Verb Issue R64 (Feb. 8-14, 2013)

Issue #64 – February 8 to February 14

outlaw c0untry lindi ortega

and

Going local Crock pots + building communities movie music Victor Sawa gets us ready for the Oscars identity thief + rust and bone Films reviewed­

Photo: courtesy of julie Moe

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NEWs + Opinion

culture

entertainment

Q + A with chic gamine

Live Music listings

Four voices and a drummer. 8 / Q + A

Local music listings for February 8 through February 16. 14 / listings

Going local

Movie music

Nightlife Photos

Crock pot cook-off unites food, friends and family. 3 / Local

Victor Sawa and the RSO prep for the Oscars. 9 / Arts

We visited Orignal Joe’s.

Contentious colleagues

Identity thief + rust and bone

A Tale of Two Faculties. 9 / Arts

We review the latest movies. 16 / Film

verbnews.com @verbregina facebook.com/verbregina

15 / Nightlife

Editorial

a sexy revival

ART & Production Design Lead / Roberta Barrington Design & Production / Brittney Graham Contributing Photographers / tamara klein, danielle tocker, Adam Hawboldt + Alex J MacPherson

Burlesque continues to evolve in the prairies. 4 / Local

On the cover:

Lindi ortega

Finding inspiration in timeless outlaw country. 10 / cover

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

True Love

Celtic Comfort

on the bus

Our thoughts on the hectic nature of Valentine’s Day. 6 / Editorial

This week we visited Knotted Thistle.

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 18 / comics

12 / Food + Drink

comments

Music

Game + Horoscopes

Here’s your say on Saskatchewan police getting tasers. 7 / comments

Dustin Bentall, The Tenors + Born Ruffians. 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

Please recycle after reading & sharing Photo: courtesy of julie moe

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Going Local

Photos: courtesy of adam hawboldt / verb magazine

Crock-off 2013 focuses on local food and community

by ADAM HAWBOLDT

T

he Ancient Spirals retreat is located on the South Saskatchewan River, out where the flat lands give way to rolling hills and winding creeks. Nestled at the heart of the 30 acres of tree-lined, snow-swept land is a 2,190 square foot building. For the most part, this structure is used for meditation retreats, workshops, yoga, even sweat lodges. But not that day.

On that cold, bright Saturday in February, the main building of Ancient Spirals was being used for Crock-Off 2013.

“The idea for a crock-pot competition came while we were having a breakfast party at a friend’s house,” recall Jeffrey Popiel, co-organizer of the event. “I had gotten a crock pot maybe a year earlier and hadn’t used it. So we figured, ‘hey, why not have a crock-off?’”

And so they did.

With the help of Shannon Dyck, Popiel set up the first-ever crock pot cooking competition amongst their friends at Ancient Spirals.

That was last year.

This year things were a bit different. Instead of having mainly friends compete, Dyck and Popiel have opened the competition to local non-profit organizations who want to come out to the retreat, get their crock on, do some daytime activities, then settle in for a feast and party at night.

And on that bright, sunny Saturday, the Saskatchewan Eco Network was there. So too was Saskatoon Gourmet Potluck, Radiance Cohousing, We Are Many, and more.

Oh, and the food they’re cooking runs the gamut from wild boar

to coconut quinoa carrot stew to masala curry. And while each team can choose to cook any dish they like, there are two main rules they have to follow. The first is that you have to cook both a vegetarian and a meat dish. The second rule is that at least half of your ingredients have to be local.

And it’s that last rule that lies at the very heart of this year’s Crock-Off.

Since the slow food movement began in Italy in the 1980s, the idea of buying and eating locally has spread throughout the world.

Here in Saskatchewan, given the amount of farmland and of-the-soil mentality, it’s no surprise the local food movement is gaining attention from not only consumers, but farmers, producers, restaurateurs and food marketers, too.

But why are more and more people flocking to buy locally?

“Well, one of the main reasons is because buying food, especially produce, locally is more nutritious,” explains Popiel. “When food has to be shipped, it loses nutrients along the way. There’s a lot of waste.”

And according to The Saskatchewan Organic Directorate’s Food Mile Campaign, Popiel is right. It turns out that fresh produce loses nutrients quite quickly. So if, say, a butternut squash has to be shipped in from far away, then sit in a produce aisle for a while, it will have less nutrients than the squash a guy is peddling at the local farmer’s market.

So that’s one reason for a growing local food scene. What are some others?

Well, ask nearly any competitor at the 2013 Crock-Off why they buy local, and invariably they’ll get around to telling about how good it is for the community.

“One of the best ways to invigorate a community like ours is by supporting local farmers, buying locally,” says Amber Lynn, a member of the Eco Network team, who is preparing a buttercup squash and lentil stew for the competition. “Not only is that good for the local economy, but if you have a strong food movement that has a lot of local, nutritious food, you also have a healthy community.”

Robyn Parker, who is representing Radiance Cohousing, agrees with this, adding, “Another great thing about [the local food movement] is you know where your food is coming from. You get to know people in your community. You’re not really damaging anything … there’s just so much security and good in it, I wouldn’t do it any other way.”

But don’t be mistaken. The people who have come to compete at Crockoff 2013 don’t simply sit around talking about local food all day.

Far from it.

Once the crock-pot dishes are prepared and cooking, the competitors head out on a hike around the Ancient Spirals grounds. They go up hills and over banks, past a labyrinth and teepees, down to the South Saskatchewan River and back up to the main building.

From there they ease their muscles with a session of guided yoga. And afterwards: that’s when the magic happens. Following the workout and

a long stretch, the different crock pot dishes are plated. A mishmash of delicious smells fill the air, issuing tones of coconut, chocolate, curry and more.

The dishes are then given to three judges who taste them all and fill out a standardized scorecard that takes into account how the food tastes at the first bite and the second bite, as well as the nutritional appeal, the consistency, texture, visual appeal and smell of each dish.

On this evening, after the sun has set and the live-music portion of the evening has started, the judges give their verdict. In the meat category, the winner is Gourmet Potluck’s Lindsey Rewuski, who served up a tantalizing dish of short ribs cooked in London porter, espresso, rosemary, dried

morels, dried honey mushrooms, garlic and onion. On the veggie side of things, Radiance Cohousing’s Parker takes home top honours for her coconut quinoa stew with organic sweet potatoes, carrots and onions.

Ultimately, though, the 2013 Crock-O0ff isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about a bunch of like-minded people getting together, cooking, sharing ideas, and building an even bigger, tighter community.

It’s also about the music and the revelry that lasts into the night.

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a sexy revival

Burlesque continues to adapt and evolve on the prairies

by ADAM HAWBOLDT

T

he woman in the video is dressed as a character from the Mario Bros. games. Princess Peach, to be precise.

When Christina Aguilera’s “I’m a Good Girl” starts playing, the woman dances towards the front of the catwalk, kicking a leg up high, shaking her hips. Then she dances back before taking her gloves off and flinging them into the audience. Next thing you know, Princess Peach takes down the top of her dress and she’s standing there in a white lace bra. She struts up and down the catwalk. Slowly and seductively, the half-nude Princess Peach slides the rest of the way out of her dress. She turns her back, removes her bra, turns around, and the video ends.

