Top : Arts Literature Entertainment

PEIBlogs.com: the definitive Prince Edward Island blogroll since 2004.: Arts Literature Entertainment

Home | Add Site | Change Site | New | Cool | Top Rated | Random | Email Updates | Search

DotServing dotServing, the number 1 choice for Islanders looking for web hosting. Setup your presence today with web design and development plans available. Rates starting at $5 a month. Or take advantage of our affilate program available with payouts as high as $100!! Visit us at www.dotserving.pe.ca.

Links:

Contract All | Expand All

ACT a community theatre - ACT is an amateur association promoting community theatre. This is an open community weblog.
(Added: 8-Nov-2004 Hits: 488 Rating: 0 Votes: 0) Rate It

Anne and Gilbert The Musical - This blog is about the new musical Anne and Gilbert, based on Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island. The musical will be produced at the Harbourfront Jubilee Theatre in Summerside July 12th to September 3rd 2006.
(Added: 23-Apr-2006 Hits: 392 Rating: 10.00 Votes: 3) Rate It

  • Anne & Gilbert, The Musical marks 500th performance
    Anne & Gilbert, The Musical marks 500th performanceThe GuardianThe celebrated musical about Anne of Green Gables in love, Anne & Gilbert, The Musical will mark its 500th public performance tonight.This landmark is unusual for Canadian musicals, one of the few Canadian musicals in recent decades to have received so many performances. The 500 performances have been spread across the country,
  • Hello Gilbert: An Anne and Gilbert Review
    I came across this review of Anne and Gilbert on a blog called The Way I See It by Amanda Campbell and wanted to share it.
  • Free Children's Tickets to the Anne and Gilbert Musical
    This info was listed in the Tourism PEI e-mail newsletter today:The internationally celebrated musical about Anne of Green Gables in love is offering FREE children's tickets to this year's production. Acclaimed by Newsweek as "Such a Hit!" and The Guardian as "Hands down the best!" Anne & Gilbert runs until September 19th. For more information and to book tickets: 1-800-708-6505.Children 12 and
  • Recording Artist Michael Hughes Joins the Anne & Gilbert Cast
    When Anne & Gilbert begins it run this Tuesday, June 23, a new actor and recording artist will be assuming the role of Gilbert Blythe. Michael Hughes will be portraying the role for the first time opposite Rebecca Parent's Anne Shirley, who is the acclaimed Island actress returning for her third season. Photograph courtesy of www.mickehughes.comIn addition to being a gifted actor, Michael
  • Made for Marilla
    Here's a nice article on Martha Irving, the actress playing Marilla Cuthbert for a second year in Anne and Gilbert - The Musical.Made for MarillaMartha Irving uses her early years on P.E.I. to influence her character in the Harbourfront Theatre production of Anne & Gilbert - The MusicalBY SALLY COLEThe GuardianCharlottetown, P.E.I.June 19, Friday, 2009Martha Irving believes her life has many

Avonlea's Journal - This is the community for the show "Road to Avonlea" which started back in 1990 based on the novels by PEI's Lucy Maud Montgomery
(Added: 8-Aug-2005 Hits: 345 Rating: 3.00 Votes: 1) Rate It

Beachwalker Films - Mark Sandiford's blog - Beachwalker Films makes television programs that explore the interaction between people and their cultures. Beachwalker produces documentaries, dramas and interactive multi-media projects for broadcast and educational markets. Mark Sandiford is their president.
(Added: 4-Jan-2007 Hits: 220 Rating: 0 Votes: 0) Rate It

