Issue #60 – January 11 to January 17
a fresh start hannah georgas
with
behind the scenes The making of a Blades documentary marriage of figaro Opera like you’ve never heard it before gangster squad + citadel Films reviewed
Photo: courtesy of mark cohene
contents
NEWs + Opinion
culture
entertainment
Q + A with valerie pearson the wrong thing at the right time Jason Hattie’s biggest gamble. 3 / Local
Live Music listings
Director talks new Globe play. 8 / Q + A
Local music listings for January 11 through January 19. 14 / listings
marriage of figaro
Nightlife Photos
Playing opera like you’ve never heard it before. 9 / Arts
We visit The Pump.
The synthetic age
Gangster Squad + citadel
verbnews.com @verbregina facebook.com/verbregina
15 / Nightlife
Editorial
MacKenzie exhibit explores the fusion of art and community. 9 / Arts
We review the latest movies. 16 / Film
behind the scenes
ART & Production Design Lead / Roberta Barrington Design & Production / Brittney Graham Contributing Photographers / tamara klein, danielle tocker, Adam Hawboldt + Alex J MacPherson
An intimate look at the making of a Blades’ documentary. 4 / Local
On the cover:
hannaH georgas
A new album, a new beginning. 10 /
Publisher / Parity Publishing Editor in Chief / Ryan Allan Managing Editor / Jessica Patrucco staff Writers / Adam Hawboldt + Alex J MacPherson Contributing writer / jessica Bickford
Business & Operations
dearly departing
up and away
on the bus
Our thoughts on moving urban cemeteries. 6 / Editorial
Uplands Pizza offers home-cooked favourites. 12 / Food + Drink
Weekly original comic illustrations by Elaine M. Will. 18 / comics
comments
Music
Game + Horoscopes
Here’s what you had to say about the war on Christmas. 7 / comments
High Hopes, A Series of Tubes + Electric Six. 13 / music
Canadian criss-cross puzzle, weekly horoscopes and Sudoku. 19 / timeout
Office Manager / Stephanie Lipsit Marketing Manager / Vogeson Paley Financial Manager / Cody Lang
contact Comments / feedback@verbnews.com / 881 8372 advertise / advertise@verbnews.com / 979 2253 design / layout@verbnews.com / 979 8474 General / info@verbnews.com / 979 2253
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cover Photo: courtesy of tristan casey
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The wrong thing at the right time
Photo: Courtesy of alex j macpherson / verb
Jason Hattie’s biggest gamble by Alex J Macpherson
J
ason Hattie is really good at doing the wrong thing. When his friends were going to lame high school parties, he was figuring out how to survive as a touring musician. He immersed himself in dance music when dance music was profoundly uncool. He joined a German techno band when he was supposed to be studying jazz — and when no one wanted to hear German techno bands. Fortunately for Hattie, he always seems to do the wrong thing at exactly the right time. “I hate being told what to do,” Hattie sighs, leaning back and running a hand through his long blondish hair. It’s a Friday afternoon. A few hours from now, he will be onstage wearing leopard print pants and absurd sunglasses while hundreds of people writhe on the dance floor; right now, he just looks tired. “I’m good at rebelling from what I’m meant to do, especially in an academic situation. I just kind of fell in love with dance music because it was the anti-jazz. Then I fell so in love with its simplicity and its hooks and its catchiness. The more I got into it, the more I got into all the other elements of it. Stuff beyond music.” He couldn’t have known it five years ago, but his infatuation with electronic dance music would give rise to the project that could define his career. Or bring it tumbling down.
Hattie’s project, Hairdu Records, is a label dedicated to releasing and promoting dance music from across western
Canada. A record label is a concept, an idea. Big ones have office buildings and thousands of employees, but their mandate is identical to the countless labels headquartered in basements and kept afloat by sheer stubbornness: release good music and share it with as many people as possible. The idea is simple. People who like one artist will probably like others on the same label. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement, one Hattie thinks is long overdue in Saskatchewan. “There was a need within my group of peers and friends,” he says. “There was that spot to be filled that hadn’t been filled.” But taking up space is just the beginning. To be successful, every record label needs three things: a viable market, employees with a broad set of skills, and a group of like-minded artists willing to trade control for the promise of a long-term benefit. Hattie discovered the market when his band, 911 Turbo, began to find success. At the time, live dance music was deeply unpopular. “I think a lot of musicians have it in their heads that it’s some big evil or sellout, something they don’t want to do,” he says. “They think they’re sacrificing something about their heritage.” He pauses for a moment before adding, “And so over the last four years I’ve just been getting more and more and more and more into it.” An epic show in Vancouver showed Hattie that the idea was viable and convinced him to keep 911 Turbo alive, even though he was also working in a band called Mobadass (now The Steadies). “Vancouver was going off about 911 Turbo,” he laughs. “It was
f*cked. We were like, ‘Okay, we should probably keep doing this.’” He learned how to run a business after many false starts and even more wrong turns. Hattie, who is 25, has been playing and recording music for more than a decade; he learned years ago that success is more than just a good song. “A lot of people that grew up in the eighties and nineties started learning music, started getting this dream in their heads that music was just this thing where it’s like, ‘I’ll make good music and that’s all it takes,’” he scoffs. “People tell you that to this day — and I just want to hit them in the nose.” Success in the music business, he explains, requires good music, hard work, infinite perseverance — and maybe a stroke of luck. Although he enjoys success today, Hattie has struggled in the past. At one point, he found himself sitting in his grandparents’ basement with no money and no work. Rather than give up, Hattie doubled down. He wrote a batch of songs and booked acoustic shows at coffee shops. “The one thing I’ve learned lately is that there aren’t many people out there that are going to do any of the work for you,” he says. “You have to figure out how to do it yourself. It’s not that you have to do it yourself: you have to figure out how to do it yourself.” Hattie’s first experiences in 911 Turbo introduced him to other people obsessed with making the same kind of music. To date, he has agreed to work with artists like Ricky Rock, Bitchface, Secret Squares, Rave Wind, and PartyWolf. Hairdu will also handle
releases by 911 Turbo, Von Trask, and Hattie’s own project, GoldHeart. “It’s not trying to be big business,” he says. “It’s trying to build something that will help promote a group of us more efficiently.” Safety comes with numbers, but Hairdu Records also promises to give fans a place to hear old favourites and make new friends, a central hub of western Canadian dance music.
Hairdu Records is not a collective, which means Hattie will do most of the work himself. “It’s a control thing,” he laughs. “And it’s not uncommon either.” When he isn’t updating the website or putting the finishing touches on Speed Dating, a mixtape teaser scheduled for release January 15, he is
emailing artists, trying to organize their work under one umbrella and schedule releases well into the future. It may be an impossible challenge, but Hattie couldn’t be more excited. “I’m going into this with the full intent of it being something I want to keep doing for 10 years, 20 years,” he says. “Hopefully.” Then again, Hattie has a track record when it comes to doing things nobody expects, doing the wrong thing. It always seems to be the right time.
