Verb Issue R94 (Sept. 6-12, 2013)

Issue #94 – September 6 to September 12

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a tip a day Catching poachers in Saskatchewan making sparks Q+A with Rose Cousins riddick + only god forgives Film reviews

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On the cover:

Widowspeak

Talk their latest EP. 10 / feature

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culture

NEWs + Opinion

entertainment

Q + A with rose cousins

Live Music listings Local music listings for September 6 through September 14. 14 / listings

On her latest album. 8 / Q + A

a tip a day

the last resort

Nightlife Photos

Catching poachers in SK. 3 / Local

Max Reimer is back with a hysterical musical set in Saskatchewan. 9 / Arts

We visit Birmingham’s.

the tipping point Authority Zero talk new projects.

riddick + only god forgives

9 / Arts

We review the latest movies. 16 / Film

15 / Nightlife

the art of magic On what it takes to be a magician.

4 / Local

Why we should privatize Canada Post.

You’ve got mail

celebrating saskatchewan

on the bus

6 / Editorial

We visit the Willow. 12 / Food + Drink

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 18 / comics

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Game + Horoscopes

Here’s what you had to say about red light cameras. 7 / comments

Human Human, Alexis Normand + The Sadies. 13 / music

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

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Business & Operations

Publisher / Parity Publishing Editor in Chief / Ryan Allan Managing Editor / Jessica Patrucco staff Writers / Adam Hawboldt + Alex J MacPherson Contributing writer / Victoria Abraham

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a tip a day

Hunting for poachers in the prairies by ADAM HAWBOLDT

T

he call came on October 6th, 2012.

A dispatcher at the Turn in Poachers (TIP) toll-free hotline answered the phone and listened closely as the voice on the other end of the line told a story about unlawful moose hunting that had been happening near St. Louis, Saskatchewan.

Like they’re trained to do, the dispatcher collected as much information as possible from the anonymous caller about the alleged violations.

Then, once the caller had hung up, the dispatcher relayed the information to a conservation officer.

In this case, the officer’s name was Casey Howey. “In a lot of cases, we tell the public that getting a plate number of a vehicle is crucial,” says Howey, “In this case there was no plate number, but we had something better. We had the individual’s name and where they were staying.”

Armed with the man’s identity and his whereabouts, Officer Howey sprang into action. “We responded immediately to that location and when we got there we saw a vehicle parked in the suspect’s yard. There was a large amount of fresh blood and moose hair on the flat deck of the truck, in plain view.” What happened next had to be by the book. When confronting a suspect — one who, because of the nature of their alleged crime, most assuredly has a gun — you don’t want to break protocol. You don’t want to come across as too aggressive or spook the individual. No, you want to make sure you remain cool, calm, and collected.

“When you’re in a situation like that, approaching a suspect to talk to them, everyone has things that roll through their mind,” says Howey. “You just have to quiet that and focus on the process. You want to take it step by step, work with the information that’s in front of you.”

“You don’t want to cloud your mind with assumptions,” he continues. “You have to view everybody as being innocent at first, then go from there. After all, we’ve all experienced times when information that’s been relayed to us was not true.”

So with an open mind and years of experience at his disposal, Officer Howey slowly approached the location of the alleged moose poacher.

He knocked and waited. No one was home. But where could the suspect have gone? After all, the truck was there, the blood and hair were still fresh. Practicing the patience he picked up after years on the job, Howey did what any good conservation officer would do — he set up surveillance and waited some more.

Founded in 1986 by the Ministry of Environment, the TIP program allows the public to report fishing, wildlife, forestry and environmental violations simply by calling a toll-free line (1-800-667-7561). The way it works is simple. If you see a violation occurring or know of a past violation that has occurred, all you do is call the line (you can remain anonymous if you like) and report the incident. Calls concerning

violations that are in process are forwarded immediately to the conservation officers closest to the scene.

But does the program actually work? “There have been several [solved cases],” says Richard Hildebrand, a conservation officer and team leader for the compliance education and training unit, “but the one that became very popular was a case related to the very unethical hunting of ducks that had been video recorded and posted on YouTube. This generated hundreds of calls to the TIP line, which in turn resulted in the identification of those individuals who were charged and found guilty.”

And while receiving “hundreds of calls” for one specific case is by no means the norm, the people working the TIP line remain busy on a daily basis. For instance, in 2012 there were 945 TIP calls. Eighty-one percent of those were tips about wildlife violations, nine percent concerned fishing violations, and eight percent were environmental infractions. “There are a variety of things people call in for, that’s what the TIP line is all about,” says Officer Howey. “And when the public gets involved, the TIP line has been very successful. It’s all about public involvement.”

And lucky for Howey, the public helped out just when his illegal moose hunting case seemed to be at a standstill.

After setting up surveillance, Howey monitored activity around the locale

where the moose hunting suspect was supposed to be. Nothing happened.

But the next day a second call came into the TIP line. This time the caller told the dispatcher the suspect knew the authorities were on to him, and had relocated the moose.

Working off of that tip, Howey went to a new site where the hunter was supposed to be. And, lo and behold, there he was. “When we confront a suspect, everyone takes it differently,” says Howey. “Some people say, ‘It wasn’t me.’ That happens a lot, and more digging is involved. Other people, for lack of a better term, say ‘uncle.’”

Dressed in his conservation uniform, Howey approached the suspect, identified himself, and told the person why he was there. “You have to be upfront and honest with them. That way it lays things out on the table,” says Howey. “That gives people we deal with a better feeling about it. If you’re honest they tend to be honest as well.”

Which is exactly what the suspect was when Officer Howey asked about his recent actions. “When we arrived at the site and confronted him, he was fully cooperative,” says the officer.

“Some people, when they’re caught, have a conscience.”

In the end, the suspect was charged with two counts of unlawful hunting under the Wildlife Act. He was found guilty, the moose and firearms were seized, he was suspended from hunting for five years, and was fined $2,500. “With every call that comes there’s certain a ‘wow’ factor,” says Howey, “but when we got that second call on this case, it was just fantastic. Just another sign that this program is working.”

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the art of magic

Anthony Hanson on performances, magic, and what it takes to be a magician by ADAM HAWBOLDT

I

t begins with a question.

A simple question — “How old are you?”

The person asking it is Anthony Hanson. A tall man with friendly eyes and a big smile, Hanson is a professional magician and hypnotist from here in Saskatchewan.

And the reason he’s asking our age is because he’s about to perform a magic trick. Only it’s not called a “trick” in the industry. For those not in the know, it’s called an “effect.”

but what number are you thinking about.” I tell him 99.

Hanson looks to my friend and asks him what number he was thinking about. “I wasn’t thinking about a number at all,” is his reply.

This is what people in the industry call a misdirection, a form of deception in which the attention of the audience is focused on one thing in order to distract them from another. Or at least I think it’s a misdirection, so instead of looking over

“I’m 27,” answers my friend who’s come with me.

