing next to each and every musician and vocalist on stage. Needless to say, my date didn’t disappoint, and Valentine’s Day was a huge success.