National Post - The Ampersand

A book and a blog strictly for the twentysomethings

Vanessa Farquharson — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:46:00 GMT

When Toronto writer Brenda Bradstreet dropped her kids off at university, where they'd spend their first years away from home, she figured everything would be fine. Both her son and daughter were independent, educated and self-assured. But then came the phone calls: If a pile of sliced ham was left in the fridge for five days, was it OK to eat? What's the best way to unclog a toilet? How much detergent should you pour into the washing machine? What should and shouldn't be written into a rental agreement? When a flu hits, do you take Aspirin, Tylenol or Advil?

Clearly, no matter how well you raise your kids, they'll always have these basic life issues to sort out once they start living on their own. So Bradstreet had the idea to compile all of her advice into a simple, helpful book called Going Solo (check the site for ongoing updates and tips). Although a lot of these self-help books geared toward college students are already on the market — the most popular being Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen — Bradstreet's somehow seems more practical, and even includes a first-aid component (where she points out that taking antibiotics while on the birth control pill is a bad idea).

An interview with the author is currently featured on Mushy Pony, a new Toronto blog with the same Gen-Y target audience. Written semi-anonymously by a group of twentysomething women who sign off every post as "The Cowgirls," it's devoted to anyone who's graduated from high school but has yet to turn 30, and covers everything from the best vintage shopping on Ossington to where cool kids like Dan Levy and Jaclyn Genovese are hanging out; there's even an in-house "Veterinarian" who answers health questions (usually about acne and where to get free condoms).

Check out the book and the blog — and don't worry, you won't be carded.

Recap: FlashForward, season one, episode seven

Brad Frenette — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:30:00 GMT

Chris Knight recaps last night's episode of FlashForward:

The agents discover that the blue-handed corpses they found in the last episode were part of a death cult (alreadyghosts.com) of people who had no visions of their future. Agents Benford, Noh and Gough infiltrate a meeting, find a kind of extreme S&M club and arrest the local leader.

Meanwhile, Aaron meets a soldier who knew his daughter, Tracy, and who gives him her knife. He thinks this means he will see her (his vision had him giving her the knife) but the soldier reveals he was with her when she died.

MI-6 Agent Fiona Banks arrives from England, causing Agent Gough to recall their meeting from his vision; during it, he received a call telling him that Celia, a woman he had accidentally injured had died, leaving her two sons orphans.

Nicole starts volunteering at the hospital and, thanks to her knowledge of Japanese, helps Dr. Bryce determine and decipher the Asian symbol behind the woman he saw in his vision. It means „belief.‰

Agent Noh comes clean to his fiancée that he had no vision of the future. But at the end of the episode, Agent Gough kills himself by throwing himself from the FBI building‚s roof, both to save Celia and to prove that the visions don‚t have to come true at the most basic level ˆ that of life and death.

In a final scene, Aaron walks into his house and sees his supposedly dead daughter sitting at the kitchen table, very much alive.

Defining scene: Getting into the already-ghosts club involves playing Russian Roulette. Hey, they think they‚re going to die anyway.

Canadian animation studio bringing Berenstein Bears to big screen

Brad Frenette — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:06:00 GMT

The well-loved series of children's books The Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain are coming to the big screen, thanks in part to Canadian animation studio Nelvana.

The company, based in Toronto, is responsible for several kid's shows, many of them involving anthropomorphic bears, including Care Bears and Maurice Sendak's Little Bear.

The authors' son, Mike Berenstain had this to say: “My mother, Jan, and I are more than delighted that three outstanding names in the field of family entertainment, Shawn Levy, Walden Media and Nelvana, have come together to create a Berenstain Bears feature film. We are thrilled that their plans for an innovative and ambitious production will bring our family’s work to a new medium and to new audiences. I know that my father, Stan, who passed away in 2005, would have been tickled pink that his very own bears were going to be ’in the movies!’”

Berenstain Bears will be a co-production with director Shawn Levy (Night At The Museum), and Walden Media.

