MONDOmagazine

By Eva Bowering

Ryan North staring into destiny. You are destiny.

Ryan North is the Toronto-based creator of Dinosaur Comics, one of the world’s most popular webcomics. Ryan North also co-writes “Whispered Apologies” and “Happy Dog the Happy Dog,” two other webcomics. As a computer programmer, he has created tools to help other authors of webcomics and is also well-known for his website “Every Topic in the Universe Except Chickens.” The site humourously tried to decrease vandalism on Wikipedia by attempting to focus it all on the article about chickens, because “dudes already know about chickens.” He has been kind enough to answer some of my questions.

MONDO: Who are you?

Ryan North: I am a guy who does an online comic called Dinosaur Comics, which you can read online at qwantz.com and in some papers as well! Mostly online though. It has a visual conceit, and that visual conceit is that the pictures never change. I’ve been adding dialogue to the same six panels over and over for five years now.

MONDO: What made you start Dinosaur Comics, and where did it begin?

RN: It began in Ottawa, when I was doing my undergrad degree. In the last year we got this assignment to “do something interesting with the internet,” and after a month or so my group had done nothing, so I said, “SCREW YOU GUYS,” and put up a comic I’d been working on. I’d actually wanted to do a comic for a while but was severely constrained by the fact that I couldn’t draw. I actually first came up with an idea to do a comic where the STORY never changed but the pictures did, and that would have been a cool project, but it wasn’t the one for me. (Eventually someone did pick up on the idea and put out a book called Exercises in Style exploring that). Anyway, I eventually realized that if I flipped the idea it might work, so I sat down and made eight or so comics to make sure that what I was doing was actually possible. Turns out it was!

MONDO: What inspired you to create an online comic?

RN: Basically I had access to the internet and knew a comic like mine would never find an audience in print. I also found print really constraining in terms of attracting an audience: having to go through an editor just to get the comic in a paper, and then it’s probably just a small school thing with a circulation of 10,000 maximum, compared with putting it online and having an at-least-potential audience of millions. It seemed like a pretty easy choice!

MONDO: What are some of your favorite comics, online or in print?

RN: In print, basically anything First Second has published is fantastic, especially “Robot Dreams.” They are such a good publishing company! Online I really like Kate Beaton’s comics, which are always great, as well as “A Softer World” and “Wonderella.”

GENIUSES, ALL.

MONDO: What are some of your favorite comics by other Canadians?

RN: Wow, I already mentioned A Softer World, which is made by fellow Canadians Emily Horne and Joey Comeau, and Kate Beaton’s Canadian too. I guess I should list some more comics by Americans that I like, which include “Achewood” by Chris Onstad and “Overcompensating” by Jeff Rowland. Quality stuff!

MONDO: Why do you think Dinosaur Comics differs in comparison to many other online comics?

RN: I don’t think it’s that different, actually, at least at the high level: most of us are telling jokes and chuckles in a few panels. It’s visually different since I don’t change the pictures, and I suppose in content I often go off to places that most funny-jokes comics don’t, making jokes about, you know, ethical relativism and solipsism and stuff. But I have my fair share of poo jokes too. If you are looking for poo jokes, the internet will not let you down!

MONDO: You comic is one of the most popular independent comics on the internet. Do you have any advice to those interested in starting their own online comic?

RN: Stick at it, I guess! I’ve been doing my comic for over five years, and it was only two years in where I got any more of an audience beyond, you know, me and my mom. I think if you’ve got a quality strip with regular updates, people will find it sooner or later. As long as you’ve made it free to read (and most online comics are), then all it takes is someone to find your comic, fall in love with it, and start telling their friends. Then: internet fame! It’s like regular fame, except nobody in the real world knows who you are.

Interviewed by Eva Bowering

Frank Yang is the creator of Chromewaves.net, one of the most prominent indie music blogs around. Frank began the blog in 2002, an experiment that soon developed into a second full-time job. He covers just about every major music event in Toronto, and brings a wide variety of music news and reviews to readers every day. Frank took the time to answer a few questions about his visit to Austin for SXSW, as well as some of his favourite venues and artists that have graced Toronto’s landscape.

MONDO: Who are some of your favourite artists, in a nutshell?

Frank Yang: If we were to go “all-time,” I’d have to say R.E.M., Wilco, Belly, Ride, Luna… Of more recent acts: The National, Okkervil River, Shearwater, The Radio Dept. But I like so much stuff it’s impossible to narrow down.

MONDO: Who are some of your favourite artists to see live?

FY: Okkervil River are a better and better live act every time I see them. Wilco always put on an amazing show. Patrick Wolf is tremendously entertaining and so are The Hold Steady, but in completely different ways.

MONDO: I know you recently went to South By Southwest in Austin. How did that go, and what were some of the highlights?

FY: It went really well. Despite the artist lineup being somewhat weaker than the previous three years I’ve gone, I had the best time of all of them. Can’t rightly explain why. Highlights were seeing R.E.M. from ten feet away, Trespassers William, Frightened Rabbit, and Peelander-Z. And the Mexican food.

MONDO: Do you feel the Toronto music scenes pales in comparison with other cities, such as Austin?

FY: I don’t know that you can say it pales. SXSW is an event that’s one-of-a-kind and could probably only happen in Austin, if for no other reason than every building in the downtown is a bar/venue. But if you put that aside (and avoid comparing it to the much smaller CMW and NXNE), Toronto has an incredibly healthy scene that I feel very fortunate to be part of. Mostly all touring acts, large and small, come through here; the local scene is turning out some incredible stuff; and the clubs and bookers here, relative to other cities, do a terrific job of keeping things affordable and accessible. Toronto’s a great place to be.

MONDO: What are some of your favorite music events in Toronto?

FY: Just the regular influx of touring bands keeps me super busy. I’m really happy that we’ve got an international-scale festival like V Fest happening now, just because, even though it’s no Coachella or Lollapalooza, the festival vibe and experience is always a lot of fun. But I’d have to say that my favourite thing is that I get to see so much great stuff year-round and close to home.