  • Wed., December 31st, Rebooting Beachwalker
    Beachwalker is due for a makeover. I started the company in 2004 to produce documentaries and interactive media projects on topics that fascinated me. The media world has been radically transformed since then. And, while the core purpose of the company hasn't changed much, the way it does it is now almost completely different. 2010 marks a reboot of Beachwalker as it emerges as a documentary production house for the digital media age. Watch this space as the metamorphosis takes place.
  • Wed., December 31st, Qallunaat! wins a Gemini Award
    I am absolutely delighted to say that Qallunaat! Why White People are Funny has won a Special Gemini Award. The Canada Award honours excellence in mainstream television programming which best reflects the racial and cultural diversity of Canada. I will be travelling to Toronto to receive the award on October 20th. Unfortunately, Zebedee Nungak will not be able to join me. He will be over in Scotland shooting another film. Congratulations and a huge thanks to everyone who worked on Qallunaat!
  • Wed., December 31st, First Scientists is back in distribution
    I am delighted to be able to say that First Scientists is now available on DVD through Distribution Access. For two year since the demise of Magic Lantern, First Scientists has been unavailable. Meanwhile, I have been inundated with requests for copies from schools, colleges and libraries around the world. You can order your copy by clicking here or by pasting the following url into your browser: http://www.distributionaccess.com/new/index.cfm
  • Wed., December 31st, Qallunaat! Why White People are Funny and Qallunaank Piusiqsiuriniq on DVD
    The National Film Board has released Qallunaat! Why White People are Funny and Qallunaank Piusiqsiuriniq on a single DVD. I am delighted. The price for Canadian home use is $19.95. Click here to order. Happy viewing!
  • Wed., December 31st, Qallunaat! Wins at Yorkton
    On Saturday, May 26, Qallunaat! Why White People are Funny won a Golden Sheaf award at the Yorkton Short Film Festival in the Best Aboriginal category. Yorkton is the granddaddy of Canadian film festivals, celebrating its 60th year. Qallanaat! is in fine company, joining The Danish Poet, Little Mosque on the Prairie and The Nature of Things on the platform. Qallunaat! is to be released any day now on DVD by the National Film Board. Stay tuned.

Beater Blog (Kier Kenny) - Beater Days in Beaterville. Beateromics in action. I am the bar tender at Brennan’s on Victoria Row around the corner, Kier is my name. Brennan’s is the local hangout of the Beater Boys.
(Added: 1-Aug-2005 Hits: 478 Rating: 8.70 Votes: 10) Rate It

  • Thu., July 3rd, #1 in the world Central Boiler - Outdoor Furnaces - Wood Stoves
    While visiting Rollo Bay in search of fresh strawberries I found Atlantic Canada's largest central boiler dealer. Driftwood Gardens is a family operated pesticide free farm exploring the possibilities of wind generated power and biomass heat generation with the goal...
  • Thu., February 14th, Happy Valentine Day
    U know who U are, love U....
  • Wed., December 12th, (no subject)
    How long have I been gone? . It's Christmas across the entire galaxy, it's a great feeling to be on ones home planet for the holidays. The Doctor and I have been on quite a journey, time zones, solar systems,...
  • Wed., November 7th, Back On Planet Earth
    Did you miss me?...
  • Sun., July 29th, Canadian Tire
    I was walking through the automotive section looking for wiper blades. "Is that you" I looked around and there he was "Hi Doc how you doing?" He laughed "Haven't seen you since the night we met Harry." "Yeah what a...

Bloody Terror - Dave S from Charlottetown reviews horror movies.
(Added: 14-Aug-2008 Hits: 16 Rating: 0 Votes: 0) Rate It

  • MOVIES ON DEMAND
    When select major studios began releasing their back catalogs as Manufactured on Demand DVD-R's, it was as if a new boutique cult DVD company had opened shop and unchained some of the weirdest and wildest films that Hollywood had locked away in its attic. Psychotronic movies that I half-remembered from childhood, had only read about, or that I'd never even heard of were coming at me, produced as they were ordered and only available online.

    Adding to my enthusiasm for MOD titles is the fact that in most cases the picture quality is terrific and each film is shown in its correct aspect ratio. Elaborate menus are eliminated, as are extras, though sometimes a trailer will be included. Typically, the original poster art is reproduced on the jewel case, and that's something I wish more releases would adhere to. The only downsides are that most MOD's carry a hefty price tag, and due to licensing issues, they can be difficult to get outside of the U.S.

    Over the past year I've ordered a number of MOD's, and I've been pleased with each of them. Titles in my collection include: Bad Ronald, Crescendo, Daddy's Gone A-Hunting, Night School, Nightwatch, Obsession, The Pack, and A Quiet Place in the Country; A Reflection of Fear, Hysteria, and Two on a Guillotine are on their way to me as I type. My favourite MOD's, however, are as follows:

    BURN WITCH BURN
    (aka Night of the Eagle; MGM; Dir: Sidney Hayers; Starring: Peter Wyngarde, Janet Blair, Kathleen Byron; 1962)


    Based on the 1943 novel Conjure Wife by Fritz Lieber, Burn Witch Burn is a terrific supernatural thriller in which a university professor discovers that his wife has been practicing witchcraft. Forcing her to discard all her charms and practices, bad luck befalls the couple. As things grow steadily worse, the doubting professor has to put intellect aside in an attempt to put things right.

