Verb Issue R69 (Mar. 15-21, 2013)

ISSUE #69 – MARCH 15 TO MARCH 21

FIGHTING CLICHÉ PROUD ANIMAL

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THE LONG HAUL SK biker aims to ride around the world 20 YEARS ON Q+A with Billy Talent THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE + LES INFIDÈLES Films reviewed­

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TONY HOARE

CONTENTS

CULTURE

NEWS + OPINION

ENTERTAINMENT

Q + A WITH BILLY TALENT

LIVE MUSIC LISTINGS

On 20 years in the biz. 8 / Q + A

Local music listings for March 15 through March 23. 14 / LISTINGS

WEST

BIRTHMARKS

NIGHTLIFE PHOTOS

Local filmmakers work to bring history to the silver screen. 3 / LOCAL

The Born Ruffians’ return to form.

This week we visit The Exchange.

9 / ARTS

15 / NIGHTLIFE

THE FUSION PROJECT

THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE + LES INFIDÈLES 16 / FILM

VERBNEWS.COM @VERBREGINA FACEBOOK.COM/VERBREGINA

EDITORIAL

How a small group of actors creates something amazing. 9 / ARTS

THE LONG HAUL

ART & PRODUCTION DESIGN LEAD / ROBERTA BARRINGTON DESIGN & PRODUCTION / BRITTNEY GRAHAM CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS / BAILY EBERLE, DANIELLE TOCKER, ADAM HAWBOLDT + ALEX J MACPHERSON

Saskatchewan man aims to travel the world by motorcycle. 4 / LOCAL

ON THE COVER:

PROUD ANIMAL

On the war against cliché. 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

NOT A FLIGHT OF FANCY

BOUNTIFUL BREAKFAST

ON THE BUS

This week we visit Fresh & Sweet.

Our say on airport security. 6 / EDITORIAL

12 / FOOD + DRINK

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 18 / COMICS

COMMENTS

MUSIC

GAME + HOROSCOPES

Here’s your say on Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom. 7 / COMMENTS

Hollerado, The Elwins + Beach Boys.

Canadian criss-cross puzzle, weekly horoscopes and Sudoku. 19 / TIMEOUT

13 / MUSIC

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 TONY HOARE

2 MAR 15 – MAR 21 VERB MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

LOCAL

EDITORIAL

COMMENTS

Q+A

ARTS

COVER

FOOD + DRINK

MUSIC

LISTINGS

NIGHTLIFE

FILM

COMICS

TIMEOUT

VERBNEWS.COM

LOCAL

A LITTLE SLICE OF HISTORY

PHOTO: COURTESY OF NATIONAL PICTURES

Saskatchewan filmmakers try a brave, new approach to getting their movie made BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

I

n the fall of 1935, one of the largest manhunts in Canadian history tore through the badlands of Saskatchewan.

The saga began just after midnight on October 5th. Constables William Wainwright, of Benito, Manitoba, and John G. Shaw of the Swan River RCMP detachment was taking in a trio of young Russian Doukhobors for questioning in relation to a recent robbery in Pelly, Saskatchewan. The officers loaded Joe Posnikoff, John Kalmakoff and Pete Woiken into the back of their police cruiser, but as the car made its way along the cold dark country road, one of the men pulled a knife and attacked Wainwright; the other two prisoners went after Shaw.

The aftermath? Two dead officers and three killers on the run.

Over the next couple of days the trio of farmers sped west, trying to avoid capture. Then, more than a thousand miles from where it all began, the manhunt ended in a hail of gunfire and five more dead.

The fascinating story of this deadly manhunt is the subject of a new project by a team of Saskatchewan filmmakers.

When the government cut the film tax credit in the budget, it was a huge blow to Saskatchewan’s movie and television industry. Many fled the province in search of work, while those who stayed had to figure out innovative means of pursuing their interests.

Aspiring filmmakers Eric Thiessen,

Derek Hyland and Joel Salt are hoping that one of those ways is through an out-of-province company.

“CineCoup is a company out of Vancouver that wanted a brave, new way to make indie films in Canada,” explains Thiessen. “They wanted to use the power of the Internet and audience participation to help get films made.”

So what CineCoup did was develop a project called the Film Accelerator.

The premise is simple: you first make a concept trailer for an indie movie.

CineCoup then hosts it on their website, and fans from across the country can rate and vote for which trailers would make the best film. “Think about it like this,” says Thiessen, “Instead of using a traditional way to build a fan base — make a movie and hope people will come out and watch it — they’re using the Internet to build a fan base, then make a movie fans want to see.”

CineCoup launched the project in December, and gave applicants two to three months to make a trailer for submission. Which, admittedly, isn’t a whole lot of time. Lucky for Thiessen and his crew, though, their trailer (which they’re calling West) didn’t have to be made from scratch.

“I’d heard the story of those three farmers who got mixed up with police, and started working on it,” explains Thiessen. “I’d written an outline for the movie back in the summer, and thought [the CineCoup project] would be a great opportunity to put this into action.”

So he enlisted the help of Hyland and Salt (two friends from high school) and got down to brass tacks. Thiessen

and Salt (the writer on the project) first put together an outline for the trailer.

“Then we filmed a test trailer with Legos,” chuckles Thiessen. “It had to be two minutes, so we made up little scenes with Lego, used our iPhones and timed it out really roughly so we knew what shots we would need to get.”

Once they had what they needed, the filmmakers set out to make their concept trailer. “The two weekends we filmed it just so happened to be those two weekends in January when it was freezing,” remembers Thiessen. “It was, like, minus forty-something with the windchill and the car we were using, this ’28 Ford, didn’t have a heater.”

But the show must go on, so the crew braved the prairie elements and made their trailer, then submitted it to CineCoup. And now it’s a waiting game. Interested parties can check out and vote for West at www.cinecoup. com starting March 21.

The CineCoup website says the company is looking for “independent films that are personal, edgy, uncompromising, outrageous [and] have heart.”

And at first glance, West fits the bill. But, according to Thiessen, the film has something else that may help separate it from the pack. “There’s been a change in the country and we’re really starting to focus on telling our national story,” he explains. “There’s a lot of great Canadian history out there, and our movie is an interesting part of that history that a lot of people don’t know about.”

But ultimately it isn’t up to CineCoup which film gets made, it’s up to the fans. Right now there are 90 concept trailers on the site; voting will whittle that number down until ten trailers remain. “Those top-10 trailers get optioned off to companies to get made,” says Thiessen, “and one of the ten will get $1 million in financing and a guaranteed release in Cineplex theatres around the country.”

And Thiessen sure hopes that West makes the cut.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

3 MAR 15 – MAR 21 /VERBREGINA

CONTENTS

LOCAL

EDITORIAL

COMMENTS

Q+A

ARTS

COVER

FOOD + DRINK

MUSIC

LISTINGS

NIGHTLIFE

FILM

COMICS

TIMEOUT

NEWS + OPINION

LOCAL

THE LONG HAUL Saskatchewan police officer aims to travel the world by motorcycle BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

A

dmit it: at some point in your life you’ve passed a motorcycle, the sun reflecting off its polished chrome, and wondered what it would be like to ride it out of the city, towards the never-ending horizon.