This clip, all two minutes and 20 seconds of it, served as my introduction to neo-burlesque. And what an introduction it was!

For those of you unaware, the term neo-burlesque was used because burlesque, as most people know it, has changed a lot since Lydia Thompson and her British Blondes sailed across the cold, dark Atlantic and brought a brand-new kind of sexy to North American shores back in the 1860s.

Back then, burlesque shows featured women in gender bending roles, dancing and acting while wearing costumes that were racy and revealing for the time period.

These days — though the essence remains — burlesque is a bit different.

“There are a lot more things under its umbrella now,” says Head-

the music group Gwar? Well, it’s like the burlesque version of that. It pretty fantastic … and disgusting!”

But make no mistakes, this ain’t your granddad’s burlesque. It’s rawer, edgier, hipper.

And to see how, say, the Bottoms Up Burlesque Club in Regina came to incorporate whips and guns and riding crops in their shows, it’s

Burlesque is about the art of the tease and the element of surprise.

The gratification comes a lot slower.

Headmistress cheripop purr

mistress Cheripop Purr, of the Rosebud Burlesque Club in Saskatoon.

“There are a lot more offshoots.

There’s nerdlesque, where most of the subject matter is based on nerd culture — things like graphic novels, sci-fi, gaming. Then there’s rockabilly style, that involves rockabilly music, tattooed girls and a slightly darker edge.”

Cheripop Purr pauses for a moment, thinks, then says, “Oh, and there’s an extreme version of burlesque called gorelesque. You know

prudent we take a quick trip down memory lane.

Do you remember the late ’80s/ early ’90s? The heroin-chic runway models? MTV? Well, it’s because of these things (in a roundabout kind of way) that burlesque is what it is today. Before then, burlesque in its classic form was wildly popular at the turn of the 20th century. People flocked to see its seductive stage shows. But by the Continued on next page »

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Photos: courtesy of Ben Checkowy

‘50s and ‘60s, because of the popularity of film, burlesque was kicked to the hinterlands of pop culture, where it nearly became extinct.

But then the ‘90s came soaring in, and a few things happened.

“One of the first things is that at that time people were looking for a way to express themselves in a more sexual, sensual way,” says Lady Belle

Bottom, of Bottoms Up Burlesque.

“They wanted to express themselves in a way that wasn’t like MTV.” Headmistress Cheripop Purr agrees. “People were looking for something different, something fresh,” she says, before pausing again, thinking.

“Another reason there was a burlesque revival in the ‘90s was

Oh boy, burlesque! come and check it out In keeping with the essence of burlesque — i.e. putting the tease back into strip tease — here is a sneak peek of what’s coming to a Saskatchewan stage near you.

• In Regina, the Bottoms Up Bulesque Club is putting on The Boob Tube: Sex, Lies and Movies at The Artesian on 13th on April 16th. The show will include everything from a jazzed-up rendition of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” to a number based on “This is Halloween” by Marilyn Manson. It will be “a little bit of Marilyn, a little bit of modern,” says Lady Belle Bottom. “ The show will be a little bit of spooky, some old-fashioned numbers and other stuff. It’ll be a nice mixture of

different themes from movies and TV shows.”

• In Saskatoon, the Rosebud Burlesque Club will be performing on February 15th, for the A Bouquet of Rosebuds Valentines Show. “All of the pieces are the Rosebuds’ different interpretations of love,” says Mistress Cheripop Purr. “So that can go all over there place. The performance ranges from very funny to serious to definitely dark.”

• Oh, and did you know the Rosebud Burlesque Club put out a cookbook?

It’s called The Illustrated Rosebud Cookbook and it features pics of some of your favourite Rosbuds along with their best recipes. Yummy.

because of the on-going media onslaught on what beauty was,” she adds.

In case you forgot, there was a time in the early-to-mid-’90s when heroin chic was all the rage, when women with pale skin, dark circles under their eyes, and bony, angular bodies were the epitome of North American beauty.

Think Kate Moss. Think Jaime King.

“And there was a backlash against those kind of wafer-thin models,” explains Cheripop Purr. “A lot of people came out and pushed back against that ghastly, gaunt look.”

Enter neo-burlesque.

With its all-shapes-and-sizes ethos, burlesque was the perfect foil to the gaunt product a lame-stream media was jamming down people’s throats.

“We have a more inclusive culture,” says Lady Belle Bottom. “More authentic. We have people of all shapes and sizes. Real people, people you see every day, being sexy on stage.”

Once burlesque became popular again it began to change with the times, and continues to evolve today. Music, themes, props — they have all been modernized into a neo-version of the original. New forms of burlesque are sprouting up.

These days it’s no surprise to see a burlesque performer on stage dancing to Rob Zombie or Marilyn Manson (especially if it’s during a Halloween show) while fake blood and brains are being flung around the stage. Yet for all of that, neoburlesque still sticks fairly close to its traditional ancestor.

“It has been, and still is, all about the tease,” says Mistress Cheripop Purr. “Yes, there’s stripping. But the thing about these performances is they make people use their imaginations. It makes them think.

It makes them wonder and guess.

The last piece of clothing shouldn’t come off until the very end. Bur-

lesque is about the art of the tease and the element of surprise. The gratification comes a lot slower.”

And in this airbrushed, CGI’d day and age, where life happens so fast, and we’re told how to think and that instant gratification is just a touch away, it’s easy to see why the idea of slowing things down and leaving things to the imagination can be so seductive.

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True Love It’s time to ease up on Valentine’s Day

V

alentine’s Day has been so commercialized, it’s mind-boggling. In fact, a BMO survey found that in 2010, Canadians spent over a billion dollars showing their significant others how much they loved them. From cards to jewellery, from flowers to chocolates to sexy lingerie, fancy dinners and heartshaped thingamajigs, Canadians everywhere are in a hurry to find that perfect something for that special someone.

And we here in Saskatchewan know a thing or two about this phenomenon. After all, in 2011 we were the biggest per capita spenders in the country when it came to Valentine’s Day. And while we’re typically all for people doing things in their own way, when it comes to Valentine’s Day we think everybody should buck the social conventions of how to celebrate, and cool it a bit.

Now, we understand that some people advocate that Valentine’s Day has meaning beyond the commercial because of its historical significance, and have linked it to the pagan holiday of Lupercalia. Held between February 13 and 15, this ancient Roman festival featured two young male priests, who were taken to an altar and anointed with the blood of sacrificed goats. The priests would then dress themselves in the skins of the sacrificed animals and run around the walls of the city, whipping anyone within range with parts of

a few individuals of that name, and things get a bit muddied), while awaiting his execution, cured blindness in his jailor’s young daughter, Julia. Some iterations of the story further state that Valentine then fell for this young woman, and before he was killed he sent her a letter signed, “Your Valentine,” thus starting the tradition.

But when all’s said and done, this tale — like the pagan one before it — features little evidence to corroborate the story that St. Valentine set us on the path to Valentine’s Day, with many of the legend’s details having been invented by imaginative authors centuries after the man lived.