    DYING ROOM ONLY
    (Warner Archives; Dir: Philip Leacock; Starring: Cloris Leachman, Ross Martin, Ned Beatty, Dana Elcar, Louise Latham, Dabney Coleman; 1973)


    A TV movie that I saw as a kid and have never been able to forget, this tele-thriller involves a disappearance at a dessert gas station diner. No one believes the vanished man's increasingly frantic wife, but we're on her side all the way. Cloris Leachman is terrific in this Richard Matheson-scripted flick based on his short story.

    EYE OF THE DEVIL
    (Warner Archives; Dir: J. Lee Thompson; Starring: Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Donald Pleasence, David Hemmings, Sharon Tate; 1966)


    Though it's a little mannered, Donald Pleasence, David Hemmings and especially Sharon Tate cut through the sophistication to shake things up. Their performances are right in line with the astonishing opening of this film that's as exciting as anything I've seen, due to its very New Wave-influenced construction. Deborah Kerr discovers witchcraft in the family as she follows her husband (David Niven) to his ancestral estate in the French countryside.

    THE GREEN SLIME
    (Warner Archives; Dir: Kinji Fukasaku; Starring: Robert Horton, Richard Jaeckel, Luciana Paluzzi; 1968)


    Goofy 1960's outer space entertainment as astronauts blast into space to destroy an asteroid headed for Earth, only to return to their space station with the titular menace tagging along. It's up to the three sides of a love triangle (Robert Horton, Richard Jaeckel & Luciana Paluzzi) to kick ass against the Green Slime. Fittingly entertaining theme song by Charles Fox.

    THE HYPNOTIC EYE
    (Warner Archives; Dir: George Blair; Starring: Joe Patridge, Marcia Henderson, Merry Anders, Jacques Bergerac, Allison Hayes; 1960)


    Fantastically lurid shocker about a hypnotist (Jacques Bergerac) who entices beautiful women to disfigure themselves. The detective on the case (Joe Patridge) gets frantically involved when his girlfriend (Marcia Henderson) becomes a target of the hypnotist and his assistant (Allison Hayes of The 50-ft Woman). Though it almost comes to a dead stop with a 10-minute audience participation hypnosis scene, The Hypnotic Eye features more than its fair share of memorable set pieces.

    MACABRE
    (Warner Archives; Dir: William Castle; Starring: William Prince, Christine White, Jacqueline Scott, Susan Morrow, Ellen Corby, Jim Backus; 1958)


    An unpopular doctor (William Prince) and his lovestruck nurse (Jacqueline Scott) race against the clock to find the doc's kidnapped daughter in Macabre, William Castle's first stab at horror. To add to the duo's difficulties (and the audience's schadenfreude), the little tyke has been buried in a coffin somewhere. The template that Castle would repeat in all his thrillers is in place here: a couple of good scares, a nifty though hole-riddled plot, and enough entertainment to kill the entire Cirque du Soleil troupe. And that's good enough for me.

    THE MAD ROOM
    (Sony Pictures; Dir: Bernard Girard, Starring: Stella Stevens, Shelley Winters, Severn Darden, Crol Cole, Skip Ward, Beverley Garland; 1969)


    Stella Stevens retrieves her younger brother and sister from a mental institution years after one or both of them murdered their parents. She brings her siblings to live at the remote home where she works for Shelley Winters, and in so doing, opens a jarful of preserved gothic crazy behaviour. An update of Ladies in Retirement, the opening images of The Mad Room stayed firmly entrenched in my brain when I caught it on the late show as a kid - childish drawings of flowers and other objects scrawled in blood on the walls of the just-murdered parents' bedroom. Though you may figure out what's going on, it's always entertaining to watch Stevens and Winters claw at each other, and Beverley Garland shows her stuff as a woman who deals with her cheating husband by drinking.

    THE NIGHT DIGGER
    (aka The Road Builder; Warner Archives; Dir: Alastair Reid; Starring: Patricia Neal, Pamela Brown, Nicolas Clay; 1971)


    A daughter (Patricia Neal) and her blind mother (Pamela Brown) take in a young man (Nicolas Clay) to help them maintain their crumbling estate. Unfortunately, he's the serial killer whose been traveling England on his motorcycle, raping and killing women. Some memorable scenes, dialogue and performances in this Roald Dahl-written thriller. The three leads in particular are terrific; it's fun to watch Neal and Brown crush each other's spirits, and Clay is convincing as a charming psychopath. This was Neal's first film after suffering a stroke, and her husband Dahl cleverly incorporates it into the screenplay. The ending, while a nice variation on a theme, is undone by the way its put together, and by the fact that it's hard to look beyond the 1970's Tam o' Shanter Neal wears during the film's climax.

