The Scope issue 111

Page 1

thescope

THE SCOPE | ST. JOHN’S ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2010 | VOLUME 6, NUMBER 4 | ISSUE 111 | WWW.THESCOPE.CA

FREE WE SAW YOU WHEN YOU THOU GHT NO ONE WAS WAT CHING P.11

RON HYNES & GORDON PINSENT

At this year's Women's Film Fest, all eyes will be on the private lives of these two iconic men.



thescope

BACK FEED

COMMENTS AT THESCOPE.CA

OCTOBER 2010

ISSUE 111, VOLUME 6, NUMBER 4 Online www.thescope.ca E-mail inbox@thescope.ca Listings listings@thescope.ca Mail The Scope PO Box 1044, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5M3 Phone 709-726-8466

Publisher/Listings/ Distro Manager Bryhanna Greenough publisher@thescope.ca Editor Elling Lien editor@thescope.ca Advertising Sales Elaine Pond (709) 699-7299 elaine@thescope.ca Advertising Sales Lisa Cook (709) 693-5028 lisa@thescope.ca Copy Editors Sarah Smellie & Bryhanna Greenough Distribution team Barry Ross, Rachel Harding, Robert French, Gary Tilley, and Gary Sexton

COVER ART

Cover collage by Elling Lien

Contributors Adam Clarke, Ryan Davis, Andrew Harvey, Andreae Callanan, Lisa Cook, Elaine Pond, Natrix Ma, Angus Woodman, Amy Joy, Mark Callanan, Taryn Sheppard, Sarah Smellie, Ricky King, Andrew Wickens, and Rob Brezsny. And more! The Scope is St. John’s arts and entertainment newspaper, published by Scope Media Inc. 23,000 copies of The Scope are printed monthly and distributed throughout the metro area. The Scope seeks to publish a newspaper that will entertain, inform, and foster cultural development in the St. John’s metropolitan area. The Scope claims absolutely no responsibility for the devastaion caused by Hurricane Igor, nor for the devastation caused by the Hurricane Igor drinking game. All rights reserved. © 2010 Proudly independent and locally owned. Founded in 2006.

thescope.ca

g

WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR CITY TRANSIT SYSTEM TO DO? Have opinions about what you want Metrobus to do? Of course you do. But, you know, it wouldn’t hurt to actually tell them. Recently a public meeting was held for people in the city to have your say. It was part of a big market study they launched to help figure out what to do about their dipping ridership rates. Local community group Happy City compiled a list of ideas which they presented at the meeting, some of them (See them online at bit.ly/aYNEjE) range from express routes, to changing the routes, to replacing its fleet with smaller buses. Here’s some of what folks had to say on

the topic at thescope.ca

@TheFeltham: I want it to get someone from point A to B quicker than it takes to walk. Which is not the case now for most routes. Also, expand to suburbs. kevin: In the city where I went to university there was a portion of our student fees that went for a buss pass so you could just use your student card. Some sort of cheap rate was negotiated between the transit authority and the student council. Most people I knew used the bus way more because if one just came by you could just jump on. @colinpeddle: Late night last call bus rides —simply direct routes from downtown to the burbs, da malls, tarbay, pdice, etc., one stop each. hulk: hulk throw bus make bus fly!!!! hulk also need sometimes go airport!! Anonymous: I can't be bothered to go to this meeting, as this issue doesn’t really affect me, but here’s one practical suggestion that anyone can feel free to pass along; All-night routes. I’m not saying all of them, but a few special routes running all night to serve some of the major stops throughout the city. St. John’s doesn’t shut down at 11:30pm, and some of our biggest employers (call centres, downtown bar scene) have employees getting off work at 3am or 4am. For example, if you live in Cowan Heights and work at Convergys, having a bus to take you across town

to the Village Mall at 3:30am would seem like a godsend, even if it doesn’t drop you off right in front of your house. This could even help boost employment in the city. There would also be plenty of business coming in from bar patrons. Of course one simple solution would be to lower fares. Metrobus charges premium fares for sub-standard service, and many people would rather find other ways to get around. corey: Personally, I would like a park-n-ride from outer-lying communities like CBS and Paradise that go to downtown. I’m afraid if I continue to take the Outer Ring Road/Pitts Memorial, I am going to die a firey death. Jim Dandy: I think I’d rather die a firey death at my own hand than clambering over 40 screaming, bloody bus riders trying to drag myself out of the burning twisted wrecked of a bus! Nikki: I am not sure these bigger issues can be fixed, but if something can be changed then I think it should be that buses should come more frequently, and since we are a city that shuts down neither on the weekends or through the night the buses, or at least a few, should run all day every day. I know that I for one have had to turn down an early morning job because the only way to get there was an hour and half walk or an 11+ dollar taxi. Jim Dandy: I agree with the all night bus routes. Downtown to uptown for last call instead of waiting around for two hours trying to get a cab. The cab companies probably wouldn’t like it but they have to face the fact that they just can’t meet the demand whereas a bus can scoop up 40 puking drunkards at a time! on that note, it might help clean up George Street up too! Double bonus! Take it easy… Take the Bus. Jordan: How about smaller buses? The council is talking about how expensive it is going to be to replace a lot of the current fleet with new buses but what they have to realize is that every route doesn’t need the same sized bus. Join the fray online at www.bit.ly/bFiZ0y

King’s Bridge Service Co. Ltd.

India Gate Fine Indian Cuisine

Gateway to superb

Dining

Indian

We are known for our quality and consistency. ALL YOU CAN EAT LUNCHEON BUFFET Monday - Friday 11:30 - 2pm

FINE DINING

Come see Gerry for all your tire needs and services. Wide selection of new and used tires. 69 King’s Bridge Road

Monday - Sunday 5pm - 10:30pm

TAKE OUT AVAILABLE Telephone: 753.6006 286 Duckworth Street www.indiagate.250x.com

Tel: 726-3247 OCTOBER 2010

thescope

3


NEWS

Or at least newsier than the rest of it. More at thescope.ca/news ANT

ICOS T

ST. JOHN'S: CITY OF CONDOS SOME OF THE NEW CONDO DEVELOPMENTS DOWNTOWN

I ISL

AND

GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE

OLD HARRY OIL FIELD

QUEBEC

NEWFOUNDLAND

CA TH ED RA LS

S

CABOT STRAIT

RANT FARM Got an opinion? Need to vent? We want to hear from you. Submit your anonymous accusation or confession at thescope.ca/rant. Submissions may be edited for length, grammar, spelling, legal, or obscenity reasons. One submission will be printed each fortnight, but more submissions to Rant Farm can be found at thescope.ca/rant.

CLOCKWORK ORANGE CAB I would personally like to thank Admaze Media and City Wide Taxi for bringing taxicab videoscreen advertisting to St John’s. Now, instead of having to engage in a colourful conversation with a cabbie I can just sit there like a drone and drool to yet another lame ad set on repeat. Way to contribute to society! No worries though, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before 'captive' George Street drunkards puke on the screens and short them out. — ­Bombarded

HARBOUR HAUNT HOMELESS

The St. John’s Harbour Haunt has been scaring the pants off of the public for the past eight years, but this year however, the annual

4

thescope

OCTOBER 2010

HENR Y ST

BA IRD S

c MCBRIDE’S HIL L

b

QUEE NS R D

HI L

a

CO

d e

AY RE SC E OV

AD ELA IDE

ST

ST

H

WA TE RS T

H RT WO K C DU

AR BO UR DR

THE HENRY BELL CONDOMINIUM PROJECT The old CBC Building and adjacent lot on Bell Street may be home to 90 new condos. The proposal is still at the application stage (note that the Bell Aliant building beside it will remain as is).

FORT WILLIAM STATION CONDOS 8-10 Water Street will have 48 units. The project is presently under construction.

GEO RG ES T

A recent proposal by an oil and gas exploration company to perform seismic testing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, near the Cabot Strait, has provoked environmentalists and fishermen to call for a moratorium on oil and gas development in the area. One hundred kilometres from St. George’s Bay, tucked just inside Newfoundland’s offshore boundaries, Halifax-based Corridor Resources is proposing to explore the Old Harry oil field, believed to contain up to 2 billion barrels of oil. But eighty kilometres southwest of the site are the Magdalen Islands, whose economy relies heavily on fishing in the Gulf. The project is proposed for the fall of next year, but according to Ghislain Cyr of the Association of Pelagic and Groundfish Fishermen of the

Magdalen Islands (RPPUM), the timing of the project is lousy. “September, October, November is the best time for fishing for all species, like groundfish,” says Cyr. “That’s the time they are right there in the channel. And seismic blasts have been shown to disturb their migration patterns.” His association is also concerned about the Atlantic cod which, they say, congregate near there at that time of year. Cyr, along with the Magdalen Islands’ Association for Professional Fishermen (RPPIM), sent letters to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (CNLOPB) highlighting their concerns and asked for more consultation with affected groups from the provinces in the region. Corridor Resources met with the Magdalen fishermen, and stressed that the project would be using low-impact seismic activity, and the work would last for just over a week. Nonplussed by the response, both the RPPUM and the RPPIM signed onto the moratorium, joining organizations like the PEI Fishermen’s Association, the Northumberland Fishermen’s Association and the David Suzuki Foundation. “Maybe what they’re going to do is nothing, but it’s what might come after,” says Cyr. “We don’t want to see any drilling there. That’s the entrance to the Gulf for all the fish species. You cannot take a chance there.” When contacted, the Fish Food and Allied Workers union (FFAW), representing Newfoundland fishermen, say they don’t plan to sign on to the moratorium request. They’re using a different approach to address their concerns, they say. “No doubt about it, we do have concerns,” says David Decker, the FFAW’s SecretaryTreasurer, “but the position we’ve taken is to work with the oil and gas industries to work out those concerns. We believe we’ll make more progress that way.” “We’ve been dealing with the oil and gas industry for a while here in Newfoundland, most dramatically off the Grand Banks, which is a rich fishing ground,” he adds. “It’s an important industry to the province and we understand that.” The C-NLOPB is expected to make a decision about Corridor’s proposal soon, perhaps even sometime in early October. - SARAH SMELLIE

345-347 DUCKWORTH STREET The city is waiting for a formal application to build a 60-unit condominium building at this site of the Avalon Telephone Co.

VE

MORATORIUM ON OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION CALLED

40 HENRY STREET The former Star of the Sea Hall will be replaced with a 48-unit condominium building. Approved by council.

CH UR CH

L

NOVA SCOTIA

ST

NEW BRUNSWICK

NEW GO WE R

M

T

eN

L DA AG

ND

LA

IS

thescope.ca/maps

QU EEN ’S S T

W ALDEGRAVE

THE HARBOURSIDE CONDOMINIUM & SPA At Water and Temperance Street, it will house around 160 units. Construction should begin shortly, and you can already purchase one for around a quarter of a million dollars from the Hann Group.

ST.

haunted house has been forced to close its creaky doors. According to organizers, securing a venue for the event has been extremely difficult over the past few years due to the competitive commercial real The former Woolworth's building estate market on Water Street, where the Harbour in the city. The Haunt resided for its first five years. event is a major fundraiser for the Easter Seals, a charitable

organization that raises money for disabled children in the province. In both 2007 and 2008, the Harbour Haunt raised close to $100,000 for camp programs for children with physical disabilities and provided assistance for families in need. With so many monsters and mayhem, the Harbour Haunt needs at least 8,000 square feet of donated space, and according to Amanda Puddicombe, Development Manager with Easter Seals, they are still searching for a large space with creepy potential, but time is quickly running out. - RYAN DAVIS

WORD ON THE STREET

GLASS NOT INCLUDED The City of St. John's curbside recycling program is due to launch this month, but they will not be collecting glass in the program. City officials say broken glass would contaminate the other recyclables as well as cause problems during the sorting process. What do you think?

Meredith Daniels Performance Artist

Gordon Pricey Landscape Coordinator

Jimmy Kennard Jr. Information Construction Agent

"I have a solution! If the glass is breaking, I will wrap it carefully in my Smurf garbage blanket! I love that darned thing!"

"Does this recycling thing mean I have to give away my collection of toy animals crafted from toilet paper rolls?"

"If they packaged spaghetti sauce and mayonnaise using the same material as edible underwear we wouldn't be in this mess, now would we?"


HOT TICKETS

OCTOBER 2010

Some of our picks for the month. Written by Sarah Smellie

Chickens!

COMMUNITY

Backyard Chicken Coop Workshop October 9 Bad Boy Bill

MUSIC

Bad Boy Bill October 9

Bad Boy Bill is about to give St. John’s a beat down. Voted America’s Favorite DJ by BPM Magazine, the famed Chicago house DJ and beatport.com co-founder, is about to release his own first full-length album and he’ll be celebrating that with us here at the Majestic Theatre. Tickets are $15 advance, available at Ballistic on Water Street, or $25 at the door. MUSIC

The Killing reunion show October 29

Imagine having a pet that fed you. Chickens won’t bring you your slippers, or give you much of a hug, but they’ll liven up your backyard. Join Mark Wilson for a workshop on keeping backyard chickens, covering the appropriate city bylaws, coop construction and care for your backyard pals. Part of the FEASt (Food Education Action St. John's) free workshop series at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market, Lion’s Club Chalet on Bonaventure, Saturday, October 9th at 11am. PERFORMANCE

Superdogs! ? October 23rd

The puns are endless when you breed dogs with big Broadway shows: Harry Pawter, The Wizard of Paws, Hollywoof... you still with me? Yeah, sorry. The President’s Choice Superdogs events are Broadway-themed dog shows, featuring doggie acrobatics and athletics. The Superdogs will be at Mile One Centre. Tickets range from $15 to $25.

“Fake blood all over the pit. Costumes, wigs, skulls. Dude. The effin’ gear.” This is pretty much the general reaction you’ll get when you ask anyone old enough to remember what The Killing’s shows were like. It’s been ten years since their last show and they’re resurrecting for a reunion at Headquarters this Halloween. Tickets are $5 with a costume, $7 without, and Cause & Effect and Over The Top are opening. The Killing will be playing their infamous Misfits covers all night long, with prizes and shenanigans from Trouble Bound Studios. Here are some tips to get you started: www.wikihow.com/have-a-devilock FESTIVAL

George Street Mardis Gras October 29 - 30

Bemoan George Street all you want, the Halloween Mardis Gras event is amazing. You’ll see some of the most lavish, inventive and utterly baffling Halloween costumes the human mind has to offer. There’s $2,500 up for grabs for the best costume, after all. Paying to get on the street, usually $15, gets you access to all the bars. THEATRE

Battle of the Atlantic October 28th

So here’s an unlikely pairing: The Rabbittown Theatre Company and the Centre for Marine Simulation have joined forces. They’ve made a simulation of the Battle of the Atlantic wherein you’re immersed in a simulated sail of a World War II corvette across the North Atlantic. Just to clarify, that’s the boat-type of corvette, not the car-type. The tour runs from noon to 1:30pm, at the MUN Marine Institute Simulator. Phone ahead. Also phone the Marine Institute if you’ve got a group who would like a tour, they might set one up for you.

Jason Collett. Photo by Victor Tavares.

MUSIC

Jason Collett October 19th

Singer-songwriter, actor, and ex-Broken Social Scenester Jason Collett is heading to town. The Arts and Crafts artist is promoting his fourth solo album, Rat a Tat Tat. He’ll be at The Ship with singer-songwriter Al Tuck. Tickets are cash-only, on sale at Fred’s, O’Brien’s and The Ship.

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

5


PEOPLE thescope.ca/people

SELWYN ROSE Biker

S

elwyn Rose has been into bikes all his life. The Come By Chance native grew up dreaming of riding motorcycles long before ever owning one. It wasn't until he moved to Toronto at the age of 18 that he got is first real taste for the open road. Besides being a biker, Selwyn is also a biologist, a museum buff, and a wildlife

enthusiast. He has worked as a conservation officer, conducted rattlesnake research for the B.C. government, and ran an exotic pet shop. A number of years ago Selwyn opened East Rider, a motorcycle shop on New Gower, and just this past month he opened a museum in the top two floors. The museum traces the history of motorcycling in Newfoundland and includes two rooms dedicated to the Newfoundland Rangers, an outport police force who were among the first to ride bikes extensively in the province. In another room, he has recreated the atmosphere of a 1970s bike shop, complete with vintage bikes and a '70s style gas pump that he made from an old refrigerator door. When did you first get into motorcycles? Sitting on a bike for the first time, maybe when I was six or seven. I was hooked. Back then for me, it was all about Evel Knievel and motorcycles. I'd turn my head every time I'd see a motorcycle from that age on. Had a leather jacket long before ever riding a bike. And I'd go to the bike shows and the bike shops. I was attracted to the time periods too, beyond the bikes, the '50s, '60s, '70s, with the rockabilly culture, and the greaser way of life—the biker lifestyle. What do you like about these old bikes anyway? With these bikes, it's not about the money value, it's about the nostalgia that comes with it. It's to have it there and to be able to stand up there with your beer and your buddy to stand up with his beer and say, “Yeah, that's a piece of machinery,” you know what I mean? That's what it's about, right. To sit there and recollect and imagine what it was like to ride it. And if you've got one good enough to ride, well what a thrill. Most of us wouldn't even know how to start them. The guys riding these would have been on dirt roads, no pavement and no frills. There's a lot of history and a lot of biker culture and these bikes represent that. What do you like about bike culture? The biker world is a bit different, you know? You hear talk of the camaraderie between bikers and the brotherhood in clubs and stuff like that. And as cheesy as some of it sounds it is very real. You know, I belong in a club and basically, the club is a collection of lone wolves. It's guys who don't trust guys, or who don't trust the system. And we have a common understanding. “I can relate to you, not trusting the system.” And now we're not going around being a group of anarchists. But you're able to bond with these people. They can read you. Those people can understand where you're coming from. Those people can overlook your shortcomings. Some of the big, burly and boisterous guys are the same guys who sit down in your clubhouse the next night saying, “Look, there's a family on my street, and the dude is sick, and I know these kids got nothing, and we should help.” These so called big bad guys often have the biggest hearts. Again that's a bit of a cliche, but it's often true. Interview and photo by Ryan Davis

6

thescope

OCTOBER 2010


W W W . P R I N T I N G R O C K DIGITAL FINE ART PRINTING S . BY A PHOTOGRAPHER C FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS O 709 722 9505 M

WEBSITE Visit our brand new and exciting website for Downtown St. John’s. Going live October 4th! Find everything you need to know about Downtown St. John’s including attractions, events, businesses, parking, maps, a special section for members, and much more. The new site is fun, interactive, equipped with all social media and completely customizable to suit individual needs and interests.

