MONDOmagazine

By Caesar Martini, Leo K. Moncel, Sean Kelly and Shane McNeil

Shane McNeil’s Picks

5. Inglourious Basterds (Dir. Quentin Tarantino)
The Nazi revenge premise seemed doomed from the get-go, thankfully Quentin found some incredible performers to execute his trademark dialogue. Watch out for it to be a best picture sleeper.

4. The Fantastic Mr. Fox (Dir. Wes Anderson)
When Anderson made The Darjeeling Limited, my biggest complaint was that, as much as I love Wes Anderson’s formula of witty dialogue, great soundtracks and intricately done interiors, he had to stop making movies about young men with daddy issues. It turns out all he needed to do was change his medium and I’d be ok with another one. Tremendously enjoyable.

3. A Serious Man (Joel Coen, Ethan Coen)
I almost think they made the first 10 minutes of this film a test to see how many people would wait out the exposition to see the actual film they made. The Coens’ best comedy since Raising Arizona (sorry, Dude).
Read the rest of this entry »

Amazing Spider-Man #616
Fred Van Lente (w), Javier Pulido (a), Marvel Comics

Not as great an issue as the previous, it basically just ties everything up from what happened before. I shouldn’t be shocked, it’s a two parter, but the last issue felt so much more full. There’s a great line where Spidey betrays the trust of a little girl- it’s hilarious, trust me. Spider-Man was in a pretty good mood last issue, but that was before all the sadness and disillusionment that shows up here. Spidey says “Whoop!” when he gets surprised, and as someone who thinks that’s funny, approves. – Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 4 out of 5

Blackest Night: JSA #1
James Robinson (w), Eddy Barrows, Marcos Marz (p), Julio Ferreira, Luciana Del Negro, Ruy Jose (i), DC Comics

For the most part, I’m impressed with Barrows art here, it GENERALLY avoids his crazy wormy lips he’s so fond of drawing. The panels that tell the back story of some of the soon to arrive Black Lanterns (Sandman, Dr. Midnight, and Mr. Terrific) are fantastic- probably drawn by Marz. I have to play continuity cop here: why are Superman of Earth 2 and the Psycho Pirate, two Black Lantern guys, wearing their regular costumes? Maybe I’m missing something. But who cares about that- Powergirl calls that Superman her uncle immediately after calling him her cousin. That hurts me. They’re cousins, F.Y.I. -Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 3 out of 5
Crossover rating: Take it or leave it Read the rest of this entry »

Avatar
Directed by James Cameron
20th Century Fox, 2009

By Sean Kelly

It’s been twelve years since James Cameron last directed a feature film. I suppose that after Titanic made over a billion dollars and won a ton of Oscars, Cameron was free to do what he wanted and he chose to make a series of underwater documentaries (two of which were made for IMAX 3D). Cameron has finally returned to features with Avatar and the first question one has to ask is, “Was it worth the wait?”

When it comes down to it, I would say the answer is yes — though I wouldn’t rush off and say that it’s the best film Cameron has done. I thought that the film was good enough that I would list it as one of  my ten favourite films of the year; however, it would probably be somewhere in the bottom half of the list. Read the rest of this entry »

Amazing Spider-Man #615
Fred Van Lente (w), Javier Pulido (a), Javier Rodriguez (c). Marvel Comics.

This is a great issue — the beginning has a cool little mystery with some super-powered CSI, as well as the perfect voice for both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Two voices which are, of course, pretty important to my enjoying of the book. In fact, the last time I was this satisfied with the dialogue fitting with the characters feels like the Spider-Man vs. Shocker two parter that introduced Jonah Jameson Senior. Spidey’s got a web hang glider made out of the teeny thread like webs — my favourite! If that doesn’t please you, there’s a veritable snowman army, which will conjure pleasant remembrances of Calvin and Hobbes. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 4.5 out of 5

Astonishing X-Men # 33
Warren Ellis (w), Phil Jimenez (p), Andy Lanning (i), Frank D’Amata (c). Marvel Comics.