    For a complete list of MOD's available, visit this Video ETA link. It's updated frequently. For those looking to purchase MOD's outside of the US, Amazon.ca (replace "ca" with your country's suffix) to the end is an obvious choice. Although the company itself (other than the US version) doesn't sell them, sellers who use Amazon's service does. Diabolik DVD is also a good place to order MOD's, as they have no problem shipping outside the US, and they also have a section dedicated to the format.
  • I Had a TV Cartoon Show!

    So back in the early aughts, Copie Zero TV + Media, led by Executive Producers Campbell Webster and Matt Zimbel, brought And Yet I Blame Hollywood to television. "AYIBH" is the movie review cartoon strip that I still write/draw monthly for The Buzz. The concept of the strip and toon is that I, usually accompanied by whomever I'd actually seen the movie with, would comment on the flick while clips from the movie were interspersed with the animation. Its emphasis was/is on the experience of going to a particular movie, all in either five panels (strip) or two minutes (toon).

    Copie Zero found a buyer for AYIBH in a late night TV show called "ZeD", broadcast nationally on CBC, and Campbell found an awesome animation house called Fatkat, owned by Gene Fowler, to animate it.

    The production schedule worked this way: We'd pass potential film titles for review past the ZeD producers, they'd yay or nay, then I'd write the script for each episode. Copie Zero Associate Producer David Malahoff was the script editor, and when each script was good to go, Campbell would take voice actors Rob MacDonald, Matt Rainnie, Rob MacLean and Nancy McLure to Perry Williams' Virtual Studios to direct the recording of dialogue; I kept my distance during this part of the process for fear that I would go prima donna. When that was complete, the script and voice tracks would be sent from Prince Edward Island to the animators, located first in Nova Scotia, then later in New Brunswick. They'd e-mail back a storyboard version of each episode and we'd comment on each, and then they'd produce the final version. Ensuring that everything went smoothly along this chain was Copie Zero Associate Producer Ghislane O'Hanley.

    The show (actually an interstitial or short) ran for a year, and it was a lot of fun to do. Overall, 24 episodes were produced; some were shown at film festivals. After broadcast, each episode was available on ZeD's website for a while, but when Zed was eventually cancelled, the website was taken down.

    Just today, Gene Fowler published a link on his Facebook page to a cover story in Atlantic Business Magazine that charts his progress from Fatkat to his new company, Loogaroo. It's an interesting read and an excellent case study of what can happen in the animation industry. Gene and I traded a few comments back and forth, and then he directed me to a Vimeo page that features 20 And Yet I Blame Hollywood episodes. Glad to find that AYIBH has a web presence again, here's a magic link to them.
  • DEBUNKING A "PSYCHO" MYTH

    I love Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". It's a great horror flick (and a great flick regardless of genre) with a couple of twists that sent audiences around the bend back in 1960. It's been imitated, parodied, remade, paid homage to, deconstructed, reviled and revered.

    A movie this famous can't help but generate its share of stories and myths. One of those myths, however, has never sat right with me. That's the notion that the infamous shower scene never once shows the killer's knife slashing its victim's skin. Untrue, as this still from the movie proves:


    Still, Hitchcock had no trouble making us think we've seen even more than we actually have. Just one of The Master's charms.

  • MAKING OUR WAY THROUGH THE CLASSIC SCI-FI ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOLUMES 1 & 2: "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN"

    The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957, 81 min.)

    Just like most great sci-fi and horror films, The Incredible Shrinking Man has bigger things going on than first meets the eye. In this case, at its core, Shrinking Man is a metaphor about facing death.

    Scott Carey (Grant Williams) passes though a radioactive cloud and soon finds himself getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller? His doctors race to find a cure, and his wife (Randy Stuart) sticks by his side while Carey, frustrated, scared and helpless, becomes a S.O.B. and even flirts with having an affair. Putting his dignity aside, Carey is forced to sell his story to the media in order to generate income.