Canadian animation studio bringing Berenstain Bears to big screen

Brad Frenette — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:06:00 GMT

The well-loved series of children's books The Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain are coming to the big screen, thanks in part to Canadian animation studio Nelvana.

The company, based in Toronto, is responsible for several kids' shows, many of them involving anthropomorphic bears, including Care Bears and Maurice Sendak's Little Bear.

Berenstain Bears will be a co-production with director Shawn Levy (Night At The Museum), and Walden Media.

Recap: Survivor Samoa, episode 8

Michael Bolen — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:10:00 GMT

Mini-review: Merger! Russell starts planting seeds, but his plots wither when Laura wins immunity. Chaos ensues and both idols get flushed. Shambo is an idiot.

Recap: At last week’s tribal council Russell promised that although he might be outplayed and outlasted, nobody would outwit him. This week’s merger certainly proved that Russell is a master strategist, but his failure to account for the immunity challenge led him to a perilous position.

Overall, episode eight was a striking illustration of how outdated sticking with one’s tribe has become. Gone are the days when entering the merge with a numerical advantage resulted in four or five boring episodes watching the lesser tribe dwindle into non-existence. Too many people on Galu see the tactical advantages of voting out strong tribemates now and Foa is only too happy to oblige. Before long, this intermingling will blur tribal lines completely and hopefully lead to a series of surprise votes. What comes next is difficult to predict and that’s exactly what makes Survivor so interesting. Did I mention Shambo is an idiot?

Foa kicked off the episode with a surprising amount of confidence coming out of Tribal Council. Jaison and Russel both plot to take advantage of Galu’s segregation to bring opponents onto their side.

At Galu, the feud between Shambo and Laura continues to neither’s advantage. An argument revolving around the unexplained loss of Laura’s canteen leads Shambo to confront her rival about a perceived “power struggle” and she indicts Laura for sticking with the “902120” clique. In interview, Shambo continues to project the pain of her teenage years onto her present situation, accusing Laura of being like a popular cheerleader in high school. Erik makes his first clever observation thus far, noting that arguing with someone as crazy as Shambo only makes you look crazy too.

Vague tree-mail arrives and Russell, suspecting the merge, brings his idol along. The two tribes meet on the beach and are united. Erik gives McDreamy a creepy hug from behind, manhandling his pecs. The tribes are treated to a feast and everyone seems pleased to be coming together.

The new tribe chooses Galu’s camp and Natalie praises the amenities and sets to strengthening her growing bond with Laura. The tribe chooses a new name, Aiga, which means “extended family” in Samoan. Erik is über-confident, saying that despite the name Foa has no chance of breaking up Galu.

Russell moves quickly to the business of proving Erik wrong. He approaches Laura and reveals his idol, promising that if Laura takes him to the top seven he will hand it over to her. But Laura sees Russell’s desperation, and when he tries to convince her to target a Galu guy she tells him it will have to be a Foa guy or Shambo. Russell, never one to take no for an answer, begins to consider taking Laura out.

Undaunted, Russell tries the same trick on Monica, promising to hand her his idol if she is ever on the chopping block. Monica says yes, but Russell can tell she is lying. Nevertheless, he thinks if he can take out Laura Monica will come around to his side, all he needs is to turn a guy on Galu.

Russell fixes on John and lets him know he has the idol, boasting about how he found it without the clue. He flatters John, telling him he can control Galu and that together they can control everyone. John is receptive, and becomes more so when Russell suggests taking out Laura, the linchpin of the Galu girls, a strategy that had already occurred to farsighted John. Things are falling into place for everyone’s favourite fuzz-ball.

Russell moves on to Shambo, capitalizing on their Southern backgrounds. Shambo is all over taking out Laura.

Finally, Russell takes Foa aside and tells them about his plot. He can barely believe how easy it is to change the game up.