DOWNTOWN ST. JOHN’S CHRISTMAS PARADE Santa Claus is coming to Downtown! It is time to start thinking about your entries for the Downtown St. John’s Christmas Parade, Sunday November 28th at 1:00 pm (December 5th in the event of inclement weather). Come and be a part of the largest annual event in the province with over 60,000 spectators, 5000 participants and over 2500 volunteers. The deadline for entries is Friday, October 29th at 4:00 pm. This year’s theme is “A Toyland Christmas.” Also, volunteers are needed to serve as Parade Marshals; you must be at least 18 years of age. Also, if you would like to participate in the Parade as a clown or character, we have numerous costumes to fill. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Costumes fill up quickly so book yours today! For more information visit http://www.downtownstjohns.com, email gaylynne@downtownstjohns.com or call the Parade Hotline at SANTA-HI (726-8244).

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

7


YOUR CITY NOTES FROM ST. JOHN'S CITY HALL

Municipal Plan Ahead Instead of making changes to the present plan, it's time look at it with fresh eyes. The September 20th meeting of council was a taller buildings to go. As the self-withdrawn big one for developments. Fortis proposal implies, there are key spots in A controversial proposal for an eight-unit which many people don’t want them. subdivision on Signal Hill was passed, and Several months ago, there was a motion council was formally introduced to a massive before council which would have allowed a proposal for Duckworth Street. The proposal review of the Municipal Plan to begin. This is being called the Henry Bell development, motion was defeated, with opponents wishing as it will be located between Henry and Duckto continue to wait for the provincial Northworth street, and cover Bell east Avalon regional plan to be completed. street. The argument was that our own plan must be The proposal is for a in line with the regional plan. However, this 90-unit condominium develconcern has not stopped neighbouring Mount opment, which will Pearl or Conception Bay South from beginANDREW include the old CBC ning their own municipal plan review. HARVEY I can’t imagine exactly what could come andrew@thescope.ca building and stretch beyond where Bell street out of the province’s regional plan which currently lies. In addition to providing parkwould make any new municipal plan we draft ing for the residents of the condominiums, obsolete. After all, they could simply amend additional parking will be publicly available. the municipal plan, just like they always do. The proposed building looks good, somehow As far as the Henry Bell proposal goes, as managing to give the impression of a row it stands now the Planning and Housing comhouse while holding all mittee is having staff those units. Increasing determine the impact of density in our city is a the building on views The regularity in which for residents downtown. welcome relief to the the Municipal Plan is urban sprawl we generThis appears to be a forally see here on the mality, as the proposal amended suggests how Northeast Avalon. woefully inadequate it is. seems to be extremely So far, so good, right? popular with a council Not quite. anxious to revitalize a The proposed buildderelict area of downing comes in at 17 meters, two meters over town. As an interesting note, city staff’s recthe height limit prescribed in the Municipal ommendation to the committee was to limit Plan. But, hey, they say, no biggie. In the the height of the building to 15 meters, which last several months, most of the large-scale would allow one less story of parking, but still developments have required changes to the meet parking requirements. The committee Municipal Plan to proceed. instead recommended the viewplane analysis The regularity in which the Municipal Plan for the full 17 meter building. If, for no other is amended suggests how woefully inadequate reason than to save the time and hair of city it is. staff, we should hurry up and get a set of And I'm not the only one to think so. The rules that can allow developments which are Board of Trade recently stated in a Telegram broadly popular and can refuse those which editorial, that limiting building height to 15 are not. meters makes it financially impossible to construct a “Class A” office building downtown. Leaving aside the whole “Class A” definiFollow Andrew's live-blog of St. John's city tion, which I have touched on before, I agree. council every Monday at The thing is, we need to sit down, as a city, www.twitter.com/thescopeNL and figure out where it is that we want these

WHA?

QUESTIONS ABOUT MAKING MOVIES? This month at thescope.ca/wha you can ask our expert panel, local filmmakers Jordan Canning and Roger Maunder, any questions you have about making movies—from gear to promotion to writing to lighting and beyond.

CONSIDERING ...SELLING YOUR HOME?

...BUYING A NEW HOME? ...AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY? CALL ME FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.

JASON KEARSEY

690-7673

thescope.ca/wha EMAIL: jasonkearsey@goldstonerealestate.com WEB: www.goldstonerealestate.com

8

thescope

OCTOBER 2010


I SAW YOU

as you drove past in your big Ford pick up truck, little lady, barely seeing over the steering wheel, foot heavy on the gas. And I saw you splash through the puddle, soaking a lady jogging by. I SAW YOU, white boy with dreads, go into a coffee shop asking if they had Fair Trade coffee, and when the server explained that it wasn’t certified, but was fairly traded, you performed a lecture about working conditions that seemed very rehearsed. Then you left a photocopied leaflet of your poetry in place of a tip. I SAW YOU picking out flowers, and when I said, “My, she’s a lucky girl,” you replied, “She gets flowers from me every day, so it’s not so special for her any more,” then continued to the cash. I saw you giving a lecture at MUN, your eyelids fluttering every time you struggled to find the right word. I saw you in your red car outside the Quidi Vidi Dominion as you pulled out of the parking spot, stopped, pulled back in, opened the door, and touched the pavement with your two fingers. You sniffed them cautiously, then tasted them, then closed the car door and drove away. I saw you look at my nametag and say in a very snotty tone, "I don't know you," and walk on. You reminded me of the lady who threw a hot turkey sandwich at me when I worked at Buck Weaver's. She made me realize that not all old people are sweet. I saw you, lady in the bank line-up, as you watched two other ladies converse about this and that. You nodded and smiled and acted as though you were in the conversation, too, even though they had no idea you were there. I saw you in your spiked collar at a gig, rocking out so hard that you banged your head against a pole. I saw you chuck a wine bottle backwards, over your shoulder, into a shrub, in the middle of the day. I saw you break up with your boyfriend on a payphone in Hamilton Convenience, then hang up the phone and buy a bag of Doritos

and a Kit Kat. I saw you on a cold Wednesday night, rocking out to what I believe was ABBA above Nautical Nellie’s with a mop. I saw you, beardy man in jean jacket, circling around Sylvia’s Treasure Chest and getting ever so close to buying a book about fortune telling, but you kept putting it back. I saw you delivering the mail as I was sitting on the front stoop, sneezing. You talked to me about lemon juice, fasting, blood-building, toxins, and the perils of eating sad chicken. I saw you in the Convention Centre car park, bent over, pants down. When you saw me walk by, you laughed and you asked your boyfriend to spank you harder. I saw you fight to control the pet ferret you brought along car for a ride and it seemed like your attention was 50 per cent for the road and 50 per cent for your squirming friend as you weaved and swerved about in the rain. We’re gonna crash, we’re gonna crash, we’re gonna crash, I thought. Suddenly, we arrived, and your beast promptly let out a wet fart and kunkeled. I saw you in your AC/DC T-shirt walking headlong into a hurricane. I saw you pull up in a white car behind the

Dominion on Stavanger, window down, arm out, wearing a heavy silver watch, black felt hat, late 50s. I was alone and taking a photo, and you were blocking my car as you watched me stand on the cliff’s edge. When I turned around and took your photo, you drove away. I saw your boyfriend giving you a piggyback on Holdsworth Street when your other friend ran up to you, took off your shoe, and threw it in the grass. Then you all went to get nachos together. I saw you stick your head out of an open car window, and as it drove past you shouted “Your boyfriend gave me herpes!” We all laughed, but the car was long gone before I knew how to respond. (“No wonder your face looks like that!”) I saw you in a harbourfront phone booth, waiting for the phone to ring. You were sitting cross-legged and in bare feet, drinking cans of beer with your friend, and it seemed like you had been waiting a while. I saw you drive your tinted black SUV down a closed off road after a storm, and you squealed and skidded to a stop just before the fallen power lines. You lingered there before backing out slowly. I saw you through my office window, you had on a bright orange vest with a big yellow X on the back. As you mowed the lawn with your protective ear muffs on, I wrote a poem about you and emailed it to my friends. You seem nice. I saw you with your colorful silk scarves and dark eyes, bent over a deep freeze as you sang along to the east Indian music in the background.

to finish. I saw you buy a big can at the liquor store and ask for a brown bag. A few minutes later I walked passed you on a bench in the sun, sipping as if there was nothing else you’d rather be doing. I saw you at a store in the Village Mall, leaning over a clothing rack (I think it was a rack that had sequined bras on it.) You were coughing your lungs up and looked haggard, and when I asked if you were okay, you said “yes,” because you thought I worked there and was asking if you needed help finding clothes. I saw you picking your nose something fierce when they called on you to receive your lifetime achievement award. You kept picking as you walked up to the podium, trying to make it look as though it was the most natural thing in the world. But not even the Fonz could pull off the thumb and forefinger double dip up to the first knuckle. Nice try though. I saw you two, in your mid-thirties, wearing square glasses and hoodies, sharing an Extreme Pita sandwich in silence, looking everywhere but at each other.

i saw you Submit your own I Saw Yous online at thescope.ca/isawyou

I saw you and your little dog get jumped and bitten by a Newfoundland dog. You screamed at the owner that if she couldn't control her pet she shouldn’t be out walking it. When the owner started walking away, you screamed after them, "Next time it will be a child that gets attacked!" I hope your dog is okay. I saw you practicing karate by the hot dog cart.

I saw you, four gorgeous girls in short black dresses, standing by the bank machine on the end of George. When you left, three handsome guys in plaid shirts came and stood in the same spot.

I saw you (and heard your tires screech), two little old ladies in the green Corolla, when you ran a red light on LeMarchant Road. Once you realized what you had done you laughed your heads off.

I saw you in a striped shirt, French music drifting from your house and sun dripping from the sky — you were washing windows, and the only thing to complete this “I saw you” would be Bordeaux and croissants.

I saw you kissing your boyfriend, who was pretty close to twice your height, and I couldn’t help but wonder, How would that even work?

I saw you around 7am Saturday morning on Water Street when you pointed to a building and slurred out something that sounded like, “mrmrmrmmrrrr marley...mrmrmrrrpeter toshmrmrmrrr...cliffffffmmrrmrrr,” then you pointed your finger to the darkening clouds and sang “Redemption Song” to me from start

I saw you yelling at your kid that if he didn't stop throwing rocks, you would beat him to a pulp. I saw you proudly tell us how your daughter decorated your restaurant while we awkwardly avoided pointing out the brown pitcher of water you had just brought us.

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

9


I saw you steal cheese from the Dominion on Blackmarsh, and when you saw me looking I hoped you'd invite me over for some wine and cheese. You were pretty cute for a cheese snaggler.

didn’t care.

out, but didn’t see you, so I called the cops.

I saw you kick your beagle as I stared in disgust until I caught your eye. You winked at me and continued down Prospect Street.

I saw you, red sneakers, no socks, with your pony tail and frame pack, looking like a lost traveller at the illustrated map of Newfoundland in the window of what used to be Morrissey’s Store. It looked like you were searching for answers or St. Anthony.

I saw you in your work clothes with two other guys, your beat up ol' truck screeching to a halt once you saw the redhead with the fuchsia stilettos.

I saw you with the flocks of people trying to catch a cab after 3am on New Gower, and you were standing in front of a parked car. I didn’t realize you were pissing on it until you shouted at me, “f@#king eyes down, f@#ker!”

I saw you, or rather, I didn’t — but you called my cell phone on Friday night and asked if I was ready to die. ‘Excuse me?’ I said. You repeated yourself, and then offered that you were standing outside my window. I looked

I saw you eating your chicken salad sandwich and you had mayonnaise all over your face and didn’t know it. Or maybe you did and you

I saw you and your family on Cuckold’s Head, all of you wandering around angry, not talking to each other. I found the keys to your rental car on a rock near the hardest part of the trail, and when I gave them to you, your mom gave me a bear hug.

I saw you just off Duckworth Street with your friends at 3am. When two dark-skinned guys walked by, you shouted, “Happy Eid! Hey! Happy Eid! Today is Eid, right?” One of the guys answered, “uh, we’re not Muslim,” and kept walking.

I saw you walking with a cane in the orange light of the afternoon, wearing a yellow hat, carrying a green apple, and missing two front teeth.

I saw you, mole man, hairless and wearing activewear as you waved a metal detector along the side of the Manuels Access Road.

I saw you with your Spiderman-colored sneakers and gray wool hoodie sweater when you told us a story about a man who went hunting hammer-head sharks. I like your stories and the fact you fixed my furnace.

With reporting by Adam Clarke, Amy Joy, Andreae Callanan, Angus Woodman, Bryhanna Greenough, Elaine Pond, Elling Lien, Kerri Breen, Lisa Cook, Mark Callanan, Martin Connelly, Morgan Murray, Natrix Ma, and Ryan Davis.

I saw you rolling pennies down Prescott Street on a warm Sunday night. I saw you sniff your armpit as you walked across the parking lot.

Comment on this story online at thescope.ca

2 0 1 0 S T. J O H N ’ S I N T E R N A T I O N A L W O M E N ’ S F I L M F E S T I VA L A N D F O R U M Mon. - Oct. 25

Tues. - Oct. 26

Wed. - Oct. 27

Thurs. - Oct. 28 MASONIC

Fri. - Oct. 29

MASONIC

Sat. - Oct. 30

MASONIC

08:30 - 9:30

08:30 - 9:30

08:30 - 9:30

Sponsored Breakfast

Sponsored Breakfast

Sponsored Breakfast

MASONIC

LSPU HALL

MASONIC

MASONIC

10:00-11:00

10:00 - 4:00

10:00 - 11:30

10:00 - 12:00

10:00 - 11:30

10:00 - 12:00

talk:

panel WIDC presents: (Panel TBC)

closed workshop

RT= 55 screening: 8 La Chair de ma Chair Cocculinellidea 23 L'Homme qui dort 12 12 Les Escargot des Joseph

workshop

DIGITAL DAMES MASTER CLASS Making an Documentary

TBC

10:00 - 5:00 REGISTRATION / DELEGATE WELCOME AT MASONIC HALL

10:00 - 4:00

DIGIAL DAMES SUMMIT

Geo Ctr LSPU HALL

panel SHORT FILM RESOURCES Joy Loewen, NSI Judy Gladstone, BravoFACT! Filmmakers with a short in l

s PRIVATE SESSIONS

Chri (Killer Films, NYC)

(Pitch Coaching)

FILMMAKER BRUNCH RT= 68 Dish (Lunch cost not incl in

MASONIC

1:00 - 5:00 MASONIC

MASONIC

MASONIC

1:30-3:00

1:30-3:00

1:30-3:00

MASONIC

12:00-3:00

LSPU HALL

1:00 - 2:00 screening: panel ACADEMY LUNCHEON (45 MINS)

s

MASTER CLASS Short Film Workshop Intensive with Roberta Munroe

panel MEET THE FILMMAKERS Music Docs

PITCH THIS ! with Jan Miller

panel TBD Panel discussion (1 hr)

closed workshop PRIVATE SESSIONS (Senior Producer Lab)

RT= 67

Urban Twirl The Ball I Promise Kidnap

workshop

4 11 4 4 3 5 15 8 7 1 5

Shoes My Dream Is Cinema FRAMED

FACE TO FACE SESSIONS (pre-registered)

2D in 2Days 24 hr Film Challenge

Geo Ctr

1:30 - 3:00 RT= 87

screening: Finding Farley

62

I was here before

25

(Delegate pass holders have priority) LSPU HALL-screening

MASONIC

LSPU HALL

MASONIC

LSPU HALL

LSPU HALL

Geo Ctr

3:30-5:00

3:30-5:00

3:30-5:00 RT= 95

3:30-5:00

3:30-5:00

3:30-5:00

3:30-5:00

RT= 95

Proceed & Be Bold!