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Behind the Scenes The making of a Blades documentary by ADAM HAWBOLDT
T
he Credit Union Centre is silent, save for the sound of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” blaring from deep within the arena’s bowels. It’s 3pm on New Year’s Day, and in dressing room #3 Jeff Newman is preparing to give his team a pep talk. But this isn’t the kind of team you’d normally find in a hockey dressing room. No, Newman’s team — comprised of a handful of cameramen, a sound guy named Lanny and Newman himself, the writer/ director — is in Saskatoon, making a documentary called On the Edge, which airs on SportsNet. The subject? An intimate, eight-part look at the Saskatoon Blades and their march to the Memorial Cup. Today they’ll be shooting footage of the Blades’ game against the Medicine Hat Tigers. The music in the dressing room is turned off as Newman begins his speech. “Alright,” says Newman to his team, who are huddled around him, listening to him as though he’s a coach or something. “Tonight I want you all to shoot in the moment. Really commit to it. Stick with it. Try not to just follow the puck, even though I know it goes against all your instincts.” And Newman is right. His team consists of veteran sports cameramen whose natural tendency is to follow the play in order to capture the flow of the game. But what Newman is after isn’t flow, it’s the essence of the game. “Always pay attention, always be listening,
always be on the lookout for those little moments that will help make this thing unique,” advises Newman. “Don’t be afraid to take risks. Stay focused on a player after the whistle, on a goalie throwing a water bottle after a goal, on a ref. Whatever you think will work.” One of the cameramen to Newman’s left pipes up and says, “How about the fans? Last game against PA there were those three fans who were in front of me, jumping up and down, always moving. What do we do about that?”
the far end of the room, Utley reaches into leading scorer Josh Nicholl’s stall and grabs a pair of shoulder pads. He takes them to the trainer’s station, lays the shoulder pads down, and places a microphone on them. “This is the front, right?” he kids, then pulls a long stick of black hockey tape from a roll and begins securing the microphone to the pads. Utley is nearly finished attaching the mic when the team’s trainer, Steve “Hilty” Hildebrand, approaches. “What are you doing touching my equipment?” he asks. Hildebrand’s
I’m going to have to be the bad guy every now and then. That’s the only way I can tell a balanced, true story here. Jeff Newman
“That,” responds Newman, “is great. If you get a silhouette of fans, stay with it. We want that stuff. We want the dirty glass, we want to see the dividers. We’re not just filming an ordinary hockey game here, fellas. We’re trying to give our viewers a new, fresh perspective.” One of the keys to gaining this fresh perspective is a tall, slender cameraman named Mark Utley. Fifteen minutes after the pep talk,
Utley is in the Blades’ dressing room. He moves freely through a place that is normally off-limits to outsiders. On
tone is serious, but you can instantly tell he’s joking. Utley cracks wise back, then the two get into a short conversation about pressure points, pain and the Blades’ recent Christmas party. And while this may seem like a normal interaction to most, here’s the thing: very few people on Utley’s side of the camera have ever had the kind of access to a WHL team that he does. For all intents and purposes, he’s the eyes and ears of the entire On the Edge operation. He travels with the Blades on the team bus, he stays at the hotel with them, he films road games and all the behind-the-scenes action that takes place — good and Continued on next page »
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Photo: Courtesy of steve Hiscock
bad — while the Blades are away from Saskatoon. At home, things are a bit different. Before games, Utley is in the dressing room filming coach Lorne Molleken’s pep talks. In between periods, he’s back in the dressing room filming. And while games in the Credit Union Centre are being played, Utley films from the ominously named “suicide box” — an area next to the Blades’ bench with no protective glass, from which he takes action shots of the bench. “Simply put, Mark is essential to this whole operation,” says Newman, “He knows everything there is to know about the team. He brings us fantastic insider story ideas, does all the road games, is really entrenched in the team … without him, this wouldn’t be the show it is.”
So what kind of documentary is Over the Edge? Well, according to Newman, it’s kind of like HBO’s 24/7 series, which follows two professional hockey teams in the weeks leading up to the annual Winter Classic. The thing is, though, Newman is in the process of making a show with a much different look and feel than 24/7. “This is grittier,” he explains, as the puck drops to start the Blades vs. Medicine Hat game. “We have different access than HBO does with that series. Maybe better access. So we want to give people a warts-and-all look at this team. It’s like a family with these guys. There are highs and lows,
laughs and fights. And we want to show all of that.” Which means, from time to time, Newman may not be the Blades’ favourite person. “Oh, after the first episode aired, some people weren’t overly happy with me,” he says. “But I’m going to have to be the bad guy every now and then. That’s the only way I can tell a balanced, true story here. So not being everyone’s favourite all the time is just something you have to get used to.” Another thing Newman has to get used to is a hands-off approach to directing. Admittedly, in the past, he’s had a more hands-on, micromanaging style. So much so that, on another documentary project, he once grabbed a camera off a guy’s shoulder and started shooting himself. But with five cameras set up around the rink for the game against Medicine Hat, Newman knows he’ll end up with a better finished product if he just lets his camera team do its own thing — with minimal supervision. “It’s all about the letting go,” he explains, as he flits about the Credit Union Centre, going from camera to camera to ensure everything is running smoothly. “I trust my team, I trust them to get the footage we need. So I don’t get too hands-on during the game unless something out of the ordinary comes up.” Something out of the ordinary like what happened against Medicine Hat. The Blades were comfortably ahead (they would go on to win 7-3) late in the game, when one of the Saskatoon players got drilled into the boards from behind.
He lay there on the ice, not moving. Skirmishes ensued. And before you could say “holy crap, that was a cheap shot,” Jeff Newman was up, running down stairs, turning corners at break-neck speed, heading to the dressing room to film that unique moment that happens after a
player has just been hurt and taken off the ice. The moment viewers rarely get to see. Lucky for him, Utley, his ace in the hole, had already leapt out of the suicide box and had the camera trained on the young hockey player as he told the trainer that
he was “okay, just got real shook up for a bit.” Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com
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The dearly Departing
Moving urban cemeteries to free up in-demand land just makes sense
A
s Saskatchewan grows our cities will continue to expand, and if we want to avoid endless urban sprawl we’re going to have to make better use of the city land that we’ve already got staked out In the past we’ve written about a few ways we can grow our city more efficiently, and we’ve got another idea that’s often overlooked: moving urban cemeteries outside the city limits. Doing so would free up some extra, in-demand land for urban development, land that is currently tied down housing the dearly departed of our fair province. Now we understand our proposal is an emotionally charged one. Often, the physical surroundings of one’s passed-on friends and relatives become just as meaningful as the person buried. Complexities also arise when considering that some people purchase their plots ahead of time, with a cemetery’s specific location in mind. But there are a good many reasons to consider this proposal, too, and moving a grave can be accomplished in a sensitive and respectful manner that works for everyone. The first thing you have to realize is that in the early days cemeteries tended to be placed at the edge of communities, but because of urban growth they have since been swallowed by cities. So, instead of having a place
where mourners are able to visit the deceased in peace, away from the tumult of the urban landscape, people now have cemeteries smack dab in the middle of their communities, as they try to pay their respects over the sounds of jackhammers and car horns. The other thing to consider is that, historically, cemetery relocation is a pretty normal procedure for growing cities. 18th century Paris moved all their cemeteries at once, relocating the remains of six million people into the city’s old stone mines and creating the now famous Catacombs of Paris. In the late ’50s, when the Eisenhower Expressway was being built, about 1,500 graves were moved from Concordia Cemetery in Illinois. In 2001, The Elmbank Cemetery in Toronto was relocated to make room for a new runway at Pearson International Airport. You get the idea. So if we know cemeteries take up prime city space and have to be moved eventually, why not be proactive here and move Regina’s cemeteries outside our city limits, allowing us (the living) to make more productive use of the space right now? Doing so would free up sought-after land, while also providing those who visit the graves of their family and friends with more peaceful surroundings
to do so. Now, we’re not suggesting moving the cemetery so far out that it would take too long to get there, just far enough that foreseeable expansion of the city won’t reach it. And not just anybody would be able to undertake this job. The moving of human remains would have to be overseen by an individual or group well-versed in the sensitive treatment of dead bodies, likely archaeologists (such as those employed in the Elmbank Cemetery move). And once the bodies are exhumed with dignity and transported with care, we propose that they all be shipped to the same place. To a super cemetery, if you will. And we’re not just talking about a big, boring, run-of-the-mill cemetery in the middle of an old wheat field here. We’re talking something spectacular. Something beautiful. Think the Père Lachaise in Paris, La Recoleta in Buenos Aries, Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C — just with more peaceful surroundings. We propose the construction of cemeteries that will not only be a quiet and respectful space for family and friends to pay their respects to their dearly departed, but will also draw other people to them from nearby cities, and beyond. A sensitive solution to a pressing problem — to us, relocating cemeteries just makes sense.