“And I’m 34 … no, 35,” I tell him.

Hanson thinks for a moment, says something about the numbers between 27 and 35 being too random, then asks me to think about a number between 35 and 100.

Looking at the ground, I focus on the number 99.

“Okay,” says Hanson, holding a stack of yellow Post-it notes.

“I think I have it. I could be wrong,

at my buddy, my eyes stay fixed on Hanson’s hand. The one holding the yellow Post-its.

No movement.

Then slowly, Hanson hands me a piece of paper with the number 99 written near the middle in black

pencil. “That’s sick,” says my friend, completely astonished.

Ask people who know Anthony Hanson when he became interested in magic, and they’ll probably tell

Continued on next page »

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you he was into it from a very young age. But ask him the same question and he’ll give you a different answer.

“I don’t count all that early stuff,” he says, “I don’t count [anything] until seven years ago. I went to a birthday party and there was a magician there. He blew my mind.”

Up to that point, the magic Hanson had seen was limited to whatever he viewed on television, and he was certain there were camera tricks involved. But that day at the party, watching that magician work

to do next. There were a lot of pauses.” Hanson pauses and chuckles, then says, “A whole lot of pauses!”

But that’s the thing about magic: no one is awesome in the beginning. To become a magician takes a lot of hard work — a lot of hard work, patience, and practice.

“To learn a new effect, on average, it takes about two weeks,” explains Hanson. “That involves coming up with your own patter — the story you tell while you’re doing the effect — and learning the mechanics of the effect itself.

To learn a new effect, on average, it takes about two weeks. anthony hanson

the crowd, Hanson couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He couldn’t believe someone could do that kind of stuff in person.

And from that point on, Hanson was hooked.

“I hounded [that magician] all night,” says Hanson. “Finally, he told me one thing, he told me about this website. When I got home I went to the site and started indulging in magic.”

Within six months, Hanson had his first show.

“I was sweating bullets,” recalls Hanson. “At that first show, I was just so nervous. I didn’t know what

You’re looking at six to eight hours of practice every day to learn it.”

And the work doesn’t stop there.

Once you figure you have a good handle on the effect, it’s time to take it to your family and friends, show them what you’ve been working on for the past few weeks and see if they catch on to what you’re doing or if you expose the secret of the effect by accident. If so, it’s back to the drawing board in an attempt to fine-tune.

Once you have a bunch of effects mastered, though, it’s time to put them together in a show. A show that, much like a comedian’s stand-up routine, is ever changing and evolving.

“You have to make sure you tape your show and watch it afterwards,” says Hanson. “When you do that you can see things that don’t work. It’s like, ‘okay, that effect didn’t work too well in that spot, so let’s try it in a different spot next time. Maybe give it a twist.’ You want to rework your show until it runs smoothly.”

And when that happens, when you iron out all the kinks and piece together a mind-blowing show, then your work is finished, right? That’s the show you’ll perform for every audience.

“Not really,” says Hanson. “You have to think about how many people is the show going to be good for — is it going to be good for 50 or 100 or 200 people? You have to tailor your show to the size of the audience. Oh, and there are times when I’ll find some gold in a magic book and I’ll try it in my next show.

If it works well, it stays in and something else gets kicked out.”

Back in the Verb office, Anthony Hanson is shuffling a deck of cards, saying, “I’d prefer not to know how things work, but being in the industry, I know how most things work.”

He asks for a Sharpie and says, “But when I see an effect and I have no idea how the person does it, that’s the best. It’s awesome.”

Fanning the cards out in front of us, Hanson tells us to pick a card and keep it against our chests so he can’t see them. Mine is the six of diamonds.

My friend’s is the three of diamonds.

Photo: courtesy of adam hawboldt

Turning to face the wall so he can’t watch us, Hanson tells us to sign our names or initials on the face of the card. We do as we’re told, then, keeping the card face down, he slides our cards into the deck.

“At this point a lot of magicians will be doing secret moves,” says Hanson, pushing the cards back into their box. “So I’m going to do this nice and slow. That way you can see every single moment. A lot of people accuse me of slight of hand, but that’s not the case.”

Hanson closes the box and snaps his fingers. The box opens, he snaps his fingers again and a card begins to magically rise from the box. My signed card, the six of diamonds.

From there Hanson proceeds to fan the cards out in an arc on the

floor in front of us. He waves his hand over the deck to show there’s no strings attached and snaps his fingers again. Again, a card begins to magically pull away from the deck.

And yes, you guessed it — it’s my friend’s card, the three of diamonds.

Standing there scratching my head, trying to figure out how in the hell he did that effect, one thing becomes abundantly clear: Anthony Hanson is one heckuva magician. And a testament to the old adage that practice does indeed make perfect.

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You’ve got mail

It’s time to privatize Canada Post

A

fter nearly five centuries with ties to the state, the United Kingdom’s Royal Mail postal service is closer than ever to becoming privatized. What the U.K. government plans to do is sell a majority stake to investors (a public offering expected to raise about $3 billion), while giving roughly 150,000 Royal Mail employees free shares.

Privatizing the Royal Mail is a good move, and we think it’s one we should emulate here with Canada Post as a means of solving the myriad and grave problems our postal service is currently facing.

Like what? Well, for starters, due to the rise of online communication domestic mail is forecast to decline by 27 percent by the year 2020. Regular absenteeism has been a serious issue.

Then there’s the pension solvency deficit that currently sits at $5.9 billion (which means that if Canada Post ceased business today and had to meet all its obligations to all current pension plan holders, the organization would be short by nearly six billion). Oh, and let’s not forget the

generally bad for the consumer. There are a good many reasons for this, but the general idea is that if you’re the only one in the race, you’re just not going to run as fast. And that’s how we’ve gone from “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” to “your front step is two inches too high, we’re not gonna deliver to your house any more” (yes, Canada Post actually told that to a Winnipeg man earlier this year, who had to relocate his mailbox to start getting mail again). In general allowing competitors to enter a market forces companies to become more efficient and more innovative, which is a good thing for consumers.

It would also mean that service would improve while prices (as dictated by the market) would no doubt remain reasonable.

And we’re not just spouting off here — privatization works. In fact, according to a study by the University of Toronto on the aforementioned countries’ postal reform efforts, simply exposing their national mail services to competition led to myriad

recent think-tank report from the Conference Board of Canada, which forecasts the corporation will incur losses of around $1 billion per year until at least the end of the decade.

Yes, you read that right. Canada Post could lose $1 billion every year for the next seven years. Toss in there Canada Post’s history of troubled labour relations with its trade unions (which led to 19 different strikes, lockouts and walkouts between 1965 and 1997, and then another one just a couple of years ago), and it becomes clear that the way things are is not the way things should remain.