Romance does come into play, however, in the writings of some later writers, notably Shakespeare and Chaucer, whose words began to cement the lovey-dovey aspect of the day. But let’s be honest: simple proclamations of love by a handful of authors is a far cry from what the holiday is in its current form.

Dashing about madly to procure chocolates or roses or rings. Trying frantically to grab reservations at a restaurant, any restaurant, where you’ll be paying extra to sit in a noisy, crowded room before your table gets flipped and you’re unceremoniously ushered out the door. Feeling the crushing pressure of society to prove to the world that you love your partner The Absolute Most.

The fact of the matter is, the love-strewn path to Valentine’s

the goatskins. Girls and young women would line up to receive the lashes, which were believed to boost fertility, prevent sterility and ease the pains of childbirth.

After the whippings came the human lottery, where the names of young women would be thrown into a bag. Each young man permitted to draw one ticket. Whichever name he drew, that girl would essentially be his for the duration of the feast. Maybe longer, if they hit it off.

Or at least that’s how the story goes. But there is no evidence to link Lupercalia with the evolution of what has become Valentine’s Day, so that explanation doesn’t hold up.

If pagan mythology doesn’t do it for you, some vouch for Valentine’s Day’s validity by turning to the tale of the Christian martyr, St. Valentine. Oh, the romance! Picture, if you would, a Christian priest who acted in such heroic, affectionate ways, and sacrificed himself so nobly, that his actions were forever associated with the expression of true love that is Valentine’s Day. Some legends speak of a man named Valentine, who was allegedly imprisoned for illegally marrying people (the Roman Emperor, Claudius, had outlawed marriage because he felt young men would make better soldiers if they weren’t distracted by women). By standing up for love, Valentine was sentenced to death.

But that’s not all — this romantic gent (or maybe a different guy, there were

Day did not begin with either the pagans or the Christians. There is no historical evidence that suggests anyone but ourselves made Valentine’s Day into what it is: a mad struggle, a bit of a charade, an homage to consumerism.

Look, we want to support the idea of celebrating your love of another person in whatever way you see fit, but to kid ourselves that this holiday is validated by what came before it, that Valentine’s Day, as it currently stands, is anything more than a wildly successful marketing ploy by card companies and the like, is preposterous.

Though we guess it could be worse. We could still be running around the streets, whipping — or hoping to be whipped — with dead animals.

These editorials are left unsigned because they represent the opinions of Verb magazine, not those of the individual writers.

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On Topic: Last week we asked what you thought about Saskatchewan police using tasers. Here's what you had to say:

– I say we don’t give cops access to tasers until they have all been at the receiving end of these potentially lethal weapons, and truly understand their capabilities -ACAB

– Cops using tasers is gonna be intense, are they gonna be armed with both? That’s a scary thought..

I always believe that most cops abuse authority more than use it

– The idea behind non-lethal weapons like tasers sounds like a good idea and a way to subdue someone without causing major bodily harm to them or others, but the execution of tasers shows that is obviously not the case. Not to mention u can never determine how someones body will react to getting electrocuted.

Forget killing someone u could turn them into a superhero!

– As long as they are ‘using them as little as possible’ I hope the tasers will do good for the city, I wouldn’t want policemen suddenly feeling they would need them in an unnecessary situations “corruption” #watched2manymovies..

– Saskatchewan police are using Lasers now? Awesome!! I totally want to get my eyes fixed with laser surgery...what will they think of next!! Awesome! :-)

– If you don’t break the laws you don’t have to worry if the police have tazers or not. If break laws you get what’s coming to you.

text yo thoughtsur to 881 ve r b 8372

– Here’s an idea. Treat cops respectfully when they are speaking to you, try to avoid conflict where they might be, and you probably won’t get tasered. But if you do don’t blame them for your bad choices.

– Police officers under severe training before they are allowed out and about. They are highly skilled and trained individuals.

What makes you think they would be any less rigorous in their training of using tasers? Your “opinion” just seems grounded in personal paranoia. Get real verb.

– Well taser and saskatoon police force is like the world trade center and planes a death waiting to happen

– ABOUT tasers! Fkn rights C0ps Grabbed me from home pajamas no socks and a t shirt in winter!

– I’d say “NO” to letting our city police officers having the option to use tazers! It just gives the “bad ass cops” more power to take advantage of their badge! And beleive you me they are out there!

And you know who you are! Our judicial system is bad enough as it is. Leave tazers OUT!

– To people who will invariably argue that police officers know best: remember, they’re only human. And yes, they are trained, but if they are put in a situation they are going to reach for that taser far sooner than they’ll reach for a gun.

It’s human psychology. And while it may be that they are not

intentionally doing harm, this is setting them up to fail.

– Tasers are a good tool for police to use in situations in dealing with people who are a threat to the officer or the public, and if a person is dumb enough to screw around with cops they get what they what’s coming to them.

back at end of year. When u purchase food or gas, extra foods food never looks appealing its like superstore left overs.

– Groundhog saw no shadow...

Spring sooner rather than later.... I hope so!

– Exploiting animals and adults wearing weird costumes. The hell is up with groundhogs day?!

OFF TOPIC – As to cutting corners on travel watch flight lol In response to “Up, Up, And Away,” Editorial page, #62 (January 25, 2013)

– Tieing an extension cord to a plastic laundry basket to pull your kid around in it is DOWNtown toboggan.

– Jack Layton had to die? That is the dumbest garbage I’ve heard in a while.

– If someone greets you and says good morning it’s courteous to say good morning in return.

Too many people just ignore friendly greetings.

Next week: What do you think about Valentine’s Day? Pick up a copy of Verb to get in on the conversation:

sound off – The Co-op is good place to go for cheap good food and if you get a membership you get money

– JACK LAYTON would of helped Canada Not HARPER It up ! stupid

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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Four Voices & a Drummer

Photos: courtesy of Sam Enz / Edgar Martin

Chic Gamine & their innovative sound by Alex J MacPherson

C

hic Gamine make a lot with a little, transforming four voices and a drum kit into a towering wall of sound. A twenty-first century take on pop from the forties laced with the immortal sound of Motown, Chic Gamine have developed an aesthetic that is entirely their own. By positioning themselves on the outside of convention, the Montreal- and Winnipeg-based group opened up heretofore undiscovered reservoirs of sound, vibes that are at once timeless and progressive.

Driven by Sacha Daoud’s propulsive percussion and carried to soaring heights by the towering vocals of Ariane Jean, Andrina Turenne, Alexa Dirks, and Annick Bremault, Chic Gamine are a force to be reckoned with — and a refreshing break from the norm. I caught up with Bremault to learn more about these elegant urchins.

Alex J MacPherson: You recently released your first American record. What

is doing what you’re doing. Was that intentional or more of an organic development?

sort of challenge does breaking into the United States present?

Annick Bremault: It’s kind of a different market in that it’s a cohesive market. It’s a really large, large market, and an important one, and it’s not one we can neglect.