These editorials are left unsigned because they represent the opinions of Verb magazine, not those of the individual writers.
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Cemetery trivia • The word cemetery comes from the Greek words koimeterion
(which means sleeping place) and koiman (to put to sleep).
• La Recoleta, located in Buenos Aires is the resting place of Eva Perón • Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in France is arguably the most famous cemetery in the world, in part because of its beauty, in part because it’s the final resting place of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Frédéric Chopin, and Gertrude Stein. • Quick, what’s the difference between a coffin, a casket and a sarcophagus? The shape.
• One theory as to how tombstones came to be used goes back to the idea that ghosts could be weighed down.
• In many cemeteries bodies are laid to rest with their heads to the west and feet to the east.
• In early England, the Saxons would cut off the feet of the deceased so their spirits would be unable to get up and walk.
• On certain Hawaiian islands, corpses are traditionally tied in the fetal position and buried in caves.
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On Topic: Last issue we asked what you thought about the alleged war on Christmas. Here's what you had to say:
– A good way to get rid of the argument (at least when it comes to buses) is to have the destination signs flash “Merry Christmas” … <destination. … “Happy Hanukkah” … <destination> … “Joyous Kwanzaa” … <destination> … “Happy Holidays” … <destination> as well as any other holiday greetings. I plan on getting a petition together at some point next year. Let’s make it happen! -Scott.
– Totally agree. Not religious myself, but doesn’t bother me if someone wishes me a merry Christmas or anything else. I just take it with the spirit of kindness it was intended. Merry Christmas everyone!
text yo thoughtsur to 881 ve r b 8372
yank their heads out of their asses and get on with their lives. Can’t believe this. There is no war on Christmas, so relax. You’re all free to celebrate it however you want.
OFF TOPIC – So when guys have just seen some strippers and are heading out on their way home, girls on the streets might be harassed. It could be putting their safety at risk. It’s not just about watching a stripper show, it’s about how will the guys watching it fulfill themselves afterward. I just don’t want to hear of women getting raped because of this sexual influence. It is something to think about. In response to “Close, But Not Enough,” Editorial page, #58 (December
– Way to sit on the fence Verb. Instead of picking a side you say those offended by Merry Christmas and those who say it both need to calm down. So no one says anything to anyone? that’s just a Tuesday.
14, 2012)
– U r right it is high time SK allowed sex slavery & organized crime to expand & those who r opposed r archaic & puritanical
want to visit. Can’t train pet. Pee and poop all over neighbor’s yards. Child in adult body. Everybody sees everybody knows!
In response to “Close, But Not Enough,” Editorial page, #58 (December
– I disagree with your editorial on the war on Christmas. The holiday began as a celebration of the birth of our Saviour. What corruption it has evolved to over time needs to be overcome, and that is why it’s so important to push pass all this nonsense and wish people a Merry Christmas (NOT xmas), to remind them of the real reason for this joyous time of year. Peace be with all of you!
– The war on Christmas, as you call it, is such a tiresome and infuriating sham. There are actual issues in this world, and people overreacting to a casual greeting need to
– Maybe u have advice 2 give on how 2b insensitive. You wrote the tune! JAN A
14, 2012)
– It seems like a double standard in saskatchewan gambling at Casinos horse racing bingo VLTs are ok. but strip joints is not ok. In response to “Close, But Not Enough,” Editorial page, #58 (December
– What a Fkn Fantasy a billionaire Industrialist International Rescue! Thunder birds are GO more like GTFO!!
that did have armed gaurds? It was called COLUMBINE
– “Let’s give teachers guns” The NRA: remaining steadfastly out of touch, no matter how hard you try
– If someone has made your job or life easier, say thank you. Two small words but when said can mean a lot!
– Get rich or die mayan
14, 2012)
sound off – Adults with pets LOSERS! Pathetic need for lesser creature in their thrall. Can’t relate to people. Can’t clean after the pet. Hair and stink up their home so bad you don’t
– The NRA has spoken but instead of getting rid of assualt rifles they want to arm teachers whats next arm 6 & 7 year olds God help us all.
– The NRA advocates for arming teachers? Remember that school
– Jesus Christ was born of a virgin birth. that’s what makes his birth so special and heavenly. He was sent by God to live among mankind for a time. Dec 25 isn’t necessarily the exact day but a day that has been set aside to celebrate his birth.
– Transit does a wonderful job and I respect what they do. I wish council would allocate more money to transit so that a new terminal could be made so that riders could warm up in winter. I don’t care what anyone says, transit tries hard and deserves a big pat on the back!
– I’m texty and I know it.
Next issue: What do you think about moving urban cemeteries? Pick up a copy of Verb to get in on the conversation: We print your texts verbatim each week. Text in your thoughts and reactions to our stories and content, or anything else on your mind.
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Into The Wild
Photos: courtesy of the globe theatre
Henry and Alice are back for a second adventure on the Globe Stage by Alex J MacPherson
I
n 2008, the Globe Theatre produced a place called Sexy Laundry, the hilarious story of a middle-aged couple who attempt to reinvigorate their sex life by checking into a swanky hotel, armed with a copy of Sex For Dummies. Now, Henry and Alice are back. Henry and Alice: Into The Wild focuses not on sex, but on careers and on family. After Henry loses his job, he and Alice embark on a camping trip. Things go awry when Diana, Alice’s freespirited sister, shows up to wreak havoc and force the unhappy couple to examine their lives and ask themselves what really matters. I tracked down director Valerie Pearson to learn about the difficulties of staging a sequel — and much more.