And we think following in the footsteps of the UK, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, who have all privatized partly or fully, is the way to go. Doing so would allow our postal service to be run more like a business and less like a dysfunctional governmental department. It would also open the market to competition, since under the current system it is illegal for anybody but Canada Post to deliver letters weighing less than 500 grams in Canada. The problem with monopolies, of course, is that they’re

improvements. These improvements included increased service quality, the ability to adapt products and services to demand, the introduction of mail-related innovations, and improved labour performance. Oh, and according to a report from the Montreal Economic Institute, the cost of stamps also dropped in Austria, the Netherlands and Germany following deregulation.

So the question isn’t should we privatize (clearly we should). It’s how should we privatize?

For the answer to this we should look no further than the U.K. example, and begin implementing incremental reforms. We could gradually eliminate government control by auctioning off contracts or outsourcing certain parts of Canada Post’s service to private companies — services like, say, the delivery and pick up of mail. Then, when the time is right, we could sell off the entire thing and give some shares to Canada Post employees so that everybody benefits.

The bottom line is, the current state of affairs is not sustainable.

Not only would selling Canada

Post put a substantial amount of lucre in the government coffers, it would also help us, the consumer.

No longer would our tax dollars be tossed into a money-losing vortex of inefficiency. No longer would we be subjected to Canada Post’s underperformance and rising prices (prices that, given the state of the industry, will probably continue to increase).

Instead, with the injection of competition in the market, we would stop lagging behind major countries and finally get the postal service we deserve. It only makes sense — for the government, businesses and citizens alike.

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 scrapping red light cameras. Here's what you had to say:

– Red light cameras are garbage!

A creepy waste of money that’s killing our brains. Just try to focus around those specific intersections and you will see! They’re not safe, they’re a bad idea, and wasting OUR money! This city needs to learn to be SUSTAINABLE!! We don’t need technology. We NEED clean air, food and water! The city better start caring about the city instead of new tech crap that’s wasting money and our brains.

Like really - they cause MORE crashes. Pffffft. I should run for council - show them what the hell they should b doing!

– Re: red light cams…I do not know where you got that information, but if it was true, wouldn’t everyone see more “accidents”?

I rarely see any “accidents” anywhere, let alone at recorded intersections

– It would be interesting to find out how much the City has collected off these cameras. I doubt they would give up the info. I don’t think they own them but get a “commission” on what is collected.

Wonder who owns them? Safety has nothing to do with red light cameras. It’s all about CASH

text yo thoughtsur to 881 vE R b 8372

that. Think things through before you say them. If we help save a life and prevent people from slamming into traffic in an intersection than good

– I wonder how much cashola the city reaps from these stupid things.

Red light cameras just make me either zoom through a yellow to get past the camera or slam on my breaks.

– The radar speed signs totally work I always feel guilty when my speed is flashing :D

– Oh god those red light cameras have been shown over and over to not work at all and only pull in money which is fine But I agree if safety is what we want then do something else.

off topic – Can’t wait for the UFC to get here I will be at any event hosted in Sask. It is about time. Also should mention that the commission that permits UFC to come here also will allow prize fight boxing and other events. This is a great thing for Saskatchewan!

In response to “Finally,” Local, #93 (August

– Red light cameras are such a cash grab that’s been known for ages it’s great the city wants to “make safety important” but we should do it in ways that are iffective

– Red light cameras catch criminals who run through intersections when they should stop. Period.

Why in the world would we want to take something like that away?

It’s beyond ridiculous to propose

30, 2013)

– Just want to throw in my two cents about legalizing marijuana. I smoke, and agree with the premise of legalization (ease of access to product, etc, though it’s not really hard to get now). My concern is a decline in quality.

In response to “Marijuana should be legal-

– Love to see everyone come out in support of legalizing weed. Times are changing n so excited for this to come through can’t wait until we can all be open about this! Just the old people think it’s dumb.

In response to “Marijuana should be legalized,” Editorial, #91 (August 16, 2013)

– I doubt the Libs will get in even though the majority of Canadians think marijuana should be legalized.

But the old guard and the Cons will spend a sh*t ton of $$ to make sure this never happens, and their voting base tends to come out to the polls more so than younger people.

In response to “Marijuana should be legalized,” Editorial, #91 (August 16, 2013)

sound off

– – I don’t know why we need all of these home lotteries. People should donate freely to the hospitals if they so choose. Everyone gets duped into thinking they will win a huge new house. These lotteries are organized daylight robbery!

– What’s with all the god texts being printed? People need to wake up and realize it’s a story much like the tooth fairy and Santa Claus.

(Only they are better tales)

– People talking about jesus keep it amongst yourselves. Some others do not want to hear about it/ have their own opinions of jesus

– Its really bad what happend 2 thoz people! My heart goez out 2 the families! Although it iz nice see

ized,” Editorial, #91 (August 16, 2013)

– It’s time to shiiiine!

in whales up close an performin, but no they dont belong in captivity, how wud we like being held in captivity in there world =AIRIN=

– I don’t understand why the penalty for shoplifting and child sex offences are the same. Finally Harper is proposing harsher penalties for these sick people!

Next week: What do you think of privatizing Canada Post? Pick up a copy of Verb to get in on the conversation: We print your texts verbatim each week. Text in your thoughts and reactions to our stories and content, or anything else on your mind.

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we have made a spark

Photos: courtesy of Mat Dunlap

Rose Cousins lights Canada aflame with her new record and short film by Alex J MacPherson

E

arlier this year, the Juno Award for roots & traditional album of the year was claimed by Rose Cousins, a singer and songwriter from Prince Edward Island. Cousins received the award for We Have Made A Spark, her third full-length studio album. After cutting the album in Boston with a group of close friends, part of a music community she has been getting to know for years, Cousins released a short film in which she documents both the creation of the album and the musicians who helped bring it to life. I caught up with Cousins to learn more about the album, the film, and what it feels like to win a Juno.

Alex J MacPherson: Obviously artists don’t make records with the intention of winning awards. But what does it feel like when you do get one?

Rose Cousins: It’s pretty amazing. As a Canadian artist I’ve watched the Juno broadcast every year and I’ve had friends that have won.

It’s always one of those things where you’re like, maybe someday, wouldn’t that be cool? But it’s not like you set it as a goal because it doesn’t really

RC: I was talking with my manager and I had established that there were these three or four days in March, 2011 that I could get everybody into the studio. Not very long before, a week or just days, my manager had a connection with this woman who wasn’t a filmmaker but had done a couple things with video. I was like, I just feel like it’s going to be one of those things that it would be cool to have video footage of, thinking there could be a few excerpts we could use.

seem like you could possibly do that.

It’s interesting now to be on the other side of that, having won one. Now what am I going to do?

AJM: As for the record itself, how do you think it fits into the arc of your career?