MONDO: What are your favourite and least favourite venues here?

FY: The Horseshoe is like a home away from home for me; it’s not unusual that I’m there three nights in a row, though I’m trying to scale back on that. Mod Club usually has great lighting and sound. Once you get into venues larger than the Phoenix things start to go downhill, though. Places like The Kool Haus and Sound Academy are just depressing places to see shows — lousy sound and sight lines. It’s still possible to have good shows there, but it’s so much more of a challenge. The exception is Massey Hall — a brilliant venue and worth the premium price that tickets run.

MONDO: What are you looking forward to seeing most this summer: Radiohead, R.E.M., or the Virgin Mobile fest?

FY: Well, I didn’t get Radiohead tickets so at best I’ll cover it as a photog and get to see three songs… So that’ll be at the bottom of the list. The R.E.M. bill has two of my favourite bands, past and present, so that’s pretty exciting, though I’ve seen both bands very recently. Virgin Fest is definitely the most anticipated of the three — not so much for the lineup, though it’s pretty solid, but just for the vibe (as I alluded to before). And it’s the best concert photography experience of the year, for sure.

MONDO: You take plenty of photos at each of the shows you attend. Who was the most interesting to photograph?

FY: Most interesting? Peelander-Z at SXSW has definitely taken that title and you only need to see my shots from that show to understand why. Of less insane performers, Nicole Atkins & The Sea always give a good photo, as do Drive-By Truckers and Patrick Wolf. And I would love the chance to shoot The Yeah Yeah Yeahs again.

MONDO: Why do think music blogging has prominence on the internet? How does it differ from your run-of-the-mill music publications? What do you think are some assets to having a interesting music blog?

FY: Blogging has prominence because it’s new, novel, immediate, and cheap. It differs from traditional media in that it’s very grassroots-y, but it also suffers from terrible signal-to-noise — so many blogs, shouting about so many “next greatest thing in the world,” often sends me running for my old Guided By Voices CDs. And there’s not necessarily any of the journalistic credibility or ethics you could take for granted with much print, to say nothing of quality. You don’t need to be any kind of writer to have a blog, you just need opposable thumbs. The best thing I’ve found about having a blog is getting to know your audience — most of mine have better and broader musical tastes than I do — as well as discovering new music and being able to share that with like-minded individuals.

Persepolis

Directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi
Sony Pictures Classics, 2007

By Eva Bowering

The autobiographical Persepolis is based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel of the same name, and explores the author’s growing up during the Iranian revolution and the changes in her family life as Islamic fundamentalists take power.

Content-wise, Persepolis is very dark, but it never comes across as overly brooding or depressing. It tells a story of the horror and effects of living in a war-torn environment, how to manage in a place where thoughts, beliefs, changes, and personal choices are savagely oppressed. Persepolis could very well be considered a film with a solely feminist perspective, yet is does not focus only on women, but the society as a whole — with Marjane at the core of it all, growing up from the start, alongside her politically active family.

The film focuses wholeheartedly on Marjane’s independence, and rebellion, which inevitably ends up taking her to Austria, where she is exposed to a very different culture and lifestyle. This doesn’t necessarily prove useful to her, as she struggles with painful relationships, living away from her family, taking care of herself, as well as being immersed in a culture with an unfamiliar world view. After suffering a crisis, Marjane is forced to head back home to Iran, no questions asked. She then becomes depressed with the realization that the Islamic Iranian government has become even more oppressive during her time in Europe. She finally manages to pick herself up and study fine arts at the local university — though that certainly doesn’t stop her protests towards the political situation, and her family’s fear forces her to emigrate to Paris, leaving them for the second and perhaps final time. That Marjane is torn between two separate cultures is what fascinates me the most about this story. After her initial departure, she has a difficult time adjusting to both Vienna and Iran. It’s almost a power struggle between her and what type of life she must decide to live.

Despite the hardships portrayed, Persepolis adds a good portion of humor, and you certainly grow to love Marjane and her stubbornness. A great deal of humor is due to the role that Marjane’s Grandmother plays in her life, which is that of a powerful, liberated woman, who tells it like it is, even while she has been living in a country that can’t satisfy her true beliefs and values. This woman greatly influences Marjane, and the decisions that she makes in her life. Her Grandmother is the type of woman who doesn’t back down, and can hold you up and support you through every choice you make; she is like the person in your life whom you will remember forever for guiding you in the right direction. It’s the type of story that needed to be told, and has never been told. This is certainly not your usual coming-of-age story, and Persepolis depicts it beautifully in animation and honest storytelling.

In like a lion and out like a lamb

By Eva Bowering

The name “March” comes from ancient Rome’s God of War. It’s Women’s History Month; its flower is a daffodil; its birthstone is aquamarine. (I was also born in it, 23 years ago.) March, supposedly the start of spring, is known for its unpredictable ways, and we have certainly seen more of that than ever this year. Coming to the end of it, without seeing any spring-like weather at all, we have no choice but to remain stuck inside, with nothing better to do than listen to records. Could be worse, I suppose.

Neon Neon
Stainless Style
Lex Records

Neon Neon is the collaboration between Gruff Rhys (from the Super Furry Animals) and hip hop producer Boom Bip (aka Bryan Hollon). They first collaborated in 2005 on a Boom Bip project and then began recording their debut in 2006, though it wasn’t released until this year. The album was originally meant to revolve around the life of car maker John DeLorean. Somehow, it pulls it off, even with the hip hop orientation. It specifically reminisces early 80s new wave: it definitely reminds me of The Cars’ debut or Candy-O. Even a modern day Flock Of Seagulls, without the horrible hair cuts. Stainless Style follows suit with obligatory use of chrome and car porn on the cover. It replicates the sound so startlingly well, I bet most people could confuse this as a record from that era. Songs such as “Steel Your Girl,” “I Told Her On Alderran,” “Dream Girls,” and “Raquel” seem like experiments in mixing nostalgia and modernism. I adore the combination of Gruff Rhys’ experimental pop and the sharp-worded hip hop of Boom Bip. It’s obvious where the two styles separate, but overall they meld so incredibly well together. Stainless Style most definitely focuses on the superficiality of the ’80s, but as well as that highlights the shallowness of the era we’re living in now.