AJM: This is a sequel, which means audiences that saw Sexy Laundry will have certain expectations. Is that a challenge for a director?
Alex J MacPherson: There are only three characters in this play. What’s it like directing a very small cast?
already familiar with, and with the things they are weakest in.
Valerie Pearson: It’s very different, a lot more collaborative. In a big show it’s collaborative, but not nearly so much as in a small cast show. We can have discussions about the issues, and about what each character’s backstory is, and the depths of their feelings. I think you can get a lot deeper into a play with three characters than you can in a musical with 50.
look at the married life rather than the single life at a certain age. AJM: It’s refreshing to see hilarious middle-aged characters, but does that make it difficult for young people to get onboard?
VP: Absolutely, but familiarity also helps with humour. I think people are familiar now with Alice and Henry. It’s like the old days of watching All In The Family: you get to the point where you really do love those characters. I think people have that opportunity with this new play to come and see characters they’re
VP: I think it doesn’t ignore the young audience. It’s hip enough and funny enough that they can look at it and see their parents. And if not their parents, they can see other people’s parents or somebody they know.
That’s the charm of [this play: it hits] a nerve with most people… Valerie pearson
That’s the charm of both of these plays: they hit a nerve with most people, but they’re not freaky far-out weirdo characters — they are people that are recognizable.
AJM: Sexy Laundry was obviously about sex. This one isn’t.
AJM: That is certainly important, but these characters also force us to think about ourselves and our own lives, even if we’re laughing at poor Henry and Alice.
VP: One of the things we explore in Henry and Alice is the whole set of family relationships. I think Sexy Laundry was about a single relationship and its sexual side. This one is more about midlife crises, like career and job division and being overlooked, both at home and at work, and losing power. They get involved with Diana, which causes them to
VP: These three characters, I think they are a universal couple. When we look back at Sexy Laundry, I don’t even know how many times I’ve
heard similar conversations about never having sex anymore, and ‘my husband doesn’t think I’m attractive,’ and the whole thing about ‘how do I look in this dress?’ I think everyone can recognize that. In this one, we recognize the man who at 50 or 55 looks around himself and goes, ‘what have I done with my life?’
Henry & Alice: Into the Wild January 23 - February 10 @ Globe Theatre $29+ @ Globe Theatre Box Office Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
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Marriage of Figaro
The RSO Wind Octet play opera like you’ve never heard it before
W
olfgang Amadeus Mozart composed The Marriage of Figaro for almost a dozen soloists and a colossal orchestra. When performed on a large scale, the 1786 opera buffa is an awesome spectacle, a dramatic conclusion to The Barber of Seville and a showcase for some of Mozart’s finest melodies. But large productions require large budgets. Only the biggest companies can summon the resources to produce a major opera. Fortunately, there is another way. “There are no words, it’s just the arias, the music,” says Jim Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is the Regina Symphony’s principal clarinetist, and the force behind a new production of The Marriage of Figaro, which transforms Mozart’s grandiose opera into a charming and accessible piece of chamber music. “I’m not sure it reduces it,” he adds. “It concentrates it on the melody and the music itself.”
Although it seems strange today, arranging operas for small ensembles was fairly common in the 18th and 19th centuries. European aristocrats employed small ensembles to provide light entertainment or even background music. Some composers specialized in arranging for wind octets or other small groups, a daunting task given the scope of any major score. A wind octet usually consists of two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, and two clarinets. In most cases, the oboes and bassoons assume the duties of the soloists, while the remaining instruments become the orchestra. That this type of arrangement works is a testament to Mozart’s sublime ingenuity and exquisite taste for timeless melodies. “Mozart had a genius for melody and communicating, especially through opera,” Fiztpatrick says. “His symphonies are important, but his operas and his piano concertos are probably his main venue.”
by alex J MacPherson
Mozart’s operas, notably The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, are among the finest works ever composed. In contrast, Beethoven composed a single opera, Fidelio, which most people have never heard of. “There’s some great music there,” Fitzpatrick says of Mozart. “That was the way he expressed himself for longevity.” Just as important as the music, however, is the experience. Chamber ensembles offer audiences an intimacy that cannot be found in the concert hall. Individual instruments separate into distinct voices, easily heard, and the production is far less intimidating than even the tamest symphony. “We enjoy bringing good music to the people in a close setting like that,” Fitzpatrick says. “It’s a little nerve-wracking at times, [but] it’s always been fun.” The Marriage of Figaro January 19 + 20 @ Government House $20+ @ RSO Box Office
The Synthetic Age
New exhibition explores fusion of art and community by alex J MacPherson
Photo: courtesy oF Rob Truszkowski
A
rt is not real life. Art is a representation of real life. A fusion of ideas driven by the same impulses that fuel innovation in science and technology — the desire to realize dreams, to challenge the status quo, to push
the boundaries of the possible. However, these ideas are difficult to recognize and unravel. The Synthetic Age, an exhibition by the fine arts faculties at the University of Regina and the First Nations University of Canada, is an attempt to draw attention to art in an academic context, and to highlight the many benefits of a vibrant fine arts department. “The big thing I was hoping to pull from this is an awareness of how diverse the practices are, and how rich the visual arts culture is in the university,” says Jeff Nye, who curated the exhibition. “There’s real diversity, and it’s really interesting to see how these people work together. An energetic art department feeds the culture of the city.”
The Synthetic Age was difficult to curate. Nye had to extract a coherent theme from the work of more than 25 artists. He began by examining the way universities, which are themselves synthetic creations, operate. “If you think about teaching studio or even an art theory course, you’re teaching the history, the conventions, but you’re also encouraging innovation at the same time,” he explains “You’re encouraging the students to not be derivative. Part of it is honouring the traditions, and the other part is figuring out where the new direction is.” In this sense, there is little difference between art and chemistry. Just as developments in science and technology transcend the boundar-
ies of the universities and research institutes, innovations in art cannot be contained by bricks and mortar. Ideas always get through. On a more basic level, The Synthetic Age harnesses the power of art as a tool for questioning the things we take for granted. Sean Whalley and Marsha Kennedy use their practices to examine the lasting effects of our way of life, which is shaped by synthetic creations, on the environment. David Garneau’s work, on the other hand, addresses cultural synthesis — or lack thereof — in contemporary Saskatchewan.
