MONDOmagazine

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.

Hush
By Rosa Laborde
Directed by Richard Rose
Starring Conrad Coates, Vivien Endicott-Douglas, Tara Rosling and Graeme Somerville
Runs February 9 – March 21 at Tarragon Theatre

By Jessie Davis

There are languages we speak in the dark — lovers travelling each other’s landscapes, a child caught in a dream that is both blissful and terrifying.  These are languages we could never reproduce willingly, almost as though they’re waiting inside of us to be tapped at the moment when logic shuts down and we let go of our senses.  It’s the moment when instinct and ancient memory take over and guide us through the darkness until we reach safe harbour.  Rosa Laborde’s Hush has come from this place, appearing as a dream to the playwright and presented as such to the eager audience.

The lines are blurred here between dream and waking life, between Harlem (Graeme Somerville), his daughter Lily (Vivien Endicott-Douglas), his lover Talia (Tara Rosling) and his friend and colleague Andre (Conrad Coates).  Together they ponder the existence of God and debate the concept of a hereafter, all against a backdrop of evolving human relationships and the collective terror or bliss that can accompany those changes. Read the rest of this entry »

By Sean Kelly

It is amazing what can happen in a year.

Last year I wrote an article about the past and future of 3D films and whether or not they could escape the stigma of being a gimmick with “in your face” sight gags. Since then, a few 3D films came out that have used the technology more for adding depth to the film, rather than said sight gags. This includes Pixar’s Up, Joe Dante’s The Hole (which I saw at TIFF and has yet to receive its wide release), and, of course, James Cameron’s Avatar.

The success of Avatar resulted in a big revelation for Hollywood — 3D is in. In typical Hollywood fashion, other films started jumping on the bandwagon. Films that were originally going to be 2D, such as the upcoming Clash of the Titans remake, started being delayed in order to be converted into 3D. In addition, there were rumours and announcements stating that pretty much everything from Harry Potter to Jackass were being made in 3D. This is all on top of previously announced 3D films, such as Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Tron: Legacy. Let’s not forget the 3D-compatible TVs and Blu-Ray players that recently debuted at CES.

Read the rest of this entry »

Amazing Spider-Man #621
Dan Slott (w), Michael Lark (p), Stefano Gaudiano (i), Matt Hollingsworth (c). Marvel Comics.

With the advent of “Brand New Day” a funny thing showed up in Spidey comics — stuff happens, and in a continuous timeline. A couple issues dedicated to Freak (however much you may have liked him) and then the next storyline will mention all that had happened, and then Freak will be used in a later story, “New Way’s to Die,” to power up Venom. There’s a reward for being a long time reader in that it all ties together. Unfortunately the creators haven’t been as good at creating this great effect lately — it usually just comes off as a lazy version trying to live up to those previous issues. This issue really succeeds in capturing that feeling of continuity that hasn’t been around as much lately, making reference to the very first “Brand New Day” story arc. Add into that some believable characterization between Spider-Man and the Black Cat (as opposed to some insulting wish fulfillment fantasy when she first returned), and the absolute tragedy of Carlie Cooper growing into a better person while our hero is forever stunted by his foibles because he has to be the hero of a serialized comic book. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 4 out of 5

Avengers vs Atlas #2
Jeff Parker (w), Gabriel Hardman (a), Elizabeth Breitweiser (c). Marvel Comics

This issue falls into the trap that the first issue smartly avoided — the superhero vs superhero fight.  You know that in a few pages the characters are going to realize it was all a misunderstanding and everyone then teams up to fight the real bad guys. Well, this is the fight issue. The original Avengers and the Agents of Atlas fight continuously for 22 pages. It’s a good fight, but by the fourth page you know — more or less — how it’s going to end. That said, Hardman does fantastic work on the interiors. He does some fantastic splashes inside which make me wonder why he doesn’t do the cover. You’ve got a thoroughbred on the interiors but you but a mule like Humberto Ramos on the cover? And you want this book to sell? I don’t get it — Miles Baker

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

Photo of Linnea Wong by Kristy Kennedy.

Toronto Dance Theatre’s Pteros Tactics
Choreographed by Christopher House
As part of Harbourfront Centre’s NextSteps series
February 15-20 @ Fleck Dance Theatre

By Tina Chu

Departing for an essay written by Anne Carson entitled Eros the Bittersweet, Christopher House’s Pteros Tactics is an exploration of the instant of desire.

As explored in Carson’s text and House’s choreography, to desire is to acknowledge a lack of something in oneself, thus it is the belief that to attain one’s object of desire would achieve a state of fulfillment.

Pteros Tactics begins with disjointed personal introductions by the dancers themselves, delivering a handful of lines like reciting snippets of personal ads about likes, best features, nice breasts, and being shy but willing, successfully eliciting more than a few laughs from the audience.