RC: I feel like it’s a cohesive project and I think that’s for several reasons. I probably have been the most vulnerable, maybe the most honest, in the songwriting. And I think I was the

I probably have been the most vulnerable … in the songwriting. rose cousins

Once the shooting started I was like, we should interview everybody about this scene, which has been really important to me.

most true to the way I wanted to present the music, in the sense that I asked true, close, incredible friends — who were a part of my life — to make it. I didn’t hire a crazy expensive producer to make it something that I wasn’t; I just recreated with my friends what we make when we play together.

AJM: It’s a great insight into the record, and it seems like making this record was more about having fun playing music with your friends than anything else.

AJM: You felt strongly enough about your friends, and their music community in Boston, that you decided to document the process with a short film.

What was that like?

RC: The other records I’ve made, although I’m proud of them, I didn’t know all the characters that were a

part of them. With this, I just knew and trusted every single person. I didn’t worry about anything. We just went in, figured out the structure of the song, and played it. The beautiful thing about all of the characters is that everything that comes out of them musically is uniquely them, but it’s also this beautiful musical conversation that happens. I think it’s a great reflection of the musical friendships.

kind of like exactly what life is. Even the song that’s called “The Darkness” is talking about recognizing that darkness can exist, but that you can overcome it. I think that it has a lot to do with the idea that letting go of things is a good thing, even though it’s sad. I think there’s definitely sad moments and hopeful moments, but in letting go you get from a dark place to a lighter place.

AJM: There is a lot of darkness on the album. But it feels like there’s also this glimmer of light, that you’re moving in a new direction maybe.

Rose Cousins September 24 @ The Artesian $15 (picatic); $20 (door)

RC: I think I would agree. I always describe it as a journey from, and through, some darkness to a lighter spot. It’s not linear; I just think that it’s

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the last resort

Director Max Reimer returns to the Globe Theatre with a hysterical musical set in northern Saskatchewan by alex J MacPherson

L

ast year, Max Reimer directed the Globe Theatre’s production of Billy Bishop Goes To War, a play by John MacLachlan Gray and Eric Peterson. He and the cast created a darkly funny examination of heroism, identity, and one of Canada’s national icons.

In September, Reimer will demonstrate the depth of his theatrical playbook by returning to the Globe Theatre to helm a completely different sort of play — a rollicking murder mystery musical called The Last Resort.

“The Last Resort was a very different experience for me,” says Reimer, who lives in Vancouver and has worked as an actor and director at theatres across the country. “I’ve directed it before, and what I was absolutely taken by was the music by Leslie Arden. Not only is it good, but it’s funny. People out and out laugh at Leslie’s lyrics and the way she constructs a song.”

The Last Resort is a collaboration between Arden, a protégé of legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, and Norm Foster, one of the most successful — and hilarious — playwrights in Canadian history. Reimer describes it as part comedy and part farce, a delightfully chaotic collection of believable characters, well-timed jokes, and occasional absurdities.

The action opens at a lodge in northern Saskatchewan, where Nick (played by Kevin Aichele) is keeping a low profile. Nick was forced to flee to Saskatchewan after he sold out some powerful gangsters. Fearing for his life, he took off, accompanied only by Angela (Cailin Stadnyk), an undercover FBI agent tasked with protecting him from harm. Things get complicated when it is revealed that one of the other guests is a deadly assassin sent to do him harm. “The whole idea is that, to Nick, every character is a hitman, coming to get him,” Reimer laughs.

And while the characters in The Last Resort are animated by Foster’s peerless dialogue, their plight enhanced by Arden’s deliciously funny lyrics, their real strength is the degree to which the audience can identify with them. A good comedy needs only to be funny; a great comedy must create a situation in which the humour, no matter how absurd, fosters empathy.

Reimer suspects the setting will only enhance the audience experience.

“I love it because Nick and Angela, the two that are on the run, are the only Americans in the show,” he says.

“The rest are all Canadian characters.

I think it’s fun to poke fun at yourself, and I think that some of the Saskatchewan jokes will actually be more fun here in Saskatchewan than they were elsewhere. I think people in Saskatchewan will have a nice chuckle.”

The Last Resort September 18 - October 6 @ Globe Theatre $29+ @ Globe Theatre box office

the tipping point

Arizona punk rockers Authority Zero find a new beginning on their latest album

Photo: courtesy oF kurt hudson

T

he first song on The Tipping Point — the latest album from Mesa, Arizona punk rock band Authority Zero — opens with the squeal of two guitars feeding back before launching into a series of blistering power chords.

“No Other Place” is a strong and energetic punk rock song, a return to form for the band, who haven’t released a record since 2010, and

proof that the SoCal punk movement isn’t dead. Singer Jason DeVore hasn’t been this excited about a record since the band released A Passage In Time in 2002.

“Mostly I think it’s just the energy of the production and the writing process of the album,” he says. “A Passage In Time was such a pure early album that everyone was so excited about at such an early age.

Everything was sparking on all cylinders. With time, ups and downs, there are different emotions that come with each album. But it was almost like a fresh start, a fresh energy with The Tipping Point.”

Authority Zero was formed in 1994 by three high school friends.

DeVore came onboard shortly after.

by alex J MacPherson

Following in the footsteps of bands like Bad Religion and Pennywise, who created an entirely new style of punk music, the band built a career based on political songs, machinegun drumming, and infectious power chord pop hooks. At the same time, DeVore and his bandmates have always been willing to experiment with new ideas — an attitude manifested on The Tipping Point.

“That’s kind of what we do as musicians,” DeVore says, referring to songs like “Shakedown in Juarez,” a potent attack on immigration policy, and “Struggle,” a reggae anthem that shows the band at their most relaxed. “There’s not supposed to be any boundaries or any one set thing that you’re doing. We’ve

always tried to stretch things out, try all different types of music, different styles of music.”

But it hasn’t been easy. DeVore is the only original member still in the band. He has ridden out the upheavals caused by personnel changes many times. “We’ve had people in and out since 2008, when Bill [Marcks] first left the group,” he says. “It’s been somewhat unstable and unfocused in a way. We’ve been putting all the effort in, working our asses off, mainly just trying to keep the group together.”

But the band’s new lineup, which includes Sean Sellers and Brandon Landelius, has created a new kind of energy. “The tipping point really was getting the right people in play,” DeVore says,

referring to Malcolm Gladwell’s book about how small events can have dramatic consequences. “That brought everything together. And I think it shows again in the writing and the vibrance that this album’s got.” And while The Tipping Point might be Authority Zero’s fifth album, DeVore can’t help but think that it marks a new beginning.

Authority Zero September 25 @ The Exchange $13 @ ticketedge.ca Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina amacpherson@verbnews.com

9 Aug 23 – Aug 29 @verbregina

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true believers

Brooklyn’s Widowspeak on touring, their origins, and their la

S

ome bands wear their musical influences on their sleeves. The minute you hear them it’s like, “oh, they sound like this band,” or “hey, they sure do remind me a lot of that band.”