Hercules & Love Affair
self-titled
DFA/EMI

Andrew Butler began DJing at leather bars in his teens. Upon moving to New York, he immersed himself in club culture, the style of which is evident on his debut as Hercules and Love Affair. The album features great vocals by Antony Hegarty (of Antony and the Johnsons) as well as Kim Ann Foxman and CocoRosie’s Nomi. This album takes the cake as best dance album thus far. It is highly disco-fueled; despite a couple more serious tracks, it is pure dance. The opener “Hercules Theme” will no doubt be spun overtime. My favorite is the first released single, “Blind,” which primarily focuses on Antony’s wavering vocals. It is funky and implausibly glamourous. No doubt something you could picture emitting from the ’70s. Like Neon Neon, Hercules and Love Affair have the amazing ability to mimic and recalculate an era most of us didn’t have the opportunity to live through (for better or worse). They’ve mastered the ability to transform these sounds and refashion the music of that time to now. This time we have the opportunity to love the sound as something fresh, not dusty.

Dodos
Visiter
French Kiss

Dodos formed originally in 2006 as Dodobird by Meric Long, a multi-instrumentalist based out of San Francisco. Soon after, a west coast artist named Logan Kroeber arrived, and they stuck together as Dodos. Whereas the original solo artists provided dance pop, Dodos offers an array of something else entirely: a blend of folk, rock, and noise. The easy comparisons include the Animal Collective — though I’m not an Animal Collective fan, which gets me some harsh reactions. But no more, because after trying wholeheartedly to like Animal Collective, I was rewarded with stumbling across the shining light that is Dodos.

Instead of being over-the-top, they never seem to try too hard. The focus is obviously on the drumming and instrumental guitar work of the two. Synths, horns, and other ghostly vocals take place throughout the record. Some may consider them too toned down, and perhaps somewhere they’re holding back, but I personally find perfection in their style. They manage to find a balance in their work: the ability to climax at certain points in their music, instead of so often that it becomes overbearing.

Destroyer
Trouble In Dreams
Merge

Lastly, I’ve come to my least favourite release of the month, that being Dan Bejar’s prolific endurance as Destroyer. Still reflecting his previous work, Destroyer’s Rubies, Bejar continues in full force to entertain with his intense vocal talents. I do love Dan’s voice; there is absolutely nothing like it. I was very much amused with Destroyer’s Rubies, as well as his work with Spencer Krug as Swan Lake. There is also a huge portion of myself that wants to love Destroyer, due to his mammoth amount of creativity and authenticity. And this really isn’t a bad album, but in my opinion, it is mediocre.

It’s the same route he always takes, only with even more nonsensical lyrics than before. The main problem is the fact that he always takes it a step too far, making it too unbelievable. There is some part of you that can’t help but laugh a bit at Dan Bejar going overboard. He overacts, to the point of ultimate obscurity. He ends up coming across as a goofy Bob Dylan. I just have this feeling that he could offer so much, music-wise, but he never truly gets his point across. If he stayed on track we would see sheer brilliance. There are touches of that everywhere in his music, but only for limited periods of time. There are points where you think to yourself, “This is astonishing.” But then he turns off that path and takes it down a dirty alleyway. He is definitely unpredictable. There’s no doubt in my mind that he could very well show us all up, but here we are, still waiting.

Metric
at the Sound Academy
Feb 7^th, 2008

By Eva Bowering
Photography by Carrie Musgrave
www.livebabylive.com

The last time that I had the opportunity to see Metric play was last summer at the Virgin Mobile Festival. Despite having to pick and choose between bands and fight my way to different stages, Metric was one of the highlights, and a band I was happy I hadn’t overlooked. They were able to build a presence at the festival that proved why they are one of the most popular Canadian acts.

So, when I had the opportunity to see them again at The Sound Academy (formerly The Docks), I took the chance. Although I had never been to The Sound Academy before, I had heard plenty of poor feedback about it. Despite the location’s bad reviews, I kept an open mind. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised. The set up was grand, and not so different from other Toronto clubs I had experienced. There was plenty of room, and access to all areas of the concert hall, even after the doors were opened.

Before anyone took the stage, we were pummeled with host Edge 102’s advertising campaign, which — next to the opening act — was my only true annoyance with the show. The overwhelming amount of advertising for other events being promoted by the station took a great deal of focus off the concert itself — plus, The Edge was an annoying host to boot. No wonder I haven’t listened to it since high school.

Flash Lightnin’ was the opening act. Yes, without a G. And no, I hadn’t heard of them either. Their abrasive and over-blown blues-tinged rock brought one band to mind ZZ Top. Never have I thought I would reference them, but there it is, and not in that weird kitsch kind of way, or even because their bassist has a mean beard. Though the band tried their best to wow an audience quite obviously more interested in the dance-y synth of Metric, their selection as the opening act was a horrible mistake on the part of The Edge. None of us could figure out why their drummer seemed to be sitting in a very large pit, or why every once in a while some mysterious guitar-playing phantom would peek out from backstage. Were we the only ones seeing this?

Finally, then came Metric, who somehow managed to make all of those other issues disappear. They opened with a brand new song, rumored to be titled “Black Sheep”, and continued the show with the wonderful, infectious energy I had noticed the first moment I saw them. Despite the almost constant Blondie comparisons — and the fact that this band’s primary focus is Emily Haines — they managed to do what they do best, and that’s put on a show. Emily Haines always seems to give off an intense amount of energy, which holds her fans and audience in a grasp similar to that of Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It’s that unbridled type of attitude that really doesn’t seem to give a shit about what you think, and that holds nothing back. Metric doesn’t have the characteristically feminine outlook that some female-led bands do, but they certainly do have presence. It is this presence which ultimately earns Metric my respect, and puts Emily Haines on the same pedestal as other great female lead singers.