These ideas transcend art and seep into everything, from science and technology to politics and the law. A vibrant society relies on the exchange of information and ideas to drive progress. And that is anything but synthetic. The Synthetic Age ‘Til April 14 @ MacKenzie Art Gallery
Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com
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Hannah Georgas A new album, a new beginning by Alex J macPherson
T
he choice was obvious. “I toyed with a couple of things,” Hannah Georgas says of her new record, her voice dusky and ragged after weeks on the road. “At the end of it all, I didn’t feel like they summed everything up. It felt right to self-title it. It felt like it was a good interpretation of where I’m at, musically and creatively. It felt right.” Unless you are a member of the band Weezer, the decision to release an eponymous album should not be taken lightly. A name is an intimate possession. It is the simplest expression of our identity, the tool we use to separate ourselves from others without sacrificing our humanity. Its use implies presence and commitment; it guarantees promises and seals agreements. In the same way a signature transforms a worthless piece of paper into a contract, an inviolable agreement between two people, an eponymous album forges a bond between artist and listener. It is a new beginning. A musical rebirth. Hannah Georgas, which was released late last year, keeps that promise. Georgas wrote the bulk of the album knowing she wanted to try something different. Her previous records made liberal use of electronic
instruments, but were ultimately driven by guitars. Hannah Georgas is a departure. Instead of using synthesizers and samplers for depth and colour and texture, Georgas put them out front. But she couldn’t do it alone. To help realize her musical vision, she enlisted Graham Walsh, who plays with Holy F*ck. “I’ve always been really into Holy F*ck, and I heard through the grapevine
experience for Georgas. “On my last record, I went into the studio and pressed record and played the song from top to bottom on my guitar,” she explains. “This time I was like, I’d like to do a little more work on my end and give [Walsh] an idea of where I’d like to go.” The end result pushes the boundaries of what a singer and songwriter can achieve, and undermines per-
I find myself in these situations, where it’s like … I overthink things, and I’m like, ‘Why the f*ck am I like this?’ hannah georgas
that he is a fantastic producer, so I put two and two together,” she says. “I knew that I wanted his influence and electronic style to definitely play a big role on where I was going.” That direction was outward. Well before she and Walsh convened in Toronto to cut the tracks, Georgas had used her laptop to assemble a framework of ideas, a skeleton ready for layers of muscle and tissue. Making complicated demos was a new
ceptions of Georgas as just another songstress with an effervescent voice. Guitar records occupy a specific sonic space, a range of frequencies is defined by the physical limitations of the instruments. Synthesizers know no such caveat; they can produce any sound that can be imagined. Consequently, Hannah Georgas is broader and more expansive than its predecessors, sprawling across the sonic landscape, a series of sweeping Continued on next page »
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Photos: courtesy of tristan casey
strokes that fill in unexpected places and skirt more familiar ones. “I didn’t want to crowd the production,” Georgas says. “I wanted there to be lots of space in the music and just serve the song, what it is, and really have some tasty little production stuff here and there.” Walsh’s wizardry and Georgas’ ingenuity combined to produce a record that is heavy without being dense, forceful without being violent.
But Hannah Georgas is more than a sonic spectacle, more than a collection of songs tied together by a synthesizer riff and an ambient pad. It is also the most articulate and thoughtful record Georgas has ever made. She wrote the songs in just five months, forcing herself to work every day. “Some days there was nothing,” she laughs. “Other days, stuff would come.” Because it was written so quickly, and because
it was written during a time of emotional upheaval, the themes and ideas flow together; Hannah Georgas traces the arc of experience, from confusion and anger to understanding and acceptance. It is the story of Georgas’ struggle to understand time — to find her place in the world and ask if it is worthwhile. “Everything I was feeling was just coming out, everything I was going through in my life,” she says. “I guess that was why these themes were coming out, because it was all focused on a concentrated period of time.” Georgas explains the problem on “Elephant,” a sombre song propelled by wavering vocals and the hypnotic pulse of a synthesizer. It is a frank assessment of aging (“As I age it sinks deeper in / This life is temporary, it’s all gonna end / This is all gonna end”) weighted with a profound sense of uncertainty: (“I don’t wanna wake up one day thinking where the hell have I been”). “I think with that song I was just realizing I have different priorities as I’ve been getting older,” she reflects. “And I’m realizing that I am getting older.” If “Elephant” presents a specific problem, “Robotic” attempts to solve it — by dulling the pain with a new kind of anaesthetic (“I wanna be reprogrammed / I wanna be robotic
/ No more blood in these veins / I wanna press reset”). “Robotic” casts a moment of intense vulnerability against a backdrop of bright guitars and swirling keyboards. Its construction echoes the emotional uncertainty that permeates every note on the record. But it also leads to a conclusion. Only by banishing emotion and recreating herself as a dispassionate automaton can Georgas understand that humanity is defined by feeling: (“If you wanna win / You gotta play”). “I find myself in these situations, where it’s like I’m a sensitive soul or I overthink things, and I’m like, ‘Why the f*ck am I like this?’” she says of “Robotic.” “I just want to brush this off and move on. A lot of the time I find myself battling that.” “Ode To Mom” and “Waiting Game,” which close the record, take the ideas presented in “Elephant” and “Robotic” to their logical conclu-
sion. Rather than shrink from feeling, Georgas chooses to embrace it. “Ode To Mom” is about the rippling effect of her father’s death. It builds to a towering crescendo before lapsing, exhausted, into a dissonant coda, a moment of understanding. Georgas uses the permanence of death to illustrate the idea that each moment is valuable, each feeling worthwhile. This idea overflows into “Waiting Game,” the moment of acceptance: (“Every conversation is all the same / I’m just a sucker, waiting for your call / I get so hard, I get so hard on myself”). “I think that was just a nice end to sum up the thoughts that are going through my mind,” she says. “And the whole theme of the record, for sure. [“Waiting Game”] feels like the end, and that’s the end of the set we’re doing right now.” Hannah Georgas is a record about the human condition. It is a deeply
moving example of how a deeply personal journey can resonate with complete strangers. “[It is about] realizing what are the important things, what I want to do on this planet before I die,” she muses. “And I’m realizing I’m not this young kid anymore. I am a grown adult.” Georgas calls this realization a “sad clarity.” Life may be dark and stupid and painful, but it is all we have. Hannah Georgas captures Georgas at her absolute best, artistically and musically. The choice was obvious. Hannah Georgas January 25 @ The Exchange $13 @ Ticketedge.ca Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com
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Up and Away
Photos courtesy of Danielle Tocker
Pizza, pasta, and home cooked favourites at Uplands Pizza by jessica bickford
W
elcome to the new year everyone! I hope you all had at least a few days to relax during the holiday season, but if not, why not treat yourself to some delicious food cooked by someone that isn’t you? Uplands Pizza has just the kind of comfort food you need after all that shopping, those family visits, and the sorrow that is having to go back to work and school. Gus and Elizabeth Tomaras have owned and operated Uplands Pizza for its entire 32 years of continual operation out of the same location. That means they must be doing something right, and that something is classic homemade pizzas, pasta, and sandwiches on bread made inhouse. The homemade bread (that you can purchase loaves of) is to die for, and makes some of the best garlic toast I’ve ever had. I started with a Greek salad and some of the said garlic toast, which was thick, buttery, and perfectly
meat sauce flavoured with tomato and just a hint of nutmeg. This was warm and filling home cooking — great comfort food with tons of flavour and lots of cheese. You can’t go to a place called Uplands Pizza and not try some
garlicky. The salad was colourful, with tomato wedges, cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives, red and green peppers and feta all atop some crunchy iceberg lettuce. This fresh and crisp salad had a very nice red wine vinegar and oregano
This was warm and filling home cooking … with tons of flavour and lots of cheese.