95

Q & A to follow

ARTS & CULTURE

8:00 PM Red Ochre

RT= 67 3

How Eunice Got Her Baby These Years

15

49

workshop BUSINESS AFFAIRS 101 Lori McCurdy (Telefilm Canada) moderates

screening: Life with Murder

95

LSPU HALL-screening

LSPU HALL

7:00-8:30 screening:

7:00-8:30 RT= 90 screening:

RT= 79 Trolls 7 What Remains 16 Four Sisters 12 Brad 17 n 14 Do I Come on Too Strong? 3 L'Hybridee 4 That's Right Diana Barry - You Needed Me 6 Q&A to follow LSPU HALL-screening

9:30-11:00 screening: s Lucky Girl Knock off Touch Tuesday Morning The Cortege Get Hooked! About Bieito's Death Q & A to follow

workshop INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION: Janet Brown Media, NY) Robin Smith (Kinosmith) Other (TBD)

Roll Out Cowboy

and Rebel

124

THE ROOMS Foyer

7:00 - 9:00

screening: Unearthing the Pen Flawed Tabitha's Aquarium

12 12 27 12 7

Not Over Easy Q & A to follow

Q & A to follow

LSPU HALL

9:30-11:00 RT= screening: Birthday (Födelsedag) Esther & Me a

9:30-11:00 80 18 18 32 30

RT= 88

screening:

screening: RT= Gabrielle River of Rain Hang in There Fair Trade The Collagist Ikwé Prarie Soliloquy Rhizoctonia Out on a Limb Crows and Branches Le Labyrinthe Ooh La La

OCTOBER 2010

RT= 90

Act of Dishonour

panel MEET THE FILMMAKERS TBC

7:00-8:30 RT= 70

LSPU HALL

RT= 80 18 5 11 10 8 15 4 9

75

MASONIC

4:00-5:00

LSPU HALL

MUN CINEMA SERIES Hugh Hefner:

90

screening:

EMPIRE THEATRE

RT= Music from the Big House

RT= 75

90

Q & A to follow

screening:

RT= 67

I Was a Child of Holocaust 15 Survivors

Anna's Adventure

22

Stepping into the Stream

30

ROOMS Theatre

7:00 - 10:00 58 4 7 10 3 4 2 4 5 4 5 4 4 2

ARTS & CULTURE

8:00 PM

screening: screening:

7:00 - 7:45 n

45

screening: 9:00 - 9:50 46 Paul Quarrington: Life in Music Q & A to follow

screening: Year of the Carnivore Q & A to follow

SHIP INN 10:30 Music: Rita Chiarelli and Friends

B O X O F F I C E I N F O : ( 7 0 9 ) 7 5 3 - 4 5 3 1 O R W W W. R C A . N F. C A

thescope

Geo Ctr

11:30-1:00 RT= 61 screening: Where Did I Put My Memory? 45 Forget Me Nots 16 Q & A to follow

LOC TBD

screening:

10

LOC TBD

11:30-1:00

RT= 93

Swallowed

5

The Man Of A Thousand Songs

88


STORE FRONT

Local business news. Read more at www.thescope.ca/storefront SHOPS

Henry moves in

Henry’s is “a photographer’s candy store,” says St. John’s store manager Lori Buhlman. The 101-year old Toronto-based business opened a retail outlet on Stavanger Drive this past September 1st. “We offer a very good range of product and availability right in store. We have all the units on demo so people can put the products in their hands and test them out.” The store also plans to host photography classes. For Henry’s, the move to St. John’s just made sense according to Buhlman. “Demographically, the support we received through our online business showed there was absolutely a want, a need, and a demand for a store like this in the local market, and we were thrilled at the opportunity to be here.” RYAN DAVIS

HEALTH

Body work

Need a tune up of a different kind? A massage therapy clinic has just opened next door to the King's Bridge Service Station. Registered massage therapist Lesley Young is the daughter of Jerry Young, who owns the neighboring service station. King’s Bridge Massage Therapy opened September 14th, and she offers relaxation massage, deep tissue sports massage, pregnancy massage, and, according to her website, "treatments for motor vehicle accidents." So if you time it right, you could get work done on you and your car. When we mentioned this to Lesley, she joked, “I said to Dad that if anyone has to wait for a half hour or longer, send them on over.” - RYAN DAVIS RESTAURANTS

Bamboo's back

Chinese restaurant The Bamboo Garden is back in business, but it's really only the name that has stayed the same. Located at 252 Duckworth Street, the restaurant actually has two names, The new Bamboo Garden, also known as the second "Eastern Mountain" being "Eastern Mountain", written in Chinese only. New owner and head cook, Fang Cizhu, is offering up a new menu of traditional Chinese food as well as the classic Canadian-influenced Chinese fare. Fang says he is bringing his skills as a former cook with the Magic Wok Eatery to this family-run restaurant. - RYAN DAVIS RESTAURANTS

Get chinched at Chinched

The new Chinched Bistro at 7 Queen Street (at the West end of George Street) opened for business on August 27th. The restaurant, operated by Shaun Hussey and Michelle LeBlanc, offers a casual fine dining experience with a focus on traditional Newfoundland cuisine. The story of the bistro’s name comes

from a boil-up that Hussey and LeBlanc attended while living on Fogo Island. After the meal, one of their friends exclaimed, “I’m chinched!” Hussey explains, “'chinched' means to be stuffed or stowed tightly. Basically until you can’t get anymore in.” Hussey’s specialty is charcuterie, and one of the featured dishes is a country pâté— something more like a meatloaf than a spreadable pâté. Some of their other feature dishes include a Quidi Vidi Honey Brown and Dijon mustard-braised pork belly served with pickled bakeapples, and potato-wrapped cod served with salted short rib, split peas, turnip greens, and red onion compote. - RYAN DAVIS DEVELOPMENT

Bigger boxes

The big box area at Stavanger Drive is growing. If you poke your head behind the Dominion supermarket there, you’ll see a massive area of land being cleared with backhoes. According to Ken O’Brien, Manager of Planning and Information with the City of St. John’s, the multi-million dollar project is clearing the way for a new Rona building supply store and potentially other businesses. It’s just part of the 160 hectare Torbay Road North Commerical Area set for future development. Formerly the Harvey Industrial property, the new development will eventually include a northward extension of Aberdeen Avenue to connect with Torbay Road. According to O’Brien, this development should help with the flow of traffic in the very busy commercial district. - RYAN DAVIS DEVELOPMENT

Fabulous parking

Well, that was fast. Just last month, the lot at 331 Water Street, where the Fabulous 50s once stood, was a goopy, gritty pile of rubble and mud. Now it’s a private parking lot. Gerard Doran, City The former Fabulous 50s location, now an Developextended parking lot. ment Officer, says there’s nothing in the works for the site just yet. "There are no official plans for it, no," he says. "There are a few ideas, but for now it’s just a parking lot. Check back in early spring." Until then, there’s someone down at the lot who is happy to take your money in exchange for a parking spot. - SARAH SMELLIE

Correction

In our last print edition we wrote about the Newfoundland Chocolate Company's new downtown location (coming soon!) but we included an incorrect web link. The correct link is ­www.newfoundlandchocolatecompany.com.

Changing? Moving? Send your hot Storefront tips to storefront@thescope.ca

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

11


This month, two documentaries will examine the lives of two Newfoundland artists whose dedication to their work has brought joy to their audiences, but, occasionally, pain to themselves and their families. Why do they do it? What's it like having a camera focused so closely on their private lives? Interviews and photos by Elling Lien

GORDON PINSENT...

RON HYNES...

...has written the play Easy Down Easy, directed by Mary Walsh and accompanying the grand opening of the LSPU Hall on October 5th.

...has a new CD, Stealing Genius, hitting stores October 12. Written while he was on a writing sabbatical in Woody Point, the record takes inspiration from the work of Newfoundland poets and authors.

...is the subject of a film about his life by Barbara Doran (director of Love and Savagery) is titled Still Rowdy After All These Years, and will be showing October 26 at the Women's Film Festival. It tells the story of the charismatic actor's beginnings in Grand Falls (being 'blessed' by Bob Hope) to his work today.

...is the subject of a documentary by Newfoundland filmmaker William (Bill) MacGillivray, The Man of a Thousand Songs will close this year's Women's Film Festival on October 30. In the film, Ron talks about his thirty-five years on the road, his failed relationships, battles with his alter ego (ominously called ‘The Man’), his near death from drug overdose, and his recovery.

So, my first official question is pretty ridiculous: What's it like being a Newfoundland icon? [laugh] A Newfoundland icon! I'm not sure. Every time I hear the word "icon" I figure something's going to fall off the mantle, you know? You are very respected here in Newfoundland, I mean. When you appeared on the Republic of Doyle, for example, that little part, people were talking about it everywhere. I don't think I heard a negative word said about you. Even though that part was of a villain? [laugh] It’s a lovely feeling. I get a way better feeling out of a smaller part than I do when I'm doing a lead and shouldering so much of the weight, you know? It’s a very good feeling to come in, go to work for a few weeks, have a good and interesting role to play, meet wonderful people, and have a terrific time

12

thescope

OCTOBER 2010

with the crew. It certainly makes you look as though the reason why you got into the business. You know, it has that same feeling to it. I enjoy it immensely, and St. John’s is of course, you know, you get it. Every time I land I feel at home. So I mean it couldn't be a better atmosphere in which to work, you know? So tell me about Easy Down Easy, the play you wrote. There's no sense in getting into the finest possible detail of it, but basically it’s about a sign-post in our lives. That we really don't lose our backgrounds. We don't lose our mistakes, our errors. We live with them, we learn by them and from them. Basically, it is that as a story of eventual self-tribulations and selfforgiveness. It's just a marvelous story between three Continued on page 14

So when were you first approached by Bill to do a documentary about your life? Oh, it was a couple of years ago. More than a couple of years ago now. I actually wasn’t that thrilled about the idea. I didn’t think it was such a great idea, you know. I’d already done a documentary over in Ireland with Mary Sexton’s Rink Rat Productions done by Rosemary House. We went over there to do that documentary on me and I thought I had kind of talked enough about my life. But Bill has different ideas. He had another approach that he wanted to use. So between the jigs and the reels, with my schedule and his schedule, we had to do it piecemeal. We had to do it whenever I was available. Whenever I was in Halifax or in St. John’s or in Toronto, whenever we could pull it together, we’d find time and get a crew and get it done. How did he first pitch the idea to you? Well, basically he was just saying “We’d like

to do a documentary on you.” I don’t know. I’ve never really thought I was that interesting a person. I think that people like the songs. I’ve never thought I was that interesting a guy, so when somebody comes to you and says, “Listen, we’d like to do a documentary film on you,” you just kind of go, “What for?” Well, people want to know where the songs are coming from. Well that’s actually my favorite thing about the film, is how the editor did such a good job of connecting the dots between the anecdotes and the stories and the songs. So you’re sitting there, you have a camera on you and you’re told to reveal your past and your secrets. How does that feel? Well, you feel like really naked. You really, really do. But after a while, Bill was really Continued on page 13


RON HYNES... good to work with. We—Christ—we shot thirty-four hours of film footage. For a ninetyminute documentary, we shot a lot. And after a while it got easier, and I was just able to relax with it and open up and talk about stuff that I normally never would. It was a small crew, and it’s a very intimate situation. It’s only when it hits the silver screen that it looms rather large. [laugh] But you do, really, initially, you just feel really naked. Have you been to any of the screenings? I’ve been going to some of the screenings. We premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival a couple of weeks ago, and it was all adrenalin and media and photographs and interviews and my children were there and my girlfriend was there. [laugh] My kids were worried about what I was going to say about them on the film, and I'm worried about what they're gonna think about the film. I couldn't even really watch the bloody film because there was so much pressure surrounding me, so I was able to go on the second day, wear just a T-shirt and a pair of jeans and be invisible in the audience. To just watch the film. It’s hard for me to detach myself from it, and it’s hard to be objective. I've never liked myself on film or on television or you know over the years when the Wonderful Grand Band used to be on TV, I could never watch the shows, because I would always second guess myself. “Oh don’t say that,” or “Don’t look that way,” “Don’t turn like that,” “Don’t wear that shirt ever again!” But with this film, at the end of the day, I’m really pleased. I’m pleased with the work and I think that Billy and Terry did an incredible job. I think the crew did an incredible job. The editor (Andrew MacCormack) especially did a wonderful job. I’m more than pleased with the results. Everybody seems to be making a big fuss over the fact that it’s me in the film, but it’s a Bill MacGillivray film about me. At the end of the day it’s his film. It’s not mine. It’s his work. I’m just the subject. So I’m able to remove myself from it and I’m really happy for them because they work really, really hard for this and it seems to be paying off.

I’ll tell you two interesting things that I have in common with Gordon Pinsent. We are the only male artists from Newfoundland to ever win a Genie: I won one for best song in the film Secret Nation, called "Final Breath" and Gordon won [three acting Genies, most recently Best Actor for the feature Away From Her.] And the only female who won a Genie here is Mary Lewis, who won for When Ponds Freeze Over some years back. The other interesting thing about that I have in common with Gordon—you’re going to laugh when you hear this—is that at one point we were both instructors for the Arthur Murray School of Dance. What?? Absolutely true. [laugh] That is an absolute

truth. For a brief period in my life when I was in Victoria, BC, I needed a job and it was the only job available. I was on the street, I was hungry. I couldn’t get a gig for love or money out there, so I went and answered this ad and ended up being a young trainee ballroom dance instructor for a few months. I just made enough money to get the hell out of there, but apparently he worked there as a serious instructor for some time. That’s a little known anecdote about Mr. Pinsent’s and my career. At one point we both worked for the Arthur Murray School of Dance. [laughter] I didn’t know you could ballroom dance. Yeah I can’t. [laugh] I can’t. I didn’t know what I was doing then and I don’t know what I am doing now. What is that Leonard Cohen song? "...And the white man dancing?"

So for this record, Stealing Genius, you say much of it was inspired by local writers. How did that happen? A lot of it has to do with my involvement for the past few years with the Writers at Woody Point Festival, so I became more and more acquainted with all the poets and writers and the novelists here in the province, people like Stan Dragland and Randall Maggs and Des Walsh, and the late and great Al Pittman... Donna Morrissey, Michael Crummey... It was really exciting to be able to just go into all of that work and write some songs based on them all. It was a different approach for me. It’s like I’m really stepping out of myself all together. So what was the process like?

Do you have a favourite part of the film? I think my favorite part was my nephew Joel Hynes' contribution. He connected a lot of dots. He was able to say a lot of things about myself that I wasn’t able to say. My favorite part of the film was him. It was really affecting. It really was, yeah. And I love when he said, “Even if nobody knows who the man of a thousand songs is,” he says, “when Ron Hynes walks in a room, or he walks down the aisle of a plane everybody’s going ‘who the f*%k is this guy and what the f*%k does he do?'” Between this film and your new record you've got a lot of things going for you these days. Yeah. On the one hand I feel swamped and on the other hand I feel like, I don’t know, like I woke up to a brand new life suddenly. I didn’t expect to. I just got off the phone with Gordon Pinsent, who also has a documentary about his life in the festival. He told me to tell you he's a fan.

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

13


GORDON PINSENT... people on stage. Mysteries and memories from the past, and having to deal with those in the happiness in the present. There was the scene at the beginning of the documentary where you were pushed over a railing and it was muddy and cold. Sometimes the work behind-the-scenes isn't very glamourous. What is it that's keeping you working? What keeps the passion there? The fact that it’s different, not the same thing. I remember going to work earlier on in my life and realizing that I might have to settle down to a particular kind of work that I didn't want to spend my life at. I was so lucky to find something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. That's the beauty of the arts, because they're all about creating, and you never stop creating. When they put me in the box, I'm going to bring a pen and scratch out something on the underside of the lid. There's always something. Always something to say, always something to do. You are that way until you stop breathing, so might as well keep at it. Otherwise it’s not very interesting. The later part of life can be very dull, in fact, depending on what you're involved in. This has always been a very dynamic way of existing. It really demands the best of you. I like this kind of activity, being able to sit down and create something that nobody's seen. It’s a wonderful sense of achievement, even though nothing may ever come of it. But it’s yours, it’s all yours. When you set out to work as an actor, you had no idea that you were going to be able to make a go of it. In the film it talks about your first marriage, which broke up. And I couldn't help but notice a connection with the play—not being able to run away from yourself, or from your past. Well, I think it would be a fairly uninteresting, uneventful life if things stayed on an even plane. I think being in an unchangeable situation you don't discover much of anything, much less about yourself. You have to see things as they go along. They are there. They're in us. You know, we have a source in ourselves to go to when we want to open it up and enlarge our existence. That happens by, probably, through an adventurous nature where you want to lead a different kind of life than what might be expected. I found out fairly early that I was not the best at manual labour. I was also mechanically un-inclined, so instead of all that I went for

the other, the arts. Then I would have been really dead wrong if that didn't work. I don't know if there would have been a place for me. I didn't go to drama school. I didn't have the money to do the wonderful schools in England. A lot of people did that. That was the way to go. I didn't have that, so I had to go with whatever assets I had. Another person in town who has had that kind of impulse is Ron Hynes—and there's another documentary in the same film festival this year about him. Yes, that's The Man of a Thousand Songs. For these interviews I wanted to concentrate on you and Ron because you both have had some times in life where your artistic passion took over. Where you chose it in place of a more stable life. I would say we're lucky to have had a checkered past. In the checkered past, if you haven't done absolutely dirt to people, if you've been a fairly decent individual, you just happen to make mistakes, what it does is it adds layers to you. With more and more layers, that gives you a greater inventory of places to go to when you're writing and you're creating. Even as an individual, it adds. It’s a plus. Otherwise, can you imagine? I remember when I started I was a painter at one time, and I still do some. I'd go around and I think, “I'll touch up that painting.” That was one I had done years and years ago, but my wife said, “Don't touch it. That was you then.” And it was. It was me then. That's how I felt like wielding the brush at that time. There's a marvelous thing about looking back. Yes, sometimes, sadly, since my wife past, I can look back think, I want that particular day back. I want that week back. I want to do something that I had never done. I want to take her somewhere where she'd never been. That kind of regret. But things worked out well. We got on famously and stuff. It’s been a very worthwhile trip for just about everybody involved. It’s not seen in any sort of unseemly way. It’s seen in very good light. Because what you've done is you've learned from it, and it’s your book of life. The place in your own private place. If you've handled it okay. It’s all been okay. It’s been very good. I mean regrets are going to be there. She said if you start fixing up your paintings, if you start trying to perfect in that false way of life, you're going to end up with a very thin book. You've got to have a bigger book than that.

The Ferry Last Stop Café 2 Loop Dr, Portugal Cove. 895-3082 Thu – Sun 10am-3pm, 6-9pm Healthy Local Fresh Organic Restaurant, Events & Catering Sunday Serenades w/ Local Feast Buffet:

Sun Oct 3, 12pm

Katie Baggs

Sun Oct 24, 12pm

Ben Rigby

14

thescope

OCTOBER 2010

RON HYNES...