By Caesar Martini, Jess Skinner, Eva Bowering, Sam Linton

Edited by Jess Skinner

Editor’s note: What follows is my attempt to bring independent and unique writers together under a common subject. Each contributor was asked the general question: what does the future look like for the film medium? What technological and cultural trends are ruling and/or influencing our popular movie entertainment? I would like to extend a thanks to all of you who contributed to this piece! Enjoy.

***

I think that there are typically two main sides of cinema. These two sides go hand in hand when it comes to recruiting different kinds of viewers, but in a sense they are also in conflict with one another, since they are complete opposites. On one side of the cinematic coin, you have the big, loud, action/comedy/romance blockbusters — films that sacrifice a certain degree of substance (e.g. quality acting or directing) for a level of broad-market mass appeal. Concerned with quantity, these are the movies that rake in tonnes of money at the box office and keep the lifeblood of movie-making (ie. money) flowing through Hollywood. These are the movies that keep the industry healthy and successful.

On the other side of the coin are original, thoughtful, artistic films. Films that more often than not feature risky subject matter, unique presentations, incredibly skilled actors and directors, and that defy the conventional formula for raking in wads of cash upon theatrical release. This type of film catches the of audience that is typically disgusted with the more mindless fare of blockbuster films — viewers of these movies are tired of movies with big action and stupid dialouge, and see the latter as a sign of the imminent downfall of humanity. Thankfully, the production of these artistic films renews faith in the value of cinema as a creative medium.

These opposite sides of the coin need each other. As much as the artistic moviegoer hates them, big blockbuster movies keep Hollywood in business. It would be nice if artistic films shovelled in profit by the truckload, but they don’t and they never will; the average person just isn’t compelled to pay money for films like that on the same scale that they are for blockbusters. For example, No Country For Old Men — one of the most critically-acclaimed movies EVER — has only pulled in a worldwide total of 70 million dollars since November, which is a relatively modest sum compared to Spider Man 3’s 890 million.

A studio can have a succession of horribly unprofitable bombs, but one Transformers later, and they’ve made 700 million dollars. The studio can use this revenue to stay in business; and the same studio that pumps out a mindless, testosterone-filled orgy of a film can be the one that produces thoughtful and mind-blowing cinema. Several actors have even admitted that they do big, dumb blockbuster films so that they can make the money they want or need in order to make their own smaller, more thoughtful films.

The point in all this is that this year, both sides of the cinema coin have been moving along quite nicely. The future of cinema is looking fairly bright at the moment on both fronts. More people than ever have been motivated by word of mouth to check out truly amazing films like No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood. The artistic, quality-driven side is flourishing, but it is a monumental time for blockbusters as well. The quantity side of the coin have had money-makers Shrek the 3rd and Transformers. The top eleven box office gross films of 2007 each have made over 200 million dollars and well over 27 billion dollars combined — and that’s not including overseas totals. It’s been a banner year.

As long as both sides of cinema can thrive like this, filmmaking as an industry will continue to prosper.

— Caesar Martini

***

Novelty is always welcome but talking pictures are just a fad.
— Irving Thalberg (1929)

Predictions are bullcrap. In particular, calling the shot before the play in technology and media is liable to make your predictor look like a world-class fool — and in the future, young people will see your fool quote and wonder how, with such incorrect foresight, anyone thought it was a good idea to ask you anything about anything. Sorry, Mr. Thalberg: maybe you were qualified to do whatever it is that you did, but according to the above epigraph, you didn’t know jack. And neither do I, truthfully; being one very aware of the shortcomings of predicting the future, shall I go about it anyway?

The first movie I saw this decade was probably Magnolia — which, in perspective, is as important an element to the outcome of my cinematic brainwashing as any. At the time, I took it very seriously, but only now does it more or less resemble a neo-Biblical farce, with all morals and values skidded off into a thousand differing directions. What Paul Thomas Anderson was trying to say with this movie I have not the foggiest inclination. Much more important is its position as the boot that kicked the door open into the aughts, the decade in which I have existed, and will continue to exist, submerged in an art form.

One of the last movies I saw in 2007 was Anderson’s There Will Be Blood — just as farcical and over-the-top, just as infectious. Its destiny was never to be considered the year’s best picture in the immediate sense, just to provoke attention for its perverse style, and perhaps be seen years later as a turning point. The point is that patterns are emerging. Those who follow this medium of entertainment may be inclined to agree with me (or not), but the emerging new talents must, to stay relevant, have an awareness of their own age and how it can be contrasted with the years past. I focus on Anderson because I believe he has a particular understanding of how modern cinema should appear. Contrast There Will Be Blood and its maker with obvious predecessors like Orson Welles or John Huston; our’s is an age where violence rules and defines, often in very interesting ways. However, I don’t want to spoil the ending.

In terms of technology, what have we seen so far? On February 19th, 2008, HD-DVD manufacturers Toshiba laid down their arms in the battle of the high-definition formats, effectively finalising one of the more amusing technological trials of the 21st century. The amusing angle, to me, is that the standoff was over a piece of equipment that I do not think anyone cared much about, least of all me. When the VCR/Betamax rumble went down back in the ’80s, the market did not have an acceptable videocassette player for public consumption. The battle between technologies was, how do you say, essential in transforming the following 18 years or so of film entertainment. Call me a cynic, but is it indicative of the aughts that this new confrontation was between two superfluous formats? I have understood the necessity of high-definition technology only in regards to massively visual films, your Die Hards, Matrix’s, etc. I understand HD from that perspective, like piling sugar in your coffee, but I doubt Citizen Kane could become a superior viewing experience if Orson Welles’ face was made enormous and unbelievably detailed. I have always said that I would love a video player that actually made the movies better, not just more realistic-looking. At what point does the realism stop? Do I want it to seem as though Bruce Willis is actually shooting motherfuckers in my living room? High-Definition, like IMAX, is one of those things you notice for about five minutes before you are caught up in the material of what you are watching, and size, realism, and so on are forgotten.