Uplands Pizza 475 Broad St. N | 545 3566
Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@TheGeekCooks jbickford@verbnews.com
let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide
jessica Bickford
pizza, so I dove into a slice of vegetarian. The soft crust, which was not too thick and not too thin, was topped with a bit of tomato sauce and a unique mix of veggies, including green olives, pineapple, onions, green pepper, fresh tomato and mushrooms. I was a bit apprehensive about the olive and pineapple combo, but the saltiness of the olives and the sweet tartness of the pineapple
dressing that went beautifully with the salty feta. Next up were some breaded pork dry ribs, which were lovely little meaty bites with a slightly crisp coating and tender inside. A squeeze of lemon made these a perfect appetizer and great for sharing. A cheesy and bubbling baked lasagna was next, and the tender noodles were coated in a savoury
actually made a really tasty combination. The ratio of crust to toppings to cheese was just right, too, making this a wonderful slice of pizza. Uplands Pizza is a north end institution, and their focus on homemade food with loads of flavour is what has kept people coming for more than three decades.
Michelada
Ingredients
Nothing goes better with pizza than a refreshing beer. But beer can get a little boring sometimes, so mix things up with a Mexican-inspired michelada. Think of it as a beer caesar, so spice it how you like.
juice of one lime dash of Worcestershire dash of soya sauce dash of tabasco (or a spicier chili sauce if preferred) pinch of black pepper 12 oz beer (a nice pale lager) sea salt
Directions
Rim a tall glass with sea salt and mix together the lime juice, sauces, and pepper. Add lots of ice and top up with the beer. You can also add a bit of clam and tomato juice for a twist on this savoury drink.
12 Jan 11 – jan 17 culture
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Next Week
coming up
High Hopes
A Series of Tubes
Electric Six
@ The exchange Saturday, January 19 – $8
@ Creative City Centre Sunday, January 20 – $10
@ The Exchange Monday, March 18 – $18
If it’s heartfelt pop rock you want, look no further: Saskatoon’s High Hopes has what you’re after. Consisting of Joel Cossette (vocals), Casey Long-Read (guitar/vocals), Andy Coulic (bass) and Ryan Regier (drums), this group plays honest songs with an acoustic/alternative bent. And whether they’re kicking it as a two-piece acoustic or the complete quartet, these guys always deliver. Whether singing about Star Wars shirts and Charles Bukowski or redheads and girls who show affection, High Hopes play songs with sincere lyrics that will make you think. From being overweight to breaking up, they deal with real topics about real people, and that’s why they’ve slowly amassed such a strong and dedicated following.
“A series of tubes” was a phrase coined by U.S. Senator Ted Stevens back in 2006 when he was trying to describe the Internet. And while this talented trio from Toronto most certainly can be found on the Internet, they have preciously little else in common with the senator from Alaska. Consisting of three young and exciting musicians (Ian Sinclair, Mark Godfrey, Mackenzie Longpre), this instrumental group has a refreshing sound that incorporates splashes of jazz, hip hop, R&B and electronica. Currently on a tour through Alberta and Saskatchewan, A Series of Tubes honed its skills in Toronto on prominent stages such as The Rex. They’re recently released their self-titled debut EP, so check ‘em out when they light it up next week.
Formerly known as the Wildbunch, this metro Detroit six-piece is what some have called a “genreblurring” band. And with a sound that incorporates elements of disco, punk, garage, new wave and arena rock (to name just a few), it’s easy to see why. E6’s first album, Fire, went gold; since then, their brand of energetic disco rock, with its brash guitars and funky bass, have won the band — which consists of lads with names like Dick Valentine, Da Ve, Johnny Na$hinal, Smorgasbord, Tait Nucleus? and Percussion World — fans the world over. Now, they’re bringing their most recent album, Absolute Pleasure, to the masses. Don’t miss it when these Motor City musicians roll into town. Tickets available at www.ticketedge.ca – By Adam Hawboldt
Photos courtesy of: the artist / emily cook photography / Jill Goodell
Sask music Preview Attention teachers: do you have students interested in the many different types of jobs available in the music industry, both off and on the stage? SaskMusic can come to your classroom to speak about our industry, and explain the ins and outs of the music business. For more info, please contact us at 3470767 or 1-800-347-0676.
Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org
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January 11 » january 19 The most complete live music listings for Regina. S
M
T
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T
11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Friday 11 Ramed Hafi / The Artful Dodger — Come out for a Middle Eastern dance party. 7:30pm / Cover TBD DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits, so come on down and groove to your favourite tunes. 10pm / $5 Living with Lions / The Exchange — A punk rock band from B.C. w/ guests Empire Choir and Elder Abuse. 8pm / $12 (www.ticketedge.ca) DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s Martini & Cocktail Club — Local DJs spin top 40 hits. 9pm / $5 cover Big Chill Fridays / Lancaster Taphouse — Come and chill with DJ Fatbot. 10pm / Cover TBD The Steadies / McNally’s Tavern — Get your reggae fill from this talented band. 10pm / $5 Buckcherry / Pure Ultra Lounge — This kickass band will be rocking the EastRoom. 8pm / Cover TBD Crosstown / The Sip — Come on down and rock out. 10pm / Cover TBD Kal Hourd / Whiskey Saloon — Good ol’ country, coming at you straight from Saskatoon, so dust off your cowboy boots and come on down. 8pm / $10
Saturday 12
Blue Rodeo / Conexus Arts Centre — Canada’s iconic country/rock band will be taking to the stage to knock your socks off. 8pm / $27-67.50 (www. conexusartscentre.ca) Greg Rekus / Creative City Centre — Punk rock meets outlaw country. 7:30pm / $10
RSO Pops: Canadian Brass / Conexus Arts Centre — Enthralling sounds from a brass five-piece; this is sure to thrill. 8pm / $49-85 (www.tickets.reginasymphony.com) Ramed Hafla / Creative City Centre — Come out for a Bollywood-themed dance party. 5:30pm / $10 (member) $12 (non-member) DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / Cover $5 Prop Planes / The Exchange — A CD release party for an up-and-coming local band. 8pm / Cover TBD The Down Home Boys / Lancaster Taphouse — Bluegrass music the way it should be played. 10pm / Cover TBD The Steadies / McNally’s Tavern — Get your reggae fill from this talented band. 10pm / $5 Drewski / Pure Ultra Lounge — Doing what he does best. 10pm / $5 cover Crosstown / The Sip — Come on down and rock out. 10pm / Cover TBD Open Jam Sessions / Smokin’ Okies BBQ — Drop by for a jam or to listen. 3pm / No cover Kal Hourd / Whiskey Saloon — Good ol’ country straight from Saskatoon. 8pm / $10
Tuesday 15
Belle Plaine, Jenny Berkel / The Artful Dodger — A double header you don’t want to miss. 7:30pm / $10(advance), $15(door)
Wednesday 16
Wednesday Night Folk / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring The Vudu Hounds, playing acoustic music. 9pm / No cover Jam Night and Open Stage / McNally’s Tavern — Come on down and enjoy some local talent. 9pm / No cover