We’ve wanted to go there for a long time. In certain circles we are known

AB: We started out because we wanted to make music together, the five of us, and we had limitations in what we could physically play. Most of us weren’t instrumentalists, except for Sacha. The rest of us were singers, and had de-

AJM: Your arrangements are very refined. Do you have formal training, or is what you do pretty intuitive?

…we like being onstage together, and we feel like we have each other’s backs….

Annick Bremault

veloped that very much. But what ended up defining our sound was the fact that we were basically four singers and a drummer.

in Canada, and in others we’re not, but we haven’t managed to break through in the States in a concentrated fashion.

It takes a lot of focused ongoing energy.

You just have to keep plugging at it.

AJM: Why do you think vocal music, and particularly vocal music focused on harmony, is so moving and compelling?

AJM: At the same time, you have an advantage in that nobody else

AB: I don’t know exactly, but I think it probably has to do with the fact that the voice is such a primal thing. I don’t know what comes before that. The voice produces really beautiful vibrations, and when you put a bunch of voices together it creates a sound that really strikes the heart. I’m not sure why that is!

I don’t know the meaning of life either, but it has a surprising amount of impact.

AB: The girls don’t have any formal training in music, really.

None of us have gone to university to study it. Learning while doing is also a really valid way, and sometimes a superior way, of doing certain things. We’ve learned doing that, and some of our arrangements actually don’t make sense to people that know how to play music — people not like us!

AJM: Maybe that lack of formality energizes your music. Onstage, you certainly seem to be having an amazing time singing each and every line.

AB: I think we like being together, we like being onstage together, and we feel like we have each other’s backs all the time. It’s pretty great.

We have, I think, really good chemistry, and I don’t even know if we realize how apparent it is. We feel it for sure, and I think that’s why we’re so bummed when we don’t have any shows for a long time!

Chic Gamine February 16 @ Artesian on 13th $16.75 (advance) @ picatic.com, $20 (door)

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Movie Music

Victor Sawa and the Academy Awards by alex J MacPherson

Photo: courtesy of Trudy Janssens

V

ictor Sawa loves going to the movies. His speech is peppered with references to movies both popular and obscure. He is comfortable discussing the intricacies of Casablanca or the latest Harry Potter opus, which he professes to have seen several times. His passion for the silver screen has bled into every aspect of his life, including his role as maestro of the Regina Symphony Orchestra.

Each year, as a celebration of great movies past and present, Sawa organizes a concert featuring selections from his favourite

films. Timed to coincide with the Academy Awards, The Oscars has become a tradition in the Queen City, a chance for people to hear their favourite scores played live and to remember the golden age of movie-making.

This year, Sawa decided to focus on famous trilogies — timeless pieces that capture not only the importance of a good score, but also the indelible impression they make on viewers young and old.

“As a matter of fact, the orchestra manager and I were saying we had to do something from The Hobbit, but the [score] isn’t out,” Sawa explains, adding that Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth epic was the best movie he saw last year.

Because the score wasn’t available, he chose to perform pieces from Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, all of which were composed

by Howard Shore. And, he laughs, it wasn’t a stretch to add pieces from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and The Godfather.

Growing up, I watched Star Wars more times than I can count.

John Williams’ titanic score will always be close to my heart. Probably, Sawa explains to me, because it contains an element that cannot help but sound epic. “First, fifth, first, without the third,” he says, humming the instantly recognizable melody into the telephone.

“The famous one is “Also Sprach Zarathustra” — music from 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was written in 1896.”

And while there is far more to scoring a movie than directing an orchestra to play a series of massive, overpowering fifths, Sawa knows just how powerful the classic pieces of movie music can be — and that’s why he loves sharing them, year after year.

The Oscars February 16 @ Conexus Arts Centre $69+ @ RSO Box Office, tickets.reginasymphony.com, 1 866 973 9614

Contentious Colleagues A Tale of Two Faculties and the fight for artistic dominance

Photo: courtesy oF Kenneth Lochhead

A

Tale of Two Faculties is a story of criticism and conflict, the story of how two rival factions spurred creativity and shaped the future of what has

by alex J MacPherson

become a vibrant and dynamic hub of progressive thought and challenging ideas. It is the story of discord in the faculty of arts at the University of Regina.

“This exhibition doesn’t pretend to capture everything that happened,” says Timothy Long, the MacKenzie Art Gallery’s cheerful head curator. “I wanted to introduce some of the main players and give people an idea what some of the conflicts were within the department, especially during the late sixties and through the seventies, when there were two very different visions of art being presented.”

A Tale of Two Faculties traces the rise of what Long calls “the optimism attached to modernist ideas,”

a movement that developed in the long sociocultural and economic contrail left by the Second World War. Citing progress and rationality as its ultimate goals, the movement was typified by artists like Kenneth Lochhead and Ronald Bloore, members of the Regina Five who found inspiration in large-scale abstraction. “It was the wave of the future,” Long says, “It represented a new universal language, one that would transcend the borders of race, culture, and religion.”

The department was fractured by the arrival of irreverent young professors like Joe Fafard and David Gilhooly, who were emblematic of a growing reaction to the modernist ideal.

“With the introduction of Gilhooly, who comes from California, where that revolt is in full flower with its epicentre in the Bay Area and its chosen weapon the unlikely medium of ceramics, the conditions were ripe for a revolt here in Regina,” Long explains. “And that’s exactly what happened.”

Long suspects that while the Regina Five put Saskatchewan on the map, both nationally and internationally, Regina Clay has endured as a lasting symbol of the province’s artistic expression. And while fractious relationships can bring down both sides, Long admits that “there’s a lot of energy generated as a result — the Regina Five gave Regina Clay something to push against.”

Between 1950 and 1980, the University of Regina became a hotbed of activity, as two rival groups fought for dominance and the chance to define Saskatchewan art. Nothing generates activity like true conflict, and today the department is extremely cosmopolitan — but it was during those seminal years that the foundation of modern Saskatchewan art was laid.

A Tale of Two Faculties Through February 24 @ MacKenzie Art Gallery Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

9 Feb 8 – Feb 14 @verbregina

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Cigarettes & Truck

Lindi Ortega finds inspiration in timeless outlaw country by Alex J M

L

indi Ortega had to move to Nashville. It was inevitable. Country music had always spoken to her, and she wanted to immerse herself in its rich history and plainspoken mythology. “I’m pretty aware that I wasn’t born in the seventies or the sixties,” the raven-haired songstress laughs, sounding less like a smoky-voiced crooner than an excited teenager. “Well, I was born in the late seventies, but I wasn’t creating music at that time.

I wasn’t in that era. All I can do is read about it and go to the place and absorb as much as I can.”

Traditional country music has always spoken to Ortega. The only child of a Northern Irish mother and a Mexican father, her personality was moulded by a childhood of loneliness and alienation. Country music was her salvation, her way of escaping.

“Hank Williams’ ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’ was one of the first country songs I heard,” she recalls. “Being the only child of two immigrant parents and not the most social little girl — an outcast — and then hearing a song like that? I felt this guy understood me. He was speaking from my mind in some strange way.”