My point is that either emphasis is being put in the wrong place, or the emergent new technologies that will actually transform entertainment are hidden below view.
What I believe to be the most important emergence of the new age is pirating, and it is being fought off by the industry with torches and pointy sticks. What the young people of our time see that the generation in charge does not, is this: unless a single governing body takes over the internet (which will not happen for a long time, if at all), pirating is not going to go away. Once one pathway, such as Napster, is closed, another adaptation, like Torrents, is going to open. This will continue ad nauseum, the truth being that the supremely computer- and internet-savvy are not running the RIAA, et al. and thus will always be one step ahead in the bootlegging war.

My supreme prediction is that at the present moment, expensive technological formats are irrelevant, a distraction from the truth. The truth is that more and more people are learning how easy it is to obtain copy-written material for free. Is my echoing of this a support of the idea? Not necessarily, I just believe that no other change in the medium deserves as much attention and analysis — because believe it or not, internet pirating of material is not going to go away. Pirating will, I hope, allow the overwhelming influx of repetitive trash to be weeded out of the multiplex. My favourite victim thus far has got to be Hostel 2, which rode atop a wave of fanboy anticipation and hype only to be squashed by a work-print (pre-final) leak into the torrent community. After millions of viewers got to see how shitty it was without paying a dime, a sixth place box-office opening became fate. The internet got the best of the studio, as it is going to again, and again.

— J. Skinner

***

I hope that in the future of film there will be a focus on independent or unique films. I believe the popularity of these films is growing, as can be seen with the hype that has surrounded films such as Juno. As cliché as it sounds, I would like to see more low-budget films receive the recognition and acclaim that they deserve. As well, I hope that the general public will come to open their eyes to that genre more often, instead of to the typical blockbusters that continue to dominate the industry.

If the fate of film lay in my hands, I would happily eliminate the popularity of so-called comedies like Meet The Spartans, and Epic Movie. Or anything that comes from the writers of Scary Movie 3. I truly believe these are the types of films that tend to cripple the industry, yet they remain popular. I suppose I wish they’d go away, but do I think that they truly will? Most likely not. If anything, there will probably be a billion more of them made to satire comedy after comedy, with pop culture references after pop culture references.

I believe that actors such as Michael Cera and Ryan Gosling will continue to rise in the coming years. These two actors increasingly amaze me in the films they are involved in, and they are among the first names that came to mind when thinking about personalities that will be prevalent in the future of film. What doesn’t hurt is the fact that they are also Canadian. I think the film industry manages to balance art and low art in a way where it’s necessarily on it’s way out. Much like other media surrounding it, film has it’s typical stories and genres that are made and reproduced in every shape and form which appeals to a grand audience. Then you also have those hidden gems, the films that lie just below the radar that people seek out; I don’t believe there will be much change in that for the future. Certain genres that I think will become more prevalent in film are live action, like in Spike Jones’ upcoming adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are, as well as comedies, based on the continued success of Judd Apatow. Remakes of past films will probably also continue, for better or for worse — as will sequels, prequels, and so on and so forth. Though even now, some might say that this trend is wearing thin. We’ll see.

— Eva Bowering

***

I was initially hesitant to give my input into this film discussion. After all, I’m no filmmaker; what business do I have trying to predict trends in this alien medium? Then again, I’ve written my fair share of movie reviews, and lord knows I’ve posted on enough of those God-awful IMDb forums (side note: I will defend Maggie Gyllenhaal to the death against all detractors; she just has the misfortune of having a brother who’s prettier than her, is all) to offer my input on a place where everyone isn’t a complete dick. (By the way, shouts out to the MONDO staff and readership for not being complete dicks!) Bearing that in mind, take what I say with a grain of salt, as I may well be wrong.

There’s no doubt in my mind that cinema is in a state of transition. Time was, you’d turn to the cinema for your epics: your Godfathers, your Star Wars and (depending upon how you want to stretch the term “epic”) your Matrix’s. However, the rise of TVD (or “TV on DVD”, if we must be crass) has changed all of this. The increased availability of show seasons at a time of television has changed the entire mediascape, and now television has come to be the dominant medium for all our truly epic productions. The Sopranos, Dexter, Dr. Who; hell, even The Venture Brothers — everything I’ve truly invested time and money in recently, has been on TVD, and that’s because of the sheer amount of time one can spend in their worlds. There is simply more of a connection forged to the characters, to the story lines, and to the overall sensibility of the shows.

In the face of this increasing serialization and availability of television — and they DO go hand in hand — film simply has trouble keeping up. Where it used to be that television would provide us with the more ephemeral bits of pop culture while film gave us the more “weighty” material that would stick with us after we were finished watching, it almost seems as though these two poles are beginning to reverse themselves. Rest assured, film still has the potential to resonate in the imagination; it’s been at least a month since I saw it, and I’m still talking about There Will Be Blood. But the same thing held true for Deadwood, Battlestar Galactica and even Arrested Development.

The fact is that, in terms of visual media, film no longer holds a monopoly on epic-scale narratives, and it is going to have to explore new territory in order to compete with serialized television. Because of this, my predictions for the future are those of clashing: the clash of adventurous directors and conservative studios, competing to decide on the coming face of film in an epic battle for tomorrow. As the saying goes, may we live in Interesting Times.

— Sam Linton, Lifestyle Editor

More dirty puns than you can shake your stick at.

By Eva Bowering

The art of burlesque and vaudeville in Toronto has expanded beyond what many people would expect. There are at least half a dozen burlesque troupes and individual performers in Toronto alone. Burlesque and vaudeville can be a positive alternative experience for just about anyone; there’s no pinpointing a specified audience – burlesque can be found in many crevices these days. It comes in different shapes and forms, and could even appear at your next corporate function.

I attended a show for the first time in early February at the Bloor Cinema’s Forbidden Broadway: The Naughty Naughty Review. This event was a combination of a variety of troupes and performers from the Toronto area, set to a film noir and vaudeville motif, with the likes of burlesque, music, and comedy.