But what is it that draws people to motorcycles?

Well, if you ask some, they’ll tell you it’s about the speed. They’ll talk about the thrill of zipping along the blacktop. Or, to paraphrase Hunter S. Thompson’s quote, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow! What a ride!’”

Ask others, and they’ll tell you the allure of the motorcycle comes from the freedom it affords. Unencumbered by the constraints of four-wheel travel, you’ll thrust yourself into a world of unfettered sensory experiences: the warm breeze on your face, the smell of road kill, hot tar, burning fuel. The

impact of rain pitter-pattering against your body as you cruise along a prairie highway. This, they’ll tell you, connects you with nature in a way sitting behind a wheel of a steel cage never can.

But if you ask Saskatchewan’s Patrick Barbar why he loves riding, he’ll tell you something a little different.

“I like the speed. I like experiencing the climate and the smells,” says Barbar, a police officer in Saskatoon, “but what I like best is how riding facilitates meeting people. It’s a much more complete travel experience. If you stop at a gas station with out-of-province plates, people will come up and talk to you. They’ll ask about the bike. They’ll want to know where you’re going. If you have a lot of luggage, they’ll ask how far you’re going.”

And it’s because of this love of human interaction, this desire to meet new people, that Barbar plans to travel the world on his bike.

For his 40th birthday, Barbar is giving himself a special gift: a motorcycle adventure that will carry him nearly

26,000 kilometres, through 31 countries, in just 120 days.

“In 2006, I came across a BBC series called The Long Way Round,” remembers Barbar, who had been riding for a couple of years by then. “It’s this 12-hour series that chronicles [actors] Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman riding their BMW adventure bikes around the world.

I watched the whole series in two nights, and had one of those there-gotta-be-a-better-way moments. I realized there was more to motorcycling than just making trips to the Rockies.”

So Barbar traded in his Yamaha VStar 1110 cruiser for a more practical Suzuki DL 1000 adventure touring bike, and began making plans to see the world.

His first big trip? Turkey.

Together with his then-wife, Barbar traveled to the Eurasian country in 2008, rented a couple of 650s and rode all around Turkey, taking time to dip down into Syria — his father’s homeland.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

4 MAR 15 – MAR 21 NEWS + OPINION

CONTENTS

LOCAL

EDITORIAL

COMMENTS

Q+A

ARTS

COVER

FOOD + DRINK

MUSIC

LISTINGS

NIGHTLIFE

FILM

COMICS

TIMEOUT

VERBNEWS.COM

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PATRICK BARBAR

“Crossing into Syria was a nerveracking experience,” he recalls.

“I’d filled out my card truthfully, told them that I was a police officer.

This caused a lot of suspicion, because policemen there can’t really afford to travel. More and more uniformed officers kept coming up to the counter where I was standing. The first guy had one star on his shoulder, the next

to do. A lot of planning. You have to save the money, find the time to travel, research different countries, get your papers and insurance in order, etc., etc.

Then there’s the whole issue of getting your motorcycle across the cold, black Atlantic.

“When I first started planning this trip, I looked at all the shipping companies that would transport

…Syria was a nerve-racking experience.

I’d … told them that I was a police officer. This caused a lot of suspicion…

PATRICK BARBAR

had two stars, the third guy had three. They were all talking and I don’t speak Arabic. So yeah, I was nervous.”

In the end, Barbar made it across the border with the help of a taxi driver. And even though this Syrian experience presented a less-thanideal obstacle, it didn’t deter Barbar from future adventures. Far from it.

Since then, he’s ridden down to Mexico twice (once solo, the other time with company) and in April he plans to check Scandinavia, Europe and Africa off his motorcycle bucket list.

You don’t just hop on your bike and embark on a 26,000-kilometre trip overseas. Generally, that’s not the way it works. There’s planning

my bike by means of ocean,”says Barbar, who is taking a six-month sabbatical from work to make the trip. “But with those, you have to ship your bike months in advance. That didn’t really appeal to me, so I found a company in the States that does air-freight shipping … that way, if the bike doesn’t make it, neither do I.” With that logistic taken care of, Barbar turned to mapping out his route. For that, he bought a large wall map, and began drawing lines from destination to destination. Most of these places form a uniform oval that starts in Western Europe, bends down into Africa, goes up through Eastern Europe and into Scandinavia before dipping back down.

But in France, there’s a detour into a little, off-the-beaten-path town called Les Martres-de-Veyre.

“If you look closely,” says Barbar, pointing to the map on his iPad, “you’ll see there’s a deviation in my route into central France. I was doing some research, planning to visit a bunch of World War One and Two landmarks, like Juno Beach and Ypres, and I came across a story about a guy from Wynyard, Saskatchewan, named Peter Dmytruk.”

And as it turns out, Dmytruck was kind of a big deal.

A tail gunner in the Second World War, Dmytruk’s plane was shot down.

He survived by hiding in the woods before he was found and nursed back to health by the locals. He soon joined the French Resistance and — as legend has it — was so fierce a fighter he became known far and wide simply as “Pierre Le Canadien.”

Long story short, the Nazi’s eventually found Dmytruk and executed him.

To honor his valour and contribution to the war effort, the people of Les Martres-de-Vyre built a monument to commemorate Pierre Le Canadien.

“From what I read, people still gather there every year,” says Barbar. “I can’t wait to roll into town with Saskatchewan plates on my bike. Of course, I’m going to be able to talk to the town folk. People are going to be curious.”

And, in the end, that’s what Barbar’s epic journey is all about — seeing the world and meeting new people.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

5 MAR 15 – MAR 21 @VERBREGINA

CONTENTS

LOCAL

EDITORIAL

COMMENTS

Q+A

ARTS

COVER

FOOD + DRINK

MUSIC

LISTINGS

NIGHTLIFE

FILM

COMICS

TIMEOUT

NEWS + OPINION

EDITORIAL

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SASKJON

NOT A FLIGHT OF FANCY

It’s time Canada changed its approach to airport security

A

irport security is often the bane of many a traveller’s experience, and we think it’s time to figure out a more efficient and effective way of getting people onto a plane while ensuring the safety of everyone involved.

Think about how the system operates now: you stand in long lines, are forced to take off your belt, shoes, and any bulky sweaters, etc. You have to unearth everything from your pockets, get scanned with a metal detector, and wait for your carry-on to be x-rayed.

Heck, if you’re one of the lucky ones, you might even be asked to go in the special line and have your entire body scanned or submit to a body search, which, let’s face it, can be a little invasive. It’s a long, drawn out process that not many people enjoy and most people endure grudgingly. But in this

post-9/11 world, it’s something, for good or ill, we all have to do deal with if we want to fly. Here’s the thing, though: this process isn’t efficient and it doesn’t always work. And we think it’s time to make some changes.

Where is this all coming from, you may ask? Well, here’s a quick,

was brought on the plane. Now, we all know a paring knife is in no way, shape or form allowed on an airplane.