Stormy Weather. That was the only piece I had. So I thought, you know, I was thinking I was given a house up at Woody Point in Sep- of writing something bases on Randall’s book about Terry Sawchuk and the whole thing tember of 2008 by Dianne Martin, who’s the just opened up for me: “Why not go to all editor for Random House Publishing, and her the writers? Why not just go into all of partner David Stromberg. I just wasn’t the work that’s available here and go getting the writing done at home. s Read interview spend thirty days in isolation. Read The phone was ringing, the TV was s er ak m with film like a son of a bitch, write like a son n ra on, the dog was barking, people Barbara Do of a bitch.” and William were dropping by. I wasn’t get the line I really, really worked MacGillivray on work done. at thescope.ca hard. I was out of bed at six o’ clock I went through a really, really in the morning, wrote till ten thirty, long period where I hardly did anyhad lunch, wrote until six o’ clock in the thing and I was starting to suffer from it, evening, had dinner, wrote until ten thirty so I was talking to Dianne about this and she at night, went to bed, got up at six o’clock in said, “Why don’t you just take the house after the morning. And I just did that for thirty two the Writers at Woody Point is over? Take the days and wrote this record. house for the whole month of September and It was a great process. It was really fun. It just get the work done.” was fun to do and it was a real labour of love I just read Randall Maggs' Sawchuck Poems, and I am really proud of this work. I think it’s and I had one song called "House", which my best work to date. was based on a work by Stan Dragland called


WEEKEND MUSIC LISTINGS

For the rest of the week, and for the most up-to-date info, go to thescope.ca/ events

Friday OCT 1 BUMP 10PM, Martini Bar CHRIS HENNESSEY (5pm); Bill Kelly (8pm), Tarahan (11:30pm), O'Reilly's Irish Pub D'ARCY BRODERICK & RON KELLY (5pm); Barry Kenny & Glen Harvey (8pm), Shamrock City Pub DAMIAN FOLLETT (6:30pm); Carl Peters & Dave White (10:30pm), Green Sleeves Pub DJ FABIAN, no cover, 11am, Zone 216 DJ ILLZ, Loft 709 DJ NU ROCK, Martini Bardownstairs DJ SINA, Konfusion FILTHY FRIDAYS: DJ JayCee, Turkey Joe's KARAOKE, Karaoke Kops Party Bar KING OF THE STREET: DJ battle for supremacy of George St, Rock House MARK BRAGG & THE BUTCHERS (indie rock) The Ship MOTIONS SONGWRITER SHOWCASE (NayburZ with FlavoR) 10pm-12am, Franklin Hotel ONE POWER (reggae) Fat Cat Blues Bar SHEAVY (rock), Wizards of Kaos (doom metal), Swords (epic metal), 10pm, Distortion STEVE GREEN, Trinity Pub

HUGH SCOTT (5pm); Bob Taylor, Carl Peters & Pat Moran (8pm), Shamrock City Pub JANE DOE, The Commie Ninjas (rock), Jerry Stamp, 11pm, $6, Distortion KARAOKE, Hosted by Murf, Darnell's Pub

BLACK 49, Fallen Abby, The Levee BUMP 10PM, Martini Bar CARL PETERS & DAVE WHITE, Green Sleeves Pub CD VS VINYL: Showdown between DJ Fox & Russtafari, 11:30pm, $10, Liquid Night Club COLD RIVER CHOIR (altfolk), Joe Belly (country), 10:30pm, Scanlan's Pub DJ BIG FRANK, Konfusion DJ YELLOW, Martini Bardownstairs

CALL: 722-8576 ASK FOR RUTH OR KEITH

FRIDAY KITCHEN PARTY OCT. 1: TBA 6PM; CRASH JONES 9PM OCT. 8: DAVE REARDON 6PM; BEV GREELEY 9PM OCT. 15: DUNCAN CAMERON 6PM; TBA 9PM OCT. 22: CRASH JONES 6PM; WAYNE SHORTALL 9PM OCT. 29: BEV GREELEY 6PM; DAMIAN MOORES 9PM Special reduced prices on all Iceberg products

7 Hutchings Street (across from railway station)

ROB BARRETT, Lovemotor (rock), The Brothers Lloyd, Rock House ROB COOK (4:30pm); Fergus O'Byrne (8pm); Tarahan (11:30pm), O'Reilly's Irish Pub SEAN HOYLES, Trinity Pub SEXUAL SATURDAYS: DJ JayCee, Turkey Joe's SUCKA FREE SATURDAY: Maze (hip hop), Young Blood, Evident, Phax, Sparkez, DJ Green Arrow, DJ Scrappy, DJ Miss EN V, $5, Headquarters SUPERSTARS, Club One VJ ERIC, DJ Fabian, 11pm, $5/$7 after 1:30pm, Zone 216

Friday OCT 8 AARON MCBERAIRTY, Trinity Pub

BIC & THE BALLPOINTS, Club One

BABY JUNE (EP/video release), Jamie Mac, The Bloomsberry Group, 10pm, $10, The Ship

OCT. 2...SPRINGHEEL JACK (4PC BAND) OCT. 9...BUD LIGHT KARAOKE W/ WAYNE SHORTALL OCT. 16...GP COUNTRY OCT. 23...BUD LIGHT KARAOKE W/ WAYNE SHORTALL OCT. 30...HALLOWEEN DANCE W/ SPRINGHEEL JACK

KUJO (rock), John Lennox (folk country), CBTGs

TRADITIONAL MUSIC SESSION, 8:30pm, Erin's Pub

A NIGHT OF JAZZ STANDARDS: Brad Jefford (guitar), Mac Barfoot (drums), Dave Rowe (bass), Katie Hopkins (vocals), 9:30pm1am, $7, Rose & Thistle Pub

AVAILABLE FOR WEDDINGS, RETIREMENT, BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY, XMAS, OFFICE PARTIES, ETC. UP TO 150 PEOPLE.

KARAOKE, Karaoke Kops Party Bar

THE ROLLING KINGS (Irish) Rose & Thistle Pub

Saturday OCT 2

SATURDAY NIGHT OUT

CATERING AVAILABLE

CHRIS HENNESSEY (5pm); Bill Kelly (8pm), Greeley's Reel (11:30pm), O'Reilly's Irish Pub

SUPERSTARS, Club One

PRIVATE PARTY?

D'ARCY BRODERICK & RON KELLY (5pm); Barry Kenny & Glen Harvey (8pm), Shamrock City Pub DAMIAN FOLLETT (6:30pm); Nothing Fancy (10:30pm), Green Sleeves Pub DJ FABIAN, no cover, 11am, Zone 216 DJ NU ROCK, Martini Bardownstairs DJ SINA, Konfusion FILTHY FRIDAYS: DJ JayCee, Turkey Joe's HABOUR SYMPHONY, 6pm, St John's Harbour KARAOKE, Karaoke Kops Party Bar MISSCONDUCT, 10pm, Martini Bar MOTIONS SONGWRITER SHOWCASE (NayburZ with FlavoR) 10pm-12am, Franklin Hotel ROMI MAYES (Winnipeg country), Jody Richardson, The Subtitles (pop), The Ship THE NOVAKS (rock), The Long Distance Runners

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

15


WEEKEND MUSIC (rock), 10pm, $10/$15, Rock House THE SIDEKICKS, Fat Cat Blues Bar TRADITIONAL MUSIC SESSION, 8:30pm, Erin's Pub

Saturday OCT 9 ABBEY ROAD: Beatles Tribute, $10/$15, Rock House BAD BOY BILL (Chicago electro) $15/$25, Majestic Theatre BIC & THE BALLPOINTS, Club One DAVID LANGMEAD, Trinity Pub DENIS PARKER & SCOTT GOUDIE BAND, Fat Cat Blues Bar

DJ FABIAN, no cover, 11am, Zone 216 DJ NU ROCK, Martini Bardownstairs DJ SINA, Konfusion FILTHY FRIDAYS: DJ JayCee, Turkey Joe's KARAOKE, Karaoke Kops Party Bar MOTIONS SONGWRITER SHOWCASE (NayburZ with FlavoR) 10pm-12am, Franklin Hotel NUKE NECK (improvised groove), Juicer (rock), $7, The Levee

DJ YELLOW, Martini Bardownstairs

STEVE DAVIS, Trinity Pub

KARAOKE, Karaoke Kops Party Bar MISSCONDUCT, 10pm, Martini Bar MOPEY MUMBLE-MOUSE (art punk), Colonel Craze & The Hunch (hard rock), The Drunks Rule This Place (rock), 11pm, $5, The Levee NOTHING FANCY, Green Sleeves Pub ROB COOK (4:30pm);Fergus O'Byrne (8pm); Greeley's Reel (11:30pm), O'Reilly's Irish Pub ROMI MAYES (Winnipeg country), Jody Richardson, The Ship ROUNDELAY (psychedelic rock), Baytown Connection (beach rock), The Brothers Lloyd, $7, The Levee SEXUAL SATURDAYS: DJ JayCee, Turkey Joe's SNAKE EYE (rock folk) $7, Rose & Thistle THE ONCE & JOHN SHEEHAN: An evening of stories, traditional songs, comedy & hullabaloo, 8pm, $27/$30, Arts & Culture Centre VJ ERIC, DJ Fabian, 11pm, $5/$7 after 1:30pm, Zone 216

Friday OCT 15 AHNA, Datacave (Montreal punk), Polina (punk), Lost Weekend, Rose & Thistle ANDREW O'BRIEN & FRIENDS, The Ship ATTENTION! (Toronto pop punk), Nightmen, Over The Top, I Was A Skywalker, Clocked In, Headquarters BARCODE, Darnell's Pub BLUE EYED BLONDE (cover rock) Club One CHRIS HENNESSEY (5pm); Bill Kelly (8pm), O'Reilly's Irish Pub D'ARCY BRODERICK & RON

OCTOBER 2010

DAMIAN FOLLETT (6:30pm); Twelve Mile House (10:30pm), Green Sleeves Pub

QUIDI VIDI DIRT BAND, 10pm, Martini Bar

KARAOKE, Hosted by Murf, Darnell's Pub

thescope

KELLY (5pm); Barry Kenny & Glen Harvey (8pm); A Chara (11pm), Shamrock City Pub

DJ BIG FRANK, Konfusion

HUGH SCOTT (5pm); Bob Taylor, Carl Peters & Pat Moran (8pm), Shamrock City Pub

16

continued

THE POWER OF PERCUSSION (MUN Music) Rob Power & friends present chamber works featuring percussion, 8pm, $10/$15, DF Cook Recital Hall TRADITIONAL MUSIC SESSION, 8:30pm, Erin's Pub

Saturday OCT 16 AHNA, Datacave (Montreal punk), Polina (punk), Distortion BLUE EYED BLONDE (cover rock) Club One BONAVISTA CHAIN LOCKER (greasy klezmer rock), Quiet Elephant (indie pop), Pre-Raphaelites (pop), The Crooks (alt), 11pm, $7, The Levee C'MON (Toronto rock) The Ship DJ BIG FRANK, Konfusion DJ YELLOW, Martini Bardownstairs DREAM OUT LOUD: Shallaway NL Youth in Chorus present their annual fall concert, 7:30pm, $15/$20, MUN Reid Theatre 7386792 DUNCAN CAMERON, Trinity Pub HUGH SCOTT (5pm); Bob Taylor, Carl Peters & Pat Moran (8pm); A Chara (11pm), Shamrock City Pub KARAOKE, Hosted by Murf, Darnell's Pub KARAOKE, Karaoke Kops Party Bar PARTY IN PINK (Breast Cancer benefit) DJ Illz, Loft 709 QUIDI VIDI DIRT BAND, 10pm, Martini Bar ROB COOK (4:30pm); Fergus O'Byrne (8pm), O'Reilly's Irish Pub SCHUMANN’S BUTTERFLIES & MOZART’S GHOST (MUN Music) Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Robert Schumann’s birth, pianist Stephen Runge presents Papillons and Humoreske, 8pm, $10/$15, DF Cook Recital Hall 


A GOOD YARN St. John’s fun, friendly yarn shop! Find beautiful yarns, inspiration, and likeminded people.

4 Bates Hill 738-0556 www.agoodyarn.ca

CL ASSES STARTING SOON

Interested in teaching a class? Drop us a line!

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

17


READER RESTAURANT REVIEWS

Customer-submitted reviews for St. John’s and metro.

SEQUERRA'S RESTAURANT 27 Elizabeth Avenue, 753-8887

 Reviewed by girlheartsfood

Have often had takeout from here but never the buffet until today—mostly because I haven’t had good experiences with Chinese buffets. Definitely not the biggest game in town, but I personally would rather have a smaller selection of delicious food to choose from than a whole bunch of garbage. Beef and broccoli with lots of veggies and beef, General Tso chicken, black bean chicken, and then the standards like ribs, rice, noodles, S&S chicken balls, egg rolls, chow mein, etc. The desserts were pretty good too. Avg rating

1/2 (based on 5 reviews)

BIANCA'S

171 Water Street, 726-9016

 Reviewed by Reviewer

My lunch at Bianca’s the other week was wonderful. I began with the snow crab and shrimp bisque which tasted great. The taste of fresh seafood penetrated the dish, along with a mild tomato-flavored base. For my entrée I ordered an off-menu item, pan-seared wild sea bass with truffle gnocchi and a gooseberry gastrique. By far this was my favorite dish of the afternoon. You could really tell that the sea bass was fresh and the piquant gooseberry

‘‘

‘‘

I hope next time we meet, we won’t be fighting each other. Instead we will be drinking tea together. – jackie chan rumble in the bronx

We have 100 different teas to help you create friendships.

199 Water Street 709-579-9288 www.britanniateas.ca

18

thescope

OCTOBER 2010

gastrique accompanied it wonderfully. Every dish ordered was very elegantly presented and that is good, because sometimes I’ve found restaurants skimp out on the lunch presentation and just go for the dinner presentation. That does not impress me, so I was quite pleased that Bianca’s went all out. Avg rating



(based on 1 review)

CHINCHED

7 Queen’s Street, 722-3100

 Reviewed by Lauren

We ate at Chinched recently and the food is really good. In particular, the Thai shrimp curry was excellent. Even the country pâté (which wasn’t to my taste) was nicely done. The staff was really friendly and eager to please. Good food, good atmosphere, good prices, good service. What more are you looking for in a meal at a restaurant? Highest recommendation. Avg rating



(based on 7 reviews)

Disagree? Write your own review at

thescope.ca/scoff


WEEKEND MUSIC SEXUAL SATURDAYS: DJ JayCee, Turkey Joe's SHAKE YO ASSES IN SUNGLASSES, DJ Nurock, Rock House SIMPLY THE BEST: Tribute to Tina Turner, 8pm, $32.50, Arts & Culture Centre TWELVE MILE HOUSE, Green Sleeves Pub VJ ERIC, DJ Fabian, 11pm, $5/$7 after 1:30pm, Zone 216

Friday OCT 22 709, Club One BARCODE, Trapper Johns CHRIS HENNESSEY (5pm); Bill Kelly (8pm), The Bishops (11:30pm), O'Reilly's Irish Pub D'ARCY BRODERICK & RON KELLY (5pm); Barry Kenny & Glen Harvey (8pm); Tarahan (11pm), Shamrock City Pub DAMIAN FOLLETT (6:30pm); Carl Peters & Dave White (10:30pm), Green Sleeves Pub DARRELL COOPER BLUES BAND, Fat Cat Blues Bar DJ FABIAN, no cover, 11am, Zone 216 DJ NU ROCK, Martini Bardownstairs DJ SINA, Konfusion FILTHY FRIDAYS: DJ JayCee, Turkey Joe's

continued

GREG KING, Trinity Pub KARAOKE, Karaoke Kops Party Bar MOTIONS SONGWRITER SHOWCASE (NayburZ with FlavoR) 10pm-12am, Franklin Hotel ONE POWER, The Ship THE VIBE, 10pm, Martini Bar TRADITIONAL MUSIC SESSION, 8:30pm, Erin's Pub

Saturday OCT 23 709, Club One CARL PETERS & DAVE WHITE, Green Sleeves Pub DARRELL COOPER BLUES BAND, Fat Cat Blues Bar DJ BIG FRANK, Konfusion DJ YELLOW, Martini Bardownstairs HOT JAZZ, Cool Night: Lady Cove Women's Choir, Jazz East Big Band, Newman's Sound Men's Choir. Featuring jazz vocalist Heather Bambrick, 8pm, $18/$24, Holy Heart Theatre HUGH SCOTT (5pm); Bob Taylor, Carl Peters & Pat Moran (8pm); Tarahan (11pm), Shamrock City Pub KARAOKE, Hosted by Murf, Darnell's Pub KARAOKE, Karaoke Kops Party Bar ROB COOK, Trinity Pub ROB COOK (4:30pm); Fergus

O'Byrne (8pm); The Bishops (11:30pm), O'Reilly's Irish Pub

etship, The Wolves, Overlay, The Worst Kind, 9:30pm, The Levee

SEXUAL SATURDAYS: DJ JayCee, Turkey Joe's

MOTIONS SONGWRITER SHOWCASE (NayburZ with FlavoR) 10pm-12am, Franklin Hotel

ARTS & CULTURE CENTRE, Prince Philip Dr, 729-3900 THE ATTIC, 2 George St, 579-9632 BAR NONE, 164 Water St, 579-2110 BELLA VISTA, 26

SEAN HOYLES, Trinity Pub

Torbay Rd, 753-2352 BIANCA'S LOUNGE, 171 Water St 726-9016 BIG BEN'S, 55 Rowan St, 753-8212 THE BREEZEWAY, MUN Campus, 737-4743

SHERMAN DOWNEY, Pathological Lovers, The Ship

BRIDIE MOLLOY'S, 5 George St, 576-5990 THE BRIMSTONE PUBLIC HOUSE, 17 George St BULL & BARREL, Holdsworth Court, 579-7077 BULL