The Bloor was the perfect venue. Originally built as a vaudeville theatre in 1905, it was first known as The Madison. It was later transformed it into a cinema in the 1940s, when the popularity of movies came in and the art of burlesque and vaudeville went out. Hosted by Miss Pynky Love and Frankie the Fox, Forbidden Broadway was a cabaret conglomeration of performances from local groups The Harlettes, The Shameless Dames and Skin Tight Outta Sight, as well as independent performers including Miss Mitzy Cream and Tanya Cheex, plus psychobilly throwback music by Big Rude Jake with Blue Mercury Coupe.

As a newcomer to the burlesque scene, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We were greeted by classic cigarette girls handing out free lube, condoms, and candy, and the turnout seemed massive – we were packed into the small hallway waiting to take out seats before the show even started.

What surprised me was that the audience was a mixture of young and old, from about 19 to 70. Sitting right in front of me was an elderly woman, who was just as entertained by the whole ordeal as I was. Despite the blatant imagery, burlesque manages to appeal to a vast audience: the shows aren’t targeted towards the likes of men alone.

My favourite performances of the night had to be The Harlettes and their amazing choreography and naughty nuances. I’ll definitely see them again; the nostalgic aura alone was worth the $20 at the door. Also not soon forgotten: the feathered fans of Miss Mitzy Cream, the shock factor of the Blue Angel.

I’ve never seen so many pasties in my life, but it was one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable nights I had been to in a long time.

Atonement
Directed by Joe Wright
Focus Features, 2008

By Eva Bowering

The film version of Atonement seems ideal for Oscar. The drama boils, it’s explicitly tragic, and on top of all that intensely romantic. It seems like your perfect Oscar staple. The cinematography is well done, and the sweeping beach sequence is quite visually stunning. Vanessa Redgrave (brief though her stint may be) manages to fully engage attention. Yet I didn’t come out of Atonement enjoying much of it at all. Directed by Pride & Prejudice’s Joe Wright, and based on the book of the same name by Ian McEwan, Atonement will probably reach a large audience, yet to me it fell short.

I’ve pondered as to why exactly I came out feeling like I could go home and easily forget this film in the next few months. It’s not as if this is one of the worst films I’ve seen, because it wholeheartedly tries its best to thrill, tantalize, and shock the audience. But I think that’s the problem. The situation is highly blown out of proportion, and thus tries to force itself onto you. I came out of the theater feeling like I had watched a two-hour-and-thirty-three-minute version of Coronation Street.

Set in the era of WWII in England, Atonement is essentially the not-as-complicated-as-it-wants-you-to-think story about the doomed relationship between Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) and Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and her younger sister Briony, who is played by three separate actresses throughout the film (Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, and lastly Vanessa Redgrave). Briony is depicted throughout three stages of her life, from the ages of 13 to 77. The story primarily focuses on Briony, due to the horrible, decisive action she makes at the age of 13 to ruin the lives of her sister Cecilia and her childhood crush Robbie when she stumbles upon their abrupt love affair. The execution of this plot, however, begged me to wonder how Briony continues to fall into these weird traps between her sister and their trusted groundskeeper. Surely, at the age of 13 you had more simplistic things to do than stalk your elder sister and her boyfriend around a gigantic mansion in so very little time. I say “so very little time” because the majority of the love affair takes place in what you assume to be a day; which seems like a ridiculous amount of time for love, intrigue, and so much more. After all of this, you fast forward to WWII to see how the three main characters are all involved, either fighting it, or nursing war-torn soldiers back to health. And so the intrigue deepens.

The greatest issue I had with regard to this film is the way in which you never really get to know these characters outside of the horrible things that happen to them. You spend the entirety of the film in a haze of guilt and squalor. Yet you have no idea who any of these people really are besides what they do, where they’re going, or what has happened to them. Since I could never truly understand them or really relate to them, I found it hard to get farther than just wishing I could feel sorry for them. They’re very empty characters with a lot of serious problems. You have no chance to get to know Briony, especially with the five-year gap that we never actually see in what must’ve been a very dramatic teenage life. And the gap between ages 18 and 77 is massive — surely this character had to have done something with her life in between that’s worth seeing. Instead we are made to believe that she has just been living in a hole somewhere, stewing in her immense guilt and depression the whole time.

Atonement is a very miserable film, literally and figuratively. Which is perhaps why I had such a difficult time digesting this film. You have characters that come and go, and do this and that in what ends up being a very posed and circumstantial fashion. This leaves these characters ringing very hollow. Thus, Atonement tries very hard but never actually reaches the fulfillment you’re looking for in a film of this sort.

Grizzly Bear
Friend EP
Warp, 2007

By Eva Bowering

Grizzly Bear’s Friend EP is a record I regret not having put on my best-of-2007 list, one of those gems you inevitably start cherishing soon after the new year. Released this past November, the so-called EP boasts 11 tracks by the Boston-based band, most transformed by their “friends,” other popular independents like Band Of Horses and CSS.

The EP manages to capture a side of the band that’s unlike anything else they’ve produced thus far. Instead of using the usual sprawling undertones, Friend captures them under a brand new microscope. It opens with a new version of “Alligator,” a song first introduced on their debut, Horn Of Plenty. This adaptation features Beirut and The Dirty Projectors and is definitely one my favourites, due to the orchestral styling added to it, and the way it weaves in and out from calm to thunderous clamour. We are then led into the Grizzly Bear cover of “He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss),” the infamous single by The Crystals, based on Little Eva’s abusive relationship at the time. This tune (also covered by Courtney Love, who considered it a “nice feminist anthem”) is one of the other highlights on this album, as it completely dissects the original, turning it upside down and inside out. It firmly gets its point across, perhaps even more then The Crystals’ version.