But somehow the security screening processes missed the knife and let our employee board the plane with the weapon; it was later later detected at another airport in the States. But

…it’s people — and not the items they may have … that are dangerous.

VERB MAGAZINE

little story for you, dear reader. Not so long ago, a Verb employee was taking a flight back to Canada from the States. Unbeknownst to this person, there was a paring knife stowed in an inside pocket of the carry-on that

that’s not the point — the point is a person was able to get on a plane with a knife.

And while this person obviously had no ill intent, this example illustrates the holes in our current system.

So we propose that airports in Canada start incorporating the method used in Israel. Ben Gurion Airport, in Tel Aviv, is noted as one of the world’s most secured airports. See, Ben Gurion employs a number of highly trained behaviour profilers — experts at analyzing people and reading body language — whose job it is to talk to travellers before they get on the plane.

These profilers are placed strategically throughout the boarding process, and are part of a series of unobtrusive security measures. The first set of profilers you come across is at a roadside check-in before you even get into the airport’s compound, where travellers are asked a few innocuous questions.

The answers are not as important as the means in which they are delivered, and the profilers scrutinize how people respond.

Once in the terminal, the people at the check-in counter are trained to ask a series of quick questions, during which they maintain constant eye contact. And the assessments of people’s actions doesn’t stop there. Undercover profilers roam the airport, watching how people interact as they wait in the security lineup, for for their next flight, or as they mill about. If a person appears to be acting oddly, these profilers will strike up a conversation to determine what’s going on. The basic premise behind this way of approaching security is that it’s people — and not the items they may have stowed in their pockets, laptop bags or purses — that are dangerous. Assessing an individual, rather than rooting through their belongings, is a far more proactive means of approaching safety in the air. And it’s not until these profilers are satisfied with their security screening that passengers board a flight — there is no need to have them remove their shoes or give up their water bottle.

So how effective is this model?

Well — very. You see, even though Ben Gurion Airport faces numerous potential threats each day, airport security hasn’t been breached since 2002 (when a forgetful individual left a weapon in his backpack, in a situation similar to the one experienced by our employee), and no airplanes that have been leaving the airport have ever been hijacked. Simply put: profilers work.

Now, we know that these security measures sound like they would increase the amount of time it takes to board a plane, but that’s not so. At Ben Gurion, which handled over 13.1 million passengers in 2012, it takes under 30 minutes to get from parking lot to boarding area. If our employee had meandered through a security screening like that, there would be no issue about a knife stowed in a carry-on because the person with it poses zero threat to anyone’s safety.

So not only is this process effective at eliminating potential threats, not only is it extremely proactive (whereas the current system is merely reactive), but it’s also remarkably quick and efficient. So what are we waiting for?

Eradicating all potential threats by physically stripping travellers of any object that could be fashioned into a weapon will not guarantee our safety.

Ensuring that dangerous people — and not potentially dangerous water bottles or shoes or paring knives — do not get on planes is the way to go.

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

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina feedback@verbnews.com

6 MAR 15 – MAR 21 NEWS + OPINION

CONTENTS

LOCAL

EDITORIAL

COMMENTS

Q+A

ARTS

COVER

FOOD + DRINK

MUSIC

LISTINGS

NIGHTLIFE

FILM

COMICS

TIMEOUT

VERBNEWS.COM

COMMENTS

ON TOPIC: Last week we asked what you thought about Canada’s new office of Religious Freedom.

Here's what you had to say:

– The office of Religious Freedom is as much of a mistake as the National Gun Registry or the Young Offenders Act. These two programs were introduced by the Federal Fiberal Party. Harper is entitled to one more screwup!!!

– The only true way people can be free of religious persecution is to be free of religion. Embrace secularism. It’s astounding that, even here in NA, we are entrenched in so much religious animosity.

– We lost a big one in 453. The real question is who are we in the West up against now? Try spouting

Text yo thoughtsur to 881 VE R B 8372

religious freedom in Constantinople today. Or in Israel. 5 Million a year is peanuts to help persecuted minorities around the World.

– Verb: I really don’t know what the government was thinking on this one. Your article really hit the high points of the useless waste of 5 million bucks a year. I am not disillusioned with these guys entirely but will be watching them more closely.

– Office of religious Freedom sounds like a good idea why wouldn’t you want people to help those religious minorities who are persecuted by villains?

– new office of religious freedom is a very bad idea. Its only going to start war & make people have 1 another because of there views

reality….CBC or the others.Yes, there sure was “disconnect”.

OFF TOPIC

SOUND OFF

– To your taxi article. U want to deregulate so I as a wonder of a taxi franchise paid 110K , someone off the street buys one for 600 to 1000 dollars. U dropped the value of my business from 110 k to 600 dollars. that is not fair or realistic. Imagine if we did that with house prices!!!

– DOWNtown tacos are made with slices of bread rolled thin canned tomatoes and cheez whiz.

In response to “All Hail...” Editorial page, #66 (February 22, 2013)

– Heads up to Kate McMillan creator of the SDA blog I remember the message from one side before the Iraq War … American tanks covered in flowers, gas at 30 cents a litre, Sadam’s WMD on display for all to see, etc….I wonder which perspective turned out to be the

In response to “Welcom to the blogosphere,”

– New pope old white man with repressive views same as old pope whats the big deal

Local page, #68 (March 8, 2013)

– Mulcair sucking up to Wall down in US is total BS. What a idiot

– Diff tween young guys n old is after one night of good sex all a young guy thinks about is more.

Old guys are more likely to be thinking about pork roasts

– They should pick the new Pope by having the cardinals play holy snakes and ladders falls from grace and miracles. Use pope-amatic dice. (look up popamatic)

– Check out that Jurassic Park behind-the-scenes video on Gizmodo!

NEXT WEEK: What do you think about changing Canada’s approach to airport security? 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.

– New pope francis I God Bless You!

7 MAR 15 – MAR 21 /VERBREGINA

CONTENTS

LOCAL

EDITORIAL

COMMENTS

Q+A

ARTS

COVER

FOOD + DRINK

MUSIC

LISTINGS

NIGHTLIFE

FILM

COMICS

TIMEOUT

NEWS + OPINION

Q+A

THE SURVIVORS

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF DUSTIN RABIN

Billy Talent releases Dead Silence, reflects on two decades of music BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

B

illy Talent have been making piercing, aggressive rock and roll for twenty years — an eternity in an industry where careers are measured in months or even weeks. The band’s latest record, Dead Silence, marks something of a departure for the Mississauga foursome, a conscious shift toward a leaner and tighter — though no less penetrating — version of the band.

Although it includes more than enough spiky rock to keep longtime fans of Billy Talent happy, Dead Silence also shows off the band’s willingness to experiment with new sounds and new types of song.

I caught up with Ben Kowalewicz, whose sharp, crackling voice is an integral part of the band’s sound, to learn more about one of the longestlived bands in the country.

Alex J MacPherson: In a world where so many popular albums are merely vehicles for a couple of singles, Dead Silence feels refreshingly like a cohesive album. How important was that to you while you were making it?