I would like to take back my critique of last issue. Well, just the part about how the timing of the issue makes it irrelevant. That’s not a valid complaint. I should be reviewing the comic in front of me and how well it’s doing whatever it’s trying to do. So, Mr. Ellis, I’m sorry, that was wrong of me. So, how is this comic? You know, it’s fine. The art is the winning factor in this book. With the exception of one panel where Jimenez and Lanning totally miss the intended expression — like they miss it so bad it’s comical — the art is flawless. I just wish the writing had more to it. A lot of the elements are things that other X-Men books are — or have — done in recent years, so the ideas don’t come off as fresh even if they have that signature Ellis insanity to them. And Cyclops blasting a large object on his lawn? Yeah, I saw that in this same book when it was better and Joss Whedon was writing it. I said that I wanted to review this book based on what it’s trying to do — and I think that’s the problem with this title now. Ellis doesn’t have anything he wants to with the X-Men. It’s just an adventure he could have written in Planetary or Authority or Fantastic Four or whatever else he’s done. All he wants to do is collect the pay cheque. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 2.5 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

Up in the Air
Directed by Jason Reitman
Paramount Pictures, 2009

By Sean Kelly

When your father is Ivan Reitman, the director of Ghostbusters, you’ve been handed quite a challenge to step out from his shadow. However, Jason Reitman seems to have found a niche in making some intriguing character studies. In Thank You for Smoking we were given a sympathetic portrayal of a tobacco lobbyist. In Juno we learned about the unexpected challenges of teen pregnancy. Now, with Up in the Air, we follow a guy who flies around the country and fires people on behalf of companies that are too scared to do it themselves.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is completely at home with life on the road. With his schedule of firing people and making motivational speeches, he barely spends time at his own home, and is well on his way to becoming only the seventh person to reach ten million frequent flyer miles. Ryan even manages to meet a fellow frequent traveller named Alex (Vera Farmiga) with the same view on life and they quickly begin an affair.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Madonna Painter
Written by Michel Marc Bouchard
Translated by Linda Gaboriau
Directed by Eda Holmes
Starring Marc Bendavid, Juan Chioran, Nicola Correia-Damude, Brian Dooley, Miranda Edwards, Shannon Taylor, and Jenny Young
Runs November 19 – December 13 @ Factory Theatre

By Daina Valiulis

The Madonna Painter tells the story of an eager and idealistic young priest (Marc Bendavid) who commissions a fresco to be painted of the Virgin Mary in order to appeal to God to protect the people of his village from the Spanish flu epidemic.

Set in 1918 Lac St. Jean, Québec, the play introduces Mary Louise (Nicola Correira-Damunde), a laundress at an inn who reads the creases in people’s sheets to unlock their secrets; the young and sweet Mary Anne; the sensual and hungry Mary Frances (Miranda Edwards); Mary of the Secrets (Jenny Young), to whom people confess their deepest, darkest deeds before they die; and the Doctor (Brian Dooley), who has an unhealthy love of chopping off people’s body parts. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo of Nathalie Claude by Rolline Laporte.

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents
The English-language premiere of
The Salon Automaton
A Momentum production
Written, directed, and performed by Nathalie Claude
December 1-12 @ Buddies

By Kerry Freek

As she settles into her weekly salon, the Hostess (Nathalie Claude) welcomes her stiff companions — the Dandy Poet, the Cabaret Artist, and the Drinking Patroness. Like Dorian Gray, they are forever young, but the Hostess, in her humanity, is distinctly different.

At first, it’s not clear whether she’s aware of her unique position among the group. But as the show progresses, we realize that it’s a self-imposed farce. Claude’s charmingly mad character paces about the impeccably designed set, stomping on pieces of broken glass champagne flutes, wrestling between maintaining decorum and blowing up at her naïve robots (their inability to compute, ironically, a result of her own programming). Read the rest of this entry »

Amazing Spider-Man # 614
Mark Waid (w), Paul Azaceta (a), Dave Stewart (c). Marvel Comics.

HA! I saw a continuity gaffe on page 19! Now I’ll have something to complain about in Azaceta’s fan-freaking-tastic art. I was getting sick of saying how good it was and how I can’t wait for him to get back on Amazing Spider-Man. But now I’ll have something to complain about — oh, it’s sweet. Take that, Azaceta, you’re not perfect. Just really close to it. Anyway, this was a good start for “The Gauntlet” mega-storyline. But I can’t lie, I’m so jazzed about the return of Sandman and Javier Pulido to Amazing Spider-Man that some of my excitement might be rubbing off in this review. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 4 out of 5
Owen’s rating: 4 out of 5

Booster Gold #27
Dan Jurgens (w), Mike Norton, Norm Rapmund, Dan Jurgens (a), Hi-Fi (c). DC Comics.