What follows next is a variety of reworked originals, such as “Little Brother” and “Shift,” and more covers. Band Of Horses’ version of “Plans” is a caricature of sorts: they manage to create their very own mould of it. You’d never know this was a Grizzly Bear song originally from hearing this version only. The banjos and upbeat country style transform the otherwise bleak and moody rumble. Both CSS and Atlas Sound (the side project of Deerhoof’s Bradford Cox) take on “Knife,” Grizzly Bear’s most popular track, with unique results: CSS makes it danceable, while Atlas Sound turns it much more psychedelic.

The Friend EP is how cover records should be created. Most musicians rarely make a statement about their source material; they end up covering it as if they’re in some mediocre karaoke bar, only to reprise what we’ve heard a million times. That is exactly where this record differs from all the others: Grizzly Bear, and their associated friends, do it right.

Juno
Directed by Jason Reitman
Fox Searchlight 2007

By Eva Bowering

Juno is a film screaming with quirkiness. It has unbridled, in-your-face comedic timing, and could be considered one of the breakthrough indie comedies of 2007. Many people may even relate it to Little Miss Sunshine (2006) in its attempt at offering its viewer a comedic perspective of family, and the troubles of young-adult life.

Written by Diablo Cody, a Los Angeles-based writer and blogger, and directed by Jason Reitman of Thank You For Smoking fame, Juno stars Canada’s own Ellen Page (Hard Candy) and Michael Cera (Superbad) as high-school friends who end up with an untimely accident on their hands. Page plays Juno, and Cera is Paulie Bleeker, her orange-Tic-Tac-eating, track-and-field-obsessed friend. The film primarily focuses on Juno dealing with the unexpected pregnancy. Bleeker himself manages to live a relatively normal high-school life throughout. Which brings up my only primary concern with the film, that being the fact that Bleeker’s character seems to be completely eliminated from the pregnancy ordeal. Although it is made clear from the get-go that Juno is taking full responsibility for the situation, I found it somewhat hard to believe that Bleeker himself, as well as his family, would really have no cause for concern about the situation. Never does Juno highlight how Bleeker feels about the pregnancy or where exactly he’s coming from until the culmination of the film. Even then, it is not exactly clear. I just found it hard to believe that he would rather concentrate on track and field, Tic-Tacs, and school dances, than on the girl carrying his child.

Juno does decide to put the baby up for adoption, with the support of her accepting parents Mac McGuff (J.K Simmons) and stepmother Bren (Allison Janney), as well as best friend, teacher-loving Leah (Olivia Thirlby). Juno places a penny-saver ad and finds your supposedly ideal suburban couple, played by Arrested Development’s Jason Bateman and Alias‘ Jennifer Garner, who are willing to adopt the child. Unlike many films, Juno is a realistic portrayal of teen pregnancy in the sense that the female protagonist is not alienated, nor is she considered brainless or some sort of obligatory social delinquent. Juno’s character offers no type of judgment. Nor is she served like an ironic afternoon special. Juno is in fact the exact opposite of that. She could actually be considered one of the most intelligent female protagonists seen on film. A, dare I say, alternative role model for teenage girls. The film does not shy away from the subjects of abortion, or teen sex in general. Instead, it deals with them openly, honestly, and sincerely, rather than being preachy or dark. A highlight is a scene in which Juno visits a Planned Parenthood-esque clinic, and has to face not only a conservative classmate protesting out front, but also a snarky clerk who wryly gives Juno uncalled-for sex advice.

The film sort of lives in a topsy-turvy land where anyone can pretty much say whatever they are feeling at the time. It eliminates the whole social awkwardness of high school and manages to display it so that everyone can relate to it. Everyone can probably say that they knew someone like Juno in high school. Or maybe wishes they could have been like Juno in high school. Or maybe they were Juno. The film is wholeheartedly held by Ellen Page’s amazing performance as the witty, extroverted, attention-seeking title character. On top of all that, it proves to have one of the greatest soundtracks of the year. Whether or not any of the hip references will fly over people’s heads, the moral ideas of family and relationships remain crystal clear. Juno is a classic.

More of the music that we liked in the last 365 days

Sal’s Seven Samurai

1. Efterklang — Parades (Leaf)

I always love it when bands exceed expectations. The classic example is Radiohead, who – circa Pablo Honey – were nothing more than a third-rate, Johnny-come-lately group of UK grunge kids with some glam-rock sparkles and an okay single (“Creep”); you’d forgive critics at the time for being underwhelmed, but much history would prove them wrong. Same idea with Efterklang: discovering that the band was still active earlier in the year was a bit of a shock for me. While their earlier albums were a really good marriage of múm’s organic-glitch and, say, Sigur Rós’ orchestral take on post-rock, Efterklang were both late to the party and, um, not Icelandic. Given the muted reception to their output, I’d have assumed they’d disbanded by now. Thank God these five Danes chose to stick it out, because Parades is a stratospheric spike in greatness for Efterklang and the best album I heard all year.

Demanding a fully-immersive listening experience each time, Parades is also one of the biggest albums of the year, and boasts a string quartet, a brass quintet, and three choirs (for a total of thirty guest musicians). It is able to sustain all at once the brass sections and koras of Björk’s Volta, the ecstatic choruses of Akron/Family’s Love Is Simple, and The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse’s approach to indie songcraft. Meanwhile, Parades maintains digital manipulations of traditional folk sounds à la Greg Davis, a commitment to classical instrumentation, and phrasing in the vein of Max Richter. In sum, everything you wanted in an indie album in 2007, and then some, you found in Parades.