Ben Kowalewicz: We’re old-school kind of cats, and I can still remember the days of getting excited about buying records. You’d go to the local record store, race home, rip open the packaging, listen to it, hit repeat, and read all the lyrics. It became a moment, and we try to adhere to that musically.

AJM: I was also surprised by the title.

Why didn’t you call it Billy Talent IV?

BK: We got the artwork from a fellow, Ken Taylor from Melbourne, Australia. We found him, sent him some lyrics and demos and things, and he came back with the cover, which is now the cover of the record. To stick a big number IV on there would look pretty foolish. One of the songs, “Dead Silence,” we put that on top and it made complete sense. We’re the kind of band that trusts our gut.

sense to me. A lot of times when you’re talking about twenty years, usually their best years are behind them. And I feel exactly the opposite at this point in my life. I think the best things from us as a band are still to come. This is the best work we’ve done up until this point, but I’m excited about the future.

I’m not, like, dreading it.

AJM: Perceptions are a way of life in the music industry, and so is the

I try not to think about [us being together for so long] because it’s just f**ked.

BEN KOWALEWICZ

AJM: Ian D’Sa has had a hand in production before, but he took the reins on Dead Silence. Tell me about that.

assumption that popular is bad. But is that something you struggle with?

BK: We have been perceived over the years as a certain type of band, and I think once people — if they actually dedicated, you know, a little bit of time and effort — would see there’s a lot more to what we’re doing and how we do it. I cannot even imagine ever playing with any other people besides these three guys.

BK: He was really humbled and flattered that we had the faith in him, and honestly he worked so hard — I’ve never seen a stronger work ethic. He knew what he wanted to hear, and he wouldn’t stop. Trusting the four of us and being together for twenty years, we have a pretty good chemistry and know what we want and know how it’s supposed to sound — we just stuck to our guns and trusted Ian with our vision. And we couldn’t be more happy with the result.

Billy Talent March 25 @ Mosiac Place (Moose Jaw) $37.62+ @ Mosaic Place Box Office, or http://tickets.mosaicplace.ca

AJM: What do you think about the band still being together after twenty years?

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

BK: I try not to think about it because it’s just f**ked. It just doesn’t make any

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

8 MAR 15 – MAR 21 CULTURE

CONTENTS

LOCAL

EDITORIAL

COMMENTS

Q+A

ARTS

COVER

FOOD + DRINK

MUSIC

LISTINGS

NIGHTLIFE

FILM

COMICS

TIMEOUT

VERBNEWS.COM

ARTS

BIRTHMARKS

Born Ruffians’ return to form

B

irthmarks is the cleanest and clearest record Born Ruffians have ever made.

Without sacrificing the schizophrenic energy that shaped its predecessors, Birthmarks has pushed the Toronto band into new musical territory — the land of glassy guitars, pristine soundscapes, and quality production. But don’t think for a second Born Ruffians have abandoned their manic lo-fi roots.

By making Birthmarks sound better than its predecessors, Luke Lalonde and his bandmates created more space for it to sound worse.

The critical moment comes at the end of “Rage Flows.” As the song reaches its frenzied apex, the dangerously catchy dance riff devolves into a cacophony of overdriven valves and torn speaker cones. This fuzzed-out breakdown is the heart of the record, and it shows that Born Ruffians are pushing the boundaries of independent rock music. It is not surprising, then, that Lalonde thinks of it as a new beginning.

BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

“The track list, I think, is structured around that point, of your speakers blowing up,” he says, referring to the album’s knife-edged contours. “I feel like the last two records were, like, a certain type of aesthetic. And this one is different. The title is definitely a reflection of how we feel about the record and the music.”

Born Ruffians emerged nearly a decade ago. After releasing The Makeshift Metric Catastrophe as Mornington Drive, the group changed their name and cut a pair of blistering rock records. Their debut EP and Red, Yellow & Blue are exuberant celebrations of minimalist guitar rock — cagey songs paired with clever arrangements. Birthmarks feels like a return to form after Say It, which was released in 2010, proved disappointingly conservative.

“I always feel like we’re kind of striving to grow all the time,” Lalonde muses, struggling to balance the impulse to expand against the expectations of his many fans. “We’re happy

PHOTO: COURTESY OF VANESSA HEINS

with what we’ve done, but I think the aim is always to reach a new audience and a bigger audience — not necessarily just to write for the people that you already have. But the fans you have are a special thing.”

Lalonde likens rock bands to friends. Just as someone can only make room for so many friends, he can only make room in his life for so many bands. But Birthmarks is perhaps the best kind of greeting imaginable: cheerful, challenging, and redolent of possibility.

Born Ruffians March 26 @ The Exchange $13 @ Ticketedge

THE FUSION PROJECT

A small group of young actors creates something astonishing BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE GLOBE THEATRE

M

ost plays can take months or even years to develop.

From first draft to final performance, even the most straightforward productions consume a staggering number of hours. Most of the time.

The Fusion Project dispenses with the usual timeline, proving instead that a group of young artists can create a new theatrical work in just

two months. “It’s really unique to the Globe, and it’s part of a really big vision the theatre has in terms of training young artists,” says director Judy Wensel, who has experienced The Fusion Project from both sides of the curtain, and understands just how difficult — and rewarding — it can be. “I think what makes it so special is that there’s this sense of ownership on behalf of the ensemble. They’ve been there from the very seeds of the creation of the piece.”

The Fusion Project is at its most basic a loose framework on which the cast, made up of actors between the ages of 16 and 19, can hang their ideas and ambitions. Because the ensemble changes each year, the results can vary dramatically. Sometimes the production employs a linear narrative; in other years, it emerges as a

series of vignettes, linked by a broad theme or idea.

“It’s always like you’re on the precipice of trying to find a coherent narrative,” Wensel laughs. “Sometimes, directors have a really, really specific aesthetic or tone or story in mind that they’d like to tell. This year, I came in with a pretty clear idea of the world of the show.”

With final rehearsals still underway that world is still developing, but Wensel can say that the play is set in an unnamed coastal town and heavily influenced by The Handsome Family, a Chicago alt-country duo known for sparsely poetic lyrics and eerie musical backdrops.

Ultimately, The Fusion Project offers a group of talented young actors the opportunity to do something extraordinary, to perform a play of their own

devising on a professional stage. “At the end of it,” Wensel says, “you look back and think about how far you’ve come. You’re showing this totally new thing that didn’t exist two months ago and does now.” It is, by any measure, a remarkable achievement – and given the average age of the actors, a promise of much more to come.

The Fusion Project March 20 -23 @ Globe Theatre $20+ @ Globe Theatre Box Office Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

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THE WAR AGAINST CL

Proud Animal, DIY, and the perils of compromise BY ALEX J MACPHERSO

I

t happened because Barbara Adler and Gavin Youngash didn’t know very much about cowboy clothes.

“We got into square dancing, and we went to see this awesome square dance,” Adler told me last year, a few weeks before she and Youngash left Vancouver for their first tour as Proud Animal. “We were stoked on hanging out, so we said we were going to form a square dance band.