Ortega’s music has always flirted with the sounds of Nashville and Bakersfield. Little Red Boots, which she released in 2011 and named for her signature footwear, demonstrated that she had the chops to make an

alt-country record of startling depth and vitality. It was never destined to be a commercial success, but Little Red Boots impressed the critics. It was nominated for a Juno and longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. Critical acclaim creates an interesting problem for musicians. The urge to build on success often collides with artistic ambition,

with, Ortega decamped for Nashville.

It was a good decision. Cigarettes & Truckstops is steeped in the magic of outlaw country and redolent of a time long gone, yet it does not feel dated. Ortega is young and brash and exciting, and she uses her own experience to show that nothing is ever new.

Being the only child of two immigrant parents … and then hearing [Hank Williams]? I felt this guy understood me. lindi ortega

causing many musicians to choke in spectacular fashion. This phenomenon is known as the sophomore slump.

To her credit, Ortega skirted the trap.

Cigarettes & Truckstops is better than its predecessor.

“I guess there could have been a little bit of pressure at first,” admits Ortega, who is remarkably loquacious for a country musician, most of whom are notoriously terse. “But I kind of let it go. If I give in to those pressures I don’t think I could put out the kind of music that I do. I just have to relax, be who I am, and make the kind of music that I do without thinking about those things.” Determined to make a record that reflected her influences, the music she grew up

Bracketed by a pair of heartbreaking ballads and filled with raucous shuffles, murder ballads, and aching songs that evoke the consciousnessexpanding airiness of Gram Parsons’ cosmic American music, Cigarettes & Truckstops is diverse but far from incoherent. Ortega’s explorations of country are linked by her sultry voice and the sound of the record itself – big and loose and open. Cigarettes & Truckstops has the unmistakable sound of musicians having fun onstage because, Ortega points out, it was made by musicians having fun onstage. “It was recorded very much live off the floor with myself and the players in the same room, staring at each other,” she laughs. “That’s very much how it was Continued on next page »

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kstops

Photos: courtesy of Julie Moe

MacPherson done back in the day, and I wanted to pay tribute to that because I love the sound of recordings back then. It was important for me to maintain that.”

When most people think about country music, their minds wander to the slick pop songs that have become de rigueur in the fabulously shallow world of mainstream radio. Like Ryan

Photo: courtesy of Julie Moe

Adams and Neko Case, Ortega has positioned herself as the antithesis of new country — an artist whose work is defined by emotional depth rather than commercial viability. Instead of recruiting a crop of expertly coiffed musicians to play sterile licks and double as stage candy, she asked Colin Linden to work on the record.

His credentials, which include stints with T-Bone Burnett and The Band, are impeccable. Linden, who played guitar and dobro on the record, also tracked down bassist David Roe, who used to work with Johnny Cash. “They get it,” Ortega says. “It’s not like you have to explain it to them and give them a bunch of CDs to listen to. They’re familiar and they’ve done it before.”

Cigarettes & Truckstops was cut in a studio, but it crackles with energy and soul. At the end of “The Day You Die,” a frantic shuffle that pits Ortega’s smoky howl against Linden’s searing Telecaster licks, the music fades away to a long guitar run — exactly what you could expect to hear in a sweaty club, as the musicians posture and preen, each trying to be loudest and last.

“Murder Of Crows,” Ortega’s menacing tribute to the Man In Black, opens with a snarling dobro riff, another reminder of Linden’s fretboard mastery. The best moment on the record comes at the end of “Demons Don’t Get Me Down,” when the music fades into rollicking barrelhouse piano.

Ortega wrote “Demons Don’t Get Me Down” soon after moving to Nashville. “I didn’t know anybody, I didn’t know if I’d made a big mistake, I didn’t know what was going on,” she says. With no liquor in the fridge, she turned to her guitar for solace — and the words poured out. “Demons Don’t Get Me Down” is about kicking at the darkness until it bleeds daylight, an anthem for the downtrodden. “That little piano bit? That’s about beating those dark feelings, depression or whatever it may be.”

“Demons Don’t Get Me Down” is the most important song on Cigarettes & Truckstops because it shows that Ortega hasn’t abandoned innovation in the face of her heroes. Unlike the

songwriters she so admires, songwriters whose work is characterized by bleakness and the dull realization that redemption might always be just out of reach, Ortega reveals herself on Cigarettes & Truckstops to be fundamentally optimistic — or, at the very least, unwilling to make the musical equivalent of a Coen Brothers film. Her optimism runs through the record like a river, slowly eroding the banks of despair until they are a distant memory. “I just wanted to make sure that I provided a bit of a silver lining or some hope for people that were listening to music, so it didn’t get too dark for them,” she

says, adding that she has suffered from depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. “It was more me reaching out and saying, ‘I’ve been there, we all go through this. This is life.’”

And even though Cigarettes & Truckstops is an unabashed country record, Ortega doesn’t want to identify with the label. “I don’t think I’m a straight-up country artist, because I think it is such a mix of different things I’m inspired by,” she says, pointing to influences like Elvis, Leonard Cohen, Sam Cooke, and Nina Simone. But it is also true that labels are stupid and unnecessary:

alt-country, for example, is used to describe everything that doesn’t have a shot at cracking the top forty. When it comes to Cigarettes & Truckstops, what matters is that — country or not — it would make Hank smile.

Lindi Ortega February 15 @ The Exchange $12 @ Ticketedge.ca

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

11 Feb 8 – Feb 14 /verbregina

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Celtic Comfort

Photos courtesy of Danielle Tocker

Knotted Thistle offers cozy pub environment with filling food and plentiful brews by jessica bickford

G

enerally I’m sold at the word pub, and the Knotted Thistle has won me over by actually being something close to a traditional one. They have sixteen taps, eleven of which feature import beers, and a scotch list as long as these winter days. Everything is close and cozy with fireplaces everywhere, and although traditional pubs don’t have music (unless it’s live), the selections were a nice mix of indie folk and Celtic classics.

Their menu is incredibly streamlined, and consists almost entirely of stick-to-your-ribs-style comfort food. That means heavy on the meat, potatoes, and beer — yum! To kick off this carb-fest I started with the Irish nachos. Sounds weird, I know, but the lattice-cut potatoes covered with cheese, onions, jalapeños and peppers were awesome. The platter was huge and affordable, but more importantly a really tasty twist on nachos. They were served with homemade salsa that was sweet and spicy, as well as a

Last was a plate of classic bangers and mash, where instead of mash there was delicious bacon colcannon.

The buttery colcannon was full of meaty bacon and flavourful cabbage with some lovely caramelized onions.

wonderfully creamy and tangy citrus sour cream. These are a perfect thing to get when you’re sharing a pint or two with friends.

Next I tried the Keith’s beer-battered onion rings, which were served

[The Knotted Thistle offers] stick-to-yourribs-style comfort food. That means heavy on the meat, potatoes, and beer — yum! jessica Bickford

Resting on top were three fat sausages that are made authentically and locally by Big Bob’s Meats. The potato binder makes these fluffier than the average sausage, and the casing had a good, crisp pop. This whole dish was so warm and comforting — a perfect winter meal.