    (SPOILERS) Eventually his fate is sealed, even if he doesn?t realize it yet, when he becomes trapped in the basement of his home. Believing him dead, his wife exits the house (and the movie), and Carey falls victim to everyday household inhabitants and occurrences that wouldn?t pose a threat to an average sized/healthy individual. He continues to fight against fate, but in the end, he gives himself over to the inevitability of the experience. (END SPOILERS)

    Based on Richard Matheson?s novel The Shrinking Man, the film is notable for a number of reasons, not the least of which is treating its premise and individual scenes as serious stuff, emphasizing their impact on characters rather than presenting them solely as (potentially silly) spectacle. Check out the screen shot below for an example of how ridiculous this film could be if take out of context, or if the filmmakers didn't bother to humanize the characters.


    That?s not to say that the film is lacking suspense or excitement ? in fact, it contains some of the most exciting scenes and effective special effects in all of 1950?s science fiction, but the film takes time in its brisk 81-minute running time to go beyond wonderment to wisely explore the way in which events register with its characters. It also allows its protagonist to become unlikeable at points ? quick to anger, selfish, and cruel to his wife ? a rarity in an Atomic Age leading man, but these are also traits that make Carey more human than your typical square-jawed hero.


    The real trick of Shrinking Man, however, is that it?s able to sell its theme and heady ideas through pure entertainment. No grandstanding speeches here; just a fantastic (in the fantasy sense) scenario and memorable battles with a housecat and a spider that have become giants. It?s something Alfred Hitchcock was adept at ? conveying big ideas via entertainment in such a way that the audience doesn?t know it?s being encouraged to think. Here, director Jack Arnold (back again from the previous two entries in this series of Ultimate Collection posts) does the same.

    The film?s ending also resonates (See it to find out exactly what I mean). It?s a fitting conclusion to a film that ponders big issues, and it leaves the viewer feeling contemplative after the thrills. A classic.
  • HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2011 EVERYBODY!

    Me, circa 1968, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Brackley Drive-In Theatre - Now with RSS!
(Added: 12-Sep-2004 Hits: 538 Rating: 1.00 Votes: 1) Rate It

Carol Little - News and reviews related to PEI author Carol Little.
(Added: 2-Sep-2008 Hits: 17 Rating: 0 Votes: 0) Rate It

  • (no subject)
    Please like my Facebook page! And invite your friends to like it! If I break 300 this weekend, I'll give away swag - you know you like swag.
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carol-Little/76194949882
  • (no subject)
    Check out the review for Hide Your Life Away in the current issue of the Antigonish Review.
  • (no subject)
    To celebrate paying off the printing costs for my books, I'm permanently reducing the prices to $10 for "Hide Your Life Away" (novel) and $15 for "A Study in Love" (poetry / art). This week only, order through me to receive a first edition signed copy of BOTH for only $15 with no shipping fees!
  • Halifax Word on the Street
    You can be a patron of the arts! Help support my IndieGoGo campaign to take part in the Halifax Word on the Street literary festival, and I'll send you a free book or two. :) Every donation helps - this festival is significantly more expensive than others because of the high traffic it receives (15,000 + attendees last year!), which is why your support helps SO much. This is a super opportunity for me to increase my fan base and book sales, which in turn would mean that I would have to work fewer non-writing jobs to earn a living, and you would get to read more of my work! :) Click here to read more and to donate. Thank you!!!
  • Slave Lake Book Auction
    I've donated a signed copy of each of my books as auction items to help rebuild the Slave Lake Library. If you bid and win, you get 2 books and the Slave Lake Library gets 100% of your donation.

    Click HERE for details. Thanks :)

City Cinema Schedule - PEI's repertory theatre. Downtown Charlottetown.
(Added: 12-Sep-2004 Hits: 528 Rating: 5.00 Votes: 1) Rate It

  • Sat., May 19th, Friends With Kids at Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 9:05
    Only 1 days left to see this film.