Thursday 17
Keiffer McLean / The Artful Dodger — A local singer/songwriter with soul. 8pm / $10 Decibel Frequency / Gabbo’s Nightclub — A night of electronic fun. 10pm / Cover $5 PS Fresh / The Hookah Lounge — Featuring DJ Ageless and DJ Drewski. 7pm / No cover Big Chill Fridays / Lancaster Taphouse — Come and chill with DJ Fatbot. 10pm / Cover TBD What Ever / McNally’s — Come out and support local bands. 8:30pm / $5 Leanne Pearson / Pump Roadhouse — A country singer-songwriter from Winnipeg. 9pm / Cover TBD Blake Berglund / Whiskey Saloon — A local country talent to keep an eye on. 8pm / $5
Sunday 13
John Wort Hannam / The Artful Dodger — A Juno-nominated folk/ roots musician. 8pm / $10(advance), $15(door)
Monday 14
Open Mic Night / The Artful Dodger — Come down and jam! 8pm / No cover Monday Night Jazz and Blues / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring Shane Reoch. 8pm / No cover
DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come down and check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs as he does his spinning thing. 8pm / Cover $5
Friday 18
Way Off Broadway Cabaret / Creative City Centre — Featuring Ariadne Bissett, Jonathan Seidle, Michael Vance, Joshua Hendriksen, Lisa Harasen and Shannon Harasen. 8pm / $10 DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits, so come on down and groove to your favourite tunes. 10pm / $5 DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits. 9pm / $5 cover Big Chill Fridays / Lancaster Taphouse — Come and chill with DJ Fatbot. 10pm / Cover TBD Johnny McCuaig Band / McNally’s Tavern — This night offers up a little rock and roll with a bit of bag pipes. 10pm / $5 Wyatt / The Pump Roadhouse — This is one country band you have to see. 9pm / Cover TBD Albert / Pure Ultra Lounge — Come listen to Albert every Friday. 10pm / $5 cover Parlor Trixx / The Sip Nightclub — Come on down and rock out. 10pm / Cover TBD Blake Berglund / Whiskey Saloon — A local country talent to keep an eye on. 8pm / $10
Way Off Broadway Cabaret / Creative City Centre — Featuring Ariadne Bissett, Jonathan Seidle, Michael Vance, Joshua Hendriksen, Lisa Harasen and Shannon Harasen. 8pm / $10 DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits. 10pm / Cover $5 High Hopes, Come Hell or High Water, 10th Avenue, 908 / The Exchange — A night of music you won’t want to miss: four bands for the price of one! 7pm / $8 Dan Silljer / Lancaster Taphouse — A left-handed guitar whiz will be taking to the stage. 10pm / Cover TBD Darcy Playground / McNally’s Tavern — Classic rock and pop covers to get you up on the dance floor. 10pm / $5 Drewski / Pure Ultra Lounge — Doing what he does best, every Saturday night. 10pm / $5 cover Keiffer McLean / Sawchyn Guitars — A local singer/songwriter with soul. 8pm / Cover TBD Parlor Trixx / The Sip — Come on down and rock out. 10pm / Cover TBD Open Jam Sessions / Smokin’ Okies BBQ — Drop by for a jam or to listen. 3pm / No cover Blake Berglund / Whiskey Saloon — A local country talent to keep an eye on. 8pm / $10
Saturday 19
Micheal Wood Band / The Artful Dodger — A hot rock act out of B.C. 8pm / Cover TBD The Highwaymen / Casino Regina — A tribute to the greatest country music group ever. 8pm / $25-30 (www. casinoregina.com)
Get listed Have a live show you'd like to promote? Let us know! layout@verbnews.com
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saturday, January 5 @
the pump
The Pump Roadhouse 641 Victoria Avenue (306) 359 7440 Music vibe / Alternative, country
and top 40 Drink of Choice / Jag-bombs top eats / Taco in a bag coming up / The Mahones
Anniversary January 23rd, Rival Sons February 8th, and Randy House in March
Photography by Klein Photography
15 Jan 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; jan 17 /verbregina
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Not quite right
Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Gangster Squad might not live up to your expectations by adam hawboldt
H
ere’s the thing about Ruben Fleischer’s new flick, Gangster Squad: it’s a good movie, just not as good as you expect/want it to be. Which is unfortunate, because on the surface the film has so much going for it. Fleischer is a very competent director (best known for Zombieland), the story is a real humdinger, and the cast is terrific. Think about it: a crime flick about infamous LA crime boss Mickey Cohen, starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Giovanni Ribisi and Nick Nolte? If you’re a fan of the gangster genre, one of the first thoughts that flitted through your head when you saw the trailer for Gangster Squad was probably something along the lines of, “Hot damn! Sign me up.” And when you watch the opening scene of the movie, you’ll get the feeling that you’ve signed up for
with a bang (or in this case, an evisceration), Gangster Squad delivers — in a big way. The problem is, though, that initial bang soon peters out into a clichéd, derivative whimper. But more on that in a minute. For now, let’s look at the basic plot of the
something visceral, violent and epic. You see, the movie begins with Cohen (played by Penn) standing behind the old Hollywood sign, explaining his uber-violent back story to a Chicago mobster. But this is no friendly explanation. See, the mobster is chained to a pair of motors. And to prove just
[T]he unoriginality of it all really holds Gangster Squad back. Adam Hawboldt
film. The year is 1949, in post-war Los Angeles. Cohen, an ex-boxerturned-crime-kingpin, controls the city’s drug, gun and prostitution rackets with a bloodied iron fist. To ensure he’s safe to shuck and illegally jive as he pleases, Cohen
how violent he really is, Cohen orders for the motors to be revved up and for the mobster to be torn in two while dogs feast on his guts. Okay. Admittedly, that’s not a scene for everyone. But for anyone who likes their movies to start out
puts a plethora of police, judges and politicians on the payroll. But it’s not enough. Police Chief Bill Parker (Nolte) puts together a small team of LAPD officers to take Cohen down. The squad, led by war hero/super cop John O’Mara (Brolin), consists of wisecracking ladies’ man Jerry Wooters (Gosling), sharpshooter Max Kennard (Robert Patrick), tech expert Conwell Keeler (Ribisi), beat cop Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie) and rookie tag-along Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña). As they go about their duties (by any means necessary), you’ll slowly realize this plot is far from original. And at the point of the movie you hear Penn scream “I want them all dead! I want their families dead!” it’ll hit you like a sack of bricks — this movie is so much like Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables it’s almost criminal.
GangsteR Squad Ruben Fleischer Starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte + Emma Stone Directed by
113 minutes | 14A
That’s what killed it for me. Perhaps “killed” is too strong of a word. Because, to be honest, the movie has a lot of good dialogue, good action, and is really eye-catching (in an art-deco-advertising kind of way.) But the unoriginality of it all really holds Gangster Squad back. Unfortunately.
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@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com
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Oh, so close ...