The Knotted Thistle also has yard glasses for the ale of your choice

in a tower with spicy ketchup on the side. The big rings of red onion were enveloped in a super crunchy and hot batter that was just greasy enough to be indulgent. The thick ketchup had a nice bit of heat, but was also sweet, like a thick, tomatoey version of sweet chili sauce that certainly cut through any heaviness from the onion rings.

— that is a full 60 ounces of beer served in a glass so tall it comes with its own holder! But if you like a bit more variety, they also offer flights of beer, wine or scotch, so you can try a sample of a few things. The Knotted Thistle will be turning one soon, so keep your eyes on their Facebook page for events, and save a seat at the bar for me!

Knotted Thistle Celtic Pub 4177 Albert Street (at the Travelodge) | 584 6340

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@TheGeekCooks jbickford@verbnews.com

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide Stout Diplomat

Ingredients

This sweet and dark mix of rum, sherry and stout is like dessert in a glass with an alcohol punch.

Great paired with chocolate desserts, or as a dessert on its own — a perfect dark elixir to share with your Valentine.

1 oz mild dark rum (not spiced, white, or flavoured) ½ oz dessert sherry 6 oz chocolate stout

Directions

In a tall glass or large tumbler, combine the rum, sherry and stout.

Garnish with a chocolate-covered strawberry on the rim if you want to get romantic. A chocolate stout is best for this, but anything dark and sweet will do the trick.

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Next Week

coming up

Dustin Bentall

The Tenors

Born Ruffians

@ The Exchange Friday, February 15 – $12

@ Conexus Arts Centre Tuesday, February 19 – $52.50+

@ The Exchange Tuesday, March 26 – $TBD

Dustin Bentall is truly a product of his environment. Not only is his dad legendary Canadian rocker Barney Bentall, but the time he spent roping and branding steers on the ranch is, in a way, present in his music. It lends Bentall’s tunes an authentic kind of “cowboy narcotic” vibe, which works wonders for his pared-down, roots-rock sound. A sound that, along with his band The SmØkes, Bentall has taken across Canada and into the States, Denmark, Ireland and more, playing with people like JJ Cale and The Arkells along the way. Now Dustin Bentall and The SmØkes are back out on the road on a cross-Canada-dip-into-theStates tour. Catch them when they hit Regina mid-month. Tickets at www. ticketedge.ca.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “The Tenors?” C’mon, admit it. At least half of you thought about Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti.

And that’s okay — those guys were terrific singers. But so too are all the members of the Canadian quartet, The Tenors. Featuing Remigio Pereira, Victor Micallef, Fraser Walters and Clifton Murray, this group is in the process of redefining how people look at tenor groups. Not only are all four incredible singers, but they also play instruments. And whatever they’re doing is working: in their short history, The Tenors have played for the Queen, and shared the stage with the likes of Neil Young and Paul McCartney. Tickets available at http://www.conexusartscentre.ca

The Born Ruffians are certainly no strangers to the road. Since forming in 2004, they’ve criss-crossed the country, touring with the likes of Franz Ferdinand and the Tokyo Police Club.

They’ve toured the UK and Australia, too. In fact, in the early goings, the Toronto-based band was on the road so often that in 2009 Steven Hamelin told his bandmates Luke Lalonde, Andy Lloyd and Mitch Derosier that he no longer wanted to tour. Eventually he came around, though, and now the Born Ruffians are going strong.

Their sound — which is like modern indie meets punk revival — is clean and crisp and oh so good. Oh, and needless to say, all the time spent on the road has really helped Born Ruffians hone their stage show to a fine white point. Come check ‘em out.

– By Adam Hawboldt

Photos courtesy of: the artist / the artist / the artist

Sask music Preview A number of great blues festivals are being held around the province this month — find one near you and make plans to attend! The Saskatoon Blues Festival Meltdown will be taking place between February 25 and March 3, while the Mid-Winter Blues Festival in Regina happens between February 28 and March 2. Swift Current will be hosting the Stir Crazy Blues Festival from February 28 to March 2, and Moose Jaw invites you to visit their Winter Blues Night on March 1.

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

13 Feb 8 – Feb 14 @verbregina

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February 8 » February 16 The most complete live music listings for Regina.

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10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Friday 8

Sarah Cripps, Jon Bryant / Artful Dodger — She’s from Ontario, he’s from Nova Scotia. 7:30pm / Cover TBD Dean Brody / Casino Regina — A Canadian country star on the rise, Brody will be bringing his Dirt tour to Regina for a night of electrifying music. 8pm / SOLD OUT DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits.

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 Fur Eel / McNally’s Tavern — Soul/funk/ rock and pop music that you can really groove to. Also appearing tonight will be Buffalo Narrows. 10pm / $5 Rival Sons / Pump Roadhouse — Oldschool rock that’s all kinds of good. Also appearing will be the wicked Balconies.

9pm / $10 (www.ticketedge.ca) Kal Hourd / Whiskey Saloon — Some good ol’ country music by this musician from Saskatoon. 8pm / $10

Saturday 9

Kerri Senkow / Artful Dodger — A sing-along with this country/pop/rock performer.

1pm / $8 cover

Tuesday 12

Jeans Boots Technology / Artful Dodger — This Saskatchewan-based songstress will wow you with her sultry voice and wicked stage presence. 8pm / $10 cover RSO Masterworks: Bohemia / Conexus Arts Centre — Featuring Patricio Aizaga doing the music of Czech and German composers. 8pm / $33-63 (www.tickets. reginasymphony.com) DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits. 10pm / Cover $5 Annual Valentine’s Day Massacre / The Exchange — Featuring Itchy Stitches, Kelevra, Suffersurge, Nine Gates and Dystopian Wasteland. 8pm / Cover TBD, advance tickets at Vintage Vinyl and Madame Yes The MacEvoys / Lancaster Taphouse — Come out for a night of great music. Also appearing will be Askant. 9pm / Cover TBD JJ Voss / McNally’s Tavern — Rock and country originals and covers for your listening pleasure. 10pm / $5 Jam Sessions / Smokin’ Okies BBQ — Promoting blues and country blues, come in and play or listen and be entertained. 3pm / No cover Kal Hourd / Whiskey Saloon — Some good ol’ country music by this musician from Saskatoon. 8pm / $10

Gangles: An improvised Musical / Artful Dodger — A whimsical night of music awaits! 8pm / $10 J.P. Cormier / Artesian on 13th — This award-winning bluegrass/folk musician will be taking to the stage to rock out.

7:30pm / $20 Karaoke Tuesday / McNally’s Tavern — Famous live music venue offers its patrons a chance to share the stage. 8pm / No cover

Wednesday 13

Wednesday Night Folk / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring Last Mountain Breakdown, performing some foot stompin’ bluegrass and folk. 9pm / No cover Jam Night and Open Stage / McNally’s Tavern — Come on down and enjoy some local talent. Feeling brave? Then get up on stage and show your stuff! 9pm / No cover

Thursday 14

Diana Krall / Conexus Arts Centre — A Grammy award-winning jazz pianist and singer. 8pm / $68.50-96 (www.conexusticket.com) 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 Enchantment Under the Sea / Lancaster Taphouse — This romantic show will be featuring the incredible talents of Marshall Burns and Erin Passmore. 9pm / Cover TBD Rouser / McNally’s — Playing classic rock hits and maybe a few love songs, too.