    Rated: 14 Accompaniment (Sexual Content, Coarse Language)
    Runs: 107 minutes
    Director: Jennifer Westfeldt
    Country: US
    Released: 2011
    Starring: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph, John Hamm

    “Friends With Kids is a delightful romantic comedy crafted by someone who understands the recipe and yet still can make it her own. It’s funny without being ridiculous, sweet without turning sentimental, even though it involves parenthood. Its raunchy sense of humor helps on that score... The film follows what happens when two platonic Manhattan friends, Julie and Jason (the terrific Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation), witness their married pals melting down once they have children. One couple bicker amid a household of chaos. Another couple, who once couldn’t keep their hands off each other, don’t even want to be in the same room... So Julie and Jason make a plan: They’ll have and raise a kid together, with no troublesome romantic issues to get in the way of their friendship... What could possibly go wrong?... A baby is conceived, and everything’s great. Then womanizing Jason finally meets a dancer he’s serious about and Julie starts dating a good-guy contractor, the ‘Holy Grail’ of the elementary school divorced parent set - and suddenly she’s re-evaluating the situation, while he raves about its perfection. What elevates Friends With Kids is how it arrives at its foregone conclusion while still remaining fresh and consistently amusing... Friends With Kids may not be wholly traditional... but in the end it salutes the importance of family and friendship, values that never lose their appeal. Especially when you’re laughing.” - Connie Ogle, The Miami Herald

    Advance Tickets ~ IMDB on Film ~

  • Sat., May 19th, Being Flynn at Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 7:00
    Only 3 days left to see this film.

    Rated: 14 Accompaniment (Sexual Content, Coarse Language, Substance Abuse)
    Runs: 102 minutes
    Director: Paul Weitz
    Country: US
    Released: 2012
    Starring: Robert De Niro, Paul Dano, Olivia Thirlby

    “A young writer, coping with addiction, finally meets the drunk, delusional father he never knew at the homeless shelter where the writer works. That’s the improbable truth at the core of Being Flynn, the uneven but undeniably powerful film from writer and director Paul Weitz. Based on Nick Flynn’s 2004 memoir, Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, Being Flynn is a film that aches with sadness. Paul Dano excels as Nick, the budding writer, poet and playwright who drifts through his twenties until he takes a job at the New York homeless shelter that employs his girlfriend, Denise. Seeing his father, Jonathan, lining up for the shelter is a jolt. Jonathan is a writer too, claiming to be on par with J.D. Salinger and Mark Twain. He talks obsessively of his magnum opus, Memoirs of a Moron, and unearths long-buried memories of Nick’s childhood and his troubled mother, Jody (the ever-superb Julianne Moore). The film is a duel between father and son, with Nick providing narration for each in the hope of understanding his old man. From L.I.E. to Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood, Dano has shown himself to be an actor of subtle brilliance. His quiet intensity is a wrenching contrast to De Niro’s unhinged flamboyance.... Here, you can feel De Niro’s full engagement in a character that echoes his roles in Taxi Driver and Awakenings. It’s a great wreck of a performance that feels bruisingly true.”- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

    Advance Tickets ~ IMDB on Film ~

  • Fri., May 18th, Being Flynn at Friday, May 18, 2012 at 9:10
    Only 4 days left to see this film.

    Rated: 14 Accompaniment (Sexual Content, Coarse Language, Substance Abuse)
    Runs: 102 minutes
    Director: Paul Weitz
    Country: US
    Released: 2012
    Starring: Robert De Niro, Paul Dano, Olivia Thirlby

    “A young writer, coping with addiction, finally meets the drunk, delusional father he never knew at the homeless shelter where the writer works. That’s the improbable truth at the core of Being Flynn, the uneven but undeniably powerful film from writer and director Paul Weitz. Based on Nick Flynn’s 2004 memoir, Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, Being Flynn is a film that aches with sadness. Paul Dano excels as Nick, the budding writer, poet and playwright who drifts through his twenties until he takes a job at the New York homeless shelter that employs his girlfriend, Denise. Seeing his father, Jonathan, lining up for the shelter is a jolt. Jonathan is a writer too, claiming to be on par with J.D. Salinger and Mark Twain. He talks obsessively of his magnum opus, Memoirs of a Moron, and unearths long-buried memories of Nick’s childhood and his troubled mother, Jody (the ever-superb Julianne Moore). The film is a duel between father and son, with Nick providing narration for each in the hope of understanding his old man. From L.I.E. to Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood, Dano has shown himself to be an actor of subtle brilliance. His quiet intensity is a wrenching contrast to De Niro’s unhinged flamboyance.... Here, you can feel De Niro’s full engagement in a character that echoes his roles in Taxi Driver and Awakenings. It’s a great wreck of a performance that feels bruisingly true.”- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

    Advance Tickets ~ IMDB on Film ~

  • Fri., May 18th, Friends With Kids at Friday, May 18, 2012 at 7:00
    Only 2 days left to see this film.