Unfortunately for Russell, the immunity challenge throws his plans into chaos. The game is T-ball, with the survivors batting toward a shuffleboard-style triangle of points. Each survivor gets only one swing, with one man and one woman taking home immunity.

Russell leads the men until the final swing, when John deliberately steps to the plate. He carefully prepares and then hits a five, winning immunity.

Kelly leads the women until Laura’s final swing wins her immunity, destroying Russell’s carefully laid plans. Shambo and Erik both come out of the challenge looking like clowns after big swings that lead to zeros.

Russell scrambles after the challenge, going to Shambo and suggesting Monica. Shambo thinks it’s impossible and says a Foa man will have to go.

Laura reveals Russell’s idol gambit to Erik and they plot to vote Jaison and flush the idol.

Erik brings the plan to John, but the rocket scientist thinks it would be better to take out Monica. Erik sees the advantage of isolating Laura now so he can bring her under his wing later. Erik will regret making things so complicated.

He approaches the rest of the Galu men with the Monica plan, but Dave thinks it safer to follow the predictable path and take out Foa one by one.

Now Erik makes his biggest mistake. He practically orders Jaison, Mick and Natalie to vote Monica, but to keep the plan away from Russell so that he will play his idol.

Jaison isn’t amused by the creeper’s orders and suggests putting four Foa votes on Erik.
Natalie takes things further, telling Laura about Erik’s plan. They bring Kelly in and Natalie promises that taking out Erik won’t pose a risk to Galu’s supremacy.

Word spreads around camp and Erik seems to be the name on everybody’s lips. Russell has lost control of the game and for the first time feels insecure. He’s worried that all this talk about Erik is just to make him feel safe so he won’t play his idol, leading to his elimination.

At Tribal, Erik continues the cockiness. The irony gets thicker and thicker as he targets Jaison’s failure to live up to his resume. Erik is seemingly incapable of keeping quiet, a trait that has already doomed him. Russell says he remains hopeful and promises to strategize with anyone he can to stay in the game. It’s probably not a wise move to reveal desperation and Russell exacerbates the perception when he needlessly plays his idol before the votes are revealed.

Erik is eliminated after voting for Jaison, becoming the first member of the jury. Only Shambo follows his lead. What an idiot! Erik tries to get some props from Brett on the way out but gets punked. Both idols are gone and it’s a brand new game.

Defining scene: Has to be the moment Shambo reveals her vote for Jaison. Her ability to remain oblivious to what is happening around her is awe-inspiring. She’s like the Inspector Gadget of Survivor.

Next week: Dave continues to push to eliminate Foa, starting with Russell. The oil magnate is low on friends, and even Jaison turns on him. Looks like he’s doomed.

Band of the Day: The William Blakes

Brad Frenette — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:45:00 GMT

Band of the Day: The William Blakes

It's clear what the influences are of this Danish band are – '80s synth, David Bowie, Arcade Fire, The Talking Heads, Flaming Lips, and even Michael Jackson – but it's also clear that in the blending of those disparate influences, the band can define itself as creatively independent. With their debut album, Wayne Coyne, the band have taken a wide array of sonic coordinates and rearranged them into a map of their own.
Like the man they take their band name from, Kristian Leth's (an established poet in his own right) lyrics deal with themes of religion and authority, but like the man (and his band) they named their album, the music is experimental and the vocals at times, circus-like.
Like their fellow Danes, Mew, The William Blakes are above all else about keeping the music adventurous.

Recommended Track: Reality, which makes it clear why this band - for good or bad - has earned the "next Aracde Fire" moniker.