Things get pretty cheesy with the inspirational speeches at the end of this comic. And Booster Gold keeps interrupting Rip Hunter when he may have been trying to say something useful. Otherwise, no real complaints. It’s very clean art with some cool Bill and Ted-style time travelling. The best kind of time travelling. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 3 out of 5
Owen’s rating: 3.5 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

Ninja Assassin
Directed by James McTeigue
Warner Bros Pictures, 2009

By Caesar Martini

I was excited to see Ninja Assassin because the title promised me two things: ninjas, and/or assassins. And I’m pro-both of those things, even if the term “ninja assassin” is a bit of a redundancy. I mean, assassinating is pretty much all ninjas do. There are no ninja chefs or ninja pet groomers. Wait, are there ninja chefs? Trained in the mysterious art of culinary murder, the secret ingredient to all his dishes would be… death! And probably shurikens.

Anyway, Ninja Assassin does indeed have a healthy amount of ninjas assassinating people, yet I can’t really recommend this movie. Unless you’re a huge fan of Korean pop music and want to see pop phenomenon Rain cover himself in a thick layer of fake blood and run around shirtless for half an hour; in that case, this is definitely the film for you. Read the rest of this entry »

Dark Avengers Annual #1
Brian Michael Bendis (w), Chris Bachalo (p), Tim Townsend with Jaime Mendoza & Al Vey (i), Marvel Comics

This annual does what I feel annuals do best: it tells a one-off story that builds on the mythology of the main title. In this case that story is about Marvel  Boy, the Dark Avenger who realized that he was in over his head. It’s a compelling story, and one that is a great fit for Bachalo’s artwork, which is an acquired taste. I used to dislike his art quite a bit, but after being exposed to it more often I’ve grown to quite like it. It’s especially well-used here, in this story about Marvel Boy feeling confused about his place in the world. It’s a great one-off that I quite liked. It didn’t blow me away, but I certainly enjoyed it. – Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 4 out of 5

Deadpool Team-Up #898
Mike Benson (w), Carlo Barberi (p), Juan Vlasco (i), Marte Garcia (c). Marvel Comics.

Talk about obscure. Who the heck are The Zapata Brothers? I’m starting to get this feeling that all these Deadpool team-ups will be a lot of re-surfacing of lesser known characters of Marvel world. I personally don’t have anything against it, but I just hope the gimmick doesn’t run out too quickly. In this issue Deadpool teams up with the brothers to take out Mexican mob boss Pablo Espinosa. I don’t know if the humour was really there for me. Between all the “bros” and weird man-lingo, something was lost. I’m sorry Deadpool, the magic wasn’t there. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

L-R: Mark Gough, Christian Jeffries, Arthur Wright

Soup Can Theatre presents
Love is a Poverty You Can Sell
Featuring MJ Cyr, Jennifer Dash, Mark Gough, Christian Jeffries, Victoria Kucher, Natalie Kulesza, Hayley Preziosi, Jonathan Tan, Arthur Wright, with Ryan Anning and Scott Dermody
November 27-28, 2009 @ Bread & Circus

By Kerry Freek

When I think of the music of Kurt Weill, rarely do shining young faces come to mind. Rather, his influence conjures society’s dark underbelly: murderers, thieves, prostitutes, and other unsavory characters. Certainly not a bunch of wrinkle-free 20-somethings. Perhaps that’s one reason Soup Can Theatre’s inaugural production, a 1920s-style Berlin cabaret, seemed a little green — most performers looked a little too fresh to be singing about life’s hard knocks.

The night’s hosts, played by Ryan Anning and Scott Dermody, at first had trouble with inconsistent German accents and stilted banter, their calls and responses coming a bit too fast and seeming slightly over-rehearsed. As the show continued, however, the two (especially Dermody, who actually looked German) found their groove and worked together to great effect. Between songs, the two grew visibly more comfortable and really hammed up their back-and-forth. The gentlemen’s tiff surrounding Anning’s character’s silver-spooned background was particularly well-timed and enjoyable. Read the rest of this entry »