    Rated: 14 Accompaniment (Sexual Content, Coarse Language)
    Runs: 107 minutes
    Director: Jennifer Westfeldt
    Country: US
    Released: 2011
    Starring: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph, John Hamm

    “Friends With Kids is a delightful romantic comedy crafted by someone who understands the recipe and yet still can make it her own. It’s funny without being ridiculous, sweet without turning sentimental, even though it involves parenthood. Its raunchy sense of humor helps on that score... The film follows what happens when two platonic Manhattan friends, Julie and Jason (the terrific Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation), witness their married pals melting down once they have children. One couple bicker amid a household of chaos. Another couple, who once couldn’t keep their hands off each other, don’t even want to be in the same room... So Julie and Jason make a plan: They’ll have and raise a kid together, with no troublesome romantic issues to get in the way of their friendship... What could possibly go wrong?... A baby is conceived, and everything’s great. Then womanizing Jason finally meets a dancer he’s serious about and Julie starts dating a good-guy contractor, the ‘Holy Grail’ of the elementary school divorced parent set - and suddenly she’s re-evaluating the situation, while he raves about its perfection. What elevates Friends With Kids is how it arrives at its foregone conclusion while still remaining fresh and consistently amusing... Friends With Kids may not be wholly traditional... but in the end it salutes the importance of family and friendship, values that never lose their appeal. Especially when you’re laughing.” - Connie Ogle, The Miami Herald

    Advance Tickets ~ IMDB on Film ~

  • Thu., May 17th, Friends With Kids at Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 7:00
    Only 3 days left to see this film.

    Rated: 14 Accompaniment (Sexual Content, Coarse Language)
    Runs: 107 minutes
    Director: Jennifer Westfeldt
    Country: US
    Released: 2011
    Starring: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph, John Hamm

    “Friends With Kids is a delightful romantic comedy crafted by someone who understands the recipe and yet still can make it her own. It’s funny without being ridiculous, sweet without turning sentimental, even though it involves parenthood. Its raunchy sense of humor helps on that score... The film follows what happens when two platonic Manhattan friends, Julie and Jason (the terrific Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation), witness their married pals melting down once they have children. One couple bicker amid a household of chaos. Another couple, who once couldn’t keep their hands off each other, don’t even want to be in the same room... So Julie and Jason make a plan: They’ll have and raise a kid together, with no troublesome romantic issues to get in the way of their friendship... What could possibly go wrong?... A baby is conceived, and everything’s great. Then womanizing Jason finally meets a dancer he’s serious about and Julie starts dating a good-guy contractor, the ‘Holy Grail’ of the elementary school divorced parent set - and suddenly she’s re-evaluating the situation, while he raves about its perfection. What elevates Friends With Kids is how it arrives at its foregone conclusion while still remaining fresh and consistently amusing... Friends With Kids may not be wholly traditional... but in the end it salutes the importance of family and friendship, values that never lose their appeal. Especially when you’re laughing.” - Connie Ogle, The Miami Herald

    Advance Tickets ~ IMDB on Film ~

Confederation Centre - What's on at the Confed. Centre
(Added: 12-Sep-2004 Hits: 493 Rating: 0 Votes: 0) Rate It

Dale Sorensen’s Blog - one trombonist’s thoughts about the world - Hi. I am a professional trombonist in Prince Edward Island Canada. I created this blog to share thoughts or stories about things that are important to me - things like classical music, the environment, my family, and yes, the trombone.
(Added: 17-Jun-2006 Hits: 264 Rating: 0 Votes: 0) Rate It

  • Fri., December 23rd, Dear Grammie (a letter inspired by the Charlottetown Festival Orchestra cuts)
    Dear Grammie, Hope you?re enjoying the Holidays! The celebrations must be incredible where you are. I know it?s only been a week since I last wrote, but a lot has happened since then. I?m sure you?ve been following all the … Continue reading
  • Wed., December 21st, Orchestra cuts to save money: Really? A closer look
    Confederation Centre CEO Jesse Inman has stated that cutting 6 positions from the Charlottetown Festival Orchestra will save ?in excess of $100,000 per season?. This is an exaggeration that is unfortunately being quoted as accurate by the media, so let?s … Continue reading
  • Tue., December 20th, Why the orchestra matters
    In my previous post about the proposed cuts to the Anne of Green Gables orchestra, and also in my radio interview on CBC this morning, there is one thing that I feel I have not been articulating clearly enough. The … Continue reading
  • Mon., December 19th, Charlottetown Festival to reduce orchestra
    Today (the week before Christmas) the Charlottetown Festival announced plans to re-orchestrate Anne of Green Gables-The Musical, a plan which will see the orchestra reduced by six musicians, from 19 to 13. This is devastating news ? news that could … Continue reading
  • Mon., April 4th, International Trombone Week 2011
    Today marks the beginning of International Trombone Week for 2011 (April 3-10), and there are many ways we can all celebrate: perform (or attend) a trombone recital, compose a piece for trombone, make a radio request for some trombone music, … Continue reading