8:30pm / $5 Craig Moritz / Pump Roadhouse — Come out and rock with this Alberta born and bred country musician. 9pm / Cover TBD Greg Upshaw / Unitarian Centre — Upshaw will be playing his rendition of

Monday 11

Open Mic Night / Artful Dodger — Come down and show Regina what you’ve got, or grab a chair and catch some local talent.

8pm / No cover Monday Night Jazz and Blues / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring ‘round midnight, playing popular jazz that features lead singer, Karen Kimmie. 8pm / No cover The Once / Creative City Centre — Think Great Big Sea, but quieter and folkier, so if you’re in the mood for some Newfoundland-influenced tunes, come on out.

7:30pm / $20

country classics, so come out to hear your favourite numbers from this talented musician. 7:30pm / $8 (advance), $10 (door) call 527-6695 for advance tickets Jess Moskaluke / Whiskey Saloon — A young country musician, Moskaluke will impress you with her amazing voice.

8pm / $5 DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs. 8pm / Cover $5

Friday 15

Sweet / Casino Regina — An old-school glam rock band from the UK, featuring new and original members. 8pm / $30-35 (www. casinoregina.com) Dustin Bentall and the Smokes, Lindi Ortega / The Exchange — A night of kickass folk and country. 8pm / $12 (www. ticketedge.ca) DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits.

10pm / $5 DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits. 9pm / $5 cover The Montagues / McNally’s Tavern — Big band, great sound. Come out and enjoy this much-loved band playing funk, R&B, Motown and pop classics. 10pm / $5 Craig Moritz / Pump Roadhouse — Come out and rock with this Alberta born and bred country musician. 9pm / Cover TBD Dangerous Cheese / The Sip — Come out for a night of sweet tunes. 10pm / Cover TBD Jess Moskaluke / Whiskey Saloon — A young country musician, Moskaluke will impress you with her amazing voice.

8pm / $10

Saturday 16

Chic Gamine / Artesian on 13th — A sassy group with a serious pop vibe, this winsome and witty act is unstoppable. Get out and

see ‘em while they’re in town! 8pm / $15 (advance), $20 (door) Boreal Sons, Julia and Her Piano / Artful Dodger — What better way to enjoy your weekend than with a night listening to these two captivating acts? 7:30pm / $15 cover RSO Pops: The Oscars / Conexus Arts Centre — Music from classic and contemporary films, to get you in the movie award mood. 8pm / $69-99 (www.tickets. reginasymphony.com) Enslaved, Pallbearer, Ancient VVisdom, Royal Thunder / The Exchange — Things are gonna get loud tonight, as these hard core acts take to the stage! 7pm / $20 (www.ticketedge.ca) DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / Cover $5 The Montagues / McNally’s Tavern — Big band, great sound! Come out and enjoy this much-loved band playing funk, R&B, Motown and pop classics. 10pm / $5 Craig Moritz / Pump Roadhouse — Come out and rock with this Alberta born and bred country musician. 9pm / Cover TBD Dangerous Cheese / The Sip — Come out for a night of sweet tunes. 10pm / Cover TBD Jam Sessions / Smokin’ Okies BBQ — Promoting blues and country blues, come in and play or listen and be entertained. 3pm / No cover Jess Moskaluke / Whiskey Saloon — A young country musician, Moskaluke will impress you with her amazing voice.

8pm / $10

Get listed Have a live show you'd like to promote? Let us know! layout@verbnews.com

14 Feb 8 – Feb 14 entertainment

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tuesday, february 5 @

original joe’s

Original Joe’s 3806 Albert Street (306) 206 0400

Music vibe / A good blend earlier in the night, which shifts to

dance music and top 40 later on Featured deals / All wine is half price, including the reserve list Drink of Choice / Wine — Monkey Bay (sauvignon blanc), Kim

Crawford (sauvignon blanc), Trapiche (malbec) and J Lohr Seven Oaks (cabernet sauvignon) top eats / Bruschetta, and hummus and naan — great for sharing

Photography by Klein Photography

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Photo: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Identity Crisis

Identity Thief is a road trip movie you can afford to miss by adam hawboldt

E

veryone loves a road trip movie.

C’mon admit it. You know you do. Whether it’s the pithy back and forth in Sideways, the freewheeling, drug-addled coolness of Easy Rider or, say, the flat-out hilariousness of Dumb and Dumber and National Lampoon’s Vacation, there’s just something about the road trip genre that’s hard not to like.

But for me, hands down, two of the best road trip movies were made in the strange and wonderful ‘80s. In no particular order they are: Planes, Trains and Automobiles (starring Steve Martin and John Candy) and Midnight Run (featuring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin). If you’ve seen either, you know they’re both the perfect combination of road trip movie meets odd couple movie meets buddy movie meets touching, heartfelt comedy.

And that seemed to be the recipe Seth Gordon was going for when he made his latest flick, Identity Thief.

So yeah, on the surface — with both these excellent comedic thespians and the guy who directed Horrible Bosses at the helm — this looked like an awesome movie.

But looks can be deceiving.

It’s too bad that he mucked up the ingredients.

Because on the most superficial level, Identity Thief looks oh so good.

First of all you have Jason Bateman, who honed his funny bone on Arrested

[Identity Thief] relies too heavily on warmed-over clichés. And as for the script, well, not even the talents of Bateman and McCarthy can save it.

Adam Hawboldt

Identity Thief tells the story of Sandy Patterson (Bateman), a boring, average-in-every-way accountant who, on one bright and not so shiny day, gets a call from a friendly telemarketer (McCarthy).

Being the naive sucker he is, Patter-

Development before going on to make a couple of truly good movies like Juno, Paul and Horrible Bosses. To make things even better, starring opposite him you have Melissa McCarthy — the scene-stealing, sink-sh**ting actress from Bridesmaids and This is 40.

son gives up a load of his personal information and goes about his day as usual.

Usual, until he realizes his credit card has been maxed out and that the lady who stole his (unisex) name has skipped bail and is running from the law in Florida.

Not knowing what else to do, Sandy decides to go find the woman, whose real name is Diane, and bring her back to his home state of Colorado to clear his name and record.

A hilarious, hi-jinx-filled road trip ensues.

Okay. Not really.

While there are one or two good laughs in Identity Thief (mainly the snake scene and the “watcher” scene), for the most part the movie falls flat. It relies too heavily on warmed-over clichés. And as for the script, well, not even the talents of Bateman and McCarthy can save it.

It’s a shame, really, because this movie had so much potential. In the

Identity thief Seth Gordon Starring Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Amanda Peet + Jon Favreau Directed by

110 minutes | 14A

right hands, with the right script, it could’ve been a modern day Midnight Run. But alas, it’s nothing of the sort.

That’s not to say Identity Thief is flat-out horrible. There are moments, especially when it’s just Bateman and McCarthy chatting, that the movie’s potential shines through.