Beyonce, Jay-Z , U2: List of winners from last night's MTV Europe Music Awards

Brad Frenette — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:45:00 GMT

Here is a complete list of winners from last night's MTV Europe Music Awards:

Best Video: Beyoncé, 'Single Ladies'
Best Female: Beyoncé
Best Group: Tokio Hotel
Best European Act: maNga
Best Push Artist: Pixie Lott
Best Male: Eminem
Best New Act: Lady Gaga
Best Alternative: Placebo
Best World Stage Performance: Linkin Park
Best Song: Beyoncé 'Halo'
Best Rock: Green Day
Best Urban: Jay-Z
Best Live Act: U2

The Ghost of Christmas Carols Past

Mark Medley — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:10:00 GMT

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens novella about an elderly miser visited on Christmas Eve by three ghosts, was published in December 1843 and, almost immediately, was adapted for the stage. The pace has not slowed: 166 years later, A Christmas Carol is one of most adapted works of literature ever, with radio, theatre, and film versions - it’s even become an opera! You’d think Tiny Tim deserved a break, but the umpteenth version of Dickens’ classic arrives in theatres Friday, one of those newfangled 3D motion capture thingys that Robert (The Polar Express) Zemeckis has been churning out the last few years. Join the Ghost of Christmas Carols Past -- aka Mark Medley -- on a tour of the memorable, and not so memorable, versions of the holiday classic.

• Scrooge; or Marley’s Ghost (1901) - This has the honour of being the first film adaptation. We haven’t seen - don’t pretend you have - so we’ll refrain from making fun.

• The Right to Be Happy (1916) - This is the first full-length movie version of A Christmas Carol. Yet, for some reason, A Christmas Carol wasn’t a good enough name for them.

• A Christmas Carol (1938) - Lionel Barrymore, Drew’s great uncle, played Scrooge on countless radio plays. He does not star in this movie. Sorry to raise your hopes.

• Scrooge (1951) - Quick, who delivered the most iconic performance of Scrooge? Unless you said it was Alastair Sim in Scrooge you’re wrong and terrible.

• Scrooge (1970) - Another movie called Scrooge? You’d think that was Ebenezer’s last name or something. This version was a musical starring Albert Finney and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

• An American Christmas Carol (1979) - This made-for-TV film, starring Henry Winkler as an abomination called Benedict Slade (in all fairness, a pretty evil name), moves the action from Victorian London to Depression-era New England.

• Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol (1979) - Forget Ebenezer Scrooge and the Cratchits, this features Cyrus Flint and the Pritchets. Substitute “bah humbug” for “yee-haw” and you’ve got the picture.

• Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) - Personally, this is my favourite version, featuring Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer, a brilliant bit of casting if I do say so myself.

• A Christmas Carol (1984) - George C. Scott was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in this made-for-TV version.

• Scrooged (1988) - In this cult classic, Bill Murray plays an evil TV exec haunted by three spirits while trying to mount a TV production of Dickens’ book.

• A Christmas Carol (1988) - Mark Medley stars as Scrooge in Mme. Saucier’s Grade 3 class’s musical adaptation of the book. The parents loved it.

• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - How’s this for inspired casting: Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit.

• A Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994) - Yabba dabba do, three ghosts will visit you. Or something like that.

• Ebbie (1995) - Susan Lucci plays Elizabeth Scrooge, a bitter shopping store owner. Let this be a lesson to you: setting A Christmas Carol in modern times rarely works.

• Ebenezer (1997) - A Christmas Carol set in the Old West, starring the curmudgeonly Jack Palance. We wish we were kidding. Canuck Albert Schultz plays Bob “Cratchitt.”

• A Christmas Carol (1999) - Patrick Stewart stars as Captain Scrooge, who’s teleported back in time to fight the Borg. We think.

• A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000) - An evil pop star, played by Vanessa Williams, learns the true meaning of Christmas. Her name? Ugh. Ebony Scrooge.

• Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001) - It takes gall to call your version of A Christmas Carol “The Movie.” And if there was to be an official version, this animated flick featuring the voices of Kate Winslet and Nicolas Cage probably wouldn’t be it.

• A Carol Christmas (2003) - We’re not sure what’s scarier: that Tori Spelling plays a talk show host visited by three ghosts, or that two of the ghosts are played by Gary Coleman and William Shatner.