THE VIBE, 10pm, Martini Bar TRANSFORMATIONS: Ora Ensemble presents contemporary music by Canadian composers, 8pm, $10/$15, St Teresa's Parish-120 Mundy Pond Rd 746-6841 VJ ERIC, DJ Fabian, 11pm, $5/$7 after 1:30pm, Zone 216

Friday OCT 29 CHRIS HENNESSEY (5pm); Bill Kelly (8pm), The Acoustic Punters (11:30pm), O'Reilly's Irish Pub D'ARCY BRODERICK & RON KELLY (5pm); Barry Kenny & Glen Harvey (8pm), Shamrock City Pub DAMIAN FOLLETT (6:30pm); Des Gambin & Steve Oakley (10:30pm), Green Sleeves Pub DJ FABIAN, no cover, 11am, Zone 216 DJ NU ROCK, Martini Bardownstairs DJ SINA, Konfusion FILTHY FRIDAYS: DJ JayCee, Turkey Joe's KARAOKE, Karaoke Kops Party Bar KELLY ANN EVANS BAND, 11pm, Martini Bar MARDI GRAS: Rocket Rock-

TARAHAN, 10:30pm, Bridie Molloys THE INSIDERS, Club One THE KILLING (Misfits cover band 10 year reunion) 10pm, $5 with costume / $7, Cause & Effect, Over the Top, Headquarters TRADITIONAL MUSIC SESSION, 8:30pm, Erin's Pub

MUSIC VENUE

DIRECTORY & FINCH, Torbay Rd, 738-7007 CBTG'S, Holdsworth Court, 722-2284 CHRISTINE'S PLACE, 210 Lemarchant Rd, 722-6400 CLB ARMOURY, 82 Harvey Rd 722-1737 CLUB ONE, George St, 753-7822 CLUB V, George St CROW'S NEST, 88 Water St (by War Memorial), 753-6927 CORNER STONE SPORTS BAR, 16 Queen St, 754-4263 DARNELL'S PUB, 1570 Topsail Rd 782-2440 DF COOK RECITAL HALL, Memorial University 7374700 DISTORTION, Holdsworth Court, 738-8833/685-1503 DUSK ULTRA LOUNGE, George St ERIN'S PUB, 186 Water St, 722-1916 FAT CAT BLUES BAR, George St 739-5554 FERRY LAST STOP CAFE, 2 Loop Dr-Portugal CV 895-3082 GEORGE STREET BEER MARKET, George St, 753-7822 GEORGETOWN PUB, 754-6151 GREEN SLEEVES PUB, 14 George St, 579-1070 THE GRAPEVINE, Water St, 754-8463 GRUMPY STUMP, Torbay Rd, 753-2337 HEADQUARTERS, 208 Water St, 579-2557 HOLY HEART THEATRE, 55 Bonaventure Ave, 579-4424 KARAOKE KOPS PARTY BAR, 10 George St, 726-8202 KELLY'S PUB, 25 George St, 753-5300 KRUGER'S BAR, Kelligrews THE LAST DROP, 193 Water St, 726-3767 THE LEVEE, Holdsworth Court LIQUID NIGHT CLUB, 186B Water St, 754-5455 LOFT 709, George St 351-2183 LOTTIE'S PLACE, 3 George St, 754-3020 LOWER

Saturday OCT 30

PATH BAR, 312 Water St 579-1717 LSPU HALL, 3 Victoria St, 753-4531 MAJESTIC THEATRE, 390 Duckworth St MARG'S PLACE, Kelligrews MARTINI BAR, George St 739-9180 MASONIC TEMPLE, 6 Cathedral St, 579-3023 MICKEY QUINN'S, 120 New Gower St, 739-6404 MILE ONE CENTRE, 50 New Gower St, 576-7657 MUN MUSIC, 737-4455 MRS LIDDY'S, Torbay 437-6005 THE OLD MILL, 271 Brookfield Rd, 368-1334 O’REILLY'S IRISH

BLAIR HARVEY & THE DREGS (We Used To Rock N' Roll CD release) The Ship

PUB, 15 George St, 722-3735 PEDDLER'S PUB, George St, 739-9180 ON THE ROCKS, 371 Duckworth 351-2183 PETER EASTON PUB, Cookstown

BONAVISTA CHAIN LOCKER, 11pm, CBTGs

St 351-2183 REPUBLIC, Duckworth St, 753-1012 ROCK HOUSE, George St, 579-6832 ROSE & THISTLE, 208 Water St, 579-6662 SCANLAN'S, 164

Road PETRO-CANADA HALL, Memorial University PLAYERS CUE, 50 Commonwealth Ave-Mt Pearl 368-2500 THE PUMPHOUSE, 371 Duckworth

Water st 738-0677 SHAMROCK CITY PUB, 340 Water St, 758-5483 SHIP PUB, 265 Duckworth St, 753-3870 SPIN, 2 George St SHARKEY'S PUB,

DES GAMBIN & STEVE OAKLEY, Green Sleeves Pub

Manuels 834-5636 SHOOTERZ ROADHOUSE, 986 Conception Bay Highway 744-1900 THE SPROUT, 364 Duckworth St, 579-5485 SS MEIGLE

DJ BIG FRANK, Konfusion

LOUNGE, Seal Cove 744-1212 ST JOHN'S CONVENTION CENTRE, New Gower St 576-7657 STANLEY'S PUB, 26 Torbay Rd, 754-0930 STATION

DJ YELLOW, Martini Bardownstairs

LOUNGE, 7 Hutchings 722-8576 St STAR OF THE SEA, Henry St, 753-8222 STETSON LOUNGE, 260 Water St, 753-8138 SUNDANCE, George St,

HUGH SCOTT (5pm); Bob Taylor, Carl Peters & Pat Moran (8pm), Shamrock City Pub JANEIL LYNCH, Trinity Pub KARAOKE, Hosted by Murf, Darnell's Pub KARAOKE, Karaoke Kops Party Bar

753-7822 TOL'S TIME-OUT LOUNGE, 74 Old Placentia Rd 745-8657 TOPSAIL BREEZE TAVERN, Topsail 781-0010 TRAPPER JOHN'S PUB, 2 George St, 579-9630 TRINITY PUB, George St, 579-5558 TRIP IN LOUNGE, Kelligrews 834-4002 THE WELL, 14 George St WHALEN'S PUB, 32 George St 722-4900 WHISKY ON GEORGE, 15 George St, 579-9475 YELLOWBELLY BREWERY, 288 Water St 757-3784 ZONE 216 216, 216 Water St, 7542492 DO YOU HOST LIVE MUSIC OR DJS? JOINING OUR DIRECTORY IS FREE. E-MAIL LISTINGS@THESCOPE.CA

KELLY ANN EVANS BAND, 11pm, Martini Bar ROB COOK (4:30pm);Fergus

O'Byrne (8pm); The Acoustic Punters (11:30pm), O'Reilly's Irish Pub

SEXUAL SATURDAYS: DJ JayCee, Turkey Joe's

$5/$7 after 1:30pm, Zone 216

VJ ERIC, DJ Fabian, 11pm,

Rock House The

KARAOKE KOPS PARTY BAR 10 George Street For party bookings, call: 747-5677 or 726-8202

on George Street

HOURS: Wed – Sat: 9:30 PM – close HAPPY HOUR ‘til: 11 PM! SHOWTIME: 10:30 PM

KLAIM TO FAME CONTEST! THE CONTEST BEGINS WED, SEPT 15TH – THURS – OCT 28TH

ONE CONTESTANT WILL BE CHOSEN EVERY WED & THURS TO COMPETE IN THE FINALS ALL WEEKLY WINNERS WILL ENJOY A V.I.P. PARTY AT KARAOKE KOPS, INCLUDING A MEMORIES FOREVER “COACH PARTY BUS LIMOUSINE” RIDE & A CHANCE TO WIN

$500.00 CASH!

FRIDAY OCT 8TH THE

NOVAKS WITH

LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS

CALL THE KOPS FOR DETAILS! 747-5677 (KOPS) SPONSORED BY

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

19


ON STAGE

THEATRE DANCE & PERFORMANCE SPOKEN & WRITTEN COMEDY

ON STAGE CALENDAR Send press releases to listings@thescope.ca

Theatre

HAVA CHAI LATTE

216 WATER STREET

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (TaDa Events) Alice is caught in a psychedelic world where she encounters amazing creatures under the ground and in the air. Featuring trapeze and silk aerial acts, dance, theatre and gymnastics, $25+/$35+, Holy Heart Theatre-55 Bonaventure Ave 579-4424 (Thu Oct 14Sat Oct 16 at 8pm; Sat Oct 16 at 2pm) BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC: Centre for Marine Simulation & Rabbittown Theatre Company offer a realistic and immersive simulation that will allow you to experience the actions of a WWII corvette as it escorts a convoy across the North Atlantic, Marine Institute (Thu Oct 28 from 12pm1:30pm) EASY, DOWN EASY (Grand Bank & RCA Theatre Co) An acclaimed university professor, scholar and trouble-maker has abandoned his former life and moved to the hillside with his muse partner Johanna, with little more than the clothes on their backs and fire in their souls. Gordon Pinsent reminds us that you can never truly run away from yourself, or your past. Directed by Mary Walsh and starring Berni Stapleton, Dermot Hennelly and Kevin Woolridge, $30, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 (Wed Oct 6 - Sun Oct 17 at 8pm / Pay-whatyou-can-Saturdays: Oct 9 & 16 at 2pm) HAIRSPRAY (Peter MacDonald Productions) Loveable plus-size heroine, Tracy Turnblad, has a passion for dancing, and wins a spot on the local TV dance program. Overnight she finds herself transformed from outsider to teen celebrity, Arts &

Culture Centre 729-3900 (Tue Sep 28-Sat Oct 2) ROCKY HORROR EXTRAVAGANZA (MUN Geek Society) Come see The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with *participation,* shadow cast & MC, all welcome, free, MUN Science-2109 (Fri Oct 22 at 7pm) THE DIARY OF ADAM & EVE (Open Theatre Co) As seen through the eyes of Mark Twain, Adam and Eve enter a new world of questions and curiosities filled with intrigue and humour. Throw in some forbidden fruit and an ever so enlightened snake and watch how things unfold, $12/$15, Basement Theatre-Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Thu Oct 7 - Sun Oct 10 at 8pm / PWYC Sun Oct 10 at 8PM)

Dance & Performance 5TH ANNUAL DOWNTOWN FASHION SHOW (Kittiwake Dance Theatre) Featuring local designers Brent Coffin, Cara Winsor Hehir & Charlotte Reid. Music by DJ Pat Dunn & The Subtitles, $15, Club One 722-6907 (Thu Oct 7 at 7pm) LATIN TUESDAYS: Dance to a mixture of Latin rhythms, 9pm, $7, Bella Vista PINK RIBBON CLASSIS HORSE SHOW (Women’s Cancer Awareness fundraiser) Equestrians perform their skills in jumping, games & musical rides. Your chance to see pink horses, Clovelly StablesLogy Bay 687-0306(Sat Oct 9 & Sun Oct 10) PRESIDENT'S CHOICE SUPERDOGS: They're athletes, they're entertainers, and they're dogs. From The Bow Wows of Broadway to Hollywoof, Starwoofs, The Wizard of Paws, Hairy Pawter, El Festiva, & Woof, Rock 'N Roll, every show is a canine cross between a Broadway hit and a major sporting event, $15+/$20+/$25+, Mile One Centre 576-7657 (Sat Oct 23)

TANGO ON THE EDGE: A social gathering to dance Argentine Tango, $5, RCA Club-10 Bennett Ave (Thursdays at 8:30pm)

Spoken & Written AL-MUTANABBI STREET COLLECTIVE (Wayzgoose) Tara Bryan talks about a letterpress project in solidarity with the people of Iraq,The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Thu Oct 28 from 2:30pm3:30pm) BOOK ART PRESENTATION (Wayzgoose) By letterpress printer & book artist Amos Paul Kennedy Jr, MUN QEII Library-Map Rm (Tue Oct 26 from 4pm-5:30pm) BOOK SIGNING: Children’s book author Susan Chalker Browne signs Freddy’s Hockey Hero, Mile One Centre 576-7657 (Sun Oct 3 at 2pm) DRAMATIC READING (Rising Tide Theatre) Based on Rig, Mike Heffernan's book on the Ocean Ranger, $16, Basement Theatre-Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Sun Oct 3 at 7:30pm) LINO-CUT ARTIST TALK (Wayzgoose) Talk by Raymond Verdaguer & opening reception for Radical Pamphlets Display, MUN QEII Library-Map Rm (Mon Oct 25 from 5pm-7pm) LITERARY READING: Fiction writer Alissa York will read from her new novel Fauna, free, Junior Common Room, MUN Gushue Hall (Tue Oct 5 at 8pm) LITERARY READING: Jeff Bursey reads from Verbatim: A Novel. Beth E Janzen reads from The Enchanted House, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882 (Tue Oct 19 at 7pm)

PRINT CULTURE & PROTEST (Wayzgoose) A panel discussion featuring Amos Paul Kennedy Jr Kennedy, Raymond Verdaguer & Robin McGrath, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882 (Thu Oct 28 at 7:30pm) ST JOHN'S STORYTELLING CIRCLE: An open mic of local tales by local tellers w/ resident fabulist Dale Jarvis, $3, Crow's Nest Officer's Club (Thu Oct 14 at 7:30pm) WAYZGOOSE PRINTERS' FAIR: Featuring work by local, national and international printmakers and book artists. Music by Sandy Morris & Graham Wells. Readings by local authors, Anna Templeton Centre-278 Duckworth St 739-7623 (Sat Oct 30 from 12pm-5pm) WILLIAM COAKER NIGHT (Wayzgoose) An evening celebrating Coaker and The Fisherman's Advocate, with an informal talk by Ed Roberts; music by Jim Payne; dramatic readings by Chris Brookes, Quidi Vidi Brewery (Wed Oct 27 at 8pm)

Comedy COMEDY NIGHT, Trinity Pub (Thu Oct 7 & 21) JUST FOR LAUGHS COMEDY TOUR: Featuring Jeremy Hotz & friends, $42.50, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Mon Oct 25 at 7pm) LAUGH HARD: Stand up comedy, $2, The LeveeHoldsworth Crt (Sundays 8pm-11pm) THE ONCE & JOHN SHEEHAN: An evening of Newfoundland stories, traditional songs, comedy and hullabaloo, $27/$30, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Sat Oct 9 at 8pm)

Find the most up-to-date listings online at

thescope.ca/onstage

THURSDAY EVENING

PAP CLINICS Women in Newfoundland and Labrador have one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the country. A regular pap test can help prevent cervical cancer. Ask your health care provider about getting your pap test or phone Planned Parenthood for more information. Planned Parenthood offers various medical clinics, including Thursday evening pap clinics. To book an appointment today, please phone. Sexual Health Medical Clinics • Birth Control Supplies • Free Condoms • Pregnancy Testing Educational Workshops • Youth Groups • Information

S E X U A L H E A LT H Q U E S T I O N S ? W E H AV E A N S W E R S ! 579-1009 or 1-877 NO MYTHS (666-9847) | 203 Merrymeeting Road, St. John's info@nlsexualhealthcentre.org

20

thescope

OCTOBER 2010


BOOKS

Society Gained a Murderer

J

Review by Mark Callanan

ust over fifty years ago, in the small, and what month” is rendered as “His phone western Kansas town of Holcomb, calls to the girl are private. He doesnt have a four members of the Clutter family recorder to record it. He can’t remember what were shot to death in their own was said…” The emotional impact of the firsthome. For weeks following the person—of a witness, frustrated by redundant killings, the local police had no suspects, no questioning—is lost. Instead, we’re left with a murder weapon, no apparent motive, and detachment that is at odds with Winter’s statlittle hope of finding the perpetrators of the ed intentions to give voice to those involved bloodbath. Enter Truman Capote, New York in the court case. socialite, confidant of the moneyed set, famed What Winter does well is juxtapose conflictauthor of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Capote’s obses- ing pieces of witness testimony, creating dission with the Clutter murders culminated in sonance between multiple versions of events, the production of In Cold Blood, now considquestioning who is telling the truth and who ered a seminal work in American literature. is lying. Because of Winter’s arrangement, the Capote called his opus a “non-fiction individual testimonies, placed together, often novel,” an extended piece seem like conversations, of reportage that maras if two witnesses are shalled the techniques of arguing over the details fiction-writing in order surrounding the night to reconstruct a narraof the murder. Winter’s tive of the murders and fictionalization successtheir aftermath. Michael fully compacts an entire, Winter, author of several undoubtedly arduous trial short story collections and process into some 370 novels, calls The Death of pages. That’s no small Donna Whalen, his most thing. recent publication, a “docAnd yet, it’s not umentary novel.” By crenearly enough. Reducating a collage of witness ing real-life events to a testimonies and wire-tap story of digestible size is transcripts, Winter’s novel the work of journalism, fictionalizes the real-life not fiction. “Journalism trial of a St. John’s man always moves along on a who stood accused of horizontal plane, telling a viciously stabbing his story, while fiction—good girlfriend to death. fiction—moves vertically, As Winter explains in taking you deeper and The Death of Donna Whalen his foreword, he selected deeper into character and Michael Winter some eighty thousand events,” Truman Capote Hamish Hamilton Canada, 2010 words from ten thousand once told Gloria Steinem 370 pages; $34.00 pages of public domain in Glamour magazine. documents (much of Winter’s novel only ever it court testimony by scratches the surface witnesses, experts, and by the defendant) in of the motivations of those involved in the order to construct his account. In addition death of Donna Whalen, hints at a fullness of to this edit, Winter “changed the names and life that is never truly realised on the page. conflated some characters and turned most of His characters are little more than the sum the testimony into a third-person narrative.” of their testimonies; they are viewed almost The narrative gains little by this intrusion exclusively through that myopic lens. on point-of-view, and in some cases, the shift Maybe that’s part of Winter’s point: that frustrates our reading. When, for instance, the media coverage of such horrific crimes, Sheldon Troke (the accused) refutes prison the very nature of court proceedings, reduces informant Leander Dollymont’s testimony all participants to tabloid characters, people that the two men had had sexual relations, whose associations with crime are attractive Winter writes: “Dolly says they had sex. You’d to our inner voyeur. The problem with Winthink he’d remember that.” The he here actuter’s book is that, by the nature of its methally refers to Troke, but the structure of the ods, it raises more questions about the ethics sentence makes it seem as if it could refer to of fictionalizing the lives of the living than Dolly. “Dolly says we had sex. You’d think it does about the treatment of the already I’d remember that,” Troke should have said, disenfranchised by a judicial system that is sarcastically dismissing the accusation. more concerned with forcing closure than Even when this shift in point-of-view does with delivering justice. “Nobody won at this not obfuscate meaning (and, to be fair, most trial,” Sheldon Troke states during his closing of the time it doesn’t), it feels wrong. It feels court statement (he maintained his innocence like tampering when “It’s against the law to throughout the proceedings). “We all lost. make a phone call? My phone calls to the girl Society gained, society gained a murderer.” are private. I don’t have a recorder to record it. I can’t remember what was said what Comment on this review online at thescope.ca time what day when where and what week

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

21


FULL TILT

CIHR Café Scientifique presents

vitamin D •

HOPE OR HYPE?