We were going to be a folk duo, and from there take over the world.” The project collapsed when plaid shirts and mother-of-pearl buttons became a reality. “It sort of turned out we don’t know anything about country shirts,” she said, “so from that folk duo world domination plan it turned into a songwriting project.”

Adler was trying to explain how the band started, how a rock band emerged from a vaguely ironic fixation with hillbilly dancing; what emerged was a story of restless creativity and a desire to push boundaries, to challenge themselves and their listeners. Today, Proud Animal is a democratizing influence in a world dominated by the twin tyrannies of genre and style. Adler and Youngash have spent the last twelve months convincing people that a “rock and roll band” is a restrictive concept; their eponymous debut, a quirky EP featuring offbeat instruments and expressive harmonies, is an able

demonstration of the thing that makes Proud Animal great — an absolute unwillingness to compromise.

“It started as a decision that this is what we want to do more than anything,” Adler says, explaining the band’s commitment to the Do It Yourself ethic, a countercultural

doing a lot of things yourself.” Adler agrees. “The business and organizational side of it is not the first thing people get excited about, and I think definitely that goes for me,” she laughs, pointing to the abject misery of long nights spent writing press releases and grant applications, “but I think it

The agenda was very spontaneous when we recorded [Proud Animal]. There was a lot of stuff we figured out … in there.

GAVIN YOUNGASH

movement born in the underground punk movement and nourished by people who see no reason to prostrate themselves before The Man. DIY can be coarse and ideological, a cloak for people who delight in screeching about the manifest evil of capitalism and corporations; but it can also be an earnest expression of integrity and authenticity — the desire to make something good. This is how Adler and Youngash think. Their commitment to doing it themselves was a necessity that evolved into a way of life.

“I think necessity is the biggest thing,” Youngash muses, “When you get an idea to start something, and you just want to get stared, you wind up

started to be something I believe in largely because I don’t always agree with how the music industry runs.”

The music industry, which in this context means big record labels and associated apparatus, is extremely complex, and far too much ink has been spilled on its (alleged but not yet apparent) decline into irrelevance.

Adler’s concerns are practical; she worries that signing up is selling out, and that implicit in the promise of mainstream success is an artistic compromise. “We have friends or acquaintances who are going through the label process right now, and a lot of it is really exciting,” she explains.

“They’re getting all these great opCONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

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LICHÉ

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TONY HOARE

ON portunities that sometimes you can feel a bit envious of. But the flipside is they’re getting bossed around a little bit more, they’re getting herded around, and there’s something about that that doesn’t appeal to me.”

Youngash is more philosophical.

He says labels want a familiar prod-

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TONY HOARE

uct they can sell without too much trouble, hinting at the ancient desire to discover and capitalize on the newest arbiter of cool. “A good example is the whole indie music thing, which did start off as an independent music motion because for whatever reason people couldn’t get on labels,” he explains. “Now that it is way more popular — and there’s a sound and a way to market it — it’s called indie but [those bands] are on labels.”

The upshot of their DIY roots is that Proud Animal was conceived as a fiercely independent band, an outfit that valued artistic freedom above commercial success. This approach has clear benefits — “making your own

thing can give you a sense of freedom,” Adler deadpans — but it is not easy.

“I’m amazed by how many e-mails it takes to book a show that you’ll get paid fifty bucks for, in the middle of nowhere,” she laughs. “The work output for the guaranteed money is almost comical sometimes.” Booking tours is a nightmare, a sea of doubt punctuated by moments of pure desperation.

Recording an album, though, is even more difficult. Proud Animal was cut in two short, intense sessions, and it captures the band at a pivotal moment. “I think at first we had assumed an identity as a band that wound up not being what the kind of music that we were going to make was going to be,” Youngash says, adding that each stint in the studio reflected a different aspect of their sound. “The agenda was very spontaneous when we recorded it. There was a lot of stuff we figured out when we were in there. And we’re still figuring it out.”

Inchoate and raw, Proud Animal covers a lot of territory. “Little Hinge” and “Leave The Radio On” are postfolk pop, complex little songs held together by offbeat instrumentation and Adler’s demure vocals. “Open Up The Dark” is more straightforward: a simple pop song driven by a propulsive acoustic guitar riff and the smooth intersection of voices that happens anytime Adler and Youngash sing together.

The best song on the record, “Alice,” features rich electric guitar chords

and Youngash’s plaintive howl. It rises and falls like the arc of a relationship, building to massive crescendos before sinking back into silence.

Proud Animal does not follow a consistent arc or embrace a specific theme, but every song captures Adler and Youngash stretching to explore uncharted waters: cheerfully devastating pop, sombre rock and roll, and the limits of offbeat instrumentation. Adler says she is trying to use the accordion more often, but the band’s foundation in openness suggests that she could just as easily take up the vibraphone or the alphorn.

This curiosity, this restless creativity, is what makes Proud Animal great. But it is important to remember that art is not life; art is merely a representation of life, and it would be irresponsible to suggest membership in a recusant underworld can guarantee creative purity and commercial success. Proud Animal are members of the broader DIY community, of course, but it is their unwillingness to compromise — and not some abstract ideal — that makes their music worth hearing.

Barbara Adler and Gavin Youngash are earnest and hardworking re-

minders that barriers and boundaries are constructs. Their survival as a band is a ringing condemnation of the disconsolately universal forces of kitsch and cliché.

Proud Animal March 23 @ The Artful Dodger TBD

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BOUNTIFUL BREAKFAST

Photos courtesy of Danielle Tocker

Sweet and savoury strike a balance at Fresh & Sweet

BY JESSICA BICKFORD

T

here are few things that will get me up on a Saturday morning, but the prospect of delicious breakfast foods is one of them. At Fresh & Sweet there are choices for everyone, whether you like things super sweet, rich and savoury, or a classic breakfast plate of eggs, meat, and potatoes.

I started with the sweet side of the breakfast menu, downing some white chocolate banana bread french toast served with whipped cream and a flurry of icing sugar. The bread itself was homemade, and so sweet and moist you don’t even need syrup. The banana flavour was quite prominent, which added a nice, rich flavour to the toast. Thirsty? Try Fresh & Sweet’s fresh-squeezed juices (I went with the orange, and strawberry-orange combo, which was especially tasty).

The red velvet pancakes that followed were really exciting, and came with a big dollop of cream cheese frosting on top of the deep red pancakes. What could be more indulgent than frosting at breakfast?

The pancakes themselves were quite light, and a slight chocolate bitter-

I then switched over to the savoury side of the menu with a chicken waffle. Honey dijon chicken and mozzarella cheese was paninigrilled in between two waffles to make essentially a waffle sandwich.

The cheese gushed out as I cut into the sweet and crispy waffle and the

The red velvet pancakes … came with a big dollop of cream cheese frosting…

JESSICA BICKFORD

ness that rounded out the frosting’s sweetness. With these I tried a classic London fog, made with loose leaf earl grey tea and frothy, warm milk — lovely and comforting, with a great floral aroma.

juicy pieces of chicken were seasoned nicely. The waffle and chicken combo (not to mention the sweet and tangy honey mustard) was really something different and tasty.