• A Christmas Carol (2004) - Kelsey Grammer makes his first appearance on our list, playing Scrooge in this made-for-TV musical that also stars 30 Rock’s Jane Krakowski as the Ghost of Christmas Past, and Jason Alexander as Bob Marley.

• An American Carol (2008) - In this “comedy” from Airplane! director David Zucker, a liberal filmmaker tries to abolish the Fourth of July. Lucky for us, the ghosts of George S. Patton and George Washington, plus the Angel of Death, set that cowardly liberal straight. USA! USA!

• Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) - Technically not an adaptation of A Christmas Carol, this rom-com’s about a playboy bachelor visited by ghosts of his girlfriends on the eve of his brother’s wedding.

A new trailer released for Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes

Brad Frenette — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:53:00 GMT

I'm a big fan of Guy Ritchie's and I grew up on Sherlock Holmes, but I wasn't convinced on this new film.

This new trailer, released today, presents a good argument that this will be, if nothing else, fully entertaining:

New Trailer: Paranormal Activity + The Men Who Stare At Goats = Paranormal Goats

Brad Frenette — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:58:00 GMT

In this new trailer for The Men Who Stare At Goats, Overture Films makes a play at the current number one film at the box office - Paranormal Activity.

There's also this one. It's the screen test for "Goat", one of the stars of The Men Who Stare At Goats.

And if you're keen, here's his bio:

Born in Vail, Colorado as the only kid of Bette McNealy, originally from Inverness, Scottland, who worked on a farm to support her young son as a single Doe. Goat worked on the farm for two years before following his passion for the stage by enrolling at Julliard to study Stanislavski's system of acting. In 2007 he joined the Animal Theater Company out of Chicago, IL and wowed audiences with his amazing performance of MURIEL, the white goat, in the stage adaptation of ANIMAL FARM. Goat's big break came in 2008 when he was cast opposite George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, and Kevin Spacey in THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS. His performance in this film has already been hailed by critics, and Goat has since appeared in a variety of roles. He currently resided in Los Angeles, California.

Danny Boyle announces his 'Slumdog' follow-up

Brad Frenette — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:35:00 GMT

Variety reports that director Danny Boyle has confirmed that 127 Hours will be his directorial follow up to the multiple Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire.

The film will tell the account of American mountaineer Aron Ralston, who in May 2003, agter being trapped under a boulder in Utah, amputated his own arm with a pocketknife, then scaled a 65-foot rockface before being rescued by helicopter.

127 Hours will also see the same Slumdog team back together again - with Simon Beaufoy penning the script, Christain Colson producing and Fox Searchlight distributing the film, which will begin shooting next year.

Variety also reports that Canadian Ryan Gosling is rumoured to be up for the role.

In Studio Podcast: Liam Finn and Eliza-Jane Barnes

Brad Frenette — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT

He's the son of Crowded House's Neil Finn, and she the daughter of Aussie rocker Jimmy Barnes. Together, the musical offspring combine to make indie rock that is uniquely theirs.

Liam Finn and E-J Barnes visited the Post on a recent Toronto tour stop and played a couple songs and had a chat about their new EP, Champagne in a Seashell.

Listen/download the latest In Studio podcast here.

For more in this series, visit here, and for more Post podcasts, this is the way to go.

[Photo by Brett Gundlock/National Post]

Risk, the game of world domination, coming to the big screen

Mark Medley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:56:00 GMT

According to Variety, Risk, everyone's favourite game of world domination, is getting the big-screen treatment. Reports indicate that Sony Pictures has acuired the rights to Parker Brothers' classic strategy board game.

"The strategic thinking and the tactical gambles that players must take in the game are what make Risk a classic, thoroughly engaging game," Columbia president Doug Belgrad told Variety. "Those elements translated into an action-packed, thrilling story are what will make this a uniquely exciting movie."

Board games we'd like to see made into movies: Hungry Hungry Hippos; Operation; Don't Wake Daddy; Guess Who?