It seems everyone is touting the benefits of Vitamin D these days. Is this the panacea of the 21st century or the supplement du jour? Join us to share your thoughts and hear the latest research evidence from experts.

wednesday, october

6th, 2010 6:00 pm at The Fluvarium 5 Nagles Place St. John's, NL

experts

Stephanie Atkinson, PhD, FCAHS Professor and Associate Chair (Research) Department of Pediatrics McMaster University

moderator

Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes

Stephanie M. Kaiser, MD, FRCPC Associate Professor of Medicine Head, Division of Endocrinology Dalhousie University

This free event is presented by The Canadian

Chris Kovacs, MD, FRCPC

Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism, and Diabetes. Space is limited RSVP: alexandra.novis@sickkids.ca

Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology), Obstetrics & Gynecology, & BioMedical

Philip Sherman, MD, FRCPC CIHR Scientific Director,

Sciences Memorial University of Newfoundland Committee on Calcium and Vitamin D, Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Science, USA

COLOURING OUTSIDE THE LINES

O

Why aren't large buildings more colourful?

ne would think that a career in When we already have so much creative design would entail a creative use of colour in our residential buildings, it and liberating work-life full of makes me wonder why is there comparatively personal expression and whimsy. so little colour used on large buildings in St. This is not necessarily so. In John's? fact, it can be a very uptight and inhibited Could it be that colour preference is subjecdiscipline. tive, and one should not foist it upon a plural My first introduction to the environment of ity of building occupants? Maybe designers creative inhibition in design culture was from feel that people love and hate certain colours a particular professor in my first semester of with such passion and unpredictability that grad school. When reviewing a design I had it's better to just not go there. Maybe colours for a class project, my instructor reacted with emit some kind of force that acts upon our total shock and horror. I had made my buildbrains to make us think or feel certain ways. ing colourful. Just two colours, yellow and Earlier 20th Century academics associated blue or something. colour with the decoration and articulation "You are not qualified to of regional or folk architecture, as opposed to use colour!" was the rage-filled the sad gray of the institutional and corporate proclamation from my teacher, tradition. Maybe the majority of our larger who continued on to say buildings are just boring and conventional folTARYN that maybe, one day, lowers of that tradition. SHEPPARD after years of stultifica As it stands, most of the corporate and taryn@thescope.ca tion in the professional institutional buildings in downtown St. environment, I would acquire the humility John's are totally interchangeable with and sophistication one needs to be qualified to anything in any other North American city's 'use' colour. ­downtown. Ever since that day, I While there are Same goes for St. have noticed a huge abprobably many reasons sence of the use of colour in John's. There is really why colour hasn't been most buildings in cities all hardly any conspicuous embraced by institutional over North America, with architecture in the 20th colour in any of the the exception of smaller priCentury, there are few institutional buildings reasons why we should not vate properties, like houses, or hotels or, really, and I wonder what kind of embrace it as a design conteachers all these designers anything larger than a cept in itself now, separate had, and if they, too, were from form. When thinking house. intellectually paralyzed about the vision of our by the idea of a colourful city in the future, we have building. to decide whether we have the confidence to Same goes for St. John's. There is really really stand out and do something different hardly any conspicuous colour in any of the with our skyline, or if perhaps we are just too institutional buildings or hotels or, really, intimidated to embrace an alternative. anything larger than a house. We have mostly shades of grey and brown metallic cladding, red or brown brick and blue or greenish glass. It's not all that dull in theory, but for St. Comment on this article online at John's? It's a stark contrast to the extremely colourful houses and neighborhoods of the city.

thescope.ca/fulltilt

22

thescope

OCTOBER 2010


ON DISPLAY

toric monuments, peaceful scenery and learn about the legacy of the park. Call to reserve a time 364-1531

VISUAL ART MUSEUMS

GALLERIES Openings BLACK & WHITE: A 20-year retrospective of linocut prints by Christine Koch that features iconic images of the environments where the artist has lived, worked, hiked or traveled, Craft Council-59 Duckworth St 753-2749 (Opening reception Sat Oct 16 from 2pm-4pm) EXTERIOR: Jennifer Barrett, Jonathan Green, Iakov Afanassiev & Sarah Hillok interpret exteriors in their own way with paintings and drawings. This show is full of colour, fun and thoughts on the outdoors, Leyton Gallery-Clift’s-Baird’s Cove 722-7177 (Opening reception Sat Oct 2 at 3pm) MAKING PATTERN FROM THE EVERYDAY: Hooked mats by the Rug Hooking Guild feature designs transforming the everyday, Craft Council-59 Duckworth St 753-2749 (Opening reception Sat Oct 16 from 2pm-4pm) MATTERS OF LEAF AND LIMB: Art exhibit by MUN Botanical Garden staff, 306 Mt Scio Rd 737-8590 (Oct 7 - 28) PETER LEWIS: Solo exhibition, Peter Lewis Gallery-5

Church Hill 722-6009 (Opening reception Sat Oct 9 at 2pm) PRIMAL LIGHT - PRIMAL LAND: New paintings by Ron Bolt, Christina Parker Gallery-7 Plank Rd 7530580 (Oct 1 - 16)

Continuing Exhibitions ART EXHIBIT: Art by the 4th year SWGC grads of 2010, First Space Gallery-QEII Library HERE TO STAY: Cupids 1610…: Explore the early decades of English colonization in the region using rare original documents and archaeological artifacts that tell the story of Cupids and its settlers, The Rooms METIS CARVER: Ancient Stories in Stone and Bone – ongoing exhibit by Albert Biles, Wild Things-124 Water St NEW WORKS: By Gerald Squires, Esther Squires, George Horan, Julia Pickard, Sharon Puddester, Gerald Squires Gallery-52 Prescott St 722-2207

Last Chance BY REQUEST: An exhibition of new oil paintings by Jean Claude Roy, Emma Butler Gallery-111 George St W

739-7111 (Ends Oct 2) COME ALL YE! Second Verse: Pam Dorey, Cara Kansala and Caroline Clarke provide a light-hearted portrait of NL folk music through the prints, woodwork and mixed media creations, Craft Council-59 Duckworth St 753-2749 (Ends Oct 3) OCEANEX AVALON: Using copper etching plates, Colin Lyons (QC) has constructed a model of a massive cargo ship which will be set out into a bath of etching acid and left to slowly erode throughout the duration of the exhibition, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 7391882 (Ends Oct 16) PUFFINS, KITTIWAKES & MURRES...OH MY!: Soft sculpture birds and their young populate this solo show by textile artist Rosalind Ford, Craft Council-59 Duckworth St 753-2749 (Ends Oct 3) THREE DEE REALMS (Yorodeo) Halifax-based screenprinting art team draws inspiration from comic books, science fiction, fantasy and unintentional mistakes, fusing collage, doodles, carefully rendered illustration, pattern and texture, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882 (Ends Oct 16) YOU AND ME WE'LL END UP IN A CHAIR BY THE SEA: An

installation of new works by Tamara Henderson. The chair will be locally designed in Paradise, NL at the Paradise Hypnotic Healing Institute whilst under hypnosis, A1C Gallery-8 Clift’s-Baird’s Cove 2370427 (Ends Oct 2)

MUSEUMS A TOUR DE FORT: Interpretive panels tell the story of Fort Townsend, the 18th century symbol of England’s domination over the fishery, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000

[HERE]SAY: A story map of Water Street: Stories and memories shared by people who live here. At each location there is a sign with a telephone number and a unique 3-digit code. JOHNSON GEO CENTRE & PARK: See Signal Hill’s 550 million year old geology & specimens of NF rocks, minerals & botanical park, 175 Signal Hill Rd 737-7880 MUN BOTANICAL GARDEN: Trails, gift shop & tearoom, 306 Mt Scio Rd 737-8590 RAILWAY COASTAL MUSEUM: St. John’s Dockyard exhibit of model ship hulls,

shipbuilding, dockyard history plus the story of Newfoundland's railway boat service & 1940's train diorama, 495 Water St W 724-5929 SIGNAL HILL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE: Military & communications history, meet Signalman, watch film, interactive exhibits, Visitor Centre 772-5367 THE FLUVARIUM: A panoramic water view under the surface of Nagle's Hill Brook. Spot fish, insects & plants in natural habitat plus interactive exhibits, 5 Nagle's Place 754-3474

Send press releases to listings@thescope.ca

ADMIRALTY HOUSE MUSEUM: 1915 navy wireless station now communications museum, 23 Old Placentia Rd-Mt Pearl 748-1124 BOYLE’S HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS, Call 364-6845 for more info CONNECTIONS: This Place and Its Early Peoples: Polar bears on tundra, carnivorous plants in a bog, seabirds, sea mammals, sea life plus the people who made their lives here, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 FREE GUIDED WALKING TOUR: Discover Bowring Park’s prominent natural attractions, celebrated his-

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

23


COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY EVENTS LECTURES & FORUMS KIDS & TEENS MEETINGS & CLASSES

GERALD SQUIRES, GEORGE HORAN, JULIA PICKARD, SHARON PUDDESTER, ESTHER SQUIRES Landscapes, Portraits, Oils, Watercolours, Drawings, Prints, Sculptures

GALLERY HOURS Wed to Sun. 12 – 5 PM Other times by appointment or by chance Gerald Squires Art Gallery 52 Prescott Street, St. John’s 722-2207, 746-4039 229-7578 (studio) squiresgallery@gmail.com

Newfoundland

Pilates Individual and small group classes in Downtown St John’s • STAND TALLER • RELEASE TENSION • BUILD STRENGTH • FEEL GREAT

Pilates is a system of non impact exercise email:

miranda@newfoundlandpilates.ca

website:

www.newfoundlandpilates.ca

cell phone: (709) 699-8923

24

thescope

OCTOBER 2010

EVENTS HARVEST FESTIVAL CELEBRATION: Fundraising Breakfast, $7 (Sat Oct 9 from 11am-2pm); Jiggs Dinner, $12 (Mon Oct 11 from 4:30pm-6pm); Flea Market (Sat Oct 23 from 10am-3pm); Auction (Thu Oct 28 at 7pm), Topsail United Church MARDIS GRAS CELEBRATION: Dress up, lose your inhibitions and party with your friends amongst some great costumes seen anywhere during Halloween, George Street (Fri Oct 29 & Sat Oct 30) POUCH COVE COMMUNITY HERITAGE NIGHT: With Dale Jarvis. Help figure out which stories, songs, photos and places are to be saved as part of sharing our town’s heritage. Bring photos you'd like to share (we will scan them at the event). Mark on a map places that have importance or are part of the history of your family, Anglican Church Hall-Pouch Cove (Tue Oct 5 from 5pm7pm) RENNIE’S RIVER DUCK RACE: See 4,000 yellow rubber ducks racing their way down the river to the finish line, Stephen Herder Bridge-Rennie’s River 7223825 (Sat Oct at 3pm) WAYZGOOSE PRINTERS' FAIR: Featuring work by local, national and international printmakers and book artists. Music by Sandy Morris & Graham Wells. Readings by local authors, Anna Templeton Centre-278 Duckworth St 739-7623 (Sat Oct 30 from 12pm-5pm)

LECTURES & FORUMS BLUE CASTLE SALON: Dr Patricia Dold (MUN Religious Studies) will discuss Hindu women's songs and will incorporate music recordings and images in her presentation, The Ship (Tue Oct 12 at 8pm)

ING NATURE: How have northern forests and tundra changed over the last 5,000 years? MUN climatologist John Jacobs and boreal ecologist Andrew Trant talk about what climate change might mean for the natural landscape, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Oct 14 at 2:30pm) LINO-CUT ARTIST TALK (Wayzgoose) Talk by Raymond Verdaguer & opening reception for Radical Pamphlets Display, MUN QEII Library-Map Rm (Mon Oct 25 from 5pm-7pm) MUSIC, Media & Culture Lecture Series: Dr Ellen Waterman (MUN) presents Improvising Bodies, Sites of Resistance: Adaptive Use of Musical Instruments for the Physically Challenged, Arts & Culture CentreMMaP Gallery (Tue Oct 12 at 7:30pm) SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES KITCHEN TABLE TALK: As part of the People's Food Policy Project, join in to discuss federal policy recommendations to increase sustainability of fisheries and reasonable livelihoods for fishermen, FSN Office, 44 Torbay Rd-Suite 110 (Wed Oct 13 at 6:30pm)

The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Sun Oct 24 from 2pm-4pm)

KIDS & TEENS

YOUNG MUSICIANS: Open mic at Shamrock City Pub (Sundays at 2pm)

A LOVE FOR LEAVES: Discover neat things about leaves and why they are so important to trees, to ladybugs, to moose and to you, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Sun Oct 17 from 2pm-4pm) ANIMAL COSTUMES: Explore animals such as the caddis fly, hare, trout and frogs to find out what they 'wear' at Halloween, The Fluvarium-5 Nagle's Pl 7543474 (Saturdays & Sundays at 1:30pm) HALLOWEEN HOWL: Arts & crafts, story time, face painting & nature hike. Discover why bats, owls, crows and spiders aren't that scary, Free admission for children in costume & MUN students, MUN ‘Boo-tanical’ Garden-306 Mt Scio Rd 737-8590 (Sat Oct 23 & Sun Oct 24 from 10am-3pm) WAYZGOOSE PRINTMAKING: Family fun workshop,

MEETINGS & CLASSES

Clubs, Groups, Free Classes & Workshops AVALON WESLEYAN CHURCH: Weekly meet up in a casual atmosphere with coffee & contemporary music, free, Rabbittown Theatre-106 Freshwater Rd 576-6937 (Sundays at 10am) BOWRING PARK FOUNDATION AGM: Foundation members & general public are welcome to attend, 2pm, Bowring Park-Bungalow 364-1531 (Sun Oct 24) BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT GROUP (La Leche League) The topic of discussion will be Baby Arrives: Family and the Breastfed Baby, babies welcome, free, Sobey'sTorbay Rd 437-5097 (Mon Oct 4 at 7pm) BUSINESS INFO SESSION

(NLOWE) Creating Loyal Customers through Advertising. Free for women but must register 1-888-6569311 (Fri Oct 1 at 9am) CAPITAL TOASTMASTERS: Improve self-confidence and overall leadership abilities for career and life, free, MUN Inco Centre-2014 687-1031 CAREGIVER CONVERSATIONS: A Support Group for Unpaid Caregivers, Seniors Resource Centre-Torbay Rd 726-2370 (Every third Monday) CHANNAL: A peer support group for people with mental illness. We focus on recovery, 120 LeMarchant Rd 753-7710 (Tuesdays at 7pm & Wednesdays at 2pm) CHICKEN COOPS FOR THE CITY: Learn the materials, method and bylaws in Mark Wilson's demonstration. Farmers' Market, Lion’s Club Chalet-Bonaventure Ave (Sat Oct 9 at 11am) CHRISTMAS COMES TO THE LIBRARY: Join Mr Christmas, Eric White, for an exciting display of Christmas ideas and crafts to add glitz and glamour. Free but must reg-

ister, AC Hunter Library-Arts & Culture Centre 737-3950 (Wed Oct 27 at 7pm) COMIC ARTIST BREAKDOWN: Drop in comic-making welcoming individuals with all levels of cartooning experience, young and old, free, Anna Templeton Centre-278 Duckworth St 739-7623 (Fri Oct 1 from 7pm-9pm) CONVERSATION CAFE (Refugee & Immigrant Advisory Council) ESL learners and volunteers chat, learn & connect, free, Centre for Social Justice-204 Water St (Sat Oct 2 & 16 from 9:30am-11:30am) CRITICAL MASS: A mass bike ride around downtown to assert cyclists' right to the roads and spread cycling awareness. Meet at 6pm at Colonial Building (Fri Oct 21 & 29 at 6pm) EAST COAST TRAIL AGM, St. John’s City Hall-Foran Rm (Thu Oct 7 at 7pm) EASTERN EDGE GALLERY AGM, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 7391882 (Sun Oct 17 at 2pm) FAMILY GARDEN PROGRAM (FEASt) Parents come with their children and work

THE NEW AGE OF ENERGY TURBULENCE & INNOVATION (MUN Business) A changing environment, declining energy supplies and expanding new economies are creating a perfect storm in the global energy industry, free, MUN Engineering-2006; Free parking in lots 16/16A (Wed Oct 6 at 7pm) THROUGH DARKLING AIR: Peter Sanger will deliver a public lecture to launch his most recent book, a comprehensive literary biography of Canadian poet Richard Outram. Examples of Outram's collaborations with artist Barbara Howard will be on display, free, MUN QEII Library-Map Rm; Free Parking Lots 18 & 16A (Wed Oct 20 at 7:30pm)

BOOK ART PRESENTATION (Wayzgoose) By letterpress printer & book artist Amos Paul Kennedy Jr, MUN QEII Library-Map Rm (Tue Oct 26 from 4pm-5:30pm)

TINY TITANS OF THE LIMESTONE BARRENS (Natural History Society) By Dr Luise Hermanutz (MUN Biology). A talk on the indigenous rare plants of the Limestone Barrens of the Great Northern Peninsula, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Wed Oct 13 at 7pm)

EVENING DISCUSSION SERIES (Refugee & Immigrant Advisory Council) News-clip screening and guest speaker on the topic of the Roma deportations in France, free, Centre for Social Justice-204 Water St (Tue Oct 12 at 7pm)

WESSEX SOCIETY LECTURE: Marie-Beth Wright will present Grace Sparkes: The Twillingate Adventure (1931-1934) and her enduring friendship with Dr Robert Ecke, Hampton Hall-Marine Institute (Wed Oct 13 at 8pm)

GAIRDNER LECTURE: The tribulation of not doing randomized trials; Helping smart doctors stop prescribing dumb treatments, Health Sciences Centre (Tue Oct 12 at 2pm)

WORDS IN EDGEWISE: MUN Humanities & Eastern Edge Gallery team up to present artists and academics performing, presenting and sharing their work in a variety of disciplines and media, 72 Harbour Dr 739-

LABRADOR’S CHANG-

1882 (Thu Oct 14 at 8pm)

Screenshot from Cheers! by the People Crew.