But unfortunately, it doesn’t shine nearly bright enough.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372 @AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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No bones about it

Rust and Bone delivers by adam hawboldt

C

raig Davidson may be the best Canadian author you’ve never

heard of.

His first novel, The Fighter, a story about an underground fight circuit, was a literary firecracker.

His follow-up novel, Sarah Court, was a dark and funny collection of interweaving tales. And his first short story collection, Rust and Bone, well, that was so good the moment I read it I immediately thought, “Hey, there’s a movie in here somewhere.”

Turns out, Jacques Audiard (the French director who made the outstanding flick, A Prophet, in 2009) liked Davidson’s short story collection so much he decided to write and direct a movie based loosely on his stories. Like the book, it’s called Rust and Bone.

And also like the book, Audiard’s film is pretty good, receiving award nominations and critical acclaim around the globe.

The movie tells the story of Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts), a down-onhis-luck, unemployed fighter who moves with his son to the south of France to live with his sister. While there, he gets a job as a bouncer.

One night at work he breaks up a brouhaha, only to find a bloodied woman in the middle of it all. Her name is Stéphanie (Marion Cotillard). Ali helps Stéphanie get home

Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

gets seriously injured at work (she trains killer whales), she finds herself in need of help from a bunch of different people.

Eventually she calls Ali. They strike up a friendship, and eventually sex enters the equation.

And, as anyone who has ever slept

On the whole, the film is a good one.

Especially when Marion Cotillard is on screen.

Adam Hawboldt

safely, meets her boyfriend, and that’s that.

Or is it?

Well, under normal circumstances Stéphanie wouldn’t have anything to do with a guy like Ali. But when she

with a friend will tell you, things begin to change. Without getting too much deeper into the plot, let’s just say that Ali is by no means faithful to Stéphanie, which upsets her, and in the final third of the movie

Rust and bone Jacques Audiard Starring Marion Cotillard + Matthias Schoenaerts Directed by

120 minutes | 18A

a strange, less believable subplot begins to rear its head.

And this is where the movie starts to lose steam. The first two thirds of the movie are terrific. When the film focuses on the relationship between Ali and Stéphanie — in all its intimate, hard reality — it gives the viewer an excellent, up-close-andpersonal look at two troubled souls coming together to help make sense of this crazy little thing called life.

But then comes the last portion of the movie and, for some reason, the writers veer away from this relationship and wade into waters they probably should have avoided.

No matter though. On the whole, the film is a good one. Especially

when Marion Cotillard is on screen.

This actress, she’s so good at portraying the nuances of Stéphanie it hurts. But that doesn’t come as a surprise. This is the woman who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, and who lit up the screen in films like The Dark Knight Rises, Inception and Midnight In Paris.

So yeah, if you’re in the mood for a foreign film this week, check out Rust and Bone. It may not be as good

as Craig Davidson’s short stories, but it sure as heck is worth a watch.

Rust and Bone will be opening at the Regina Public Library on February 14th.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

17 Feb 8 – Feb 14 @verbregina

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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 47. Pitcher with a flaring spout

DOWN 1. Baby’s toy 2. Atop 3. What tree rings indicate 4. Lying asleep 5. Very small 6. Object of worship 7. What to call a knight 8. Fourteen-line poem 9. Hooked claw 11. Intended 12. Tortilla dough 14. Primates 17. Affirmative vote 20. Congenital blemish

21. Fence opening 23. Bring about 24. Moving ridge of water 26. Take some 27. Brake part 28. Coronet 29. Downright 30. Happened 31. One-dimensional 32. Throw out, as a tenant 33. Use a keyboard 35. Flat hat 38. It has a ringing sound 39. Filly’s father 41. Go downhill fast 43. Handle roughly

sudoku answer key

A

B

4 6 8 1 3 9 2 7 5 7 1 3 2 5 6 4 9 8 2 5 9 8 4 7 1 6 3 6 3 7 9 1 5 8 2 4 1 2 4 6 8 3 9 5 7 9 8 5 4 7 2 6 3 1 8 7 2 3 9 1 5 4 6 5 9 1 7 6 4 3 8 2 3 4 6 5 2 8 7 1 9

1. Street 5. Single woman’s title 9. Communications word for T 10. Under the weather, is one 12. Be of importance 13. Eye part 15. Choir member 16. Soil with fertilizing properties 18. Raised pile on velvet 19. Personification of the sun 20. Village in the Yukon 21. Unit of heredity 22. Windflower

24. Units of power 25. Keyboard key 26. Bit of consolation 27. Fence part 30. Ripple 34. Put on the payroll 35. Exposed to view 36. Climbing plant 37. Rowing pole 38. Most excellent 39. Scissors sound 40. Pencil end 42. For each 44. Common place for a sprain 45. Unit for measuring the fineness of gold 46. Fight with lances

1 2 6 5 4 8 7 9 3 8 7 9 6 1 3 2 4 5 3 4 5 2 9 7 8 1 6 6 3 4 1 8 5 9 2 7 7 1 8 9 3 2 6 5 4 5 9 2 4 7 6 3 8 1 9 8 1 3 6 4 5 7 2 4 5 3 7 2 9 1 6 8 2 6 7 8 5 1 4 3 9

ACROSS

© walter D. Feener 2012

Horoscopes february 8 – February 14 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

If a conversation with a friend turns a little too serious this week, Aries, don’t let emotions boil over. Try to keep a cool head.

Have things been going to hell in a handbasket lately, Leo? If so, keep your chin up. This week, things are about to change for the better.

Time to get creative, Sagittarius, so do yourself a favour: grab a pen, a paintbrush, a guitar, whatever, and create something this week.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

It may feel like you’re being surrounded by people this week, Taurus. Suffocated, even, but don’t fret.

Harmonious, peaceful days are on the way.

Have you been working hard to get healthy, Virgo? If so, you’ll start to see the effects this week. If not, what the heck are you waiting for?

Watch out for falling snow, Capricorn. Which is shorthand for, “keep your eyes open and your instincts alert this week.”

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

Your mind will be sharp and retentive this week. Make the most of it, Gemini. Get out there and try to learn some new things. They’ll be sure to stick.

A feeling of intense heaviness may sweep you away, Libra. If you find yourself being overwhelmed, just take a deep breath and go with the flow.

Feel like there hasn’t been any time to relax and do the things you want this month, Aquarius? Well, make time! It’s the only way.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

Is there someone out there you’ve been longing to talk to, but just can’t seem to find the words or the way to approach them? This is the time to be bold.

Remember that line in Cool Hand Luke: “What we got here is failure to communicate.” Well, get used to failure of that sort this week, Scorpio. Sorry.

Intuition, imagination, common sense: if any two of these are running high this week, Pisces, it’ll be a grand few days. Of not, uh oh!

sudoku 2 5 8 3 7 3 4 3 5 7 8 1 4 5 2 7 8 9 6 5 2 4 6 3 9 1 6 2 4 7 9 1 8 6 1 9

crossword answer key

A

4 1 9 5 2 6 8 2 5 9 6 3 3 7 9 8 1 2 8 9 5 4 7 3 7 1 5 4 1 7 6 3 2 4 6 8

B

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