The same can’t be said for Brooklyn-based Widowspeak. Vocalist/guitarist Molly Hamilton grew up in the American northwest listening to folk, alternative and ‘40s country. Conversely, guitarist Rob Earl Thomas is a huge psychedelic rock fan who’s also pretty deep into Brazilian Tropicália, Saharan desert rock and Afro-pop.

But listen to their music, and you’d be hard pressed to figure that out. Playing a nuanced and reserved brand of indie-rock/dream pop, Widowspeak isn’t the kind of band that plays loud, in-your-face songs. They’re not the kind of band who demands your attention, but if you give it to them you’ll be greatly rewarded. With hints of ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘90s music, their songs are era-crossing experiments full of ambience, delicate layers, and infectious melodies with a definite Western flavour. I caught up with Widowspeak while they were on tour in Europe. Here’s what they had to say.

Rob Earl Thomas: The band formed when our first drummer, Michael, invited Molly to start a new project. They had collaborated once before in their native Tacoma, Washington, and in the intervening years had moved to Brooklyn independently. I worked with Michael at an archive in the library of New York

Adam Hawboldt: Let’s go back to the beginning, How’d you meet and how did the band come into being?

RET: Molly had the name “Widow’s Peak” in mind for awhile. I think she originally intended for the project to be a lot darker and creepier, but

Michael and I advocated making the name one word and favoured our more rock and roll backgrounds. The compromise is where the band’s sound grew from.

AH: Your first studio album was Widowspeak, but you self-released a six-track cassette called The

Molly and I, though pretty different as people, have a good common ground in terms of our musical tastes. rob earl thomas

University and one day, rather out of the blue, he approached me about playing guitar in a band he was trying to get together. We had our first practice in Molly’s living room, playing through the stereo. We eventually moved to the roof and then rented a rehearsal space. The rest is sort of history…

AH: How did you come up with the name Widowspeak?

October Tape before that, right? Can you talk about the making of The October Tape?”

RET: We made The October Tape just for the hell of it on Michael’s laptop. We’d turn GarageBand on and record the band straight into the computer’s microphone. Then Molly would sing by herself in one room while Michael and I smoked cigarettes in the next. The results had their own eerie charm. Captured Tracks actually re-released the tape to sell at its five-year anniversary festival.

Continued on next page »

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Photo: courtesy of the artist

atest EP by adam hawboldt AH: Your self-titled debut won critical acclaim and fans all around. What do you think made it such a hit?

RET: I think it’s an earnest record. It’s a snap-shot of a band in the midst of inventing an album. The record wasn’t overthought or over-produced and

in New Paltz, New York. It turned out to be the perfect place and we basically moved in for a month at the beginning of autumn. As a result the album has a really inviting feeling, I think, really representative of the Hudson River Valley. The cover photograph was even taken in Minnewaska State Park, 15 minutes from the studio.

AH: Instead of going back into the studio and pumping out a third album, you opted to release your upcoming EP The Swamps. Why an EP this time around?

Photo: courtesy of the artist

the resulting sparseness allowed each member to do what he/she does best.

AH: Your second album, Almanac, was recorded in a 100-year-old barn in the Hudson River Valley — very cool.

Can you talk about the experience and how it affected the record?

RET: Michael had just left the band and Molly and I knew we were going to have to make a studio record of sorts. Thematically, we wanted to be in a secluded, natural setting, and after a couple dead ends we found Kevin McMahon’s studio

RET: The reason was two-fold. We’d known about this tour for some time and really wanted a new batch of songs to play, simply so we wouldn’t get bored. We weren’t ready to make a full length album, however, and the themes and songs from The Swamps seemed well suited to a more concise, transitionary release.

AH: And speaking of this EP, why is it called The Swamps?

RET: Like the band name, The Swamps was an idea Molly had been kicking around for a while. We did a short tour of the southeastern United States and I think that really brought the imagery to the front of our minds.

AH: The first release from the EP, “True Believer” is a haunting, beautiful song.

Can you tell me a bit about the creative process involved in making it?

RET: The song was actually recorded before the rest of the EP and kind of set the precedent for the following recording sessions. “True Believer” is based around homemade drum loops I constructed before we left for that southeastern tour. We just kept layering instruments and vocals on top until we got the final product. It definitely harkens back to the October Tape in terms of low-fi GarageBand recordings, but at the same time it’s the least “live” recording we’ve ever done.

AH: Listening to you play, it’s easy to tell you have amazing musical chemistry.

Where does that come from?

RET: Molly and I, though pretty different as people, have a good common ground in terms of our musical tastes. We’ve had the opportunity to explore and expand on this territory with all the time we’ve spent touring, writing and recording. The more we invest into this musical relationship, the better it gets.

AH: You are currently on tour in Europe.

Where have you been and how has the experience been?

RET: We are in the UK right now on a rather atypical tour. We flew over to play a handful of festivals in Portugal,

France and the UK intermingled with club dates. Due to logistical concerns, we ended up traveling by train and doing the shows as a duo supported by drum/bass tracks I made at home and loaded into a looping pedal. We definitely miss the dynamics of performing with a full band, but I think we both wanted to tour like this for the adventure of it.

AH: Any interesting stories you’d like to share with our readers?

RET: Well, the festivals in Portugal and France [Paredes de Coura and La Route du Rock] have been in spectacularly beautiful settings, which has made the trip feel like a vacation at times. In terms of quirky anecdotes, we never

got to play our set in Bournemouth, England because a gas leak in the basement unexpectedly closed the venue. We ended up sitting on the patio with the sound guy drinking bourbon and discussing bad tattoos and tornadoes.

Widowspeak (w/ Iron + Wine) September 23 @ University of Regina Theatre $30+ @ globetheatrelive.com Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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Photos courtesy of Maxton Priebe

celebrating saskatchewan The Willow provides a Sask-centric culinary experience by victoria Abraham

T

oo much of the time meals are about just putting something resembling food into your body as quickly as possible. Meals become the canned soup, the grocery store bought pre-made salad, or the microwaveable dinner. The Willow is the antithesis of that rushed and uninvolved approach to food.

“Our goal was to change the culinary landscape of Saskatchewan. Not only does Saskatchewan quite literally feed the world, but we can do some incredible things as well,” said owner and manager David Burke. “We grow

casing all that Saskatchewan has to offer. It’s a full sensory experience. From knowledgeable servers explaining the wine like they made it themselves in the wood-beamed, earthy interior, to the expansive patio looking over shimmering Wascana Lake, The Willow is the type of place you’ll want to spend a couple of hours enjoying.

I started with Hot Off the Press, an apple-sage pressed pork belly with a bacon fat poached egg, caramelized golden apple spheres, pan gravy mustard and micro herb salad. The meal was presented beautifully (as were all that followed), and the pork was crispy, succulent and indulgently fatty. Paired with the tangy, mildly spicy mustard and apples, it was a union made in protein heaven.