Snowboarding crew hits St. John's Sometimes there are benefits to being the first province with snow each year. The People Crew, a snowboarding crew based out of B.C., arrived in Newfoundland last year just moments after the white stuff fell to hit the hills. Well, actually, they seemed to spend more time hitting the snowy stairs, railings, and ramps of the downtown. They’re known for their snowboarding videos, in which they jet off to various places around the world to exploit their geography for snowboarding stunts. St. John’s, Newfoundland was the first stop last year for members Simon Chamberlain, Joe Sexton, Jeremy Jones, Seth Hout, and J.P. Walkerand. They were collecting footage for their latest video, Cheers!, which premiered at the beginning of September. And, yes, the Newfoundland footage is in there. Ballistic owner Jon Loder had the pleasure of helping out. “I got to videotape them myself with my iPhone,” he says. “Their videos are huge. When Cheers! is out, there’ll be people coming here from all over.” “For now, until they release the DVD, the photos from the shoot are going to be published in different magazines around the world,” he says. There’s no release date for the DVD yet, but Loder expect they’ll have it down at Ballistic by the end of October, at the latest. Plans are in the works for the Newfoundland premier screening of Cheers! before the DVD goes on sale. In the meantime you can watch a teaser online at bit.ly/cd7FJt. - SARAH SMELLIE


on the garden, and learn about growing organic vegetables, #5 Mount Scio Rd www.feastnl.ca (Sundays at 1pm)

Resource Centre 737-2333 (Thursdays at 2pm)

FOOD SECURITY NETWORK AGM, Gower St. United Church (Thu Oct 21 from 1pm-4:30pm)

SHAMBHALA MEDITATION GROUP: Meditation helps us appreciate ourselves, others, and our world, free, Billy Rahl Fieldhouse-rear Elizabeth Towers 576-4727 (Wednesdays 7:30pm & Sundays 10am)

FOR THE LOVE OF LEARNING: Free workshops in art, writing, film, theatre, journalism and yoga for anyone aged 15-35, Gower St United Church-basement 722-8848 (Weekdays from 12pm-6pm) FREE GARDEN TOURS (St John’s Safer Soil) Learn about safe city gardening, how to test soil for lead, landscaping and other tips to prevent lead exposure, using plants to clean the soil, and more. Contact 738-7542 (Through fall 2010) FREE HOT LUNCH: Mondays and Fridays feature a vegetarian meal. Tuesdays and Thursdays offer soup and fresh bread. Young adults aged 15-35 can come to Gower St United Church basement-99 Queen's Rd (2pm) FRENCH FRIDAY: Welcome everyone, Franklin Hotel 726-4900 (Every Friday) GREEN DRINKS: An informal get together for those who work, volunteer or have an interest in environment & conservation related issues, 7pm-9pm, no cover, The Ship (Last Wednesday of month) INTERNATIONAL BAZAAR: Chow down on some of the most flavourful foods from around the globe or adorn yourself with exotic jewelery, MUN University Centre-The Landing (Thu Oct 28 from 12pm-3pm) KNIT WITS: Drop in knitting social with help to get you started, free, Anna Templeton Centre-278 Duckworth St (Last Sunday of month from 7pm-9pm) NAR-ANON FAMILY GROUP: For those who know or have known a feeling of desperation due to the addiction problem of someone close to them. Weekly meetings in St John's area. For more info call 726-6191 NEWFOUNDLAND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY: Monthly meet up, St David's Church Hall-Elizabeth Av (First Tuesday of month at 8pm) NL HORTICULTURE SOCIETY: Where gardeners meet and grow together, St David's Church Hall-Elizabeth Ave (Tue Oct 5 at 8pm) OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS: Help is available and it’s free, no strings attached. Weekly meetings in St John’s area. You are welcome, just as you are. For information call 738-1742 SENIORS BRIDGING CULTURES: Tea, guest speakers & conversation, Seniors

SENIORS FRIENDSHIP CLUB, Seniors Resource Centre 737-2333 (Fridays at 2pm)

ST JOHN’S CITY COUNCIL MEETING: Refer to Council Agenda at www.stjohns.ca (posted Friday afternoon), Public welcome, City HallCouncil Chambers, 4th fl (Mondays at 4:30pm) ST JOHN’S FARMERS’ MARKET: Fresh local produce, international foods, arts & crafts, coffee, photography, waffles, sweet snacks, kids events and buskers, Lion’s Club Chalet-Bonaventure Ave (Every Saturday from 9am-2pm) SUNDAY MORNING BIRD WATCH: Join Friends of the Garden volunteers on a 1-2 hour hike through garden trails, free, MUN Botanical Garden-306 Mt Scio Rd 737-8590 (Sunday Oct 3, 17 & 31at 8am) THE POTTLE CENTRE: A social & recreation centre for consumers of mental health services. New members welcome, 323 Hamilton Ave 753-2143 THE ROOMS: Free admission, 9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Wednesdays 6pm-9pm) THYROID CANCER INFO: For survivors, family members & friends, Eastern Health Admin Offices-306 Waterford Bridge Rd (Sat Oct 23 from 10:30am-12pm) TRIVIA NIGHT (Rose & Thistle at Tuesdays); (Lower Path on Wednesdays at 9pm); (Bitters on Thursdays) WALK ON WATER: Get fit, meet people & learn the history of downtown, everyone welcome, free, Auntie Crae’s (Saturdays at 10am, rain or shine) WOMEN'S ACCORDION CIRCLE: An informal environment for women of all ages to perform, experiment & share stories about making music, Arts & Culture Centre-2nd Fl, Old Gallery 746-2399 (Mondays at 7:30pm) WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK (Eastern Health & La Leche League) Baby-wearing workshop (10:30am); Breastfeeding Challenge — a count of babies breastfeeding at the same time (11am). Family fun, snacks, prizes & live music, Avalon Mall-by The Gap 752-4910 (Sat Oct 2 from 10am-12pm) Send press releases to listings@thescope.ca

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

25


WHA? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT LIFE IN ST. JOHN'S

Rental Q&A This September at thescope.ca/wha we had our readers ask our special guest expert ­Andrew Harvey any questions they had about renters' rights. Here are some of the questions and answers. First, a disclaimer from Andrew: “Although I have worked in the Off-Campus Housing Office at Memorial for the last three and a half years, everything written here is strictly my own opinion, and I am in no way representing Memorial University, or the Off-Campus Housing Office.”

If I’m renting month-by-month (no long term lease, but must give month’s notice before moving out) can my landlord raise the rent within the first year of my tenancy? — ANONYMOUS Short answer, no. In a month-to-month agreement (written, or verbal), the landlord can never raise the rent within the first year. After the first year, they must give three months written notice of raising the rent. Something to note here too, when someone buys a house, whatever rental agreement you had with the previous owner stands. It is up to the buyer of the house to find out if there are any existing rental agreements for the house.

The Human Rights Code of Newfoundland states that you cannot be discriminated against for things like age and sex when it comes to many things, including rental property. Why is it then that we routinely see landlords advertising rental properties with things like “no children”, “50 and over” or “female only”? Doesn’t stating things like this in rental ads violate the Human Rights Code? —COREY Hey Corey, Technically this type of discrimination is prohibited, but the issue comes with enforcement. To prove that the reason why you did not get a property was because of your age, gender or religion, would be nearly impossible. This is because you are getting into inferring someone’s motive for a decision, which is flimsy ground to stand on in court. The only way I could see this working would be somehow convincing a landlord to admit in court, or possibly in writing, that the reason why they did not rent you the place was your age/gender/ what-have-you. Not too likely. I have encountered this problem in the past, but luckily it does not seem to be too widespread. Most people are reasonable, not bigots. My advice is to call anyways, and try to convince them you are the type of tenant they are looking for.

26

thescope

OCTOBER 2010

I moved out of my apartment last week, but instead of getting our damage deposit back we got a list from our landlord of damages adding up to 2300 bucks! How is that even possible? The list includes over $700 for cleaning carpets after a pipe broke. Aside from a hole or two in the wall from hanging up pictures we didn’t cause any damage ourselves; most of it was there when we moved in. Can he really charge us for this and is there any chance we will get our damage deposit back? —DAMAGED Hey there, This is unfortunately a common problem. I know a lot of people who end up getting a huge list of charges right before, or right after they move out. As in your case, many of them are for things which are none of your responsibility, such as carpet cleaning after a pipe break. Anything which is considthescope.ca/wha ered to be upkeep or maintenance is always the landlord's responsibility. For any repairs, the only case in which the tenant would be responsible is if they are due to willful damage, or negligence. This means that your landlord can probably charge you for repairing the holes you put in the walls, but not for the carpet cleaning, unless you broke the pipes yourself. If you did not cause the damages the landlord is trying to charge you for, no, they cannot charge you, or keep your security deposit for this. A huge list of bogus charges is often made by landlords who are trying to scare you off the deposit they rightfully owe you, because they don’t think you will go the distance, and follow the process to get your money back. The sad thing is, most of the time this is true. People don’t think it is worth it, and drop it. So please people, if you are legitimately owed your security deposit, don’t drop it, follow the ridiculously tedious steps (details at www.bit.ly/9xD3Di), and try to get your money back. Don’t let your landlord dirtbag you. Of course, if you actually did cause lots of damage, don’t expect your money back.

WHA?

This month: Ask our guest panel—Jordan Canning and Roger Maunder—about filmmaking. Submit at thescope.ca/wha


ON SCREEN

The Prowler

More at thescope.ca/blogoween

The DVDs That Dripped Blood Horror movies. Studies have shown that exposure to them builds character, improves cognitive ability, and give their viewers a healthier, shinier coat. Oh, and it isn't Hallowe'en without them. Since 2008, Adam Clarke and Rodney Wall have compiled their favourite overlooked horror films in print and at Blogowe'en, a daily horror blog at thescope.ca/blogoween. Here is a small sampling of this year's 31 entries to get you started.

In The Mouth Of Madness

(1995) Best-selling horror writer Sutter Cane has disappeared before the release of his latest novel. Unfortunately, an insurance investigator hired to find him discovers that his fans have begun chopping innocents to bits and Cane's latest might be the best-seller that sets off the apocalypse! Madness is John Carpenter's last great horror film (unless the upcoming The Ward takes him out of his decade-plus slump) providing surreal scares while satirizing the notion that violent media turns hapless citizens into bloodthirsty killers. Here, the horror doesn't come from Hollywood or pulpy thrillers, but Lovecraftian Old Ones (as it should be). AC

La belle et la bete

(Beauty and the Beast) (1946) Belle's life is hard. Her sisters are selfish ninnies, her brother is a scoundrel, and her father is a fool. When her father picks a rose in The Beast's garden, he must forfeit his life or send one of his daughters in his place. Belle does her duty, and goes to live in The Beast's castle. Every night The Beast asks her to marry him, and every night she says "no". Director Jean Cocteau's surreal fairytale is a masterpiece of suppressed sexuality and black-and-white filmmaking. The magic castle is beautiful and otherworldly, the human characters are more monstrous than the monster, and The Beast looks way cooler than The Wolfman. RW

The Isle Of The Dead

(1945) After a string of popular horror films for Universal, Boris Karloff signed a deal in 1945 to make three pictures for RKO with producer Val Lewton. Lewton had made a name for himself making low budget, but artistically ambitious, horror films. Financial successes like I walked With A Zombie, and Cat People meant Lewton could indulge in the kind of atmospheric and psychological complexity that Karloff yearned for after years of playing the Frankenstein Monster. Inspired by the Arnold BĂścklin Painting of the same name, The Isle Of The Dead tells the story of a battle-hardened General (Karloff) confronted first with the plague, and then with the possibility of a supernatural evil. The audience is left to decide if the real evil is prejudice and ignorance. Either way, Karloff delivers a wonderful performance which makes clear why he was a star. RW

Toby Dammit

(1968) Did you know that the great Italian filmmaker Frederico Fellini made a horror movie? Well, you do now. Toby Dammit (Terence Stamp) is an alcoholic actor who appears to be stalked by the spirit of a pale girl playing with a large bouncing ball. Swarmed by the press and hundreds of schmoozing onlookers at a lavish gala, the actor publicly loses his mind and chases after the girl. In 2008, a gorgeously remastered version of Dammit was released, proving it to be a great horror short. AC

Skeleton Farm's Halloween Horrorshow

(2010) Skeleton Farm Productions are responsible for the Satan's Drive-In and Channel 666 video mixtapes, as well as the fantastic Forbidden Transmission cable access TV show. Just in time for Halloween this year they have put together another fantastic mix of music and clips. A video mixtape, if you're not familiar, is a collection of "the best parts" from movies, rock videos, commercials, TV shows, or whatever, edited together in rapid-fire fashion. Halloween Horrorshow features clips from horror films, Halloween specials, and Saturday morning cartoons backed by music from the likes of Alice Cooper, The (new)Misfits, The J. Geils Band, and The Ramones. It's great fun, especially with some good friends, some good beer, and some good candy. You can purchase a Halloween Horrorshow DVD directly from Skeleton Farm Productions by going to their MySpace at www.myspace. com/unfried, but you can also download it at a number of places on the Internet for free, with the blessing of the creators. Mixtapes can become addictive though, so don't say you weren't warned. RW

Dead and Buried

(1981) Potter's Bluff is a tiny community where everyone knows each other. Outsiders are greeted by friendly locals eager to take their pictures... and kill them horribly. But, soon the bodies disappear like nothing happened. The Potter's Bluff residents all harbour a terrible secret—a secret that the town sheriff is eager to expose, even if uncovering the truth reveals things he finds too shocking to bear. Dead & Buried is one of two horror films directed by Gary Sherman worth catching. The other being Raw Meat, as we mentioned in our 2008 horror film list. AC

(1981) In 1945 a GI returns from the war to discover that his sweetheart has moved on. He dresses up in his army gear, heads off to the graduation dance, and murders her and her new boyfriend with a pitchfork. The small town is so shocked by the crime that they cancel the graduation dance from then on. 35 years later the still-unsolved murders have become the stuff of local legend, but the townsfolk decide to move on and reinstate the banned dance. Given that this is a slasher movie, and that many of us have seen My Bloody Valentine, you can probably guess the rest of the plot: First the young adults spike the punch, then the crazy GI spikes them. The Prowler, (Directed by Joseph Zito, and featuring brutal gore effects by Tom Savini) is a slick by-the-numbers slasher film that does exactly what it sets out to. It frightens, it grosses out, and most importantly it entertains. Fans of the Friday The 13th franchise (Zito and Savini worked on Part 5: A New Beginning) should take note. The Prowler himself is so visually appealing I'm surprised there weren't sequels. RW

House Of The Devil

(2009) Samantha has just lucked into an excellent apartment for relatively cheap. With her first month's rent soon approaching and only $84 in her bank account, she reluctantly accepts a high-paying babysitting job in a remote house. Too good to be true? Yes, but to reveal the specifics would spoil it. Ti West, who wrote and directed, has crafted a nice throwback to the pre-Saw days when suspense and mood mattered more than prank flash-inspired shocks. House is rich with menacing atmosphere, effortlessly recaptures the feel of the creepiest low-budget horror films of the 80's that served as its inspiration. AC

Vampyr

(1932) A young man encounters an old man at an inn, who gives him a copy of a manuscript to be read after his death. The young man then meets another old man who's then shot. Then he wanders and meets two girls, one of whom is very sick and sporting puncture marks on her neck. Make sense? Didn't think so. Too often people use the term "dream-like" to describe that which is merely random or cartoonishly surreal, but Carl Theoder Dryer's creepy Vampyr has the loose plot and array of arresting visuals that characterizes the most haunting of dreams. AC

Lifeforce

(1985) Tobe Hooper's place in history is pretty secure, since he made The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for next to nothing and helped change the face of horror cinema. After that, I'm sure some people wondered what he could do if he had a big budget. Well here's one answer. Lifeforce features a naked lady (a space vampire!) who rides a space shuttle to Earth from Halley's Comet. She goes on a naked rampage in London and the army has no idea how to handle her, because she's naked. The soldiers just mumble incoherently and gawk till she sucks all the blue light out of their eyeballs, leaving them like dried husks. Later some naked dude space vampires also go on a rampage. This all either sounds good to you or it doesn't. RW