A little surprised by this beginning, and more than a bit thrown off, I couldn’t begin to guess where the performance would lead and when the lights dimmed for the last time, I felt uncertain I had been able to follow Pteros anywhere. Read the rest of this entry »

Obsidian Theatre’s Intimate Apparel
Presented by the Canadian Stage Company
Written by Lynn Nottage
Directed by Philip Akin
Featuring Raven Dauda, Kevin Hanchard and Alex Poch-Goldin
Runs until March 6 @ Bluma Appel Theatre

By Helen Fylactou

Intimate Apparel, a love story set in New York City in 1905, follows Esther (Dora Award winner Raven Dauda), a 35-year-old seamstress living in a boarding house with a bunch of teenagers. Esther has found financial independence sewing wedding-night undergarments for women. Unfortunately, the riches of her work belie the loneliness in her life. Esther begins an exchange of romantic letter writing with George (Kevin Hanchard), a stranger that is working with a deacon from her Church. George is a good-looking Caribbean man working on the Panama Canal. He spends his free time wooing Esther and eventually makes her his wife. Esther illiteracy prevents her from reading or writing letters, but she turns to her friends, who are battling their own demons, for help. George’s letters inspire Esther to jeopardize her freedom and independence at the fantasy that she will live a life of passion and intimacy. Read the rest of this entry »

The Wolfman
Directed by Joe Johnston
Universal Pictures, 2010

By Sean Kelly

The Universal monster movies from the 30s and 40s are classics and with the exception of Stephen Sommer’s The Mummy and Van Helsing, there hasn’t been any real effort before to modernize these films. Of course, there have been many Dracula and Frankenstein movies since then, but I would argue that those were more re-adaptations of the original novels, than reinterpretations of Bela Legosi and Boris Karloff’s performances. As you may know, released in 1941, The Wolf Man was the original werewolf film, starring Lon Chaney Jr. as the title character. Horror films, and especially werewolf films, have changed a lot in 69 years and this version looked to be much more dark and violent than the PG-rated original. Let’s get started, shall we?

Read the rest of this entry »

Peter Donaldson as Ned. Photo by Ed Gass-Donnelly.

And So It Goes
Written and directed by George F. Walker
Featuring Martha Burns, Peter Donaldson, Jerry Franken and Jenny Young
January 30 – February 28 @ Factory Theatre

By Kerry Freek

In Walker’s new play, a dispirited husband and wife (Peter Donaldson and Martha Burns) struggle to deal with their identities, their home, their passions and their marriage, despite unemployment and their mentally ill daughter’s demise. Oh, and they both look to the ghost of Kurt Vonnegut (played by Jerry Franken) for advice.

A rumpled, scarred set with grungy, washed out greys and blacks make physical the psychological effects that Karen’s (Jenny Young) condition have on the family. It is an obvious choice that seems cheesy but serves its purpose. Between the numerous scene changes, musical transitions that sound like post-apocalyptic take on the Seinfeld theme play over a darkened stage. Not particularly helpful, but again, not a major blight on the show, especially since Donaldson and Burns turn out committed performances, and Young is believable as both a mentally unstable and well-adjusted young woman. Read the rest of this entry »

Crazy Heart
Directed by Scott Cooper
Fox Searchlight, 2009

By Jaclyn L. Katz

Gritty country music and phenomenal acting together build the foundation of Crazy Heart. The film has a cleverly written narrative and is beautifully filmed. What really grabs you though, what emotionally tangles the spectator in the story, is the performance given by Crazy Heart’s star, Jeff Bridges, who plays washed-up country crooner Bad Blake. With a perpetually lit cigarette and a whisky in hand, “Bad” is a grating character; Byronic in his self-destructive ways, he leaves the audience rooting for him to succeed. He is a brilliant songwriter and a romantic, kind soul but has a pathetic addiction to alcohol and self-pity.

Maggie Gyllenhal, nominated for best supporting actress at the upcoming Oscar ceremony, gives a relaxed and absolutely graceful performance as Jean Craddock, the saviour of Bad’s spirit.

Read the rest of this entry »

Adventure Comics #7
Tony Bedard (w), Travis Moore (p), Various (i), DC Comics

I really feel for Tony Bedard, he’s one of the unsung heroes at DC. More often than not his job consists of writing fill-in issues or arcs in between the creators who are given some kind of actual push. I could be wrong, but I also imagine that he frequently is given comparatively little time to write these books. In some cases, let’s be honest, the works have felt rushed, inconsequential or or “off”. Here, though, I thought that Bedard wrote a great one-shot that serves as a sort of companion piece to Johns’ all-too-short run on this title. Using the tool of the Black Lantern Superboy Bedard digs into Conner’s history and comes up with some rather neat moments of characterization. Plus the method used to combat the ring is just cool. So bravo, Mr. Bedard! This is one of the better fill-in issues I’ve read recently. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Amazing Spider-Man #620
Dan Slott (w), Macros Martin & Javier Pulido (a), Javier Rodriguez (c). Marvel Comics.

Let’s all take a second to look at how pretty this cover is. Take it. Take the second. Breathe in. Breathe out. It really is that nice, eh? Know what’s even better? That scene even happens in this comic! Isn’t that a novelty! And this issue pays off stuff that Slott set up during his first Brand New Day arc, which is also nifty. And this whole Mysterio-meets-the-mob story has been very interesting. Lots of turns I didn’t expect, with great art all along the way. And next week we Dan Slott with Michael Lark? God bless you, Amazing Spider-Man. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 4.5 out of 5 Read the rest of this entry »

Legion
Director: Scott Stewart
Sony Pictures, 2010

By Caesar Martini

Dear reader: are you like me? Did you see previews of Legion, a movie about God waging angelic warfare on humanity in order to eradicate our species, and think, “Dear heavens, that looks quite terrible.” If you are like me and you had the same snarky thoughts, prepare to have your opinion take a 180 degree turn, and then another 180 degree turn so it stays utterly and completely the same.

The basic story is as follows: God is right pissed with humanity because we’re all a bunch of twats. Fair enough. Instead of sending a flood to tidy things up, he sends his angels to Earth as a sort of biblical pest-control force. Except the angels don’t physically come down and start laying a heavenly beat-down on us, because that would be too expensive and not what the filmmakers decided to do. Instead, the angels possess weak minded humans and use them to attack whoever they can’t control. So in a way, humanity destroys itself.

Read the rest of this entry »