Next, I had the Pemmican Sliders: three wild blueberry, bone marrow and bison mini-burgers with sarsaparilla thyme aioli, wild berry mustard and greens. Despite being “mini,” these burgers were definitely mighty and juicy, with an unexpected beet flavour.

Then I tried the Tea Time, a dish consisting of chamomile citrus-brined duck breast on brown butter string beans with a kohlrabi apple pavé and a sour cherry gastrique (a gastrique is a reduction of vinegar and sugar that

the best of everything right here, so why not eat that way?”

Those “incredible things” mean an imaginative menu full of local and organic beef, pork, chicken and other protein, breads made from flour milled using Saskatchewan grains, in-house made spreads, herbs that are grown on-site, and mind-blowing flavour combinations. “From butchery to bakery, everything happens on-site. Farmers arrive daily,” said Burke. “Ninetynine per cent of the restaurants in Regina have three to four suppliers. We had 184 suppliers last season.”

But dining at The Willow is about more than an incredible menu show-

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide white wine spritzer

Ingredients

What’s better than enjoying a light, refreshing beverage on a warm summer’s afternoon?

Take your wine for a spin with this light wine spritzer.

4 ounces white wine club soda or mineral water lime or lemon wedge

directions

Fill a wine glass with ice and pour in the wine. Top with club soda or mineral water and garnish with a lime wedge. Enjoy!

can be infused with anything, while a pavé is any food that has a rectangular shape). The duck breast was flavourful, abundant, and cooked to perfection.

I finished the meal with the Roasted Yam, a coffee-roasted sweet potato topped with wild mushroom ragu, coffee rosemary reduction, aged goat cheese and toasted pepita granola.

Whatever influenced me to eat this dish last, I am glad I did. It was an exceptionally complex juxtaposition of sweet and salty flavours, soft and chewy textures and it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen or tasted before.

Everything at The Willow is a testament to Burke’s love of food, wine, Saskatchewan and the restaurant

business, and the ingenuity of Chef Tim Davies.

“We are about celebrating our province. We have a sense of place, we are who we are, we are Saskatchewan,” said Burke. “The rest of the country, the rest of the world, is just now realizing that Saskatchewan is kick-ass.”

The Willow on Wascana 3000 Wascana Drive | (306) 585 3663 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina vabraham@verbnews.com

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music

Next Week

coming up

human human alexis normand

the sadies

@ The exchange Wednesday, september 19 – 12

@ artful dodger friday, september 13 – $TBD

@ the exchange thursday, october 17 – $20

Remember during high school, when they’d have those Battle of the Bands competitions? A bunch of friends would get together, practice, play some music for their classmates, and then a winner would be announced. Well, it was at one of these shows that the Montreal-based Human Human got its start. It wasn’t the very first time Félix Roy, Olivier Larouche, Maxime St-Jean and Louis Lupien performed together, but it was one of the first times — and they’ve been playing together ever since. With a sound reminiscent of ‘80s synthesized pop, and fused with real rock and roll energy, Human Human are an upand-coming band to keep your eye on.

They’ll be in Regina later this month.

You should probably check them out.

Tickets through ticketedge.ca.

A while back, Alexis Normand and Zoé Fortier had an idea — to create a project inspired by their native prairies. It would be a multi-media project in which Normand would play music and Fortier would provide the art.

Now, three years later, the project is finally finished. Called Mirador, it is a concert that presents a mish-mash of song, video and projections for your viewing pleasure. The songs — which range in scope from the jazzy “Lac Wakaw” to the folky “I’m Going Fishing” — are a sensitive, emotive, seductive homage to the prairies (especially the Fransaskois culture). Incorporate Normand’s singing with aspects of Fortier’s art, and you get a show that invites “the public to reinterpret the spaces that surround them and those that live within them.”

The Sadies are no strangers to working with other bands. They’ve collaborated with Blue Rodeo, The Tragically Hip, and Jon Langford.

They’ve toured extensively with the always terrific Neko Case. Yes indeed, these guys know how to work well with others. Oh, and they’re pretty darn good playing music on their own, too. Consisting of Dallas Good, Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky, this quartet from Toronto plays a biting style of alt-country that is oh so good.

Don’t believe me? Give any one of their albums a listen. From Pure Diamond Gold to Darker Circles to The Tigers Have Spoken (which they recorded with the aforementioned Neko Case), The Sadies have, through the years, continued to make music that people dig. Tickets through ticketedge.ca.

– By Adam Hawboldt

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

Sask music Preview SaskMusic has the most comprehensive guide to live music in the province. Want to check out a show? Head over to “events” at www. saskmusic.org for concerts, festivals, gigs and live performances throughout Saskatchewan. And for all you artists, concert promoters and venue managers out there, let us know about your events! Email info@saskmusic.org to get your shows listed.

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

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september 6 » september 14 The most complete live music listings for Regina.

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10 11 12 13 14

Friday 6

Bobby Curtola / Casino Regina — A pop singer who’s been going strong since the 60s. 8pm / $30+ (casinoregina.com) Vibesquad / The Exchange — This Colorado-based DJ offers up ill beats and stomach-tearing basslines, so come on down and check him out. Also appearing will be Prairie electronic artist Demian, DJ Mitchy the Kid, dancing by the 7 Deadly Sins and visuals by Vendetta Sin’s Lucid Designs. 9pm / $20 DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s Martini & Cocktail Club — Local DJs spin top 40 hits every Friday night that are sure to get you on the dance floor. 9pm / $5 Big Chill Fridays / Lancaster Taphouse — Come out and get your weekend started with DJ Fatbot, who’ll be doing his spinning thing every Friday night.

10pm / Cover TBD

Sunday 8

F.O.G.D.O.G. / McNally’s Tavern — Break out your tracksuits! 9pm / $5 The Service / Pump Roadhouse — Winnipeg’s finest top-40 rock and pop band will be partying with you this Friday night. 10pm / Cover TBD Albert / Pure Ultra Lounge — Appearing every Friday night, come listen to Albert as he does his spinning thing.

10pm / $5 cover DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs as he drops some of the best country beats around. 8pm / Cover TBD Jo Hikk / The Whiskey Saloon — Calgary’s country music sensation will be hitting the stage at the Whiskey Saloon.

9pm / $5

Itchy Stitches, Ashes of Apollo, Electric Grapevine / The Club — A night of heavy metal, thrash and prog metal. 7pm / $10 Sexy Retro Dance Party / McNally’s Tavern — DJ Baby Daddy will be getting you bumping and grinding to all the hits you love from the ‘70s and ‘80s. 10pm / Cover TBD

Monday 9

Open Mic Night / The Artful Dodger — Come down and jam! 8pm / No cover Monday Night Jazz / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring ‘round Midnight, a seven member group playing popular jazz. Featuring the talents of vocalist Bev Zizzy. 8pm / No cover

Saturday 7

Tuesday 10

F.O.G.D.O.G. / McNally’s Tavern — Break out your tracksuits! 9pm / $5 Drewski / Pure Ultra Lounge — Doing what he does best, every Saturday night.