Deryl Gallant's Blog - Deryl Gallant, Bassist and Web Developer from PEI, dispensing his thoughts online.
(Added: 2-Jul-2005 Hits: 542 Rating: 9.00 Votes: 3) Rate It

Don't Feed the Writer-Adventures in Writing for Canadian TV and Film - David Moses is a film and television guy based in Charlottetown. He is often in Vancouver working on the Robson Arms television production. Its blog is at http://robsonarms.typepad.com/
(Added: 21-Jun-2006 Hits: 258 Rating: 0 Votes: 0) Rate It

  • What do writers wear!
    Wow.

    That's the question that drives people to this blog. More than any other single question.
    I suppose it makes sense.

    I'm imagining some creative writing majors in university-- or a lonesome high school kid scratching out poems and wondering-- "Man, I bet Tolstoy didn't walk around the house in his underpants all the time."

    But he did. Or whatever the pre-revolutionary Russian version of a tracksuit was.

    And if he didn't-- I do. I do all my best (which I'll admit may not be good enough) writing while dressed in a very relaxed fashion. And I recommend you do the same... Unless you're Tom Wolfe.

    That's the question I'd like answered-- preferably with a little picture-- what does Mr. Wolfe wear as he sits himself down to work? I'm imagining a lot of neutral-toned cotton and leather slippers.

    Hmmm. Isn't there a special edition of the Paris Review where all this has been shared?
  • Dave's Yes/No Review: Cartem's Donuterie Carrell & Hastings
    Yes. God help me. Yes.
  • Dave's Yes/No TV Review: Downton Abbey Season 1
    Yes.
  • Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: Drive
    Yes.
  • Apologies to Prime Suspect (2011) fans
    I'd like to take this opportunity to say how very sorry I am that the very promising new series, Prime Suspect, was cancelled.

    It's my fault entirely.

    I made the mistake of mentioning to someone that it was the only new series I bothered to program into my PVR.
    As long time readers will know, that is the kiss of death for any new series.

    Again, Mea Culpa.

Haunted PEi - I’m a writer conducting research for a book featuring ghost stories of Prince Edward Island. I’m looking for stories about haunted areas, public buildings and homes.
(Added: 23-Jun-2007 Hits: 145 Rating: 0 Votes: 0) Rate It

  • Mon., November 26th, Ghost tour of Savannah
    Well, this doesn’t qualify as a PEI story but kind of interesting anyway. Last month my husband and I took a trip to Savannah Georgia, purportedly the second-most haunted city in the US (after Salem). The last night we were there I took a carriage ride ghost tour. For a number of reasons, a significant [...]
  • Sat., June 23rd, Meeting spirits
    It’s only fair, I suppose, that if I’m soliciting ghost stories I should start out by telling a bit about my own experiences. I’ve fairly often met spirits of the recently passed, whether they were intentionally coming to me or that I happened to be in their physical path. I didn’t know what was happening [...]
  • Sat., June 23rd, Hello world!
    Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

K-Rock 105.5 Blogs - PEI's new rock station. Blogs from the K-Rock jocks. No RSS feeds.
(Added: 23-Jul-2006 Hits: 277 Rating: 0 Votes: 0) Rate It

Next 15

Search, Recommend

Search the site for something in particular
More search options
Search the Internet with Google

Click to recommend this site to a friend

Weather, Tides, Travel

PEI Gov't IslandCam

Blogstream of selected recently-updated blogs:

News

Listen Live to CBC Charlottetown Radio One    Watch the latest Canada Now PEI newscast

Photo of the day from Eastern Kings

Today's photo from Today in the Life of Eastern Kings:



Photo of the Month

Pages Updated On: 3-Apr-2009 - 19:56:02
Links Engine 2.0 By: Gossamer Threads Inc.