New thriller/horror flick, Citadel, had loads of potential by adam hawboldt
H
ave you ever started watching a movie, and for the first half or so you’re saying to yourself, “Cripes, this is excellent! Why didn’t I watch it sooner?” Then all of a sudden, out of the damn clear blue, something gets torqued and the entire film flips on its axis. All your thoughts about the film being excellent dissipate, and you’re left scratching your head thinking “WTF?! What just happened here?” Well, for movie viewers of a certain bent, Citadel turns out to be one of those film. Written and directed by Irishman Ciaran Foy, Citadel begins on a sweet and tender note. Tommy (played by Aneurin Barnard) kisses his pregnant wife Joanne, then hops in the elevator in their apartment complex to take her luggage out to a taxi. Their destination? The hospital, so Tommy’s beloved can have their baby. But then something happens. A really big something. When Tommy returns to get his wife and help her to the taxi, his elevator gets stuck and he’s forced to watch, helplessly, as three hooded youths viciously attack Joanne. In a panic, Tommy tries to his damnedest to pry the door open. It doesn’t work. Instead, the elevator returns him to the lobby. Tommy races up flight after flight of stairs only to find his wife alone, unconscious, with a needle stuck in her. She’s teetering on death’s door. Naturally, Tommy rushes her to the hospital, but she only lives long enough to give birth to their baby. After his wife’s death, Tommy becomes a head case. Overwhelmed by agoraphobia, he is physically unable to leave his apartment. He also sees the three thugs who attacked Joanne everywhere, and is sure they’re coming after his newborn son.
Photo: Courtesy of sigma films
This paranoia and fear sets the mood for the first half of the movie, a mood that is as bleak and forbidding as the crumbling city in which the film is set.
helplessness, and the prevalence of moral and physical urban decay. And you know what? The first half of this movie really works. It’s raw and grim and utterly captivating.
Aneurin Barnard brings real gravity to his role as a haunted man forced to face his fears. Adam Hawboldt
The first half also says a lot about contemporary society: the fear of random violence, the feeling of
Then, all of a sudden, Tommy hooks up with a foul-mouthed, potentially bonkers priest (James
Cosmo) and finds out that his wife’s attackers aren’t what they seem. This is when the train starts to come off the tracks. One minute Citadel is a gritty, thriller about paranoia and society, the next everything goes all horror flick on you, and it’s hard to take the movie as seriously as you did in the beginning. But as far as small-scale thrillers go, it was still pretty good. Aneurin Barnard brings real gravity to his role as a haunted man forced to face his fears. And there are a couple of genuinely heart-pounding, jumpout-of-your-seat moments. Too bad Foy couldn’t manage to carry that intensity through.
Citadel Ciaran Foy Aneurin Barnard, James Cosmo, Wunmi Mosaku + Amy Shiels Directed by Starring
84 minutes | N/A
Citadel will be screened at Regina Public Library starting on January 17.
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@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com
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Š Elaine M. Will | blog.E2W-Illustration.com | Check onthebus.webcomic.ws/ for previous editions!
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crossword canadian criss-cross 1. Not attractive 5. Area farthest from the front 9. Flora and fauna of a region 10. Wading bird 12. Go sightseeing 13. Beckham’s game 15. Assistant 16. Take small tastes of 18. Make more acute, as one’s skills 19. Suffix with hero 20. Eucharist plate 22. Canada’s neighbour: abbr. 23. Animal resembling a monkey 25. Knife used in an operat
ing room 27. Make a long tear in 29. Make fast 30. Unidentified man 34. Scenic wide view 38. “___ on a Grecian Urn” 39. Clear a chalkboard 41. Barley bristle 42. Auction cry 44. Do your best 45. Move lightly and swiftly 46. Lying face upward 48. Act as a go-between 50. Program you’ve seen before 51. Word processing command
sudoku answer key
52. Tear apart 53. Roll call reply
DOWN 1. Crown worn as a sign of sovereignty 2. Travel constantly 3. Broke a fast 4. Model airplane wood 5. Look up to 6. Self-esteem 7. Curved entranceway 8. Win back 9. Pickling solution 11. Verb form 12. Comet part 14. Not pretended 17. Part of TGIF
20. Group of lions A 21. Easily taken advantage of 24. Big coffeepot 26. Floral necklace 28. Be a sign of 30. Chinese figure of a god 31. Aroma 32. Assistant 33. Spike of corn B 35. Intravenous solution 36. Unforeseen development 37. Poker stake 40. Slender woman 43. Desperately urgent 45. Treating people equally 47. One who has taken vows 49. Anger
6 3 1 9 7 5 2 4 8 8 7 5 1 2 4 6 9 3 9 4 2 8 3 6 1 5 7 2 5 9 6 1 7 8 3 4 3 6 4 2 8 9 5 7 1 1 8 7 4 5 3 9 2 6 5 2 8 7 4 1 3 6 9 7 9 3 5 6 8 4 1 2 4 1 6 3 9 2 7 8 5
ACROSS
6 1 8 3 9 4 7 2 5 9 2 7 5 8 6 3 4 1 4 5 3 2 1 7 8 6 9 5 7 6 4 3 1 2 9 8 2 8 9 6 7 5 1 3 4 1 3 4 9 2 8 5 7 6 3 9 1 8 4 2 6 5 7 8 6 2 7 5 9 4 1 3 7 4 5 1 6 3 9 8 2
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© walter D. Feener 2012
Horoscopes January 11 – January 17 Aries March 21–April 19
Leo July 23–August 22
Sagittarius November 23–December 21
You have a strong creative component to your personality, Aries. That’s no secret. So why don’t you tap into that side of you this week?
It’s a jungle out there, dear Leo. Lucky for you, you’re the king of that sucker. So stomp the terra this week like you own it.
No rest for the wicked, Sagittarius. If that old cliché holds true, then you must’ve been quite bad, because you’re going to be busy, busy, busy this week.
Taurus April 20–May 20
Virgo August 23–September 22
Capricorn December 22–January 19
Sensitive much, Taurus? If so, you might want to work on toughening up in the coming days. You’re going to need a bit of a thick skin to get through.
Ideas are going to come at you this week like snowflakes in a blizzard. Don’t let the mess of ‘em confuse you. Pick out a few, and grab on.
It’s important to give, Capricorn, but if you hit a wall and find you have nothing left, don’t fret. Just take some down time and recharge your battery.
Gemini May 21–June 20
Libra September 23–October 23
Aquarius January 20–February 19
Things could be getting hectic, Gemini, so when you get the chance take some time, kick your feet up and relax — if only for a few minutes.
Things will be happening on the home front this week, Libra — some good, some bad. Make sure you keep on top of it all.
Good things come to those who wait, they say. But what they neglect to tell you is that if you wait too long, you’ll miss your opportunity
Cancer June 21–July 22
Scorpio October 24–November 22
Pisces February 20–March 20
You have a lot to offer, Cancer. But sometimes you forget that. This week make sure you show the world what you have. It may surprise people.
A chance for you to make a major commitment to something looms on the horizon, Scorpio. Look, think and ponder before you leap.
Don’t be a drama queen this week, Pisces. If things seem like they’re spinning out of control, don’t lose your head. Take a deep breath and be rational.
sudoku 6 2 2 8 3 4 4 5 2 1 7 9 7 3 1 9 8 9 5 1 1 3 8 6 9 8 4 6 5 6 7 5 3 7 4 2
crossword answer key
A
6 3 9 7 4 7 2 2 8 1 5 7 2 5 6 1 8 3 4 1 7 5 3 9 5 4 6 9 9 6 8 2 4 1 3 8
B
19 Jan 11 – jan 17 /verbregina
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