Come on down and dance the night away with this local DJ. 10pm / $5 cover The Service / Pump Roadhouse — Winnipeg’s finest top-40 rock and pop band.

10pm / Cover TBD Jo Hikk / The Whiskey Saloon — Calgary’s country music sensation will be hitting the stage at the Whiskey Saloon.

9pm / $5

Troubadour Tuesdays / Bocados — Come check out some live tunes from local talents every week, then bring an instrument and partake in the open mic/ jam night. 8pm / No cover

Wednesday 11

100 Mile House / Artful Dodger — Sensational folk music from Edmonton. 8pm / Cover TBD Wednesday Night Folk / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring the Vudu Hounds, back for an encore performance after

jamming the pub at their January Bushwakker debut. 9pm / No cover Jam Night and Open Stage / McNally’s Tavern — Come on down and enjoy some local talent. 9pm / No cover

Thursday 12

David Myles / Artful Dodger — A multitalented musician from Halifax. Also appearing will be Tim Chaisson. 8pm / $20(advance), $25(door) Dwight Yoakam / Casino Regina — One of the greats of country music. 8pm / SOLD OUT Lisa Nicole, Jason Thomas / The Club — Two country music acts you don’t wanna miss. 8pm / $10 Don Williams / Conexus Arts Centre — A country music legend. 7pm / $41.50+ (conexusticket.com) Decibel Frequency / Gabbo’s Nightclub — A night of electronic fun. 10pm / Cover $5 PS Fresh / The Hookah Lounge — DJ Ageless started spinning in Montreal, DJ Drewski started in Saskatoon. They both landed in Regina and have come together to sling some bomb beats. 7pm / No cover Open Mic Night / King’s Head Tavern — Come out, play some tunes, sing some songs, and show Regina what you got.

8pm / No cover Milkman’s Sons / McNally’s Tavern — Come out and support local musicians.

8:30pm / $5 Stephanie Thomson / Pump Roadhouse — Inspirational adult contemporary music. 10pm / Cover TBD DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs as he drops some of the best country beats around. 8pm / Cover TBD

Friday 13

The Empire Associates Concert / Artesian on 13th — Featuring the Celtic folk stylings of the Empire Associates, the guitar melodies of Skylight, the acoustic harmonies of the Vudu Hounds and headliners for the evening, Ink Road.

8pm / $2 Alexis Normand, Julia McDougal / Artful Dodger — Some laid back music with two lovely ladies. 8pm / Cover TBD An Evening of Cowboy Stories and Songs / Casino Regina — Featuring Corb Lund and Ian Tyson. 8pm / $60+ (casinoregina.com) Tom Holliston / The Club — This former member of Canadian punk band

NoMeansNo is doing a solo tour. 7:30pm / Cover TBD DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits every Friday night that are sure to get you on the dance floor.

9pm / $5 cover Big Chill Fridays / Lancaster Taphouse — Come out and get your weekend started with DJ Fatbot, who’ll be doing his spinning thing every Friday night.

10pm / Cover TBD Slow Motion Walter / McNally’s Tavern — A rock and roll party band.

10pm / $5 Stephanie Thomson / Pump Roadhouse — Inspirational adult contemporary music. 10pm / Cover TBD Albert / Pure Ultra Lounge — Appearing every Friday night, come listen to Albert as he does his spinning thing.

10pm / $5 cover Jess Moskaluke / Whiskey Saloon — A country singer who’s star is on the rise!

9pm / Cover TBD DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs. 8pm / Cover TBD

Saturday 14

Groove Etiquette / Artful Dodger — Featuring Mikhail and Kinder along with DJ Fatbot. 10pm / $5 Wanted Man / Casino Regina — A tribute to the late, great Johnny Cash. 8pm / $20+ (casinoregina.com) Digital Doomzday, Bats Out / The Exchange — Grind metal meets rap, with a dash of oil punk. 7:30pm / Cover TBD The Accomplice / Lancaster Taphouse — Rock and alternative tunes from this local musician.

Slow Motion Walter / McNally’s Tavern — A rock and roll party band.

10pm / $5 Stephanie Thomson / Pump Roadhouse — Inspirational adult contemporary music. 10pm / Cover TBD Drewski / Pure Ultra Lounge — Doing what he does best, every Saturday night.

Come on down and dance the night away with this local DJ. 10pm / $5 cover Jess Moskaluke / Whiskey Saloon — A country singer who’s star is on the rise!

9pm / Cover TBD

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

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sunday, september 1 @

Birmingham’s

Birmingham’s Vodka + Ale House 2635 Starlite Street (306) 546 3647

Check out our Facebook page!

These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, September 13. facebook.com/verbregina

Photography by Bebzphoto

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Photo: Courtesy of Universal pictures + entertainment one

he’s baaaaack!

Riddick marks the triumphant return of Richard B. Riddick to the silver screen D

on’t call it a comeback, Richard B. Riddick’s been here for years.

Wait. Nope. That’s wrong. You should definitely call this a comeback. Sure, David Twohy and Vin Diesel’s original Riddick film, Pitch Black, was a good, gritty, genre flick that pleased both the critics and fanboys alike.

But the second installment of the series, 2004‘s The Chronicles of Riddick, was so bad, so misguided, so riddickulous (sorry, couldn’t help myself) and so full of plot holes that by the time a lot of people left the theatre they had a sneaking suspicion it was the last they were going to be seeing of the Riddick sci-fi franchise.

Of course, as it turns out, those suspicions were wrong.

Fast forward nearly a decade, and thanks to Vin Diesel (who leveraged his house to help finance

Death? For Riddick? That’s laughable. Instead of succumbing to this hostile land — where he’s attacked by hyena-like creatures, giant scorpions, and man-eating

the movie), the most wanted man in the universe is back in a self-titled movie simply called Riddick.

Not only is it a return to the silver screen for the Furyan warrior,

And while the three acts don’t exactly flow smoothly into one another, Riddick still manages to entertain throughout. adam hawboldt

amphibians — Riddick opens a can of whoop-ass, takes one of the hyena-beasts as a pet, and heads for higher ground. This act lasts for about 30 minutes, and by the end of it you just might find yourself thinking: “Yep, he’s definitely back … maybe even better than ever.”

but it’s also a return to fine, Pitch Black form for the entire series.

Picking up where The Chronicles of Riddick left off, we find our antihero (Vin Diesel) has been double crossed by Vaako (Karl Urban) and left for dead on a savage and inhospitable planet.

by adam hawboldt

Cue the second act, which involves two teams of bounty hunters who come to the planet in search of Riddick’s scalp. Or head. Or whatever. The first to arrive are Santana (Jordi Mollà) and his gang of thugs, followed closely by Boss Johns (Matt Nable) and the badass Dahl (Katee Sackhoff). Action ensues as the mercenaries try to hunt down and kill our anti-hero.