Last up was a game-changer for me — smoked salmon eggs benedict. Previously I wouldn’t have said I cared much for either smoked salmon or eggs benedict, but wow, Fresh & Sweet has changed my mind.

A thin, toasty bagel came topped with super smoky salmon, perfectly cooked over-easy eggs, creamy hollandaise, and a few dashes of Frank’s Red Hot sauce, which added a distinctive kick. I ate the whole thing and enjoyed every bite!

Like their name suggests, Fresh & Sweet focuses on making everything from scratch (including their baking) and if you’re in a rush you can call ahead to order. They also know how hard Mondays can be, so if you stop by on that dreaded weekday and

LET’S GO DRINKIN’ VERB’S MIXOLOGY GUIDE GRAPEFRUIT SPARKLER

INGREDIENTS

This is a great twist on the classic brunch time mimosa. Use ruby red grapefruit juice for more colour, or your favourite blend of flavours to put your own spin on this classic morning beverage.

2 oz. grapefruit juice 3 oz. champagne or sparkling white wine grapefruit slices

DIRECTIONS

Pour the grapefruit juice into a champagne flute and top up with champagne or sparkling white wine. Garnish with a slice or wedge of grapefruit.

say “thank God it’s Monday!” you’ll get a special treat!

Fresh & Sweet 2500 Victoria Ave. | 306 751 2233

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@TheGeekCooks jbickford@verbnews.com

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NEXT WEEK

COMING UP

HOLLERADO

THE ELWINS

BEACH BOYS

@ MOSAIC PLACE (MOOSE JAW) MONDAY, MARCH 25 – $37.62+

@ THE EXCHANGE TUESDAY, MARCH 26 – $13

@ CASINO REGINA THURSDAY, MAY 2 – $70+

It’s easy to see why Hollerado have so many fans. With infectious melodies, catchy hooks and heavy guitars, they play the kind of indie rock/power pop that radio stations love to play — and music listeners love to hear. Case in point: since rereleasing Record in a Bag in 2010, this indie four-piece has had five songs crack the top 20 on the Canadian Alt charts. Their latest single, “Pick Me Up,” climbed the highest, peaking at #3. Made up of Dean Baxter, Jake Boyd, Nixon Boyd and Menno Versteeg, Hollerado was nominated for Best New Group at the 2011 Juno Awards, proving they’re an up-andcoming band to keep your eye on.

They’ll be opening for Billy Talent in March. Tickets available at tickets. mosaicplace.ca

What do the Tokyo Police Club, the Arkells and The Sadies all have in common? Well, at one point or another during their critically acclaimed careers, all three bands have played gigs with The Elwins.

Hailing from Ontario, The Elwins began in 2008 as a duo when Matthew Sweeney and Travis Stokl met in high school. They soon enlisted the help of a friend, Feurd Moore, and a bassist named Frankie Figliomeni. What emerged was an indie pop-rock band with loads of promise and tons of talent. With an upbeat, bouncy sound, and a live show that drips with energy and awesomeness, The Elwins have, in a very short time, become a “band to watch” on the Canadian indie scene.

Tickets available at ticketedge.ca.

Fifty years: that’s how long the Beach Boys have been making music. To put that into perspective, the year they released their first album, Surfin’ USA, John F. Kennedy was president and Spider-Man had recently made his debut for Marvel Comics. A long time ago, indeed.

And now the Beach Boys (who have been called “America’s Band”) are celebrating their golden jubilee in style — with a major, international tour. Not only that, but the group recently brought together all the remaining original Beach Boys, and recorded their 29th studio album, That’s Why God Made The Radio.

Don’t miss your chance to see this awesome, iconic band in action while you still can. Tickets available at www.casinoregina.com.

– By Adam Hawboldt

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: THE ARTIST / THE ARTIST / THE ARTIST

SASK MUSIC PREVIEW Submissions for 2013’s Breakout West Festival, which is happening in Calgary October 3-6, are now being accepted. Submissions for the Western Canadian Music Awards and Western Canadian Music Industry Awards are also open, and the deadline for all three is 11pm on April 1, 2013.

For more information, please see: http://breakoutwest.ca/submissions/ guidelines-and-categories/

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

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MARCH 15 » MARCH 23 The most complete live music listings for Regina.

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15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 THE JACK SEMPLE BAND / Artesian on 13th — A local guitarist. 8pm / $25 POWDER BLUE / Artful Dodger — Also appearing is Foam Lake + the Florals. 8pm DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / $5 DJ PAT & DJ KIM / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits. 9pm / $5 cover AMY NELSON + MORE / The Lancaster Taphouse — It’s Lancaster’s amazing music fest! 10pm JOHNNY MCCUAIG BAND / McNally’s — Kickass bagpipe rock and roll. 10pm / $5 DIANA DESJARDINS / The Pump — Country music done right. 9pm / Cover TBD ALBERT / Pure — Get spinning! 10pm / $5 SMOKE BREAK / The Sip — Come rock the night away. 10pm / Cover TBD SARAH BETH KEELEY / Whiskey Saloon — A country artist from Calgary. 8pm / $10

DJ LONGHORN / Whiskey Saloon — One of Regina’s most interactive DJs. 8pm

RAY BELL + MORE / Lancaster Taphouse — Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day! 9pm / Cover TBD SQUEEZE OF SCOTCH + MORE / McNally’s — It’s a St. Patrick’s Bash, all day long. 11am

SATURDAY 16

ANDINO SUNS + MORE / The Artful Dodger — A fun and funky line-up. 8pm GREAT BIG SEA / Brandt Centre — A Celtic folk-rock band. 7pm / $51+ (Ticketmaster) PRE-ST. PATRICK’S PARTY / Bushwakker — Featuring The Tilted Kilts + more. 5pm / $5 DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / $5 TINSEL TREES / The Exchange — Smooth down-tempo rock. 8pm / $10.

BOB EVANS + MORE / Lancaster — It’s Lancaster’s music fest! 9pm JOHNNY MCCUAIG BAND / McNally’s — Kickass bagpipe rock and roll. 10pm / $5 DIANA DESJARDINS / The Pump — Country music done right. 9pm / Cover TBD DREWSKI / Pure — Get spinning! 10pm / $5 SMOKE BREAK / The Sip — Come rock the night away. 10pm / Cover TBD JAM SESSIONS / Smokin’ Okies — Promoting blues and country blues. 2pm / No cover SARAH BETH KEELEY / Whiskey — A country artist from Calgary. 8pm / $10

MONDAY 18

OPEN MIC / Artful Dodger — Come down and jam! 8pm / No cover MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ / Bushwakker — Featuring The Project. 8pm / No cover ELECTRIC SIX / The Exchange — Rockers from Detroit! 8pm / $18 (ticketedge.ca)

TUESDAY 19

TROUBADOUR TUESDAYS / Bocados — Live tunes from locals. 8pm / No cover

WEDNESDAY 20

WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOLK / Bushwakker — Judd Stachoski, Dustin Ritter and Tiny. 9pm HARD LUCK AND TROUBLE / King’s Head — Blues and rock. 9pm JAM NIGHT AND OPEN STAGE / McNally’s — Live, local talent. 9pm / No cover

THURSDAY 21

FLY POINTS + MORE / The Exchange — Rock and indie tunes. 7:30pm / $10 DECIBEL FREQUENCY / Gabbo’s Nightclub — A night of electronic fun. 10pm / Cover $5 PS FRESH / The Hookah Lounge — With DJ Ageless and DJ Drewski. 7pm

SUNDAY 17

SONGWRITER SUNDAY / Creative City Centre — With Megan Nash and friends.