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

27


100% LOCAL

COMICS

FREE FALL FIGHT by Ricky King

BLEAK by Alexander Evan Bridger

RHYMES WITH UNDERSTAND by Emily Deming MR. PICKLES by Quinn Whalen

MEANTOONS by John Meaney

NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT WORDS by Michael Young

28

thescope

OCTOBER 2010

PERFECT SUNDAY by Michael Butler

BEHOLD!! by P.N. Grata


MOVIE DESCRIPTIONS LIMITED RUN THU OCT 7 AT 7PM PLEASE GIVE (MUN Cinema) Two antique furniture dealers (Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt) wait patiently for a grizzled old curmudgeon (Ann Guilbert) to finally kick the bucket so they can grab her apartment. Directed by Nicole Holofcener (USA 2010) TUE OCT 12 AT 7PM THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES: (Global Cinema Series) When a legal counselor hits retirement, he begins to write a novel as a means of dealing with an unresolved case. Believe it or not, that's how the Curious George series got started. Subtitled. Directed by Juan José Campanella (SPA/ARG 2009). Facilitator: Jennifer Dyer (Humanities/Communications) THU OCT 14 AT 7PM KISSES (MUN Cinema) Two kids run away from their dreary home lives in downtown Dublin only to find that a change of scenery isn't always the best remedy. Directed by Lance Daly (IRE 2008) TUES OCT 26 AT 7PM THE WHITE RIBBON: (Global Cinema Series) When strange accidents begin to plague a small village, some believe a group of young children are responsible. Not based on The Midwich Cuckoos or “The Bloodening.” Dir Michael Haneke (GER/FRA/ITA 2009) Facilitator: John Buffinga (German/Russian) TUES OCT 26, 8PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Opening screening & reception featuring two shorts, Red Ochre & How Eunice Got her Baby. Followed by feature documentary on Gordon Pinsent, Still Rowdy After All These Years directed by Barbara Doran, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 WED OCT 27 AT 3:30PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Proceed and Be Bold! directed by Laura Zinger. A documentary about the life of Amos Paul Kennedy Jr, a 40 year old who left his corporate life to become a letterpress printer and hasn’t looked back since, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 WED OCT 27 AT 7PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Local Shorts: Trolls; What Remains; Four Sisters; Brad; Cardboard Junction; Do I Come On Too Strong; L’Hybridee; That’s Right Diana Barry – You Needed Me, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 WED OCT 27 AT 9:30PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: International Shorts I: Little Accidents; Lucky Girl;

Knock Off; Touch; Tuesday Morning; The Cortege; Get Hooked! About Bieito’s Death, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 THU OCT 28 AT 3:30PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Documentary feature Life With Murder directed by John Kastner. When 20 year old Mason Jenkins murders his only sibling his parents are faced with perhaps the most painful decision of whether or not to accept their daughter's killer back into the family, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 THU OCT 28 AT 7PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Documentary feature Music From The Big House directed by Bruce McDonald. Rita Chiarelli, an award winning recording artist, takes a pilgrimage to the birthplace of blues: Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 THU OCT 28 AT 7PM HUGH HEFNER: PLAYBOY, ACTIVIST AND REBEL (MUN Cinema) A documentary on the king of air-brushes, that stronghold of subcriptions, that titan of bathrobes: the man called "Hef". This film analyzes the Playboy founder's battles with the US government. Directed by Brigitte Berman (CAN 2010) THU OCT 28 AT 9:30PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: International Shorts II: Birthday; Esther & Me; Fighting Cholita, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 FRI OCT 29 AT 3:30PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Documentary feature film Roll Out Cowboy directed by Elizabeth Lawrence. Chris “Sandman” Sand is a rappin’ cowboy from Dunn Center, North Dakota (pop. 120). He drives a semi, plays the guitar and raps. Roll Out, Cowboy follows the 39-year-old country/ hip-hop musician as he tours the American West during the 2008 Presidential election, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 FRI OCT 29 AT 7PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Eclectic Shorts: A variety of shorts including Unearthing The Pen; Flawed; Tabitha’s Aquarium; Still Birds; Not Over Easy, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 FRI OCT 29 AT 9:30PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Dramatic feature Year of The Carnivore directed by SookYin Lee. A young woman is told by her unrequited crush that she is bad in bed. Determined to improve her sexual prowess she goes on a journey for more experience and confidence, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 FRI OCT 29 AT 7PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST:

Experimental, an hour-long loop of experimental shorts, free, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave FRI OCT 29 WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Documentary feature Happily Forgotten directed by Galia Oz (Israel). At her 80th birthday Lola faces a dramatic decision: Will she keep the paintings she inherited from her father, or sell them against his will, free, (see festival schedule for time) The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave FRI OCT 29 WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Documentary feature Paul Quarrington: Life in Music directed by Bert Kish (CAN). A character driven doc on writer/musician/filmmaker Paul Quarrington, free, (see festival schedule for time) The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave SAT OCT 30 AT 1PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Youth Program: Variety of shorts and animation, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 SAT OCT 30 AT 3:30PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Dramatic feature Act of Dishonour directed by Nelofer Pazira (CAN). In a land where honour is cherished, a young bride-to-be challenges her cultural customs by befriending a visiting Canadian film crew. A story depicting the cultural divide in Afghan-Canadian relationships. Q&A with director, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 753-4531 SAT OCT 30 AT 10AM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: French Program: A series of short films in French including La Chair de ma Chair; Cocculinellidea; L’Homme qui Dort; Les Escargots des Joseph, Johnson Geo Centre-175 Signal Hill Rd 753-4531 SAT OCT 30 AT 11:30AM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Documentary feature Where Did I put My Memory? Directed by Josh Freed. A Canadian documentary on memory loss and the possible causes of Alzheimer’s. Plus short Forget Me Nots (Romania), Johnson Geo Centre-175 Signal Hill Rd 753-4531 SAT OCT 30 AT 1:30PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Documentary feature Finding Farley directed by Leanne Allison (CAN). Chronicling a young family who accepts an unlikely invitation from a reclusive Canadian literary icon, Farley Mowatt. Plus doc short I was here Before, Johnson Geo Centre-175 Signal Hill Rd 753-4531 SAT OCT 30 AT 3:30PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Documentary feature Stepping Into The Stream directed by Barbara Klutinis (USA). A story about women and their love of fly-fishing. Plus short films I was a

Child of Holocaust Survivors (animation); Anna’s Adventure. Johnson Geo Centre-175 Signal Hill Rd 753-4531 SAT OCT 30 AT 8PM WOMEN’S FILM FEST: Closing Screening: The Man of A Thousand Songs directed by William D MacGillivray (NL) is a feature-length documentary about accomplished singer songwriter Ron Hynes. Plus short film Swallowed directed by Stephen Dunn (NL), Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900

DAILY SHOWINGS

ine Heigl cares for their orphaned girl. It's a zany comedy! Seriously. It's really a zany comedy. (Oct 8) MY SOUL TO TAKE: Tender story about a man returning to his hometown and meeting seven wonderful children...whom he intends to murder. Guaranteed to be Wes Craven's biggest tear-jerker since Music From The Heart. (Oct 8) NEVER LET ME GO: Three friends bond in the kind of boarding school that only exists in Kinks songs. As adults, they discover their society offers them short lives and terribly consequences. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel.

NOWHERE BOY: Are you aching for John Lennon nostalgia? Well, you're getting it anyway with this biopic of Lennon and his band, The Quarrymen. (Oct 15)

sible true story" gets the Disney treatment as John Malkovich, who's dressed in clothes that look like a rainbow with diarrhea, trains a horse to win the Triple Crown. (Oct 8)

RED: Helen Mirren and Bruce Willis are extremely bored ex-CIA who suddenly find themselves on the run from their former employers. Based on the DC comic. (Oct 15)

STONE: Stone is a trip. Edward Norton is a convicted arsonist with a goofy street-wise patois. He convinces his best gal to persuade his parole officer (Robert De Niro) to release him. (Oct 15)

SAW VII: Let's play a game. There's a slow-acting nerve toxin in your system and the only cure is to watch idiots get disfigured again. This time in 3-D! Live or die, make your choice. (Oct 22) SECRETARIAT: An "impos-

STREETDANCE: A group of street dancers, whom I'm told are called a "crew", recruit five ballet dancers in order to enter a dance academy. They clash at first, but Wuv conquers all.

(Oct 1) THE SOCIAL NETWORK: Aaron Sorkin wrote this drama about the creation of Facebook and its controversial creator, Mark Zuckerberg. Hopefully someone is working on a straight-toDVD biopic about Tom from Myspace. (Oct 1) YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER: Some artists take time to regroup after they lose their momentum and popularity, but Woody Allen's out to show them what's what with yet another comedy about neurotics and failed relationships. (Oct 1) Capsule descriptions by Adam Clarke.

Call or check online for times and prices.

AVALON MALL EMPIRE STUDIOS 12: 722-5775 MOUNT PEARL EMPIRE CINEMAS: 722-5775 www.empiretheatres.com BURIED: Ryan Reynolds wakes up in a coffin buried six feet deep. Who'd want to bury Ryan Reynolds alive? ...Aside from anyone who's seen a Ryan Reynolds vehicle, I mean. Stay tuned. (Oct 1) CASE 39: A social worker saves a child from being roasted alive by murderous parents. Except the parents were in the right all along because the child is PURE EVIL, resulting in Omenstyle deaths and hijinks. (Oct 1) CONVICTION: When her brother is wrongfully convicted for murder, Hilary Swank puts herself through law school to represent him and clear his name. (Oct 22) FUBAR II: After an episode of colossal destruction involving a Dio poster, Terry and Dean find themselves without a job leaving them no choice but to work on the Alberta oil sands. (Oct 1) JACKASS III: The titular CHUDs perform their trademark idiotic stunts with the added benefit of 3-D. It's like Steve-O is there in the theatres with you! So you might die or get arresed. (Oct 15) IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY: When a young man suffering from depression ends up in a psych ward, he teams up with one of the institution’s older residents (Zach Galifianakis) to get some perspective. (Oct 8) LET ME IN: Sociopathic adolescent falls in love with vampire who happens to be his age. Problem is, the vampire's been his age for a very long time. Well, aside from the vampire thing. (Oct 1)

2011 ARTS AND LETTERS AWARDS SENIOR DIVISION 19 years and older. Limited to one entry per section Literary Arts Section: 17 Awards of $1000 One award will be offered for Literary entries in the French language in any genre Musical Composition Section: 4 Awards of $1000 Visual Arts Section: 15 Awards of $1000 JUNIOR DIVISION 12 to 18 years old. Limited to one entry per section Literary Arts Section: 20 Awards of $250 One award will be offered for Literary entries in the French language in any genre Musical Composition Section: 4 Awards of $250 Visual Arts Section: 10 Awards of $250 THE PERCY JANES FIRST NOVEL AWARD For unpublished first novels One award of $1500 DAVID C. SAXON HUMANITARIAN ESSAY COMPETITION The Promotion of World Peace and Harmony: DOES TECHNOLOGY ADVANCE WORLD PEACE? One award in Senior Division of $1000 One award in Junior Division ofd $250 CLOSING DATE: NOVEMBER 26, 2010 For complete rules, application forms and information:

Contact Regina Best, Coordinator The 2011 Arts and Letters Awards P.O. Box 1854, St. John's, NL A1C 5P9 www.gov.nl.ca/artsandletters rbest@gov.nl.ca (709) 729-5253

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT: When two of her friends die in a tragic accident, Kather-

OCTOBER 2010

thescope

29


FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY for October 2010

µ

LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

"Everything is dreamed first," wrote French poet Gilbert Trolliet. French philosopher Gaston Bachelard agreed, adding, "Creative reverie animates the nerves of the future." Your task in the coming weeks, Libra, is to act on those clues: Conjure up pictures in your mind that foreshadow the life you want to be living next year. Proceed on the assumption that you now have extraordinary power to generate self-fulfilling prophecies.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21)

You know me: I hate to sound sensationalistic. But in honor of this dramatic moment in your story, I'll risk it. So be alert! Heads up! Get real! A pivotal moment is upon you! What you do in the coming days will ultimately determine how you will interpret the entire past year, shaping the contours of your history for better or worse! I advise maximum integrity! I suggest thorough preparation! I urge timely action! Decisions should come from the roots, not the surface! Climaxes should be mediated by the heart and head together, not just one or the other!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You are ever so close to coming all the way home. For months you have been edging toward this welcoming source, and now you're almost there. I'm not sure about the specific details. Maybe it means you'll soon be in the place where your potentials will finally ripen. Perhaps you're ready to make peace with your past or accept your family members exactly as they are. It's possible you've found your ideal tribe or community, and are ready to integrate your uniqueness

with its special blend of energies. Who knows? Maybe you're ready to give yourself completely to the life-changing mission that has been calling and calling and calling you.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

I have good intuition about fate's general trends, but I don't think of myself as psychic when it comes to foreseeing specific events. I've never been able to predict winning lottery numbers, for example. But lately I'm wondering if that's changing. I seem to be developing a knack for prognosticating certain sports events. For example, on three occasions I have hallucinated a golden cup floating in mid-air a short time before Albert Pujols, a Capricorn who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, hits a homerun. So I wonder what it means that right now, as I'm studying your astrological omens and meditating on your future, I'm flashing on an image of three golden cups filled with champagne. It's 2:15 in the morning, and the Cardinals aren't playing.

π

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

The Paws Up resort in Montana offers "glamping," or glamorous camping. For the right price, you can sleep in a feather bed with fine linens, comfortably ensconced inside a roomy, heated tent that has artwork on the walls. And all the while you're surrounded by the great outdoors. I'm not specifically suggesting that you go to Paws Up, but I do recommend that you seek an experience that gives you an invigorating dose of raw elegance and untamed sweetness -- some situation that allows you to satisfy your animal longing for wildness while at the same time indulging your human yearning for blissful repose.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

When I urge you to salvage and re-use old stuff, I'm not really suggesting that you find a purpose for the elastic from worn-out underwear or empty prescription bottles. That would be fine, but I'm thinking primarily of less literal, more poetic reclamation projects. Like dusting off faded dreams and refitting them with futuristic replacement parts. Or planting an October garden of earthly delights in the compost of July's and August's discarded pleasures. Or retooling a relationship that has lost its way, transforming it into a vibrant connection with a new reason for being.

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Nine-year-old Fatima Santos told the San Francisco Chronicle her opinions about the movie Toy Story: "If I had to make a movie like this, I would make it funnier. I would make Mr. Potato Head look funnier that he already does. I would put his hair on his legs, his shoes on his head, and his arms on his face. His eyeballs would be on the place where his arms are." In the coming week, Aries, I advise you to engage in Fatima's enlightened style of cockeyed thinking. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you have the power and the mandate to improve pretty much every scenario you're in by making it less predictable, more rambunctious, and just plain funnier.

TAURUS (Apr 20 – May 20)

During one phase of my life, I walked a mile five days a week to get to a bus stop. On the last stretch of the journey, I had to pass a shabby house next to a vacant lot. On the porch was a German shepherd, always unchained

and in a state of irritation. After some close calls, when his agitated barking propelled him perilously close to me, I arrived upon a technique that settled him down: I sang nursery rhymes and lullabies. "Three Blind Mice" was his favorite, but there were others that also calmed him sufficiently to allow me safe passage. Something comparable may work for you, Taurus, as you navigate past the crabby wretches and twitchy pests and pathetic demons in the coming days. My advice is to shift the energy with a charming bit of innocuous play. Avoid confrontations.

Ω

GEMINI (May 21 – Jun 20)

According to anthropologist Robin Dunbar, it's impossible for any of us to have more than 150 friends. The human brain literally can't process the intimate information required to sustain more than that. But if there were super-freaks who could crack that limit, it would be members of the Gemini tribe, especially during the coming weeks. You now have an uncanny ability to cultivate bubbly connections, be extra close to your buddies, and drum up new alliances.

CANCER (Jun 21 – Jul 22)

Let's say I was the director of a grade school play that included outdoor scenes, and you were a student trying out for a part. My inclination would be to offer you the role of the big oak tree, which would be on stage for much of the show but have no spoken lines to deliver. Would you accept my invitation with enthusiasm, and play the part with panache? I realize that on the surface, it may not seem like your performance would be of central importance. But as director I'd hope to be able to draw

out of you a vibrant commitment to being steady and rooted. I'd rely on you to provide the strong, reassuring background that would encourage the actors in the foreground to express themselves freely.

LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22)

"In times of change, learners inherit the Earth," wrote philosopher Eric Hoffer, "while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." Wouldn't you prefer to put the emphasis on learning rather than on being learned, Leo? This is a good time to get the hang of that; cosmic rhythms will work in your favor if you do. My advice: Take action to intensify your commitment to education. Seek out new teachings. Think hard about the lessons you want to study in the coming years.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

I was tardy in planting my garden this year -- more than two months late. My batch of seedlings didn't find their way into my patch of dirt until July 2. I humbly apologized to them for my procrastination, then made amends with a tireless campaign to provide them with extraordinary care — organic fertilizer, regular watering, impeccable weeding, steady songs of encouragement. And by September the zucchini were booming, the pumpkins were thriving, the watermelons were unstoppable, and the cucumbers were riffing with abandon. Take inspiration from my example, Virgo. Your plans may have gotten delayed, but don't let that demoralize you. There's still time to launch the project or crusade you've been dreaming about.

Birthdays this month Happy birthday to Liz Armstrong, Stacey Tuttle, Darrell Grace, Sarah Walsh, Marina Schiralli-earle, Ian Foster, Alanna Feldt, Michael Phillips, Robin Grant, Jennifer Barrett, and D'Arcy Butler. Send birthday info to birthday@thescope.ca

Homework

What experience have you been denying yourself even though it would be good for you and wouldn't hurt anyone? Write a note giving yourself permission. Share at Truthrooster@gmail.com.




Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.