2. Phosphorescent — Pride (Dead Oceans)
3. Caribou — Andorra (Merge)
4. Dark Bird — Long Gone (Alien Girl)
5. Deerhunter — Cryptograms/Fluorescent Grey 2LP (Kranky)
6. Tunng — Good Arrows (Thrill Jockey)
7. Fridge — The Sun (Temporary Residence)

Jan Streekstra’s Selections

1. Skeletons & The Kings Of All Cities — Lucas (Ghostly Int’l)

I never expected to have so much trouble picking through genres I had loved and dismissed already: I figured French-touch electro and synth pop were relics of my youth. Although 2007 makes me suspect that I’m getting old and that nostalgia is beginning to cement my tastes, I’m happy that this list represents some unique and fun stuff that happened this year. I picked Lucas because it had a profound and mysterious influence on my concept of melody; there are still so many parts about this sound that don’t make sense to me. I don’t understand why I like the faster-than-fast guitar loops, or the ring-modulated echoes skulking under every chorus, or the saxophones that just won’t shut the fuck up. I don’t understand why such an oppressive barrage of traditionally loud instruments breaks down into something I’m tempted to call pop. I don’t understand why the breathy, rambling singer is fun instead of annoying. I especially don’t understand why other people like it too.

2. Bumps — Self-Titled (Stones Throw)
3. Dag Rosenqvist & Rutger Zuydervelt — Vintermusik (independent)
4. Studio — Yearbook 1 (Information)
5. Erik Friedlander — Block Ice & Propane (Skipstone)
6. Best Fwends — Alphabetically Arranged (Moshi Moshi)
7. Karl Blau — Dance Positive (Marriage)

Eva Bowering’s Top Seven

1. José González — In Our Nature (Mute)

José González surpasses his first album Veneer with In Our Nature, by far his best work yet. Following in the footsteps of his debut, it branches out further than his primarily melancholic past, focusing on Gonzalez’s master guitar work and vocals. Unembellished and bare, In Our Nature is a solid force of a folk record. It’s truly original, and bursting at the seams with introspective earthiness. His work is strong, polished and forceful. Never does González get carried away or try to impress with over-the-top performance antics. After having had the opportunity to see him live this month at the Mod Club, he proved that, for one man, he is quite the presence. The album is comfort and solace at its best. Of this year’s lyrical and instrumental works, In Our Nature is truly one of the most beautiful.

2. Feist — The Reminder (Cherry Tree)
3. Blonde Redhead — 23 (4AD)
4. Sunset Rubdown — Random Spirit Lover (Jagjaguwar)
5. M.I.A — Kala (XL/Interscope)
6. The National — Boxer (Beggars Banquet)
7. Arcade Fire — Neon Bible (Merge)

Allana Mayer’s Picks

1. Bowerbirds — Hymns For A Dark Horse (Burly Time/Revolver)

I know I was shouting to everyone within earshot about Panda Bear being album of the year. But I missed the chance to crow about Ticonderoga’s angry and bitter self-titled album in 2005, so when lead singer Phil Moore resurfaced at the helm of Bowerbirds, well….

Hymns for a Dark Horse is actually phenomenal. Not in a joyous we-are-Panda-Bear- join-us-in-worship way, but in an I’ve-returned-to-nature- and-am-now-one-with-the-animals way. I’m not sure which is better, but I’m putting Bowerbirds first this time, dammit. Okay, the point is, the songs are beautiful and heartbreaking and tender, and Moore’s voice is as expressive and arresting as ever. Despite a few rough patches where the rickety old piano seems a bit out of tune with their sea-shantying vocal rounds, the arrangements and dynamics are clever and moving, and every instrument has the power to rip out a ventricle. I think that’s enough reason, don’t you?

2. Panda Bear — Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
3. Oxbow — The Narcotic Story (Hydra Head)
4. Eluvium — Copia (Temporary Residence)
5. Pterodactyl — Self-Titled (Jagjaguwar)
6. Stars Of The Lid — And Their Refinement Of The Decline (Kranky)
7. Menomena — Friend and Foe (Barsuk)

Various Artists
I’m Not There — The Original Soundtrack
Sony, 2007

By Eva Bowering

The soundtrack to I’m Not There, like the film, is a bit overwhelming to those who aren’t full-fledged Dylanologists. People such as, admittedly, myself, who have never truly thrown themselves into Bob Dylan’s massive collection of work. That said, given the multitude of Dylan-inspired work available, it’s refreshing to find something that offers a entirely different perspective; something much more then your average Greatest Hits compilation. That’s exactly what Todd Haynes (director of I’m Not There) is aiming to provide. Much like the film, the soundtrack offers an eclectic array of personality: artists young and old interpret Dylan’s work. Multitudes of musicians covering Bob Dylan is certainly not a new concept, but it can be said that there’s no other single resource of this caliber available. It is consistent throughout, with not one artist putting Dylan to shame.

Mainly comprised of headliners (such as Sonic Youth, Stephen Malkmus, Yo La Tengo, Chan Marshall of Cat Power, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco), it’s a mixed-bag of styles over two discs. Many of the artists collaborate with a back up band called the Million Dollar Bashers. They’re actually a super-group of musicians consisting of Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth, as well as Wilco’s guitarist Nels Cline, Television’s Tom Verlaine, and long time Dylan bassist Tony Garnier. “Million Dollar Bashers” is also a reference to Dylan and The Band’s The Basement Tapes, first released in 1975.

In fact, a good portion of what inspired the soundtrack and film is The Basement Tapes, including the first standout song, Sonic Youth’s cover of “I’m Not There.” Also from The Basement is one of the most stunning covers on the album, Jim James of My Morning Jacket (backed by Calexico) doing “Goin’ To Acapulco.” It’s featured full-length in the film, as James makes an appearance in one of the most visually startling scenes of the movie. He sings this requiem in painted face and uniform, as a crowd of gatherers stand and stare, a ballad in reference to Dylan’s Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid era. Stephen Malkmus contributes most to the soundtrack with “Ballad Of A Thin Man” and “Can’t Leave Her Behind,” as well as “Maggie’s Farm.” Mason Jennings does several as well, though his cover of “The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Harroll” is probably his best.

This soundtrack is by far the most well-produced of the year, and will probably be found on plenty of people’s best-of lists. There is so much to interpret with regard to how Dylan inspired these interpreters of his work; you could spend hours going over each song. I think it proves just how relevant Dylan has been for years — and will be for years to come. This soundtrack gives you the opportunity to hear him in a completely different context. It’s here and there and everywhere, just like Dylan’s multiplicity, his many personalities and interpretations.