7:30pm / $10

OPEN MIC / King’s Head — Live talent. 8pm BRIAN WARREN + MORE / McNally’s Tavern — A night of folk music. 8:330pm / $5 FOXX WORTHEE / Pump Roadhouse — A badass female country duo. 9pm / Cover TBD UNEXPECTED COVERS / RPL Central Branch — Pop and rock tunes. 7pm / No cover SMOKY JOE’S CAFE / Regina Performing Arts Centre — Rock standards. 7pm / $20 DJ LONGHORN / Whiskey Saloon — One of Regina’s most interactive DJs. 8pm

FRIDAY 22

THE FUGITIVES / Artful Dodger — A Vancouver folk duo. 8pm / Cover TBD DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / $5 FIRE ENGINE 5A + MORE/ The Exchange — Rock and blues. 8pm / $10 DJS PAT & KIM / Habano’s — Top 40 hits every Friday night. 9pm / $5 cover BIG CHILL / Lancaster — Featuring DJ Fatbot. 10pm / Cover TBD ABSOFUNKINLUTELY / McNally’s — This band brings the funk. 10pm / $5 FOXX WORTHEE / The Pump — A badass female country duo. 9pm / Cover TBD ALBERT / Pure — Get spinning! 10pm / $5 SMOKY JOE’S CAFE / Regina Performing Arts Centre — Rock standards. 7pm / $20 SONIC ORCHID / The Sip — A local hard rock/power pop act. 10pm / Cover TBD

KAL HOURD / Whiskey Saloon — A talented country artist. 8pm / $10 DJ LONGHORN / Whiskey Saloon — One of Regina’s most interactive DJs. 8pm

SATURDAY 23

PROUD ANIMAL + MORE / Artful Dodger — Two excellent bands. 8pm DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / $5 KERRI SENKOW / Lancaster Taphouse — Hot country tunes. 9:30pm / No cover MALIKA SELLAMI + MORE / Le Bistro — Laid-back tunes. 8pm / Tickets @ 566-6020 ABSOFUNKINLUTELY / McNally’s — One funky band. 10pm / $5 FOXX WORTHEE / The Pump — A badass female country duo. 9pm / Cover TBD DREWSKI / Pure — Get spinning! 10pm / $5 SMOKY JOE’S CAFE / Regina Performing Arts Centre — Rock standards. 7pm / $20 SONIC ORCHID / The Sip — A local hard rock/power pop act. 10pm / Cover TBD JAM SESSIONS / Smokin’ Okies — Blues and country blues. 2pm / No cover KAL HOURD / Whiskey Saloon — A talented country artist from Saskatoon. 8pm / $10

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NIGHTLIFE

THURSDAY, MARCH 7 @

THE EXCHANGE

The Cultural Exchange 2431 8th Avenue (306) 780 9495

MUSIC VIBE / Eclectic: everything

from rock, punk and metal to a variety of local bands DRINK OF CHOICE / Big Rock’s Helles Bock beer TOP EATS / Chips COMING UP / JUNOfest in April

CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, March 22. facebook.com/verbsaskatoon

Photography by Bebzphoto

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF NEW LINE CINEMA

BURT WONDERSTONE NOT SO INCREDIBLE

New Steve Carell movie funny, but not that funny BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

W

hen it comes to movies about magicians, one film stands heads and shoulders above the rest — The Prestige.

If you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about. If not, drop whatever you’re doing RIGHT NOW and go watch it.

Seriously — it’s that good. So good, in fact, that it’s the movie by which all other magician movies — past, present, and future — should be judged.

Well, almost all. See, the latest magician movie, The Incredible

Burt Wonderstone, can’t really be lumped in with flicks like The Prestige or The Illusionist.

forty-minute running time does The Incredible Burt Wonderstone take itself seriously. And depending on

… this isn’t the best comedy [but] there are enough dumb laughs and decent acting to hold your attention.

ADAM HAWBOLDT

Why? Because not once — not once! — during its one-hour-and-

who you are, that can be a good thing or a bad thing.

Me, I’m an idiot. I love comedies like, say, Anchorman, Zoolander, and Talladega Nights. Movies that revel in their own silliness, with characters who are cartoonish and remain cartoonish throughout the entire film.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is one of those movies.

No, it’s not as good as the best Will Ferrell-esque movies. And it sure as heck ain’t The Prestige.

But all in all, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is a funny movie that’s worth a watch (unless, of course, you hate idiodyssey comedies, in which case avoid this film like the plague).

Directed by Don Scardino (30 Rock), and written by Jonathan Goldstein (Horrible Bosses) and John Francis Daley (of Freaks and Geeks fame), The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is about two magicians — Burt (Steve Carell) and Anton (Steve Buscemi) — who are facing career problems.

When we first meet Burt and Anton, they are 10-year-old kids who are being bullied. They find solace from their unfortunate reality in the form of a “Become a Magician” kit featuring the famed illusionist Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin).

Jump ahead a few decades, and Burt and Anton are a magic team playing the Vegas strip. They’re rich. They’re famous.

But their show is dated and the lifelong friends are at odds with each other. Fame has gone to Burt’s head and he’s living the life of a rockstar, having sex with groupies and blowing massive amounts of money.

Then things go from bad to worse when a David Blaine/Criss

THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE DIRECTED BY Don Scardino STARRING Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey + Olivia Wilde 101 MINUTES | PG

Angel-style street magician named Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) shows up on the scene and steals Burt and Anton’s thunder.

Faced with their possible demise and the stark reality of their present, the pair must adapt if they are to remain relevant.

Hilarity ensues.

Well, okay, not hilarity, so to speak, but there are a lot of laughs in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.

Especially when Jim Carrey is on screen — nearly unrecognizable in a wig, the guy all but steals the movie.

Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the best comedy you’ll ever seen. Not even close.

But there are enough dumb laughs and decent acting to hold your attention. Just don’t go into the theatre expecting to burst out cackling every few minutes.

The laughs in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone are more of the amusing chuckle variety. They’re still there, though they don’t come as frequently as one would hope, but they’ll show up.

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ON SEX AND SEXISM French film Les Infidèles a limp look at adultery and dirtbags BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

W

hen you think about French cinema, what comes to mind?