[Photo by John Lehmann/National Post]

Arts Podcast #006: A big week for Mirvish

Brad Frenette — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:22:00 GMT

With new plays opening and old favourites returning, this has been a big week for Mirvish, the Toronto-based theatre giant.

In our sixth arts podcast, Adam McDowell discusses their upcoming and just announced stagings - from Toronto Fringe Festival plays writ large to the return of Mamma Mia and a popular musical based on the music of The Beatles.

Listen to NP Arts Podcast #006 here.

And click here for more National Post podcast.

Concert Review: The Swell Season, November 3, Massey Hall, Toronto

Brad Frenette — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:30:00 GMT

Concert Review: The Swell Season,
November 3, 2009, Massey Hall, Toronto

The first sing-along The Swell Season show last night in Toronto was a flop. But don’t blame the crowd. No, blame it on the full moon.

You see, the Irish band, fronted by the Oscar-winning duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, has spent the previous night playing in Indiana. After a few songs, Hansard relayed the story of a local woman who approached them after the show, and expressed how she had the intention of only watching the band play live on full moon nights. So, after a few loud bays from the participatory audience, Hansard invited the crowd to howl out the chorus of their next song, “in memory of” that Indianapolis fan.

And, as mentioned, while it sounded like a promising idea in theory, it was not in practice. Hansard later joked that it was “a great mistake”. Granted, it was a challenge – for as they prove on wax, the duo further convinced the masses at Massey Hall that they have vocal chops, and charm, in excess, putting on a devastatingly good show for a near capacity crowd.

Sharing time at stage front, Hansard started the show with Irglova at piano. After a few songs, it was Irglova’s turn to take the guitar and centre stage.

Prefacing her first song of the night with a plea for awareness on behalf of Amnesty International for Canada’s First Nation women who have been “murdered or gone missing” , Irglova dedicated Fantasy Man to the victims. It gave the song an eerie aesthetic, and lyrics like “I never heard the warning” resounded in a new context.

After the song, the entire band save Hansard left the stage. Let's call this part of the evening “the clinic”.

Starting with Leave, a song from their 2007 film Once, Hansard, glowing in a small yellow spotlight, began to work the crowd with his range of vocals and guitarmanship. Following that with Say It To Me Now, a clear crowd favourite, Hansard then continued with a more co-ordinated sing-along effort for the beautiful Back Broke, from their new album, Strict Joy.

Prefacing the song, Hansard called forth an unexpected reference point: “There's a lovely Ravi Shankar song called I Am Dancing at the Feet of My Lord – All Is Bliss, All Is Bliss. It’s a great name for a song, and I wish I’d wrote it. But this is called Back Broke, and it’s a similar devotional.”

A more obvious influence came next as Hansard got on his loop pedals to deliver a wall of sound and vocals in his knockdown cover of Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks, which brought many in the seated theatre to a mid-set standing ovation.

Colm Mac Con Iomaire, violinist for both The Swell Season and Hansard’s other band, The Frames, got a turn in the spotlight, laying down a version of a 300 year old “County Mayo” Irish love song. As he looping his violin parts to form a droning, harmonium like backdrop for the instrumental, the Irish strands of my DNA, and those of many others in the pindrop silence of the moment, were a-shiver.

The set concluded with a four song encore, beginning with Irglova’s cover of a ~~Neko Case~~ Nico song. After she finished, Hansard came back on stage and the duo played Falling Slowly, the song for which the duo won an Oscar. After it finished, an audience member observed aloud: ”You should put that one in a movie.”

Hansard then cued to “bring the boys back out", and the full band closed with the The Frames’ excellent song Red Chord. And , inserting the old Gaelic tune A Parting Glass at the end of the tune, the audience finally hit their note, joining The Swell Season with one voice to sing loud the lines: “Then fill to me the parting glass/ Good night and joy be with you all”.

More: Read our feature on The Swell Season here.