Doesn’t happen.

Why? Because before things get too serious, the movie moves into its third act and, well, let’s just say if you’ve ever seen Pitch Black you’ll be having some serious deja vu as the film winds to an end.

And while the three acts don’t exactly flow smoothly into one another, Riddick still manages to entertain throughout. There’s enough gore and action to please even the most blood-thirsty fans.

riddick David Twohy Vin Diesel, Jordi Mollà, Katee Sackhoff + Karl Urban Directed by Starring

119 minutes | 18A

There’s salty, hard-bitten dialogue.

Heck, there’s even a bit of nudity that helped garner the movie an 18A rating. Put that all together and what you get is a proper sci-fi Bmovie that has returned to its roots and, in doing so, may very well have saved a franchise that looked to be on its last legs.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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will god forgive this movie?

Only God Forgives amongst the year’s worst films by adam hawboldt

Photo: Courtesy of radius TWC

D

uring a film festival in Ph. LosPh. Angeles, director Nicolas Winding Refn said that if his excellent 2012 movie Drive “was like getting the best cocaine and doing it all night long,” then his new film, God Only Forgives, “is like doing acid. Not the kind where you sit in a chair and see things — the kind of good acid where you become the chair.”

If only that were true!

Instead, Only God Forgives plays out like a horribly bad acid trip full of grotesque images, strange lights, and the overwhelming urge to want the damn thing to end.

Yes, it’s really that bad.

Starring (if you can even call it that) Ryan Gosling, Only God Forgives tells the story of Julian, this guy with a serious Oedipus complex who runs a muay thai kickboxing club in downtown Bangkok. The club acts as a

front for Julian’s drug-smuggling ring.

One night, Julian’s brother Billy (Tom Burke) rapes and kills a teenage girl.

In return, the girl’s father kills Billy.

Julian and Billy’s foul-mouthed and slightly crazed mom, Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas), shows up looking for revenge. And all the while there’s a cop named Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm) lurking about in the shadows. And by lurking, I totally mean slicing people up with swords and singing karaoke.

Okay. Right now you may be thinking, “That doesn’t sound so bad.

Sounds kind of like an uber-violent B-movie starring one of the most charismatic actors on the planet.

What’s so terrible about that?”

Oh, where to start?

First off, when you have a guy like Ryan Gosling as your lead, you want to give him a meaty part. Something with substance.

Something that allows him to use his abundant talent. Look at his performances in The Believer or Half Nelson or The Place Beyond the Pines, and you’ll know what I’m talking about. The dude (as impossibly handsome as he is) has serious acting chops. But in Only God Forgives, he has nothing to work with. Less than nothing.

For most of the movie, all he’s asked to do is stare off into the middle distance and look monotonously tortured. It’s almost as though he’s an extra in the movie and the real star of the show is the red-tinted, hallucinatory hell that’s swirling all around him.

Which brings us to another major problem with the movie. It’s one thing to make a hallucinatory movie that intertwines reality, dreams, vi-

only god forgives Nicolas Winding Refn Starring Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas + Vithaya Pansringarm Directed by

90 minutes | 18A

sions, and wild acts of violence. That schtick can be done, and done well.

But if you don’t pull it off, all you do is leave the audience disappointed and confused. Which, I assure you, is the case here. Audiences were so disappointed with this movie that it was booed at the Cannes Film Festival.

And it isn’t just audiences who dislike this pretentious, slow-moving movie. Most critics hated it, too.

One even went so far as to call Only God Forgives “cinematic defecation.”

Can’t say I entirely disagree.

Only God Forgives will be opening at the Regina Public Library on September 12.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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crossword canadian criss-cross 30. Memory loss 33. Necklace fastener 37. Bird that resembled an ostrich 38. Bacon’s partner 40. Code word for E 41. Basic knitting stitch 43. Follow the advice of 45. Three prefix 46. Expecting rules to be followed 48. Result of a bad bite 50. Of an hour 51. Overwhelming number 52. On guard 53. Communicate non-verbally

. Touch affectionately 1 2. Amorous embrace 3. Confess 4. Continue a subscription 5. Spendthrift 6. ___ Baba 7. Christmas 8. Serving dish 9. Excessive enthusiasm 11. Male duck 12. Saint ___, New Brunswick 14. Did a take-off on 17. Leaves 20. Herb of the mint family 22. Face powder ingredient 25. Be unable to find 27. Sound heard through a

stethoscope 29. With good reason 30. Concert gear 31. Opening for food 32. Small in breadth 34. Movie director’s cry 35. Make confetti 36. Pea in French 39. Agricultural labourers 42. Maltese monetary unit 44. ‘The Burning Giraffe’ painter 47. Airport rental 49. Swamp

A

B

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

1. Blacken on the grill 5. Have an inclination toward 9. Light purple colour 10. For everyone to hear 12. Words often difficult for outsiders to understand 13. Rugged range of mountains 15. Early afternoon hour 16. Threads running from side to side across a fabric 18. Move off the ground 19. Cat’s warning 21. St. John’s ___ 23. Barely get by, with ‘out’ 24. Relating to the nose 26. Erudite 28. Biggest ape

© walter D. Feener 2013

sudoku answer key

DOWN

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

ACROSS

Horoscopes september 6-september 12 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

If you’re feeling down this week, Aries, don’t despair. Watch a funny movie or go out with friends. That’ll do the trick.

A short trip should be in the cards for you this week, Leo. Get out of town, recharge your batteries. New territories could bring serious inspiration.

Express yourself! Those are some words of wisdom you should most certainly heed this week, Sagittarius.

Speak your mind, and enjoy some peace.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

Do not overindulge this week, Taurus. Moderation is the name of this game. There really can be too much of a good thing. Trust us.

This is going to be one of those weeks where everything you touch turns to gold, Virgo. So be as touchy-feely as the law permits.

Don’t sweat the small stuff in the days and weeks ahead, Capricorn.

It could be your undoing. Rather, try to go with the flow and sort things out later.

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

Ever get the feeling that someone is avoiding you, Gemini? Well, chances are that’s precisely the case this week.

A celebration may be in order this week, Libra. For what? Who cares.

Just get out there and have a good time.

It’s important to blow off some steam.

Avoid all drama this week, if you can help it. There’s no sense in making a mountain out of a mole hill. Pick your battles.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

Unspoken tension between you and a loved one can explode into words that shouldn’t be spoken. Don’t let that happen this week.

Responsibilities. Don’t you just hate ‘em, Scorpio? Too bad they’ll acquire most of your attention this week.

Keep your head down and get ‘er done.

Something may have been worrying you lately, Pisces. Good news: those worries will pass. All you have to do is listen to what the universe is telling you.

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

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