For many people, they think movies that are banal, boring, and blah . Black-and-white, artsy-fartsy tripe about flowers and love and arcane metaphors.

Me, I’m a bit different.

When I think of French cinema, I think of movies like A Prophet, Delicatessen, La Haine, The Professional and both of Gaspar Noé’s French flicks, I Stand Alone and Irréversible.

All of which are terrific movies that any serious cinephile should see.

Too bad the same can’t be said for Jean Dujardin’s new project Les Infidèles.

You may remember Dujardin from the 2012 Academy Awards as the French guy who won the Best Actor Oscar for playing George Valentin in the Oscar-winning film The Artist, directed by the highly acclaimed Michel Hazanavicius.

Yeah, that Dujardin.

Anyway, this film — which isn’t so much a feature film as series of vignettes — is his first major project

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MARS FILMS

Players) is: a raunchy, unflinching look at sex and adultery.

It opens with ‘70s porn music playing in the background before switching to a risqué prologue directed by Fred Cavayé, about two friends: Fred (Dujardin) and Greg (Gilles Lellouche).

The pair spend their evenings getting laid while their significant others stay at home taking care of kids and stuff.

What follows is a series of unrelated short films (each one from a different director), in which Dujardin and Lellouche play a whole host of dif-

Les Infidèles [is] more of a film about misogyny than a misogynistic film.

ADAM HAWBOLDT

to be released after the Oscars. And if you think you’re going to see the same nice, charming man with the irresistible smile that you saw in The Artist, think again. Instead, you’re going to see Dujardin’s bare ass from behind, furiously masturbating like a monkey in a zoo. You’re also going to hear him shout out “I’m touching her liver!” while engaged in sexy times with a lady who is decidedly not his wife.

And that’s just the kind of movie Les Infidèles (which translates to The

ferent characters exploring things like sex addiction, crumbling marriages, simple adultery and an assortment of other lurid, extramarital activities and dark desires.

Les Infidèles ends where it begins, with Fred and Greg doing what they do best — shagging. In this segment they’re in Vegas, where they plan to have so much sex that, hopefully, they’ll get sick of it and never want to dance the horizontal hula again.

Now, if any of this sounds sexist or chauvinistic or slightly un-PC,

LES INFIDÈLES Michel Hazanavicius, Emmanuelle Bercot, Gilles Lellouche, Fred Cavayé, Alexandre Courtès, Jean Dujardin, Eric Lartigau + Jan Kounen STARRING Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche + Lionel Abelanski DIRECTED BY

109 MINUTES | N/A

that’s the point. Some critics have bashed the film for being vulgar and misogynistic, and maybe they’re right.

But here’s the thing: the characters’ actions are never glamorized by the directors. If anything, they are dealt with a certain amount of contempt by the storytellers, making Les Infidèles more of a film about misogyny than a misogynistic film. Big difference.

But that’s not the point. The point here is that Les Infidèles is certainly not a film for everybody. It sure wasn’t for me.

Personally, I wasn’t offended by anything in the film. It’s just that, well, it wasn’t a very good movie.

Les Infidèles will be opening at the Regina Public Library on March 21; see reginalibrary.ca for show times.

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17 MAR 15 – MAR 21 @VERBREGINA

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© Elaine M. Will | blog.E2W-Illustration.com | Check onthebus.webcomic.ws/ for previous editions!

18 MAR 15 – MAR 21 ENTERTAINMENT

CONTENTS

LOCAL

EDITORIAL

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ARTS

COVER

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VERBNEWS.COM

TIMEOUT

CROSSWORD CANADIAN CRISS-CROSS DOWN 1. Well-mannered 2. Has a loan from 3. Ran into 4. Like some skirts 5. Curl one’s lip 6. Gave birth to 7. Somewhat 8. Car modified to go very fast 9. Woollen hat 11. Imitation gemstone 12. Opera singer 14. Start again 17. Equal level 20. Tendon 21. Verified fact 24. Part of a relay race

26. Decide on 28. Decorative design, as for wallpaper 29. Window part 30. Adjust slightly 31. Tempting quality 32. Armed conflict 33. Defensive obstacle 34. Because of 35. Mild exclamation 38. Less common 41. Run like water 43. After all the others 45. Compass heading 47. Romanian currency unit

SUDOKU ANSWER KEY

A

B

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

1. Magnificent display 5. Persian word for king 9. Part of the intestine 10. Canadian brand of coffee 12. Remove written words 13. Newspaper employee 15. Eye part 16. Imitate 18. Faithful, as a friend 19. Check for accuracy 20. Switch on 22. Worn with age 23. Artist’s studio 25. Cowboy competition 27. Football player 28. Young dog

29. Period of development 32. Operating power of an appliance 36. Cobbler’s tool 37. Anger 39. Grown up 40. One’s own person 42. Creative work 43. Molten matter 44. Big rig 46. Jubilant 48. Monetary unit of Denmark 49. Varnish ingredient 50. Pitcher with a flaring spout 51. Extremely enthusiastic

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

ACROSS

© WALTER D. FEENER 2012

HOROSCOPES MARCH 15 – MARCH 21 ARIES March 21–April 19

LEO July 23–August 22

SAGITTARIUS November 23–December 21

It may not be spring yet, but you should try cleaning your life up a little. It’s time to throw out all the negative things you’ve amassed over winter.

You’ll have a chance to step into the spotlight at some point this week, Leo. And you know you’ll want to, but resist the urge. Nothing good will come of it.

Success is just around the corner, Sagittarius, so keep on keeping on.

Don’t give up. All your hard work is about to be rewarded.

TAURUS April 20–May 20

VIRGO August 23–September 22

CAPRICORN December 22–January 19

You’re going to be bombarded with information this week, Taurus. Which can be a good thing, but only if you can recognize the useful stuff.

If the chance to take a trip comes up this week, don’t hesitate. Take it, Virgo. It doesn’t have to be a long trip; any sort of journey will be worthwhile.

In the mood for romance, Capricorn? The vibe is in the air this week. Take advantage of it while you can — it won’t last forever.

GEMINI May 21–June 20

LIBRA September 23–October 23

AQUARIUS January 20–February 19

Do you like surprises, Gemini? If not, too bad. There will be a few of those lying in wait for you this week.

Keep your eyes peeled.

Start something new this week, Libra; it doesn’t matter what it is, just start something. But be sure to finish it: incomplete projects don’t bode well for you.

If you’ve been toying with the idea of doing something new and daring, Aquarius, quit toying around and just do it. Even if it feels like a bad idea.

CANCER June 21–July 22

SCORPIO October 24–November 22

PISCES February 20–March 20

Your energy will be high this week, Cancer, both mentally and physically. Enjoy them and put them to good use — you’ll be pleased with the results.

Some useful opportunities could present themselves this week. Too bad your head will be so far in the clouds you won’t be able to recognize them.

If you have the chance to sneak off to an abandoned taffy factory to look for treasure this week, take it, Pisces. Which is to say: be adventurous!

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

CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY

A

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

B

19 MAR 15 – MAR 21 /VERBREGINA

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